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This year, a friend of mine has been teaching me how to knit.  It's been a fun process.

First, I practiced on bean bags.

Then, I graduated to a scarf.

Now, I'm working on a pair of fingerless gloves. 

I get my materials with coupons from Hobby Lobby and Jo-Ann.  I even took an intro to knitting class at Jo-Ann.  They have classes for kids, too.  The kids are excited to start their own knitting projects this summer.

Check out this Cardboard Bicycle seen on The Economist, made by Izhar Gafni from Israel, who used origami principles to fold cardboard into a stronger medium, then treated it with resin to hold its shape and make it waterproof. 

The frame, wheels, handlebars, and saddle are made of cardboard from recycled paper, while the tires are made of solid recycled rubber, and cannot be punctured.  The chain is also rubber, and the pedals are recycled plastic. 

The bike weighs 9 kg (20 lbs) and can be made for around $9-12 dollars.  Amazing!

Take this presidential election quiz at ISideWith.com, and see which candidate supports your views!  You'll be asked a series of questions about your stance on environmental, social, science, economic, domestic policy, foreign policy, immigration, and healthcare issues.  Your responses will show whether you side with the Democratic, Republican, Green, Libertarian, or other party.  Pretty cool! 

Don't forget to vote on Tuesday, November 6!

Visited Northwestern University's Dearborn Observatory a couple weeks ago.  Their telescope, built in 1862, is open to the public for free viewing every Friday night. 

It's best to make a reservation from 9-10 pm.  They take walk-ins as space allows from 10-11 pm. 

The night we went, it was cloudy, so we didn't get to see the stars.  The sky cleared for a minute, so we did get to see the surface of the moon--pretty cool!  We'll definitely be back.

Love this message on the window--"Unless you sell Thin Mints...NO SOLICITING," seen at Blue Cricket Design. 

It's perfect!  :)