Problem: Article: Yarns come in a variety of "weights," meaning some yarns are thin and delicate while others are chunky and thick. The thinner the yarn, the more stitches you have to knit to create a length of fabric. The lightest weight "fingering" would call for a lot of yarn and time to create a simple hat. This pattern calls for a nice medium-weight yarn: "worsted" yarn. Look on the yarn's packaging for the weight. "Worsted" yarn is signified by the number 4. Remember to choose an appropriate fiber. You probably wouldn't want to wear a hat made out of something itchy and uncomfortable! Cotton, acrylic, and wools, or blends of these fibers are all good choices. Make sure to choose a color you'll enjoy and won't mind wearing. Cheaper yarns can be rough and uncomfortable, so make sure to give the yarn a touch-test before buying it. To accurately test how it will feel on your head, test it by touching the yarn to the inside of your arm, or to your neck. Simply feeling it with your hands may not suffice. You'll need about 200 yards for this pattern. This should be about one skein of yarn, depending on the brand you choose. Each yarn weight calls for a different sized knitting needle. The yarn's packaging will tell you what size needle you should use. For worsted yarn, like we're using in this pattern, the Craft Yarn Council recommends using needles sized from 7-9. For this pattern, we'll split the middle and use size 8 needles. When you think of needles, you might think of two separate sticks. But, "knitting in the round" (making a tube fabric like a beanie or sock) calls for circular needles. Circular needles are attached by a length of plastic, so your stitches are always in the same place instead of being split up between two different needles. Circular needles come in different lengths, too. For a hat, choose a 16" size 8 needle. If the plastic connector is too much longer than 16", it will get in the way of your knitting. When you're knitting on two separate needles, you can see clearly when you've reached the end of the row. You run out of stitches and have to flip your knitting over. On circular needles, though, you never "run out of stitches." To keep track of where each row begins and ends, buy a stitch marker. A stitch marker is usually a small, circular piece of plastic. You'll slip it onto your needle when you've finished casting on your stitches. When you're knitting each row, you'll know you've come back to where you began when you reach the stitch marker. You'll likely have scissors just laying around your house, buy you might need to buy a tapestry needle from a craft store. A tapestry needle is just like a sewing needle, but the eye is wide enough to allow yarn through. You'll use them to sew in the ends of the yarn when you finish the hat.
Summary: Choose a yarn. Use circular needles sized for your yarn. Buy stitch markers for knitting in the round. Have scissors and a tapestry needle to finish the hat.

Problem: Article: Depending on the type of course you're taking, being able to take good notes may be vital to your success. Take a look at your current notes and see where you might be able to improve. Make sure your notes are legible. If you can't read your own notes, you're not going to be able to use them. If you take your notes by hand, type them out after class both to help you remember what you learned and to help make them more legible. Make sure your notes are organized. Have a separate notebook or binder for each subject. Includes titles and dates where a new class starts so you can keep them in order. Use headings and subheadings throughout so you can skim your notes to find what you're looking for quickly. Use coloured pens or pencils or highlighters to make certain points stand out. When trying to memorize complex concepts and ideas, don't try to memorize the concepts and ideas as they are, use metaphors and analogies to remember them. A metaphor is a word or phrase that has one meaning but it is used to describe something else in order to show how the two things are similar. In other words, a metaphor is an object, activity or idea that is used as a symbol. An analogy is the comparison of two things based on the fact that they are alike in some way. An example of a metaphor is "the test was a breeze." An example of an analogy is "life is like a box of chocolates." Visualizing something isn't always enough. Instead add some additional items associated with your other senses like sounds, textures, feelings and smells. When trying to remember something important, don't just visualize it, add these visceral items as well. An example might be a pie chart you need to remember that shows some important information. Visualize the pie chart like various pieces of pie. Maybe the larger pieces of pie are your favourite types of pie (e.g. strawberry), while the smaller pieces are your least favourite types of pie (e.g. pecan). Simplifying an idea or concept to its lowest and most basic elements can help you remember them. When trying to remember a particular difficult concept or idea, pretend you need to explain that concept or idea to a 5 year old. This method starts off similar to a visualization, but instead of just making the one idea visual, connect that first idea to other ideas and concepts using a mind map. The multiple ideas in the mind map can be pictures or diagrams of the concepts. Strict memorization can make it difficult to remember a lot of information all at once. Instead of simply memorizing everything, turn it into a story. Create a story that goes along with the concept or idea you're trying to remember. Instead of a story you can also try acronyms. If you need to remember a list of things, use the first letters in each of the items to create a word that's easier to remember than the actual list. One of the best ways to learn a complex idea or concept is to break it down into smaller, more manageable pieces. Don't try to tackle an entire complex concept or idea as a whole, break the material into smaller pieces you can review and learn separately.
Summary: Work to improve your note-taking skills. Use a metaphor or an analogy. Combine visualization with something visceral. Pretend you have to explain something to a kid. Draw a diagram or mind map. Create a story. Break your work down into smaller pieces.

Problem: Article: Chicken sandwiches go well with any variety of sandwich bread that you choose. Crusty artisan breads and softer sandwich loaves are both great for making sandwiches. All of the following make for great chicken sandwiches: White bread Whole wheat Honey wheat Oat Buttermilk bread Rye Most deli counters will have a variety of chicken, such as baked, roasted, or spicy varieties. This would also give you the option of choosing your thickness, from shaved thin to thick, hearty slices. You could also buy from the refrigerated section of your local grocery store, buy canned cooked chicken chunks, or bake your own chicken. If you want to learn to roast or fry your own chicken for a sandwich, check out the next sections. Spread mayonnaise, mustard, or your preferred product on one side of one or both slices of the sandwich bread. Layer as much chicken as you like over that. Add layers of anything else you think you'd like over the chicken. Options should include lettuce, tomato, cole slaw, onions, bell pepper, pepperoncini rings, avocado, sprouts, and various types of cheese. If it smells good together, it should taste good together.
Summary:
Select good sandwich bread. Buy sliced chicken from the deli. Choose condiments. Choose additional toppings. Use the kinds of toppings you like and enjoy!