Bored and knitless

This is a video of Smudge the Rabbit. He lives with my husband and myself, and is just a really nice guy.

I'm trying to let my hands rest so I stole a survey from Pepper's myspace to keep me busy. I hate myspace now b/c of extenuating circumstances, but I check it every so often for the same reason.

anyway...on with the boredom - I eliminated the more boring questions :)

1. How old will you be in 3 years?

30...eh

2. Do you think you'll be married by then?

already married

3. What do you look forward to most in the next 2 months?

going back to school and work

4. Who was the last person you talked to?

Mr. Grimm Witch

5. What do you think about the person that took this survey before you?

I love Pepper, she's the rockin-est sister of all time

7. Who was the last person you hugged?

Smudge

8. What were you doing at midnight last night?

Writing

9. Parents separated/divorced/married?

Married

10. Last time you saw your dad?

Yesterday

11. What happened at 11:00 a.m. today?

Driving from Michael's to car dealership to teacher's store - some combination of those

12. What states have you visited?

ny, penn, conn, mass, fla, maryland, NJ!!!!!!:)

13. What are you listening to?

Crickets outside

14. Do you prefer shoes, socks, or bare feet?

bare feet

15. Are you a social person?

Eh, depends on the people

16. What was the last thing you drank?

chocolate milk:)

17. Favorite ice cream?

chocolate

18. What is your favorite dessert?

brownie:)

19. Whats your favorite song right now?

Avenged Sevenfold's cover of Pantera's WALK

25. Do you sleep on a certain side of the bed?

right

26. Any plans for this week?

finish fixing classroom, finish cable sweater and pink sweater which is now mostly purple

27. Do you eat out or at home more often?

home

28. Have you ever been in an ambulance?

yes

29. Do you prefer an ocean or a pool?

both:)

30. Do you know how to drive a stick shift?

no

31. What is your favorite thing to spend money on?

yarn

32. Do you wear any jewelry 24/7?

wedding ring & engagement ring

33. Do you speak any other language?

spanish poorly

34. Can you roll your tongue?

yes:)

35. Who is the funniest person you know?

Pepper

36. What is the default ring tone on your phone?

The Birthday Massacre's Happy Birthday

37. Do you still have clothes from when you were little?

yes

38. What is the color of your bedroom wall?

whiet :(

39. Do you shut off the water when you brush your teeth?

hopefully

40. Are you crushing on someone right now?

I like Mr. Grimm Witch

41. Do you have any tattoos, or piercings?

ears, but nothing else :( I have wanted a tattoo since the age of 7 (that's the earliest i remember saying anything to anyone about it), but won't get one for a while b/c of a promise I made to a particular person, you know who you are

42. Are you still in love with someone?

Strangely, yes :) I'm kidding

Yarn shopping...finally

I finally got to go yarn shopping, so I'm working on the pink sweater, which will now have lots of purple and blue in it as well, and the cable sweater at the same time. I'm just very eager to finish something! It's been almost a month since I completed my last project. My ankle is getting better, but I have to go to physical therapy. Eh!

Exhausted

I've been busy trying crappily to let my ankle heal and to get ready for school. My classroom is starting to look good. It's no where near done yet. I have this whole thing planned with this hand made poster of Yoda using the force to levitate polyhedrons. I also want to do something with Gir and fractions.











On the fiber front things haven't been as rockin. As I mentioned previously, I've run out of the brown Lions brand that I need for the cable sweater, and can't find any more. I'll try a few more places before I place an order with the company. In addition I've been doing lace for the first time on EZ's baby surprise, but suck at it so far. Mom, on the other hand, has had some difficulty, but is doing an awesome job in this stunning King Tut.




She also recently completed another baby surprise in cotton. The picture doesn't do it justice. Mom is endlessly talented.



Lastly, I started raglan in Patagonia...it feels very nice.

If you gotta label people...

I was reading one of my favorite blogs Knit and Tonic and read this post about some knitters labeling others a "Muggles" (from Harry Potter, you know)and then she goes into this whole thing about how she doesn't really like it because she was once in that position and would have been named that, as was anyone else who's ever learned to knit. I guess that's what I would be. Anyway, read it, 'cause it's a good post. She also talks about feeling uncomfortable when she walked into her LYS (local yarn store) and people were sitting at the table knitting and kinda looked sideways at her. If you've ever been in that position (and who hasn't - 'cause there's always that one person in there who gives you a disgusted look) it feels good to see that even someone who comes up with amazing designs has had to deal with that. The Yarn Harlot uses the term, but kinda makes it sound like an almost endearing teasing sort of thing.

Since I've been only knitting for a year and a month, but crochetting for 16 years I usually see that many knitters look down on crochet. I don't understand the logic of that either. 2 is better than 1? Kinda knowing both now (because I do think I'm a better knitter than crocheter) I can say for sure that they're similar in many ways, and each is vital this or that task. I doubt anyone who does that "I'm better than you are" gaze would ever read this, but if you do...cut it out. You just look obnoxious.

