Helping A Blog Friend

So I have this friend named Laura, who I met a couple years ago through blogging....and last summer met her in real life on my cross-country trip.

Her husband is currently deployed and she is trying to win a Facebook contest for a Groupon...this Groupon will give her and her husband a year of date nights, when he returns..or possibly a mini-getaway....not always so easy on a military salary.....

So if you are on Facebook...and would like to help out a fellow blogger...please click on her entry...it is the last picture of her husband kissing their daughter before he is deployed.....

Pleas go here: http://bit.ly/1f22BPs

Here we are from our meeting this summer:

Ravellenic Games

I am a huge fan of the Olympics....of what the Olympics are suppose to be...not all the BS that they get wrapped up in....

I want to cheer on the young athlete that trained for years to get there.....that small country that has no shot at a medal, but they showed up to play, to show pride in their country.....and then BS happens...

This year the BS deals with the Russian law against homosexuality and pedophiles..as if the two were linked....the majority of pedophiles are straight men...but it is a way to target the LGBT community.

So I am torn...I want to support our athletes, but not Russia and this hateful law....

So I joined a team on Ravelry and I will be crafting during the Games...which are now called the Ravellenic Games....and I will watch the Olympics and cheer for Team USA..and although I will not be cheering for my "boyfriend" this year...I will cheer on others....(long story..but a title my students gave to him)

And I will be making rainbow inspired projects to stand up for equality.....

YOP: Week 4

This week I finished two cowls for myself.  My own Katniss inspired cowl, but in black, and a green cowl to wear for Twin Day at school.  I love cowls.

I am also test knitting a cowl pattern.  I realized last night I missed a couple of yarn overs, but I'm not going to rip it back. with the cowl sitting scrunched around my neck, it will not be noticeable.  I am not a perfectionist, if it won't be noticeable, I'll usually leave the mistakes...This cowl is also green, but in the Land of Oz green from MadColor.  It's the same green as my Green Spring sweater.  

I also worked on my Light in Shadows shawl....It's in Zen Yarn Garden Silk Singles and the yarn is so beautiful to work with..I just ordered a shawl kit from them...

I'm debating whether I want to head to NETA SPA at the end of February.  I went several years ago...it's a good weekend trip, but it's a long ride (4-5 hours)..and mostly centered around spinning..which I have no interest beyond the fact that it produces yarn...so still not sure...

Nerd Wars starts in 5 days, very excited...it seems as if this break was so much longer than normal, but it wasn't.....just waiting to start some projects....

This past Thursday and Friday, I finally had a full set of students, after 2 weeks of kids being out sick...but the room next door, 3 kids were sick Friday afternoon....so hoping it doesn't go through my room again.  We do not really have a February break this year (a 4 day weekend) and it is not for several weeks, so really want the flu to go away.....when there is a break, everyone keeps their own germs and the building can get cleaned...

Today I have to correct papers....grades are due by Thursday.....I hate correcting....

So I have now updated my list with all the WIPs started....look at me the WIP Woman!  I am Woman, hear me WIP!!!!!!!

2014 Completed Projects: Gift Cowl 1/3/2014 17/17 Hats for students (December/January 2014) Chicago Mitts (1/15/14) Take Two Cowl (1/11/14)
Take Three Cowl  (1/22/14)
Twin Cowl (1/23/14)  
 WIPS: Crochet:
Mission Falls Poncho: (Started 2006)
Round Ripple: (Started 2006 (?) Aiden)
Aran Blanket: (Started 2009): two panels done
Around the World Afghan: (April 2010): about ¼ done
Betty Shrug: I don’t know how long I’ve been working on this, but it only has an arm and a border to go.
Sunrise Sunset Afghan: this has been hibernating awhile, 6 squares done.Orange cotton wrap (started ?) Tis the Season (11/10/13)

Knit:
Learn to Knit Afghan: (started 2010): 3 squares done
Dr. Who Scarf (11/23/13) Knit the Sky (1/1/14)
It's a Flesh Wound cowl (1/20/14)
Light in Shadows (1/14/14)
Tutti-Frutti Cowl (12/31/14)
 
