Saturday, January 24, 2009

H-E double toothpicks week

Everyone has a bad day at work now and then. Life has been pretty good for me ever since I changed jobs 4 years ago, but I think my bad days have been saving up for this last week. The worst thing that happened: I was in charge of setting up a computer in the library for the younger students to watch the inauguration. My phone was ringing off the hook just before the students were supposed to come in and I didn't realize the time. Of course, there were technical difficulties (which would have been resolved if I had everything set up earlier) and we had no audio! Children and teachers scrambled to watch in other rooms and I was left with egg on my face.

The phones ringing off the hook is at the root of hell week. I was asked to do centralized scheduling for parent teacher conferences. Nice idea, but 37 voice mails and 176 emails before I walk in the door, and it just keeps coming . . . I am still not caught up despite working lots of (unpaid)overtime.

Just stressing. . .thanks for listening.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Domino hat


I enjoyed a two week break for the holidays and spent way too much time making this lovely hat using the domino knitting (mitered square) technique. I love the pattern. It's a variation on one by Maureen Mason Jamison called "A Flower for Annabelle" This is not the first thing I've knit in the domino technique. I made a vest a few years back that took 2nd place at the Wisconsin state fair. I remember now that when I made the vest I thought it was georgeous but too slow and time consuming, and I would never make another domino knit item again. This hat took the better part of my 2 week vacation to complete . . . way too much of my valuable time. But it is cute. Another problem--this hat is supposed to be for me, but it came out just a bit small. I only had a horizontal gauge to go by, and I had to adjust the length at the top by elongating the diamonds. Even then, it just covers my ears, though it looks perfect on my young knitting buddy here. She's hinting that she would like it, but I'm stingy and I think I'll keep it.