Goings on!

I've been busy at school and trying to get some things made. That's pretty much what's been going on around here. I did decide to go back to decorating for Halloween. In fact I did this the last weekend in September!

That's a sample from the dining room!

I knocked off some little projects. I love knitting hats, so I knit 2 baby hats--both exactly the same. Here's a photo of one of them:
I love this little pattern. It's a free pattern from Spud & Chloe yarns and fortunately I had some stash yarn which fit the bill! I also made a beret for myself. I had seen it in the Knit One magazine and I had the yarn the pattern called for, courtesy of my secret pal! I'm not thrilled with the result, however. I looked at the projects on Ravelry and many of the people said that the hat was really large. I knit a swatch and got gauge but I decided to knit the ribbing on size 2 needles instead of the size 3 called for in the pattern. I switched to the 3 for the body of the hat. I probably should not have done that. The hat turned out much larger and drapier than the photo. It's a little loose so I am going to weave some clear elastic thread through the ribbing to give it some support.


Once I fit the ribbing, I'll model the hat!

I'm putting aside my summer knitting and starting on my winter projects. I'm about one third of the way through the Vine Yoke Cardigan. I'm really enjoying this pattern. It has a rather unusual construction. It was one of the selections of the Sexy Knitters' Club KAL. I would like to do two more of their selections:


The sweater is called Vivian and I love it. I've decided to pass on knitting it for now because I know that I wouldn't get it finished. I'm looking for faster projects. I did buy the pattern and I will make it at some point. The shrug is a real quick knit and I ordered some Tilli Tomas black beaded kid mohair/silk and a black wool/alpaca blend from KnitPicks. I want to make this to wear with my gown to the SAR ball in Dec.

I haven't done much sewing lately and I have to finish a sun dress I was working on. I'm going to finish the dress except for the zipper. I'm losing a little weight and the dress is fitted so I figure that I can take it in before putting in the zipper next spring if I need to. I did participate in a Christmas apron swap so I made an apron from a vintage pattern reissue:
I love the fabric! It's got kitties and yarn balls! My swap partner has 5 cats and she loves to knit so this was perfect! I may have to make one of these for myself!

I moved into a new purse a few weeks ago! I'm not one of those people who changes purses with outfits. I get a really good bag and I use it for literally years until it is worn out. My old icon bag with the Klimt painting of Adele on it was looking a little worn and I found a great Icon bag on clearance on their website: The trick for me is to not load it up and make it heavy. I'm able to stick a water bottle and a small knitting project in it which is nice.

So that's about it for me! Ems was in her first public scrimmage Tuesday night. Here she is as Crushin' Dior with the Steel City Derby Demons:

Kitty Cam: It's Super Harley!

Bad Blogger!

I've been really bad! Funny how life just gets in the way sometimes. The last time I wrote anything was the day before my birthday! As I mentioned in that post, DH took me to a Caps game the weekend before for my birthday. On my real birthday we went to Timbuktu's for some famous Maryland Crab Cakes. He also gave me these:


Believe it or not, this was all I really wanted for my birthday! I mean, what do I need? For some reason, lately I've become really sensitive to onions, which I happen to cook with a lot! I only buy Vidalia onions, which in the past never bothered me. Now, my eyes burn and water and I end up looking like a raccoon with eye make up smudged all over my face. These suckers really work!

Friday of spring break, my friend Cat and I went to Annapolis where we walked around and browsed in all the neat little shops. We ate lunch at the 1747 Tavern on Church Circle. It is a tea room and it is quite lovely.


Easter weekend we ended up visiting the kids in the Burgh. Saturday evening we checked into the hotel then headed off to the Sharp Edge Creekhouse for dinner. Bird was working the bar and he waited on us. Unfortunately, we were missing the Caps game and we had to watch the Pens instead, relying on the updates during the intermissions. After dinner, we headed off to Sonny'swhere Ems was bar tending. She now has the Saturday night bar tending shift there. Sunday morning we went to mass at the Duquesne University Chapel with the kids and Joan. We met up at Bird's house where I was able to at least get a shot of Ems and Joan:


Note the college boy decor on the mantel! We then went to the Double Wide Grill in the Southside, one of our favorite places, for brunch. We headed home after spending a little more time with the kids.

