WIP - Angel Wings Baby Blanket by C. Lee Goss

Right now I'm working on a gift for my boss. As soon as I found out that she was pregnant I went digging through all of my knitting patterns. The moment I saw this gorgeous pattern I knew that the search was over. 

This pattern was in Creative Knitting's May 2009 issue. It looked elegant enough to stand above all of the other mundane blanket patterns but not so complicated that I couldn't finish it quickly. I used Caron's Baby Soft yarn with my trusty size 8 needles. 

So far I'm really enjoying the pattern. There's a simple progression that builds on itself to create the angel wing design as well as the bumpy texture. It didn't take long for me to get the repetition down so I don't have to constantly check the chart to make sure I'm doing it right. Overall I feel satisfied with my choice and I know that my boss is going to love her gift.

Owl Lace Sweater - WIP/Review

I've been working on an amazing sweater with owl lace for the past couple of days. It's Ginny's Cardigan by Mari Chiba from the Unofficial Harry Potter Knits magazine published by Interweave Knits. I love their regular magazine patterns, but this collection really knocks my Narcissa socks off. I literally want to knit every single pattern. They have a few sweaters, socks, scarves, and mittens. There's over 30 patterns for me to sink my teeth into.

Here's what I have so far. You can't really see the sides, but it's all stockinette stitch. This is worked mainly in one piece from the bottom up. I love the shaping techniques used in this cardigan. Short rows were used to construct the bust line. Decreasing, then increasing stitches creates a snug fit for the hips.

The owl lace is the main focus point of the cardigan. It's really important to pay close attention to the chart as you're working. I usually can pick up on a lace pattern rather quickly and won't have a need to follow the chart after a couple of passes. This lace pattern is to intricate for me to memorize like that. You work this pattern over 23-31 stitches which means that you gain and lose stitches as you go. Regardless, it offers a challenge that I enjoy. 

I'm going to make a trip to the yarn store later this week to pick up some size 4 and 6 DPNs. I've had to buy brand new needles to do this project, but luckily the yarn was free for me. The needles are the interchangeable kind from Knit Picks. I'm really loving them so far. I can't wait to get the DPNs. 

The yarn I'm using is the Bernat Nylo Sports wool blend. It's 50% wool and 50% nylon. The colorway is Silver Mix which gives a great denim effect to the cardigan. I love how soft it is. I can't wait to put this sweater on!

Top 6 Apps I Use For My Business

Here's a quick list of apps that I use everyday for my business. I'll give a brief description of each and touch on what I like specifically. Some of these are pretty standard and some of these I've mentioned before in other blog posts. Some of these apps are available on both smartphones and tablets, some are not. For simplicity's sake, I use these apps on my Android phone exclusively therefore I will include links to each app from the Play Store.

6. Kies Air by Samsung Electronics

If you have an Android phone, then you'll need to have this app in order to share files on your phone and computer with each other. I like the Air version best because I don't have to connect my phone to the laptop and wait forever to be able to save pictures onto my laptop. Everything is organized as it is on your phone, so navigating is simple. I take most of my photos with my phone since the camera is really boss, so this makes things more convenient for me.

5. Pages Manager by Facebook

I run a business page on Facebook and a lot of the time I'm trying to share content from my phone. This allows me to keep track of how my page is doing when I'm not near my laptop. I can fulfill orders easier, communicate with customers easier, and post photos of WIPs and finished products directly.

4. USPS Mobile by the United States Postal Service

This is great for when people don't give their full nine digit zip code when placing an order. A lot of people aren't aware that they need the extra four digits when shipping something, but alas, you do. It makes things simpler for the post officers to organize the massive amounts of mail they receive daily and pin point the exact location of your address. It gets especially more necessary when shipping to a customer living in an apartment complex. Really, this is more for helping the post office than myself, but I do use this app a LOT!

Aside from finding the extra four digits, I calculate shipping rates very frequently. With the steady increase in international shipping, this helps me prepare for what I should expect when paying for the shipping.

3. Time Sheet by Florian Rauscha 

I love this app so much that I made a special blog post for it. Just to reiterate, I enjoy being able to keep track of my progress on how quickly I create an item. Also, it gives me an idea of how much I should charge for my time.

2. The Official Etsy App by Etsy, Inc

This one's a no-brainer. If you have an Etsy shop, you need the Etsy app. I can relist items, create new listings, look at other listings - the works. It has a very simple page setup that helps you keep track of new favorites and likes, sales, and how much money you've profited without having to swipe a lot or jump between pages. Plus, there is a very satisfying *cha-ching* sound every time you sell an item.

1. PayPal Here by PayPal Mobile

I sell at a lot of conventions and farmer's markets. More and more people are now coming to expect local artisans to accept credit cards at their booths and tables. Be prepared to have either the PayPal Here or the Squared Up apps. Both are relatively the same. They charge the same percentage from every transaction and have virtually identical accepted forms of payment and policies. The only main difference is that the PayPal credit card app accepts PayPal payments as far as I know.

Timesheet - Time Tracker App Review

A friend of mine let me in on an app that he's been utilizing with keeping up with his projects. We both run Etsy shops and spend a lot of time creating things. Sometimes we crafty types lose track of the hours spent and aren't exactly sure what to charge for the time we put into our amazing products. Thanks to this app we can now use a simple timer to help keep track of that time for us. There are timer apps out there, but what really sets this app apart is that it separates your projects to help you track your time and you can add how much to pay yourself per hour. You can make several projects and it will organize it all for you and even export it to Microsoft Excel.

Here's what the product description says on the page:

Timesheet allows you the recording of your work with a simple push of a button. You can easily add breaks, expenses and notes. Manage your projects and export your data to Microsoft Excel. Clear overviews and statistics will give you the best working experience.

