StarBar Organics
Frank, check this out
I'll start this off by saying I hate protein bars. Only under extreme circumstances (backpacking for 3 days, mountain biking for 4 days, on the 3rd pitch of a climb, etc) will I willingly eat a protien bar. I've just never found one that I really like (the Clif Bar - Cranberry Apple Cherry is decent and the PowerBar Triple Threat - Caramel Peanut Fusion is good, but its a glorified candybar... but anyway...).
I just had another round of the Strength and Endurance class at Go Vertical and I'm exhausted. But it was a great workout. Lucky for me I remembered I'd put this new StarBar in my bag that I'd bought on Sunday. It was DAMN tasty. And that's a lot coming from me. I had the "Special Fall Flavor - Maple Walnut". I want to try a couple other flavors. But I *really hope* they make that Maple Walnut flavor a standard thing. For those who haven't tried them yet, StarBar's are protien bars made right here in Philly. They're soft, not hard like all those other bars, and they're really really flavorful. They're vegan, organic, and have lots of protein and fiber.
So, Frank -- you need to contact these people and get some shipped out to you. Cause they're Vegan! and tasty! and protein-y! and no preservatives! (No, this is not a paid advertisement). Ok, now go order some.
Tapestry Crochet
the yoga mat bag wins as my next project
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Tapestry Crochet is a really neat technique. It's got a very earthy, rustic and real feel to it. I think its going to be perfect for my yoga mat bag. I chose Paton's Classic Merino Wool" in "Natural Mix" and "Black". Doing a yoga bag in acryllic yarns just didn't sound right. The basic shape I'm going for is something like this Prana Yoga Mat Holder, basically its a tube that closes at one end with a strap I can wear diagonally across my chest. The Tapestry Crochet books have enough tube-ish patterns to follow, so it just a matter of figuring out the color pattern I want to use, how to close the top and how to attach the shoulder strap. The color pattern: I'm going to do alternating bands of a black background with tan geometric shapes and a tan background with black elephants. I think each black band will be unique. I'm pretty happy with the elephant pattern that I came up with. Her trunk is a little thick, but she'll do. I'll post the chart when I finish the bag and post the full pattern. I'll probably borrow different geometric patterns I did in Dave's double-knit scarf for the black bands. (BTW, my step-aunt Susan got me this great little yarn thimble as part of my Christmas gift. And it turns out its PERFECT for this project. The yarn is held quite tight during tapestry crochet. The yarn I'm using is a bit rough, and I started to get a bit of a rope burn on my finger. Using this snazzy yarn thimble is a great solution to preserve my cute bird flipping finger). |
I don't remeber how I discovered