Tuesday it was back to the old grind. I am totally burnt out this school year. The burnout comes earlier and earlier these days. There is so much pressure to improve test scores that nothing else matters. Kids are not getting a well rounded education anymore and when you teach poor kids, with limited life experiences to begin with, you really deprive them of some of the most valuable learning experiences. With the current economy, we have given up raises for next school year and we have been given a lot more work to do in the same amount of time. I've decided that I am going to more or less work to the rule next year. This means that I'm not staying late anymore. I will bring some things home, but I'm not working hours and hours of unpaid overtime. It galls me that that teachers are actually expected to do that.

Things are getting interesting around here. DH was laid off last week which is a major bummer. He will get 4 weeks of pay after which, we will find ourselves exhausting our savings. I'm just hoping that we won't have to go into our retirement accounts which have already lost about 40%. Needless to say, I didn't attend MD Sheep and Wool Festival this year!'

The high point for us has been the Caps! Not only are they in the playoffs, but they are now in Round 2! It is ironic that they are playing the Pens in round 2. They've never beat the Pens in any playoff round. Game 1 was yesterday and the Caps won! This series is really being hyped up. If you are a hockey fan, then you've read about the Ovechkin vs. Crosby rivalry. To that, I say this:


Kitty Cam: Mikey is on the Caps bandwagon!

The week that was. . .

This has been a crazy busy couple of weeks. First I had to get stuff together for the Homespun Yarn Party. Then ended up being a fun event! Even better was the fact that it was at Savage Mill which is right down the street from my house!

Also--My Etsy Shop is up and running. Right now I have listed all my project bags. These came about because I made some for my own personal use and then started giving them as gifts. People started asking for them. I have all my projects in their own little bag. They are perfect for small projects, but I find that I can fit an entire top down sweater along with a skein of yarn in mine so they are really quite versatile. I will be adding coordinating gadget rolls which is like a mini needle roll with 3 sections to hold your stitch counter, cable needles etc. I am also working on some cable needles which can be worn as pendants. I have designed one with a kitty shape (what else!) and the tail forms the cable needle. I hope to make a few out of bronze to see how they go as it is cheaper than sterling silver. I will expand to sterling and gold fill with gemstones.

I did finish my Opulent Raglan and I absolutely love it! Here's the photos:




Here are the details:
Pattern: Opulent Raglan by Wendy Bernard, from Knitscene Fall 2008
Size: XS
Yarn: Bristol Yarn Gallery King George in Chocolate
Needles: KnitPicks Options Size 5 and 6, Addi Turbo, size 6
Modifications: I had to add rows due to the fact that my row gauge was way off. I also added 4 stitches to each sleeve then added two addition decreases along with additional rows on the sleeve flounce.

I'm really happy with this sweater and I'm glad that it is cold enough this week that I will be able to wear it!

Today I will swatch for Sylvi. I am making it in bright red like the model in the photo. I will add pockets to the front and instead of buttons I will make leaf shaped frog closures. The front is just plain seed stitch and I think it needs something that ties it to the design on the back.

I chilled last night in front of cable TV. DH was at an SAR function. I finally saw Sicko. All I can say is "wow!" It's criminal what happens in this country in regard to healthcare. It was quite an eye opener to see how Canada, England and France manage to provide for everyone. One statement by a French official particularly struck me. He said "People pay according to their means and receive care according to their needs." Everything is paid for with taxes and one gets health care without paying a cent. Taxes are quite high in France, but college is free, healthcare is free, daycare is free. All workers get at least 5 weeks paid vacation and are granted additional paid vacation for life events such as marriage, moving etc. Full time employment in France is 35 hours a week. They still have rich and poor people as they are not a communist country. Another statement that I found interesting was "In France the government is afraid of the people. In American, the people are afraid of the government." Apparently the people protest publicly there and the government is terrified of that so they do what they can to prevent it. No wonder they are so laid back there? What was really upsetting was to see that in some places in our country, poor people who cannot pay their hospital bills are sometimes loaded in a cab and dumped on the street near missions in the ghetto where they may get a little help. How can this be? I could go on, but I won't. If you haven't seen Sicko, then by all means do so.

