Happy Birthday

Yesterday was Bowen and Morgan's ninth birthday. They had a friend over and ran around like banana heads for most of the day. Boys. Excited. Yikes. In the not so far off future, when the testosterone spikes start happening more than ten times an hour, I think I'm going to live in my very small storage shed in the back yard. Eowyn, our dog, says she's coming with me. Chicky will have to fend for herself (she's pretty good at it).

Morgan is laughing so hard he can't think of a wish, or catch his breath to hold it to blow out the candles.



Bowen is so busy worrying about blowing out his candles first (as soon as "Happy Birthday to You" is over) he hasn't even thought of a wish. The boy is damn happy, though.



These are the guys that made me realize that love is boundless. After two miscarriages I made up for it by having twins (it's good I hadn't had a singleton first because I had no clue how demanding a baby would be - not to mention two), they are the crazy lights that make my days brighter, and keep my life moving at a pace I never imagined. They are funny, bright, have memories like elephants, hair-trigger tempers, the silliest laughs, and the most beautiful eyes. I think I'll keep 'em.

Go mama bird!

Damn. I had no idea mama house finches laid so many eggs! We usually have at least two Carolina Wren nests at our house, formerly placed in my bedroom window (the storm window was stuck up) and in my hanging plant basket (no plants, just a nest). Since my house got new windows this past fall, the birds have been in a quandary. I look out the windows and there are little wrens in the bushes looking in at me and chirping (in an angry sort of way). I've tried explaining that I am just the tenant, much as they are, and I had no control over the new double pane windows that save me electricity. They don't care. When the windows were going in, the landlords also "trimmed" the bushes around the house. Hacked within an inch of their lives is more like it, and the birds cannot build any kind of protected nest there, either.

Last night, I had company and I used the front door (don't usually do that) and the next thing I knew there was a mama house finch, flapping and sqwalking her beak off. I saw her fly to my defunct porch light and saw a nest. Today, since I am short, I held my camera up and aimed it in the nest and Holy Toledo there are at least five eggs in there. No wonder she was raising a ruckus! If I had worked that hard, I certainly wouldn't want some overgrown shmuck to fuck up all my efforts. I don't know how many days it takes to grow each egg, but as a mother of twins I'm here to tell you this is some amazing work people! It may actually be a Purple Finch, I haven't been able to get a good look at them yet. There's too much frantic flapping when I see them.

Shhh, here are the little beauties!



I love a tulip. I have several yellow ones, but only two red ones.



Today has been a day spent mostly in the garden, and I look forward to being in it again tomorrow, and Monday. The children will be here to help plant their gardens for the day and to celebrate the boys ninth birthday. I can't believe we've all made it this far!

Hitting the books, and the sticks

I have to say how much other knitters inspire me...it totally rocks! Ideas of things I'd never even consider, but now that I see it, wow! I am so thoroughly enjoying Mason-Dixon Knitting by Kay Gardiner and Ann Shayne. It is so funny and so cool. I can't wait to try a log cabin blanket and one of the circular rugs. If it weren't for the socks on the needles, the tank top from last year I need to finish and about three other projects, I would be all over one of them right now. As always, the lovely Yarn Harlot (a.k.a. Stephanie Pearl-McPhee) continues to inspire with her basic patterns, and her justification for the "knitting lifestyle." Knitting Rules! is making my spare minutes fly by.

The non-knititng book I am currently reading (and almost done with) is Maureen Dowd's Are Men Necessary? It is perfect timing for me. I've spent the past couple of years saddened by the lack of general feminism in this country. Women worked so hard to be able to go out and earn a living, and now many of them want to stay home and be taken care of (without their children present while they are at home!). What's up with that? And plastic surgery? Anyway, Maureen's got some interesting thoughts on the subject and I'm enjoying them.

I'm working on a cool pair of socks right now (Grumperina's Jaywalker pattern) in Opal (the band is gone but it's stripey purple, blue, yellow, and white). The pattern has me hooked and I'm movin' like lightening on them. I am only still on the first sock, but hopefully my interest will hold me through a quick go of sock number two. Hey, who knows, could be a bonus pair of birthday socks for Jean?!

Herps, ho!

I am so digging this weather. I love having the windows open so the whole house smells like line-dried laundry. This morning, after picking up the kids from their dad's house we came home and started working in the garden. Chicky caught this grey tree frog and it hopped on my new sock yarn! (It must be a kindred spirit.)





