hello, my name is sisyphus

I think it's safe to say that this sweater falls into the "it seemed like a good idea at the time" category.  Not since the yellow shawl masquerading as a baby blanket have I been thrust into such depths of knitting inertia.  I knit the tomten.  The sleeves want to be seamed, and i-cord or some such thing wants to be attached as does a zipper.  None of these things can happen until I weave in the ends. 

 

There are 122 ends to weave in.  I am so desperate to procrastinate the weaving in of ends that I have resorted to passing the time by counting the ends instead of knitting them.  That is just pathetic.  Even Special K is impressed with my procrastination avoidance of the Sisyphean task of end weaving.  On a recent trip to Vermont I spent 8 hours (that's a pair of socks for some of you!) just sitting in the car.  The tomten was in the bag by my feet and there it stayed.  The ends, they knock the wind out of me a little.  So that is the Sisyphean state of things.

You know what isn't a Sisyphean task for me?  Making pies. I am sure you weren't expecting that segue at all. 

So in the wee hours of the morning today, last night (whatever) I made a pie.

I already mentioned that my recipe resources for pie were starting to dry up, (this isn't totally true, I am just picky) so I subjected you to a tart last week, albeit a very pretty one (if I do say so myself, and I do).  So today I made a pie with nuts.  I have to come clean here and tell you, I am not so much into the nut pies.  I think this is colored by childhood memories of going to pick pecans (a popular thing to do in the south) with my grandparents and then returning from the farm to crack and shell them.  My nimble 6 year old hands wanted to be doing something else, I am sure.  And my formative years didn't feature as much culinary appreciation as you might expect (shocking, I know), so my enthusiasm was understated, to say the least. 

Also, I find nut pies really sweet (corn syrup, anyone?).  But I will make a nut pie if tradition dictates, as evidenced by my pecan pie making for Thanksgiving for the last 7 years.  Last year, this pecan pie baking culminated in a discussion between Special K, my dad and yours truly where we all came to the conclusion that NONE OF US even liked pecan pie.  Super, I have been wasting valuable pie making time on a pie that no one cares for.  You may remember that I made Elinor's husband's chocolate pecan pie and raved about it, well that is different, it's a chocolate pie with pecans, so different (seriously, make it and you will see and taste the difference).  I am yammering on about this so you will understand, I approach the nut pie family with a significant amount of trepidation.  But when I stumbled on this recipe, I thought it was a must make, it's not every recipe that gets a 100%-I-would-make-this-again approval rating from those in the epicurean know.  Bourbon Walnut Pie.

It's like pecan pie; but, instead of pecans, there are walnuts.  And there is bourbon.  Hence the name.

Not being one to go nutty (heh) over nut pies, I have to say this pie is pretty incredible.  It's first selling point: it's ridiculously easy to make.  If nut allergies weren't an issue, Little Sir could make this pie; and, he isn't even two yet.  As flavors go, I was pretty blown away.  I decided to be different and try the prescribed crust which tasted good, but was the epitome of irritation to manipulate into the pie plate (so okay maybe Little Sir wouldn't have a lot of success with the dough part, but anyone over the age of ten should be okay, particularly if you are not me).

The cloying sweetness that most nut pies exhibit was somehow tempered by the (I think, relatively low amount of) bourbon.  And if you add the vanilla ice cream, as you should because that is what pie a la mode is all about, it's mind blowing-ly good.  It's so good, I think even Sisyphus could somehow accomplish (or ditch) his task of boulder rolling if he knew that this pie was his prize.  That said, perhaps I should start weaving in some ends, because there are only 122 of them...that is pretty finite, I guess.

Comments

[katie]

yummy! that pie looks great. when i was younger nut pies never appealed to me, but now i do like them.
that sweater looks great! wow, 122 ends to weave in? where in vermont did you go? I love, love, love Vermont.

[Sara]

Mmm...pecan pie is my favorite...but my "doesn't like nuts" hubby means I rarely get it. But, I wanted to let you know about the book Pie by Ken Haedrich. It is one of my favorite ever, and will give you an almost *endless* supply of pie recipes. And I've yet to find a bad recipe in this book. If you stay on your pie kick, it would be a worthwhile investment!!

[stacey]

ugh - good luck on those ends. What about fringe instead? :) The pie looks tasty tasty - I'm not a pecan pie fan either - too sweet - but this one looks nice...

[Adam]

Usually I enjoy weaving the ends, but I'm not sure I could stomach 122 of them. Maybe end weaving could be Little Sir's first introduction to the fiber arts? ;)

Oh, and I'm with you on the Pecan Pie, not really a fan. But Bourbon and Walnuts? Yes, please.

