OK, It's 11:55 and I just got done milling about 10 cups of flour. . . Something is not right with this yet it felt so good. It all started when I was looking over the cookbooks that my mom left with me, that progressed to me looking through some cookbooks I've had for a few months but haven't really utilized well. . . one thing lead to another and I figured that since I had just used my milled flour and most of my store bought flour, I may want to bake something and have a flour shortage. Hence the flour milling at almost midnight. As I poured the wheat berries into the hopper and watched the flour mound into a white mountain with it's golden brown basin feelings went through me that I can't quite describe. I think the best description would be a high.
On a separate yet related topic of books and addictions, 2 arrived in the mail today from Amazon. I love books. Most of my friends are slightly freaked out with the number of books they see in my home on various topics. I'm not talking about novels. Except for a few classics most of my books are non-fiction. The two that came are Sally Melville Styles and The Knitting Experience: Book 3. I've been pouring through them and their ideas while referencing back to Books 1 and 2. All the while finding patterns, ideas, future projects that I want to delve into NOW. I've been happy with everything I've made from Book 1 except for a vest. The problem with the vest was my poor yarn choice not the actual pattern or style.
I haven't tackled anything from book 2 but part of that was my challenges with finding yarn for the projects. I like how Styles helps with working through stash. That's a big problem for me, having plenty of yarn but not knowing how to approach a project from my stash and often not having enough yardage. Or sometimes having way too much yardage and feeling like if I make a project I'll have too much leftovers to justify "splitting" the yardage.
Sally in this book also demonstrates how just one ball of something I like can be very useful. I always felt that just one ball was a waste, but often find yarn I love and antagonize over not being able to afford enough of it to make a project, or over finding the right project for the yarn. I have to actually try to put the principles into practice but from what I've already read I'm looking forward to undertaking some new projects with different methods and techniques than what I've done in the past.
I've been stockpiling scraps of sock yarn from my socks and from whatever I can get my sister to give me so I've been planning a scrappy project. I haven't figured out exactly how I'm going to make it come together but I have even stronger feelings now about making this project happen.
I made a blanket in college that was this type of project. The blanket is a favorite of mine and now the boys. It's lapaghan sized and a huge variation on a granny square. It's made mostly of yarn I recycled from sweaters I got at the campus clothing swap. Because it would have been impossible to get all the same texture and weight of yarn this project has lots of texture and variation between the yarns but it works. I'd love to have some garments like this.
1 comment:
Just wanted to let you know that I've been thoroughly enjoying living vicariously through you these past few posts. I can understand the "high" you get with making your own flour. There's something very empowering as a woman, especially of this era, when you can do something good for your family like that. Being able to take what has tradititonally been considered "woman's work" (oh the feminists are going to kill me!) and doing it more like how our fore mothers did is awesome!! I know things like that make me feel like I could have lived as a homesteader out on the Prairie...well, maybe for a week at least!
There's another blogging lady who I live vicariously through. Her blog is called Home Grown...thought you might like to check it out.
OK, I'm done just wanted to give you an "Atta Girl!!"
Take care and have a great day!!
Post a Comment