Summer Cleaning

Everyone in the GrimmWitch clan is getting ready for L. Mom has been cleaning out the attic and found some pretty interesting stuff. She has a lot of pics on her blog along with a new belly pic of me.

First pic...some Ewoks ca 1983.
These poor guys were in good condition but smell so bad from a poor storage environment in the attic. I'm going to try to clean them up.

Poor Rainbow Brite! She just looked terrible and smelled not so fresh:( We chucked her:..(
I used to have a big one too, Mom just found her in great condition.

These wall hangings are I believe faux retro, but a bit too not me, and I assume, not L.

I loved these guys when I was young. I know the albums are around somewhere.

Knitwise, I frogged the Kanoko pants as I said last post. I started again in Bobcat by Wool in the Woods. This is a CTH colorway, wild cherry. This is the same yarn Id been using for my mother in law's shawl, also mentioned in my last post.

Here is the pretty much finished Baby Surprise in chunky Zauberball. I need help with button selection.

Taking a Break from my Knitting with...more Knitting

I have been working on the Baby Surprise for Mrs. B's grandbaby. I got the invite for the party but sadly it's on my birthday so I won't be staying for the whole thing.

It's a second kid for the parents, so Mrs. B was asking us in school in June if we thought it was appropriate to have a smaller party. I think that whenever anyone has any sort of excuse to have a party one should do so; maybe a smaller party is called for or asking for donations instead of gifts is an option. I also feel that whenever a child of the opposite gender enters a family (the 1st child a boy, the 2nd a girl, or the 1st two boys, the 3rd a girl,m visa versa and etc) you're pretty much starting from scratch in many areas so a typical baby shower is fine. Mrs. B is just a very considerate person. She never wants to offend people.

So here is a pic of the newest portions of the sweater, now with lavender stripes introduced.

I took a break from sox and the Clapotis to make a hat. Mom (Lupie) had picked out a pattern she wanted to make and I wanted to work along with her, but I was eyeing another pattern from tentenknits.

I worked on it one afternoon at Mom's house and two nights in a row when I was trying to get to sleep and finished quickly. I tried my best with the floats but know that tension will get better with practice.

Tomorrow I'm going knitting with the ChalkDust Knitters for the first time in months. I'm very excited b/c I know Karen will have the latest news from school (she is an administrative assistant in another grammar school in my district). I don't know if I mentioned it yet, but apparently my school has been closed down due to asbestos. Gee whizz, I wonder if all the cave-ins, cracks, and ceiling nipples with dripping asbestos water could have put any of my kids in danger!?!?

Warning...Crazy Teacher Rant...

I really want to know what's going on b/c I had big plans to completely re-do my classroom so that it would be more organized, easier to run, and therefore a less stressful place to be. But who knows what will happen now, and who knows whether or not all the dangerous crap will really be cleared away. I bet any amount of money it won't.

People wanna know why my little dudes can't score as high as other districts (even though we score high compared to other urban districts like our own). It's because my funny, smart, beautiful, clever, awesome, caring, inspirational, terrific students (they are really too wonderful for words) are going to school in a century old building that was permitted to slowly desintigrate. They look at drab beige and brown walls and floors every day, my posters and decorations stretching to cover up the veins of water damage and dusty cracks that have been unrepared for years.

Then people try to blame the custodians. I imagine keeping my school clean must be something like trying to dust and restore an Egyptian pyramid after someone plays paintball inside.

Teacher Rant Over

I went out recently with two women I went to high school with. It's weird to call them women:) I still feel 18 sometimes. I think if someone had asked me which one of us I thought would be married and in a stable teaching possition ten years later I would have been my last guess. I tell my students all the time that sometimes life takes you to the complete opposite of where you thought you'd be. And in my case it ended up to be the best thing as I sit here typing next to the man I never thought I'd want to meet, in the home I never imagined I'd own.

And in music news I stumbled across the two year old album of the band She Want Revenge and really liked it. So one may want to check it out...it sits just perfect between Joy Division and The Cars in my iPod, but I wouldn't say it's exactly like either.

And the Countdown Begins...the Great GrimmWitch Relocate

Thank the Gods my college course is over. I was never able to find enough time for it. For whatever reason perhaps b/c of my rockin' SmartBoard, work I do at home for my job has increased and I find myself working at least two or three hours on work work after I get home at around 4:30. The move is slowly creeping forward and We need to start packing.