Got together with people from work...Septembers coming.

Summer Fades

I spent Friday and Monday in Pepper's classroom. The building is only a few years old, but it was kinda dirty. Monday was the 3rd day we'd been in there. Before Pepper and I were teaching, when it was only Mom's classroom that had to be set up, we used to knock it off in one long day.
Mom did her classroom on Monday as well, while Pepper and I were in the art room...

Let me summarize the situation so it's more clear. Mom and Pepper teach in the same building, I teach in another; we're all in the same town.

So mine still has to be done. I spend most of my day walking through the room, on the floor with the kids, or standing at an overhead (the best way to lecture...in color!) so I need to set up the classroom in a way conducive to that. I have a wall full of bulletin board and another full of blackboard. I wish I could switch them...and think I have an idea. I ordered this...

A roll of chalkboard made by the company that makes clear contact paper. Cross your fingers.

On the knitting front, I've gotten further with that cable thing...

This is the first time I suppose I'm doing intarsia. I'm working the sleeves flat and working the cable in the middle in dark brown all the way. I've run out of yarn, so I'm off to get some more.

I'm going to start a February sweater from EZ's Knitters Almanac with some of the yarn Mom brought back from Connecticut. I'm also trying to plan out a kimono sleeve tunic with this Blue Heron yarn

Mom's back!!!!

I don't often get really close with others, I'm a rather guarded person in certain aspects, but when the one's I am close with are away I'm dying for them to come back. Mom came back from Connecticut. She gave me the idea to go there a few weeks back.

She brought with her some more Ellyn Cooper yarn. I think the yarn is called Twisted. They're really beautiful.

Pepper has gotten to just around the underarm of her adult surprise jacket. She's kinda taken off on the EZ pattern and done her own thing. She's also working on a really cool fuzzy-ish eyeglass case that I did not get a pic of.

I've been working away on the cable sweater I started after I put the Schaefer aside. I'm using all different Lions Brand superwash wools. I want to put in some pockets and have a cable running up the front and around the neck...we'll see. It's the first time I'm trying anything like this.

Pepper's pup Maggie is feeling much better after having had surgery last week. She is the sweetest thing...a good dog. Here she is in her new collar from Connecticut.

Mom's in Connecticut...

and I really miss her : ( I cast the Schaefer aside...I love working with it, but I tore it out for the 90th time, and I don't want to ruin it. I started the same pattern I'm working on, but double stranding Wool Ease. We'll see. I still have to get my school tests, study guides, and papers ready for 9/6. Pepper's 1st year...my sixth year, but tenure year in my district...hopefully my mom's last year teaching...may be interesting.

EPILOGUE...

I had spent this migrane-y day at home with Smudge burning every Knitty Gritty I have on TiVo onto a DVD. Then the lights went out.

The super of this sell-your-first-born-to-afford-the-rent garden apartment complex I live in is never home...he's always "at work." I've known supers...being a super IS THEIR JOB!.
Hubbie is unreachable, and when he finally calls me he has no time to help me...I get the moonlighting super on the phone and he's rushing me off the line like he doesn't have the time to speak to me. He sends his "brother" over - who knows - and asks me if I have keys to the basement where the fuses are. Darlin' if I had keys to the frickin basement I wouldn't have called anyone to being with!

This was just the latest in a series of irritating events that have been bothering me regarding the apartment that's way too expensive for it's condition. I wish I could transplant the apartment to some other place, because I love my actual apartment, but ...bleh!! Whatever, man...talking, rather, typing about it I feel a bit better now...oh, but all those Knitty Grittys!!:( I need me a chocolate milk.

Post to Mom

Mom (and anyone else who happens to read this...),
This woman posted her EZ February Sweater on Zimmermania...here's a link to her
blog. It's really awesome. The three of us should make some...and maybe try to use more than one color. I love the color of the trim.

I'm working cables on the sleeves only of this Schaefer sweater, and writing out the pattern as I go...perhaps for once I've learned my lesson...only time will tell

Off to the BBQ to here any update about work anyone has to offer.

I can sense it coming in the fresh pencil shavings and crisp crinkle of binder paper, the sweet artificial aroma of new plastic lunch boxes. It's in the din of havoc as an entire family dig through mounds of dirty clothes, comics, cds, and video game cartriges to find school uniforms that have not seen the light of day since June 26th. The once smart oxford, ripe for the washing machine, is raised from the rubble still stinking of early summer classroom dust, still stained with pink and purple chewing gum. The leaves outside are beginning to tan to Oompa Loompa orange...it's coming!

May the force be with you...

