Can't Wait

Well, Sheep in the City was way too much fun. Spiderlady,(aka Jan from Just 4 Ewe) did an incredible job for a first time event. There was a yarn cake walk, a fashion show and a very silly, very fun Sheep to Shawl challenge of the Madison vs. Oak Creek guilds. I was there by myself as a vendor,and I had a bit of a rough time Friday because I was running behind on getting set up, and then had to teach a class. Jan had someone cover my booth, but I don't think I'll sign up again to teach without having someone to work the booth for me--just too hectic. Anyway, I worked hard, but had fun and even made some money while doing it. My Monday night knitting friends stopped in on Saturday and kept me company for a good part of the day.

I'm sooooooo excited to go to the Madison guild's Knit In this next weekend. I hope I get to meet the Yarn Harlot. I'm afraid I won't be able to sit in on her lecture because I'll be stuck behind my booth, but maybe, just maybe she'll stop by and buy a kit. Wouldn't that be a dream come true? My sister is coming with me. She will help me set up and cover me for lunch, but she will be enjoying the classes. It should be so much fun to have a sisters day together. We are staying overnight at our niece's, so that should be double the fun.Can't wait, can't wait, can't wait.

Hope to See You

I will be vending at Sheep in the City in Milwaukee this weekend, and then again at the Madison Knitter's Guild Knit in. I've been too preoccupied with Graduate school and my real job and haven't done a knitting show since Stitches Midwest. I'm going to enjoy focusing on knitting this weekend. I've packed a few new color combos of my kits that I'm excited about and I won't mind sitting in my booth all weekend if I can knit a few necklaces for my own jewelry box!

I know I'll see a few friends this weekend and I hope to meet some new ones. I'm especially excited about the Knit in in 2 weeks. My sister will be visiting from Florida and she's going to help me at my booth. The best part though, the Yarn Harlot will be there and I hope to meet her.

I haven't been posting because once again I've been either working or sleeping. Such is life. At least this weekend work will be play.

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.

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.

Knitting Defined

How cool is this? I stumbled upon this excellent Web 2.0 tool called Wordia. They call themselves the dictionary redefined. Users can upload video of words that have special meaning to them--I see it as an absolutely excellent teacher tool. I wish I was teaching language arts right now! Here is their most excellent definition of knitting

Oh, by the way did I say that this was excellent? Hmmm . . . I wonder if there is a web2.0 thesaurus tool.

Goal Reached

We did it! My friends and I reached our goal of 50 hats and mittens for the Senior Kindergarten's Charity Project--the Mitten Tree. Kudos to my friends, the North Shore Knitters, who did the bulk of the work!

This is what 50 hats and mittens looks like:





I made 4 hats in the last week. Here they are:



It was a joy to spend a little more time knitting,and I was glad to use up the stash. I'm determined to keep up the mitten tree knitting throughout this next year to reduce my stash further. I also plan to work up some fancier hat and mitten patterns. I love small patterns that have a bit of a challenge to them.

Perhaps I'll design something Latvian-like to honor my young knitting protege. Now that the weather is getting bad, we have had more indoor recess, and she and I got together a few times this week. She has progressed to purling and can see the difference between her stitches and knows when she makes a mistake--not bad for a 6 year old.

I'm also looking forward to knitting with more young friends over the Christmas
break. Two students won knitting lessons from me in a fundraising raffle, and I would like to honor my committment.

Election Day Hat

I have been knitting, I just haven't been blogging too much. One entire baby outfit -hat and sweater--was knit and given without a picture taken because it was finished in the nick of time and my camera had dead batteries.--

I had another baby overdue for a gift and I decided to start with the hat, since I didn't feel sure I'd have time for the sweater. So I looked at the yarn on hand suitable for a boy baby, and this is what I came up with. I "invented" it; although I'm sure someone else has come up with the very same pattern before because there are only so many ways you can make a 5 pointed star on the top of a hat. Of course, I never write anything down as I knit, but this is so cute, I'm trying to count my stitches to record this one for posterity.

It is darlingly modeled by a patriotic bear, but it is the perfect size for a newborn - 6 month old. I've got lots of yarn and I think I'll make a few more in big kid size as well.

I hope baby L will wear this today to remind everyone to vote--I wish I had one to match. . .I'll have to work out the adult size as well.