# 43 - Fiber > Fire

8 reasons why a fiber arts hobby is better than a baking hobby

A few months back, one of my knitting friends gifted me a sourdough starter. I’ve been baking my own yeast bread since 2020 (pre-COVID!) and I wanted to expand into new territory. And let me tell you, it can easily get all consuming!

Baking with sourdough takes a lot of time. A lot of planning. And flour, so much flour! You are constantly feeding this living creature, which results in a lot of extra starter. I don’t actually need this much, so I either throw it away, which hurts my midwestern soul, or I find something else to bake with it.

Recently, I spent what felt like a whole weekend just using up all my starter. There were bags of flour lined up atop my counters and white dust everywhere. All my bowls were in use. I ran out of forks mixing up starter and water. And oh my god the dishes. I hate doing dishes! As I was washing yet another big bowl, I thought, I am so glad that fiber is my top hobby and I’m not trying to write a baking newsletter.

8 reasons fiber arts hobbies are better than a baking hobby

1. Fiber art hobby clean up is so much easier. I can just put a project in a bag and voila, I’ve cleaned up. Baking requires hours of dishwashing, sweeping, and counter wiping, gross.

2. When I do make a fiber mess, it’s cute. Maybe there are a few excess strings or fuzzies lying about. Baking will coat my entire person and kitchen in flour.

3. Fiber arts supplies are typically light and squishy. Have you hauled a 10-lb bag of flour from Costco to your apartment? Or tried to snuggle it to your face? No? Well, it’s not enjoyable.

4. Excess yarn and fabric will never expire. My baked goods will get moldy in three days if left out on the counter.

5. Storage - you may think baking would win out in this category, but you’re wrong. I can only store baked goods in the kitchen, like the counter or freezer. Bowls, flours, all that other stuff? Also in the kitchen. I can store fiber art supplies anywhere. I have my fiber art stuff in the living room, the bathroom, the guest room, the office, the bedroom…

6. Fiber art mistakes are easier to fix. Knit the wrong stitch? Just pull out the yarn and try again. Have you ever cemented a loaf of bread to your Dutch oven because you baked it incorrectly? Trust me, there is no easy fix for that.

7. Fiber art projects are portable. I can take them to my local tavern to knit with my stitching group. I can take them on a plane. To jury duty. To a concert. You get the idea! Until they make a portable rechargeable Easy Bake Oven, I can only do baking at home. Lame!

8. And if I take my knitting to the park, I may get some curious passersby looking on. If one takes baking to the park, they will get attacked by a flock of pigeons.

GIF from here

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🧶 What am I making now?

I finally got back to my Shift Cowl this week! I swapped out the background color because the dark teal was almost done and I started on the decrease section. I’m trying to finish this ASAP so I can wear it this winter!

And I feel like I’m getting my sewjo back! I cut out all the fabric for my Roan top, which felt like a huge accomplishment. I still have a bunch of markings to transfer to the fabric, but that’s a task for another day.

And I did a bit of quilting on the gigantic India quilt. I feel like I’m getting the hang of running it through the sewing machine without all the bulk getting in the way.

What are your favorite things about having a fiber-related hobby? Leave a comment or reply to this email and let us know!!