Baby Surprise Jacket

I finally finished...well, sort of. I still need to finish seaming the shoulders. Now the three of us need to go button shopping.

Click for larger view


Mom's Jacket Atacama Alpaca yarn by Araucania




Pepper's JacketAll Seasons Cotton (I believe) yarn by Rowan




My Jacket Amore yarn by TLC




Pepper's working on an adult sized Surprise Jacket, my Mom is still working on the crochet jacket and has started a new surprise baby sweater. I'm working on a cabled cardigan with the Schaefer.
Maggie, Pepper's dog (see section at right for cute pics) went in to the vet today for some stuff, and that was kinda stressful for everyone, but Maggie is a trooper. In addition we live in the part of Jersey where the water got screwed up, so ick. A small blip of a problem when I think about the bridge collapse. I can't even begin to imagine ... I don't know ... just, un-frickin-believable.

A sweater's end...

I am on the last few rows of the Baby Surprise Sweater. I'm not quite ready to do another one for a while. It was a nice experience, but I'm movin' on. Mom has started her second and Pepper is doing an adult sized version. Last night I tore out the sweater I'd started with the Shaefer yarn and started it again to knit along with Pepper...but now she's doing the adult sized Surprise Jacket, so I'll continue on alone.
Last night I finished Wideacre by Philippa Gregory. I really love the way Gregory writes...and wrote more about the book under "What I'm Reading."

I just started Nectar from a Stone by Jane Guill. It looks promising.

As far as my own writing is concerned...eh. About two weeks ago my father advised I go back into an unclompleted piece and try to work on that. I've done this before, but this time I didn't go back to the piece I was happiest with, or even the longest piece...I went back to the oldest and was able to work on it for 5 or 6 hours. I just can't seem to write when the Husband is around. Spending time with him is more appealing to me right now than continuing work on all this stuff that I'm just not that happy with. Hopefully I'll soon write something that will feel worthy enough of my attention.

School Daze

Today Mom, Pepper, and myself went to Teaneck to The Skein Attraction on Cedar Lane. Mom was all excited to get some circular Turbos. Working on these Surprise Baby Sweaters, we've all been using circulars and she hates the constant coiling up even after they've been steamed. I really like circulars any old way.
We went in, stumbled around a bit, admired the lovely Schaefer I have no money to buy, and Mom bought some size 7 circulars. We hobbled back to the car (my ankle is still swollen) and drove away only to realize some blocks later that they were 24in circulars when Mom had wanted something longer. Pepper offered to drive back but Mom was not having it. We decided to go to Pat's Yarn Boutique in Fort Lee - we've driven by a thousand times but only been there once. We found the place closed.
Mom was bummed, and I had to pee. We then resolved to go on an adventure to find a yarn store we'd heard about in Hoboken - not our usual stomping grounds.

On the way we passed through the town where we all teach, and the fact that summer in draining away really hit me. I'm not ready to go back yet. I was looking around to see if I could see any of "my kids" on the street. Any of "my kids" is an ever increasing group that consists of any child that has been in the 5th grade while I was teaching at my school. I do miss them. They're people who I spend most of most every day with - how could I not miss them when we're not in school.

I guess most teachers will understand missing the kids, your co-workers, but not being ready to give up the stay-at-home-ness. Soon enough I'll be getting up at 5 am and getting home at 4:30 only to have 1 to 3 hours of planning, paperwork, or grading to do once I get home.

The mad dash to make dinner, release Smudge, take a shower, kinda put some laundry away a little bit maybe (forget about dusting!) and hope that I can fit in some knitting/crochetting/writing/reading before I go to bed at around 9 so I can start over the next day. Only two hours a day with the husband. How would I do this with a baby? People do it, so I guess it gets done, but thinking about it just then was a little overwhelminig, like anticipating the plunge in the Pirates of the Carribean ride at Disney when you were like, five. You know it's coming. You don't wanna do it, but that's the only way to go. I would never give up teaching, and I would never give up my plans to be a mom...somethings gonna have to give.

Anyway, we finally got to Hoboken - the ride was easy. The place was Patricia's Yarns. Cute place, very small, and Mom found her Turbos, 8s and 40 in. to boot!

I have to finish up the EZ Surprise Baby Sweater, and Pepper's going to start a reglan for herself (I'm very excited!!)...That is all:)

As usual...

I was the ultimate klutz and sprained my ankle. I've been hanging around at home, unable to get help on the Surprise Baby Sweater, so I put it aside until I can get to Pepper and Mom and see the ones they are making (now almost complete).

In the mean time I started a sweater based on the Boobholder by Stephanie Japel of Fitted Knits fame.

I'm not making puffy sleeves and plan to make mine longer and looser...we'll see. The yarn is Schaefer - my favorite!

Here's a bonus pic of Smudge being cute near the Noro Silk Garden sweater I finished a while back.