We went with our friends Mel and Angela to the Carolina Botanical Gardens (first trip of the new year) and nature was freaking everywhere! The weather was great, there were leaf buds on many trees, and the river was cold at first, but very nice. It's always a wonder we see more than a toad when the children are around because they are LOUD! Once we got down to the stream we saw this juvenile northern water snake.



It was very sweet and calmed down quickly once caught.



Then, after Mel and the kids went up the stream and saw a larger water snake, Morgan spotted this along the bank:



Angela, being very quick and nimble caught the little bugger. I think it is a northern cricket frog.



The hard thing about identifying juvenile creatures is that most i.d. books show pictures of adults.

P.S. No herps were hurt for these photographs. All creatures were released in the area where they were briefly held.

Cherry blossoms

Spring is here! I know, the signs of spring sprang a while ago here in North Carolina. The daffodils started blooming last month, and my forsythia blooms are long gone. The redbud trees are still in bloom and yesterday my ornamental cherry tree had one little double bloom open. It is bustin' out all over today.



The Garden Project is underway. A few weeks ago Mel came over and we tilled three circular beds. Since then I've amended the soil and have been turning it every week so the weeds will hopefully be less after the planting. I planted my lettuces and spinach late, by southern standards, but they are in the shade and I'm hoping for the best. Tomorrow the children come back to me and we will put up the tepee and tunnel in the boys garden.

I finished Jean's birthday socks. Jean is my step-mother, but she's more like my real mom. She picked out sock yarn while she and dad were here taking care of me and the children in November. Right now she's on her way to Florida, so her socks will be waiting it out in her P.O. box until her return. By the time she and dad get back to Grand Marais, MN I'm optimistic the snow will be gone and she won't need them for a while. (I have memories of wearing a hat and mittens to watch fireworks on the fourth of July once, so wool socks in the summer are not completely out of the question.)



By the way, the book that the socks are resting on is called Blankets, by Craig Thompson. Part truth and part fiction, it is a graphic novel based on his first love and childhood. Becca gave it to me and I sat down and read it last night. Craig came from very religious stock, and his story resonated with me. He felt like an outsider at school, church camp, and his home life sucked. His personal pilgrimage from devout Christian adolescent to an adult that put it aside was very moving. I thought about it all night and most of today. It's funny, sad, very honest, and if it weren't thirty dollars I'd rush out right now and buy my own copy.

New hair, finally

Ok, here's the new hair. I am not very girlie, I used to make more effort in this area than I do now. If I were to put product in my hair and then blowdry it, I have no idea what would happen, but it is not something that I normally do. I think it's because when I was in junior high and high school I did all that and my dull, limp, hair would just be lank again in half an hour. I have a new coif and it's just wash, pull a hair pick through it and go. So please don't tell me how good it would look, if I would only straighten, perm, product, and roll it. It won't happen. If it did, it would automatically undo all that work within a few minutes anyway. This is my hair:

Vegan? Ha!

I'm thinking maybe I need a new, personal definition for my food choices. I was appalled to read the "good news" in VegNews that Strawberry fucking Quick is vegan! Hot damn, I've been craving that....NOT! Why, if I do not want animal products (tainted with antibiotics and growth hormones, or not) would I find chemical food acceptable? Hey, so are a few hundred other chemical foods. I don't care. I don't recommend, want, or support them. Get away from me Hideous Non-Food Options! Hell, I think maybe a McDonald's french fry is vegan too. If I want a piece of genetically modified, corn syruped piece of potato, I'm in luck!

I now e-mail companies. I highly recommend it. About a week ago I emailed a company and asked what a hydrolyzed soy protein is and they replied it was a vegetable derivative in a few of their products. No shit, Sherlock, I got the whole veggie thing down. That so did not answer my question, people. And it is sad that they don't know what a hydrolyzed soy protein is, either.

I would like to add that I still use titles (e.g., To Whom It May Concern) and this particular company responded at their close with Regards, Product Questions. How lame is that? I couldn't resist, I responded to them by saying Dear Product Questions and closed with Regards, Former Potential Customer. I was going to close with Regards, Vegan Hominid but I thought they wouldn't get my smartass humor.

For all you people about Rocking the Boat of Complacency, please e-mail Kelloggs and tell them vegetarians and vegans don't want genetically modified foods in their MorningStar Farms products. I don't believe them (that it's safe and nutritious).

