Friday, January 5, 2018

PSA: Stay warm

Are you affected by the giant cold front / blizzard that hit the US east coast this week? I am. We didn't get nearly as much snow out of this thing as I would have expected, but man, is it cold! Here's the view from my kitchen the morning of the storm:


So what is this thing? Livescience.com describes "bombogenesis" as "when [a storm's] central low pressure drops at least 24 millibars in 24 hours." The FEMA website also has a great explanation of what a "bomb cyclone" is.  If that's TLDR, it's basically a severe storm that intensifies very, very rapidly.

So, how do we stay warm? If you follow @FEMA on Twitter, they have some very practical suggestions, even infographics. From a knitter's point of view, here's the best advice I can offer you:
  • Stay inside if possible. If you can't, be sure to dress warmly.
  • Cover your head. Though it's not technically true that we lose more heat through our head than the rest of our body, we do lose heat where we are not covered. If we have a coat, scarf, gloves, etc. but not a hat, that means the heat is escaping through our head. So wear a hat or 2. I like to layer an earband under a warm hat, or a thin hat under a thicker one.
  • Layer. Several thin layers are more effective than one thick layer, since warm air gets trapped between them. Don't feel silly if you want to layer multiple hats, pairs of socks, or gloves. Do what it takes.
  • Keep your core warm with a tank top or vest.
  • Cover pulse points where the veins are extra close to the skin at the wrists and throat. Wristwarmers and cowls are especially good for this.
  • Natural fibers, particularly wool, will keep you warmer than synthetics. Unlike many fibers, wool keeps its thermal properties even when wet. This means wearing wool or wool-blend socks rather than cotton.
Stay warm, everyone. Knit something for yourself or a loved one. :)

Tuesday, January 2, 2018

2018, Cities of Gold, and a sale

Hello readers! I hope 2018 is treating you well so far. I spent yesterday with family, knitting and watching a Mysterious Cities of Gold marathon. It was a very pleasant day. As a child of the 1980s, I grew up with classic Nickelodeon, and we can blame credit The Mysterious Cities of Gold for my lifelong love of South America, the Incas, and Machu Picchu. Sure it's fiction, sure it's a cartoon (anime actually), but there's plenty of history and factual tidbits in it too. There's also a bit of science fiction - something for everyone.

It may be a little intense for younger children, so be aware of that before watching it with very little ones. I understand there's a sequel, but it isn't yet available where I live. Maybe I'll get to see it one of these days. I'm in no hurry, though. The original series is just as good as I remembered it, and there's no way the new one is the same.


On a related entertainment note, I just learned that today, January 2, is Science Fiction Day. To celebrate, get 20% off any pattern in my Science Bundle with the coupon code scifi20 through midnight on Saturday, January 6, 2018.

These are the patterns included in the sale:
Cuddly Chem Lab- $6.95
buy now | add to cart | show cart
View details at Ravelry | Patternfish
"Diagonally Parked In A Parallel Universe" Socks - $5.95
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View details at Ravelry | Patternfish
Dorsal Graviton Cowl - $5.95
buy now | add to cart | show cart
View details at Ravelry | Patternfish
Miss Sakamoto Sash / Headwrap / Belt - $4.99
Coordinates with "She Blinded Me With Science" Bag
buy now | add to cart | show cart
View details at Ravelry | Patternfish | KnitPicks
Summer Comes Early to Downton Selenite Shawl - $5.95
buy now | add to cart | show cart
View details at Ravelry | Patternfish
"She Blinded Me With Science" Bag- $6.99
Coordinates with Miss Sakamoto Sash / Headwrap / Belt
buy now | add to cart | show cart
View details at Ravelry | Patternfish | KnitPicks
Temporal Wingnut Hat - $6.95
buy now | add to cart | show cart
View details at Ravelry | Patternfish
Tesla's Lightning - $5.95
buy now | add to cart | show cart
View details at Ravelry | Patternfish
The Technobabble Collection - $12.95
buy now | add to cart | show cart
View details at Ravelry

Of course, there's also Dongle, a small sock to hold your USB drive. This pattern is free every day.

"Dongle" Mini-Sock Keychain - free!
download PDF
View details at Ravelry

Make something science-y today!