It can be tough searching for a new friend when you're also adjusting to your new role as a mom or dad. Instead of going outside your regular routine to cultivate friendships, look for opportunities in things you already do, or in activities that are relevant to your new role. One great place to seek out new friendships is a parenting group offered in your local community. You may already be signed up for a "Baby and Me" class. Here, you have a wide selection of prospects to choose from because everyone attending is probably a new parent like you. Also, consider nursing, music, or other parenting classes offered by nearby universities, hospitals, churches, or libraries. You may be able to find such groups by checking noticeboards at your doctor's office, at baby stores, or at the daycare center. Again, you are more likely to have the time and energy to dedicate to a new parent friendship if this connection fits into your routine somehow. If you typically take your infant on a late-afternoon stroll to the park, keep an eye out for other moms or dads with babies in strollers. You will busy enough as it is adjusting to the new baby. A prospective friendship is likely to crash and burn if you count on yourself having the time to take up a new hobby or take a non-parenting related class. In addition to the park, consider other places you go with your baby, such as the pediatrician's office, the infant aisle at your neighborhood grocery store or the play area at a local restaurant. Aim to get out more, which increases your odds of bumping into another new parent. If you are a mom or dad who's hoping to enhance your physical fitness by hitting up your nearby gym, look for friends inside. Many gyms have daycare centers where you can leave your baby during your workout. If this is the case, watch for other parents who are checking in their infants and strike up a conversation. Finding a new parent friend at the gym can serve double-duty as a workout partner, too. Ask the other parent when they usually visit the gym and make an effort to coordinate your schedules for company during your sweat session. In the age of technology, there are abundant resources on the web for forging friendships as a new parent. You can create a profile on a range of parenting websites and search for moms or dads in your area this way. You can also sign up for New Parent Meetups by checking for groups in your community. Finding a group of new parents can reduce the pressure of meeting one-on-one. What's more, meeting up in this manner enhances your social life by providing you with a selection of potential friendshipsyou can make one friend or five. Plus, many new parent groups focus exclusively on parenting tips, while others include other grownup social activities like playing sports together or going out for drinks when you have a babysitter.

Summary: Join a parenting group. Check out who's at the park mid-day. Search for prospects in your gym's daycare. Look online.

for a thick, quick project. This will make it faster and easier to knit your winter scarf, and your final product will be thick and warm. You can go with any color you like for your winter scarf, use a multi-color yarn, or use more than 1 color of yarn. You will need 1 to 2 skeins depending on the length of the scarf you want to create. Try using variegated yarn that transitions between different shades of blue, use a solid white yarn, or pair 2 colors, such as red and green or blue and silver for a winter holiday look. Using the right size knitting needles will help to ensure that your stitches are snug and attractive. The label should include a suggested size on it, so check it before you get started. For example, if you are using a bulky yarn, then the suggested needle size might be between 9 and 11 US (5.5 and 8.0 mm). If you opt for a super bulky yarn, then the recommended size could be anywhere from 11 to 17 US (8.0 to 12.75 mm). and slide it onto your right-hand needle. Make a loop with the yarn about 8in (20cm) from the end of the yarn. Then, bring the section of yarn just beside the loop through to form the slip knot. Tug the tail of the yarn to tighten the slip knot around your finger and then slip it onto your right-hand needle. The slip knot counts as 1 cast on stitch. a total of 22 stitches. Make a loop with the working yarn right next to the slip knot and slide it onto the right-hand needle. Then, tug on the working yarn to tighten the stitch around the needle. Repeat this until you have a total of 22 stitches on your knitting needle. The slip knot counts as 1 cast on stitch, so you only need to cast on 21 more stitches for a total of 22. across the first row. Hold the needle with the stiches on it in your non-dominant hand (left if you are right-handed) and the empty needle in your dominant hand (right if you are right-handed). Insert the tip of the empty knitting needle into the first cast on stitch on the full needle. Then, loop the yarn over the tip of the needle and pull this loop back and through the cast on stitch. Let the cast on stitch slip off as the new stitch replaces it on the empty needle. Continue to knit all of the stitches in the row in the same way until you reach the end of the row. If you want to continue working your rows in a simple stitch, the garter stitch is a good option. All you have to do is knit across every row until your scarf is finished. Make sure to switch the needle with the stitches on it to your non-dominant hand after every row. You could also follow a pattern from a pattern book or look up free winter scarf knitting patterns online. Select a pattern that matches up with your skill level and that will allow you to create the desired type of scarf. Alternatively, you might also want to incorporate some more advanced techniques to add a decorative flair. For example, you could use a special stitch and a cable needle to create cabling throughout the scarf.

Summary: Choose a bulky or super bulky yarn Opt for a pair of needles in the size recommended by the yarn label. Make a slip knot Cast on Knit Knit the second row in the same manner to continue in the garter stitch.

Use aggregate or gravel that does not contain any additives or large portions of organic matter that has not decomposed. Make sure the aggregate has not been in contact with animals, as you do not want germs or bacteria to get into the water. Use fresh water to fill the plant zone. Make sure the water runs into the pool area easily so the plants can help to filter the water. Check that the piece of black liner you are using as a barrier sits upward in the water, preventing the plants from drifting into the pool area. Waterweed and hornwort are both great options, as they release a lot of oxygen into the water. You can also put in aquatic plants like sedges and rushes on the perimeter of the plant zone to keep the area oxygenated and contained. Water lilies and other floating plants are great options for the plant zone, as they encourage the growth of microorganisms that will keep the water healthy and clean. If you are using plants that have roots, shovel gravel onto the bottom of the plants so they stay in place in the plant zone.
Summary: Put 3 to 6 inches (7.6 to 15.2cm) of aggregate or gravel in the plant zone. Fill the plant zone with water 1 foot (0.30m) below the top edge. Place oxygenating plants in the plant zone to keep the water healthy. Add in floating plants to provide shade to organisms. Anchor the plants with gravel.