Made my Friday! Going through treatment for stage 4 colon cancer, and re watching some of your old videos, and am enjoying every minute of calm knitting during infusions.
Very familiar with food noise. I was addicted to cigarettes and remember the panic that would set in if a snow storm was coming and only had half a pack. People with addictions think about their substance more than people who aren't.
“like hell underneath a fake flower field”, your turns of phase are magical. That description reminded me of the supposedly environmentally friendly loo cleaner that I put up with for years because I wanted to do the ‘right thing’. The smell made me want to make a noise like a cat warning a hairball is about to pay a visit. Mint-like and pine-adjacent. I swear it was thought up by the devil himself. 😈
AmyBeth! I have been a long time follower and watcher and customer of yours, and can i tell you- i was FLOORED when you pulled out Eula Biss’s book! She’s my cousin, and it was just wild for my family & knitting world to collide so unexpectedly. Thank you for sharing her work 🧡
Amy Beth, the last time I went to the doctor the nurse did not use the “automatic” blood pressure reader(which would strangle my chunky arm) and took my blood pressure in the old school way - well, surprise surprise, it wasn’t SO sky high as so many previous times and then the Dr would be trying to convince me that I need to take meds eye roll 🙄ugh. Thanks for your awesome episodes!
I love Eleanor, too! A while ago I read "Eleanor in the Village: Eleanor Roosevelt's Search for Freedom and Identity in New York's Greenwich Village." It's a short book; I never knew about this phase of her life.
About the 'food noise' part: that definitely resonates! I have a feeling you'd like the new book 'Empire of Normality' which is a recent favourite of mine. It's SO good. It's not at all about diet culture, but generally dealing with the idea of "the normal brain" and where that's coming from. Anyway, I'm digressing. I love that jumper you're wearing! I want one too. 😄
Wow I love your denim jacket too!!!!! I have a musty smelling leather jacket that I recently thrifted. And to get rid of the smell, I sprayed (spray bottle) it with VINEGAR!! It WORKED!! Another option is cheap grain alcohol. I haven't tried that though. Maybe it would help your amazing new FO! Lots of love from Oregon! -nissa
I second the vinegar option. I have tried it on multiple things and it has worked every time. I usually soak mine in a bucket, but only because I never thought of spraying it.
I always love the range of topics in your episodes. I find I need to keep pen and paper handy to write down your book recommendations. There is a biography called Eleanor and Hick by Susan Quinn that might be what you’re looking for. I’m also looking forward to pre-ordering one of your bags. So pretty!
I love love love your episodes! Many a time I’ve gone back to watch your previous videos. My initial thought to the first time I saw a video was WHO ARE YOU?? A breath of fresh air….. that’s who! ❤
I love that you remember my Sheep as finished, I'm still plodding along! Or I was pre wrist-break, I've managed to do one of Kiriki press' wooden ornaments in the meantime, cast friendly crafting! I've finished the pigeon and beaver so far though. So teeny but so satisfying. Food noise: P has being doing all the food planning, and cooking. We usually share it, but wow the difference in time/brain space balance to both of us is so noticeable. Now if only my brain chemicals hadn't decided to occupy that space with anxiety mush. Definitely something in the January air! Much love Amy Beth, your company was a joy - fair thee well with your moth stitching. That one's on my long list too!
Love the sweater! ❤ I love that you also go into rabbit holes about ideas and people that are interesting. That is how i developed my “expertise” in cults. 😂😂😂 ( I think i read that same book, thinking it was non-fiction).
Amy Beth, i LOVE your frogs with quilts bags! Did you jotice that your star quilt for Annie matches it pretty well? Incidentally, i adore he little bits on the front that are backing fabric. If you hadnt said that you ran out of white, i was totally giving you credit for the genious move to tie it all together. So many things in this episode i can relate to. Especially the part about how much of one's brain can be occupied by food "responsibilities " and the nests of nests of nests. Thanks for such a great episode!
Love your podcast and this was a fun episode. There is a lot of information online about how to get the smell out of that black denim. Some methods call for vinegar and others baking soda. I imagine you may already be aware. If not, it is worth a search and then a try so you can love your jacket, (which is awesome).