Google me not

Sometimes, just for the hell of it, I'll Google people I know to see what comes up. Usually nothing much. When I Google myself, my work comes up. Fine. Not exciting, but fine. I tried Googling my married surname and I am all over the place, people! I am the NCAA director of professional development and (even more notable, in my mind) there's a woman with my name in Midland, MI that won a $1000 gift card to Wal-mart and was so psyched she was jumping up and down. I have been known to jump up and down when I'm excited, but I have never jumped about Wal-mart. I don't even shop there. I actively AVOID Wal-mart. I jump up and down if you say there's a new place within a hundred mile radius to check out yarn. I also jump up and down if I know Guinness is on sale somewhere, but not about Mal-wart.There, now you know, I'm not that Rochelle. I am imagining the me that I know to be somewhere in the socio-economic bracket between those other two Rochelle's. May the force be with Rochelle's everywhere, we're all just tryin' to do the best we can.

Pretend Love

Here's a shameless plug for the Avett Brothers new CD "Four Thieves Gone" - I know I've said loudly, proudly, and publicly that I am in love with them. I am. But I am also aware that I have at least a decade on them in age and they are T-R-O-U-B-L-E (they're young, but they may have taken a few pointers from Steve Earle in the womanizing department). If you doubt me listen to their lyrics. Bowen's favorite song on the album is "Pretend Love." Since the darling boy is eight (nine next month-yikes!) the idea of pretending to be in love with someone freaks him out (me too) and is very confusing to him (ditto for me). I know this because we had a discussion about the lyrics.

Back to my point, the Avett Brothers rock, and they're cute and charismatic, but they are Trouble. "Matrimony" is a favorite song of mine on the album. Distration #74 is also good, so is A Lover Like You, It's all good. They are funny, they scream over acoustic guitars and a stand up bass. They have a stomp drum and an electric guitar occasionally, and I adore them and all their shenanigans. Bad Boys that they are, I think they have to be bad to rock so well and have such great lyrics. They were raved about at Merlefest last year, and just had a sold out show at the Cat's Cradle. I'm all about the Avett Brothers.


Oh, I'm also all about a hair cut. I used to say that I wouldn't have long hair after 30. Well, at long past 30 I cut it. I'm diggin' the hell out of it. It's great, easy to wash and comb, and feels less like Frump-girl.

Funk and Fish

There's been a lack of posting due to general malaise and personal funk. I had a fine birthday - spent with good friends sharin' the love at a Thai restaurant. I bought myself three CD's for my birthday. I am in love with the Avett Brothers - they are like crazy bluegrass punk! I've kind of got a crush on them, but they're too young for me and all their songs are about girl troubles. They are funny and good. The second CD is in almost constant rotation, it is Caitlin Cary and Thad Cockrell's album Begonias. I grew up on country duets and this album is like a refreshing blast from the past. Great lyrics, great 70's sound without over-production. I cannot get enough of it. KT Tunstall's album Eye to the Telescope is also very amazing. This woman performs by herself, playing everything when she's live. Gorgeous voice, beautiful lyrics - she's got it all. So, even though I'm in Personal Funkland I'm listening to good music.

We have had a pet trade at our house. A little background is necessary to explain this one. About four years ago I had this wild idea of breeding guinea pigs. I am an early childhood educator and we had several female guinea pigs at work and parents kept asking about having them as pets. I decided to breed some and give them away. Well, as you can probably imagine, it soon got out of hand. I put one male (Tree) in baby pool in the kids' room with three sows and soon had a whole passel of pigs. Oddly enough, the interested parents vanished like smoke on a windy day and I was left to find homes for all of them. Many of them ended up at the child care program. I gave four away (two each) to my sons' first grade classrooms. In Bowen's class there were Scooby Doo and Captain Underpants (I had nothing to do with the names). After a couple of months Captain Underpants died from injuries sustained at the hands of one of the children in the classroom (it was really sad). The surviving pig came home to live with us (Scooby Doo). Scooby has lived in the laundry room and was then in the boys' room on their desk. He has had quite the time being held by the children, riding in Chicky's baby stroller, being put to "sleep" in her doll bed, and left to run around on the sofa.

A few months ago at the child care program, a woman knew of an African Pygmy Hedgehog in need of a rescue and asked if we wanted it. She came to us in a plastic tub; scared, very dirty, and neglected. We tried letting her out to run around when children weren't there- and she would after about an hour or so of sitting all curled up in a ball and making her huffing/hissing sound. But she didn't seem very happy. It just didn't seem fair to have a scared nocturnal animal living in a place that can be quite loud during her prime sleeping hours. So, that's where the trade comes in. Fish (named by a child at the program, we think she was thinking about a pufferfish when she came up with the name) has been enjoying our house. Here is a picture of her on a recent explore under my desk:




Even though I'm funky I've got cute prickly company.

