The Hewn Spoon. Op-Shop Show-Off: 30th July, 2013

This flat bottomed wooden spoon was thrown in when we bought pottery from an elderly local craftswoman/ex-craft gallery owner. She suggested it was made by Levi Borgstrom, but its not. It's teak I think, not a local timber, and it's rustic with a capital R.  It's clearly hand hewn, somewhat inexpertly too as there is a random chisel scrape in the bowl of the spoon, and the tail is just unevenly hacked off. What it does share with a Levi Borgstrom (we're into treen and have a few) is it's ergonomic comfort in hand. The handle still feels like a branch rather than dowel.

The main point of difference from a Borgstrom though is that I'm actually allowed to use this one! The husband lives in fear of dying before me. Not because you know, I'd be lost without him, or he'd have a shorter life or anything, he just worries I'd feed the cat out of the Hamada and stir my broths with the Borgstroms. (I will too, I hate fetishising craft). In the meantime this wannabe is perfect for scrapping off all those congealed, slightly burned bits in the bottom of a pan after a roast which taste so good or make gravy, and hack you off when it comes to pan scrubbing hours later.

I have several well used wooden spoons in my kitchen, including one that always smells of curry, but I could never contemplate buying a used one though my local salvos stocks them. Ick and tut. Surely it's unhygienic?! Except, perhaps if it was old/carved then I might scald it before I used it? Not that I ever scald any of mine. Also, a sycamore chopping board is high on my op-shop wish list and I wouldn't mind if that was obviously used either, just because I'm just so desperate for one. And I probably wouldn't even bother scalding that. No. Logic.

So, I'm interested to know, is there anything you just couldn't contemplate buying second hand, logically or illogically, or is it all fair game?

At which juncture I'll just mention one of the highlights of our honeymoonal trip to Paris; the obligatory flea market jaunt. Stop romanticising about pre-loved Hermes scarves and chipped stoneware jugs right now and instead imagine...a second hand g-string stall (true story).




As always, I'd LOVE it if you linked up any second hand shopping related posts x

30/52 Portraits of my Children in 2013

Claudine: "...it's not a stick, it's a taniwha"








Findlay: a swing, some sun=bliss


Week 30 of the Portrait Project at Che and Fidel.



*My favourite from last week was Jackson's jump


** and I already picked a favourite for this week (and quite possibly the whole year) this incredible portrait, at bluebirds of happiness

Agee with me? Op-Shop Show-Off; July 23rd, 2013

Ah, the Agee jar. Not just for preserves? How do you use yours?

29/52 Portraits of my Children in 2013

Claudine-With Pony; aka Pones, Pony Mahoney. Her favourite toy, ever.

Findlay-With feet he can finally reach. His favourite toy, at the moment.


Joining in the Portrait Project at Che and Fidel.


*My favourite of last week's contributions was this wee girl with a giant spring in her step

Le Moulinette de la rogue: Op-Shop Show-Off July 16th, 2013

 I found my handwritten recipe notes from the Italian cooking class I took years ago as I unpacked another box of household effects post earthquake repairs a few weeks ago.  Cat's heirloom cookbook came to mind as I laughed at the memories evoked by the scrawled entries, missing ingredients and stains (we were encouraged to drink red wine steadily through every class. heh).

It's a testament to the brilliance of the course and my love for Italian food that I've retained all but one of the dishes we were taught in our current family eating repertoire. Gnocchi was my nemesis. Initially I embarrassed myself in front of the class by being repeatedly incapable of picking up the skill of the fork wrist flick necessary to shape the little buggers. Undeterred, privately I attempted to make gnocchi again.  Close your eyes and imagine chewing a slug cum one of those escape-from-you-hand-toys and you then know how that turned out. 

That issue was the lack of a potato ricer, but ever the grinch I just couldn't bring myself to spend $50 on a single use cupboard cluttering gadget and so since I've tried pretended gnocchi doesn't exist. Which is quite hard for a pasta and potato addict. I get really excited when I see it on a menu, especially when it's paired with sage and I vow to revisit it often. Then I go to the deli, prevaricate over the $50 potato ricer and put it back again... until next time. 

