KnitRedSox

Happy Alaska Day

2012-01-03T09:00:00.000-08:00

Alaska was admitted as the 49th state on this date. No, I didn't know that off the top of my head, but I was looking for a non-Happy New Year title for the blog post and this is what you get. Not, of course, that I don't wish everyone a happy new year, because I do, but it's the 3rd of the month and that just seemed a little too late.

We're back in school today after a break that didn't really feel like one. R's father died on the 15th of December. It was not unexpected and it was a blessing to have him go peacefully, but that sort of life change definitely causes rearranging of the personal universe for everyone even remotely connected to the person. The next day we learned that an 8th grader at my school had died very suddenly and mysteriously. Elder daughter knew her, but not well -- however. More universe shifting and several sleepless nights for me. We had a nice jaunt to southwest Florida with my family but the rest of the break felt oddly disconnected. We did a family movie marathon and watched ALL of the Harry Potter movies, in order -- that's an accomplishment, right?

I've decided, on the crafting front, to try to power through the bum elbow thing and just knit as much as I want. If I can't straighten my arm afterward, so be it. I finished another Ishbel shawl, this time in BMFA Woobu, which just feels WONDERFUL. I'm going to have a hard time giving this one away. It isn't blocked yet, but I still think "yum" every time I see it or pet it ....

I also made a pair of mittens for my nephew (I hope they fit him):

and several monsters (I'll have to add these photos later, as they're still on my phone).

On the needles now, as part of a swap challenge,Vermillion, in Madelinetosh sock in the Lichen colorway, along with several other unfinished items ... my crafting goal for the next month is to deal with those UFOs.

As for New Year's resolutions -- how's "treasure every second"?

An unexpected moment of silence

2011-11-23T11:49:00.000-08:00

I have been running around like crazy since school started in September. While I love everything I've been doing, I just had sixty seconds of sitting still and being quiet... and I am so filled with relief that I might start crying any second. Even lying on the chiropractor's table it is my wont to make lists. I don't know how I just achieved that complete brain silence (maybe it's actually dementia or something and I should not be so excited about it?) but it felt great.

Today I've made pumpkin bread pudding ( a purely indulgent act, since I'm the only one who likes it), sourdough bread, and nanaimo bars. I've been to Michaels, with Younger Daughter (which means that I spent twice as much as I intended going in). I've been to the supermarket to get some things I forgot yesterday when I was at Whole Foods. I took the girls out to breakfast, since my school celebrates the beginning of every break by reminding the residential faculty that this isn't really home (in other words, testing the fire alarms early in the morning). And now I have had a moment of quiet.

Time to give thanks!

Long Division

2011-11-07T16:36:00.000-08:00

I've been sitting with younger daughter for the past half hour while she works doggedly at her math homework. As a math teacher, I'm both pleased and horrified at the work she has to do.

The Good:

Someone has taught her to use big 0.5 inch graph paper to line up the problem
She has amazing notes from class on why you need to know division, and its relationship to multiplication
She has five steps to follow

The Bad:

She has twenty problems to do, along with all of her other homework
She's just finding quotients, and the remainders can apparently go hang
she doesn't really understand what she's doing

This is a child who is doing her level best to produce what her teachers want. She doesn't really understand what the process is about, or what is happening with the numbers, or what she's actually accomplishing, other than completing her homework and checking that task off the list.

How is this learning? Or, where is the benefit to my child? It isn't intellectual growth as I understand it, but I don't teach middle school. What am I missing?

That being said, I'm really pleased with her school today. Over the weekend she and her best/only friend had a playdate-gone-awry with lots of quarreling and misunderstanding. Younger daughter wrote a long e-mail to the adjustment counselor, who made time to write her back, meet with her today, call me, and to offer to sit down with both girls later in the week to help them find ways to disagree productively.

Two Years Later

2011-11-05T13:46:00.000-07:00

And all of a sudden I'm thinking about blogging again. For a while, all my online downtime was going to Ravelry, then to Facebook (how many Words with Friends games can one person play at once?), with detours to HBOgo and Hulu (Game of Thrones, True Blood, Modern Family) .... and now that I am faced with a horrific Nov 21st deadline (of my own making, I freely admit) all of a sudden I found myself returning to the blog, and imagining new pictures here, and ... true, all of my former connections have no doubt moved on, but the question of whether anyone's listening doesn't seem to be enough to stop me from tentatively putting my toe back in these waters.

BMFA bliss and Clasica Coat

2009-10-30T19:07:00.000-07:00

STR medium weight, in the Scottish Highlands colorway

Woobu, in the Stormy Weather colorway

Seduction, in the Thraven colorway

And my Clasica Coat [Ravelry link], in process ... Cascade Eco Wool in Espresso (I think) purchased at Stitch House Dorchester. The back is finished -- this is the left front, with a few more inches to go on the hood extension.

Life is crazy busy. But Thanksgiving's in sight!

In a Hurry But

2009-09-13T12:17:00.000-07:00

while I'm not doing anything as complex as conducting a search for the perfect mitten pattern, I am eager to hear feedback from those who've used Blue Moon STR in its various different weights ... because my fabulous parents gave me a BMFA gift certificate for my birthday (it's in October, don't even ask) which I can't wait to use and the more user info I have the better. I don't know what I want to make, and it's going to be hard to get me off of the Raven clan colorways since I've been lusting after these for a long time (as Jocelyn knows full well) ... but, yes. Especially curious about the medium or heavyweight ...

Okay, now I'd really better go prepare for classes & meetings tomorrow .... and figure out what I'm going to wear to chapel (I'm on duty Sunday nights this fall and that means going to chapel. Dressed Up -- but not in stilettos like the girls in the dorm. No. )

ETA: my eco yarn cam for the clasica coat and I love it --more on that next time

Last Baking Adventures of Summer

2009-09-07T11:19:00.000-07:00

By the time I got the message from my LYS that my yarn was in, it was too late to pick it up, and they were closed both yesterday and today. So instead of beginning the Clasica Coat (and I can't figure out when I'm going to be able to go pick up the yarn, another brain-bender to occupy me this week), I revisited the Paris-Roubaix pattern from Knitspot and made D#1 a pair of fingerless mitts (her hat is still in process) using Dani's merino sport in the Alice colorway. The color of the mitts is a little off in the photo; it is a joyful combo of all shades of pink, yellow, dark gray, light gray, and a little white. Between her hands is one of the baseball cupcakes I made for yesterday's un-birthday party. I made cream cheese frosting and used red licorice for the seams of the baseballs.
Today I made another loaf of bread, still tinkering with the Bread Machine Bread recipe from King Arthur Flour. Too much liquid, and the loaf falls in the middle about 30 minutes before it is done baking --not enough and you get Tombstone. I have yet to find the proper middle ground. I also needed to use up the rest of the frosting from yesterday's adventures (we had chocolate cake in addition to the baseball cupcakes) but I wanted to use less butter, so I went looking for a cake recipe with vegetable oil. I found this one, which has an interesting backstory and a promising combination of ingredients. It has just come out of the oven, and I think I'm going to skip the freezer step. I have my own frosting already, so I won't try hers this time. It rose nicely and made three (!!) layers, so I guess we're doing one last fat & happy feed ....

In another brain-bender, D#2 announced that the activity I had been prepared to skip on her behalf this fall (because figuring out all the transportation logistics for her and her sister on Wednesday afternoons is already complex and that would put us over the edge into nightmare) is her absolute favorite. Well, maybe her father can help with this one.

Tomorrow, 8 a.m., meetings begin.

Self-rising flour, who knew?

2009-09-01T18:48:00.001-07:00

With all those peaches we brought home, I couldn't just rest on my laurels after canning two measly (but beautiful) jars. I've been experimenting with peach cobbler recipes, and have now used Paula Deen's peach cobbler recipe twice.

This is one of those recipes that *has* to be possessed by evil spirits --people either love it or hate it, it comes out perfectly or it is a complete disaster, you have to modify it/don't dare modify it -- you know what I mean. The one thing I know for sure is that the baking powder is HUGE in this recipe. It cannot be done with all-purpose flour. How do I know? I ended up with delicious peaches atop library paste the first time around.

So I read the comments for Ms. Deen's recipe in some bemusement, and learned that all-purpose flour is no substitute for self-rising flour. Being from New England, I am not sure I'd ever HEARD of self-rising flour but believe you me, I am now an expert, having even googled directions for making my own. I added up all of my fractions of teaspoons and made my self-rising flour before I attempted round 2. I did also cut the amount of butter almost in half, and reduce the sugar by 2/3 of a cup. It came out much better, and even looked more or less like the photo on the website, so I took it to tonight's cookout. But even after all that effort, I don't think I love it. I might just like peach crisp (like this) and peach streusel (like this) better.

So now I know. And how nice that a cold wet June and sunny August has resulted in a fabulous peach crop here in MA!

August crafts

2009-08-30T08:15:00.000-07:00

My first ever canned peaches, from an excursion to Smolak Farms in North Andover with the girls:

In process, European Hearth Style bread, following a King Arthur flour recipe and using the Artisan flour I just got from them:

It's a time-consuming recipe, and makes only one loaf, as opposed to the two it claims, but the bread is EXCELLENT and it's well worth the time. I'd have a picture of the finished loaf except, well -- it's gone.

Below, R's socks, using Tuscan Grove Bellagio yarn in the "Mint Ganache" colorway, with Louet Gems at heels and toes (I was worried I wouldn't have enough of the Mint Ganache --- as it turns out I think I would have JUST made it, but it wasn't worth stressing). I used a variation of the Green Mountain Spinnery pattern I.B.H.'s Toasty Socks, and Harmony size 3 dpns.

I think the last shot shows the colors better than the pictures of the finished socks. Now what?

Time to organize the study, read the book I am supposed to be reviewing, and maybe, just maybe, sneak in a small project before my yarn arrives for the project I am counting on to keep me sane through multiple faculty meetings this fall. I am going to try Deborah Newton's Clasica Coat (on the cover of the recent Interweave Knits), and I've found a KAL on Ravelry to help me stay focused --we'll see! I think it's going to be an interesting enough knit that I'll actually stay with it, though I'm a little concerned about the sheer size of the thing. I'm going to use Cascade Eco wool, which was on sale at Stitch House this month (I can't even think about what it would cost to knit this thing in the yarn featured in IK); Annissa has ordered me a great color and I can't wait.

I forgot to show the Swim Meet Socks

2009-08-19T13:19:00.000-07:00

In Noro Sock!!

Blog: what is it good for?

2009-08-18T17:24:00.000-07:00

Well, those of you in tune with this particular pop culture reference will not hesitate to respond "absolutely nuthin'" ... and truth be told, I've been wondering about this a lot. I spend time now on Facebook and Ravelry, and reading Twitter feeds (yes, I follow Lance Armstrong, what of it?), and I've been wondering about keeping this space open (?) or active (?) -- I'm not quite sure what the terminology ought to be. What was once a knitting blog now clearly isn't, and I have other blogs for my classes, so that material ought not to be here ... and the handful of you who did make time to read my posts have no doubt gone on to other more rewarding sites (I hope so).

There's no denying that a blog of one's own is a good spot to rant about the Red Sox, celebrate FOs (my summer of socks!) or muse about the possibility of opening an etsy store for R's photos, or to make a partial list of summer reading:

A Mathematician's Lament, Paul Lockhart
Nickel and Dimed. Barbara Ehrenreich
It's Not About the Bike, Lance Armstrong
Nice Try, Shane Maloney
The Big Ask, Shane Maloney,
Borderline, Nevada Barr
A Duty to the Dead, Charles Todd
Lance Armstrong's War, Daniel Coyle
The Tourist, Olen Steinhauer
Who is Conrad Hirst? Kevin Wignall
The End of the Chapter, John Galsworthy
A Mango-Shaped Space, Wendy Mass

Here, fye, an egret series, from the pond down the street (I am reminded that in Bobbie Ann Mason's In Country the character of the Vietnam vet uncle, Emmett, spends lots of time looking for an egret ....)

Here you see Tessie still having to be convinced that cows (heifers) are not scary. By the end of our 2 weeks in Vermont I think she had decided that they are a strange variety of large dog; she got to the point, one night in the barn, of touching noses with a particularly brave cow.

So, I'm still thinking about all of these blog matters. Clearly I'm not quite done yet. So I'm going to borrow Garrison Keillor's Writers' Almanac send-off:

Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.

Oh, and those of you in metro Boston? Try to keep cool.

Yarn search advice?

2009-06-22T06:39:00.000-07:00

Dear fibery pals,

We experienced an outdoor meet this weekend where we had 80+ degrees F and sunny one day and rainy in the 50s the next. On the rainy day, the kids' feet were cold because no matter how many pairs of regular socks you bring, once they're wet , forget it. One of D#1's teammates was particularly uncomfortable (one of those bony little boys with no body fat). He's a good friend, and his birthday's coming up, so I'd like to make him a pair of swim meet socks. Now the challenge: he likes violent and wacky color combos (bright orange striped with purple and sky blue wouldn't be out of line) ... they need to be wool, I think, to stay warm when sodden, and I think they'd probably be best made out of something a little heavier than traditional sock yarn. Any ideas?

Where Am I?

2009-06-17T19:14:00.001-07:00

Need a hint (or two)? They weren't all taken on the same continent. :)

from Swine Flu Central

2009-06-05T17:42:00.000-07:00

We had so many kids and faculty absent that we webcast graduation for the first time --my former colleague who is now in Beijing was able to watch, as were all the kids banned from campus as a result of their illness. One of our student speakers was absolutely terrific, and it wasn't hot out. I got to see 90% of the parents and students I wanted to see afterward.

And my separated-at-birth friend Jocelyn sent me a lovely care package today with yummy summerweight fiber (pictures soon, D#1 has the camera). THANK YOU!!

So we're done except for the comments and meetings, I have new yarn, and as of today (knock on wood) I haven't got the flu.

Pretty good for a Friday.

Still Here

2009-05-25T10:46:00.000-07:00

I have neglected this space of late -- not because of any dearth of images, items to report, or lack of interest on my part, but simply because I have been working just about non-stop since my last post. Even this lovely holiday weekend has been intruded upon by thoughts like "shouldn't you actually be getting a jump on your comments?"

So to distract you from that horrid reality, I give you some of R's most recent photos, taken at the pond behind D#2's school. I love the egret with the fish --

Recently, Younger Daughter and one of my advisees made these creatures below:

Today I got to see my brothers and their families, which was lovely. It doesn't happen enough. I can't show any of the pictures yet, though. It's a secret.

Last Sunday, one of the nicest people I've ever had the good fortune to know died of the cumulative effects of leukemia and the aggressive treatment measures she and her partner chose to try. She was diagnosed last spring, tried chemo etc., had a bone marrow transplant in January, but when the leukemia cells came back in April she just could not continue to fight. Her son graduated from college on Saturday and was able to be with her at the end, the next day. She was a thoughtful scholar, a good writer, and a steadfast friend. My circle of friends is much diminished by her loss.

And this is what I'm going to do for the next hour instead of working:

Quickly ...

2009-05-09T19:35:00.000-07:00

This Queensland Sugar Rush leaped into my hands when I was last at Stitch House. I think it wants to be the Tiger Eye Lace Scarf ... right now I'm using size 6 needles and that seems about right. This yarn is a little splitty but it is SO soft and delicious, and I love the color. So I just won't make too many mistakes (says the knitter/math teacher who had to rip out the first repeat of this thing three times because she apparently can't COUNT ...).