Brenda Gervais charts are notorious for that 1-5 stitches in a hand-dyed floss. I either view it as just improving my floss stash, or I pull the chart out and just get the fancy floss for the things where it will really have an effect, and use DMC for the rest of it.
I’m also a Eleanor Roosevelt fan. I discovered an interest in her while reading ‘No Ordinary Time,’ which I think you’ve probably read? I then went on to read her biographies by Blanche W. Cook, which I enjoyed. She really was an amazing woman!
What a wonderful episode! I am in awe of your sewing/quilting Amybeth as I tend to struggle at times in that arena. I am so glad that you mentioned buying quality thread-of course that matters! Love all your knitting makes-that is my muse (as well as crochet). Thanks for all of your thoughts-so enjoyable!
I also find Eleanor Roosevelt to be a fascinating character. She had a small house of her own a few miles away from the Franklin Roosevelt Estate/Presidential Library in Hyde Park, NY. It is about 20 minutes south of Rhinebeck and is run by the National Park Service. Next time you make a trip to Rhinebeck I highly recommend taking the time to tour Val-Kill, it can be done completely separately from the main museum/library, although that one is excellent as well. It is very cozy and much more personalized, they talk about her knitting and terrible driving.
Another fabulous, uplifting and stimulating video - thank you so much. That concept of ‘food noise’ …🤯amazing and it so resonates with me!! It’s exhausting…I need to look into and research this!! You make me want to quilt…I’ve never quilted🤷🏼♀️😵💫 Love your videos…thank you, again😊🙏
Hi, Amy Beth! For the smell in your jacket, try hanging it outside in the sun. It may work best on a warm day (which might not be for awhile). I knit a shawl in some lovely wool and when I soaked it in wool wash, it stunk of mothballs! Horrible! I hung it outside in the sun for a few days and the smell vanished. Good luck!
I made a trip down to Keepsakes after you talked about it last time. Loved that store. It was a bit overwhelming with there being so much to look at. I bought several patterns and can’t wait to go back again. Thanks for a great podcast 😊
Love Annie's quilt, I know you consider it an oops that you had to use the backing in the corner squares instead of the white, but I really love how it brings it all together. 😍 I agree with your comment that March is full of lies! 😂
Synesthesia... It is an amazingly interesting topic and it astounds me how differently brains can function and still we can interact and understand each other. The brain is so complex and we know so little about why brains functions so differently in different peoples heads. I think differences are what makes this world interesting.
I wonder if you could neutralize the sulfur smell in your jacket somehow. Ideas that come to mind include putting it into a closed container with clay kitty litter for 72 hours to see if the litter would absorb the odor. Or, maybe put it in the freezer (or even outdoors in January) for a couple of days …? Wash it in vinegar? I don’t know, it just seems like there must be an antidote to a yucky sulfur smell. I’m not a chemist, just curious. 😉
I’m six years older than you; and I can tell you, the answer for me to all of the “who even am I anymore” questions is perimenopause/menopause. Side note - I remember the denim sulfur smell from the 1980s! Core memory unlocked. ❤
The jacket is so cute and looks flattering on you. Too bad about the smell issue. The bags and yarn collaboration 🎉. I wish it weren’t at the time when my property taxes are coming due. Wawa my loss is someone else’s gain. Was wondering how your studio build out has come along or is it halted? Last I recall you discussing it was around when you injured your back last spring so so. Thanks for sharing a little piece of your life with us here.
Lotsa goods in this nesty nest of an episode, Amy Beth! The Fab Bag Collab is so darn cute (even though I was secretly hoping for more of the foxy hobbit house print - maybe next time?!?)! That Eleanor - I'll have to read up on her - been meaning to check out Susan Witting Albert's books, now I know where to start. Oh, and speaking of books, I read (listened) to "To Dye For: how toxic fashion is making us sick - and how we can fight back " by Alden Wicker - you might want to check it out, particularly for your sulphureous denim conundrum. DRAT, THAT! I'd try the method of soaking the jacket in plain ol' vinegar for an hour, then launder by itself with cold water and a neutral detergent. Repeat as necessary. Airing it out or spraying something else on it won't take the smell out of the fibers alone. Thanks for the wool batting recs. And aren't the Kiriki stitchimals the CUTEST?!? Happy making to you...