A few weeks ago I had a lightbulb moment as I was reading the deeply wonderful Rachel Eats. An old mouli: of course! I hunted, and held out for one with the three blades so it could multi-task. Trademe once again came up with the goods. For half the price of a new potato ricer I couldn't press "Buy-Now" fast enough.

The Mouli was invented in 1932 by Frenchman Jean Mantelet who was dissatisfied with his wife's lumpy mash! It proved immensely popular and lucrative and Mantelet's company morphed into Moulinex. My mother still calls a food processor a "Moulinex" in the same way she still calls a vacuum cleaner a "Hoover"; they were and remain big in Europe.

So there I was this morning, full of good intention: crack knuckles, crack gnocchi. Photo gnocchi,  eat gnocchi. Do foodie linky with Ange; Treading Gently... Linky with Hettie, and then Op-Shop Show-Off the hell out of my mouli baby. I fed in the first steamed potato and the mouli handle promptly disintegrated in my hand. Sigh. After I made potato cakes, scarfed potato cakes etc I emailed the seller.




Hi there,
I just used the mouli this morning for the first time and unfortunately the plastic turning knob just disintegrated in my hand. I've attached a photo so you can see what i mean.
When my husband gets home i'll see if there is anyway he could make/attach a new handle-i've been looking for a mini mouli with three disks for ages so id prefer to fix it if i can; but in case we cant could you let me know how to go about returning it to you/obtaining a refund.
Thanks,
Max Bennett


and he replied

Hi Max

Sorry to hear that you have broken the handle.

We used this item for over a year and never broke it and you have managed to in very short time!. Seriously I cannot be held responsible for the way in which you used it so unfortunately there will be no refund.

There is a way that the handle can be fixed:

Get a piece of hose clear black whatever that is slightly bigger or less than the handle top, heat it and force it over the flange.

Alternatively a large wooden ball from a craft shop, redrill it out and slip it over the handle end loosely. It could be held with a locking clip of some sort if a more permanent solution was required.

Sorry that is the best advice I can give.

Kind Regards

James

Sigh.
Here is the reply I want to make:-

Ah salesman of shoddy goods, your are also a peddler of shoddy advice. Husband says neither of these methods will work. But I am impressed with the surprising detailed thought you've afforded this issue. Must have been quite hard without an actual mouli in front of you. A cynic might think you gave this some forethought and reached the same conclusion my husband did, but then decided to sell it rather than put it in the bin where it belongs. I am that cynic.

ps. Your lying about the kind regards too



I'd also quite like to add a bit in about 'fit for purpose', 'consumer guarantees act', 'give me my money back you toad' etc but according to the Trademe site there is no comeback on private seller sales such as these. I did not know that, did you?

I haven't decided yet whether I shall vent with a further email as outlined above, or just let it go like a fart; it stink but I'll quickly forget it,  so if you have any suggestions for additions to my draft email, or any op-shop fizzles of your own to share please feel free to make me laugh!



Next time gnocchi, I'll get ya, next time  *shakes fist*

28/52 Portraits of my Children in 2013

Findlay: Trains make teething and tummy time tolerable

(looking good in merino, a present from Cat. thanks again lovely x)


Claudine: Watching the storm. She played outside for all of two minutes today before announcing she wouldn't be going outside again "...until it's summer".  





Taking part in the portrait project at Che and Fidel. Here are my previous photo-portraits



*My favourite from last week was of a snowballer

Handy Scandi Tablecloth:Op-Shop Show-Off:Tuesday July 9th, 2013

I'd been very fixated on the vintage Danish tablecloths Danish blogger Birgitte sells on Etsy.

Then I think I found one. Rangiora Charity Barn, $2. YES!

Things that shriek "YES!" No ironing necessary; looks and feels like thin woven wool; good looks.

Things that say "nah, but I love it anyways". It's a long, long way from home!

It would be kicking a serendipitous gift horse in the mouth to mention that I'm a little disappointed it's too small for my dining table so instead I'll say I'm thinking maybe oversized scarf/wrap as it's just too lovely for relegation to my pet textiles cupboard.



