And the Winner is...

Black Sheep, You're the winner of the scrumptious skein of Knittery cashmere yarn. I loved everyone's sock story, and I couldn't possibly decide the winner by the "best" story method; so I decided to complete my contest using a highly scientific manner. I asked Russ to tell me a number between one and ten, which was the number of comments I had. He said, "five" and Blacksheep ws the fifth comment! Blacksheep, if you will email me your address I will have that yarn on the way to Switzerland right away:)

I spent yesterday at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. I'm part of a group of four teachers who take a class of honors students to the Getty every year. We get to go the Getty for "orientation" every year too, to get acclimated to any new exhibits since we're the tour guides. It is an incredible museum, situated on a hill overlooking downtown L.A. Of course, the view was a bit obscurred yesterday with all of the smoke, but the weather itself was perfect. We've been planning to go to the Getty Villa, which is now open in Malibu, but for obvious reasons it's been closed for the last week.



These two paintings are both on dispaly at the Getty. They're both paintings of Venus and Adonis by Vouet and Titian, respectively. I really like Vouet's version (top picture), since it reminds me of the mint candies my grandma used to have when I was little. It's the pastel colors I guess. I even used these two paintings as a subject for one of my papers for an art class I had to take for my Humanities degree. Sadly, that was the only class I received a B in, and the prof. ripped apart the two papers of mine that she graded. I never even got back my third and fourth papers....but I'm not bitter. (LOL)

I haven't been doing any impressive knitting, but I've been happily knitting pumpkins. I found a pattern for these pumpkins Curly Purly. They're so easy but still cute, I think. I think I'm calling the yellow one an apple. I'm planning to donate them for a fundraiser at our church next weekend. I figure they'll look cute on a Thanksgiving table.

100th Post

I just happened to notice yesterday that I was on my 99th post. I knew 100 was coming, and I had kind of thought I'd just let it go un-marked since I didn't have any great ideas about how to celebrate it. However, I was looking through my yarn yesterday as well, and I discovered a beautiful skein of of merino cashmere sock yarn from The Knittery. (I don't even remember where I bought it. Jimmy Bean's maybe. It's worsted weight, which someone in colder climate would have many opportunities to make use of: but sadly I don't think that heavy wool socks will ever be something I'll need more than a day or two a year.

So I'm having a small contest. All you have to do is to tell me a "sock" story. I'm most interested in your favorite pattern, but I don't care what your story is about. it will just be fun to read them. I'll keep my content open until my next post--No! I'm not going to wait a month between post like I've been doing! I'm thinking I'll just choose the winner randomly, but I reserve the right to choose the person who tells me the best story:)

Rabbits

I could't get Blogger to post my picture of my rabbits yesterday. So here they are today.

Angst Ended

Before I give my monthly excuse for not blogging, there are a few accomplishment I can boast about. I knit some cute little gloves for my little six-year-old neice for Christmas. I accidentally ordered one skein of Claudia's Handpainted yarn in Jill's Pink from from the Loopy Ewe, so I decided to make something with one skein instead of ordering another skein to knit another pair of socks. I love this yarn. It's so soft. I think it's softer than Lorna's Laces yarn which I also love. The color is perfect as well. I also knit another little rabbit so that both of my neices can have one.

I don't live an incredibly stressful life, but it does seem like sometimes I have too much going on to really enjoy it much, and I will begin to feel this growing angst. I usually take a day off work when that comes on, but I haven't even felt like I had time to do that in the last couple of weeks. Some of the sources of my anxiety seem pretty humorous now, but they weren't when I was going through them.

Here is a not completely atypical day in my life. Up at 5 (even though I was up until at least 10:30 to run 3 miles, get to work by 7:40, which is technically ten minutes late. Within five minutes of arriving, I discover that the school's televised morning announcements which I am partly in charge of are not working on the principals computer even though they work fine on mine since I check them innumerable times in the morning because I worry about them not working.--problem is eventually solved. Teach three classes of English to students whose only desire is to sneak text messages to their friends, accuse each other of being gay, or merciless tease members of the opposite sex. (And I teach the "good" ones!) I then teach two technology classes which are fun BUT hectic. And finally go up to another class during my preparation period to tutor students on webpage design since their teacher who is mainly a football coach doesn't want to understand it himself. By the time 3:00 rolls around, I'm pretty beat, but still have to tie up some lose ends, prepare for a evening college class I've been teaching, for the first time. Parent arrives with his son in tow because the son got a deficiency and parent's goal is to humiliate his lazy but decent kid in front of his teacher. I soon discover that I have a bloody nose at about this time which won't stop bleeding. Parent doesn't seem to notice and makes son get all of his make up work and take a make up test right then and there. I finally get rid of this no altogether unpleasant pair, when my good friend comes in all excitied about starting a new college academy thing at our school He also seems not to care that I still have a bloody nose and talks for another fifteen minutes. I make it home to realize that husband has made "dinner"...that is--one item--Pad Thai out of a box from Trade Joe's. (OK, he did work all day too teaching first graders, but...) Somehow I make it through the day, but that was the day that I decided that I needed to slow down. I'm tired again just reading about it. Anyway, I'm really happy that it's fall, and I've been gardening and cooking....and knitting, of course. The only fullfilling thing I haven't been doing is blogging, and I'm going to start doing that again too!

