If you're looking to work on a specific project, check with your local craft or knitting store to see if they have samples made up. These samples will give you an idea of what yarn works well with the pattern and will give you an idea of how the final product will look. If your store does not have the full project completed, ask for a sample swatch instead. Craft or knitting store employees are extremely experienced in selecting yarns, as long as you know the right questions to ask. Some questions you should consider asking when selecting a yarn are: Will it stretch? What size needle should I use with this yarn? Does this yarn pill? Is this yarn easy to work with? If you already have yarn on hand but are unsure if it's the best choice for a specific project, test it out. Knit a 4"x4" (10cm x 10cm) swatch and see how it looks. To check draping, make your swatch even larger. To really test out your swatch, treat it as you would your actual clothing. Wash it, crumple it and hang it on the wall to see how the yarn reacts. If the swatch does not perform up to your standards, switch it out and try another option. Yarn doesn't have to be expensive, but using higher quality yarn will yield a higher quality project. Don't compare yarns of different materials (silk yarn will always cost more than wool yarn) but compare yarns of the same material. If you're stuck between two wool yarns, choose the more expensive option for a higher quality result. If you know what type of yarn you're looking for, check online. You may be able to score a better deal than you would in your neighborhood yarn store. Trade yarns with friends. The more yarns you try, the better you'll get at identifying quality yarns that work well for you.
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One-sentence summary -- Use samples to choose a yarn. Ask questions. Create your own sample swatch. Look at the price tag.

Q: The most common addition to simple meatballs is onion and garlic, as they bring a richness to the meatballs without a ton of extra work. If you finely chop up half an onion (less than 1/2-inch big pieces) and mince 2-3 cloves of garlic, add them to the meat before the egg and breadcrumbs. A 1/4 cup of freshly cut parsley goes wonderfully with the onion and garlic as well. This pre-soaking will make the breadcrumbs soggy, which releases moisture as the meatballs cook to keep them tender and juicy throughout. Once the meatballs are formed, cook them on the stovetop at high heat just until the edges brown. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 400 F. Dump the half-cooked balls into a shallow baking dish and smother them with red sauce, then cover with cheese (mozzarella, Fontina, Parmesan). Bake the whole thing for 15-20 minutes and then serve with bread or on a roll. Tired of the classic spaghetti and meatballs? You can mix things up and make meatballs their own main course with a simple but savory glaze, made to complement your rich meatballs perfectly: Bring 1/4 cup butter and 1 cup of currant, grape, or blackberry jelly to a simmer. Add 1/8 teaspoon allspice and stir in. Add the cooked meatballs into the glaze and turn to coat. Cook for 3-5 minutes in the glaze, until it thickens around the meat. Don't just freeze the raw meat. Instead, cook the meatballs in a skillet until the outsides are brown, then cool and freeze. When ready to eat them, heat them up for 20 minutes or so in 1/2 of sauce to finish cooking them and thaw them up naturally, leading to almost no loss of texture and flavor.
A: Add fresh, chopped onion and minced garlic for added flavor depth. Mix the 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs with 1/2 cup of milk ahead of time for more tender balls. Bake directly in a marinara sauce, covered with cheese, for instant meatball sub material. Add a simple glaze to serve the meatballs as their own entree. Brown the outside of the meatballs and then freeze them if you need to cook ahead.

Article: Write out what is bothering you, brainstorm how many different ways you can approach the problem, assess the pros and cons of each approach, implement an approach, and evaluate the outcome. Writing out your problems then brainstorming solutions, no matter how far-fetched they may seem, is a sound way of taking steps to solve those problems. Resourcefulness is one of the key factors to overcoming any challenge. Being resourceful includes asking for help so don't be afraid to turn to your family, friends, or colleagues for assistance. Whether it be how many sales you close at work or how often you cook dinner at home instead of ordering take-out, tracking and evaluating your activities is the best way to witness progress, see what's working, and fix what's not helpful. Once you can track and accomplish your goals, you can self-evaluate. Be your own critic. Be objective and realistic when you self-evaluate, and remember, "if it is to be, it's up to me." If you find yourself engaging in self-doubt, telling yourself you "can't do it" or "if only", you are buying into an external locus of control and may feel stuck in your present situation. Instead, tell yourself, "I think I can." Repeat positive mantras such as "I can do this" or "I'm getting better at this." Examine your "if only" statements and reword them positively. For example, "if only I had more time" can change to "I can find 10 minutes a day to do yoga." Believing in yourself is half the battle.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Develop your problem solving abilities. Be resourceful. Self-evaluate. Revise your language.

Article: Sterilizing your pruning equipment is particularly important if you have dealt with some diseased plant parts recently. This will prevent any lingering bacteria or germs from unintentionally being spread throughout the garden. Prune sunflowers with sharp bypass hand pruners or hedge shears. Trim any sick, weak, damaged, crossing, or dead branches off of your plant before starting into any sort of heavy pruning operation. Diseased parts should be kept out of the compost bin to prevent the ailment in question from being transmitted to any other plants. These bits of debris will instead need to be burned or bagged up and left for the local waste crews to collect. Once you have cut away all of the unhealthy branches, you can choose to prune your perennial sunflowers for shape. Some people prefer to only prune away damaged parts of the plant so that their sunflowers can take on a more wild look. Water the sunflowers regularly after pruning to help them recover from the stress of being trimmed back. Give them enough water to thoroughly soak the soil every time the top inch of the soil becomes dry.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Sterilize all pruning equipment prior to use. Trim away unhealthy parts of the plant first. Prune your perennials so that they take on the desired shape. Water your plants after you prune them.