Berlin's Whimsy

Fondue & the Communal Meal

Into spring we go... Behind me, full of memories and glad moments, my spring break provides plenty of memories. Yep, I'm back in classes.

There are happy moments and photos to share from our family's days together. I lapped up my free time as if it would never come again. It will. And even as I write this, I know I must enjoy this slow progression of school----the ramping up of my workload as the weeks progress. I'm enjoying the slow beginning of that ramp right now.

But what did we do during spring break?

Well, first of all we had fondue.

 

Chocolate.

And cheese, too...

I went through a "fondue phase" years ago when fondue had its "comeback."  I feel another one coming on.

There are so many reasons to love fondue----especially when you're a parent of adolescents and it's a scramble to find family time. Fondue is a great way to lure everyone around the table for a fun family evening  while dipping into something yummy.

I know from experience that communal dinners provide giggles and laughs and a sense of togetherness. 

And again, fondue is yummy. So yummy in fact, that I don't know that I could completely follow a full vegan diet due to my love of fondue alone.

Besides, there is this book to dip and savor your way through. It's Dip Into Something Different from the restaurant chain,The Melting Pot. Yum.

I haven't tried any versions of Hot Pot (or Steamboat, or Shabu Shabu) yet, but I will. The idea of a progressive dinner that results in a flavorful soup/broth at the end sounds utterly enticing and soothing. If any of you have tried this style of meal, I'd love to hear about it!  

For our cheese fondue, we dipped roasted asparagus, sourdough bread cubes, marinated mushrooms, dill pickle spears, apple slices, steamed broccoli & carrots, and chicken sausage slices. For our chocolate fondue, we dipped California strawberries (alas, our Oregon Strawberries won't be ready until June)...

more stitching.

Embroidery has been rounding out my recent stitching. It was inspired by my discovery of this book: Scandinavian Needlecraft. Thankfully, I had an amazon gift card just waiting to be spent on such a beautiful book!

Awhile back, I sat down to design some Scandinavian inspired embroidery designs, but time constraints didn't allow me to get far (I still plan on working on this...). Imagine my surprise when I found this book!

I haven't gotten far on any one project from the book. In fact, I'm looking for some thick, good-quality white wool felt to tackle a couple of the projects (any suggestions??). But my fingers and my embroidery needle wanted to set to work right away, so I pulled out one of these tea towels to get started.

And speaking of embroidery, I also glimpsed an upcoming release from Alicia Paulson: Embroidery Companion. It won't be release until summer but I definitely put it on my wishlist!

Here.

I apologize for dropping off the face of the earth. Thank you for your emails and comments. Yes, I'm still alive and well. The demands of college and my family mounted this term and I could not find the time to share anything here. I miss writing and I miss sharing the happenings and creativity of our lives.

What's been going on? Well frankly, plenty of activities! 

This discovery provided us all with a whole new obsession with peanut butter! It's Mitch Omer's World Famous Peanut Butter---and yes, it is good enough to be called World Famous! 

I knitted what might be the most well-used knitted item I've ever made: a cat toy for our rowdy cat.

You see, she has seemed quite despondent since moving to our house due to the lack of available prey in our neighborhood. On a whim, I knitted a little woolen mouse for her one evening. I stuffed it with wool and cat nip.

Her little mouse started out all dainty and cute but as you can see in the photo, she has quickly rendered it ragged and felted. I didn't use a pattern but rather knit an elongated ball (knitting in the round with double points). At one end I created a long i-cord for the tail (from which to throw the mouse into the air and catch it in her claws). I crocheted the ears and embroidered a little nose. She likes it (to say the least)!

For those of you on Ravelry, here is a similar pattern. 

In the midst of my hectic life, I find a little knitting here and there assuages the day's stress--- that back-to-basics activity that I find so soothing. Currently, I have the February Lady Sweater on my needles. I just love this pattern! It is quick, easy to pick up and knit, and very cute. I plan on making another! (And maybe more)... Amanda at Soulemama made a girl's version, too.