Lastly, as an aside, you and Special K must have the most active metabolisms in the world! I think I'd weigh about 500 pounds right now if I made a pie a week, even with bicycle commuting!

[Stella]

Okay, that IS a monster task. But chances are that once the ends are woven in, they won't unweave themselves, right? So at least you've got THAT leg up on Sisyphus.

I love pecan pie with an undying passion. But it's mostly about the texture -- it is a bit too sweet. This pie looks absolutely amazing.

[Lisa]

Can't ends be so dull to weave in? I like to do them while watching a good movie - it helps to make it less tedious. Can't wait to see Little Sir in that Tomten!

And, ditto on Sara's comment - you would love Ken Headrich's book Pie!

[Opal]

Those ends to weave in made me go faint. I had to look away. The horror! The horror!

My latest Sisyphean task has been picking up 400+ stitches for a button band. Gah.

[Susan]

I hid my poncho in the back of the hall closet for months to avoid weaving in the ends. You just have to get up the nerve and do it. Good luck!

[mandy]

If I lived near you I would already be at your house beginning to weave in ends. If you want to send it to me, I will definitely weave them all in for you. It's one of those things I don't mind doing. Crazy, I know. But I'm completely serious. If you send it to me I will weave them in for you.

[SpiderWomanKnits]

Vermont! What part of Vermont? You should have brought the sweater over and I could have helped.

A wise Indian once asked a Brave who was overly eager to prove his worth in battle how he eats a deer. The Brave had no idea what the elder was talking about. The elder replied, "One bite at a time young one."

So you, Nova, should remember this wise tale and take it one end at a time that way the task won't seem so insurmountable :-)

[Liz K.]

Nova, I had a bunch of ends to weave in this weekend. Now, it wasn't 122, but it was A. Lot. I set the thing out by a sunny window, and would set little goals. Weave in ten ends, get up and get a cookie. Weave in 5 more ends, go unload the dryer. How many ends could I weave before halftime? If I weave in 20 ends, I'll cast on for a new sock...

I imagine you know about these kinds of mind games. Try it, just a little at a time.

[Priscilla]

Pecan pie...yummy. I am ready for a slice! Can't wait till next week to see what kind of pie you made this time!

[whitney]

122 ends...wow. It's going to look so great once it's done, though!

[Ashley]

I'm sorry, did you say one hundred and twenty two?

[yaiAnn]

How about you just set a little goal like.. 10 ends each day with a consequence if you don't do it... like no dessert?

[Beth]

All those ends almost make me want to cry. Ugh! What a task.

I think pie making is a good escape from weaving. The pie looks delicious!

[Rachel]

Yeah--I think I'd make a pie if faced with that many ends to weave in. It makes me itch just looking at it!

[Stacey]

Hmmm...since my parents are trekking down to help with the closet/drywall project...again...and my Dad enjoys walnuts and bourbon and pie perhaps I'll make it for him as a token of appreciation for all of the long hours of help?

Have fun with the sweater -- you know I like the colors and the stripes!

[Kristy]

122 is absolutely a finite number :) I had about 80-something ends on my leftover socks, and it didn't take that long to sew them in. You can totally do it, and faster than you think!

[Felicia]

That piece would have to live its life at the bottom of my UFO pile if I had to weave in all those ends :)

[Oiyi]

Your Tomten is going look great when you finish. I can't believe you counted the ends. LOL!

I always stay away from Pecan Pie cause I think they are too sweet. I love nuts in my baked goods though. I made a Maple Nut Tart a while ago and was surprised that it wasn't overly sweet.

[leslie]

i knew i should have come over in the morning. now i really want to go brew some coffee.
i LOVE nutty pies. (that was fun to say) pies with nuts are just the best. anything with nuts actually, but the sweetness of a nutty pie is so me. i am going to have to make this. maybe now to go with my coffee.
oh. just do 10 ends a day....and give yourself a bonus one on two days. and then by the end of 12 days you will be finished! see how easy. :)

[Heather]

I agree with Leslie's recommendation--just do several a day, that is so much more manageable!

[Kwana]

Beautiful Pie. I love nuts in my food so this pie hits me right!

I love the sweater too, as to weaving those ends, what I'd really love is a video of you doing it. I'm a wimp and just can't imagine.

[earthchick]

Oh mercy, those ends. But by the looks of things it will be very worth it.

And that pie! You totally have my number with that pie! Nuts + bourbon = what could be better? Yum.