In between that I still have a huge amount of pressure at work. It doesn't feel like home away from home anymore. Every day I'm waiting for something else to go wrong.
I'm also trying to take the next few steps in my quest to be a mom. I suppose I should have listed that first in my non knitting pursuits, but sometimes my priorities get all jumbled.

So, cute things 1st. Smudge has made a wonderful recovery from the head tilt he had over the summer. We thought we'd loose him, and we hoped at the most that he'd live on unhindered by a permanent tilt, but he is my little hero and looks exactly just as healthy as he did before he was ill.
I didn't want to remember it so I didn't take pictures of his illness, but by the point the below was taken I was elated that he was alive and kickin' and thought this was going to be it for him so I snapped this shot.Well, since then he's improved greatly and is up to no good again. He discovered the moving boxes.
As previously promised I have some pics from Mr. G and my little trip to Phili for Eastern State Penitentiary's Terror Behind the Walls, a remarkable haunted house set up in the historical prison. Mr. G has yet to send me the few pics he took w/ his phone at the pen, but the next day we went to the Camden Aquarium (nice, but worth $45 some odd dollars per person?).

Many exhibits featured pumpkins for seasonal look.

Me looking at jaws from the extinct Megalodon.

View of hippo from the underwater area of their tank - this made it worth the money - they are extraordinary!

And the weekend's booty pictured next to my well loved copy of Watchmen. Can't wait for the flick. Mr. G bought me this Teddy Scares at the prison and he comes with a ball and chain...
And at back tat!
Now for knitting...
I finished Griffin's tomten a while back and added monkey buttons, but don't have a pic yet. Finished the ripple blanket as well...pics to come. Its being washed as I type.

I knitting a baby surprise for a co-worker's brand new granddaughter, Sophia, out of CottonTots from Bernet. I love that stuff.

The buttons are butterflies.


In celebration of this festive Yule season I made my sister, a long time Impressionist fan, a pair of socks out of Rio de la Plata merino in the colorway Starry Night purchased from Yarnmarket.




I made a scarf for a student of mine that gifted me with some yarn. She crochets and I knew she would appreciate this and wanted to thank her for her gift.

In addition to finishing my tomten for Griffin's cousin, another adorable Sophia, I'm working on Jaywalkers for mom, and a top down cardigan out of Zebra Caribe.

And another Baby Surprise for another pregnant co-worker.

I just love this pattern. I love that I don't have to seam too much b/c I feel that's my weakness. I think it's a warm, practical jacket that can be made to look so different every time by simply changing the colors and the way in which they are used.

Just as the vacation rolls downhill to a too quick end the ChalkDust Knitters met up for a great meet at Pat's house. It was just so nice, her place is beautiful, and I enjoy our time together more than I ever thought I could. Pat gave me a great book on beading (very comprehensive...Thanks Pat!!) Those of us who were not able to make it were enormously missed.

Pic Pilfered from Knitting with my Mother's Hands (aka - my mom's site)

And now for something completely different!

Happy New Year!!!

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.

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.

Green Woman Sweater...

I told my Mom I'd post it so she could see. Not how I wanted it to be. If it were a bit larger or I were a smidgen smaller it would look better. Berroco Ultra Alpaca in Pea Soup.

For Better or Worse

Today is my 2nd wedding anniversary. Sometimes I still can't believe I'm married. I'm a bit shocked I did just because it wasn't in my sights at all. I think if I could travel back in time and show my 21 year old self, or my 17 year old self the life I have now I'd give myself heart failure from the shock of it.
We didn't go to sleep until after 4 b/c we received a late night call from my mother in law. Sadly not unusual. So we're both really tired this morning, but he still managed to make the morning a delight. Aside from being adorable (which he often is) he got me a gift.

I think this makes 57 of them...too many dolls.

Aside from that I've been working on the Zimmermann Surprise Baby Sweater. It's a lot of counting, but really a wonderful pattern just in the knitting of it alone, like solving a good sudoku:)

Pepper and her hubbie are back from Otakon. They brought back some great pics, and a Gir shirt for me!!