Alice Yi-Li Yeh's Blog, page 2

Héloïse Fingerless Mittens

New knitting pattern up on Ravelry! With a whimsically uneven rib and knotted mesh top, Héloïse fingerless mittens keep hands well dressed for those cool, autumnal afternoons. For a warmer variation, try substituting a 3 x 3 rib for the mesh.

Size: ladies M
Gauge: 1” = 7 stitches

Materials:
US 4 circular needles
cable needle
stitch holder
1 skein Plymouth Sakkie yarn (100-150 yds/25 g) may substitute any fingering weight or sock weight yarn

Bella's Mittens

The pattern for my version of Bella's Mittens is now posted on Ravelry! Here are the deets:

Inspired by the movie Twilight, these mittens feature a long, stretchy arm that easily accomodates thick sweater sleeves. The textured palm mimics the original and provides extra warmth—perfect for snow, steering wheels, and the occasional vampire handshake.

Size: ladies M

Gauge: 1” = 5 stitches

Materials: US 9 circular needlescable needlestitch holder1 skein Malabrigo worsted weight yarn (210 yds/100 g)
This pattern is available for $6.50 USD buy it now

Takeya Classic Glass Water Bottle with Silicone Sleeve

Following a morning spent reading blog entries about the dangers of plastics and food products, I decided to take a step towards cutting back my chemical risks with a Takeya glass water bottle. After two weeks of use, I'm about ready to make my report.

First off, the bottle fits well into a medium-sized hand (7.5 if we're talking hospital glove sizes). The silicone grip is comfortable, and the viewing window makes it easy to see how much water is left. The lid is rather cleverly designed, with a square top that facilitates gripping and a tight seal that prevents leaks. Bravo.

One of my major concerns in buying a glass water bottle was the issue of breakage. After schlepping it around in a thin canvas bag, however, the bottle is still as good as new. I wouldn't recommend smashing it against something on purpose, but then, that's common sense.

Unfortunately, I find myself returning the bottle in the end. The wide opening, while intended to facilitate ice cubes and such, makes it difficult to drink from the bottle while moving (walking, running, etc). It's a little embarrassing dribbling water down your front at the gym! Also, at 10.5" height and 2.75" diameter, the bottle is too tall for the filtered water dispensers at work. Perhaps this is my own fault for choosing the 22-oz version over the 12-oz, but then, a glass and a half of water doesn't seem to do much to quench a girl's thirst.

Oddly enough, my 24-oz Contigo water bottle has the same diameter, but the uncapped bottle is approximately two inches shorter than the glass one. I'm attributing it to the thickness of the container wall and the extra space occupied by the silicone sleeve. As far as I know, there hasn't been any mass recall of Contigo products, so I'll just have to assume that the bottle is safe for now. I have my eye on a Lifefactory glass bottle once this plastic bottle inevitably goes missing. Having lost two already, it's only a matter of time...

Stain Remover Rumble: Oxi Clean vs Shout

For those of you who read the post about DIY windowsill planters, you may remember that I recommended turning the planter upside down to let the lower rim dry properly before setting it down anywhere. Well, I got impatient with a recent batch and wound up getting sky blue craft paint on my carpet. Three rounds of Shout stain remover later, it still refused to budge. After two rounds of Oxi Clean, however, the paint was gone and my security deposit rescued from the clutches of my apartment complex. Hurray!

Now, these products were purchased in the laundry aisle, not whichever section is dedicated to carpet cleaning. In terms of fresh stains, both seem to work quite well. I've managed to remove greasy Chinese takeout from a pair of white pants with two rounds of Shout in the past. On a recent conference, however, I had a minor mishap and was unable to wash the pants until I came home half a week later. (Yes, the klutziness is sort of a persistent trait.) What's a woman to do?

Since I hate throwing things away, I decided to give Shout a shot instead of tossing that bottle out. After three rounds, however, the bloodstain faded but still refused to go away. A round of Oxi Clean later, I managed to rescue my white pants from the donation bin. The blue circle indicates the area that was stained but now is not.

I suppose the conclusion to be drawn from this wholly unscientific process is that Shout is fine for fresh, "easy" stains, but for stubborn ones that have had time to settle in...Oxi Clean it is. On an unrelated note, I've found Tide pens to be more or less useless. Has anyone had a better result with that product?