I did finally finish the socks I started in the dark on the bus home from the New England Prep School Swim championships ...

and here's my friend with her very first FO, a scarf in Sunshine Yarns' Edward...
Doesn't she look proud of herself? Welcome to the dark side, I say.

Here are a few other things I know: the summer swim meet season begins next weekend and continues in a whirlwind until the end of July, I am woefully disorganized as far as summer plans go, the Red Sox should play the Yankees and only the Yankees this season, and I need a foolproof way to keep Tessie from gnawing on everything in sight, including all of the humans in the house. (She has many chew toys of various sorts but it isn't always enough)

May? It's May?

2009-05-02T19:44:00.001-07:00

Look at these delightful heart-shaped leaves, above. The catsura is delighted that spring is here!
Below, a packet of butterfly/hummingbird seed mix that I dumped into the planter in a fit of wishful thinking has now germinated ...

Here are a few pumpkin seedlings beginning to think about growing.

And a hyacinth, rescued from a potful of forced bulbs ....

So I guess it really is spring! I have been knitting spring, too -- I am currently obsessed with flower washcloths in dyed Blue Sky cotton, about the softest cotton I've ever used.

When I was at Stitch House the other day with my friend and her baby, I bought some more, one skein in an deeper orange-y colorway and one in cream. I'm using the Rebecca Mercier pattern from last year's pattern-a-day calendar and circular size 7s. I also bought some Queensland Sugar Rush in a silvery purple -- YUM! This might turn into a Tiger Eyes scarf.

I don't mean to ignore the fact that I've ignored the blog of late. Things have been, as my students would say, mad busy. But I'm thinking about some fun things to do this summer, and today I got some non-school reading when we went to our newly-renovated, newly-reopened town library.

Packages of All Sorts

2009-04-17T17:35:00.000-07:00

A puppy package of joy and friendliness

The triple threat, in a moment of calm

AND my Dragonfly in Amber Swap package arrived today! Mordag was so generous ... see this box?

Here's an accounting of what was inside:

There was a great sock project bag in baseball fabric --very Red Sox - ish and festive. I will use this a lot.

There were mocha-flavored M&Ms (hiddedn from my family) and a beautiful dragonfly windchime (hanging by our front door right now), nice beer glasses ...

Springtime in Paris socks, for me! and elann yarn, also in Red Sox red

and some Highlander grog coffee, a rose washcloth, and rose soap, and a dragonfly pin, and shortbread (I'll let D#2 have some of this) ...

and a dragonfly notebook, along with a lovely long note from Mordag

Pretty great, wouldn't you say? Thank you so much!!

Here She Is

2009-04-05T18:47:00.000-07:00

D#2 says, "she is the perfect dog for us".

Post Haste

2009-04-02T19:26:00.001-07:00

Your rainbow is intensely shaded orange, blue, and indigo.

What is says about you: You are a proud person. You appreciate friends who get along with one another. You share hobbies with friends and like trying to fit into their routines. Others are amazed at how you don't give up.

Find the colors of your rainbow at spacefem.com.

So, our school colors are orange and blue. Hmm.

The Last Precious Day of Break

2009-03-30T06:17:00.000-07:00

It's cool and rainy out this morning, and I can see already that my to-do list is in trouble. An advisee e-mailed me looking for a ride back to campus at a time that interrupts my afternoon plans and just adds to my car time ... but her mom has no car and I know I am going to help her out. So no point fussing about that. It's 9:20 a.m. and I have

done laundry
dropped off the clothes donations
done the dishes
been to the supermarket
scanned an article for my students and e-mailed it to the one person who asked

We are attempting to meet the challenge of throwing out or donating 50 items (per family member), partly sparked by the imminent arrival of the puppy, partly by an overwhelming sense of encroaching STUFF, and partly because our current school housing situation is such that we could, as is always the case, be asked to move in June. I helped D#1 with this endeavor last night and she has set the standard with 92 items pitched, donated, or handed on to her sister. I'm up to 45 items myself, and have not even begun to look at books yet. We are at that dreadful stage in the life of a family when we really could begin to get rid of all of our picture books, and this makes me sad.

We spent the bulk of the weekend working at the Masters' Meet at Harvard. This is a huge fundraiser for our team and a really terrific opportunity for the kids to see that swimming can be a lifelong engagement. We saw a number of records set, the usual heroes swimming the 500 free as the 500 fly, and I ran into a high school classmate who paid me the ultimate compliment by recognizing me on the pool deck after having not laid eyes on me in 30 years.

I did get the last of the Red Sox traveling scarves into the mail last week and am awaiting the return of my own. I'm using some lovely Malabrigo worsted to make a hat for a colleague (she picked out the colorway, a springy turquoise) and might even be done with that today if all goes well. Then it'll be back to the rest of the UFOs.

We go back to school tomorrow, and will be immediately plunged into the frantic pace of the spring semester. Fortunately I have only 5 more night classes and will be free of that commitment during the busiest time at my other school. Both places are facing financial cutbacks and restrictions; the past couple of weeks have been a nice break from the institutional worry. My major accomplishment over break, though, has been returning to the kitchen. It's really hard to manage that during the academic year and we need to figure that out a little better. Chocolate may be a food group but pizza really ought not to be.

Red of Surviving Grady had a great idea for today (one week to Opening Day). You don't have to go there, although I would usually encourage you to do so, because I'm blatantly stealing it.

Coming Soon ...

2009-03-26T19:13:00.000-07:00

She's between 5 and 6 months old, probably a dachshund/terrier mix, and was rescued on a busy street somewhere in Arkansas. She weighs 18 lbs (she is smaller than Sirius). She'll be here next Saturday.

O, the furnace is dead ....

2009-03-23T01:38:00.000-07:00

so we went to the Smith College Spring Flower Show, where it was nice and warm.

My sweetie has a new camera

2009-03-21T13:13:00.001-07:00

Dobby.

A clever chipmunk.

He may have the cool new camera, but I did make the bread ... Jamie Oliver's Basic Bread Recipe from Happy Days with the Naked Chef ...

Off to London and I Miss Her Already

2009-03-18T18:37:00.001-07:00

and I'm watching her flight on FlightView Live --what is that going to accomplish, really? Still, it makes me feel better. My big plan was that we would be silly in the airport so she wouldn't have a chance to get teary (while she's excited about this trip, this is a child, remember, who never wanted to go to overnight camp--she's gone away twice with her class, for one and three nights, but that's it).

So I gave D#2 a pair of sparkly gold pompoms and she immediately went into a very energetic and polished cheerleader act. The British Airways desk agent said it was a first for her, and D#1 said "Oh my God, Mom," which seemed quite promising --and in fact she hung in there and did NOT get teary until she got into the line to go through security. So her father and I held up our Bon Voyage signs and her sister waved pompoms ... and then we fled. I'm not even sure I said goodbye to my parents. I did not cry til we were out of the airport.

Our recent Netflix fare:

Get Smart (many stars from D#1, and R even grudgingly admitted that they hadn't ruined his memory of the tv show)
Charlie Wilson's War
Body of Lies
National Treasure 1 and 2
Finding Neverland
3:10 to Yuma
It Could Happen to You
Hoodwinked
Pirates of the Caribbean (all 3)
Encounters at the End of the World
The Dark Knight
Good Night and Good Luck
Elizabeth
The Bourne Ultimatum

You can see that my spouse and I never get to the theater ... and that I'm trying to find ways to combat the Hannah Montana craze. Mostly unsuccessfully, I might add.

Knitting? Yes. I have frogged the traveling scarf now four times, I think -- but the end of my section is in sight. Am on to the second of my plain vanilla purple socks... and am contemplating the rescue of some UFOs. I'm still on break, after all.

I have written a huge note on the easel in the front hall so maybe I won't forget to go teach my evening class tomorrow. Mary Peters is on tap, and I'd hate to miss that conversation.

They're at 37,000 feet and 588 mph. I don't think I'll watch the flight all the way to Heathrow, but I'll never tell.

Six O'Clock, and All's Well

2009-03-12T14:56:00.000-07:00

I am on duty, but there are only 4 girls sleeping here tonight and I don't expect to be here late. My colleague's cats are keeping me company, though, and it's all very congenial.
One of my colleagues is a 3 year breast cancer survivor; the therapy destroyed all of her eggs but even so she has been trying for all of those 3 years to have a baby, and she's just had a positive pregnancy test!
I got a reappointment letter today, final confirmation that I do indeed have a job for next year.
D#2's mummers' play performance is next week.
There was warm sunshine this afternoon, and the snow is almost all gone. What's next, daffodils??
D#1 is about to go traveling ...
Knitting, on both the swim meet socks and the traveling scarf, proceeds apace.
I have some very vacation-y things planned for tomorrow and may even finish the day with a workshop at Stitch House. Of course, I may go to bed at 7 p.m. instead ...
Aside from my evening class next Thursday (only 6 of those left), I don't have to teach again until March 31st.

Springing Forward

2009-03-08T17:22:00.001-07:00

Today we were all as if run over by a truck. The girls slept relatively late and they & I stayed in our pjs til quite late in the day. Late nights and all ... D#1 with a sleepover and a snow-tubing party earlier in the weekend, D#2 up late with her sitter last night, me arriving home at midnight/1 a.m. from yet another swim meet (school-related this time rather than an event featuring my own personal child) ... it was an emotional experience, as one of my favorite students is a senior and this was his last high school meet. I got there in time to see him swim his last 2 events, and he did very well.

Lest you think we didn't have sufficient chlorine this weekend, we did go to see a couple of D#1's teammates (and some of my students) swim in the 13 and up championships at MIT this afternoon. I cast on for some swim meet socks (Ravelry link) on the long bus ride yesterday, as I was afraid to take the traveling scarf out of the house, and my own Noro scarf has gotten so long that it would have been cumbersome indeed in that setting.

We had, I thought, a good time at the championship meet today. But as we left, my companion got very silent and white in the face. When queried, of course she said that nothing was wrong. Not being an idiot, I could discern the lack of truth in this statement. In the hours since, neither her father nor I have been allowed to know what it was that upset her so... but she has also taken little trouble to hide her distress. As a result, I'm worrying more about the difficult task of parenting an adolescent; we're venturing further down this road every day. One minute she looks like my little girl and the next minute I can see the teenager looking out of her eyes; I've said before and will probably say again that it reminds me a little of the 2's, all the pushing away and then clinging as closely as possible. It's hard to know how much so-called rope to give, and where, in these muddled times, it makes sense to hold the line absolutely. I wish so much that she might be able to learn from my mistakes and her father's difficult adolescence but it's quite clear to me that she's going to walk her own path & make her own painful mistakes, do what we will. And my other child is so different from the first that nothing we learn this time will be the slightest use.

I need to make it through four more days til break. Maybe this will look a little sunnier from the vacation mindset?

Enough already

2009-02-28T04:16:00.000-08:00

So here we are at the end of February and I am sick, again. This time I thought I'd be sensible and go to the doctor before my sinus infection dropped into my chest and turned into yet another case of bronchitis. But the health care world doesn't work like that. Try to wait the thing out and they tell you that you should have come sooner; make an effort to nip it in the bud, and they'll say you're there too soon. I sat in the office long enough to get some antibiotics, which I hope will take care of the viral thing turning bacterial, but I still feel horrible. Our CVS was OUT of Sudafed, can you believe it? Even keeping it behind the counter and away from the meth makers isn't sufficient to keep this wonder drug in stock. I made it to my day job Thurs and Fri, I cancelled my Thursday evening class, and this morning R got up and took D#1 to swim practice (a true indication of how ill I must look, although he is a tactful fellow).

Some of us aren't bothered by all the human sturm und drang. Here is Fleur on/in her new favorite sleeping place:

And here is my second Noro scarf, far more muted in approach than the first:

Here is D#2's sweater-in-progress (it's cute but a boring knit thus far):

And this is the weekend when I have a lot to read:

I haven't counted recently, but there might be 220 of these things. Pass the Kleenex.

Miscellany

2009-02-22T15:50:00.000-08:00

Aside from an advisee crisis (non-life-threatening), this has been a pretty calm weekend.

We puppy-sat. The puppy is all of a sudden quite huge, and she was much better behaved this time than the last. I was happy to have her visiting us again, but the truth is that R does the lion's share of the work with a dog in the house. He seemed happy to have a dog around and for the first time in our acquaintance with this dog I didn't think he was feeling guilty about being glad. Well, it makes sense to me.

We went to the Cape to celebrate my mother-in-law's 85th birthday (went yesterday, birthday is today) and she seemed happy to have us all turn up. She is pretty chipper despite the fact that she has lost most of her core group of friends in recent years -- one to Alzheimer's, several to moves to warmer climes, and recently one has had a series of falls and is unlikely to be allowed to live on her own; that friend is now living in a nursing home near her only child in CT.

I've been in the kitchen this weekend too --I made bread, apple cake, and carrot-ginger soup.

And I couldn't resist -- I cast on my second Noro scarf! I find the K1P1 soothing and the change in colors endlessly fascinating. I'm using a much different color scheme than the first one and am happy with this, too. Those people are geniuses with color.

Yes, I'm watching the run up to the Oscars. D#2 is clearly Heidi Klum's kindred spirit in terms of accessories.

Did you notice that it's spring training?

Birthday and Valentine Weekend

2009-02-15T12:33:00.000-08:00

This is D#1, nearing the end of her 200 fly in the prelims/finals meet last month. I believe she's coming to the turn end (and thus the final 25 yards of the race). Still getting those arms out! Pretty amazing.

We have had a delightful weekend with so few work responsibilities that I hardly knew what to do with myself at first. Luckily I came to my senses and remembered the taxes, the financial forms, the birthday preparations for my spouse's natal day, and the all-important Valentine's Day festivities.

Ah, Valentine's Day. I think D#2 was more excited about Valentine's Day this year than she ever has been about Christmas or Hanukkah or even, possibly, her birthday--she's been dressing in special pink and heart-themed outfits all week, and yesterday she was up at 6:15 as her sister and I were getting ready to leave for the pool. She was mightily disappointed to be sent back to bed to await our return.

Sirius also doesn't mess around when it comes to holidays. This kitty has taken possession of a big pile of valentines; note the crossed paws and regal attitude... but later on he got distracted, so I was able to take some pictures of these works of art. This one is my favorite:

I especially like the fact that D#2 put herself and me in amongst the dancing hearts.

Here's the dream swatch I made with the leftover Sunshine Yarns (Trek colorway, size 6 US needles). It is over 6 feet long, blocking. I love how this yarn blooms after a wash. I wish I could take a photo that shows you the interplay of chocolate and slate blue. The best I can do is show it stretching off into an infinity of blocking pins...

I'm currently at work on a couple of other projects --D#2's sweater, and the Red Sox Traveling scarf (I currently have scarf #3 in my possessoin). And soon the Dragonfly in Amber swap will get underway!

Jocelyn tagged me for an award recently -- it was lovely of her to do so! She is such a talented knitter, designer, mom, academic, and explainer of thinking that I'm a little boggled by her interest in these ramblings --but I am most grateful for her friendship and extremely flattered by this. Here are the rules:

1. Copy the award to your site
2. Link to the person from whom you received the award
3. Nominate 7 other bloggers
4. Link to those on your blog
5. Leave a message on the blogs you nominated.

Pleased as I am, the part about tagging seven others is a tad overwhelming. So I'm going to rebelliously tag only SIX of the folks I read regularly and who have not, as far asI know, already received this particular award. I herewith send you off to visit 1) Carolynn, whom I know as the chieftess Fiona Fraser, 2) Paul, Down Under, 3) fellow Sox fan Courtney, also known as Koto-chan, 4) another member of a swap family, Sassenach (she's reading one of my all-time faves right now, Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome) ...5) Breadchick, whom I found by reading What I Cooked Last Night, and 6) Marit (I can't wait until her computer is no longer giving her fits). Enjoy these creative, insightful writers!

