Over the weekend I found myself having to slow down and take it easy more than I really cared to. It seems the pesky head cold I recently got over decided to settle in my left ear and by Friday night I was dealing with a fever and quite a painful earache. And I thought only children get earaches! Ha! This one sure did force me to take it easy. As of today I am feeling quite a bit better thanks to some needed downtime as well as some homemade herbal preparations.

Nearly every year I make an herbal oil out of mullein flowers, garlic, and calendula flowers. Who knew this year I would be the one needing the oil! { For some great info on making herbal infused oils be sure to check out this post found on the Mountain Rose Herbs blog.}

Throughout the weekend I placed 3 drops of my oil in my ear four times a day. I really should be treating both ears but am not (hope I do not regret this.) Within about 24 hours of using my herbal eardrops I noticed a significant difference in my ear. I am going to continue the drops for a few more days to make sure everything clears up well.

I should add that as well as using the herbal eardrops I have also been drinking large quantities of liquid which includes herbal teas made from anise seed, thyme leaves, elder flowers, lemon balm, and echinacea root. All of these herbs are good for congestion as well as the immune system. I know the earache stems from congestion building up so it is very important that I focus on ridding myself of it. On top of all of this I have also upped my Vitamin C intake to also help support my immune system (which has obviously taken a beating this year!)

I intentionally moved at a slower pace all weekend to force rest upon myself. This has not been an easy thing for me to do lately as there has just been so many things piling up needing my attention. I tried to focus on my knitting and spinning. I finally got back to work on Ariella’s sweater and made some progress on it. I also got a little bit caught up on my reading that I have fallen way behind on. And I was finally able to finish spinning up this yarn that I have been desperately trying to get around to finishing.

Isn’t it pretty? It is 4 ounces/210 yards worth of superwash BFL that I dyed with cochineal prior to spinning it. I decided to 2 ply it and am glad I did for it looks so lovely. It is about a sport weight and I am thinking it might make a really lovely pair of fingerless mitts. I so badly need a pair of fingerless mitts! My hands are always so cold. It seems I am always knitting some for everyone else, now I think it is time I knit myself a pair!

Hope everyone is well and healthy. Are you as anxious for spring to get here as I am?

XoXo, Cynthia

Today was so beautiful and warm out compared to the rainy weekend we just had. I was actually able to go out into the garden this afternoon in just a t-shirt- no sweater required!

I took advantage of my baby taking an unusually long nap and harvested some catnip and calendula from the herb garden. Both herbs seem to be enjoying this warm and not so wet fall we have been having. The calendula keeps pumping out huge and beautiful blooms while the catnip is getting ready to flower yet again.

I was able to harvest two bunches worth of the catnip that I hung up to dry. Once the leaves are nice and dry I will store them for making teas. Catnip is good to add to tea mixes for settling the stomach or helping to relax.

I also plan to use some of the catnip leaves during the holidays when I hope to make some catnip toys for friends and relatives that have a few cats that will appreciate the homegrown, organic catnip.

The calendula flowers I gathered I will dry in the oven with just the oven light on which is still my favorite method for drying most herbs. I can never have enough dried calendula flowers on hand. It is such a useful medicinal herb. I always run out of what I grow every year.

It certainly did not feel like the second week of October out in the garden today. How is Autumn treating everyone else’s garden this week?

Calendula has been named the 2008 Herb of the Year by the International Herb Association and it is easy for me to see why. I absolutely love this easy to grow flower.

The calendula I planted from seed awhile back is really starting to put out some flowers now. Yeah! I wait all year for those flowers. I gather them and dry them to use throughout the year. They are yet another herb that can really self-sow but I don’t mind a bit. They are very much welcome in my garden. Not only are they useful but they are also so cheerful. Their orange and yellow flowers really pop. Below is a picture of some “popping” out of my catmint (which is a monster right now!). 

To Dry Calendula flowers

My method for drying calendula flowers is the same method I use for drying most of my herbs. I place them on a paper towel lined cookie sheet and then cover with another piece of paper towel. They are then placed in the oven with the oven light left on. The oven light supplies enough heat to dry the flowers nicely. Just don’t forget you have them in there and accidently turn the oven on!

There are so many things you can do with the calendula flowers. The petals can be used fresh or dried in cooking (be sure to remove the bitter center before adding to a dish). The dried petals can also add a bright splash of color to a bowl of potpourri. My absolute favorite item to make out of calendula flowers is an all purpose salve. It is fairly simple to make and is great for all kinds of skin ailments. I especially like it for a diaper rash treatment. It is also good on eczema. Plus it is really nice to put on your hands after a lot of time spent in the garden.

Recipe for Calendula Salve

Begin by placing some dried calendula flowers in a glass canning jar. Then fill the jar with olive oil or even almond oil. You want to make sure you completely cover the flowers. Place some plastic wrap over the top of the jar and then screw on the ring over the plastic wrap. Place the jar in a warm area out of direct sunlight. Leave the oil to infuse for one to three weeks. (Alternatively you could place the flowers and oil in a crock pot and gently warm for several hours.)

Once the oil is done infusing strain well and measure how much you have. Now place the oil in a double boiler and add ¼ cup (2 ounces) grated beeswax to every 1 cup (8 ounces) of oil. Gently warm the oil until all the beeswax has melted. Remove from the heat and pour into some sterilized containers. Once it cools it will become solid.

Use this salve on any type of skin irritation.

In the picture below I have a mix of calendula, chamomile, comfrey, and lavender infusing. I have been making this for so long now that I don’t bother to measure the herbs I use. I just add what I think looks good!