Socks:
Kai-Mei: (April 2012) Faces in Wallpaper (Sept 2013) Adele Socks (April 2013) H's Everyday Socks (Jan 2013) Johnny's Socks (Jan 2013)

Scarves/Shawls:
Splashy Flowers: (May 2011)
Larry Stashbuster Scarf (2012)
Bags:
Beach Bag: (started May 2010)  Just needs lining sewn in
Misc:
Sunflower: (August 2012) Need a back and to felt
Water Bottle Cozy
Gifts/Charity: 
Owl for Rose
Hats for friend's babies
2 Stargate keychains 
1 pair Stargate earrings  
1pair fingerless gloves

WIMs: Projects I have the yarn and the pattern
  Sweaters:
Baroque Tabard Tunic
Test Pattern Sweater
Car Coat
Cowl Vest
  Shawls/Scarves/Cowls 
Rockefeller
Wholehearted
West End Scarf 
Gathering Leaves
Alhambra
Petal Edge Scarf
Filippi Scarf 
Firefly Scarf 
Fraxinus 
Danube Cowl
Simple City
Fire and Ice
Multnomah
Leylines 
Holden Shawlette
Daybreak
Trellis ShawlBedford Springs Shawl    
 

Hats and Mitts
Hermione Hearts Ron
Nehalm Hat
Felicity
Stellar
Cabled Headband
Fetching  
Cayunga Hat and Mitts set
Preposterous
Ruffled hat and mitts
Evergreen Gloves
Sheepy Cuffs
Twisted Rib Mitts and Hat
 
Socks:
Memento Mori
Rubus
Siren Socks
Hey, Have I Ever Steered You Wrong?
Savory Lace Socks
Autumn Flame
Firebird
Rescue Me, Chin Boy and Show Me the Stars
Twin peaks
Bags:
Sarape Shopper
Pleated Purse 
Circular Felted Bag

Cowls Anyone?

So it's been a cowl couple of days...I've made two in two days...both for me!  First up I finally made my Katniss cowl...I chose a dark grey color, as I already have the vest made in the "wheaty" color...It took about 2.5 hours to complete...It's big and squooshy.....

I took a **serious** picture..as you can see out the window, it was dusk...this is in my garage and it was 16 F out.....so yeah I have my big ole coat on...Brrrrrrrrrrrr.......I know it's kinda dark...sorry....the yarn is Lion Brand Thick and Quick...and I want to make lots of projects with big bulky squooshy yarn!

Secondly, Friday is Twin day at school...so the second grade teachers are wearing jeans, black shirts and green scarves/cowls....yeah I have a green scarf, but decided to make another squooshy cowl....It took about 3 hours for this one...the yarn is thinner than the other and a bit more fiddly...Bernat Harmony..

Okay, it's 10 o'clock at night...so sorry again for the crap picture.....we'll see how this cowl fares tomorrow...I'll keep you posted....

And finally I got a picture of my Chicago mitts....I made these with leftover Cascade Yarns Superwash that my nephew picked out in Chicago at Loopy Yarns....so they are my souvenir mitts.  I made a hat for him....

Link Up:  Natural Suburbia; Tami's Amis and noone else is linked yet.....

WIP Wednesday

Haven't done one of these in awhile.....I've had plenty of WIPs, just haven't done a Wednesday post on them...but today we have a 2 hour delay, so I figure I've got the time....

We got some more snow yesterday...not as much as predicted for our part of the state...normally we get walloped and the coast does not...the coast got walloped this time...turnaround is fair play and all...

The Hubs fed the birds during the snowstorm...

And I watched tv and thought about working on these....

Light in Shadows

or the test knit I totally forgot about and started on Monday

Yeah, I just thought about them...didn't actually work on them....

I am still working my way through the Stargate Atlantis tie-in series...I am now on book 4 of the 6 books...it goes pretty fast...

What are you working on?

Join up at Tami's Ami and noone else seems to be up and about yet....

