Were you aware that November has been renamed Vestvember? If you weren't, please now consider yourself duly informed. While some may argue that the vest is experiencing something of a resurgence, I don't think they ever really went anywhere. My mother has always worn vests, more as a matter of practicality than style (if we are being honest here). Her arms always get hot in sweaters (I don't understand it; but, there you are). I have never really thought about it, perse, but I guess a vest is a good venture to undertake as a knitter for no other reason than the lack of sleeves.
Given my enthusiasm for the vest knitting (as surely that is what I am expressing), one would think I could manage to finish a vest in a reasonable amount of time; but, no, one would be wrong.
So I am using Vestvember as an opportunity to finish up Special K's specially requested vest that I have been working on since March (MARCH!). It's not difficult, I just find the knitting uninspiring. But he requested it, and it's almost done, so I just need to make the effort. I have four hours of train travel tomorrow for a one day conference in Boston, I think that will probably help.
Most of my crafting hours, of late, have been taken up with crochet. I am putting the edging on the Babette blanket. It'll be done this weekend, because it has to be, my friend Lori is going to Costa Rica next week and plans on taking the blanket with her, so, yeah. Gotta love a real deadline.
Other things that have been occupying my time...baking. I know some of you miss the pies, quite frankly, so do I. But the best pie (real pie) has butter in the pie crust (especially if it's a shortbread crust...) and I can not imagine eating fake pie crust, which is what I would have to do with my new dairy-free lifestyle.
I will be honest. I have missed bake goods. A lot. So I finally decided to read up on dairy-free baking, which basically amounts to vegan baking (which I used think was an oxymoron...oh the hubris).
But thanks to Vegan Cupcakes Takeover the World, there are now baked goods on my menu again. And they are, delicious. Who knew? I just made the "sexy lowfat vanilla cupcakes with fresh berries" last night, and I am not ashamed to admit that I ate one for breakfast this morning. I guess I might be willing to rethink my stance on the real versus fake pie crust thing...eventually, but I will just stick with the cupcakes for now. Happiness is a cupcake!




