Whilst away I took some bamboo/silk wool, a skein of moss green and a pretty glowing pink. I had planned to do several things with it. One of those things was to mainly knit. This proved a little difficult as keeping it clean was tricky and looking up all the time to supervise the children was also tricky - with you know, crocodiles and all... The wool proved particularly handy and we created nature mobiles to decorate our campervan, made necklaces and played string games. On our last evening whilst staying at a friend's home I managed to knit a spring cat collar for Yogi using the moss green wool that would match his eyes. I knit this one with ten stitches across for a cooler effect. Turns out, as usual, he loves it!
I'm re-reading, soaking up and want to actually eat this book, Bush Food; Aboriginal Food and Herbal Medicine by Jennifer Isaacs. This book is a rare gem and is approved by lay people, professionals and Aboriginal people Australia wide. There is not another book like this one. It is filled with gorgeous photographs and extensive knowledge of bush food and medicine, the religious rules on where to find it, how to harvest it and techniques on cooking too.
Throughout our trip I read and used this book on a daily basis. My bush lore is very bad and if it was up to me our family would have either starved to death or I would have poisoned them. Thank God for Dazla's skills of gathering coconuts, 'catching' fish and making friends who gave us food and of course the local fruit and vege shops, delicatessans and wineries, we survived.
I did create a beautiful damper one night along the Annan River. We had a strong, hot fire and when the fire quietened down and the ashes went white, I placed the damper or bread onto the ash. The flour was an organic wheat that I bought from a store in Cairns. The damper was cooked on both sides for about 10 minutes. When it was ready I took it out and patted the ash off. We opened it up, divided it into pieces and spread it with butter and drizzled on golden syrup. It was a magical experience eating from the prana of fire, listening to the flow of the river and gazing deeply into that life giving, magical fire.
I'm joining Ginny today and lots of other lovely knitters and readers over at the Yarn Along. Pop over, become inspired, join us!
