Heat Seeking Calico

I promised myself I wasn't going to start posting a thousand pictures of my crazy cats on here since this blog was meant for crafts and food and other neat things.  Well, I can't resist anymore.  My crazy calico has an obsession with the heat register in the bathroom.  Every time I come upstairs in the morning or home from work, she's lounging on top of it.  I can't imagine this is comfortable, but she's like a heat seeking reptile and apparently doesn't mind.

I thought it would be hilarious to make Cali a "house" on top of the vent.  We always get a box at Costco to carry our stuff and they make the perfect cat house/play area when you get home.  I turned one of these boxes upside down over the vent (it even has a little cutout for a "door").  I also folded up one of our cheap fleece "cat blankets" and put it on top for insulation.  Needless to say, Cali loves it.  In fact, it's hard to get her to come out and socialize with us because all she wants to do is hang out in her "house."

Need to make your cat happy?  Try a box.

Red Heart Sashay Knit Scarf

I find the sashay yarn from Red Heart pretty interesting.  It looks pretty odd in the skein.  As you pull it out and take a closer look, it expands into more of a strange looking ribbon.  I never would've guessed it could be knitted into something so pretty!

I found out about this yarn from Mom, who has really gotten into knitting in the last couple of years.  I picked up a few skeins from Ben Franklin before a trip home last October and she knitted a scarf for me and each of my cousins for Christmas.  She says they weren't difficult to make and she got lots of compliments and questions when she was spotted making them in public.

I didn't get specific instructions on how Mom made these, which really isn't a big deal since I don't know how to knit.  She said she learned how to make this particular scarf by watching these YouTube videos in case anyone is interested:

• Learn how to knit With Sashay from Red Heart Yarns
• Sashay Secrets from Red Heart Yarns
• How to Knit a Starbella Ruffle Scarf (from BFranklinCrafts)
• How To Knit Red Heart Sashay Scarves (updated version of 1st link from Red Heart Yarns)

I hope I figure out what to wear this with soon!

Toxic Tang

Our New Years tradition involves friends, food and drink, and board games.  For this year's beverage treat, Jeff mixed up a pitcher of Toxic Tang which he first discovered at a local restaurant.  If you're not put off by the toxic look of it, read on to find out how to make it.  Advance warning, we don't have it down to a science.