Gidget, our beagle puppy, is still cute and troubesome. She loves yarn like Rowdy used to, and can't seem to control herself around it. Here is what is left of some Nashua yarn I accidentally left in grabbing distance.



Here's why I don't care that much what she does...within reason!

Excitement Arrives in the Mail

I guess I'm turning into a twice a month blogger. That's not very inspiring, is it? I have been knitting quite a bit though. But before I talk about that, I have to brag that my approved master's thesis arrived in the mail last week. I'll admit that since I turned it in way back in July that I figured that I would have heard from someone on my committee by now if there were significant problems with it, so I wasn't that surprised. I had a few typos (no shock there, huh, loyal readers:) I just have to fix those and I'm pretty much done. I am really proud of myself and can't really believe that I did it, especially when I think about how I still feel like I don't have much free time, even now with it done.

Poor Russ had oral surgery on Friday. Other than feeling sorry for him, however, it was a very nice day for me. I took the day off work, even though his appoirntment wasn't until 1:45 in the afternoon, and we didn't have to leave until 1:00. After he was taken back to have a "screw" placed in his jaw, I headed over to a Creative Pursuits knitting shop in downtown Bakersfield, a few blocks away. I hardly ever go there since there is another knitting shop in Southwest Bakerfield that is more convenient. I had a great time there, and bought some Araucania yarn in a pretty multi-colored orange to knit pumpkins with. I had two hours to kill before going back to pick Russ up, so it was a nice leisurely afternoon. And to top it off, Russ's experience wasn't too bad, except for the fact that it cost us $5,000, most of which our insurance doesn't cover. Well, at least Russ's parents have the satisfaction of knowing that they saved money when he was a kid by taking him to a dental college rather than a real dentist. Our dentist thinks that that was the original cause..a cavity was filled improperly when he was a kid and it's been a continuing expense to us for the last twenty years with bridges, etc. This should take care of it for good now. Oh..and yes I am being petty about Russ's parents. They were not poor, just cheap.

Mmm! I better say something to make me sound a little less judgemental than my last paragrah did. I am excited that I'm starting to get some Christmas presents finished up. I'm almost finished with my neice's pink cotton sweater, and I'm also knitting a bunch of tiny socks to go with the keychain sock blocker from the Loopey Ewe that I'm knitting for my sister. I figure that it will be fun for her kids to play with all the little socks when they are in church or someplace where they have to sit quietly.

My Just Desserts

I've been a little distracted from knitting lately. I had a post a couple of weeks ago with pictures of my kids holding puppies. My sister-in-law asked me if we'd given in on the "puppy thing." I thought, "Of course not, we're happy with our animal situation as it is. No way!" Well, famous last words. Russ went and picked up "Gidget" last Thursday, and we are all officially in love with her, even Rowdy. We were a little nervous about how he would react, but he is very gentle with her and seems quite content to have his daughter chew on his ears and chase his tail.

She is already pretty much house trained and doesn't complain at night when we "crate" her. But she is not without some flaws. Rowdy used to absolutely love yarn. He just couldn't control himeself. If yarn was anywhere around, he'd grab it and run with it. I once found some beautiful angora yarn that I had foolishly left at "dog" level, strewn all around the backyarn. Gidget seems to have the same inclination. Today I saw her heading toward my knitting bag, and yes, I grabbed the camera before I grabbed her. I sacrificed a nice Brittany Birch double point for this cute pic.

I think I'm going to take Wool Winder's advice and knit a couple ittle pumpkins before I go back to socks. Oh! I also plan to knit the pumpkin bag pattern that Merit told me about.

Socks and Groundhog Day

You would think that in two weeks I would have at least one pair of socks to show off, but I have been stuck knitting the same sock over and over again. I feel like I'm in the movie Groundhog Day where Bill Murray wakes up to the same day over and over. I frogged my peppermint mocha sock last week because it was way too big. Then I decided to use a completely different pattern. Two weeks later and I can't even remember all of the patterns I've tried to knit with that yarn. I keep getting only so far and then I frog. I probably need to just give it a rest. I bought Charlene Schurch's Sensational Knitted Socks because I've seen so many pretty socks that people have knit from there. It is a neat book, but I just can't seem to settle on a pattern I like. I'm knitting the ribbed basketweave right now, but I'm still not quite satisfied.