Olympic bust

It is true that sometimes with a deadline I procrastinate and then kick butt close to the end. It is also true that sometimes I adopt a "fuck you" sort of attitude to deadlines. I think the Knitting Olympics inspired the second in me. I was into it, happy, plodding along, tinking out row after row and moving on, but when I realized that I had the 37 repeats of the eight row pattern and it was way shorter than it should be (I don't think I could get close to 20" out of blocking) my inner olympian gave up. I really like the pattern and I am still working on it and I'm going to finish it, but I didn't feel the urge to stay up late or deprive myself of fun. This is a pattern that I had to go easy on the Guinness with, though. Too many Guinness and who cares about double yarn overs?

Here is where the shawl is right now:



Last night I went to see Ira Glass' one man show at UNC Memorial. It was sold out. He was so funny and clearly loves what he does. There is soon to be a This American Life pilot on Showtime. Ira said that there are only about a million viewers of Showtime. This American Life on NPR gets 1.6 million listeners every weekend. Their polling shows that once people tune in, they don't turn the station and stay for the whole thing. I do. Sometimes I tune in a little late, but unless I'm in the car and have to get out, I don't turn it off. I wish there were free podcasts of it. I will go to their website and listen from the archives if I miss one. Ira's piece on the new indecency law was really good. Something else to revolt about. The list gets longer every day.

Knitting update

I gave up hope of completing my Olympic project a while ago, but I really like it and I'm well over half way to home on it. I think I'm not going to work on anything else until it's done (well, for the most part - I am not a monogamous knitter).

For my birthday I received a box of lovelies from my wishlist at Amazon. Five CDs were in that box! Those of you that are familiar with my habits know that music, books, and knitting keep me quite satisfied. The CDs are: Rodney Crowell, Donna the Buffalo, Kathleen Edwards, Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion, and Madeleine Peyrox. Right now Patty Griffin is playing for the kids to go to sleep to and I'm sititng here with my iPod on listening to Sarah Lee and Johnny. I have technology anxiety, but sometimes I like it a little too much. The books in my box are Zorro's Field, The Candle Cafe Cookbook, and Maureen O'Dowd's Are Men Necessary? Good music, good books, and some knitting to finish.

I'll post a picture of the shawl project soon, I'm having some technical difficulties and it's slowed down my photography. I'm determined to work out the kinks, though.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

I have been conscious of my oddities for a while, but I never imagined having an eastern tiger swallowtail happily parking itself on my forehead for half an hour or more.



Morgan found the caterpillar in mid-pupae - it actually finished splitting it's larval skin into a pupae in my hand. Erin decided to take custody of the chrysalis in her pop-up bug tent and there it has remained for a couple of months. I will readily admit I had little or no hope of it hatching under such circumstances. The bug tent has been moved gently, hurled, and accidentally catapulted by a dog during the metamophosis period.

Yesterday the blessed creature decided to hatch. I am impressed, but also saddened. She (it is a girl) cannot be let go out in the wild because it will be 23 degrees farenheit tonight. Our jonquils have started to bloom, and my kind children have picked some, but the butterfly doesn't seem too interested. I found her behind the computer this morning and right now she's parked on a houseplant. Chicky asked if we could "keep" her and I said that I kind of thought we had to since it was going to get cold and she would die. We'll see how it goes.

The Olympic knitting is sucking. I am so far behind it's not even funny. I'm kind of the Michelle Kwan of the Knitting Olympics, my fingers and brain have stressed themselves out and I don't know how I'm going to make it. Bowen's words of advice were, "Maybe you should have picked something easier." Thanks, kid.

Quick, keep knitting!

I am officially 48 rows behind where I "should" be for my Olympics. I finished sixteen rows at basketball practice, but I have to get goin' or I'm not going to meet my personal challenge.

Here is Chicky's finished sweater. I found a bind off edge that is loose enough for a roll-neck - yea! She seems to like it. I made it big since winter is almost over here in the south and it should last at least one more winter. It's made out of Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Superwash. It was nice to work with - we'll see how it holds up over time.



I have to share some pictures of the boys at a birthday party at a place I would never take them (I don't like big, noisy places with lots of people, and I don't like spending money on games - .50 to $2 a pop). They had a very good time. I mourn for the past when birthday parties were at other children's houses or at a park. I've never done a party at a place for actual money and my children think I'm a freak (they're right). I tell them one day they will appreciate my oddities and thank me for them.