We have been in the throes of MSA testing last week and this week at school. Everything normal grinds to a halt. I've been helping with the testing in the 3rd grade and some of my classes were cancelled in order to do so. All non classroom teachers are pulled to help with accommodations for students who need them. I won't bore you here with my thoughts on this whole thing, but basing a school's performance level on grueling standardized tests are simply wrong. Some kids aren't able to show what they know in this particular format. It's just wrong.

Other news--Ems will be in the Roller Derby. She's psyched! She says it's like playing hockey except she can wear fishnets and make up! Here she is in her skates:

Spring arrived Friday at 7:44 a.m. according to our local meteorologist! So I will spend today putting away my snowmen and putting out bunnies, ducks and chicks! I have two weeks until spring break. We will probably visit the kids in Pittsburgh on Easter since they are working on Saturday.

That's about all for now!

Kitty Cam: Harley always finds the one little sunny spot to bask in.

It's been a long time comin'. . .

Finally! Bird getting his "diploma." Sort of, that is. First off, they only give you the diploma cover and you get the actual paper later. For Bird, it will be much later. When he got to the ceremony, he noticed that his name was not in the program. They fixed that. A couple hours later, after the ceremony, his advisor called him to tell him that they didn't have his graduation form which is why he wasn't on the program. Funny thing is, he filled it out and turned it in in October several weeks before the deadline. They obviously lost it. The not so funny thing is that his diploma will be issued in May 2009. If he interviews for a job requiring a degree, then the school will write a letter explaining that he officially has the degree, so that's good. I told him that he should try to get his loans deferred until 6 months after his "official" graduation date (the one on paper). I will say that after 4 and 1/2 years at Duquesne, this has been the first snafu. They have always been efficient at everything. It just figures that the first boo boo would be a big one! That's okay! We still celebrated and had a great time.

What's the first thing that the graduate did?Light up a cigarette ! (much to his mother's chagrin)







Thanks to Andrew for taking the photos. He was an honorary family member for the weekend!

Check this out--I noticed during the ceremony that Ems is her mother's daughter!
The shoe queen gene is passed down to a new generation!

After the ceremony, we went to Fatheads in the South Side. Best sandwiches ever! I can't believe that I actually finished mine. I had a "headwich" which supposedly is a sandwich the size of a human head. It came close! I typically don't eat much, but I finished it and didn't feel all that full! Go figure!


After Fatheads (and Starbucks) DH, Ems and I went to Shadyside so that Ems could go to the Apple Store to get her iPhone looked at. We dropped her there and found parking. While walking to the Apple Store we passed the neatest little shoe store on Walnut Street called "Ten Toes." There was a pair of boots in the window that I loved. After the Apple Store, while walking back to the car, the conversation went sort of like this:

Ems: Ooh! I have to show you the cutest boots I saw there!
Me: Were they the ones with the buckles?
Ems: Yes! Isn't it funny that we love the same shoes.

And we ran to the window to discover that we loved the same boots! We went in the store and most of the boots and shoes were half off! I ended up buying two pairs of those boots--one for each of us!

They can be worn cuffed as well! There was a brand of shoes called Naught Monkey that both Ems and I fell in love with. They were all half off as well. If it wasn't the holidays, I may have picked up a pair or two, but money is a bit tight these days!
This type of situation occurred again when we were window shopping at BCBG. Ems wanted to show me a dress that she loved and I was rushing to look at one I saw that I loved. It was the same dress!

We went back to the hotel for a while then met up with Ems, Bird, Andrew and Ems' boys (her band buds) at Arsenal Lanes in Lawrenceville for some bowling. They have a $9 all you can bowl from 9 p.m. to midnight on Friday nights. There is also karaoke and a bar in there! I must admit that I find the bowling alleys in Pittsburgh a little strange in that the two I've been to are all upstairs! Around these parts, bowling alleys are all downstairs!
Bird and Andrew dressed for the occasion:

Here's Bird singing "Dust in the Wind"
We all did karaoke! We found out that Andrew does a mean Elvis!

