plant matter 2.20.23
hi friends,
i hope you have today off of work, but even if you don’t, let this be your encouragement to find an opportunity, even a really small one, to allow your mind and body to unwind.
something i’ve found relaxing lately is slowly teaching myself to crochet. i’ve been practicing for a while, but only this past weekend has the pleasure of the activity surpassed my frustration. when i first typed in a search for ‘beginner crochet tutorial’ and picked up a hook, i fumbled with my grip and could never seem to find the correct loop to thread through. have you guys heard of this thing where you’re probably not going to be amazing at a thing the very first time you try it? i had overestimated both my fine motor skills and patience for watching videos of peoples hands moving impossibly slowly until the exact moment where you can’t figure out what to do next, at which point they inexplicably switch to hyper speed.
quick aside — i am so bad at following youtube tutorials. like so so bad! i much prefer a diagram or images i can scrutinize at my leisure without being beholden to the advancing red bar. but certain crochet techniques do seem to require video instruction, so i must will my eyeballs to remain focused on the lady’s hands on the screen. anyhoo!
i’ve really taken my time and repeated stitches over and over without attempting to make anything at all. just doing the same motion until it feels slightly less awkward, at which point i unravel and try whatever skill easy crochet dot com tells me is next.
i went from thinking there was no way this task was ever going to feel natural to finding a comfortable flow within a condensed enough timeline that my progress was super apparent. again, i know i’m here being like, ‘have you heard fiber crafts can be a rewarding activity??’ but for me, this was a needed reminder that the childlike experience of acquiring a new skill does not, in fact, disappear post primary school.
have you learned any new things lately? i’d love to hear about them. and in case you’re wondering, easy crochet dot com currently has me practicing the ‘granny row.’
anyhoo!
not a link but a recommendation to make applesauce with any of those mushy boys hanging out in the back of your fridge. it’s easy and fairly quick and the payoff is delicious. here’s what i do: chop apples up as finely as you have the patience for (no need to peel), put them in a large pot with a enough of water to cover the bottom, cover and simmer on low while you watch an episode of gilmore girls or read a few chapters of a book, uncover and mash with a potato masher (i imagine a large fork would do in a pinch), let simmer uncovered until desired thickness is reached, stir in a dash of apple cider vinegar at the end. voila!
just trust me with this tiktok
and this one
a pod rec for when you want to know what the cool people are saying about pop culture
alternately nodding vigorously and laughing out loud at tech journalist kaitlyn tiffany’s book, everything i need i get from you: how fangirls created the internet as we know it
a simple flavorful weeknight dinner
lose yourself
thanks for reading <3
Also, the relatable link made me laugh so hard.
I ABSOLUTELY love the Smitten Kitchen recipe! It's SO fricken good and easy and requires very few ingredients. I made it last month and am in love. :)