Here's where the app falls a little short; the app can be a little confusing to navigate around. When I first started playing around with the app it seemed like I could only create one project. When I realized that I had a spelling error that I wanted to fix it took me a few minutes to figure out how to edit the project. After completing the project I wanted to start a new one. I didn't realize that I needed to tap on the top drop menu and select Projects, then hit the add project button. The confusing part is that the add project button is seen on the top of both the Projects and Timesheets pages. Whenever I was on the Timesheets page and I wanted to add a project it wouldn't allow me to edit the name of the project. 

It didn't take too much time to figure my way around the app. I tried tinkering around with the Export, but was unable to e-mail the file to myself. The other options for Exporting are AT&T messaging through the cloud, Bluetooth, E-Mail, G-Mail, LAN, and Wi-Fi Direct. 

One thing that could really bring this app together is an option to take photo progress along with the description of progress. You can keep track with your overall happiness with your projects which I'm not really into. I can see how it may be useful for other people, but for me it seems a little useless. 

The best part of this app is that it's FREE! It's available in the Play store for the Android and Tablets. Check it out here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rauscha.apps.timesheet

Found A New Place To Eat - Zoë's Kitchen

There's a new restaurant that just opened up where the old Wendy's was in the Beechwood area. It's a Zoë's Kitchen! I've never been to one of these places before, but it's fantastic! I loved the colors and atmosphere in the restaurant. Plus, the food was perfection!

If you haven't heard of Zoë's kitchen, it's a chain that serves Mediterranean dishes that opened up in 1995 in Alabama. They now have 71 locations spread across 12 states.The food is made fresh every day and includes various sandwiches, soups and salads. Their menu contains dishes for vegans, vegetarians, gluten free items and some selections for meat eaters, such as myself.

This is a place that has a little bit of something for everyone. I can take my vegetarian friends there and enjoy dishes with meat if I so choose. No one has to feel left out if we're going to a fast food place. That brings up another point. This is a fast food restaurant that actually serves healthy food. It's such a strange concept in the fast food industry, I know. Seriously though, name one fast food joint that serves actual healthy food and has the option of gluten free dishes. You can't. They don't exist.

Not only are these dishes conveniently served fresh daily and with a quickness, but the prices are awesome too. I paid around $10 for my lunch, which is around the same amount I pay for a trip to Taco Bell or Burger King. It may be a couple dollars more than McDonald's, but my body thanks me for not eating something that takes years to digest.

Let's talk about my lunch for a moment. Here's a picture of what I ate:

What you see here are the chicken roll-ups for $7.79. I grabbed a side of potato salad made with baby reds for $2.09 which is both vegan and gluten free. I could tell immediately that the salsa was handmade. It was amazing and really spicy. I'm a lightweight when it comes to spice, but I could handle this level. The chicken wraps themselves were deliciously filled with feta, lettuce, tomato, caramelized onions, and wrapped with tortilla. The tortilla wasn't deep fried which was really nice. My meal was light and didn't leave me feeling shame afterwards which is always refreshing. I felt confident and ready to face the rest of the day. Yeah, food can do that. 

Here's what my friend got. It's the chicken pita pizza. He let me try a couple bites. My mouth exploded with flavor! He also had a side of beans, but I'm allergic so I didn't try it. My friend raved about the beans though, so I'm going to have to trust him. This pizza has mozzarella, feta, fresh basil, and marinara. I loved the basil. It really popped! 

Zoë's Kitchen also serves beer and wine, which I didn't realize until after reading through the menu again to see if they had some fresh lemonade, which they do. They also cater and have family meals for around the $30 range. If each meal comes to around $10 per person, then you'll save about $10 with their Dinners for Four deals. 

If you haven't been yet, I definitely recommend that you do. If you're after a healthy meal in a great, friendly atmosphere for a reasonable price then this is the perfect place to go! Tell your friends. 

Game Reviews - Dungeon Defenders

Platform: PC, Xbox 360, PS3, Android, iOS

Genre: Action RPG/Tower Defense

Developed By: Trendy Entertainment

Published By: Reverb Publishing

ESRB Rating: E10 (Everyone 10+)

Price: Sells for $14.99 (1200 Microsoft Points) but worth the price.

Single or Multiplayer: Single with the option to play with up to four players.

Difficulty: Hard!

Overview: Long Ago, Etheria was once a land of living legends… Throughout the ages, brave warriors across the realm stood together against the forces of evil, led by immortal beings known as the Old Ones… After a titanic struggle, these champions locked away the power of the Old Ones, inside Eternia Crystals.

These legendary heroes have recently left their younger kin in charge of the common castle chores… Bored with their dreary duties, the inexperienced pupils decide to play… And accidentally unleash an ancient force that has long been dormant!

Age: The beginning of the game warns that there are alcohol references in the game. The only reference is that you hang out in a pub. No alcohol is consumed, available for purchase, or even mentioned in the game. It also warns the player about animated blood and fantasy violence. It's really not gory and the violence isn't more than just some punching and kicking. No one's being stabbed or mutilated.

Game Length: This game can be beaten in a day or two.

Replay: There's a lot of replay value here. If you want to get most of the achievements it would require a few playthroughs.

Effects/Graphics: Cell shading. I really enjoyed the graphics. The artstyle was very cartoonish and fun.

Rating: 4/5

Final Thoughts: This game is pretty impossible to beat on the harder levels unless you're playing multiplayer. Even then it can be very difficult and many people online rely on playing with modded weapons. You almost have to play with a modded weapon or have someone in your party with a modded weapon to beat the insane modes for the missions and challenges, even some of the hard ones.