time to buy a scale

Not for food of course, but for yarn. I ended the leg of the tofutsie sock because I thought I had reached the magic halfway point in the skein. I would have liked it to be longer. Then I went to a friend's house, and used her food scale (she does weight watchers) only to find that I had 67 grams of yarn left. I wasn't even close to half way. So its off to buy a food scale today, so I don't have sock regrets. Its amazing how helpful actual measurements can be, clearly I am not a good guesser.

So I am enjoying the week vacation from school, but not as much as I would enjoy it if it were a paid vacation. My goals for the week are already shot, but I remain optimistic about getting some time to dye yarn, maybe tomorrow. I have colors dancing in my head and I was inspired by Scout J on Knitty Gritty to try using less haphazard methods to dye.

The City of Sisterly Knitting

I went to see my parents over Easter weekend, and I got to see my sister knitting for the first time ever. She has been taking lessons and is now working on a scarf. I had to pick up a few stitches here and there, the sock at the left is mine. The good news about learning to knit at a great shop is that you are using nice wool, no matter what the out come is. She also got to experience knitterly insta bonding with the women in her class. Sadly she is not yet making sparks with her knitting as she does not yet have the compulsion to be knitting when ever and where ever possible.

This is my current sock in progress and it fits perfectly. I have not yet managed to get anyone else as excited about this as I am. Its the Queen Kahuna cast on, increases, gussets and heel. My plan is to do the picot edge, in other words - my favorite sock! The yarn is tofutsies, and I am using zero addi's (getting about 10 stitches to the inch). Shocking that I can't get my husband and kids excited by this, it looks so exciting in print.

I'm still here

I am also still knitting. I am doing a pair of sock from tofutti yarn. I like it so far. I am using my adaptation on MAB Queen Kahuna pattern. I have no pictures because I need to recharge the camera, and things are not where they need to be.
My good news is that I am really enjoying being back at work. I am relieved to find that the brain atrophy has been minimal. I feel really energized by being back in the clinical world. I think part of it is the sense of collaboration in the team but part of it comes from the validation of my peers (not to mention the validation of the first paycheck). Not to say that there were not great moments at home with the kids, but using the training I have and seeing the potential for impacting other people is great. I feel like this post is really pollyannaish, but I can't help it. I am grooving on the work world!

my belated questionairre for Knitter's Treat Exchange

1. What's your favourite type of yarn?
Seriously, its a bad sock yarn obsession, although I hoard kidsilk haze
2. What's your least favourite type of yarn?
Fun fur .
3. What's the first thing you do when you visit a new yarn shop?
Sock yarn, and did I mention sock yarn
4. What other crafts do you do / would like to do?
I dye yarn and other things. I also paint.
5. What magazines do you currently subscribe to?
Interweave and all sorts of fashion and gossip.
6. Put this type of magazine in order of preference: Knitting / Crochet / Other Craft / Food / Home / Fashion / Celebrity Gossip / Garden
Wow, that's pretty much how I would order it!
7. What items do you like to knit / crochet?
Did I mention socks?
8. Are you allergic to anything?
environmental stuff, ramie, animals
9. What do you like the smell of?
Lavander
10. What's your favourite way to relax?
Food and wine.
11. You're stood in front of a Victorian style sweetshop, an Italian cafe, an old fashioned bakery and a dainty tea room. Where do you go first?
Bakery!
12. What do you come out with?
A cupcake
13. Where do you go next?
Bookstore
14. Any other words of wisdom for your pal?
No coconut, no cilantro!

knitting update

Well, anyone remember the ambitious goal I had for this year? Something about knitting three pairs of socks a month from stash yarn? And not buying new yarn?

I am proud to announce that there has been no yarn buying in this house. I have received gift yarn and BMF STR sock club yarn, we all know that does not count. I am however doing a fair amount of imaginary shopping, cruising Etsy and Astrid's Dutch obsessions. Not doing so well with the sock goal. March's' total is 1 pair, but in all fairness I knit the same pair of socks two times due to gauge problems.

I am beginning to suspect (quite strongly) that working full time my f* with my knitting goals. The first three days I brought knitting to do at lunch, but I haven't seen anyone actually sit to eat lunch. I don't want to buck the trend. I am really feeling food about the job, the clinical stuff came right back. I had a moment of panic before the first day, I was terrified that I might have forgotten how to be a therapist. Now I only fear the paperwork. I know that the logistics will fall into place. The kids at the school are great, during group we were talking about hobbies and mentioned knitting. Imagine how surprised I was that the eight boys in group got really excited and started talking about people in their lives who knit. I hope I can get back to knitting goals, and that I don't blow my first paycheck on yarn!

wasted days

You know that your time and talents are misspent when the focus of a day (not to mention the last day home before the new job) is being a midwife to a child's difficult poop. You will be gratefull that there are no photos accompanying this entry. My three year old spend his day straining, red-faced and tearful. Weeping that his "tussy" hurt. Frantic phone calls to the doctor were involved. This distress was witnessed by many of our morning friends at the coffee store. They were all sympathetic.