Bush fires

2009-02-08T05:54:00.000-08:00

Reading the news isn't enough; these stories need to be told by individuals, and through blogs and other Internet miracles it is possible to keep the human face visible, and those in crisis in our thoughts.

100th Day of School

2009-02-06T19:30:00.000-08:00

My youngest took the requisite poster with 100 beads glued on to school today. I felt bad, because we didn't have time to work with her on it, and it's by no means as elaborate as she wanted it to be. Still she's so focused on Valentine's Day that I think she'll cut us some slack. It gets busy around now, though; I love that Valentine's Day is immediately followed by my spouse's birthday but given the way expectations around Valentine's Day are ramping up in a serious way around here it's likely to be a busy (and chocolate-y) weekend.

I'm trying to find a baseball-ish stitch motif for the 3rd of the Red Sox traveling scarves to come my way. It needs to work over 27 stitches and most of the patterns I've seen really work best on a multiple of 4. I wish I were better at mapping out these things myself! I know that I'm not good at visualizing/designing; thus far my skill seems to be knowing what a specific yarn wants to be when it is knit.

While I've been procrastinating about one major bit of school work (advisor letters due Monday) and a book review (overdue, don't ask), I have been checking some things off a longterm to-do list, and today I took the first step toward finding a new PCP. I'm tired of the way my current doctor deals with me (ordering many tests without really taking the time to figure out what's going on, dropping inquiries mid-stream, poor communication, etc). I'm a basically healthy person but do have some ongoing issues that need some attention, and I feel as though my current PCP doesn't take me seriously. So I've been wanting to move on for over a year and I just got the name of someone who is well-regarded, close to home, and accepting new patients. I called this afternoon and have an appointment for May!

We may get a break from the bitter cold this weekend -- it would be nice to get rid of some of the multiple inches of solid ice on the driveway but I don't know where the stuff is going to go when it melts....

After the Groundhog

2009-02-03T20:00:00.000-08:00

Yes, more snow today. This winter will *never* end. And the wintry mood brought on by talk of budget shortfalls and the need to cut expenses isn't helping. (But the girls who just returned to the dorm from a late advisory meeting tell me that the snow is beautiful and sparkly in the moonlight -- and it has covered up allt he dirty old snow, so that's a good thing.)

I have to say, too, that I am saddened by the mess surrounding the Daschle nomination. I don't think it's too righteous of me to expect senators to pay their taxes like all the rest of us. Is it?

We had a somewhat depressing discussion at lunch today about a student who confronted his English teacher with the statement that he really didn't like literature and wanted to read only Dan Brown novels. I hope I'm long done teaching when there's nobody left who likes to read Melville.

I'm finally ready to part with one of the Red Sox traveling scarves in my possession (fortunately I still have one left to console me). I love the pattern I found for this one in Luxury Yarns: One Skein Wonders. It's called "petite cables" and it looks really nice in the Valley Yarns Northampton. Other than that, I've been so busy with duty and comments and senior projects that I've had little time to knit (or sleep, or spend time at home ... yeah). Once my advisor reports are out of the way I hope things will ease up a little. I have lots of projects in mind, and am trying to knit down my stash a bit. Yesterday I sent a box of partial skeins to Girls, Inc after reading about their effort to teach girls to knit.

The equipment truck leaves Fenway on Friday, & pitchers and catchers report next week!

After I Broke the Senior Project System

2009-01-30T14:55:00.000-08:00

OK, maybe *I* wasn't the person who broke it, but many hours and much cursing later the tech wizards in the dungeon across the street from the Building In Which I Climb 73 Stairs Every Time I Want to Get Something off my Desk have agreed that the thing is indeed broken. Well, duh, every time I edit a project title, students' names disappear as if wiped away with a sponge. Maybe they will be able to fix it this weekend while I write my comments ... or maybe not. But at least they're no longer implying that I'm an idiot for not being able to get the database to do what I want.

D#2's amaryllis has bloomed and looks spectacular (see above), which is very nice because we are still entombed in ice around here (see below).

A visual poem by my spouse, above. And below, finally, pictures of the River Rapids Socks, knit on Knitpicks size 2 dpns, in Yarnpig Petunia, in the fabulous Mountain Majesty colorway (thanks again, Bea, for saving this for me. I adore it, and the rest is going to be a neckwarmer!). . This yarn is soft and squishy, delightful to work with, and a combination of colors that make me extremely happy. May I say that I love everything about these socks --especially and most deeply the yarn --except the fit? It turns out that I am exceptionally picky about how tightly or loosely a sock grabs my foot, and these are just too darn loose. Bummer.

Snow Day!

2009-01-28T12:46:00.000-08:00

I was ready for school today, truly I was -- all my exams were graded by 10 p.m. last night and I had submitted my grades and everything. But still, it was great to have the phone ring at 5:20 a.m. and hear my colleague say "It's a snow day!"

I've been really productive today, too, although unfortunately that means I haven't touched ANY knitting. My pals in the Red Sox International Traveling Scarf Group are going to think I've set out to keep all of the scarves (insert evil laugh here).

What exactly have I accomplished if I haven't been knitting, you ask? I've gotten through the grindingly boring part of dealing with the glitches in the senior project database (if they don't fix it by the time I need to get reports out to project supervisors I'm going to be seriously annoyed) -- and I think I have made all the off-system corrections the kids e-mailed to me. (That was six hours' worth of work, by the way.) I tutored for an hour. I responded to a number of e-mails and did some course planning with a colleague. I spent some time with my own personal children. I located several of last semester's papers (their authors are in my current class), beefed up the comments thereon, and put them in my Other School Bag for tomorrow night's class. If I can work for another hour and a half or so, then all my after dinner time can be knitting. (Please note: the word "dinner" is used to denote timing rather than anything I'm actually going to be doing. The only non-saltine food I've had since Saturday is 1 slice of apple and half a bowl of excellent fish chowder. While others have shaken off this stomach bug fairly quickly, it seems to like me.)

Post-Exam Grading Monday

2009-01-26T07:41:00.000-08:00

Happy Australia Day. Here it's 19 degrees (F), and the snow is shining off the snow in absolutely blinding sparkles.

I was on duty last night and this morning -- bad timing, as I've finally fallen prey to the stomach bug that's been making the rounds of my acquaintance. Also bad timing to spend the weekend at a meet. That's how it is. Usually this long weekend is a nice lull in the frenetic pace of life at two institutions but not this year.

My advisees made my grandmother's cheesecake recipe last night.
Cheese Cake (from Nana)

Preheat 375

4 8 oz cream cheese at room temp.
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
3 egg yolks
1 lemon's rind gratings
1 lemon''s juice
1 cup sour cream

Beat cheeses together until creamy, gradually beat in sugar

Beat in sour cream and vanilla, then eggs, one at a time, well.

Add lemon juice and rind.

Pour into springform lined with graham cracker crust (baked).

Bake 1 hour at 375.

Cool in oven 1 hour.

Cool on rack 1 hour

Refrigerate until serving (best when refrigerated overnight). Do not release springform until fully chilled.

It was all good except that someone shut off the oven in the middle, and when we discovered this and turned the oven back on, we weren't sure how much longer it needed. So ... it's a little brown on top. But still good!

A Good Tuesday

2009-01-20T18:10:00.000-08:00

I've told Jocelyn and my dad this story already, but:

I was watching the inauguration with about a dozen girls today --they hail from Seoul, Hong Kong, New York City, Seekonk MA, Bethesda MD ... in short, from our global village. As the former presidents were walking in, one girl asked (of Jimmy Carter), "Who's that?" I identified him (she did know, at least, that Jimmy Carter was a former president), and she said, "Well, they all look the same," and I thought, that's exactly right --until today.

As you might expect, D#2 liked the pomp and circumstance, and the songs -- and she pronounced the speeches "excellent",. Who knew -- I thought I would hear about the hats and outfits. D#1's response was also fairly typical of her worldview: she thought Obama's speech was too long but interesting and thought-provoking nonetheless: "He's a smart man and knows a lot about history. He started out by complimenting George Bush and then criticized everything he and his administration did. I wonder how it felt to sit there and listen to all of that criticism." Her homework tonight was to write the president a letter. She told him she hoped she would treasure the memory of this day AND remember how hopeful she felt today for the rest of her life.

For the rest of the month, when I'm not engaged in the traveling scarf project (the next one is on its way across the pond, Tekgirl), I'm going to try to finish up some old UFOs and use up some stash yarn. Currently at bat and moving along fast (pun intended), the River Rapids socks.
I'll rave in detail about the Yarnpig Mountain Majesty colorway and the softness & squishiness of the fiber when I can show you pictures of TWO complete socks.

It was a rare Tuesday night dinner at home for me. We had raspberry/chocolate chip pancakes and bacon.

A Little Warmer

2009-01-19T06:20:00.000-08:00

and a lot more hopeful. I did think it might all turn out to be a dream ...

(Thanks for forwarding the link, TG Brother)

edited to add: they're done! Snow on Cedars Mitts, from knitspot, on 2.75 mm needles, in Sunshine Yarns Trek (bits from 2 different skeins --note the interesting color variation -- & the intended recipient loves them!). Modeled by D#1 with Sirius in the background. These were taken pre-blocking and the pattern does show up better now, although (unsurprisingly) I think it would pop more with a lighter colorway). Still, I love the finished product AND the pattern, and will definitely make these again.

54 degrees this morning

2009-01-18T08:27:00.000-08:00

Yes, 54 degrees Fahrenheit! The unfortunate news, though, is that that was the temperature INSIDE the house when I arose this morning. We are embarked, I think, on an adventure much like the saga of Sir Washie. Last night, after we returned from a fabulous dinner at the Elephant Walk, we discovered that our children's contention that the house was cold was in fact true, and not simply whinging. The furnace doctor arrived on our doorstep this morning and expressed his opinion that this particular furnace has bravely given its all --he got it going again but who knows for how long... and I have no idea how they're going to get the old furnace out and a new unit in. The inside stairwell is barely the width of a laundry basket. It's a little warmer outside than it has been, however, 24 degrees (F), and snowing.

We had an exciting event in the fish tank this week --see those little barley-like things in the photo(s) below? Baby snails!!

A couple of belated FO pics follow. Here's the Noro leftovers hat, co-opted by D#1 as perfect post-swim wear.

And these are the Bella mittens, modeled by Fleur.

I am well along on the second Snow on Cedars mitt. I love the pattern! And Dani's Trek colorway is just yummy. It is a little more chocolate-y than this photo would indicate (grabbed from the Sunshine Yarns website ....

I found a nice motif for my section of the current piece of the Red Sox traveling scarf in my possession and ought to be able to mail it across the pond Tuesday. And by then I'll be starting to think about grades and comments, and my syllabus for the evening class (begins Thursday).

One more week

2009-01-13T07:44:00.001-08:00

Wow, I haven't posted in a while. I can only plead that I lost three days to an absolutely consuming swim meet (2 sessions per day) and then spent yesterday in such a delirium of exhaustion that anything I'd posted would have been gibberish. Of course, even today that may still be true but I am fractionally less tired.

At school we're in the lull of exam review, which does give me time to contemplate knitting projects, the final week of the Bush presidency, and other important matters. I may even be able to get caught up on blog reading, and get my Ravelry fix ... The weather reports are predicting both an "Arctic blast" and snow on Thursday; better this week than next! Exam week is the only time when I most emphatically do not want a snow day.

My Bella's mittens are done, and I'm reasonably pleased with them -- if I make them again I need to find a better way to increase for the thumb gusset, as this particular combination of yarn and M1s left me with a sort of swiss cheesy connection that need repair before hte mittens could be functional. I'm still jumping about amongst three projects -- the traveling scarf (I have received scarf #2), the Luna Moth shawl, and a pair of Snow on Cedar mitts (these are definitely NOT tv knitting).

Dream Songs

2009-01-07T17:14:00.000-08:00

Today is the anniversary of John Berryman's death. So this afternoon we were all (in some sort of miracle) home, and R asked us to choose numbers and then he read us that Dream Song ... D#2 chose #1, which is actually one of my favorites. Bur R also exploded a myth in which I'd long believed (W.H. Auden's assertion that a note was found on Berryman's body which read "Your move. Cal"), so I'm bitter about that.

Dream Song 1: Huffy Henry hid the day

Huffy Henry hid the day,
unappeasable Henry sulked.
I see his point,—a trying to put things over.
It was the thought that they thought
they could do it made Henry wicked & away.
But he should have come out and talked.

All the world like a woolen lover
once did seem on Henry's side.
Then came a departure.
Thereafter nothing fell out as it might or ought.
I don't see how Henry, pried
open for all the world to see, survived.

What he has now to say is a long
wonder the world can bear & be.
Once in a sycamore I was glad
all at the top, and I sang.
Hard on the land wears the strong sea
and empty grows every bed.

Snapshot Saturday

2009-01-03T13:15:00.000-08:00

Above, my version of Bella's Mittens --mods --I'm not making them as bulky, so I'm using Debbie Bliss Cashmerino and size 6 dpns (rather than size 8 magic loop). I'm up to the thumb gusset for mitten #1 although I did have to rip about 20 rows after I got too involved in a conversation at practice and crossed a cable the wrong way. Arg.

Below -- proof that I've made it through chart 1 and chart 2 of the Luna Moth shawl successfully. Now I just need to pay attention through 5 1/2 more repeats of chart 2!

And a herd of Korknisse ...

Bits

2009-01-02T14:53:00.000-08:00

I have started the Luna Moth Shawl for my friend, but have already had to frog back to row 15 three times--I don't know what I'm doing wrong, but I've ended up 4 stitches short between rows 15 and 21 each time. This next time I won't talk to anyone until I've gotten through the first repeat of chart 2. I like the idea of a shawl in heavier weight yarn and am using a VERY bright colorway. We shall see (both about the colorway and my ability to read/count properly).

My parents gave me a gift card to a local independent bookstore, so today I used part of it to purchase Luxury Yarns One-Skein Wonders. This ought to be a much used volume, given that my luxury yarn purchases do indeed tend to be in one skein increments. For example, I have some Habu cashmere and Neighborhood Fiber Co cashmere and merino blend (exactly like this but unpictured in my own stash) looking for good patterns.

In a truly vacation-y bit of planning, today I went with my mother to see Milk. It was fabulous. Here's the trailer, in case you missed it:

This might be Sean Penn's best performance ever.

Alas, my vacation is sputtering to an end. Tonight, with R and D#2 away, D#1 and I are eating mango shrimp and beef teriyaki from a local Chinese restaurant and watching the 2nd Pirates of the Caribbean movie. We have our regular routine of swim practice, laundry, swim practice, supermarket, & Hebrew tutor this weekend, along with a gathering for my nephew's birthday -- I have a book review to write (on a wonderful book, Baseball Love, by George Bowering), and then with Monday's dawn comes a professional day on creativity in teaching. Although in my usual surly way I'd rather have the day to myself, this program promises to be different enough that it might actually by interesting. In any case, they pay me, and these days, that's nothing to sneeze at ...

Resolution Achieved, and Other Matters

2009-01-01T17:45:00.000-08:00

Yes, it snowed. It was very pretty but a big pain in which to drive, and yesterday I had a lot of driving to do. And this morning our venerable furnace was blowing cold air. But eventually one of the facilities men came over and, with the expensive plumbing and heating man consulting by phone, he was able to determine that the filter was clogged. Now it is toasty warm -- a good thing, since it is about 13 degrees F outside.