Martin Luther King Jr Day

Today is a holiday.....it is the day we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr and his life. Many of my students did not know about him and I have been teaching about him the last couple of days.  I do emphasize that there were others in the struggle for Civil Rights, but he became the leader and the most famous because of his death.  There is a great video for children called Our Friend Martin.  I used to own the movie, but it was damaged, but by chance I found it on youtube.  My students watched it this week. 

The past two summers, I have been lucky and have been able to bookend Martin's life.

On my 2012 summer trip, with my niece Allison, we stopped in Atlanta and visited the National Park site that is Martin's childhood home, the place he was born.  I was overwhelmed with knowing who this man would grow up to be and the fact that I was walking in places he had walked...(I just checked and it doesn't seem as if I blogged about it then)  There were no pictures allowed in the house.

The site includes his childhood home, plus the MLK center, which is down the street.  You can also visit the church where he was baptized and became a co-pastor.

The last place you can visit is his grave.  Coretta is also buried with him.

We stopped here on our way back to Connecticut, but when we stopped in DC on our way down, we also stopped at the MLK memorial.

Now this past summer, 2013, on our way back from Texas, my brother and I stopped in Memphis.  A high school friend had offered to let us stay with her overnight....and we went to visit the Lorraine Motel, where he was shot and killed.  It was dusk and the light was really bad, sorry.

So I bookended my last two summers with the birth and death of Martin Luther King Jr.  A great man, who died too soon.

YOP: Week 3

The word of the week...influenza!!!!  Our district has been hit hard this year!  I have not gotten sick, but I have 2-3 students out every day and we have 4-8 teachers out every day...it's been pretty bad...

Friday night I started to feel yucky, but turned out to be some kind of stomach thing..I'm okay now, but have spent Saturday and Sunday pretty much sleeping, reading, and watching tv.....

We don't have school tomorrow, as it is Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, and I have a workshop on Wednesday, so it's another short week for me...

I haven't been doing too much crafting, as I have been reading instead....I'm still reading the Stargate Atlantis tie-in series...I am now on book 4 of the 6 book series....I have book 5 downloaded, but book 6 is not out yet....They are really good...

So on to the projects...seriously, the only thing finished was Danae's cowl...oh and I did whip up a pair of fingerless mitts, but haven't taken pictures yet....

I also started the Light in Shadows, but ripped it out last night.  I am still working on the Knit the Sky, but have gotten kinda bored with it...I knew that was going to happen...and I have to work on The Scarf, yep that famous one from Dr. Who....

Nerd Wars starts again on the 1st, so I'll have some more projects to add for the challenges...

2014 Completed Projects:
Gift Cowl 1/3/2014
17/17 Hats for students (December/January 2014)

Chicago Mitts (1/15/14)
Take Two Cowl (1/11/14)

WIPS: Crochet:
Mission Falls Poncho: (Started 2006)
Round Ripple: (Started 2006 (?) Aiden)
Aran Blanket: (Started 2009): two panels done
Around the World Afghan: (April 2010): about ¼ done
Betty Shrug: I don’t know how long I’ve been working on this, but it only has an arm and a border to go.
Sunrise Sunset Afghan: this has been hibernating awhile, 6 squares done.Orange cotton wrap (started ?)

Knit:
Learn to Knit Afghan: (started 2010): 3 squares done
Dr. Who Scarf (11/23/13)
Knit the Sky 
 

Socks:
Kai-Mei: (April 2012)
Faces in Wallpaper (Sept 2013)
Adele Socks (April 2013)
H's Everyday Socks (Jan 2013)
Johnny's Socks (Jan 2013)

Scarves/Shawls:
Splashy Flowers: (May 2011)
Larry Stashbuster Scarf (2012)
Bags:
Beach Bag: (started May 2010)  Just needs lining sewn in
Misc:
Sunflower: (August 2012) Need a back and to felt
Water Bottle Cozy

Gifts/Charity: 

Owl for Rose
Hats for friend's babies
2 Stargate keychains 
1 pair Stargate earrings  
1pair fingerless gloves

