Awesome Living

Janice of East Dixfield, Maine is no ordinary grandmother. She has a love for classic 8-bit video games, and crochets wonderfully soft and comfy looking acrylic yarn blankets using granny squares in place of pixels. Her Etsy shop currently has blankets inspired by Donkey Kong, Galaxian, TRON, and Mario.

Looking for the latest and greatest in Everyday Carry gear? Check out this collection of 10 great pocketable items that can make your daily tasks go more smoothly and keep you more organized. We’re also big fans of the Kershaw Shuffle II.

Machined from bead-blasted 6Al-4V titanium, TEC Accessories‘ keychain ruler is perfect for taking measurements of small objects, or checking tread depth on your tires. The 3.46″ long Inchworm has markers every 1/8″, while the 88mm long Centipede has indentations every 2mm.

German suitcase maker Floyd’s line of colorful hardshell cases glides on polyurethane wheels inspired by the skateboards of the 1970s and 1980s. Like an actual skateboard, the wheels are easily replaceable. The cases come in cabin and checked bag sizes, and are made from sturdy polycarbonate Makrolon.

Woodworker lignum shows off another cool carpentry project. This time, he created the frame for a chair by bending layers of laminated wood slats using a custom-built form. After cutting, sanding, and assembling the pieces, he wrapped the finished frame with hemp rope to create a pliable seat and back.

Maratec’s pocket-sized flashlight looks awesome thanks to its body, made completely from real copper. Its got a bright LED beam that lasts up to 50,000 hours, and offers three brightness settings: 1.5, 40, and 138 lumens. Runs on a single AAA battery.

It won’t let you scale buildings, but you can use TEC Accessories’ Retreev to retrieve, hang or transport small objects. It’s made of aluminum and has a built-in magnet, as well as a set of aluminum and steel spikes.

Tool maker Woodpeckers offers one of the coolest programs for craftspeople that we’ve seen. Over the years, they’ve created more than 100 useful and unique woodworking tools, in very limited quantities, and for a limited time only. Check out their full catalog and check back for new tools often.

Getting an egg to crack perfectly without breaking the yolk or getting eggshell takes some practice. But engineers look for ways to eliminate human error from such problems, and that’s exactly what The Q did with his mechanical egg cracking gadget.

This absolutely teensy writing instrument is perfectly at home on a keychain or zipper. Measuring just 50mm long, it’s about the length of two paper clips. It’s nearly indestructable, and its tungsten carbide tip can even open packages in a pinch. Available in aluminum or titanium.

Premium accessory maker Grovemade’s desktop stand provides a luxurious and handsome resting place for your cans when they’re not in use. The headphone stand is made from either walnut or maple wood, sandwiched between metal, and wrapped in molded leather. Available for a limited time at this introductory price.

Instead of directly applying flames to meat, Northfire’s outdoor grilles use propane to fuel an infrared burner, producing a 1500ºF heat source that can perfectly sear a 1″ thick steak in just 1 min per side. The Inferno 2G is big enough for cooking larger portions or even a pizza.

Etsy seller My Home Art Decor makes these sweet laser-cut wood accent lights, featuring images from classic games like Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Mario, Sonic, and Tetris. Each one has an RGB LED light source and a remote control so you can change its color. The wood panels can be ordered in natural or painted hues.

Got a bunch of old scraps of wood lying around from other projects? Why not turn that excess lumber into a new table? TG Woodworking shows us how to transform miscellaneous cuts of wood into a beautiful butcher block work table with a few standard shop tools.

This walnut and steel desk from Artifox combines clean lines with utility, providing users with a slotted docking space with cable openings, a cable management grid with anchor points, and pegs for hanging headphones or bags under the desk. It’s also compatible with accessories like a floating stand, and a monitor riser.

This unique clock from ChronoCo tells time in two ways at once. The pointer travels around the dial like a normal hour hand, floating over precise markers, while its back end indicator window displays time in 10 minute increments. Measures 500mm (appx. 19.7″) in diameter, and features a weathered look.

Let’s face it, air travel can suck. Make it a little less sucky by having easy access to your personal items, and a clean tray table. This washable fabric cover slides over tray tables, adding pocket organizers for your gear, while covering the grubby and germy tray surface.

This heavy duty set includes a 28″ x 14″ roll with 22 pockets for wrenches, screwdrivers, pliers and such, along with another 10 dedicated pockets for varying sizes of sockets. The smaller 12″ x 8.5″ six-pocket pouch holds drill bits, allen wrenches and other small items.

This accessory wraps securely around the strap of any backpack, duffel, or even on camera strap, providing easy access to small items such as passports, wallets, and keys, while also adding air-filled cushioning to the backside for comfort. It’s waterproof, and comes in five colors.

Nitecore’s keychain flashlight is smaller than a car key fob, but in turbo mode it can kick out up to 720 lumens, projecting a beam up to 100 yards. It’s rechargeable via USB, and IP67-rated waterproof to 1m, and includes a detachable clip for belt carrying or hands-free use.

Charliewhiskeytango’s precision-machined titanium pen weighs just 17 grams and is just 3.5mm thick, just barely thicker than its refill. It’s got a flip-out clip that lets you use it as a bookmark, and also is fun for fidgeters.

A super compact eating utensil you can keep with you all the time, it’s made from sturdy 2Cr13 steel, and works as a spoon, fork, bottle opener, package opener, and 1/4″ wrench too. Available in black or natural stainless finishes.

Mojow offers flat-pack seating with inflatable backs, arms, and cushions. They come in a variety of colors and in opaque or transparent materials and single seat and sofa styles. Depending on the size, they can support between about 265 lb to 529 lb.