Ems and her boys:

We met Ems, Bird and Andrew and the Cheesecake Factory for lunch at 11:00 on Saturday then hit the road at 1:00. We were home at 5 p.m. The kitties were pretty glad to see us. They get such good care from Pampered Pets that they are much more "ho hum" about it when we walk in. They used to be very clingy, but they get spoiled when we're away now. Their sitter forgot she wasn't supposed to come Saturday night and she came over. She said that if we ever get home to find Mikey gone, we'll know she took him! Everyone loves Mikey!

I stayed up until 3 a.m. last night, doing some Christmas knitting and watching HBO. I watched "Definitely, Maybe" which is a cute romantic comedy, followed by Sweeney Todd which is anything but a romantic comedy. I still love that movie, but it is definitely on the weird side. One has to figure that a movie with Johnny Depp that's directed by Tim Burton is going to be quirky, to say the least! Today I will run my usual Sunday errands and work on a few holiday gifts!

Less than one month left of the following--
Bushism of the day:
"You know, I'm the President during this period of time, but I think when the history of this period is written, people will realize a lot of the decisions that were made on Wall Street took place over a decade or so, before I arrived in President, during I arrived in President." --George W. Bush, ABC News interview, Dec. 1, 2008

Kitty Cam: Bar makes himself comfortable like a little prince.

Busy busy!

It's getting to be that crazy time of year! November and December are very busy for us. Not only do we have the winter holidays, but we also have a number of family birthdays as well. My Thanksgiving holiday started in a nice way when both kids arrived home on Tuesday evening. Then Wednesday after lunch my principal told us we could leave early on Wednesday. That was a relief because we had plans that night. When I got home I found a package from my new Secret Pal waiting for me! Here's what was in it:


First a beautiful mosaic tea candle holder and a bag of tea candles in Mexican Pumpkin scent which is spicy with cinnamon.

This went right on the family room coffee table.

Second, there were two skeins of Manos silk blend yarn in a beautiful olive green.

This yarn is destined to become a scarf!

Wednesday night evening Bird's friend Jack and his girlfriend Ally came over to go to the Caps game with us. Jack had gotten tickets that included a buffet in one of the clubs at the MCI Center. So we piled all six of us into my car and headed to DC. DH and I had our matching Caps Jerseys on:

My jersey, like most of the ones you see these days, has number 8 on it for Alexander Ovechkin. DH chose something more original:

Ems:

Bird and Jack:

Ems and Ally:

And, of course, Bird two fisting beer!


It was a great game--especially since the Caps won!

On Thursday, we went to DH's brother's house for dinner in the afternoon. We had a great meal and enjoyed seeing family that we don't see too often. That night, we just hung out at home. Friday, I fixed a turkey dinner for us since we like leftovers and the kids wanted some to take back to Pittsburgh. We had a formal dinner in the dining room after which the kids headed back to the Burgh. Before leaving, we got into a jam session and Ems snapped this photo of me and DH rocking to the oldies:


Friday I also got a package from Webs which included this yarn that I have never used before:

That's a dozen skeins of Northfield by Valley Yarns which is 70% merino, 20% silk, and 10% cashmere. It feels incredibly soft. This is for the Baby Cables and Big Ones sweater. There was other yarn in the package, but it is for Christmas gifts so I cannot reveal what it is at this time!

Speaking of gifts--Our nephew's wife sent these pictures of baby Rupert in the sweater and hat I made for him. Isn't he a cutie?



It's back to the old grind tomorrow. The little kiddies get rather restless this time of year!

Bushism of the day:
"I think it was in the Rose Garden where I issued this brilliant statement: If I had a magic wand -- but the president doesn't have a magic wand. You just can't say, 'low gas.'" --George W. Bush, Washington D.C., July 15, 2008

Kitty cam: Mikey models the newest in E-Collars (Elizabethan Collars) for cats:


Unfortunately the other cats started making fun of him.