Show and Tell: Curtain Call OR Thoughts on Cost

I talked to the lady at the upscale fabric store the other day - the one I had to leave empty handed, with visions of two-hundred dollar curtains dancing in my head - about how satisfying, but surprisingly time and money-inefficient, it is to make your own things. I was honest about how overwhelmed I was at the cost of their beautiful fabric and the cost of my new-found hobbies in general. I pointed out how, when you factor in the raw cost of high-quality products and the hours it takes to put them together yourself, I often end up paying more than I would for a pre-made product in a store.

She pointed out that this is because, most often, the things we buy are made for pennies an hour at factories overseas.

Which got me thinking about how we hardly ever have to face, let alone pay for, the true cost of the things we buy and use. And how far removed we've become from the processes that create the things we need. Here is someone who has a few things to say about it that I wouldn't dare try to paraphrase.

A few months ago (yes, it's only been 2.5 months since my move!), as I looked ahead to trading a large salary for a lot more time in my daily life, I figured I would balance things by using my extra time to make things for myself that I had been purchasing . . . like, for example, hats, and mittens, and curtains. And dinner. But I also intended to really think about the raw products I was buying - and not only in terms of their quality and value for me, but also in terms of where they come from and all of the ethical implications that encompasses. And it's certainly been a more expensive endeavor that I expected, in a strictly monetary sense.

And yet . . . how do I measure the value of making these things myself? The satisfaction seems immeasurable - and I'm not just talking about the pride of a finished product, which is enormous, but also the difference that the process makes in my lifestyle. Yesterday, I got to spend my day sewing and listening to my favorite records as my roommates came and went. I've spent entire Sundays sitting by a fire and knitting with friends. I will often spend an hour in the kitchen with my housemates preparing a nutritious meal together of raw, local ingredients I bought at the co-op. I'm not only making my own curtains and winter-wear and soup . . . in the process, I'm actually making my life how I want it.

Here are the fruits of a day and a half's [leisurely] labor (don't ask how much they cost):

Show and Tell: One Giant Step

It finally happened.

You've watched me picking up speed over the past few weeks, and now it's official: I've broken through the scarf-hat barrier! I'm now moving at the speed of mittens! A whole new world of knitting has opened up to me, friends. Behold: I can shape things! I can read a pattern (sort of, with lots of help from the internet and the friendly folks at my favorite yarn store)! I can K2tog and Kfb! And, most importantly, I can keep my hands warm during this cold, rainy winter. Tadah!

Show and Tell: Charley Harper is My New BFF

I finally splurged on a book I have long dreamed of finding, and I'm already soaking every penny of happiness out of it. Here are some highlights from Charley Harper: An Illustrated Life:

In the Kitchen: Rainy Day Vegetable Chowder

Yesterday, during the first of the many cold, rainy days I've been told to expect all winter, I embraced the weather, tied up my apron strings, and hunkered down for a day of bread baking and chowder making. Here's my new favorite recipe from my new favorite book:

Show and Tell: Bear Hat!

In the Kitchen: Festival Spice Muffins!

Here is a super easy, delicious recipe for Festival Spice Muffins from The Tassajara Bread Book:

[Makes 12 muffins]

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ginger *

1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup oil OR melted butter
1/2 cup honey OR molasses
1 1/2 cups milk

"Combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl combine the wet ingredients. Fold the wet and dry ingredients together with as few strokes as possible, just until the flour is moistened, leaving a few lumps. Spoon into greased muffin tins and bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes."

* These ingredients are what make them festival-spicey. If you omit these spices, you have the regular Whole Wheat Muffin Recipe.

Show and Tell: First Hat & Pumpkin Hat!

Hey friends, it's time for our new Show and Tell series!

First, an introduction, explanation, and disclaimer: As many of you already know, it may be an understatement to say that I've been something of a homebody/domestic enthusiast lately. The main events of my days have been baking pies, cooking soups, and knitting hats . . . and I love it. And I want to show my stuff off. And what is "blogging" if not the creation of a small, public universe of which I am the center? What better forum to show off my own accomplishments to the people I love most?

Also, on a slightly less self-centered note - I think it's time that domesticity got a little positive publicity. It was, in large part, my self-prescribed summer reading diet of Barbara Kingsolver, Wendell Berry, and Michael Pollan that inspired my recent life change and landed me here in Portland with enough free hours to pursue my domestic goals. I strongly believe that re-connecting to the processes that sustain us, paying attention to and taking control of what we consume and where it comes from, and re-learning many of the basic skills we need to sustain ourselves (i.e. producing food and clothing) are among the most essential and empowering life projects we can undertake. The way they've been devalued, especially in regards to "women's work" or "housewife-ery" is a shame. So, basically, I'm just excited to share a little bit of the joy and pride that these projects are bringing me.

Phew! Now you're fully prepped to interpret my knitting projects for the politically charged, revolutionary acts that they are. And you thought they were just hats! Here goes:

Hat #1: This was my first knitting project of the season, my first hat in years. Tadah!

Hat #2: My pumpkin hat! I'm really proud of this one.
And, coming next time . . . .

I'm planning this hat:

But in my size, and in these colors:

Stay tuned!