This is one of the many juncos that comes to sample the bounty of "bird beans," as D#2 names them, provided by my spouse.
The figure going off the diving board above is D#1 having her very first lesson on the 1 meter board. She can't take this up for real right now, her knees won't stand it, but a friend of ours is a diving coach and offered to show her the ropes once.

Below is the only item we had a chance to photograph from our festive holiday meal last night. The girls loved the chocolate cake we had at the Bubble Room in Captiva, so we tried to replicate it. I made the Decadent Chocolate Cake from the first Silver Palate cookbook and we filled it with whipped cream and strawberries.

It was good.

Behold the feet of D#2 in her knockout new boots from my parents. The pink fringe on the right is from her new scarf -- it isn't part of the boots, which are plenty spectacular as is. Please note the careful placement of Dobby's pink catnip mouse. And no, our kitchen floor isn't really filthy dirty, that's its actual color.

These are some of the singles I spun this summer. I now think that I am going to ply them -- I think the colors will be more interesting in a more variegated scenario.

This is my first ever Noro two row stripe scarf, on 10s (I think), using colorways 40 (2 skeins), 180, and 163 (1 skein each). What fun. Now I see why people make these over and over. There was enough left over to make a hat for the swimmer (K2P2 rib, no photo yet available) and several Korknisser (photo to come, the camera battery is charging).

And as for my New Year's resolution? My one resolution was to teach a friend to knit. It qualifies as a resolution because twenty years ago she was expelled from a knitting class at a LYS near my current home. She is an intelligent, lovely woman, and the folks at this LYS are known to be crabby, and I felt it my duty to rescue my friend from knitting exile. So today at practice I finished a project (that has to remain unpictured for a short time yet) -- and had a small ball of the yarn left over and a set of straight bamboo 10s in my bag, so without further ado I cast on 10 stitches and put the needles in her hands. By the time practice was over, she had knitted a small swatch, and I have sent her home with instructions to practice and practice. On Tuesday, this friend and I made a purchase at Sunshine Yarns and by the time the gorgeousness shows up, she should be ready!

So there. My resolution is accomplished. I am free to experience the year as it comes. The only other thing I have in mind is to try to follow my mother's advice to say no more often. I tried it this morning, declining an invitation in order to stay in my bathrobe until lunchtime, and I am not quite sure how I feel about having done so. Maybe this is the kind of thing that takes practice?

Happy 2009 to all!

I think it must be Tuesday

2008-12-30T17:21:00.001-08:00

... but the lovely thing about vacation is that it doesn't really matter all that much. I have this wild idea that January is a quiet month, school-wise, so I'm going to knit mittens for NaKniMitMo and participate in the Red Sox Traveling Scarf event.

And I'm mulling over another project for a friend, but the implications are so sad that I can't really wrap my mind around it. Given my upbringing, I can't call what I want to make a prayer shawl, really, but I want it to express what I think those items are designed to convey in terms of friendship and caring and what my Quaker friends call "holding you in the light". One of my friends is having a bone marrow transplant tomorrow, and she's so far away that I haven't and won't be able to visit. So I've been a bit of a frenzy of wanting to fix it, not wanting to bug her husband for news, and not really knowing what to do. I'm not sure why it took me so long to think of knitting. I'm a little slow sometimes. She does live in a very hot place but hospitals can be chilly and I suspect she'll be seeing a lot of those for some time to come. I don't think it ought to be so complex that it takes a long time to knit, but I want it to be beautiful.

Taking a Deep Breath

2008-12-26T19:22:00.000-08:00

Above, photos, most taken by D#1, from a gift of a trip --

and below, the contents of an amazing package from Carolynn -- look at that amazing Peace Fleece, and the stitch markers she made!

I might be back. How are you all doing? Hope everyone's had a great start to the holiday season.

Whew

2008-12-17T18:21:00.001-08:00

Two more classes, one holiday assembly, a department lunch and a tutoring session to go. One stack of final papers. Bags to pack and a flight to catch. Snowstorm to avoid ...

Which is all to say that I have managed to stagger my way to winter break. This semester has been eventful in many ways, and mind-bogglingly busy; I have knit furiously to keep sane and for the most part it has worked. Some long-back-burnered projects have worked their way to the front of the line (D#2's sweater, finishing the River Rapids socks, the skull scarf, and a PIF or two) and I am looking forward to having a little time to enjoy them.

Here's some of my holiday reading list:

George Bowering Baseball Love
Henning Mankell, The Pyramid
Arnaldur Indridason Jar City
Michael Kodas, High Crimes: The Fate of Everest in an Age of Greed
Robert Muchamore, The Dealer
Mason-Dixon Knitting 2.0, Ann Shayne and Kay Gardiner

Note to Self

2008-12-13T11:12:00.001-08:00

The weekend before winter break really isn't the moment to take this kind of quiz.

Which creature of the night are you? Your Result: Incubus/Succubus It's all about feeding, isn't it? You pay them back from their energy, though. You give them something (your drama) that will keep them distracted from life, which you consider a terrible joke.
Werewolf
Sorceror
Vampire
Cthulu Spawn
Demon
Ghost
Which creature of the night are you? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

It's what I get for visiting Rabbitch's blog, I guess,

Another Day, Another Swim Meet

2008-12-10T19:31:00.001-08:00

Today the girls and I went to see some of my students and advisees swim in a meet against a local girls' school. My own swimmer was quite pleased to see that some of her times stack up pretty well against high school kids, even though neither program is particularly high-powered. And my superstar student lapped everyone (a couple of the girls twice) in the 500 free.

It was 60 degrees out and rainy today. Monday, it was bitterly cold. My spouse saw gasoline for $1.57 a gallon. What on earth is going on?

Two more questions.

1. For you spinners out there, can I knit with what I spun on my drop spindle or does it need to be plied first or have something else done to it?

2. Read the recipe for Nanaimo Bars below, and then tell me --do you think I can substitute dried cranberries for the coconut? Note that I can't use the almonds at all (nut allergies galore around here).

(recipe courtesy of one of my colleagues, via the parent of a Canadian advisee)

For the Bottom Layer, use:

1/2 cup of unsalted butter, 1/4 cup of sugar, 5 tablespoons of cocoa, 1 beaten egg, 1 and 3/4 cups of graham wafer crumbs, 1/2 cup of finely chopped almonds and 1 cup of coconut.

Melt the butter, with sugar and cocoa, in the top of a double boiler. Add the egg, and stir to cook and thicken. Remove this mixture from the heat, and stir in the crumbs, coconut and nuts. Press firmly into an ungreased 8" x 8" pan.

For the Second Layer, use:

1/2 cup of unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons of cream, 2 tablespoons of vanilla custard powder, and 2 cups of icing sugar.

Cream the butter, cream, custard powder and icing sugar together, beating until light. Spread the results over the bottom layer.

For the Third Layer, use:

4 one oz squares of semisweet chocolate, and two tablespoons of unsalted butter.

Melt the chocolate and butter over low heat, and then cool. When the mixture has cooled, but is still liquid, pour it over the second layer, and chill the pan in the refrigerator.

More Photos from Sunday

2008-12-08T09:56:00.000-08:00

So there you have it.

Photos from Sunday

2008-12-08T09:55:00.000-08:00

This is the second of the Falling Waters scarves--it's for my friend Millie. Knitterly Things Vesper sock yarn, in the colorway Muddy Waters ...

Millie lent us this fab table skirt for the raffle table. Below, some views of our table. Sorry about the weird gymnasium light effects.

As Promised

2008-12-07T19:47:00.000-08:00

And now it is Sunday. Eleven days until break. I am bone tired.

We had a little snow this morning and then it turned quite cold, but I don't know that the weather entirely explains the paltry numbers who came through the doors of the craft fair this afternoon. Don't get me wrong, we didn't have a terrible time -- but it was disappointing to those of us who'd reserved tables and to my friend who had put a lot of time and effort into organizing and advertising the event. The constituency with the best turnout was far and away swim team parents. The school where the fair was held has over 600 students, and only about a tenth of those families turned out. The principal of the school didn't come and the PTO heads (this fair was in part to benefit the PTO) came late, spent under $30 total, and never spoke to the organizers.

What else -- I sold a couple of pairs of fingerless gloves and a scarf, but not much else. I was asked a number of times for non-wool items, which surprised me -- I wonder if that was just this audience or whether it is a trend to which I should attend if I ever do another one of these. Now, though, I can focus on finishing some of my own projects, and possibly even tackling the sweater D#2 chose at Ladybug Knitting (pattern and yarn) when we were on the Cape this summer.

I have some pictures of our table and will post them tomorrow. Right now I am on duty, far from my camera cable.

Tomorrow evening --D#1's class play. Tuesday evening: residential staff meeting. Wednesday: can't even remember what. Thursday: final meeting of my evening class (which means that their final papers are coming in ...). Friday: on duty til Sunday midnight.

The perfect song comes to mind:

I'm so tired, I haven't slept a wink
I'm so tired, my mind is on the blink
I wonder should I get up and fix myself a drink
No,no,no.

Thanks guys, as always -- that's just right.

ETA: D#2 spent most of the afternoon in the dorm with one of my advisees, and then stuck around to have takeout dinner and go to Sunday chapel (I knew the gospel choir was on tonight and thought she'd like it). So after the group (a real mix of the 4 grades plus a couple of faculty) sang some rockin' spirituals and we'd headed back out into the cold I asked her if she'd enjoyed herself. "Oh yes," she said, "the music was nice, but Mommy the women's outfits and their SHOES ..." Attagirl.

Oops, it's December

2008-12-02T16:57:00.000-08:00

Sorry about that. It's been a little busy around here.

Our Thanksgiving was very nice --food and company -- and now there are vats of turkey broth in the freezer to remind us. Even the cats behaved; Dobby and Sirius tolerated a lot of attention, and Fleur gracefully absented herself from the mayhem. The only untoward incident was the dishwasher vomiting water all over the floor Thursday night, but even that thoughtful appliance waited to have its issues 'til it was on the third load of the evening so the clean up wasn't so bad.

Lots of knitting -- craft-fair-related (baby hats) and secret knitting on the skull scarf. I wish I could see the design developing, as I'm nervous about the pattern. It's one of those scenarios where the directions don't make sense and you knit along slavishly following them anyway and hoping it'll all work out okay. I have noticed that this does tend to happen to me with a certain kind of pattern chart, and if I knew more educational theory I might be able to discern something useful about myself as a learner. The best I've been able to do is force myself to remember that in most instances, when I do exactly what the pattern says, no matter whether it makes sense to me or not, it ususally works out. We won't discuss the exceptions.

As far as the fair knitting is concerned, I think I *have* achieved a good balance of knitting up stash yarn and buying some colors that ought to go well at this time of year (Cascade 220 in "Christmas Red" from Stitch House, forsooth). One of my fellow swim parents bought some fingerless gloves practically off my needles the other day, so I hope that's a good sign.

Twelve school days until winter break. Two more meetings of my evening class. Craft fair Sunday.

I'll be back --but it might not be 'til Sunday night.

Weekend Coming ...

2008-11-20T19:01:00.000-08:00

I can hardly wait for Thanksgiving break --but there's a lot happening between now and then. This weekend D#1 has a 3 day meet, plus I'm one of the drivers for the big dorm outing to the 10:30 p.m. showing of "Twilight" tomorrow. Then I'm in the dorm from 9-12 both Sat & Sun mornings before going back to the pool. Friends are having a housewarming party Saturday night. And I'm on duty again Sunday night. Whew.

I'm still knitting like crazy for the craft fair. It feels almost wrong to put those things up on my Ravelry project page -- I don't know if I can quite explain that one. Currently obsessing me, and NOT for the craft fair, is the skull-face scarf from Knitty. I bought my first Noro Silk Garden ever, just for this. The only thing is, I can't wrap my mind around the idea of waiting til December 8th to cast on.

Speedy Sunday synopsis

2008-11-16T14:25:00.000-08:00

This has been a surprisingly relaxed weekend, despite the sneaker stress (more on that in a minute). We did have 2 swim practices and an end-of-season soccer party, but no Hebrew (tutor out of town) and no swim meets (next week). All four of went to do some errands together on Saturday (we made 3 separate visits to the Apple store to admire a) the iPod Touch b) the new MacBooks c) the bright pink nanos and d) the iPhone).

The major impetus for the trip was to visit the Greater Boston Running Company, one of the few local retail venues that carries Brooks Ariel sneakers in size tiny. Why, we did indeed discover this at the end of the summer when D#1 had developed thigh splints from a combination of custom orthotics and completely broken down sneakers. Some of you know that we did a lot of research and it was a terribly hot day when we went all the way to Hingham, and she tried on many sizes of the 2 orthopedist-approved varieties and we bought a lovely pair of these sneakers. No, her feet haven't grown --we were still looking for size tiny on Saturday. And we were doing this because somehow, 'twixt night and morning LAST weekend, those lovely sneakers (containing the custom orthotics, not covered by insurance) disappeared.

One of my readers will now realize with glee that the karma train has come full circle and to her I say that yes, I did indeed lose one brand new Ked on the #77 bus because I did not zip my back pack, but that Ked did NOT contain a custom orthotic and I'll bet anything that its retail price was approximately 18% of the retail price of the sneakers that my child lost. (I still remember how angry you were, though, Mom, and I'm sorry, all over again.) In a triumph of parenting, I did not kill D#1. And I am making an effort not to throw it up to her every 45 seconds. But this is a big pain, and very expensive (in money, yes, but time, as well). And, by the way, the fabulous podiatrist has office hours on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, from 8:30-3. Convenient.

Nonetheless, we had a fun excursion on Saturday. And today has been lovely as well. Three of us watched "Ratatouille" and laughed a lot, and there was lots of knitting time. Now I'm on duty, and in 20 minutes we'll all go to chapel and hear an organ recital (anyone out there ever read Cheaper by the Dozen? Not that kind of organ recital).

O Canada

2008-11-12T18:00:00.000-08:00

I've always been partial to Canada. Yep, the whole country. Sounds silly, does it? Well, so be it. I used to root for the Canadiens when Ken Dryden was their goalie. I loved going to Montreal with my family when we made our field trips to Jarry Park to see my dad's favorite baseball team, the St. Louis Cardinals, play the now defunct Montreal Expos. A good portion of my dissertation focuses on Canadian women writers. I have dear friends in several Canadian provinces. And as if that weren't already an embarrassment of riches, today I got a prize package all the way from British Columbia, full of the most wonderful stuff. Above, you can see the lovely washcloth and soap sack, containing cranberry sage soap. You can see 2 skeins of French blue pima cotton. You can see knitting needles (wood, which I love), and delightful glass bead stitch markers (one is already in use), and postcards of Vancouver Island, and a lovely card from (blogless) Raveler Cluxewe -- a fellow member of clan Fraser in the Outlander swap. This was a prize package, mind you, not the official swap package. Isn't that just great? A nice bunch, these Outlander fans. Now I definitely think I'll make it to Thanksgiving from here (the countdown is on--we're out for break 2 weeks from yesterday at 3:00 p.m. One of my colleagues has already opined that the school year is over.) If I didn't already think that most things Canadian are the bees' knees, I would now. Thank you, Cluxewe! You are amazing.

In other news, tonight I took my advisees out to dinner. They're nice girls and we had fun, but I have to say that I'm annoyed by texting at the dinner table, no matter how cool one's phone may be. Now I'm home, and I am done working until tomorrow.