As always, my life is made up of mini-revolutions: politically, spiritually, physically, intellectually - life is definitely a process for me. Recently I've had another health revolution. I've been vegan for almost two years and I try and eat healthy. I read Dinner at the New Gene Cafe shortly after it came out and felt really strongly about not eating foods that have been genetically modified. Somehow, it slipped to the back of my consciousness and I let it go. I'm currently reading Harvest for Hope by Jane Goodall, Gary NcAvoy, and Gail Hudson. It's revolutionary for me. I've already told the children that we are going for quality over quantity. Over 70% of the foods in our regular grocery stores are genetically modified. If you don't have a Whole Foods, Earth Fare, a Trader Joe's, or a co-op - you're screwed. Make sure the labels say "organic" or call the manufacturer to find out for sure. There's a great list at http//www.truefoodnow.org that you can print and take along to the grocery store. Only in North America are people served GMOs. The rest of the world requires labeling and grocery stores won't buy it (because consumers don't want to be guinea pigs), and as a result manufacturer's won't make it. This is the drawback to capitalism, my friends, when the focus is money it all goes to hell in a bucket.

All right, my brief post and preaching are over. Back to the knitting! I'll keep reminding myself I work better under pressure.

Sad and happy

When leaving the house this morning I noticed my knitting bag (my first Booga bag) with the socks I have slowly been working on since October was in none of its regular hang outs. I also realized the black-fingered i-cord gloves I just made myself were also missing. I was puzzling over it on the drive to work and realized I must have left them in the movie theatre this weekend.

I thought about this tragedy on and off throughout the day and told myself the bag would surely be at home, maybe under a jacket, a throw blanket, a dog. Somewhere. On the ride home from work I told the kids my fear. "No, mama. I'm sure it's at the house," they reassured. When we got home, I turned the house over looking and it's not anywhere. I called the movie theatre…yes, we have a lost and found; no, there is no bag. I called the Apple Store. "Hello, Apple Store," the Brit said. "Hi, I have a really lame question for you." I said. "Oh, good." replied the Brit, "Yes, we have iPods." I laughed. "No, I have one thanks. I think I left a bag with knitting in it in your store. Do you have a lost a found?" Yes, he said, they did. But no, and again I say no, there is no knitting bag. Sigh. Maybe it's for the best. I've made a couple better Boogas since that one. And, truth be told, that sock pattern was cool looking but so tedious, it's why they weren't done a long time ago. I'm kind of still sad about the gloves, but they were my first try and I fucked up a bit. See, I talked myself right outta sad.

The good news is that Chicky's roll neck EPS sweater is almost done! It needs sleeves and we are talking finished object! I'm worried I won't be done before the Knitting Olympics start and it would drive me crazy to see it sitting there just waiting for a sleeve.

Here is a very excited Pittsburgh Steeler's fan on Sunday night.



He was thrilled at the end of the game (I let him watch the whole thing, sans the trophy presentation). He was sad I limited his number of running victory laps around our friends' living room and wouldn't let him scream outside at their house or ours at 10:15pm, but other than that it was all good.

Who's sick now?

This week has been one of rotating illness. First Morgan (adnovirus with asthma flare), then Bowen, and I. The boys had it worse than I do. Bowen's fever was only bad one day but he's still coughing, and I've had body aches, a cough, and a low grade fever for four days now. I had hoped my dogged perseverance would win out, but I think I'm getting my ass kicked.

2006 seems to be a year of catching up with the technical times for me. The digital camera continues to be something I use almost every day (and still have barely a clue of what I'm doing). Yesterday I made a purchase of a purely selfish, unnecessary technical object - an iPod. It was supposed to be a "Happy Divorce to Me" present, but I haven't got a divorce yet (I am in process, though). Since I jumped the gun a little, and because it's a pure luxury item I am having iPod guilt. I'll admit it's damn lovely to have all fifteen Steve Earle albums in the palm of my hand, but I'm still feeling like I've overindulged a bit. I guess time is the only way to get over it.

Illness has slowed the knitting projects some. Bowen has one i-cord glove, and about half of a sweater that I'm working on. I ordered yarn for the Swedish doubelmossa hat and it arrived today (yea!). I promised myself I wouldn't start on it until I've finished my other projects (including a sweater for Chicky I started yesterday). How many projects are too many?

