My anti-superbowl activities for tomorrow: I Heart Rummage, maybe seeking out some bubble tea, and hopefully purchasing some waterproof boots.

After our mostly unhappy large rug search last Fall, I really appreciate the stuff over at InterfaceFLOR – rug squares you can move and change around. The only bad thing I can think of is that you cannot get one of those super cushy rug pads to put underneath. Via anh-minh.com.

I finally got a salad spinner – the OXO Mini Salad and Herb Spinner which Ugly Green Chair tipped me off to ages ago. It’s superteriffic – it is pump action and has a brake, and even has a rubber bottom for traction. Much less dangerous than the big red one I grew up with, that thing would get going so fast it would fly off the counter if it slipped out of your wet hands — and there was no way to stop it, you just had to hold on until it slowed down. I think this is little salad love.

After spending some weekends sans new Netflix [What do you mean the next Buffy isn’t going to arrive until Monday?! How am I expected to survive under these conditions!] we upgraded to the 5-disc option and so far it’s sweet. I heart Netflix.

I’m in need of some knitting examples. I’m looking for the best way to do increases down 2×2 (or 3×3 etc) ribbing – something along the lines of a top-down raglan, but more specifically I’m looking for increases along the top of the shoulder, in my case there will be a seam running down the shoulder. Also, the various stretchy cast-on and bind-off methods – I have tried out tubular cast-on (which is for 1×1 rib), and the one at the bottom of this pattern over at Girl From Auntie. Anyone happen to know of good stuff for me to take a look at?

While I was listening to old shows of The Splendid Table I came across a segment with chocolate anthropologist (what a kick ass job) Maricel E. Presilla. She talked about what is considered to be the finest of all cacoas – Porcelana. She described them: “the flavor is intense, lingers, not a trace of astringency or bitterness or acidity”. Mmm. I must have. The site has a very general guide to chocolates containing Porcelana here.

Sew Happy posted a link to Doggie Connection’s recipe page – 140 recipes for dog food. It reminded me that the latest Splendid Table did a bit on a new cookbook for dogs called Throw Me A Bone.

Looking for a replacement wallet the other day (I want the pink one) I found these stacking foot stools. I kinda like them, I wonder if Ikea has something similar? I also like the nesting bentwood tables and cushions. (Note: since we’ll be moving again this year I cannot buy furniture, so of course I want some.)

I have read two places that Russell Crowe has taken up knitting, here is one (last blurb). This Russell Crowe thing has gone around a few times due to that semi-famous picture with the knitting needles, I wonder if this is just an extension of that?

Knit your own fry up! From the pages of the Jackie Annual 1979. Via Creazativity, check out her own bacon and eggs bag.

This gorgeous dress made from entirely from abadoned umbrellas is spectacular. Note the rosettes which decorate the bodice are those little things from the top of the umbrella. I also like that the snap closures are left as decorative elements.

link via amelielabonne!

The Stitch ‘n Bitch book was in Newsweek, you can get some behind the scenes info at knithappens.com, the site for the book.

[note: my internet connection is being strange and I cannot actually get to the article, so if the link is broken broken, and not just broken for me, please do let me know.]

Free knitted Elvis wig pattern! (I forget where I found this link but thank you to whomever it was.)

I’m fond of confections, I hope I’m using that word correctly. I’d like to learn more about making candy, but not necessarily all of that chocolate stuff. I’m talking working with sugar – marshmallows, sugar sculptures, sugar bubbles, sugar cages, shaped hard candy. Does anyone have book recommendations for how-to? What little browsing I’ve done so far turns up the Jaques Torres Desert Circus books, but his main thing is chocolate. Any references I’m being completely blind over?

You can now buy Ginger Altoids from the Altoids web site, now I feel silly for having all those tins of it stashed in my freezer.