I was excited to receive my "sheep" socks blockers from the Loopy Ewe last week though. I think they're a work of art. They're made of solid oak unlike my heart socks blockers that I bought from another source that only used oak laminate.


It's still plenty warm in my neck of the woods, but I can feel fall coming. My son is playing football and had his first game today. He's in eighth grade and in previous years, I have bribed him (last year it was a 32 dollar book about the making of The Lord of the Ring.) to stick with soccer, which he loves, and skip the football. This year, it was nothing doing. I dislike football for a number of reasons, but the main one is that I don't like a sport where injury is so common place. But Kai absolutely loves it. He's so excited this evening to be watching the Nebraska/USC Game on TV since it's in Lincoln, and they have shown some of the locations on campus that we visited this summer.



I have big plans to knit some felted pumpkins this fall. I never finished this one that I started last fall. The pattern is from Knitty, but I also plan to knit some of Tracy's She created some darling mini pumkins.

Am I Old?

I started teaching high school when I was twenty-three, after graduating college two years before. I wasn't one of those "change the world" kind of new teachers, but I did think that since I was so young I would be able to really connect with the kids. One of my first memories was of talking to my students about how the band "Metalichi" (yes, I thought Metalicca was Metalichi) sang some songs that were based on classic literature. The kids laughed so hard when they figured out what band I was talking about. I tell my students about that story now and they still think it's funny. The point of bringing up this story is that I learned quite early that to kids you're always a lot older than you think you are.

I had one of those experience today. I had a relaxing day hiding from the infernal heat, knitting on my River Rapid Socks from Sockbug. I was using my Claudia Handpainted Peppermint Mocha yarn and was very proud of finishing a sock in one day. So I showed newly-finished sock and my green Aran Sandal sock that I finished last week to my daughter and her friend. "Mom, you're really getting into the old lady colors, aren't you?" she says. What!? She was particularly cruel about the green yarn, asking if it was acrylic and did I plan to crochet an afghan with the rest of the yarn. The nerve! I went to her usually more kind brother, and he backed her up. I told them that I thought both socks looked very "hip." They informed me that people who like orange, green, and purple together also think they're young and hip. Maybe I AM getting old...acrylic yarn IS so much cheaper than wool. (LOL)

These are my two yarn defamers. They both look so sweet and sensitive, but don't be fooled. Underneath, they are both heartless "sock make-fun-of-ers." Someday they will have cold feet, and their mother will just laugh and tell them to go to K-mart.

My New Friend Aran

I'm happy with my knitting project again. I decided to try Lori Gayle's Aran Sandal Socks from Socks, Socks, Socks.I have tried that pattern several times in the past and gave up every time. I didn't understand a couple of the stitches, and I was using some yarn that kept breaking. I still loved that pattern, and I now finally get it! I'm using the Cherry Hill Sock yarn that I bought this summer in Nebraska. I even have the pattern memorized, except for the center cross pattern.

We went to the beach on Saturday, and I knit for the hour and a half it took to get there. I didn't really knit that much while we were there, but I did knit a little while I was waiting for my clam chowder at Brad's in Pismo Beach. We don't usually spend much time at Pismo. It's closer to us but also more crowded, although those of us who love the Central Coast have a different idea about what crowded is than Southern California beach lovers. We went to our favorite "apple stand," Gopher Glen and bought um...thirty pounds of apples.


Another reason that I am enjoying knitting these socks so much is that I am listening to Anne of Green Gables as I knit them. I haven't joined the Anne of Green Gables Along yet but plan to, so I thought I'd get started reading "Anne" for the millionth time. Then I realized that I couldn't knit while doing that, so I found a podcast. The reader is Annie Coleman, and she does a really nice job. I've spend several relaxing evening just knitting and listening. I won't be doing that tonight unfortunately. I have to prepare for the class I'm teaching on Wednesday nights. Yeah, the one that has over thirty students in it that I've never taught before.

I took my socks outside to take a picture of them and noticed something unhappy. There is still ashe from the fires all over the place even though Russ hosed everything off a couple days ago and the skies don't look smokey. I guess I'm breathing that in when I run in the morning.

One Knit Forward, Two Frogs Back

Dear Hedera,
I think it is time for us to part company. You looked like you were a reasonable pattern that I could easily memorize. I like your simple lace, and I do now have it committed to memory; however along the way, I have had to restart you innumerable times. Maybe it was my fault for choosng to use yarn like Panda cotton the first time I tried you since it splits kind of badly. The main reason for my disgust with you is that when I knit your heel, you said to knit a two-row pattern twenty-three times. Twenty-three times! That just doesn't seem possible! I thought that Panda Cotton was fingering weight, but my heel was plenty long by the time I'd knitted twelve rows.I was so excited to come home from work and to sit down on the couch, have a little cup of coffee and work on you, but I think we're through. Maybe I'll come back to you with some different yarn, but for now au revoir!