WIMs: Projects I have the yarn and the pattern
  Sweaters:
Baroque Tabard Tunic
Test Pattern Sweater
Car Coat
Cowl Vest
  Shawls/Scarves/Cowls 
Rockefeller
Wholehearted
West End Scarf 
Gathering Leaves
Alhambra
Petal Edge Scarf
Filippi Scarf 
Firefly Scarf 
Fraxinus 
Danube Cowl
Simple City
Fire and Ice
Multnomah
Leylines 
Holden Shawlette
Daybreak
Trellis ShawlBedford Springs Shawl    
 

Hats and Mitts
Hermione Hearts Ron
Nehalm Hat
Felicity
Stellar
Cabled Headband
Fetching  
Cayunga Hat and Mitts set
Preposterous
Ruffled hat and mitts
Evergreen Gloves
Sheepy Cuffs
Twisted Rib Mitts and Hat
 
Socks:
Memento Mori
Rubus
Siren Socks
Hey, Have I Ever Steered You Wrong?
Savory Lace Socks
Autumn Flame
Firebird
Rescue Me, Chin Boy and Show Me the Stars
Twin peaks
Bags:
Sarape Shopper
Pleated Purse 
Circular Felted Bag

Take Two - Another Katniss Cowl

After making my friend D, her cowl for Christmas, I was planning on making my other friend D (yep) a pair of fingerless gloves...but I gave her a choice and she thought about it and wanted the cowl....

So Take Two.....

Notice anything?  Yeah, it's two colors...obviously I didn't notice in store, or over the weekend while working on it....didn't notice until I laid it out to take a picture in my classroom...(the lightening in my apartment sucks)

Anyway, I told her if she didn't like it, I'd make her another....nope....

She took it.....

I bought some similar yarn, but in green for me....but I might want one of these...Take Three?

YOP: Post 2 - Where did the time go this week?

This week has been a bust on working on anything.  Getting the hang of being back at work, and all that entails has been tough....Lesson plans??  What are those..I kinda flew by the seat of my pants this past week....so must do some planning today for this week....I have a workshop on Tuesday and a half day Wednesday..so that's good...next week, we have Monday off and then I have another workshop on Tuesday....substitute plans are PITA......

I've also been reading a tie-in novel to Stargate Atlantis.  This morning I finished the second book in  the series and promptly downloaded the third....I've never read tie-ins before, but am really enjoying this series...

I have to make another Katniss inspired cowl..this was also a Christmas gift and I was going to make her a pair of fingerless gloves, but gave her a choice and she decided on the cowl.  So I got the yarn and started yesterday...it is actually a very quick crochet...bulky yarn with a size M hook...

Here is a picture of my friend with her cowl.....

I've had one person ask me to teach them how to do it and two others ask if they could pay me to make one...I'm not one for selling my stuff.....I hate being on a deadline.....

I did finish all the hats for my students, though...

And I have worked on my Knit the Sky scarf, but am now 3 days behind

But I did decide that I have make this, Light in Shadows  I have been looking for awhile for a stripey shawl for the Zen Yarn Garden yarn I won...and this is it...but I need the needle, so will be heading to my LYS in a few to pick it up...

That's about all here today!  I hope to blog some more during the week, but the weather has been terrible, hence the lighting has been terrible....but hope to be back on Wednesday..today I plan to craft, then work on lesson plans, then craft, etc....

2014 Completed Projects:
Gift Cowl 1/3/2014
17/17 Hats for students (December/January 2014)

WIPS: Crochet:
Mission Falls Poncho: (Started 2006)
Round Ripple: (Started 2006 (?) Aiden)
Aran Blanket: (Started 2009): two panels done
Around the World Afghan: (April 2010): about ¼ done
Betty Shrug: I don’t know how long I’ve been working on this, but it only has an arm and a border to go.
Sunrise Sunset Afghan: this has been hibernating awhile, 6 squares done.Orange cotton wrap (started ?)
Katniss-inspired Cowl 
Knit:
Learn to Knit Afghan: (started 2010): 3 squares done
Dr. Who Scarf (11/23/13)
 