Zojirushi SM-KA48PT 16-Ounce/0.48 Liter Stainless Mug

After my Contigo travel mug pulled a vanishing act somewhere in the middle of hospital rounds, the search began for a suitable replacement. My criteria were simple: aesthetically pleasing, easy to clean, and successfully keeps a caffeinated beverage hot all day. Enter the Zojirushi SM-KA48PT. At sixteen ounces, it promised a pint's worth of caffeinated goodness at a temperature that could keep me toasty warm in the middle of a chilly pharmacy. Let's see how it held up:

Aesthetically pleasing Okay, so the mug is a little more girly (and slightly sparkly) than I would have preferred, Still, it's a fun color, and there are always other options. The mug comes in lavender, which I purchased, as well as champagne gold (not shown), pink champagne (not shown), smoky blue, and yes, even black.

Easy to clean The beauty of the SM-KA48PT is that it is easy to disassemble for cleaning. Unlike the Contigo travel mug, its sealing mechanism comes apart so that I can make sure all working parts are clean. Unfortunately, the mouthpiece has a tendency to collect tea stains. I usually just go at it with a Dobie all purpose pad, and I have a sneaking suspicion that a thorough cleaning would require a toothbrush and possibly a pipe cleaner.



Temperature control This last point was the nail in the coffin for the Contigo mug. By the middle of an eight and a half hour shift, the drink was usually lukewarm at best, with the distinct taste of milk that was starting to go bad. Blech. In contrast, the SM-KA48PT keeps the temperature up for a full workday and then some. During my test run, the water started at 208°F (97.8°C), at least according to my water dispenser. After filling the mug and assembling the lid, the temperature was 193°F (89.4°C). Approximately 5.6 hours later (reading not shown), it had dropped to 156°F (68.9°F). At exactly twelve hours from the first thermometer reading, the temperature had only fallen to 134°F (56.7°C). For those of you who don't care about numbers, it was almost too hot to drink. In other words, the mug far exceeded my expectations. No more borderline spoiled beverages for me!

The Zojirushi SM-KA48PT isn't a perfect item. Disregarding the pinkish sparkles and all relevant connotations, however, it does more than a respectable job as an insulated travel mug. I actually have to make my tea early and let it sit in an uncovered mug for half an hour before screwing on the lid to avoid scalding my mouth with the first sip. Usually, I hurriedly cap it and toss it into a side bag, where it is jostled to high heaven as I race to clock in on time. One commute later? Zero spillage. My workdays have just gotten that much better. Really.

DIY Windowsill Planter

This week, I came across urban planters at The Sill, courtesy of Birchbox. Since I don't have $90 (guesstimating shipping here) to burn on little succulents, I decided to take a more hands-on approach.


Step One: Purchase houseplants from Home Depot.

Cost: $4.26 per plant




Step Two: Assemble household supplies, i.e. clean gelato container, waiter corkscrew, old cardboard, and Leatherman knife. Purchase craft paint from Hobby Lobby.

Cost: $3.50 per can of spray paint


Step Three: Use corkscrew to poke drainage holes in the bottom of the gelato container. (This is the true advantage of this process, as commercial planters often have only the one, large hole at the bottom.)



Step Four: Use file from Leatherman knife (or any metal file or sandpaper) to scratch up the side of the container. This will help the paint to adhere to the plastic.




Step Five: Spray paint onto the container. I sprayed down half of the container first. Then I stuck my hand in the paint-free interior and rotated it so that I could tackle the other half. Folding back the cardboard makes the process much less messy; I was able to keep the paint from just about anywhere it wasn't supposed to go, though a little did get on one of my hands. I was able to peel it off my skin later in the day.

Step Six: Allow container to dry for 30 minutes. Flip it upside down by gripping the now-dry sides to allow the bottom edge to dry. Repeat process with lid (unless you want to keep it brown).

Step Seven: Transfer the plant to the new planter. Turn lid upside down to use as a draining pan. Enjoy!

Final Cost Breakdown:
Commercial cost: ~$30/plant DIY cost: ~$8/plant
Total savings: ~$22/plant

To increase cost savings, you can use leftover house or acrylic paint. Technically, the project costs another $4.80 for the pint of Talenti gelato, but I didn't include that since the container is normally considered a recyclable waste product.


And there you have it. Not exactly the same as the products on The Sill, but still colorful and happy. For the money that I saved, I can't exactly complain! I still have two more plants and some more empty gelato containers, so I'm planning to repeat the process in other colors later in the week.

Challah Mittens

I recently posted my first-ever knitting pattern on Ravelry! The pattern features step-by-step directions for pretty, seamless mittens that will get you through what is left of winter. As an added bonus, it includes a tutorial on casting on a tubular, 2 x 2 rib that does not require any waste yarn. How's that for going green?

