For many years, my fitful attempts at a regular yoga practice were enabled by my handmade yoga mat bag. The body was one of the only things I had ever crocheted that wasn't aggressively hideous, while the strap came from an import store and was purchased entirely because there was a time in my life when I felt uncomfortable if I spoke to a retail store employee and then DIDN'T buy anything in the store.
Of course, those semi-fond memories didn't stop me from leaving the yoga mat bag (and the yoga mat it contained) behind on the subway one day. Nobody ever turned it in to the TTC's Lost and Found either. I hope whoever found it is haunted every time they use it, perpetually unable to relax during shavasana and forever barfing during hot yoga classes.
I replaced the mat but not the bag. At least, not until this weekend. My friend Tamera had gifted me with just enough of this rad octopus print that I could make a decent-sized yoga mat bag. I spliced together this free pattern from Amy Butler(PDF) and a bag pattern from Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing, because I wanted a drawstring top. I placed the drawstring casing too high (the bag basically has a manbun of extra fabric on top), but I'm not about to rip the whole thing out. Otherwise, it turned out just fine.
My beer selection this week isn't all that domestic. Instead, it's from Portland's Rogue Brewery, but I'm highlighting it anyway because it's a weird, weird brew. It's their Voodoo Doughnut Lemon Crueller flavour, and there's definitely some witchcraft happening here. It tastes exactly like a lemon doughnut. Not like they dropped in a boatload of artificial flavouring, or like they got their spices but not the texture. Instead, the aftertaste even has a glazed quality. It's a mystery to me. However, it's also so sweet and powerfully dessert-like that it's impossible to enjoy more than one glass. I was reminded of my friend who demanded "Beer flavoured beer." Sometimes that's better than a liquified doughnut.
Monday, September 14, 2015
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Domestic Tuesday: Completed Socks and Cider
I'm beginning to think lifestyle blogs are all a giant scam to keep us buying chalkboard paint and succulents. Some of their authors maintain that they have full-time jobs and/or kids, but I don't trust them.
Why? Because it's taken me months to finish my Pomatomus socks. And I couldn't even take a decent picture of them. Real lifestyle blogs would have finished ten projects and also directed a photo shoot for each one. The yarn pooled in a major way on one sock, so this is the best you'll get. So far the yarn (Rowan Fine Art in Yew) is warm and fuzzy. I think they'll be perfect when the colder weather finally hits.
The cider I was making was actually ready before these socks were finished, sadly. And the first batch from the Under the Sink Cider Co. was... okay. Extremely dry. Probably not bringing home any awards any time soon. However, nobody has died from consuming the cider so far, which makes me confident about trying another batch. Should I mix in some pear juice, or just stick to apple for now and buy some profesh yeast? I'm not sure yet. Either way, I should probably make some labels so I can register our ciderworks's mascot, Squishy the Dirty Old Sponge, before someone steals the idea.
Why? Because it's taken me months to finish my Pomatomus socks. And I couldn't even take a decent picture of them. Real lifestyle blogs would have finished ten projects and also directed a photo shoot for each one. The yarn pooled in a major way on one sock, so this is the best you'll get. So far the yarn (Rowan Fine Art in Yew) is warm and fuzzy. I think they'll be perfect when the colder weather finally hits.
The cider I was making was actually ready before these socks were finished, sadly. And the first batch from the Under the Sink Cider Co. was... okay. Extremely dry. Probably not bringing home any awards any time soon. However, nobody has died from consuming the cider so far, which makes me confident about trying another batch. Should I mix in some pear juice, or just stick to apple for now and buy some profesh yeast? I'm not sure yet. Either way, I should probably make some labels so I can register our ciderworks's mascot, Squishy the Dirty Old Sponge, before someone steals the idea.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)