Socks:
Kai-Mei: (April 2012)
Faces in Wallpaper (Sept 2013)
Adele Socks (April 2013)
H's Everyday Socks (Jan 2013)
Johnny's Socks (Jan 2013)

Scarves/Shawls:
Splashy Flowers: (May 2011)
Larry Stashbuster Scarf (2012)
Bags:
Beach Bag: (started May 2010)  Just needs lining sewn in
Misc:
Sunflower: (August 2012) Need a back and to felt
Water Bottle Cozy

Gifts/Charity: 

Owl for Rose
Hats for friend's babies
2 Stargate keychains 
1 pair Stargate earrings  
1pair fingerless gloves

WIMs: Projects I have the yarn and the pattern
  Sweaters:
Baroque Tabard Tunic
Test Pattern Sweater
Car Coat
Cowl Vest
  Shawls/Scarves/Cowls 
Rockefeller
Wholehearted
West End Scarf 
Gathering Leaves
Alhambra
Petal Edge Scarf
Filippi Scarf 
Firefly Scarf 
Fraxinus 
Danube Cowl
Simple City
Fire and Ice
Multnomah
Leylines 
Holden Shawlette
Daybreak
Trellis ShawlBedford Springs Shawl    
 

Hats and Mitts
Hermione Hearts Ron
Nehalm Hat
Felicity
Stellar
Cabled Headband
Fetching  
Cayunga Hat and Mitts set
Preposterous
Ruffled hat and mitts
Evergreen Gloves
Sheepy Cuffs
Twisted Rib Mitts and Hat
 
Socks:
Memento Mori
Rubus
Siren Socks
Hey, Have I Ever Steered You Wrong?
Savory Lace Socks
Autumn Flame
Firebird
Rescue Me, Chin Boy and Show Me the Stars
Twin peaks
Bags:
Sarape Shopper
Pleated Purse 
Circular Felted Bag

YOP: Post 1 - New Year!

Yesterday I wound 32 skeins into cakes....see in order to make the cakes, I have to set up the swift and ball winder..it's a bit of a production...so when I set it up, I wound for as many projects as I can...some of the yarn is spoken for, some not yet...but it is there when I need to pull the yarn out to start something. I had some tea with my cakes!

I finished a Christmas gift, I have two more to make...and I still have 6 hats to make.....


It is cold here, the coldest it has been in 10 years...I haven't left the house in two days, and aren't planning to leave today...so I'll get at least one hat done....

I have cleaned up my list, took the frogged items off.....I have a finished hat, that I will be frogging, as the yarn I chose is too drappy for a hat...I bought some yarn on the first to make another..

So I'll put that yarn back into the scarf project it was for originall,

I'm sure I will add to this list, but it is the basic list that I have carried over....hopefully I'll get more done off this list....but I know Nerd Wars always adds projects to my finished tally.

2014 Completed Projects:
Gift Cowl 1/3/2014

WIPS:
Crochet:
Mission Falls Poncho: (Started 2006)
Round Ripple: (Started 2006 (?) Aiden)
Aran Blanket: (Started 2009): two panels done
Around the World Afghan: (April 2010): about ¼ done
Betty Shrug: I don’t know how long I’ve been working on this, but it only has an arm and a border to go.
Sunrise Sunset Afghan: this has been hibernating awhile, 6 squares done.Orange cotton wrap (started ?)
11/17 Hats for students completed
 
Knit:
Learn to Knit Afghan: (started 2010): 3 squares done
Dr. Who Scarf (11/23/13)

Socks:
Kai-Mei: (April 2012) 
Hermione's Everyday Socks (January 2013)
A Heart Full of Love: Johnny's Socks (January 2013)
Adele socks: (April 2012)
Faces in the Wallpaper (Sept 2013)

Scarves/Shawls:
Splashy Flowers: (May 2011)
Larry Stashbuster Scarf (2012)

Bags:
Beach Bag: (started May 2010)  Just needs lining sewn in

Misc:
Sunflower: (August 2012) Need a back and to felt
Water Bottle Cozy

Gifts/Charity: 

