Tag, you're it...

I'm on the move. In my quest for a better blog, I've imported (or exported, depending on which end you're looking at it from) many of my blog posts from here to a new location. I'd love to have you come see my new home at twyste. If you visit, be sure to leave me a comment and sign up to "follow" me. It's only going to keep getting better and I'd hate for you to miss out!

Free "Does this hat make my head look fat?" Pattern

The first thing I need to tell you is that I knit this hat in less than two hours, including seaming it up... REALLY!  I'm not a super duper speed knitter contestant.  I just had some great big yarn and some motivation.  Our heat and hot water went kaput for a chunk of the week and I was going for warmth, so I made up this pattern.  It was a "two birds with one stone kind" of deal for me too, because I was able to use up some yarn I really didn't need, but just couldn't pass up (LionBrand Super Bulky).

I love the color (Oklahoma City Green- weird name, but great color) and it was super cheap- less than $3 at Walmart.  Now, I don't usually think of Walmart as my "go to" place for yarn (actually, I try not to think of Walmart as my "go to" place in general), but if you need to be there anyway and happen into the craft section, you can get a screamin' deal.

So, I brought home my yarn and lovingly (of course) paired it up with some white mohair I had gotten for just this kind of yarn project.  I'm not a huge fan of mohair on its own, but I love the soft look it gives when stranded with another yarn.  You could certainly omit the mohair if you want the hat to take on a less feminine feel.  Also, as you may have guessed by the name of the hat, it is somewhat oversized, which I like because it doesn't give me a headache or smash my hair as badly as some...and I've been assured that it doesn't make my head look fat.

If you want to give it a shot, you can download the FREE pdf.  Have fun and happy knitting!

Dropbox & Your Fancy Camera Pics... synchronized swimming

Okay, so it isn't exactly swimming, but it's highly synchro and feels like some sort of fancy orchestration (without the music).  There was a recent post (linked here) that had a brilliant idea that you can take pictures with your big ol' fancy pants camera and have them travel the airwaves to your computer and be stored in the cloud known as Dropbox.  All you need is:

1.  an Eye-Fi card for your camera (it's just a memory card with fancy powers- available here: eye-fi card)

2.  a Dropbox account (see review here for iPad or here for iPhone, to understand what it is and why you want Dropbox anyway)

3.  a fancy camera (actually it works with most any camera that uses a memory card, but you might as well go fancy?)

That's it.  Now, when I read that I could do this, I immediately thought, "I should do this," then went to bed.  Today is a new day, though, and I'm getting it all set up and it's really simple.  However, for someone less inclined to wildly push at buttons until they get the right result, I thought I would write out a little step by step tutorial for you.  Yep, I'm a giver.

Don't be intimidated; there's not really that much and you could have figured it out.  Step six is the part you want to pay attention to; the rest is just there to build your confidence and keep you on track.  So, here goes:

Step one:  Go online and see if there's anywhere near you that you can buy an Eye-Fi card.  If not, go here (or somewhere else) and order one.

Step two:  Get a Dropbox account.  Go to http://dropbox.com and do what they say (they're very nice and they explain it all with mostly small words).

Step three:  Get a fancy schmancy (or simply functioning) camera.

Step four:  Install the Eye-Fi card using provided instructions with card you ordered (or found if you live in a bigger town than me).  This is probably the hardest step, but it's not that bad and you can do it.  Just breathe.

Step five:  Go to the Eye-Fi icon at top of your monitor (looks like a little Wi-Fi symbol) and click on it to reveal a drop-down menu.  Choose to open the Eye-Fi center.

Step six:  Underneath "DEVICES" on the left is a list, including "Eye-Fi Card;" click on the little settings icon (gear symbol) to the right of the eye-fi card.  This will give you a new menu with "photos" being one of the tabs at the top- click "photos."  In the photos tab, there is a tab for "computer" and a tab for "online;" click the "computer" tab.  Go to where it says "manage" and be sure it says upload photos to "folder" not "iPhoto" (unless of course you want it to go to iPhoto).  Right below that box you can see the path to the folder where your pictures are going to end up.  This is where you will "change folder" (see that, just to the right?) to your Dropbox folder.  Make sure you click save.  That's it.

Let me know if you have any questions or if it works beautifully (nice work).  What a cool feature!  Now we can see our pictures on all our devices that have Dropbox on them.

