Mostly knitting stuff. Some food. The other 83%.

Has it really been almost two weeks?

Let’s see. I baked a bunch of strawberry bread, and I’m scheduled to bake even more tomorrow morning.

Nothing is real, and nothing to get hung about. Strawberry bread forever!

I had never eaten strawberry bread before last week, and it’s pinching me in the exact spot where zucchini bread currently pinches. (It’s a good pinch.)

I made a strandy scarf. The man who runs the salon where my hair is cut went to Argentina a while back, and he said that this type of scarf was HUGE there. SO, I put one together and might actually sell them at the salon. (Mass production of anything sort of freaks me out, so we’ll see what happens.)

Two hour strandy scarf. Merry Christmas.

(Disclaimer: I actually look svelte in that photo, which has everything to do with trick photography. I have so many secrets. You should buy me a martini sometime. )

Last Thursday, Tempe and I packed up the car and headed to Grayslake, Illinois for the Midwest Fiber and Folk Art Fair. If you can ignore the fact that my non-smoking hotel room had been smoked in and the fitted sheet was covered with HAIR, we had an amazing time. (I was able to change to a clean air no hair room, and the hotel “reimbursed” me with the gift of my choice: a $10 gift card to an AMC theater or a Snickers candy bar. I went with the card, but found myself awake with a hungry stomach at around 1:00. Why can’t I ever do anything right?!) Bonus information: I ate my first pierogies in Grayslake. They were vegetarian and filled with saurkraut and stop turning up your nose. Also, if you live anywhere near a Portillo’s, please get in there and eat a grilled veggie sandwich. Because you will love it. Because I love it and we’re more alike than different.

Anyway, while at Fiber and Folk, I purchased a ridiculous amount of beautiful roving.

Chicago Wool Haul

Upon returning to St. Louis, I immediately assembled my wheel and spun up some worsted weight.

I Can Hear the Grass Grow

Yesterday evening I took that worsted weight and started knitting a cowl.

Casu Cowl

It sounds like things are the peachiest, doesn’t it?
It’s all part of my formula: Only share 17%. The GOOD 17%.

Vague mutterings regarding the other 83%: Yesterday I spoke with a professional regarding my terrible anxiety when it comes to swimming pools and rivers and lakes and oceans. It was all off the record (i.e., no one was getting paid), and I was made to feel sort of sane because I’m NOT afraid of taking a shower. So there’s that! It’s Tuesday!

12 thoughts on “Mostly knitting stuff. Some food. The other 83%.”

  1. You were less than thirty minutes from my house. You should have dropped by and brought me some strawberry bread. I would have had a Snickers bar waiting for you.

  2. Good to hear from you. Beautiful bread, beautiful yarn, beautiful knitting projects. Yay!

    Sane people are cautious around all bodies of water. If you can calm your anxiety to the point that you can sit somewhat nearby and enjoy the view, then it seems like that would be fine. No? Long as you aren’t trying to join the Navy, seems like this might be something you can learn to manage. Good luck with that.

  3. Love the scarf, and your hand spun yarn, and your creative just-do-it-ness.

    My Mom was born and raised in a little harbor town on Lake Michigan. She used to frolick in the big lake and smaller ones too. Even lakes that swallowed your feet in muck. Never however, would she ever venture one of her adorable toes (which I did not inherit, sadly) anywhere near a swimming pool. I’m sure there’s a name for pool phobia but, I am so lacking in just-do-it-ness today that I’m not even going to google it.

  4. will you share the strawberry bread recipe? What about the cowl pattern name? I very much like the strandy necklace scarf thing, also – but it looks a little too tough for me. Also – again – I must be the world’s slowest knitter…..look at all those stitches. Impressed!

  5. I have a phobia, not of bodies of water, but of DEPTHS. Which often involve bodies of water, but not always. Also: large maps. I am terrified of those. (Maps of the ocean floor are RIGHT OUT, like seriously, I can hardly type this while even THINKING about those.) I think this officially makes me weirder than you. AND I am so totally down for martinis and gluten-free vegetarian pierogies anytime!

  6. I need to bake some strawberry bread very soon.

    Maybe you could practice your phobia at my finny little pool.

    You are much more sane than I. At least you don’t spend your entire waking life counting things. Notice how I made this all about me?

    I would like to put my order in for a scarf. The one you made is quite lovely.

  7. Have never heard of strawberry bread, sounds awesome. Have never seen a yarny scarf either. Thank god for you and your internets sharing!

    I’m ok with water, but I hate the deep part of lakes, completely freaks me out, think I’m going to be attacked by fish. Once went water skiing before I realised how adverse I was to the lake think, had a giant panic attack in the water while waiting for the boat to turn around to pick me up. Never again.

  8. Your spun yarn is looking amazing. It makes me want to try it myself, but I’m currently sitting in the ‘too many hobbies/interests, not enough time’ boat. It’s sad that I’m already filing projects away for retirement. I hope your 83% shrinks to something less heavily weighted toward the unhappy. Take it down to 49% or less please.

  9. You know how your kids tell you about things that you don’t care about but you listen anyway and nod along, entertained, because you love them?
    I care not a bit about yarn or knitting or fur or wheels, and yet I read every post, smiling away.
    I’m not saying I LOVE you, just that I love you.

  10. Yes–the depths-not-the-water thing. I like a pool deep enough to slash and float, but not that interested if I can’t stand up in it. Not to mention living creatures in nature water or squishy bottom stuff. Ick. My mother has a water phobia and so made sure we can all swim. I swim badly and unenthusiastically but stay afloat great, so I consider myself ok in that department.

    How do you feel about hot tubs, baths with jets, or tubs to soak your feet in?

  11. Strawberry bread sounds good! I might just have to try that recipe. Love the fibers you purchased in Grayslake. Can’t wait to see all the beautiful things you will create with them.

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