Wow… you made it all the way to my ‘my personal life’ page? I don’t find myself terribly interesting, but other people occasionally seem to, so here we go…
vital stats
- birthday: New Year’s Eve (yes, really!)
- favorite colors: turquoise, baby pink, lime green and lilac
- favorite American football team: the Chicago Bears
- favorite League rugby team: the South Sydney Rabbitohs (although, I’m still a bit unclear on a number of naming issues, such as: the exact difference between a ‘rabbitoh’ and a ‘rabbit’, and why ‘rabbitoh’ has an ‘h’ on the end. But I like them, anyway.)
- favorite coffee: Folger’s breakfast blend, with milk and sugar
- favorite tea: if hot: Earl Grey (with milk and sugar). If cold: sweet tea!
- favorite yeast extract: Vegemite! (Marmite is too goopy!)
things that aren’t vital stats
I love kids and animals (check me out with a sheep, at right). I’m a healthy eater (most people think I’m a vegetarian-because I don’t eat meat too often- but I do eat it. Check out the ‘adventurous eater’ section, below). I run- I’ve completed a marathon and a half marathon. And, I’m a little weird about chemicals being in the house: we don’t wear shoes inside, I clean exclusively with baking soda and vinegar, and I make all of our soap. Here are some other defining characteristics:
I’m a minimalist
I don’t like clutter, and I don’t buy a lot of stuff. I can count the number of pairs of shoes I own on one hand. I own less than 30 books, most of them reference books (that’s what libraries are for!). And… (this is where I really stun people) my yarn stash takes up one 15 gallon Rubbermaid storage bin.
I’m an adventurous eater
I started eating sushi when I was around 10… raw fish? Baby stuff. I love trying new foods, and I will try almost (I do say ALMOST) anything. My current favorites (which I am lucky enough to have semi-regularly) are: tripe pho (Vietnamese noodle soup), Yebeg Alitcha (lamb) and Gored gored (raw cubes of beef, both Ethiopian) and fried pickles. Other things I’ve had include: dried worms, kangaroo, reindeer, wild boar, umeboshi (Japanese pickled plums), cuttlefish, fermented herring, cow foot, fois gras (fatty duck liver), frog legs, snails, ostrich… and the list goes on. Things I want to try: horse (raw and otherwise), turtle, durian (I’ve been warned, but I’m interested!) and probably stuff I haven’t heard of yet. Yum!
I strive for self-sufficiency
I like being able to make things from scratch. I bake my own bread (actually, I haven’t bought bread for over a year), make tofu, pasta, yogurt and oodles of other things in the kitchen. I pick walnuts and shell them, and I pick Mulberries and make preserves (yes, I stand by the side of the road and collect berries, as well as strange looks from onlookers). I sew, I quilt (see picture at left), I spin wool, knit and crochet. I make soap. One day, I’d like to have a big garden, grow most of my own food, and have a couple of chickens and some bees. Ah, the fantasy.
That’s basically me in a nutshell!
Hello – Do you have a crochet pattern for your felted boots? There was one referenced on the Simple Shoemaking site, and I would love to make a pair (or two).
Thanks, Lori
P.S. I have eaten horse, both raw and cooked, when I traveled to Japan. It is wonderful.
Crochet pattern soon to come… but you’ve reminded me that it’s worth a blog post on the progress!
P.S. You’re making me jealous…
Well, Stacey we DO shere a lot of dreams !
Unfortunately, I live in Chicago and most of them seem more easily doable in the country !
Let’s meet in person if you come around the windy city! I’d love to.
Yes, the country does seem more appealing at times… but at least it’s easier to get around without a car in the city!
I’ll let you know if I’m in your part of the country!
Hi Stacy,
Have some questions about your boots.
Do they have a sole in them?
Are you a tight crocheter. I tried to get the gauge and i get the stitches but not the rows.
Thanks jan
Hi Jan-
Yes, the boots have a sole in them. You can order the soles for the boots from Simple Shoemaking.
I’m not a particularly tight crocheter… The felted gauge is much more important than the regular crochet gauge, since you will be wearing the boots after they are felted. Also, remember that you can control the final fit in felting, so if your gauge is a little off, keep that in mind when deciding what size to crochet, and be very careful in the final felting.
Feel free to email me if you have any more questions!
stacey
I haven’t been to your store yet but plan to meet a friend there tomorrow evening (wednesday July 14). Have to disagree with the vegemite vs marmite. I couldn’t live without marmite. I did have a friend bring me vegemite from Australia but I just didn’t like the taste. Used to bake my own bread until I returned to the classroom and just haven’t had the time again…once I retire I think I’ll get back into it as I find it a great mode of therapy.