It's Monday

2008-11-10T18:45:00.000-08:00

Hurray! My Outlander swap package arrived the other day. Just look at all the goodies! Above, Rumpelstiltskin Happy Feet yarn ...

Celtic theme stitch markers

three gorgeous patterns, and a lovely shawl pin -- not pictured, a bag of catnip (guess who has that?), homemade shortbread (in the foil-covered box at the top of the picture, contents now consumed) and herbal tea ...

and my bag -- just LOOK at this bag

Isn't it gorgeous? I was truly fortunate in my amazing swap partner, was I not? I hope the package she received was half as good as the one she sent me.

I never saw as many leaves in my life as are currently occupying our little cul de sac. Truly treacherous for the bicycle riders among us. I did try to take a picture today but there was no way my little Powershot was up to a scene of this vastness.

Today I got an e-mail from the 2009 Tour de France organizers asking me to take a survey. I thought, what the heck, it's that or grade papers, and clicked the link. They began by asking what I think of the route, which has just been released, my impressions of the efficacy of the drug testing regime (hm), and whether I'm likely to buy a Skoda because the company sponsors the Tour. I haven't seen many of these on the Southeast Expressway...

Knitting up a storm for the craft fair and to finish off the package for my swappee ....

Pumpkin Squares

2008-11-07T17:15:00.000-08:00

These are yummy. Making them was just what I needed this afternoon.

4 eggs
1 2/3 cups sugar
2 c pumpkin puree (1 can is fine if you haven't got a huge jack o'lantern on your doorstep)
1 cup vegetable oil

Beat until fluffy. Add:

2 c flour
1 tsp salt
some grated nutmeg
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon

Bake on an ungreased jelly roll pan at 350 about 30 minutes.

When cool, frost with:

6 oz cream cheese
1 c butter
1.5 tsp vanilla
3.5 - 4 cups 10X sugar

Saturday thoughts

2008-11-01T07:05:00.001-07:00

It's a good thing Halloween only happens once a year. The girls love this holiday and why not? From my perspective, too much candy I shouldn't eat comes into the house, we are always in danger of having a peanut item slip by, with all its attendant allergens, and my younger daughter already needs to be extra vigilant about her teeth given pre-natal nutritional deficiences. All right, now that the spoilsport issues are on the table, let me report that my younger daughter and her friend declared this "the best Halloween ever". Last night each of them got to do what she wanted: the older one went to a friend's party in her neighborhood and then trick-or-treating, while the younger one went with friends to a party in our neighborhood and then trick or treating in a group, without her own parents. The younger one was arrayed in beautiful pink ballerina garb, complete with tiara. The older one went as Goth Girl, with handcuff earrings, a studded choker, and dressed in black down to her toenails. At 10 p.m., then, when R collected the younger one from the dorm, where she was hanging out with me awaiting his return, we had potential double melt-down from costume excitement and sugar overload in the works. Double meltdown factor multiplied by 2 very strong personalities. Let's just say that I, in my craven fashion, was glad the task of getting them to bed was in R's hands and not mine.

One of our local LYSes is having a big 25th anniversary sale this weekend. Since D#1 had no school yesterday, we sneaked down there in the middle of the day when I had a break in my classes. She bought some Louisa Harding ribbon yarn in pinks and purples which she declares she'll use for a scarf for her sister, we bought 2 different skeins of ONLine Linie Spot, which I think is also destined for scarves, I found a great yarn for the Outlander swap (I had despaired of finding this item in my partner's colors but there it was), and I was forced to buy a skein of Knit One Crochet Too sock yarn in the most amazing bird of paradise colorway. I have no idea what the colorway is called, but it practically sang to me. D#1 says I am not allowed to make it into anything other than socks for myself. Somehow we also ended up with a skein of Malabrigo worsted in gorgeous dark greens. It just leapt into our basket while I wasn't looking. Yum.

Today is another gorgeous autumn day -- we had frost earlier in the week but have now had 2 consecutive days in the 5os. My garden is kaput, but still, it's nice that we haven't vaulted right into unremitting November-ness despite the calendar. D#1's soccer team won this morning, which is a nice reward for the hysteria we had getting her off to the game (the athlete in question having left her cleats & shinguards --required for town soccer events-- at school). I left D#2 busily working on her "Star of the Week" poster (she has been so anxious to be chosen, and knew exactly what she wanted to include several weeks ago. I'm trying not to obsess over the fact that her current career goal is "waitres girl" since 4 months ago she wanted to teach swim classes and I fully expect the reality to involve high fashion).

I'm thinking about the election (who isn't) and Jocelyn's thoughtful analysis of the real issues at stake. I'm wondering about the ways tv influences voters in all constituencies (my spouse used to opine that "West Wing" viewers were the crux of the problem in 2000, as we were all living in a fantasy world with Jed Bartlet as president and failed to take the real election seriously enough that there would have been no doubt about the results). One of my most scholarly students did a presentation in class last Thursday designed to give some of the younger students a drive-by look at the history of woman suffrage in this country, because as you might expect they don't know ANYTHING, and she did a wonderful job. Her starting hook, though, was a scene from the movie "Mary Poppins." You know the one, I'm sure: Mrs. Banks comes home all fired up from a rally at which one of her co-activists chained herself to the Prime Minister's carriage and there's a rousing musical number complete with Mrs. Banks showing her bloomers. "This is how I first learned about woman suffrage," she said. You don't know it? Here you go:

Never mind that the real message here is that Mrs. Banks would be better served to pay attention to her own family. Happy Saturday. Rabbit rabbit.

Visuals

2008-10-28T04:57:00.000-07:00

Long overdue, here are a couple of shots of the traveling shawl in Spain:

This is the Tuscany shawl from Amy Singer's No Sheep For You; I used Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in the Tuscany colorway, which is a nice confluence, I think! I now wonder if I should have made it bigger, but I think the wearer is enjoying it in this size. There are other photos of the shawl across the big pond, but faces of my loved ones are visible in those shots and we're a family increasingly wary of posting face shots on blogs ...

Last night when we came out of the pool, the windows and doors of the athletic center were covered with condensation. Some of the kids were drawing on it, and one of them (an budding engineer, given his interest in knitting design) found a way to use the lights from the soccer field to project the condensation drawings onto the white walls beside the doorway. Voila:

Also, voila, here is a sequence of fish tank photos (unfortunately in reverse order because Blogger won't do what I want, also unfortunately a little blurred because we were trying not to have the lid of the fish tank open too long and I rushed the shots) showing you the snail eggs. I'm just boggled by this event and can't wait to see what the next couple of weeks bring.

Here is a somewhat fuzzy shot of my first neckwarmer (in the Unique Sheep Singularity in Silk)

This is slightly better:

This is the Tudora neckwarmer in Cascade 200 Hunter Green, pictured with the Malabrigo neckwarmer in the indigo colorway ...

Below, D#2's sparkly scarf (Adriafils stars, on 15s):

My Druid mittens. The color is less orangey than this photo would have you believe -- it's Dream in Color Smooshy, in Ruby River.

Not pictured, but also OTN, 2 lace scarves, one in Malabrigo laceweight and the other in Knitterly Things Vesper sock yarn, in the Muddy Waters colorway.

When are you grading your papers, you ask in the face of all this knitting? What papers? My hands are busy.

Learning to Think

2008-10-26T16:14:00.000-07:00

Where did the past week go?

I taught, I knit, I graded, I ran around a lot, I went to a lot of meetings. I went to the doctor twice, trying to kick an upper respiratory tract infection. I did laundry and made soup and roasted beets. I took my children to the movies (High School Musical 3). I went to a swim meet.

I thought about papers I've written and papers I'd like to write, and a book review I have to do soon. I thought about my booklist for the spring. I thought a lot about teaching strategies.

"When we no longer know what to do we have come to our real work and when we no longer know which way to go we have begun our real journey. The mind that is not baffled is not employed. The impeded stream is the one that sings." My daughter's sixth grade homeroom teacher began a letter to parents with this passage from Wendell Berry, and went on to talk about the work the class has been doing on habits of mind. The kids have been introduced to three categories of habits of mind (self-monitoring, self-managing and self-modifying), all with the goal of becoming a "self-directed, self-reflective learner". My child assessed herself pretty honestly in the early stages of this process, and we have already seen her modify her behavior in response to this work. As I shuffle my own piles of paper, trying to deny my wish to work on the Sunday crossword and pick up my knitting project, it occurs to me that I could possibly benefit from some of this assessment as well.

It's true that some part of my mind is baffled a good deal of the time (how wrong am I getting my parenting? how can I find a way to spend some time with my spouse NOT devoted to the logistics of our daily lives? am I really meant to be pursuing the career path I've chosen? why can't I find more time to knit/sleep/read/cook/swim ?). Somehow I don't think that's the kind of baffled Berry had in mind.

There's a lot more to it, but I am impressed by this strategy and by one sixth grader's response.

I've knit 2 neckwarmers/cowls, heavily improvising the design based on a stitch count of 99, on 7s, and using a couple of different eleven stitch repeats. One is in The Unique Sheep's Singularity in Silk, in the Amani colorway, and one in Malabrigo worsted, in the indigo colorway. Photos to come.

Also, I have some slightly fuzzy photos of one of the coolest things ever, and I'll post these in the next day or so, when I'm at home (the cable for downloading such things from the camera is there, you see). One of our snails laid eggs!!

I hardly noticed Parents' Weekend

2008-10-19T14:16:00.000-07:00

The girls and I went to Wet Paint Nail Spa today. We love this establishment.

Fruits of a seasonal activity: yesterday D#2 went apple-picking with friends. She had a blast. There are still a few orchards open, although it is getting pretty close to the end of the season. Maybe we'll get a batch of applesauce out of these guys.

Today I made chicken soup and bacon/Gruyere/green tomato quiche. I had good intentions about tackling the pickling but when I went ot our local Stop & Shop they had a full end cap of different kinds of lids for Mason jars, and NO JARS.

Below, another marker of the season (that's the Harvard Lampoon building):

These two shots (above and below this line) are the green tomato chocolate cake from last week.

These 2 shots are of my birthday cake, made by R and adorned by the candelabra birthday candle sent me by my New York relatives. Those white circles are non-pareils. They occasioned a great deal of discussion ("what are they?" "what does THAT mean?" "What are those little white things on them?" "Do I have to eat it?").

Yum.

So we're all pretty excited about tonight, and R and I have changed our plans in deference to this momentous achievement (out to dinner instead of to "Body of Lies," figuring that the former would get us home earlier than the latter). If TBS loses the feed from Tampa again there will be hell to pay.

On a bigger scale, win or lose tonight, the fact that the Sox got to Game 7 says a lot about their heart and determination. This is why I love baseball -- you have to play the games to find out what will happen. All my Sox knitter pals are casting on good juju socks tonight and I do have some good red and white sock yarn that was sent to me by a fabulous swap partner. Maybe casting on for good luck socks is the push I need to put the Druid mittens on a circular (and frog back to get rid of the miscrossed cable I spotted while awaiting my turn at Wet Paint this afternoon). I carry them around so much that the dpns fall out, and my nifty dpn transport case is in use (on a pair of socks suffering from -- no, not second sock syndrome but "final 2/3 sock syndrome").

Yesterday, driving down to Attleboro to collect my swimmer from a "Catch the Spirit" clinic, I imagined walking down to the water with Marit to admire the new sea house before returning to her house for tea and an explanation of baseball. I remember thinking, I wonder if W.P. Kinsella's short story "The Thrill of the Grass" is available in Norwegian? That's a lovely example of [baseball] prose ....

Then, on the drive home, when D#1 announced that she was done talking and turned on her booklight, I imagined going to the Left Coast for a long walk with Jocelyn. She has a lot on her mind and I'm a good listener.

I love the connections afforded us by this Internet/blogging world.

Nobody has sung (or, it ain't over)

2008-10-17T04:34:00.000-07:00

Wow.

Nineteen

2008-10-15T18:02:00.000-07:00

Nineteen years ago R and I stood on a rock in Damariscotta, Maine, and signed on for this amazing rollercoaster ride we've been on ever since. We stayed here (several owners ago, as best I can determine). Computer Genius Brother and Sewing Genius SIL were there too, having dropped all at a moment's notice when we discovered we needed actual witnesses to make the thing legal. They brought champagne, and cups. And as CGB just pointed out this evening, they also contributed "fancy" to the occasion, as my sister-in-law had on fuzzy pink socks (as you can imagine, our youngest is dismayed that we didn't have bluebirds and attendants and white dresses and tuxedos. "You got married on a ROCK?" she keeps asking, in tones of horror).

Druid Mittens

2008-10-14T19:01:00.000-07:00

So I made a bad call and took the Druid mittens to faculty meeting tonight. I should have taken the boring but beautifully pink and sparkly scarf I'm making for D#2. During the first bombshell announcement I lost my place in the first chart and had to frog back 20+ rows. I hate when that happens. But then I pulled myself together and made a lot of progress. I'm trying to decide whether to color code the chart so I don't need my old lady reading glasses (I can no longer do the New York Times Sunday crossword without said glasses, sad to say). I like this pattern a lot, and the Dream in Color is showing the stitch definition beautifully. I wonder if I'll have the attention span to make more than one pair.

Kitchen update: I plan to buy some jars and try green tomato pickle -- I did try the green tomato cake recipe that came as an online extra with The Boston Globe magazine a couple of weeks ago; it was a huge hit with my family, none of whom knew it contained tomato. Interestingly, you also add beer -- which must help the batter counteract the weight of the tomato puree -- I used Avery IPA which I would NOT do if I make the cake again. Something with a less distinct and hoppy taste is probably better for baking (although the IPA is delicious for drinking). I suspect, in fact, that Guinness would have been better. Speaking of newspaper recipes, the other night R made the mac and cheese pancakes from the aforesaid New York Times. They were extremely yummy.

When we had family over on Monday I made whole wheat bread and banana bread, and squash/apple soup, and I'm glad I did, as I'm feeling crummy now (some sort of tree pollen allergies AND a cold) I have no interest in setting foot in the kitchen. Given that our 19th wedding anniversary is tomorrow, that doesn't bode well for a festive dinner...

And yes, I did notice that my beloved Red Sox are being massacred at Fenway. I don't really want to talk about it.

Some Silver Lining (picture heavy)

2008-10-11T09:37:00.000-07:00

Adding text seems a little superfluous, but I want to credit the fall photos properly (taken by D#1). I am glad to be reminded that, while the overall picture is grim, daily life has many positives and it's time to focus on them. So I'll try to do that, and attend to the fundamental tasks of that routine, and try not to get agitated about the crashing markets, grim economy, and other frustrations attendant upon being part of a community.

I do love fall, and these photos do show some of the New England foliage thing at its most scenic.

I'm enjoying using up scraps of sock yarn on these little ornament-y things. Dobby thinks they're cat toys, and Raeford thinks they're good for puppies, but I'm inclined to think they might have a less rough-and-tumble use. The fall mittens are still OTN, but require a pretty intesne focus on the various charts. Photos of them next time.

Oh, yes, last night in Tampa Bay --that was pretty good.

courtesy of bostonherald.com
courtesy of boston.com

one of the new snails

and some more pretty leaves

Also, I made applesauce. Of course it did not come out as beautifully pink as my mother's applesauce always does. She won't share her trick.

I think I'll go to a football game for a little while. After that my list looks like this: come home & write some comments, open my e-mail even though it's a long weekend and I'm resolved not to stress out, knit something, and get ready for Game 2 ...