*It was so brilliant to see so many of you linking in last week with some class finds. Hope you've had as fortunate a week and can link in again x

27/52 Portraits of my Children in 2013

Claudine-Thinks her dad is the most hilarious person she knows

Findlay-Likes to hold hands


Joining, for the 27th time, the Portrait Project at Che and Fidel


* My favourite from last week? The baby and the ballerina at Living, Loving, Laughing

The Portrait Project 2013-Favourites At Mid-Year

In brief: I'm quite staggered at how much I love these kids, and these photos, and this project, and at how much I've learned, and at at how much I have to learn, and that I've had the confidence (if not the skill and knowledge) to move into full time manual mode.
All these photos were 'happy accidents'; in that none were staged and that the 'look' or effects in them were unplanned. In the latter half of this project year project I'd like to be more deliberate and aim for a specific looks and effect, if time and kid tolerance allow!

Do you agree with my choices, or did you have favourites of your own?

26/52 Portraits of my Children

Claudine-Fishin'

Findlay-Sittin'

Me-Half way through this year of weekly portraits of my children project. Lovin'

A Bit Candle Lit. Op-Shop Show-Off: Tuesday July 2nd, 2013

Candlestick, vase, ornament? However you like it, I like this very much. Art Nouveau-esq in colour and form (albeit a little on the chunky side) it suits our little Arts and Crafts era house down to the ground, and has come in handy for the candlelit dinners we have daily throughout winter.

Regardless of it's beauty and utility though, I can't go past anything with a makers mark I don't know. I was especially curious as this one has such a "HELLO NOTICE ME" makers mark, like an (American as it turns out!) celebrity desperate to be identified. It's rather scribbled nature is quite at odds with the grace of the slip-cast form, or perhaps I'm too used to kiwi ceramics with their tiny, tidy impressed potters stamps?

Ok, so a doddle to identify. Van Briggle pottery, Colorado Springs. But hard to date, somewhere between 1940 and the present day; the pottery continues to churn out reproductions of its artist founders original Arts and Crafts era works.

Being of an over-ordered disposition (I find it hard to think of candlestick in anything but pairs) I'm contemplating getting it a matchy mate . Happily this shouldn't be too difficult as they appear to be two-a-penny on Ebay!


Hope your as delighted with your op-shop finds this week. Do link up if you blogged anything secondhand related, we'd all love to come over and take a peek x

Night Sky Embroidery

I've taken the Matariki theme quite literally with this work-in-progress Matariki Winter Craft project. My inspiration was this Miniature Rhino constellation embroidery hoop art; one of the first images I ever pinned on Pinterest, and still my favourite.

I like to think I've put my own spin on it, or taken the idea further by going beyond the simple star-line constellations and trying to translate in my rudimentary embroidery the excitement I feel when I look at the milky way in the winter night sky; and by embroidering pillow cases. Made from op-shopped navy linen, these are the first pillow cases I've ever made (I tore an old pillow case apart and used it as a template).

The layout of the constellations of the Southern Night sky at this time of year in the late evening (when I'm looking) is roughly accurate: The Southern Cross, Scorpio, Triangulum Australis and the Corona Borealis; excepting Matariki (Pleiades) which I have superimposed as they are seen in the dawn sky (when I'm sleeping).

I may add a little symbol for the taratula nebula: or a moon in one of it's phases: or one of the planets, discreetly, in an appropriate colour. Or I may not. Perhaps I shall think of my grandparents and other members of my family now gone, and embroider a star for each of them to celebrate Matariki in the way it is intended.We shall see.

The pillow cases don't look terribly exciting yet, but I think once I have completed a few more patches of milky way (it will sweep through the middle, bottom left to top right) and add plenty of random stars/dot/cross/knots they will look more complete and thats when I will stop.

I'm really enjoying this project, I just pick it up and have a play, unpicking the stitches if I don't like the result. Luckily, the linen seems quite forgiving. I'm also contemplating making a pair embroidered on navy brushed cotton, I think the fuzz would look quite effective in addition to being winter-cosier.

I haven't decided what to stitch on pillowcase two yet. Possibly, for nostalgias sake, the northern hemisphere winter night sky: I miss my pole star! Or the Southern Hemisphere summer night sky, for consistency? Either way I think this project will see me into spring: embroidering a universe is no mean feat!

Happy Matariki!




Prior Matariki Posts
Matariki 2012 
Matariki  Craft 2011
Matariki 2011

Also showing off at Show & Tell