When I finally left the house to pick the girls up, he finally took care of business much to the dismay of DH (who remains laid up in bed with herniated disc despite the valiant efforts of a massage therapist this weekend). I then had several phone call from DH with questions that clearly only I could answer (like were are the wipes). By the time I came home the crisis was resolved and the patient was playing in the bath. People wonder why re-entering the world of work is appealing to me!

tales of vomit and underwear

My week started out with a bang. The vomit comet stopped at our house and resulted in many extra loads of laundry for me, and increased the need for a good rug cleaning. The real casualty was my new issue of Interweave Knits that my son vomited on, I don't think it was a commentary on the new layout.

But in other not table talk news, my Little guy is sporting underwear and peeing on (in or near) the potty. In respect to his long-standing obsession with all things green, I dyed a bunch or underwear for him.They all helped!

new gauge

Well, clearly it was right to frog the socks. So far I have reknit about 4 inches of the foot and used up almost all the yarn it took to make the whole first sock. They would have been good for about one use. Disposable socks do not seem to be a good use of my knitting time.

My sister, the remedial knitter

My gorgeous sister, Jane, has been threatening to take up yarn and needles since she moved near Loop in Philadelphia. She is above frolicking in the sea with my middle child and her partner James (who is much slimmer that this photo would lead you to believe). His family recently gave her the gift of knitting, well actually a gift certificate for lessons at Loop. I can tell that she will master this, as she reports that a coworker taught her to cast on using a shoe lace and a pencil. I see yarn in her future (better not be mine though). Even though I usually feel like a pusher when I get someone started, this time its not on me!

how I spent my time at SnB

So after consulting with my knitting peers online and in person I realized that I had no choice but to frog the sock and start again. I didn't realize that I would use so much time undoing. I didn't get to cast on again until I got home, then I decided I might as well do it toe up so I could be really super sure of gauge. It is much better (now around 10.5 spi). I was left with a massive amount of yarn vomit, which I am wearing as a a hair ornament. Thanks for taking the pics Jenna! The beautiful yarn store you see behind me is Creative Fibers in East Windsor CT. The owner Laura is a major knitter and all around nice lady. She was wearing a gorgeous hand knit cashmere sweater last night. Wish I had apic of that. She is generous enough to hold on open knit nite the first Wed. of the month.

Update on Julie Amero

Yesterday's Hartford Courant ran a letter signed by about 20 noted computer scientists from noted Connecticut universities (including Yale, Wesleyan and many others) urging lawmakers and the appellate court to review Julie Amero's case. They state that this guilty verdict will have a chilling effect on the use of computers in the classroom as Julie was held responsible for content on a computer without active firewalls or filters in a class where she was a substitute teacher. Hopefully this will get some notice before her sentencing, which is scheduled to take place on March 26th.

my day

Woke up and found that the temp had dropped to really f***ing cold, realized I am angry at the lying groundhog. Then I got every cranky non-morning person in the house up and dressed for the weather. Fed all the cranks breakfast (the cranks include my DH who is still incapacitated by back pain). Got the whole sorry lot in the car, picked up the neighbor kid and dropped off at three different schools and one physical therapy center. Got drive in coffee from dunkin' donuts (who were out of the donut that would have neutralized my PMS). Then I picked up DH at physical therapy, drove him home. Then I went and got fingerprinted at the police station for my new job. Went to the post office. Then it was 10:30 AM. Really, 10:30 AM. How do you top that?

No knitting yet today, but I am trying to decide what to do about the shaeffer Anne socks I am working on. I have one done and 1/2 the cuff one the second sock but I am really starting to thing that this yarn may not "bloom" as much as I have been told it would. If that is the case, I may need to frog them and start over. I don't know, I may need to pimp my fellow SnB'er for opinions. I may just need a class of wine and a nap.

Yarn Lust

I have been a very good girl. Every thing I have knit since January 1st has been either gifted yarn or from stash. I had not officially declared myself on a diet but I was doing pretty well. Then on sock yarn sales yahoo group I saw a post by One Planet Yarn. Well, I drooled one my monitor (and a little on the keyboard). Now I am imagining all the ways I can spend the first paycheck when I go back to work.

On a serious note, please check out Eleni's and Scout's blogs about Julie Amero, who was convictived of several counts of risk of injury to a minor for porn pop-ups that invaded a computer in the classroom where she was a sub. The short end of the story is that she was not permitted to present her computer expert testimony which found the hard drive corrupted by spyware and the district acknowledged that there was no filter on the computer yet Julie could be sentenced to up to 40 years in jail. It is a travesty and has the potential to ruin her life.

What fresh hell is this....