This pattern is available for $6.00 USD buy it now

Size: ladies M Gauge: 1” = 5 stitches

Materials:
US 9 circular needles
US 7 circular needles
cable needle
stitch holder
1 skein Malabrigo worsted weight yarn (full 210 yd skein makes 1.5 mitten pairs or 3 individual mittens).

Identity Crisis

I was recently helping my cousin brainstorm for his med school applications, more specifically on the essay about diversity. I remembered that he was heavily involved in the Taiwanese association at UPenn, and I suggested that he write about that. His response: "I don't want to emphasize that I'm Asian." This reminded me of something that I read online a while back, in which a half-Asian, half-white girl encouraged Asian-Americans to choose not to divulge their ethnicity on college applications if their last name didn't already make it obvious. The idea was that declaring oneself as Asian immediately pits you against all of the other Asians with the same academic achievements, musical accomplishments, volunteer activities, and the like. The basis for the argument was the disproportionate amount of Asians who are denied admission despite their qualifications, while those from other ethnic groups gain admission even though their resumes aren't as stacked. I can't speak to the veracity of this assertion; I don't have the data, nor do I care enough to mine for it. What I'm interested in is the conception that one has to play down being Asian in order to get anywhere in life. For anyone who has attended Chinese school on Saturdays or uses chopsticks more often than not at home, who grew up with burner drip pans covered in tin foil or a household in which English was rarely spoken, being Asian is an integral part of oneself. There are studies out their validating a subtle shift in personality and attitudes when one switches between languages--one subconsciously assumes the values of the culture that they relate to whichever language they are using at the time. The idea that one has to play down something so special and important in order to succeed is laughable and heartbreaking all at the same time. These schools are claiming to be focused on diversity. The unspoken understanding is that being Asian isn't considered diverse. Yet there is a distinct cultural identity to be found there. Out of nine hundred plus Facebook friends, less than a hundred of my social connections do not have an Asian background. Beyond that, most of them have married or are dating other Asians, even outside of their specific ethnic group. It's not an exclusionary or racist practice; it's a matter of cultural values and social comfort. A friend of mine who studied Asian-American culture at Cornell explained that there is a difference in which people with Asian-Americans communicate. It's the reason why they gravitate towards one another; we actively seek out those with whom we are comfortable speaking our minds without worrying about being misunderstood. It's a validated phenomenon, and one to which I can attest after moving to an area which is primarily Caucasian. For the most part, I feel like a duck out of water, and in the past nine months, I've had to rework my conversational skills and learn the nuances of speech in order to befriend my coworkers. Still, it leaves me exhausted at the end of the day, and it's a welcome relief to open GChat or pick up the phone to talk to those with whom I can be myself. How, then, can the world ask a person to deny this aspect of oneself? You're asking us to play down who are are in our "off hours," when we aren't forcing ourselves to assume certain behaviors in order to get by; when we aren't putting on a performance so that others won't see the downsides of our collectivist mentality or perfectionism, the passive-aggressive habits that always seem to emerge at the most inconvenient times. We're getting mixed messages here. On the one hand, we're told to celebrate our culture. On the other, we're being told that if you're Asian, you have to conform. It's a double standard, and one by which I refuse to abide. Excuse me while I go refill my hot water pot.

Random Kindnesses

I turned twenty-seven today, and with my best friends located out east or west (i.e. not midwest), I opted to treat myself to dinner at an upscale wine bar with my Droid for company. The evening turned out far better than I expected. The bartender was hospitable towards a lonely birthday girl who's far from home and offered conversation and a birthday shot. That was followed by a dedication from the live jazz musicians, and a fancy-looking dessert with a birthday candle on the side. (Sweet cream with fruit salsa on toasted pizzelle and avocado ice cream, in case you were wondering.) Far less embarrassing than a chorus of flair-wearing waiters, and sweet in its own right. The slap-happy grin kept creeping up, and after a while, I gave up trying to suppress it. Sometimes unexpected gestures are the best ones.

Incidentally, this situation brought to mind some of the topics addressed in Ken Blanchard's Leading at a Higher Level, specifically those of providing great service and enabling employees to go that extra mile. From the receiving end of it, I have to say this: he's right. Vinology has officially obtained my loyalty and good opinion from their added effort to make this solitary birthday a good one. I have my fingers crossed for the remainder of the year.

Yellow Walls

Yellow walls and twisted
Apron strings
Through a crooked door
Unctious oil slicks my skin
I breathe
Sugar, see the faint strains
Filter like ghosts through the dust

Powder coats my fingertips
Wet with soured spoils
Ripe and lightly liquored
Slime pours across mine eyes
Blue canvas, yellow
Plaster, white frames to a
Window dark