Looking for the silver lining

2008-10-09T18:38:00.000-07:00

It's John Lennon's birthday today. Anyone else horrified to realize he would have been 68, or are we all so terrifyingly grownup now that we're not fazed?

On a larger scale, I cannot help but feel that we are entering (or well into) dangerous and uncharted waters in this country. I am fortunate enough to know that my job is safe, and so is my husband's -- but I think about all of the farmers and fiber artists and techie people I know and I worry about what the future holds for them. We're all so busy saying how important this election is but the fact remains that neither candidate is going to be able to fix what's wrong with our economy right away (if ever), and a lot of people who cannot afford to do so are going to pay for some stunningly bad decisions, policies, and lack of vision. And the people who made those decisions and cooked up those policies will barely feel a pinch. It's disheartening.

I'll come up with something more positive in a day or so. Maybe I'll show you some knitting, or some puppy pictures (she's coming to visit for the weekend). Maybe I'll have come up with an awesome recipe for using up the green tomatoes. Maybe I'll be able to tell you that I've graded all the papers in my possession. Yes.

Home again, and the onset of pennant fever

2008-10-05T08:39:00.000-07:00

I'm back from my conference and am trying to make sense of re-entry into this life. For example, just how much research can I do into green tomato recipes? I can't believe how many green tomatoes I have right now, and the first frost is approaching....

For the record, I had no visceral memory of ever having been in Boulder before, though in fact we were there as a family for a while in (I think) the summer of 1968. It's a place that makes my hometown of Cambridge MA look positively right wing. And so beautiful! How does anyone get their work done? I was also curious about the vast numbers of kids we saw out and about during what I think of as school hours, and the motivation for holding a big kids festival on the Pearl Street Mall from 3-6 on a weekday... in addition to the conference, we were able to sneak out for a dinner in an amazing place, and of course I dragged a friend to Shuttles, Spindles, and Skeins. Although we went for me, she ended up buying something. The patterns in that book are so cute. I can't wait to see which one she tackles first. (The only kind of evangelist I'm ever likely to be is the fibery kind, and I am very good at it.) We ran into another conference attendee while there, and spread the word among like-minded literary scholars when we returned from that exciting escape.

My paper and other conference/academic responsibilities went very well indeed, and as always attending this gathering feels like renewing my very lifeblood.

However, I lost the pattern for Tudora on the plane just as I was getting to the decrease/bind-off part of the exercise, so that's not finished. Now I'm home & can print it again, though, it should be a matter of a couple of innings.

And, in another misguided attempt to modify a pattern, I had thought I could convert Jared Flood's Druid mittens into a size large (the pattern is written only in Women's small) by just casting on and proceeding with size 4 needles. I completed one entire cuff before deciding that I was on track to create women's size humongous instead. So, time to frog & then back to size 3 needles as called for in the pattern. I'm using the Dream in Color Smooshy in the Ruby River colorway that my mother bought for me at Lettuce Knit last year and they're going to be SO gorgeous .... just right for fall in New England. This is my favorite time of year, and my favorite region in which to spend it.

Okay. Must keep moving! And let's hope that Joshua Patrick Beckett is close enough to 100% tonight that we can finish off this series before anything typically Red-Soxian occurs.

Teaching Knitting

2008-09-27T21:34:00.001-07:00

Tonight I proposed a dorm S 'n' B as an alternative to the football game under the lights (and, more importantly, in the torrentially pouring rain). It was just fascinating to observe the different ways the girls approached the yarn and needles. Some had knit before and needed only a little push. One lefty couldn't manage to learn right-handed and sequestered herself in the corner with my laptop & a YouTube video on casting on and knitting left-handed. Some of the smartest but spaciest kids couldn't figure out the sequencing of tasks involved in the knit stitch, and one ninth grade perfectionist ripped her work out 4 times and finally threw in the towel, vowing to try another day. But two of the first time knitters took to it like ducks to water (one ninth grader working on a hat and one sophomore creating a very fuzzy scarf), and they really rocked. I can't wait to see how they progress and if they continue to like it. They were all surprised how fast the time went; most stuck to it for over 2 hours.

(I had actually worried that I wouldn't get any takers for this activity but I had eight girls knitting at one time or another and I count that a success. If I were still doing Lime & Violet's Chore Wars I'd definitely get to move up a level as a result).

I'm tired of the rain. Oh, and there could be a new installment in the puppy story. I'll keep you posted.

Champagne Supernova

2008-09-24T17:07:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry -- but for those of us who suffered with this team for years upon years, this just doesn't get old. All photos courtesy of boston.com.

There's still a smidge of pear cake left, in case you were wondering.

More Bounty from Friends

2008-09-23T18:44:00.000-07:00

This here beauty is pear & caramel cake, recipe courtesy of one Knitting Linguist.
Photos by D#1.
Yum....

Friends of my Heart

2008-09-20T16:40:00.000-07:00

At 4:15 this morning the Falling Water scarf and I were standing on a street in Northwest DC waiting for the Washington Flyer Super Shuttle to convey me to Dulles Airport for my trip home.

I arrived in northern VA at 5:20 p.m. on Friday, rendezvoused with a former colleague at the Avis counter, and headed off to a retirement party for a woman I can only describe in the words of another former colleague: a math teaching deity. She has incredible skills as a teacher, but is truly gifted in her ability to take a disparate group of people and turn them into a close, cohesive, effective department. She mentored more teachers than I can even begin to imagine; she made a tremendous difference to my own career and continues to be a great role model and positive influence in my life. I can't even begin to tell you how much it meant to me to be able to go --and seeing her face when my other colleague (who'd flown in from Chicago) and I walked in was just priceless. Not only that, there were so many other close friends there--of the sort I do not have in my current institution(s). One of them hugged me and said "it means so much just to know you are real," and I know just what she meant by that. I felt very at home with my former colleagues, and was delighted to have the chance to meet the boy wizards who've become a big part of the department in its current incarnation. There were wedding and baby and child pictures to admire, and there was wonderful conversation. It was a lovely evening.

I arrived at Logan at 8:30 a.m. and headed off to meet the rest of my family at D#1's soccer game. We had to turn around and go back to the pool for the season's suit fitting (those Hydra suits are something) and the mandatory beginning-of-season parent meeting with the head coach. Now it's ten minutes to 8 and I am ready to go to bed.

A Truly Excellent Package

2008-09-18T12:14:00.001-07:00

Today I came home and found this wonderful package on my front step. It's from my amazing Twilight Swap partner, Angelique Devereaux, and I was happy to see it just for the mere fact of its being here. Then I opened it.

Inside there was Misti Alpaca yarn in a colorway that's right up my alley --how did she know? -- and a copy of the Tiger Eye lace scarf pattern I've had in my Ravelry queue for a while ...

There was a mini sock blocker key chain kit

Look! There's my bag peeking out ...

Here it is, unpacked and unfolded, with a Breaking Dawn button resting on it:

Although I put the bag in the sun to try to photograph the sparkles, that didn't work so well. Trust me, the bag is sparkly.

There was a lovely card with wolves on it (I am a member of the Wolf Pack and my pal is a member of the Coven). I always love getting cards in my swap packages and I often forget to include them myself --well, I remember when I've already sealed the package and by then --

There was a mysterious little buckskin-colored bag and in it were these beautiful stitch markers (made, I suspect, by Lavender Diggory?):

In fact, there were so mnay goodies I gave up taking individual photos and arranged them in an artful display:
There was a cute notebook with a leaf cut-out on the front, leaf notes and a magnetic-back leaf patterned pad, a Twilight calendar (I know right where that's going, my advisees will love it too), an extra little crocheted drawstring bag, and a sheet of Breaking Dawn stickers. And can you see the Team Jacob t-shirt? Yes.

I hope I haven't missed anything--I was well and truly spoiled this time by a friendly, thoughtful swap pal. Thank you so much!

(And since I gave but didn't receive in the Gryffindor swap this summer it's especially nice to feel so well-taken-care-of this time around.)

A Little Fiber Content

2008-09-17T11:00:00.000-07:00

All three of the photos above are the Falling Water scarf --the top one shows you how the variegation in the yarn is playing itself out, and possibly gives you a sense of the lace pattern (though pre-blocking, it just looks like a big blob to me), while the lower two are closer to the actual color. I'm really enjoying this -- it's a quick and pretty knit. I've done about 11 pattern repeats thus far and will be interested to see whether I can actually get two scarves out of one skein of this yarn (Neighborhood Fiber Co Studio Sock, from last winter's sock club experience.

Below ... behold! From this morning, D#2 biking to school for the first time.

More on Remembering 9/11

2008-09-14T19:21:00.000-07:00

From the hiking 'diary' of Computer Genius Brother:

"Yesterday (Sept 13) was Flags on the 48, when hikers fly the American flag on each
of the 48 NH 4,000 footers in memory of September 11th. I climbed South Twin
(via North Twin) to participate in the memorial. South Twin has been a
difficult peak for me, I was glad to finally reach it. The morning weather
was uncooperative - I was climbing in fog and cloud, very damp and chilly,
with no views whatsoever. But the skies cleared as I made my way from North
Twin over to South Twin, and there were lovely - if limited - views from
South Twin. I could see the flags on North Twin, Garfield, Lafayette,
Lincoln, Bond, and West Bond, as well as funny shapes that were probably
flags on Willey and Eisenhower. I could also see the peaks of Tom, Field,
Owls Head, and Carrigain, all of which - except Garfield - I've climbed.
South Twin was #39 of 48.

There were lots of people hanging around because of the flags. It was
interesting how many of them had no idea the memorial was taking place, but
wanted to stay nearby, and were already planning to hike Flags on the 48
next year. There was also a lot of talk about the meaning of the memorial
itself, more so than I remember 2 years ago (the last time I joined)."

Thanks for sharing, bro, and for allowing me to post not only the picture but your words as well.

Flummoxed by the Music Meme from Knitnana

2008-09-14T09:55:00.000-07:00

via Music Outfitters. All I can say is -- well, no, never mind, I'll say that part in a minute.

Here's the official deal --
A) Go to Music Outfitters
B) Enter the year you graduated from high school in the search function and get the list of 100 most popular songs of that year
C) Bold the songs you like, strike through the ones you hate and underline and/or italicize your favorite. Do nothing to the ones you don’t remember (or don’t care about).

I absolutely fell apart on this step. I do remember liking a number of these songs when I was in high school. Okay, more than "a number". I'm just not sure I want to say which ones. I still like a few of these songs even now, and I bet I'd even sing if one of those came on the radio in the car (if I was alone, don't worry) -- no humiliating my children with tuneless warbling of late 70s disco era hits ... at least, not in this phase of my relationship with them). But I look at this list and it fills me with horror. (And I guess "Freebird" was earlier?) So I've done the best I could with it, bolding the ones I still want to say that I like, but you'll just have to accept that the whole process really shook me up. Yes, it may have something to do with the fact that the first "save the date" card for my 30th high school reunion arrived in the mailbox yesterday, but I don't want to talk about that.

~~1. My Sharona, The Knack~~
2. Bad Girls, Donna Summer
3. Le Freak, Chic
4. Da Ya Think I'm Sexy, Rod Stewart
5. Reunited, Peaches and Herb
6. I Will Survive, Gloria Gaynor
7. Hot Stuff, Donna Summer
8. Y.M.C.A., Village People
9. Ring My Bell, Anita Ward
10. Sad Eyes, Robert John
11. Too Much Heaven, Bee Gees
12. MacArthur Park, Donna Summer
13. When You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman, Dr. Hook
14. Makin' It, David Naughton
15. Fire, Pointer Sisters
16. Tragedy, Bee Gees
~~17. A Little More Love, Olivia Newton-John~~
18. Heart Of Glass, Blondie
19. What A Fool Believes, Doobie Brothers
20. Good Times, Chic
~~21. You Don't Bring Me Flowers, Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond~~
22. Knock On Wood, Amii Stewart
23. Stumblin' In, Suzi Quatro and Chris Norman
24. Lead Me On, Maxine Nightingale
25. Shake Your Body, Jacksons
26. Don't Cry Out Loud, Melissa Manchester
27. The Logical Song, Supertramp
28. My Life, Billy Joel
~~29. Just When I Needed You Most, Randy Vanwarmer~~
30. You Can't Change That, Raydio
31. Shake Your Groove Thing, Peaches and Herb
32. I'll Never Love This Way Again, Dionne Warwick
33. Love You Inside Out, Bee Gees
34. I Want You To Want Me, Cheap Trick
35. The Main Event (Fight), Barbra Streisand
36. Mama Can't Buy You Love, Elton John
37. I Was Made For Dancin', Leif Garrett
38. After The Love Has Gone, Earth, Wind and Fire
39. Heaven Knows, Donna Summer and Brooklyn Dreams
40. The Gambler, Kenny Rogers
41. Lotta Love, Nicolette Larson
42. Lady, Little River Band
43. Heaven Must Have Sent You, Bonnie Pointer
44. Hold The Line, Toto
45. He's The Greatest Dancer, Sister Sledge
46. Sharing The Night Together, Dr. Hook
47. She Believes In Me, Kenny Rogers
48. In The Navy, Village People
49. Music Box Dancer, Frank Mills
50. The Devil Went Down To Georgia, Charlie Daniels Band
51. Gold, John Stewart
52. Goodnight Tonight, Wings
53. We Are Family, Sister Sledge
54. Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy, Bad Company
55. Every 1's A Winner, Hot Chocolate
56. Take Me Home, Cher
57. Boogie Wonderland, Earth, Wind and Fire
58. (Our Love) Don't Throw It All Away, Andy Gibb
59. What You Won't Do For Love, Bobby Caldwell
60. New York Groove, Ace Frehley
61. Sultans Of Swing, Dire Straits
62. I Want Your Love, Chic
63. Chuck E's In Love, Rickie Lee Jones
64. I Love The Night Life, Alicia Bridges
65. Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now, McFadden and Whitehead
66. Lonesome Loser, Little River Band
67. Renegade, Styx
68. Love Is The Answer, England Dan and John Ford Coley
69. Got To Be Real, Cheryl Lynn
70. Born To Be Alive, Patrick Hernandez
71. Shine A Little Love, Electric Light Orchestra
~~72. I Just Fall In Love Again, Anne Murray~~
73. Shake It, Ian Matthews
74. I Was Made For Lovin' You, Kiss
~~75. I Just Wanna Stop, Gino Vannelli~~
76. Disco Nights, G.Q.
77. Ooh Baby Baby, Linda Ronstadt
78. September, Earth, Wind and Fire
79. Time Passages, Al Stewart
80. Rise, Herb Alpert
81. Don't Bring Me Down, Electric Light Orchestra
82. Promises, Eric Clapton
~~83. Get Used To It, Roger Voudouris~~
84. How Much I Feel, Ambrosia
85. Suspicions, Eddie Rabbitt
86. You Take My Breath Away, Rex Smith
87. How You Gonna See Me Now, Alice Cooper
88. Double Vision, Foreigner
89. Every Time I Think Of You, Babys
90. I Got My Mind Made Up, Instant Funk
91. Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough, Michael Jackson
92. Bad Case Of Lovin' You, Robert Palmer
~~93. Somewhere In The Night, Barry Manilow~~
94. We've Got Tonite, Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band
95. Dance The Night Away, Van Halen
96. Dancing Shoes, Nigel Olsson
97. The Boss, Diana Ross
98. Sail On, Commodores
99. I Do Love You, G.Q.
~~100. Strange Way, Firefall~~

See what I mean? So what am I knitting, you ask, desperately trying to change the subject?