Owl for Rose
Hats for friend's babies

2 Stargate keychains 

1 pair Stargate earrings  

17 student hats
2 pair fingerless gloves

WIMs: Projects I have the yarn and the pattern
  Sweaters:
Baroque Tabard Tunic
Test Pattern Sweater
Car Coat
Cowl Vest
 
Shawls/Scarves/Cowls 
Rockefeller
Wholehearted
West End Scarf 
Gathering Leaves
Alhambra
Petal Edge Scarf
Filippi Scarf 
Firefly Scarf 
Fraxinus 
Danube Cowl
Simple City
Fire and Ice
Multnomah
Leylines 
Holden Shawlette
Daybreak
Trellis ShawlBedford Springs Shawl    
 

Hats and Mitts
Hermione Hearts Ron
Nehalm Hat
Felicity
Stellar
Cabled Headband
Fetching  
Cayunga Hat and Mitts set
Preposterous
Ruffled hat and mitts
Evergreen Gloves
Sheepy Cuffs
Twisted Rib Mitts and Hat

Socks:
Memento Mori
Rubus
Siren Socks
Hey, Have I Ever Steered You Wrong?
Savory Lace Socks
Autumn Flame
Firebird
Rescue Me, Chin Boy and Show Me the Stars
Twin peaks

Bags:
Sarape Shopper
Pleated Purse  
Circular Felted Bag 

A Package

How many of you owned a Swatch?  Did you wear multiple ones?  They ARE the 80's....

I owned 5, it's what started my watch collecting....I moved on to Fossils in the 90's, but I still own my Swatches..

I couldn't find my white one...I also had Swatch guards....I wore the white one and the green one on the right the most...Look at the 80's colors on the two middle ones!

So when I saw this....

I knew I had to get one.....and it came today...in a HUGE box....I had no idea what it was, as I was not expecting such a big box....and the watch was on backorder....

Inside was the watch and a hot water bottle....never owned a hot water bottle....but I love the watch!

Full disclosure, I did find a Swatch store at the airport in Florida about 10 years ago and bought this one (I thought I had two newer ones, but can't find the other one)

Swatch...what memories.....

2014 - Beginning WIPs

I don't really do resolutions any longer....I do hope that many good things happen to many lovely people this year, including my readers...Happy New Year

 So to take stock of the WIPs I have at the beginning of 2014.....they will also be added to my first Year of Projects post on Sunday.

Socks:
Hermione's Everyday Socks:  sock 1, gusset

 Kai-Mei: sock 1, second lace repeat

Faces in the Wallpaper: sock 1, gusset and heel turn

Adele Socks: sock 1, heel

A Heart Full of Love: sock 1, leg

 Camo Beaded socks: technically done...but well, you can see

One is too short, they are both too fat....

So no starting any socks until at least two pair are done...I've worked on the Faces, the Adele and Hermione's socks this week...

Scarves:
The Scarf, finished 1/3 of scarf, I've worked on this during this week

Larry's stashbuster, nothing done on this

'Tis the Season, not worked on since Stitches

Orange cotton cowl, briefly worked on it, it hurts hands, so can only do a little at a time

Blankets/afghans:Round Ripple: not much done

Around the World: not worked on this year

Aran:  Not worked on this year

Learn to Knit: 3 squares completed

There are other miscellaneous projects, but not going to document those....of course I have a ton of projects with yarn and pattern ready, but I really need to get some of these WIPs done...I have also decided to frog two of them...my Breathe of Fresh Air scarf..I don't like the pooling...and my Mission Falls Poncho....

I also really want to start a shawl....
And I will be starting a Knit the Sky

I'm sure I will add more WIPs, as Nerd Wars always adds to my WIP pile, but I will try to focus on getting some of these completed.

In addition, my sister has requested some fingerless gloves, I want to make some gauntlet-like gloves to go with my Katniss cowl, and I still have 5 hats and 2 gifts to make....

And I cast on this last night

Technically I cast it on awhile ago..it was for a swap partner who dropped out...but I had to redo it, as I ended up knitting with the tail....this is Falling Bobbins by Amy King