My husband returned from his hospitaliztion in chi town with his back pain intact. Also intact is his inablity to tolerate pain. He has been to the chiropractor 3 times without relief. Any attempt to ameliorate his pain with deep breathining or guided imagery has failed. I fear that he will become sick from the medication because he is on so many meds for his heart. I am tired and cranky and I have been up and down the steps 10,000 times. I want my mommy.

The good news is that I got the job in the therapeutic school, now I need to find childcare. Knitting is still happening but nothing finished to post. I taught my BF how to knot during her visit, she is 1/2 way through a sophie bag. I like to start the newbies on a felting project because the washing machine erases all sorts of sins. The picture is the contents of the package I got from Germany from the Martinas Bastel & Hobbykiste swap. Very sweet note, two pairs of handmade socks that fit beautifully, candy, and shampoo for the kids that smells like the freshest rasberries ever!

I am woman...

I went outside at 6:30 am to shovel the 3 foot deep drift of ice that accumulated yesterday. I finished at 9 am. My muscles are trembling from the exertion. I feel like a hewoman or some thing when I look at what I accomplished. I even had to dig the garbage can out because it is a pickup day. I lost my mojo when it came time to shovel out a path to the mail box. Hopefully I will get it up to do that later today.

snow day

We are stuck in the house today by snow and ice. Hope we don't end up like the Donner Party. I am seriously considering leaving the kids in front of the tv and taking a nap. DH called at 2 am, 4 am and 6am to tell me that his back hurt and he didn't think the medicine was helping. It was doing something because he sounded as articulate as Paula or Anna Nicole. He is in Chicago for three weeks for work, and he got there Monday and has been to the ER twice. I hope it gets better, its hard to know how I am supposed to help from Connecticut.

I had a job interview for a full time temporary position in a therapeutic day school. The facility was great, the staff seemed at the top of the game and it would be a great experience. They are checking my references and then I need to find me a wife (or some one I can pay to schelp my kids around).

As for knitting, I have completed a pair of mittens that don't fit me (my bad), two dishcloths based on the EZ square baby blanket, a baby hat and I have a pair of socks OTN. They are Anne by Schaefer in the most gorgeous color way (browns, tans and dark blueish grays). They get the record for the most stops and starts for any one sock. I started to do the wader sock from Magknits, but the colors made it impossible to see the pattern so I frogged. Then decided to try a jaywalker but did not love it. I hope I will love what I am doing now because I don't think the yarn can survive another frogging. I am using a pattern from Sensational Socks. I will post some pics later. I was son incompetent last night that I couldn't make the pattern work and ripped it out several times only to realize that I had omitted two stiches. It was user error. I almost never screw up charts, I don't know what went wrong.

the lap of luxury

Today is my birthday and I was treated to breakfast is bed served by Dh and the kids. It would have been better if I had not been awake for an hour, and if I was not fully dressed. Oh and if George hadn't had a poopy diaper. But it was lovely. The cards were great fun, and George's commeny on the card that featured a woman drinking wine out of a gallon sized wine glass was "Its you mommy". Nothing beats the wit and wisdom of a three year old.

DH picked out a beautiful necklace which even matched the clothes I was wearing. He immediately said you can return it like you do everything, as I was putting on. Its a keeper. Other goodies for my bday are a gift subscription to Interweave Knits from my sister (go KK) and three knitting books from amazon (More Sesational Socks, IK Favorite Socks and the IK Lace Book). All are not yet out but will be soon - thank you Jane!

today is your birthday

So here it is 2-8 , my birthday! 44. WTF???? I don't know if this counts as middle aged because its hard to know how long you'll live. BUt is feels old and obsolete. However, I did score some knitting related bday prezzies- including my renewal for IK Knits, the new IK sock book, the IK lace book and more sensational socks. WHOO! So is 44 the new 34?

socks & mitts

This is the ribbing for themittens done in Lorna's Laces and Kidsilk Haze. The color is dead on for a change, and the finished mitten is so light and soft.

The close up better shows the color and pattern of my anastacia socks. The fulls shot is pretty dark. The socks look a little baggy because my foot model (aka my 10 year old DD) is two sizes smaller than the recipient.

January sock count

I met my goal to complete three pairs of socks a month, or at least I did it last month. I have started February knitting with the mittens that I received from my swap partner for Knit Mitten Kit Swap. They are gorgeous, and they are turning out to be a fast knit. One down, one to go. I think I will knit and i-cord connection for them so I don't lose them. I finished the socks to send to Germany and mailed the package yesterday. I will post the photo soon. For the purpose of my personal sock challenge I have decided that mittens count as sock. My S & B Group agreed to my loose interpretation of facts. I will have to knit fast because February is a short month.

My dear friend is coming to visit with her son during the kids February break. I can't wait to see her. She is having a tough time, so my plan is to ply her with sweets and wine. Maybe a trip to New York. But my real plan is to teach her to knit! Her son is deep into the Harry Potter books and I think she needs to make him a Weasley! Why does it make me feel like a back alley pusher when I teach someone to knit?