I’d test this on a piece of the denim first, but if it’s color-fast, why not try soaking in a cold water and white vinegar bath (like you might if you had clothing hit by a skunk), followed by several cold water basin baths with soak/drains to remove the vinegar smell? 🌷 PS love your perspective. You’d fit right in with girlfriends here in MA. 😊
I find that I have so much more energy and time to think and do other things now that my food noise is gone. I’ve finished like two sweaters lol I think they’re also studying this effect to use for other things like to help people quit smoking or substance abuse disorder etc.
The food noise thing is real at least for me. I was having some health issues so my doctor prescribed these drugs and I’ve lost 80 pounds. I’m still kind of astounded. I was able to stop taking pretty much all my medication. It is kind of weird not to be thinking about food so much. In a weird way, I kind of miss it, but I’ve replaced it with other stuff. It’s hard to explain.
I think Andrea Mowry's Nightshift Cowl is a great 3 skein sport weight cowl ... i mae one with heavy DK and it's too dense, so saving up my sport weight YOTM. One of many projects to cast on soon!! Can't wait to see what you will do with it.
My favorite deodorizer is 25% - 33% white vinegar, (eyeball it) the rest water, and several drops of a quality lavender oil. Put it in a cheap spray bottle from your local discount store, or an old, clean spray bottle you have and shake it up. I use this to spray on my bedding between washings, as an air fresher, on curtains, etc. it is far superior to any commercial deodorizer I’ve purchased, and costs pennies…..if you already have the lavender oil. I got Radha brand from Amazon, but I’m sure there are other good brands. The thing I like best is there is no funky metamorphosis of smell like commercial sprays, where the smell changes as it lingers. The vinegar smell is light, as is the Lavender.
I took a pill several years ago and I just didn't about food and snacking like I do most of the time. It was great, but after awhile it quit allowing me to lose weight. It also diminished the effect of pain meds. This was unfortunate because I injured my knee and had to have surgery.🤔
Commenting on someone’s body is something I always try to avoid. There are lots of articles about this out there, but here’s one www.healthline.com/health/making-body-comments-online-how-to-be-human#2-youre-so-brave
Have you seen any Sewing with Nancy videos? Particularly “Fitting Finesse”. She has excellent and smart methods for adjusting sewing patterns. Check this video out about shoulders and other pattern adjustments. She was awesome.
Yes, healthcare is ridiculous here in the US! This issue seriously drives me nuts … which isn’t great because therapy isn’t cheap. We are one of those couples that has fallen through the cracks in the system. We make just enough that we don’t qualify for Obamacare, but not enough to pay for regular insurance. We own our own business, so we can’t get insurance through a job. So, we’ve found some ways to deal with the costs of healthcare. First, I was lucky enough to find a dentist that did a monthly membership that was very affordable that offered free 6-month cleanings and exams and reduced prices for any procedures. Then I found a family practice that offered monthly memberships including once a year physicals, reduced cost labs, and office visits whenever needed. They’re also really great about appointments being longer than most docs and my doctor is very accessible. It costs $100 a month, but I have chronic conditions, so this is more affordable for me than going to a regular physician. There are also health share organizations out there that are more affordable than regular insurance. The system is definitely broken, and there are some alternatives to health insurance out there that might be an option for some people.
Book recommendation..."The First Ladies" by Marie Benedict. Historical fiction about Eleanor Roosevelt and Mary Mcleod Bethune and their frienship. Marie Benedict writes about strong ladies who have made an impact in history and creates a historical fiction around their known history.
I think I’d spray the jacket with Febreze for allergies. It’s a lighter scent and it’s supposed to still eliminate odors. I think hanging outside would help a lot. It is super cute. ☺️