Frustratingly,
Caroline

Nothing is Cuter than a Beagle Puppy

I must be strong. Repeat after me, "You don't need another dog; You don't need another dog." Rowdy's puppies are starting to growl and tussle with each other. They're just about as cute as is allowed. We are going to "puppy sit" them all this weekend because their owners are going to the beach for a couple of days. We introduced Rowdy to his puppies a couple of days ago, and he was unimpressed, even a little fearful maybe, went to the door and moped until we went home
.

Too Much Yarn?

I had a little yarn binge this week. My excuse is that school meetings started on Monday. It hasn't been too bad. We have a new principal who actually behaves like a half-way decent human being, which has been nice. In the past our insecure, unpleasant principal kept us running through so many meetings that we couldn't do any real preparation. This year I might actually go home on Friday afternoon, and not worry about school again until Monday morning. I've also agree to teach a college class again this semester. It's only one night a week, and is a transfer level class as well, which should be more interesting than the low level ones I've taught in the past. Yay! I'm in the big leagues!

But...I digress. I guess I was worried that I somehow wouldnt have time to browse for yarn after the whirlwind of school began, so I went to the Loopy Ewe and ordered myself some Mocha Peppermint yarn from Claudia Handpainted yarns.Janice knit some socks with it a while back, and I've been thinking I needed to copy her they're so pretty. Unfortunately, I just noticed that they're out of it again. Janice must have inspired more people than just me.

I've been planning to knit the pirate hat from Moth Heaven for quite a while too. My nephew is four years old, and I thought a pirate hat would be a perfect Christmas present for a little boy, so I ordered the yarn for that from Jimmy Bean Wool You would think that I would be satisfied with these additions to my stash, but I thought I'd just order myself a little more sock yarn. People rave about Lorna's Laces, so I ordered two different skeins of that, neglecting to notice that you need two skeins to knit a pair of socks, not one. I'm pitiful. I'm such a consumer for someome who is so critical of "consumerism.". I just love the idea of "yarn." I have no idea when I will ever knit all of this yarn into anything. You want to know something even worse? I don't even feel guilty! Maybe a little embarrassed to have my son tell me, "Mom, you need to get a handle on your yarn compulsion" but definitely not guilty. Besides, I'm not wasting money on yarn; I'm providing kitty with a comfortable place to rest.

Having Fun with Comments

Oh! Oh! I'm feeling some pressure. I had ten comments on my last entry. That's the most I've ever had for one post. How exciting! It's funny, I've been reading a couple of the "popular" blogs, and they've been writing about these rude comments they've been getting. I find it almost comical. My experience has been so positive. What level of "curmudgeon-ness" have you reached when you want to attach someone on their knitting blog? What is causing all of this "tension" on these blogs? (pun intended) I think I don't really care. I don't want to have a bazillions comments. I was very happy with having ten comments from my great blogging friends who I have an ongoing connection with. The people who have the "high-powered" blogs can't possibly be interacting with all of the 50 or more people commenting on their entries, which is totally fine. It's just different from what I see as the perfect blogging expereince. I've just never been much of a joiner. I don't want to be part of a fan club, leaving a comment on someone's blog who will almost certainly not respond to me. I guess this was a boring way of saying that I really like the people who I check on regularly and who check on me. They inspire me, entertain me, and make me feel good about my piddly little knitting projects. And just make me feel good in general. I forgot to brag earlier that Tracy at Pink Purls nominated me for the schmooze award. I am very honored:)





I finished my Gull Wing socks and self-striping socks a couple of days ago. I also started some socks with my Panda cotton yarn. I'm pretty sure that I saw somewhere that someone had used hedera from the spring issue of Knitty, even though the pattern calls for merino wool, so that's what I'm trying. I also remember reading that Panda cotton splits kind of bady. It does. So far, it's no really bugging me. I've just never had to deal with that so much before. Something that I do like about it is that it's stretchy. I'm trying to work on Christmas presents, but I think I'm going to keep these for myself!



I am sad to post a few pictures of my current scenery. (Actually, these pictures are more dramatic than what we can see. Our air is just filthy, no flames are visible.) A fire started way back in July near Santa Barbara, which is eighty miles from us. It has been burning ever since (yes, more than a month!), and is making our skies look like a thunder storm is approaching. The only thing is that it'snot clouds, it's smoke. It's very strange and unsettling. I work with several people who are watching the fire very closely because it is several miles from their homes near the mountains. My town is not in any danger but we may have to offer our high school gym to the residents of New Cuyama, small town about twenty miles from here, as they may have to be evacuated.