Right. I'm working on Bonnie Sennott's Falling Water scarf, using Neighborhood Fiber Co Studio Sock in "hypercolor", which is a yummy range of purples. I was a little worried about using a variegated yarn as many, if not most, of the project photos on Ravelry are in solid colorways, but after 4 pattern repeats I like how it's looking and plan to forge ahead.

FO!

2008-09-13T14:26:00.001-07:00

This is the Apres Surf Hoodie, from IK Summer 2008, in Rowan Cashsoft 4 ply (colorway: bark). Modified to be knit in the round, and unblocked in this photo, as its designated recipient was eager to put it on, be photographed, and appear on the blog!

She is off to the Red Sox/Blue Jays game tonight with friends (and 1 parent). Bartolo Colon vs. Jesse Litsch. It's an important game, made even more so by the pasting the Sox took in the 1st game of this day/night doubleheader.

Her sister, meanwhile, with grim and determined mien, put in 2 hours of bicycling practice this afternoon and is close to being cleared to ride to school (again, with a parent).

We are again puppysitting this weekend. Raeford's paw to body ratio appears to be shifting and we all now think she's going to be a bigger dog than originally predicted. She is still a princess, yet fun to have around, and she has gotten very attached to R. She hates it when he goes out without her (as he has just done, to drop D#1 off for this baseball event).

Tomatoes are still ripening ...

Remember

2008-09-11T19:54:00.001-07:00

Tribute of Light, in Boston

The new memorial at Logan Airport

Tribute of Light in NYC

photos courtesy of boston.com

A Message from My Daughter

2008-09-10T18:08:00.000-07:00

This sign appeared on our refrigerator just before dinner. Words fail me.

Tampa Bay Tuesday

2008-09-09T17:29:00.000-07:00

For all Red Sox fans, this is an exciting time of year. The boys have fought back from a big deficit in the standings and enter tonight's game just a 1/2 game back from the AL-East-leading Tampa Bay Rays. It's been raining since early afternoon, on and off, so I hope they'll get the game in. Dice-K has not pitched well tonight, and we're lucky the Sox are only down 1 run in the bottom of the 5th. There's a lot of bad blood between these teams. The Boston Globe gathered up some fun pictures to document the trajectory of bad feeling.

I've spent a lot of time in the dorm the past few days and consequently the endless i-cord bindoff of the Apres Surf hoodie isn't done. I am trying to resist casting on for several other projects; I've been invited to put some items into a craft fair in early December and really want to be able to say I'll do it... but that hoodie really needs to be DONE. On the other hand, I have made some progress -- the box for my Twilight Swap pal is sealed up and ready to go. I think I must not be a bag maker, or at least a knitted bag maker, as my last few attempts at this task have not pleased me. This time around, I liked the yarn, enjoyed the pattern and and had fun doing the knitting, but I just don't love the finished product. Oh, well. The rest of the box was full of good stuff so I hope my pal will like it.

If other teaching pals can make room in their lives for a meme, who am I to whine about how much work I have to do? I picked this up from Jocelyn, who was gracious enough NOT to tag people at this mad mad time of year but instead allowed for self-tagging:

What are the last three things you purchased?
caramel frappucino
butter croissant
no-fat pumpkin spice latte

What are the last three songs you downloaded?

"check yes Juliet" We the Kings
"Breathe in, breathe out," Mat Kearney
"

What are the three best places you visited?
Phnom Penh
London
Paris

What are your three favorite movies? These are three of my favorite movies. I don't think I have a Top 3.

The Big Lebowski
Moonstruck
Bend it like Beckham

What three things can you not live without?
My husband
My daughters
Books

What would be your three wishes?
Environmental awareness/action
More than adequate education for every child in this world
common sense in all branches of government (yeah, I know)

What are three things you haven't done yet?
get a tattoo
sky dive
swim an open water race

Name three things that freak you out?
big crowds in enclosed spaces
screeching styrofoam
runny eggs

What are your three favorite dishes?
My mother's chocolate cream puffs
My mother's brioche
chicken enchiladas with salsa verde and sour cream
(oh, and lobster rolls. Can't I list more than 3?)

Name three things you are good at?
organizing
being a friend
being a mom (most of the time)

What are three things you are currently coveting?
Someone to clean my house
A massage
Spinning wheel (& lessons, I know)

Stylin' Sunday

2008-09-07T15:58:00.001-07:00

Well, it was really stylin' Saturday --quite a transformation, don't you think? Her hair looks so happy to be freed of all that weight -- and although I'm not showing you her face, trust me when I say that this cut is extremely flattering (our hair stylist refers to himself as 'a framer of pictures' ...).

The end of last week was just as wild as the beginning. It just got too exhausting to write about it. Suffice it to say that there were many errands undertaken and accomplished, many 'firsts', and it was a very long short week. Tomorrow we have one more bizarrely-scheduled school day, with Convocation in the morning and special class meetings at the end of the day, and a veritable bizzard of paper being handed out to students in between. Then, perhaps, things will settle into some sort of routine.

Yes.

Day #2

2008-09-03T16:12:00.000-07:00

No shots of reviving libations tonight. This shortened week at the beginning of the school year always has me going many directions at once, and shifting gears among my various roles multiple times during the day (often at light speed).

Here's what that looks like: today Mom drove an early run to school, Teacher went to a meeting, Mom went back to retrieve the elder child, Professor worked on her syllabus and class blog, Mom picked up the younger child early from school and took both girls to elder daughter's doctor's appointment, Teacher/Mom took both girls and went to a dorm meeting, Mom brought everyone home and supervised homework and made dinner, Professor tried to finish the opening lecture before Teacher goes back to the dorm...

Why am I risking paralyzing you with boredom by listing all of those activities? Well, it was in interesting counterpart to content of my morning meeting, for one. The theme of our faculty meeting this morning (today's is always reserved for some kind of professional development work, either a speaker, or workshops, or the like) was the culture of distraction, and focused on the ways burgeoning technological advances impinge on our time and ability to focus. The point is not just that we adults are multi-tasking within an inch of our lives, but that our children have actually been brought up NOT to pay attention in a singular, focused way. As teachers, then, we need to find ways to help them learn this skill. Our speaker talked about creating quiet spaces in our daily lives, noticing the layers of distractions in our daily routines, and being more thoughtful about our curriculum planning. This sounds like a great goal for the year, in fact. I had already said to R that I needed to find a way to head off the serious stress before the stomach ache arrives; finding them quiet spaces sounds to me like a part of the process.

(Another reason to write out that mind-numbing list above is exorcism, frankly. If I tell my day, maybe I won't continue to gnash my teeth about it.)

Despite all this running about, I am mid-three-needle-bind-off on the hood of the Apres Surf Hoodie, and after that, it's a small matter of sewing in the sleeves and applying the neckband and i-cord bindoffs. I am glad to see that the end of this project is finally in sight, though I have enjoyed working on it. It's been OTN a long time. The French Market bag is also as close to done as THAT --it needs its handles kitchenered and then a serious felting. After that I'll see whether I think it needs a fabric lining...

Day #1

2008-09-02T17:35:00.001-07:00

End of August Miscellany

2008-09-01T13:20:00.000-07:00

Here is our canine visitor. Remember when she was just a tiny puppy? We've had a lovely weekend with her while her parent was out-of-town with the older dog.

Good Harbor Beach in Gloucester--this was our expedition last week while D#2 was enjoying her first day of school. It is a lovely little beach and we had a great time. D#1 managed to get around fairly well while we were there, though she paid for it later that night. (Note: after 4 days of doing literally nothing, the pain in her legs is much diminished, leaving me hopeful that she will be able to start school, and possibly even swimming, on time).

The contractors who came to repair the stairs on Thursday had to cut a hole in the living room wall. The cats were very curious but luckily none of the the three were walled up inside at the end of the job. We'll see how long it takes our facilities folks to come and paint ....

Summer version of a fry-up! All produce in the skillet courtesy of our garden. These veggies made a lovely penne topping, wilted in a little olive oil and white wine.

The hummingbird loves this plant. And below, a very interesting tomato.

The turkeys are back, in greater numbers. We think this flock must be 2 separate families, as there seem to be 2 adult females and 11 babies. The cats are still making up their minds (are we horrified? terrified? eager to pounce?) and the visiting puppy was absolutely speechless when the birds came up on the porch.'

This is my very ugly Ravelympics bag. It is either going to be frogged or tossed. Pattern: Elisa's Nest Tote (the pattern was fine), yarn: Panda Cotton in Faded Jeans, held double. I was making it for a swap, but there's no way I'm inflicting this on anyone. I'm well into the knitting of bag #2, using the French Market Bag pattern from Knitty instead, and I like it much better.

Well, it's back to the salt mines tomorrow. The best thing about faculty meetings is the knitting time, I keep telling myself. And yes, I am resolutely resisting political commentary today ...

Time Flies When School Looms

2008-08-30T19:29:00.001-07:00

I don't quite know where the time went this week -- certainly I was caught up in the "waste every minute you can before school starts" frenzy, but there was also time for some fun (lunch with my mother tops that list, along with listening to D#2 describe her "best first day ever").

In any case, here we are, it's Labor Day weekend, and, like some other teachers I know, I have plenty left on my summer to-do list. We are puppysitting (we didn't get to keep her but we still get to have her in our lives), recovering from moving around a lot of furniture (thanks, CG brother!), and trying to manage D#1's leg pain. She has been having significant pain in the lateral thigh area (both legs) for some time; after visit #2 the pediatrician ordered her to do NOTHING this weekend and shuffled us on to the orthopedist for help in finding answers. With any luck, the rest will help enough that she can start school on time. Sitting around isn'ther favorite thing to do but she's been a good sport about it for the most part. She's also mulling over an extreme change in her look and has spent lots of time online inspecting short hairstyles. The tween version of retail therapy, perhaps?

There has been knitting but I can't show it. If all goes as planned, though, I will be in endless faculty meetings Tuesday and hope to finish off a couple WIPs before deciding on a project to inaugurate the school year. I like the look of this ... and of course my Ravelry queue has plenty of scope for choosing, as well.

We're awash in tomatoes, finally.

An Important Anniversary

2008-08-26T12:57:00.000-07:00

Today is the anniversary of the date on which the 19th Amendment to the Constitution became law, in 1920. That's correct; women in the United States have only had the right to vote for 88 years. Surprised?

I was thinking about this anniversary anyway (my mother is an historian and I have learned some of my lessons well!) when I ran across a blog that asked fellow bloggers to write about something that gave them pleasure. So there you go -- although I am dismayed by the fact that it took our lawmakers so long, I am very pleased that I live in a country in which it is legal, possible, and safe for me to cast my vote.

Tomorrow D#2 goes back to school. She is looking forward to it. This, too, gives me pleasure. She is returning to the school where she went to kindergarten, and since she hasn't been there for 2 years, I suspect she's a little nervous. Luckily, there will be some children from her summer school class in her room this year, and she is great at settling into a new group. (Amazingly enough, she has not yet chosen her outfit.)

Can You Post Tomato Pictures to a Knitting Blog?

2008-08-24T17:15:00.000-07:00

That was R's question, and the answer of course, is: why yes, you can. I've been doing it all season, as you know. This is the first full-size tomato from my garden, and it was spectacular. Each slice was glowing yellow inside and amazingly sweet, and there were very few seeds.

So then D#1 wanted me to take a picture of her lunch.

Objects of My Affection

2008-08-19T08:25:00.000-07:00

I forgot to show you how the tomatoes held up while we were away.

It's a jungle out there -- but there are signs that some of the bigger fruits are going to ripen. I expect I'll be hovering over them til the first frost! Enough of that, you're probably bored with the garden anyway.

This blurry blob of approximately 1 yard of yarn is what I had left after binding off the Tuscany shawl yesterday.

I wasn't surprised that it looked like a total blob (photo to left) because I've seen other knitters' lace photos and I didn't expect to be charmed by simply getting the thing off the needles.

Once I began to get it blocked out, complete with ends darned but not clipped as per the various tutorials I found on line (Eunny Jang's was great -- I found the link on Ravelry of course) ....
I will confess to an absolutely overwhelming feeling of "wow, I actually made this!" Of course, I can see a couple of places where it isn't totally perfect (and I sure hope I haven't inadvertently photographed them for all of you to admire too) but I am really pleased with the way it turned out, and I am totally hooked on lace knitting now. I hope the recipient of this shawl will wear it in exotic locales and send pictures!

Here are 4 oz of lovely soft white Corriedale and 1 oz of dyed Corriedale from Grafton Fibers (oh, do I love their stuff -- can you say Darn Pretty Needles??) in an unbelievably gorgeous mix of purples and blues. I wish the colors would show up in the photo but it is thundering/raining again so I can't go back outside to try a do-over. Both purchased at Wool Away on Railroad Street in St. Johnsbury, a fine LYS.

D#1 has stuck to her decision and will swim this fall with the advanced practice group.

I am resisting the temptation to start making lists of what I have and have not accomplished this summer -- but cannot resist the addition of one more summer reading recommendation. If you haven't yet run across The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Anne Barrows and Annie Shaffer, there are still a few official days of summer left.

Where's the Instruction Manual?

2008-08-17T19:14:00.000-07:00

Tonight R and I sat down with D#1 to discuss her plans for the fall. We are trying to get transportation issues resolved, figure out after school programs, and get a sense of our budget for the semester. So D#1's swimming naturally figures largely in this picture. Some of you know that she has battled performance anxiety for much of her swimming career, and although she has made a tremendous amount of progress she is still hypersensitive about that struggle. She hates being singled out in front of her teammates, even to be praised for this progress, and even the most well-intentioned praise sometimes causes her to fly into a frenzy (not, of course, at her coaches--but at me in the car on the way home). While R and I both want her to continue swimming (and her coaches think that she is only now getting to a point where we might actually see some results that reflect her talent), we are also absolutely united in our resolve to avoid some of the melodrama and stress associated with D#1's swimming career as we head into the new short course season.

So we offered her a three tiered choice: accept the promotion to the new practice group, remain at her current level (which would mean actually practicing less than in the past), or take a break from the sport altogether. We explained that we would no longer coax or cajole her through a bout of nerves or a hissy directed at a coach, and that her choice was for the season -- unless she cannot manage her schoolwork -- re-evaluating the decision she makes now won't be open to her until the end of the short course season. We talked with her about the good that has come from swimming, including a whole new set of friends, and outlined for her the explicit and implicit ways that our family's life revolves around this commitment. It was a remarkable conversation, with three-way listening and communicating, and no yelling. And there were some surprises in the process as well.

At the end, while D#1 expressed a desire to have the time to take her aunt up on her offer of flute lessons, her initial decision (upon which she will sleep) is to accept the promotion to the new practice group. I suspect that she was surprised to hear her father speak so supportively of her swimming, as I think she's misunderstood the division of labor around her practice schedule as reflecting his wish that she play soccer or softball instead, and I also think she was surprised to hear us lay out our abdication of the posts of chief naggers (pack your swim bag, are you ready to go?). I hope we can stick to it, after this lovely moment of clear communication! When R and I discussed, ahead of time, how we hoped to direct this conversation, one of our major issues was how to help D#1 understand that her impulse to procrastinate is a major stumbling block in achieving her goals. I am especially pleased at the ways the three of us found to discuss that tendency without using the word itself, which tends to make her freeze up.

(Can I also say that I was very impressed by Michael Phelps and his mom Debbie, in their post-eight-gold-medals conversation with Bob Costas? That's a forum in which it is very difficult not to fall prey to the fatuous style of America sports interviewing, and they did not.)

