Hippo Day February 15, 2017

DIANE'S CORNER ... Celebrate Hippo Day

Bet you didn’t know that Hippo loosely translates to River Horse in ancient Greek. Hippo Day, then, celebrates the third largest mammal on Earth. Why not take some time to waddle in a mud bath, get angry with some tourists, and yawn a lot whilst opening your mouth really-really widely?

thanks for sharing cats who have 'regretted their choices,' Ellen

1. "I've made a terrible mistake!"

Word of the Day

jamboree
Definition:	(noun) A noisy celebration.
Synonyms:	gala, blowout
Usage:	Mary could not bear to miss the party and begged her mother for permission to attend the jamboree.

2. "Don't leave me here!"

Idiom of the Day

gym bunny  — Someone who is obsessively preoccupied with maintaining or improving his or her physique and thus spends a large amount of time at the gym to do so.

3. "Don't just stand there - help me out!" 

History

Decimal Day (1971)

Financial calculations using the old currency of the UK were complicated, as one pound was made up of 240 pence or 20 shillings, a shilling was equal to 12 pence, and the half-crown was worth two shillings and sixpence. After considering decimalization for over a century, Parliament passed the Decimal Currency Act in 1969. The pound was to be divided into 100 "new pence," and a massive publicity campaign was launched in the weeks leading up to Decimal Day. 

Susan Brownell Anthony (1820)

Anthony was a pioneer in the US women's suffrage movement. The daughter of an abolitionist, she was well-educated and campaigned tirelessly for abolition and suffrage, attempting to secure laws to protect women's rights. In 1869, she and fellow suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton formed the National Woman Suffrage Association. She helped edit a history of the movement and purchased copies for American and European universities.

Lupercalia

This was an ancient Roman festival during which worshippers gathered at a grotto on the Palatine Hill in Rome called the Lupercal. The sacrifice of goats and dogs to the Roman deities Lupercus and Faunus was part of the ceremony. Luperci (priests of Lupercus) dressed in goatskins and, smeared with the sacrificial blood, would run about striking women with thongs of goat skin. This was thought to assure them of fertility and an easy delivery. The name for these thongs—februa—meant "means of purification" and eventually gave the month of February its name. 

These Boots Keep Astronauts From Tripping Over Their Own Feet

Moon mission astronauts spent a lot of time on their butts. Those moon walks may have looked bouncy and peaceful, but cumbersome space suits had Apollo astronauts tripping and falling all over the place.
READ MORE:

MIT Is Designing the Next Generation of 
Astronaut Boots for Mars



1758 - Mustard was advertised for the first time in America. 



1842 - Adhesive postage stamps were used for the first time by the City Dispatch Post (Office) in New York City. 



1903 - Morris and Rose Michtom, Russian immigrants, introduced the first teddy bear in America. 



1932 - George Burns and Gracie Allen debuted as regulars on "The Guy Lombardo Show" on CBS radio. 



1946 - Edith Houghton, at age 33, was signed as a baseball scout by the Philadelphia Phillies becoming the first female scout in the major leagues. 



1953 - The first American to win the women’s world figure skating championship was 17-year-old Tenley Albright. 



1958 - "The Dick Clark Show" debuted on ABC-TV. Connie Francis, Pat Boone and Jerry Lee Lewis were the first performers to appear on the show. 



1965 - Canada displayed its new red and white maple leaf flag. The flag was to replace the old Red Ensign standard. 



2001- First draft of the complete human genome is published in the journal "Nature."



DAILY SQU-EEK

If You Were Born Today, February 15

Your personal magnetism is great, and your need for loving, harmonious, and balanced surroundings perhaps greater. You have a unique spin on the world and love to share it with others. You are creative and usually good at writing or other expressive arts, and you also have a strong business sense. Forgiving and tolerant, few people so easily accept others for exactly who they are. You are also very perceptive and pick up on all the subtleties of human interaction. Famous people born today: Galileo, Susan B. Anthony, Harvey Korman, Jane Seymour, Matt Groening, Chris Farley.

READERS INFO

1. STITCHES WEST

Santa Clara Convention Center

Hyatt Regency Hotel

Feb 23 - 26, 2017

features a stunning vendor area, including WEBS - America's Yarn Store, as well as classes with amazing instructors.

further information: STITCHES West 2017 | Knitting Universe

2. Ellen's blog with everyday recipes and hints that you will want to know about!

Ellen's Edibles

4. "Hey! Let me in already!" 

125 Million Year Old Dinosaur with Wings Found Perfectly Preserved, is Ancestor to the Velociraptor

Lead researcher Dr Steve Brusatte says it’s, “the single most beautiful fossil I have had the privilege to work on”.

