Post #8 Ravelry…Even Non-knitters think it’s cool!

Knitting… it isn’t just for grandmothers anymore.

I can’t tell you how many times I have gone out of my way to not have to sew, knit, crochet, or do anything like that at all. I just have never been interested in that kind of stuff, until I began researching Ravelry. Ravelry brings together yarn artists and resources on a single networking website. Ravelry allows  knitters, crocheters, spinners, and weavers to share ideas and find inspiration. Members, which range from  hobbyists to professional dealers,, can find patterns, keep notes on projects, see what others are making, and  keep track of their yearn. Ravelry’s members can create their “notebook,” which organizes their projects, yarn stash, needle inventory sheet, patterns,  and other resources. All of the content on Ravelry is user-driven.

Ravelry was founded in 2007 by Jessica and Casey Forbes. Their dog, Bob, is the Ravelry mascot. Ravelry has over 3 million registered users and membership is free.  Ravelry has 53,563 followers on Twitter (@ravelry) and a blog. There is also a mobile site.  Wooley is their Apple iOS app, and Ravulous is their Android app.

Advertising  for your business on Ravelry can be very lucrative. Ravelry offers advertisers a very clear target audience to promote their products. Additionally,   Ravelry gives advertisers flexibility, reasonable prices,  good exposure, and a captive audience. There are several advertising options to choose from: 1) Marketplace, is a business-card style ad that can appear in fiber-related categories and it is also inexpensive. 2) Forum banners display at the bottom of each page in forum discussion treads, it is also inexpensive and high traffic. 3) Group banners, which are the same as forum banners, but are geared toward groups, 4) Feature pattern is a prominent spot to showcase your pattern, and  5) Feature yarn is a prominent spot to showcase your yarn.

The buzz online about Rivelry is mostly positive.  The issues or challenges that I could find for Ravelry was that they have competition from other sites that offer a larger variety of free patterns and they have limited resources when it comes to technology, especially for their apps.

All in all, Ravelry is a really cool niche social network for the yarn enthusiasts. Ravelry is a tight-knit community (no pun intended) that has enabled people who share the same passion for yarn to connect with one another. Who knows, I just might become a knitter, when I’m done with school, of course.

Post #2 Did you say spinach and artichoke-stuffed mushroom caps in 30 minutes?

While most people enjoy reading novels, magazines, or newspapers; I, however, enjoy reading my cook books. I have been a foodie for as long as I can remember, so as you can imagine, I have a vast collection of cook books at my disposal. There is one cook book that is set apart from the rest from my collection and is prominently displayed in my cook book stand and it is my, “30 Minutes Meals Get Togethers,”cook book signed by Rachael Ray. This cook book is one of my very favorite things.

It was approximately 10 years ago that I met Rachael Ray at the Mall of America. She gave a cooking demonstration and made her “chili mac,” which is from page 125 from her book. Rachael stayed after the demonstration and signed autographs. So after several hours of waiting, my friend Kristine and I, were able to talk to her and get her autograph. At that time, Rachael Ray was not really well-known and had only 2 shows on Food Network, “30 Minutes Meals” and “$40 a Day.” I asked Rachael if she would consider coming back to the Twin Cities to shoot an episode of “$40 a Day,” and if so, I could give her some suggestions. She thanked me for my suggestions and signed my book and it reads, “Chow Time! Rachael Ray.”

This book has many interesting recipes, and I have tried many of them. I appreciate Rachael’s cooking philosophy of simple ingredients and simple recipes. I also like that this book gives an entire menu for a particular themed meal,  and I am all about themes when it comes to cooking. For example, if you wanted to throw a, “Big Burger Lunch,” beefsteak tomatoes and Vidalia onion salad with steak sauce dressing, outside-in bacon burgers with green onion mayo, and Kahlua chocolate chunk cookies would be on the menu. Sometimes there is a “quick” dessert on the menu, but because Rachael doesn’t like to bake, they are extremely simple. I also don’t like to bake, and I often exclude dessert or just pick something up. Additionally, most meals can be made from start to finish in under 30 minutes.
I don’t believe Rachael Ray is a chef nor has had any “formal” culinary training, however, she has many years of experience working alongside her mother in her restaurant. Her recipes truly cater to both the experienced and inexperienced alike.

My cook book signed by Rachael Ray is one of my favorite things that I have because of my passion for food and that I was able to meet Rachael Ray in the process.

What more could a foodie ask for?