[The school is going to give me a new laptop for this academic year and I ca hardly wait --the "n" key on this one is so sticky it takes 2 or 3 strikes to get the letter to appear & I am actually rephrasing some things in order NOT to use the letter.]

{Tomorrow I hope to show you my fibery purchases from the Northeast Kingdom, all other commitments permitting.}

Returning to Regularly Scheduled Programming (picture heavy)

2008-08-16T16:50:00.000-07:00

Despite weather that made us wonder if we ought to start investigating good ark-building material, we did manage to capture many meaningful & soul-replenishing moments on memory card and in our memories of Summer 2008 ... (many photos by daughter #1). Above, heifers. Below, Willow.

Fog rising.

A familiar sky, below:

D#2's favorite ride at this year's County Fair (no, her father went with her).

A new calf (this might be Maisey):

some of my Tour de Fleece spinning, and a top view of my spindle ...

Tuscany, nearing completion.

Some of us got a lot of sleep.

Another in our series of interesting bugs, this one spotted on a mailbox in St. Johnsbury:

I was excited to have a shadow to photograph after so many days of rain:

Flowers in an historically-accurate recreation of a 19th century garden:

Some of us managed a little beach time.

Hurray, I finally made it to the barn after days flat on my back. The calves don't mind the camera if the flash is turned off ....

Yes, always one of my favorite views.

Now it is back to the real world -- although none of us start school for ten days there is plenty to do, believe me.

From the Land of Eternal Rain

2008-08-08T09:05:00.000-07:00

Here in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, it is lush and green, and very damp indeed. Rivers and creeks and brooks and lakes are rising (here's a math problem: if a lake is roughly seven miles long and a mile and a half wide at its widest, about how much rain would cause said lake to rise EIGHTEEN INCHES?). Yes, it has been a wet week. In front of the Goodrich Library in Newport, there are no fewer than four different kinds of mushrooms growing on the lawn.

Oh, yes. And I've thrown out my back.

Here's hoping that 8/08/08 brings good luck -- let the Ravelympics commence!

Taking a Deep Breath

2008-08-02T04:31:00.000-07:00

Here in Red Sox Nation this morning, I suspect I am not alone in thinking that everything's going to be okay. And yes, baseball season (all professional sports seasons) goes on a long time, but no longer than when some young folks were kids -- it is, I think, absolutely true, however, that the media coverage is much more extensive and goes on a long time both before and after the season. It's a business, unfortunately.

An update of sorts -- we're six days away from the beginning of Ravelympics 2008, where I'm knitting for Team Redsoxnation in 2 events, bagntote backstroke (this one's a secret) and WIPs wrestling (at least 3 items are slated to come off the needles). I hope I'll have much to report in my next post (fiber arts, cooking extravaganzas, and local produce galore) but I am headed away from regular Internet access for the nonce and don't know exactly when I'll next be able to check in. With any luck I will be writing about joyful things and *not* the trials of parenting an emerging adolescent. Keep your fingers crossed.

See you soon!

Off to Hollywood

2008-07-31T17:55:00.001-07:00

photo courtesy of boston.com

It was time.

Rain Delay

2008-07-27T17:08:00.001-07:00

I've reached the point in the summer when fall begins to loom (and may I say this seems much earlier than usual); I have not yet had an anxiety dream about school but I am certainly fretting about school-related tasks and all the organizational paperwork involved in sending my children to their respective institutions of learning. Why on earth is this happening in July, I'd like to know. Maybe it's because this past school year finished up in such a stomach-clenching way. In any case, I don't feel refreshed (I hope that's really 'I don't feel refreshed YET') and I am not (yet) feeling any sort of pleased anticipation about the school year to come... and I've been thinking more and more about what I might do with my life if I get to the point (which certainly felt near this spring) where the overall weight of Parents-and-their-issues cancels out what I love most about teaching. I've had other jobs, and I have even had another set of jobs that felt like a career at the time, but I'm not going back to any of those -- but that's all for another day, I think. I think. Listening in on the job hunts of those close to me always makes me wonder, and this summer I feel I have more reason to consider the possibilities.

Okay. On to the next thing.

I had a good Tour de Fleece; I think my spinning has really improved with all of this practice, and I have loved watching the transition from roving to yarn. Ahead: the challenge of plying (although the books I've inspected don't make it sound hard-what am I missing?). D#1 and I were at her swim meet when the actual Tour finished on the Champs Elysees this morning but we are home to watch the extended coverage/replay this evening. R and D#2 watched it live and, as a result, I have heard a great deal about how my youngest loves the Eiffel Tower. (Maybe we'll go to France for our sabbatical adventure in 2009-10? See, there's a reason to keep my job at least through 2010 ...)

The cherry tomatoes are now ripening in small handfuls but everything else remains resolutely green. The heirloom tomato plant does have some healthy-looking fruit on it, by the way. Since I pulled off all those nasty ones, I've only had to pick one more with the same discolorations.

Baseball news has been grim -- the Red Sox appear to be imploding in a catastrophe of incompetent middle relief, poor hitting, and the annual Manny-must-go mania. As I said to a very gracious and tactful Yankees fan this evening, the best I can hope for is that they'll be rained out this evening.

There has been knitting, but nothing significant to report at this point. I'm hoping to get at least one of the projects currently OTN done by Friday.

Time to go make some lists. And may I just say, I'm sick of all the rain? The tarp is coming off the field now, though. Play ball!

Tuesday Treats

2008-07-22T16:53:00.000-07:00

Caution, Tour stage spoiler below!

Emboldened by my child's success at photo camp last week, I wasted some time this morning taking flower pictures. I like the pollen on this one, although D#2 looked at the photo, grimaced, and said, "even the picture makes me want to sneeze".

So before the mail came, I was going to blog about how I bobbled if not actually dropped the parenting ball this morning when a child asked D#2 and me how I could be her Mom, but I can save that self-browbeating for another day.

So, how about a fun prize? Remember Kristin? She sent me this yummy Great Adirondack Montana in the Chili Peppers colorway for contributing to Red Cross disaster relief:

and not only that, she included a pattern for a "princess poncho," shown on the card to the left of the yarn in the picture below. Do you think there might be someone in this house who would like a princess poncho? That reminds me, one of these days I need to show you what she chose at Ladybug Yarn in Dennis 2 weeks ago. In any case, this yarn is gorgeous, and how nice of Kristin to send it!

And speaking of nice, speaking of brilliant wonderful thoughtful friends, how about that amazing Knitting Linguist? Remember that she went to New Zealand, and, brave woman and mom-par-excellence, took her older daughter along to an academic conference? See this, and this , and this ... Yes. So look what came in the mail today, and please keep your drool off the screen:

This absolutely gorgeous silk/merino blend is from Ashford, and now I know what I'll be doing while the boys are charging up l'Alpe d'Huez! Between now and then, though, I'll just be here, petting it. It is so soft you wouldn't believe, and the colors are like a summer ocean. I adore it. Thank you, thank you, Jocelyn!

I did drop my spindle today (and shrieked, I'll confess) when John-Lee Augustyn went over the edge -- but I managed to spin right up til the leading chase group hit the last kilometer. I've been working on the Leaf Peep roving but I was so excited by my presents that I forgot to take pictures of my work OR the spindle itself. I'm pleased with how it's going, though, and have been fascinated to see how this very multi-colored romney is spinning up (and how different it is to work with from other sheeply varieties). I know it'll look different all over again once plied, but I still need to learn how. What an exciting day, on both Tours.
Here is one of my sewing projects from this past weekend. Since I don't have a serger I could not make the lettuce edge on the tiers of this skirt but D#2 loves it nonetheless. (How about those kicks?)

And don't miss this contest if you'd like to win some Addis!

Easily Amused

2008-07-21T10:14:00.000-07:00

While there is plenty of garden loveliness going on (see above), there is also this:

These fellows came off the heirloom tomato plant, which also boasts this:

To say that I am alarmed would be an understatement. Is this "heirloom tomato blight"? Did I not care for the baby tomatoes properly? Are all of them going to develop those nasty brown blotches? Should I try to move that container away from the others in my burgeoning tomato forest? ETA: it has been suggested to me that I am a moron and that this is how heirloom tomatoes ripen. I really don't think so, especially after fishing one out of the compost and prodding the brown place, though I will be the first to stand up and declare myself a gardening dunce if it turns out to be so.

On the other hand, there are blotches of color that are GOOD. To wit, the Spunky Eclectic roving in "Leaf Peep". Who would ever have believed it would spin up like this?

Have I said how happy I am with the new spindle? It is also shown, below, with the cobalt blue that came with it -- astonishingly spun up in a stage and a half of the actual Tour, as part of the challenge for the fibery Tour. If I haven't said, I found this spindle on eBay, and Annie May has been unbelievably great!

And for just a little more amusement, here we are again at the kitty tunnel.

In photo 1, protruding from one opening in the tunnel, Sirius's hind leg.

photo 2, via the other opening in the tunnel, Sirius washing a front paw.

photo 3. No, this is a different black cat. Dobby meandered by, saw Sirius inside, and went in headfirst through the top opening (where Sirius' head is/was).

Much thumping and wrestling ensued.

Fauna and Flood

2008-07-17T17:54:00.000-07:00

The Ds and our sitter found this completely fearsome insect on a tree in front of our house this afternoon. We couldn't identify it but maybe one of you can? (I'm fairly sure an insect isn't fauna, really, but I don't know what to call it.)

I've been wanting to show off the bird paradise R has created on the back deck; this set-up of feeders and bird-friendly flora brings several sizes of woodpecker, ruby-throated hummingbirds, cardinals, goldfinches, titmice, nuthatches, and a host of sparrows and mourning doves (and chipmunks and squirrels) ... and I am 95% certain that we heard a bluebird two mornings ago.

Above, Miss Fleur, grooming. She's been unusually present, visible, and friendly the past few days, and even visited with my mother in quite a chummy way yesterday.

Medical report: R had his surgery this morning and all seems to have gone well. He was home before noon, complete with a nifty cryo-cast that can be filled with ice water to reduce swelling and discomfort. I did convince him to stay on the first floor today; he saw the cats curled up on the mattress/box spring combo I'd set up and decided that if they approved of the spot he could give in.

Early this morning I was online reading various blogs and in Lime & Violet's Daily Chum I learned about Kristin, who is spearheading the rescue of the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund for flood victims in the Midwest. Of course I sent my donation, and -- how crazy is this? -- got an e-mail from Kristin saying that my donation had put her over her "magic number" and that I had won a prize! Isn't that nice? It's an important cause -- and she has many great prizes for those who donate, so please, everyone, if you can, chip in ...

Spinning and knitting (2 projects simultaneously) continues apace. I expect this weekend to be very productive in that regard, as it is supposed to be more or less too hot to move, otherwise. R and I can hang out by the fans watching the British Open (yikes, Phil Mickelson -- a triple bogey??), the Tour, and baseball (yay, the All-Star break is over!). The girls, believe it or not, will be in Maine ALL WEEKEND at a family gathering (thanks, Mom and Dad!).

Vegetables galore

2008-07-15T04:31:00.000-07:00

In recent days we have had an embarrassment of riches in the produce department. D#2's garden has yielded many bowlsful of lettuce (red leaf, green leaf, and romaine), my cherry tomatoes have begun to ripen (one or two at a time, oddly enough), and neighbors have begun to bestow heads of bok choy and bunches of beets upon us. I think the rest of my tomato plants and D#2's pepper plant plan to wait until we go on vacation to yield their harvest.

Two nights ago we roasted a pan of peeled and halved beets in a little olive oil and sea salt, while at the same time (but not in the same room) grilling quartered cabbage in foil (with BUTTER) on the little Weber grill alongside the chicken sausages. This was delicious --and it may have been the butter, but my cabbage-hating spouse said that this is now the way he will consume cabbage (the ONLY way, he said, but who needs to split hairs?). The only hazard of beets is --well.

As a couple, R and I are not very adept with the big technological accoutrements of suburbia and hence have been slow to enter the grilling age. We finally decided that a little charcoal grill wouldn't actually get us drummed out of the neighborhood, and it has been a lot of fun to use. Of course, we are experiencing gender reversal here; I am the one using it, so it has not actually made less cooking for me. On the other hand, it is small enough to be manageable, useful for our little family, and easy to clean, and I am fooling myself that the little lighter cubes I found at Whole Foods are less poisonous than the lighter fluid I remember sloshing recklessly onto coals in the past.

In addition, I looked around online for bok choy recipes and chose to make moo goo gai pan -- another unexpected hit with my spouse and elder daughter-- and am still looking around for new-ish ways to use the summer squash and zucchini we got at the same time. Like many teachers, we do consciously try to change the way we eat in the summer, given all the rushing around and frenzy (and frozen/cafeteria/convenience foods) of the school year, but it's unusual to find my family actually asking to eat vegetables. Usually they'll endure the veggies I foist on them and I'll know they're just waiting patiently for the fruit to appear (D#1, in particular, is a huge fan of stone fruits), but this year has been different.

Today is a rest day for the Tour, so I am going to take a break from spinning and work on a couple of actual knitting projects instead. I do have to leave the house to go to a meeting up at school, and D#2 gets to change her earrings for the first time today (which means a trip to Claire's, that den of all things pink and sparkly), and we'll go into town to meet up with some of D#1's friends for a pool playdate ... I don't know why I persist in thinking of summer as relaxing.

Oh yes, D#1 has put purple streaks in her hair.

At the All-Star Break

2008-07-14T09:52:00.000-07:00

Happy Bastille Day! To celebrate that holiday and the fact that the Red Sox are back in first place in the AL East at the All-Star break (those Tampa Bay Rays surely tempted fate with their newspaper coverage full of hubris) , here's a hoodie sleeve ....

and some fleurs in progress:

an attempt to take a picture of D#2's soap bubbles floating up into the sky

My cherry tomato plant (ate the first fruit from this plant yesterday! yum)

my heirloom tomato plant

and some photos taken by D#1 this past Saturday on the Cape ... hey, how did that other tomato picture sneak in there? Sometimes I don't understand Blogger at all.

Today's Tour stage was very exciting -- and as a result I have nearly finished off one of the giant balls of roving that came with my spindle, so that's a great indication of progress. I wish I could see more consistency in the 'finished' product. It goes from thinner than laceweight to thicker than worsted weight in a matter of a few feet of spun fiber, and I know that's not good. When Minds Eye reopens after vacation maybe I'll be able to get in there for a tune up lesson before I start on the fancy roving waiting in the wings. I am enjoying learning, even if I am slow to progress.

R has taken D#1 off to have yet another tooth pulled (I know she is genetically pre-determined to be slow about losing her teeth, but boy is she squeamish about getting them out on her own) and I'm home with D#2 for the nonce. That young lady came home from summer school in a very happy mood, ate her lunch, and then bounced up from her seat declaring, "now it's bubble time!"

Recent reading:

Donna Leon, The Girl of His Dreams
Ken Follett, World Without End
Richard Russo, Bridge of Sighs

next up -- Vanity Fair (although now I'm thinking I should have sprung for a large print version! Ah, the indignity), and the still vexing question of whether I should pre-order Breaking Dawn or wait & try to buy it at an independent bookstore in VT later in August...

R's surgery is set for this Thursday. He's very nonchalant about the whole thing. I do hope it will be as easy as he anticipates. Fortunately my parents will take the girls up to Maine for the long-anticipated visit to my aunt & uncle's (flee, lobsters, flee!), so we don't have to disappoint them by keeping them home.

And yes, I have been looking at Petfinder. Why do you ask?

Welcome!

2008-07-13T12:24:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new spot on the web. Let's see how this goes.