DIY Finger-Knit Infinity Scarf

As the dry and bitter cold returns once more to our beloved capital, my DIY projects turn from fun to practical. While commuting and daydreaming in -30 degree weather, I find myself brainstorming less about crafts, and more about whether or not I could cut holes in a shirt sleeve to fashion myself a face mask.

I don't think you can talk about useful winter projects without talking about knitting. I started to play around with an old trick: finger-knitting. If you're unfamiliar, it's exactly what it sounds like. I used to do it as a kid, and would make these long chains with just yarn and my hands. I tried to find online patterns for finger-knitting something substantial, but all I could find were finger-knit "scarves." I'm no fashionista, but I would argue that these thin strands of yarn aren't quite classifiable as scarves, nor do they look particularly warm.

You can find the step-by-step instructions of finger-knitting on youtube - I unfortunately (or fortunately) am not into uploading videos of myself to the worldwide web at this time. Clear instructions on the basics can be found here.

I knitted a chain until it was long enough for an infinity scarf - which you should be able to pull over your head to wrap around your neck at least twice comfortably. Then I brought the tail end of the chain up to my left hand which has the loops on it, and looped my left pinky through the loop on the very edge of the chain, so that there are two loops on the pinky. Continue looping the yarn around your other fingers and pull the bottom loop over the top as you had before, but on your pinky you'll be pulling two loops over the top loop. Link your pinky again through the next row's loop, and repeat. You'll be making a kind of spiral. Keep going around until you have the width you want, and then cut the yarn so you have about 6 inches. Take your fingers out of the loops, and thread the end string through them all to keep it from unraveling. Tie it to the edge of the scarf to close it off, cut the excess thread, and voila!

Vegan and Gluten-Free Blueberry Lemon Muffins

The last time I tried to bake something, a series of unfortunate events unfolded. My goal that day was to make bruschetta. I bounced back and forth between experimenting with the various flours in my cupboard or using a pre-mixed package, and finally chose the option with the smallest margin of error: Pam's Wonderful Bread Mix. Pam is a very trusting name, the directions were easy and I didn't think she would let me down.

The kind of bread I was going for here was your basic baguette. I remembered that after pouring the mixture into bread loaf pans. I returned the mixture to the bowl. No big deal. I formed baguettes on a baking pan, and wondered why they wouldn't hold their shape. Then I remembered that I was trying to halve the recipe, and had done so with the flour, but not the liquid ingredients. For the second time, I returned the ingredients to the mixing bowl. After adding the rest of the flour, shaping them into baguettes, and putting them in the convection oven in exasperation- I did not think to check the oven's setting. Which- as I discovered much too late- was set to broil.

Our dinner guest that night was very polite about eating half over-cooked, half under-cooked bruschetta, but I have not touched flour since.

So, this morning, I decided to successfully tackle muffins. It's raining, it's Sunday and I have blueberries.

Gluten-Free Vegan Burritos with Homemade Refried Beans and TVP

Last night, I ate grated carrot and pickles wrapped in lettuce with hot sauce. I would not blame you if questioned my legitimacy as a food blogger at this time. I am a little ashamed of my lack of effort, but in my defense, I'm just getting over a harsh return to work following a week of lazy winter vacation.

There were certain moments that signified my return to reality. Firstly, I can no longer manage the amount of needles waterfalling off of my Christmas tree. Secondly, since he  missed us so much, I have awoken each morning to the cat either pawing gently at my face, spooning the top of my head or perched directly in front of my face- staring. Thirdly, my refrigerator is facing a serious vegetable drought. Since one cannot live off wine and condiments alone, and since January and frugality tend to go hand-in-hand, a combination of groceries and dipping into rations of dried beans seemed appropriate.

This is really just an idea for a recipe which can be easily modified to accommodate different food sensitivities and taste preferences. I wish it involved some kind of homemade tortilla - but I really lack the energy for such an undertaking right now. Also, the refried beans are my partner's recipe. He is more of a "dash of this, lots of that" kind of cook, so it does not resemble a traditional method. But it is delicious, so when he began talking out loud in the kitchen, I grabbed a pen.