Top Ten Gifts for Knitters and Yarnaholics

Let me just start by saying, "I love this bag."  It's wonderful.  The color is wonderful.  The size is wonderful.  The pockets and compartments are wonderful.  The quality is wonderful.  "I love this bag."  If you also love this bag or know someone else who would, then keep on reading, because this is the list for you!

This time of year it seems like there are lots of lists of gift ideas (for some of the people I buy for, this is a major hallelujah!).  So, I decided I should contribute to the gift giving ideas by composing a list of knit-centric gifts.  Now, I should start with a disclaimer that if I never purchase or receive another skein of yarn or knitting related item again, I still have enough that I won't run out for the rest of my life.  However, those are still my very favorite things to receive, so don't let the previous comment dissuade any of you who may be purchasing for me in the future!

Anyway, on to the list:

1.   YARN-  First off, you need to know that knitters will be happy with most any yarn you get for them.  We just love yarn.  That said though, my favorite yarns today are Malabrigo worsted weight, Shibui sock (fingering) weight, and Lion Brand super bulky weight.  The Malabrigo yarn is what I used for the Tuesday Night Cowl I raved about previously.  Also, I'll be posting a pattern shortly for a REALLY EASY and FREE hat pattern using the Lion Brand yarn stranded with mohair.  It's really cute and took about an hour to make.

2.   NEEDLES-  You may notice the Lantern Moon products come up frequently in this post.  That's because they are beautiful and well made.  So, my favorite straight needles are by Lantern Moon; they also make circulars, but my circulars of choice are the Addi Turbo needles, which slide in and out of the yarn "like butter."  The other needles I really like and use a lot are my Harmony interchangeable needles.  They're nice to take with me on trips (in case I happen on some yarn that needs knitting).

3.   SCISSORS-  It's kind of funny that my favorite scissors are not actually scissors at all.  That's part of what's so cool about them.  The cutter I use most frequently is the Clover Yarn Cutter Pendant.  It's an antique-looking pendant with grooves in it that are designed for cutting your yarn.  Because there are no sharp parts protruding, you can take it on an airplane!  Awesome.

4.   FIXER-  This will be hard to believe, but sometimes knitters make mistakes.  There are occasions when one has to go back and fix the stitch they dropped or inadvertently knitted instead of purled.  In those (rare) cases, a crochet hook of some kind is invaluable.  Lantern Moon makes my most-loved repair hook.  It's less than three inches long, is made of ebony and comes in a little woven case.  It's pretty and it's small enough to fit easily into my notions bag (isn't that what the little bag with stitch markers, embroidery needle, & tape measure, etc is called?... by the way, also all good gift ideas!).


5.   TAPE MEASURE-  Lantern Moon's fuzzy sheep tape measure is as cute and functional as they come.  Lantern Moon makes a variety of these fun tape measures; mine is the white fuzzy sheep and to access the tape measure on him, you pull gently on the sheep's tail- how fun is that?  Other fun tape measure shapes include a ladybug, peace sign, birthday cake, leaf, black sheep, etc.


6.   BOOKS-  Like with the yarn, any knitting book is welcomed as a gift.  My favorite knitting book tends to be the one I have acquired most recently.  However, there are certain books that keep resurfacing to the top of my favorites.  These are shown below.



7.   PROJECT BAG-  Once again Lantern Moon makes it to the top of my list.  The Lantern Moon jewel-toned silk bag is lightweight and crushable.  I can fit a small project into it easily and my knitting is protected in my purse or knitting tote without taking up a lot of room.


8.   CARRY-ALL-  The bag pictured at the top of the post is the Namaste Monroe bag and, as I said repeatedly, I love this bag.  It's so functional and attractive.  It's sturdy and fun.  It's well-made and just plain nice to take along.  If I could only have one thing on this list, this might be it.  Wow, it'd be tough to decide though!  Yikes.




9.   STITCH COUNTER-  I am a techy gal, so I have a techy stitch counter.  Actually the reason I have a techy stitch counter is that I don't always plan ahead well, but I always have my phone with me.  So, what that means is that I probably will have left my little plastic stitch counter behind, so will end up searching the app store for a stitch counter.  I don't remember if that's the scenario that took place or not, but somehow I ended up with the Vogue Knitting app, which includes a wonderful stitch counter.  What I especially like about it is that the stitch counter has options for adding additional counters for decreases, repeats, rows, etc. (I easily lose my place in my knitting, so this is an invaluable tool!).  The other fantastic thing about the Vogue Knitting stitch counter is that there is a section for organizing your projects and the stitch counter is tied to each project.  So, you can leave a pattern for days, weeks, or years and come back to it later and figure out where you were by looking at the handy dandy counter with your project.  Nice.