Accessories

Since my last post I've finished the black gloves. Next time the wrist cuffs will be longer, I made them out of scrap sock yarn and was worried I wouldn't have enough.



made Bowen a long overdue scarf:




and have finally taken a picture of Morgan in his mittens (he is sick today and you can so see it in his eyes, and in the way he is prone on the sofa - Morgan is only prone when ill or asleep):



Bowen has requested gloves, so those are on the needles. He's having yellow fingers, and the body of the glove in Opal's brown Brasil pattern.

The Schoolhouse Press box came! The Icelandic laceweight is gorgeous, and the Highland wool is lovely as well. I'm very excited about the projects in Knitting with Meg Swansen - there's a hat and sweater I'm thinking about.

Knitting and books

On Wednesdays I go to Bowen's class and knit with them. Today we had a meeting and decided to do a blanket made of 18 stitch squares. The children felt a 12" square (approximately 36 stitches) would be too overwhelming. This way, if they are excited about the squares they can do a few, and if it feels too laborious one will probably suffice.

Here are their home-made needles:



I didn't give them any guidance on the size of the balls on the end of the needles. I probably should have, but most of my other advice was met with, "I know, I know!" so I decided against it.

I finished the Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd last night (well, this morning actually) at 12:45 am. At 11:30 pm I had tears streaming down my cheeks and thought, I'll never be able to sleep if I stop now anyway, so I went ahead and finished it. It has sad parts, but not Dorothy Allison, Bastard out of Carolina sad (that book left me wrung out emotionally). I recommend both of them, but if edgy books aren't your cup of tea, stay away from Bastard out of Carolina.

One of my Christmas presents was Teacher Man by Frank McCourt. I had the good fortune to see him when he came to Durham several years ago and enjoyed him very much. I've liked his two previous books, and have only just started Teacher Man, but am laughing already. The lovely thing about him is that he is completely untouched by pretention - he's humble, funny, gracious, and probably because he was older when he ascended into fame - he sees the trappings. Plus he was a teacher, how cool is that?

Right now, it's off to watch season two, disc four of the West Wing while I work on the fingers and thumb my second glove (yep, watched a movie, finished a glove, and a book last night - very productive).

And then I knit some more...

I ordered my yarn for my shawl - yea! And the lovely people at Schoolhouse Press said, "Would you like anything else?" Well, of course! How kind of you to ask! Three balls of you Highland wool so my children may knit garter stitch dolls, and also Handknitting with Meg Swansen. They are so accommodating and I really did want more and more yarn, but I stopped myself.

Here's the shawl (and, in the spirit of full-disclosure, this is not me):




I also started knitting I-cord gloves. I found the pattern on Nona's blog (nonaknits.typepad.com) and they rock! I've got all the digits knit, and the four fingers attached. I am now knitting down toward the palm and am excited about adding on the thumb. She suggests knitting all ten digits and then proceeding, but at my house there would be sad, severed, knitted fingers strewn all over the place. I am using leftover sock yarn. The fingers are black and the "body" will be in self patterning Opal (I don't remember the pattern). Hopefully, there will be enough for two gloves. Here's the beginning bit:



In bookland, I've finally started The Secret Life of Bees. I've had it on my shelf since October, and when my parents were here on care-taking duty my mom read it and loved it. I am really liking it so far. Right now I'm torn between working on the glove and reading...Maybe I'll do a couple rounds on the gloves and then read. Sounds like a plan...

Tomorrow I write the Yarn Harlot and say, "Count me in, Sister."

Knitting Olympics decision and Uni

I've decided on my Knitting Olympics event: a Meg Swenson shawl. It's in the fall 2005 issue of Vogue Knitting. It's lovely, lacey, and long. I am ordering the yarn tomorrow.

Today was Becca's birthday. Becca is a great friend and co-worker. Funny, sweet, amazing with children and so left of center there's no way she can't be a kindred spirit. The current knitty.com had patterns for alien creatures filled with rice and lavender sachets. It just said, "And ye shall make Uni for Becca" and I said, "Ok" because that's what I do when patterns and/or yarn speak to me.



Next week I hope to include pictures of Bowen's class knitting. I started teaching them to knit last quarter (they can all do it now) and we are beginning a new project next week. This week they made their own needles from dowels and Sculpey - they had a blast (so did I).

In addition to a sweater for Bowen (back is finished, am working on the front), I've also started mittens for Morgan, am working on a second sock, have started the Anne Modesitt pattern for Backyard Leaves, and unraveled the Cozy shawl I finished a month ago. See? There's always something to do. No need for boredom...Knit.