5. "I've got it... I've got it... OW!" 

knit

B222 Backstage Cowl (Free)

knit

thanks, Helen

Twist and Shout pattern by Michele DuNaier

knit

Frills! pattern by Yarn-Madness

knit
thanks, Sandy

U-Turn Mitts pattern by Sybil R

knit

Coasters in Color

rovingcrafters

Needle: US size 6 (4mm)

Yarn: worsted weight, approx 15 g of the main color and 7 g of the contrast color. 

Size : finished (with the edging) these are 5 inches (13 cm) in diameter

Abbreviations

k: knit

Sl: slip stitch purl-wise

S&T: stop before the end of a row and turn work to other side

 To Make the Center

To make the center circle you will work in short rows. These are garter stitch short rows so there is no wrapping and no picking up wraps.

With Main Color, Cast On 10 sts

Row 1: Sl1, k8. S&T

Row 2: k to end

Row 3: Sl1, k6. S&T

Row 4: k to end

Row 5: Sl1, k4. S&T

Row 6: k to end

Row 7: Sl1, k2. S&T

Row 8: k to end

Row 9: Sl1: k to end of row (work all 10 stitches)

Row 10: Sl1, k to end

That completes one wedge of the circle. Repeat these rows 11 more times (12 wedges total).

Bind off leaving a long tail. Use this tail to sew the bind off edge to the cast on edge. Then, with the same tail, close the center hole. Do this by threading the tapestry needle through all 12 of the slipped stitches (those made at the beginning of Row 10’s) and pull them closed. Or not! I kind of like the look of them with center holes.

---

To Make the Edging

This is a knitted-on edging. I’ve made this part of the pattern a photo tutorial since it requires a few unconventional knitted “gymnastics” and that is always easier to show in pictures than with words.

I start my edging at the seam made when sewing the circle closed.  The count here will work out if you pick up and knit through every every slipped stitch on the edge of the circle. However, I would not worry about that too much. This is a very forgiving pattern and if you reach the end of your edging and find yourself with one or two extra/missing stitches just fudge it. That’s what I do when I’m not making things that get plastered all over the internet. I fudge it!

With Contrast Color, pick-up and knit 1 stitch.

Then begin the following steps that get repeated all around the circle.

Step 1: Pick-up and knit 5 stitches. (should have 6 loops on the right-handed needle)

Step 2: Turn work and knit back to end

Step 3: Cast on 2 stitches. I use the knitted cast-on method but the backwards e-loop cast on would work as well.

Step 4: Bind off all stitches leaving one loop on the right-handed needle

Repeat Steps 1 – 4 eleven more times (twelve times total). Then weave in the ends.

6. "Oh dear... How did I get myself into this mess?" 

crochet

thanks, Nicky

Scalloped Bookmark

				Scalloped Bookmark MAR DEC AUG 28 2000 2001
				View on web.archive.org	Preview by Yahoo

crochet

Purifying Puritans 12" Afghan Block/Tutorial pattern by Margaret MacInnis

				Purifying Puritans 12" Afghan Block/Tutorial pattern by ... This is the re-design of the Vintage pattern Puritan Bedspread (the original works up to 15” in worsted weight) by Cecilia Vanek (American Thread Co.).
				View on www.ravelry.com	Preview by Yahoo

crochet

thanks, Mindy

Beer Mitt pattern by Toby Roxane Barna

crochet, 3 mths

Baby Moccasins

crochet - must be translated

Mantella - Crochet Cape

7. "You bite my tail off, I bite your nose off!"

RECIPE
thanks, Carol

Deep Dish Pizza Bites

8. "Do I look fabulous?" 

CROCKPOT RECIPE
thanks, Jackie

Ham and potato soup

9. "Yeah! I'm a ninja cat..." 

SWEETS

thanks, Sally

VEGAN GINGERBREAD BARS

Black Bean Gingerbread Bars

10. "All right all right! I'll behave!"

ADULT COLORING

11. "I guess slinkys are more suitable for people than cats..." 

CRAFTS

12. "Oh! You're home early..."

CHILDREN'S CORNER ... math crafts
thanks, Lucy

Pocket Abacus

13. "Hey! It's not funny, okay?" 

PUZZLE

Butterfly Brown Clipper Jigsaw Puzzle

14. "I was chasing a billiard ball, then this happened..." 