10.  WEBSITE-  Now it may seem odd to list a website on a gift idea list, especially when it's free, but signing your person (or you) up for Ravelry.com truly is a gift.  It gives the gift of thousands of patterns (many are free), tons of advice, and resources for organizing your stash, needles, books (the library feature is AWESOME!), etc.  Any knitter, crocheter, or general lover of yarn, should rush to their computers now and get on ravelry.  I love it!  Check out my full review of why I think it's so great here.

I also should tell you a few sites I frequent when browsing for yarn online.  Amazon is a great resource for finding everything, but I always prefer supporting local yarn stores if possible.  So, if you want to do a little online yarn crawling, I suggest those below (with no kickbacks or other financial incentives for me... although I'm open to the option!).

Jimmy Beans Wool

KnitPurl (Portland)

Twisted (Portland)

YarnMarket

If you have other suggestions based on where you like to shop for yarn and "knittery," please share in the comment section!  I'd also welcome comments on knitting or yarn-related items that you feel should have made the list.  Thanks!

Easy Christmas Treats

Every year one of the advent activities that my boys and I do together is make peppermint bark and toffee.  We use it as gifts, but we also just like to eat it.  Yum.  So, in the spirit of Christmas giving (and because I had to find the recipes anyway), I'm sharing these super simple recipes with you.  Really, both of these recipes are VERY easy and you can make them... or I'm just extremely lucky or gifted (?).

Now, if you've read any of my blog posts at all, you already know that I am not a perfectionist when it comes to cooking... or knitting... or, okay, really I'm just not a perfectionist.  However, I do recognize that there are a number of detail people out there, so I've included the recipes I use as well as the methods I use, with the glaring disparities between the two pointed out.  Adjust accordingly.

Peppermint bark
Melt a 12oz package of white chocolate chips (I do it in the microwave on low heat for about 5 minutes).  While the chocolate is melting, smash a bunch of candy canes.  Sprinkle the candy canes pieces into the melted chocolate and stir it up.  Then spread the chocolate & candy cane mixture on wax paper and sprinkle with more candy cane pieces to decorate the top.  Once it has cooled completely, you can break it into pieces and it’s ready to serve.


Best Toffee Ever (from allrecipes.com)
2 cups butter
2 cups white sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup finely chopped nuts

In a large heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the butter, sugar and salt.  Cook over medium heat, stirring until the butter is melted.  Allow to come to a boil, and cook until the mixture becomes a dark amber color, and the temperature has reached 285 degrees.  Stir occasionally.

While the toffee is cooking, cover a large baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

As soon as the toffee reaches the proper temperature, pour it out onto the prepared baking sheet.  Sprinkle the chocolate over the top, and let it set for a minute or two to soften.  Spread the chocolate into a thin even layer once it is melted.  Sprinkle the nuts over the chocolate, and press in slightly.  Putting a plastic bag over your hand will minimize the mess.

Place the toffee in the refrigerator to chill until set.  Break into pieces, and store in an airtight container.

(Kelly’s disclaimer- as I said, I am not a detail person, as you can tell by my peppermint bark recipe… so, on the almond bark:  1) I did not use a heavy bottomed saucepan, just a copper bottom pan, 2) I didn’t have a thermometer, so just went with the color, and 3) I didn’t put a plastic bag on my hand and push in the nuts- I pushed them down a bit with my wooden spoon.  The details may matter and I may have just gotten lucky with my batch, so do what you need to for your own personality!)

Best news aggregator on the iPhone and iPad?

So, how do you get your news?  I want an easy (and pretty, and fun-to-use) way to read blogs and current news on my iPhone and iPad.  Seems simple enough, but the problem I have is more than one app does this.

My favorites are Pulse, Flipboard, and Zite.  Pulse and Flipboard are both universal apps, which is nice because they sync between my two gadgets.  Zite, however, is only available on iPad at this point (Any chance it will be on the iPhone in the future?  Please?).

I like Pulse and Flipboard because I can enter in RSS feeds and the app will collect them all, keep them updated, and present them to me in a visually-pleasing manner.  As of today, I'm happier with Pulse because I am currently fighting with Flipboard to have it find my favorite app review site.  I also like Pulse because I can create separate pages for different categories that I can label and organize as I please (for example, I have pages for news, tech, travel, knitting, etc.).  From within pulse I can "star" a post or share it on Facebook or Twitter, or by email.  Pulse is easy to use and meets that all so tricky criterion of "enjoyable to use."

