When I first learned to knit, I did not know that there are multiple levels to finishing a knitting project. I was under the impression that you simply pick up any pair of knitting needles, any yarn that suits your fancy, knit the item, and then remove it from your needles when it is the desired length. It turns out…
I used to frequent Starbucks once a day. I used their app to get discounts, promotions, and free drinks. It was a place to go to read or knit or catch up with friends. There was even a drive-thru Starbucks in the same strip mall as my work. I was so addicted to Starbucks that I had to make a…
I love tea. I grew up next to a town that had a tea room: a restaurant that devoted itself to various teas, small sandwiches, and a calm atmosphere. The tea room sold loose leaf tea. There was not much in lines of education about the tea at the restaurant. So I enjoyed what they had without much knowledge of…
I live with my husband, two cats, a dog, and a leopard gecko. I am never in any room of my house alone, including when I knit. Cats may be famous for playing with yarn, but my dog has been the hardest to knit around. My cats tend to lay on my lap when I knit or on the knitting…
The majority of my finished knitted projects I do not keep. I knit gifts for birthdays, weddings, and holidays. There is no better joy than spending 10 plus hours working on a knitting project that ends up bringing a smile to a loved one’s face. I think I get more joy over seeing someone use my knitted project than the…
Every year in September, I participate in a three week local yarn shop journey throughout Northeast Ohio. The annual Yarn Discovery Tour (YDT) includes about 20 locally owned yarn shops. Some shops are attached to their own farms where they make their own fibers. Other shops are speciality and include looms to weave or fibers to dye. The single common…
In 2014 , I was introduced to the world of making your own espresso. I thought that espresso makers were just that: machines that made those bitter shots of caffeine. Once I began to watch video demos of the Breville Barista Express, I learned that the espresso making portion of the machine was the gateway to all my favorite cafe…