QUOTE

thanks, Lyn





CLEVER

to me, this gadget gives me ease as i dont even mind weaving in countless ends due to having it. i actually own and use my deceased mother in laws' threader .. it's vintage and has a hole in the center. i put a long piece of yarn through that hole and wear it as a 

'necklace' when knitting.

thanks, Patty

EYE OPENER

thanks, Heide

If you want to start curbing your sugar habit

1. Basic Formula is TBD – Time. Balanced Meal. Dehydration.

According to Karyn Duggan, a nutritionist at One Medical Group in San Francisco, the acronym “TBD” can help you remember the three most essential ways to set yourself up for nutritional success. To break it down, you need to:

Time Your Meals — Eat at regular intervals. When you wait too long to eat, your blood sugar drops and you start to crave simple, sugar-loaded carbohydrates to give you an energy boost. As One Medical Group nutritionist Karyn Duggan says, “At that point, there’s no chance of making a healthy choice.” Duggan suggests eating within one hour of waking and not going longer than 4-5 hours between meals.

But, test it for yourself. When I first gave up sugar, I needed to eat small, protein-packed meals every 2-3 hours.

Balance — Eat balanced meals and snacks. A balanced meal, says Duggan, has a combination of protein, healthy fat, and complex carbohydrates. This combo will keep your blood sugar steady, helping you to feel satiated. (To learn more about how to create this healthy balance, you can read my post, Best Tip for Healthy Snacking.)

Don’t Get Dehydrated — “People often confuse thirst with hunger,” says Duggan. Her recommended intake? About 1/2 ounce per pound of body weight. So, for a 150 person, that’s 75 ounces per day.

2. Taper Off Slowly

Once you’ve got your basic strategy in place, you can get tactical about your sugar intake. I’m of the belief that it’s better to wean yourself slowly. For example, you can cut down on one sugary habit per week, like putting sugar in your coffee or starting your day with a sugary yogurt. Like yoga, going slowly helps you get to know yourself better: You can really feel what a small change does to your energy and mood. You can start recognize your habits, your challenges, and from there you can keep strategizing.

3. Learn to Read Labels

When you pay attention to labels, you may be shocked by which foods have hidden sources of sugar – ketchup, breads, soups, tomato sauce, granola, and salad dressings are just a few offenders.

Any item that lists any form of sugar in the first few ingredients or has more than 4 grams of sugar is a no-go. (These are all ingredients to look for: high fructose corn syrup, brown rice syrup, evaporated cane juice, glucose, malt syrup, molasses, lactose, sucrose, dextrose.)

4. Eat Whole Foods

It’s easier to avoid added sugars if you stick with the basics: fruits, veggies, and complex carbs that are loaded with fiber and will keep you full; proteins that will help keep your blood sugar steady.

5. Trade Bitter for Sweet

Bitter foods have compounds in them that make them healthy (flavonoids, carotenoids, or polyphenols). Americans tends to be stuck on the salty to sweet pendulum. But bitter foods can expand your palate and help you appreciate different foods. Anytime I have a sugar craving I take heed: I have olives, some almond milk with turmeric and cinnamon, or I make a dinner with some delicious bitter greens. I try to keep my food interesting and adventurous.

6. Have Healthy “Treats” On Hand

The last thing you want is for food to be a bummer and to feel deprived. Having some healthy treats on hand can be helpful as you’re weaning or if you know you’re going party hopping and you want to avoid mindless sweets.

This past year I have become very creative in the kitchen with some major fails but successes, too. I’ve learned to make killer almond flour muffins, beet brownies, sugar cookies without sugar, and I’m working on a chai pound cake. I use grade B maple syrup in moderation in these instances because it’s rich in minerals. But there is some evidence that even sugar substitutes create more sugar cravings, so I try to be modest.

7. Don’t Try to Be Perfect. Find Your Perfect Balance.

Is pumpkin pie your favorite dessert that you look forward to all year long? Then have some pumpkin pie! Did your kid’s ice cream cone nearly fall to the ground and you just had to give it a few licks? Look, you were just doing your job. What I’m trying to say is that it’s important to maintain a sense of humor about all of this. Do the best you can and don’t beat yourself up over the small – or even the large — missteps. Food is fuel, but it’s also social. It’s a way for people to commune and share time together. If you want to indulge from time to time, my philosophy is that’s OK.

What’s important to me is that I make conscious choices about what I’m eating – that I’m not sucked into a daily abyss by my cravings. If you feel like you’ve gone over the edge for a day or a week, reel it back in and ask yourself, “Why am I doing this?” (Answer: To feel great!) “What do I have to do to find my perfect balance?” (Answer: Keep watching, keep breathing, keep tweaking along the way.)

8. Eat More Fat

I’m adding a tip that I’ve experimented with since I first published this post over on drishtiyoga.com. It’s simple: Make sure you’re getting adequate healthy fats in your diet. Healthy fats are satiating and they keep you full. I notice that I feel better physically and mentally when I have them — instead of feeling deprived from eating sugar, I feel like I get to indulge a bit in a way that’s healthy for me. To learn more about healthy fats, read the interview I did with nutritionist and chef Rebecca Katz, where we talked about “ancient oils,” feeding your brain, and why full-fat is better than low-fat milk.