Flipboard has a lot of the same advantages as Pulse.  It's nice to look at and interact with, it's simple to use (aside from my current issue), and you can organize it (to some degree) how you like.  The main difference I see between Flipboard and Pulse is that in Flipboard, when you click on a post, just below it you're in the actual web interface, which can make commenting or interacting on the site a smidge simpler in some cases.

Now, Zite...  I REALLY like Zite (and wish it was on iPhone!) because it gets smarter as I use it.  Think of it this way... Zite is to News as Pandora is to Music.  You begin by identifying topics you're interested in, then Zite gives you a newspaper-type layout of stories that match those areas of interest.   When you see the article, you can rate it with a thumbs up or down and Zite will adjust your feeds accordingly.  You can also request to have more articles from that site, author, or specialized topic.  Sharing from Zite is really simple too- you just tap an icon to share to email, Evernote, Twitter, Delicious, LinkedIn, Read It Later, Facebook, or Instapaper.  Finally, within any article, you can adjust the text size and style or view the post on the web with just the tap of a button.  The one thing that Zite doesn't do, is allow me to enter my own RSS feeds.  It uses my Google Reader and Twitter accounts to customize news for me, but it doesn't just feed those in like Pulse and Flipboard.

So, based on all the above, I have to say that my favorite news aggregator is Zite.  I use it almost exclusively.  However, I still alternate between Pulse and Flipboard for my RSS feed presentation.

What about you?  What is your favorite and am I missing something wonderful that one of these apps does that would make it even better for me to be using?

[Update]:  Talk about timing... Zite came out for the iPhone today (less than two days after this post!) and I'm really looking forward to trying it out.  If you already have, let me know what you think!

[Updated update!]:  I really like Zite on my iPhone, which is good to know.  Because, despite how much I wanted it, I wasn't sure how easy it would be to navigate on my phone.  I've found, though, that I can easily maneuver between different sections and do all the same things I love about it on my iPad, so I say go for it... get the iPhone version (and if you already have an iPad version, create a profile on Zite and sync it with your iPhone app so all your favorites are carried over).

All Hot and Buttered... Rum

Today I made my very first batch of hot buttered rum mix, using a recipe from my friend, Gail.  Last year she gave me a batch of hers, along with a copy of the recipe... wonderful gift!  And, it's sooooo easy to make.  First, in case you haven't read previous DIY/domestic diva posts of mine, you need to know that I am not a perfectionist in the DIY arena (as evidenced in the bumps you can see in the mix in the picture- they'll melt and it will be fine).  I've decided that what I am is optimistic.  I never measure, I just eyeball and scoop, yet I always assume it will turn out great... and a lot of the time it does.  This recipe is perfect for less-than-precise DIYers like me.  However, in the future there are a few things I would do differently, which I will share so those of you who sweat the small stuff will be prepared.

One final disclaimer:  If you are trying to be healthy, do not even look at these pictures because you will have to exercise to compensate for what you are about to see.  If you are willing to take that risk, though, maybe you can just drink your hot buttered rum while doing leg lifts?  Or not.

The recipe:



Put the following into a mixing bowl-

1 lb brown sugar
1 lb powdered sugar
1 lb butter
1 qt Haagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream
a dash of cinnamon

Cream all the ingredients together.  Then, store in the freezer until ready to use.

To use:  Add a heaping tablespoon of mix to a mug of boiling water and add a shot of rum.










So, that's what the recipe said.  Here is what I learned:

1.  It works just fine to squeeze your two pound bag of brown sugar in the middle and dump into the bowl the portion of the sugar that isn't held back by your hands.

2.  The above approach also works perfectly with the powdered sugar.

3.  This next tidbit matters if you care about the bumps in the picture at the top... soften your butter so that it will blend more easily (smoothly) into the rest of the ingredients.

4.  I substituted Dreyer's Slow Churned Rich & Creamy Vanilla Bean ice cream (you know, to be healthy).  However, the Dreyer's came in a 1 1/4 quart size, so I may have undone some of the "healthy" by eating a decent portion of the 1/4 quart leftover.  It's okay, though; I went for a run today.

5.  I have no tidbits about the cinnamon, but I do have a final mixing suggestion.  Mix the ingredients a bit by hand first to get the powdered sugar stuck to some of the rest of it.  Otherwise, the butter and ice cream stick to the beaters and act as small firing weapons, flinging the powdered sugar out of the bowl. I've heard this can even happen at low speeds.

So, there you have it.  Enjoy!