25 October 2007

Latest Installment of YP's Booty Club

Because last week was so hectic and I have just (sort of) caught up to this week, I failed to mention that I received the latest (October) package of the Booty Club. This month, the package contained 2 sets of circular needles in hot pink for making socks and the newest colorway: Killer Bees. As I mentioned earlier, this week has been crazy too! I've been grading papers like a mad woman (trying not to pull her hair out) and being observed by our subject administrator (an assistant principal at the school). Of course he was coming to see my least behaved class-the one with ALL the trouble makers in it! They were awesome-all the trouble makers thought he was there to observe them! HA! The AP couldn't stay for the entire lesson (meeting to go to) but before he left he pulled me to the side and asked me to think about how I get these kids who drive others crazy to do their work and follow along during the lesson. WOW! That is a HUGE compliment...I just treat them like human beings, talk to them (not yell-that gets us no where) and hold them to high expectations. In other words, I treat them like the adults that they are trying so hard to be. Enough talk about work...

My favorite time of year...the weather is getting chilly, the leaves are falling and the World Series is on! Unfortunately, I didn't make it past the first inning last night (too exhausted-lack o'sleep) but from the outcome, I didn't miss anything. I dislike the Red Sox. Yes, it is because they are in the same division as my beloved Orioles. They play well and who knows what motivates them! But I am still rooting for the Rockies...and keeping my fingers crossed!

19 October 2007

I'm Back

I have returned from my first School Library Media conference! It was in Ocean City, Maryland. I went for both days of the conference, but the first day was much better than the second. I wish some of the sessions had been offered more than once-like the one on "edgier" books (ones that kids don't share with their parents or have more mature themes). I was able to get a copy of the handout from that session, but the media specialist who presented also presented at another session I went to and was fantastic!

I was able to finish another YA novel in my down time-Gossip Girl-it is a series about a group of kids who have more money than they know what to do with, drink like fishes, date each others' significant others, do drugs and shop 'til they drop (and that's just in the first book!). There's even a TV show on the CW by the same name (It is based on the books.) Since I finished that book, I've started another, Son of the Mob by Gordon Korman. This is one that I wanted to read, maybe even listen to as a book on tape (Vinny from Doogie Howser is the narrator) since my YA lit class over the summer. It is about a teenage boy who is trying to have a social life, but his family's business gets in the way-being part of the Mob!

I've also done some knitting...here's Skully! My SP sent me the pattern and the yarn in my latest package (mentioned in a previous post).

16 October 2007

Oh the insanity

My life is what is insane! But today just made me chuckle! This week has been crazy at work (yes, I know it is only Tuesday) but I took Friday off to play with lots of yarn and Monday was catch up day with the kids. Today was Parents' Day at my school. My principal feels that to create an atmosphere of learning, everyone should be involved and be able to see what happens in the classroom on a "normal" day. I totally agree (and of course, if the parents really wanted to, they could come in any day as long as the front office knows about it!) Anyway, I only had 3 parents show up (mom and dad of one student)-2 in 5th period and 1 in 6th period. What made me chuckle (and feel bad at the same time) is that the student in 5th period whose parents showed up was called down to the office for some sort of disciplinary action. Oh my...

But the other part of what made me chuckle is that we're trying to squeeze in as much as we can today because tomorrow we're administering the PSAT test to ALL 10th and 11th graders, 9th graders have an English/Leadership assignment to complete and 12th graders were encouraged to go on college visits or will be in the cafeteria working on college essays. Now, with trying to teach as much as possible in 50 minutes, there is little room for much else. HA! My classroom phone rang at least twice in each class, there were at least 3 different messengers coming to my room and of course all the students who needed to go to the restroom/nurse/office/etc. It's any wonder how ANYTHING gets learned at school.

Enough ranting...more knitting!!!

I mentioned in an earlier post that a friend is pregnant. I have made the baby some gifts already. I used the bib and burp cloth patterns from Mason-Dixon Knitting which I had checked out of the library. Both patterns were super simple and took hardly any time to finish. I think I finished each in one day (over the weekend). I used Sugar n' Cream 100% cotton for both in the same colorway (I have no idea what the name is-I recycled the ballband.)



(The pattern that the yarn makes is pretty cool, don't ya think? It shows up in both pieces in just a slightly different way and even with the texture of the burp cloth)



What makes this even more interesting is that the Yarn Pirate, who happens to be pregnant, made a bib (from the same pattern) using the same yarn! How cool is that? We didn't chat about it and she lives in Washington State and I'm on the East Coast. Too weird!

14 October 2007

My Secret Pal Strikes Again

Yesterday, Jason and I were figuring out what we wanted for lunch and he happened to look out the window by the front door and noticed a package. He went outside to get it and this is what it was...

A Halloween themed package filled with goodies-knitting and edible!









The edible first: A Halloween cake mix (which I've not seen around these parts, but I haven't really been looking either!), a spatula with a spider web on it, and some Edgar and Ellen candies (skulls & bones).


















The knitting: 3 dishcloth patterns for 3 Halloween themed dishcloths-pumpkin, batty and skully along with 3 skeins of sugar n' cream/peaches n' cream (I've never seen peaches before!) I've already started on "skully" and hope to finish today. There was also a lovely postcard and some Halloween pencils too. Thanks Nosy1!

13 October 2007

Getting ready...

I made this Thursday night...

It looks like this at first glance...











Then like this...












The magic of illusion knitting!

Stitches East

Yesterday, Angela and I went to Stitches East. It's a market and classes for knitters. Angela and I go for the market. We spent 4 hours just looking at yarn! I bought a pattern book for The Great American Afghan, a skein of Socks that Rock (STR) in Pink Granite 3 skeins of lace weight yarn made from Alpaca and a sweater kit (with lots o' yarn) We stopped at some of the local yarn shop booths-Ewenique Yarns and Eleganza Yarns. We also visited some of our other favorites-Lisa Souza, WEBs, Tess' Designer Yarns and Blue Moon Fibers as well as many, many more!


03 October 2007

My Stash...another contest

It's contest time once again for Secret Pal 11! Here is my stash...


I've been learning some new "stuff" in one of my grad school classes-Multimedia Design and Production. We have to create a still picture video. This is one of my first attempts using PhotoStory 3. It is a real user friendly program and makes lots of videos from pictures. The one that I am doing for my project will be using photos of Chacchoben, ruins that Jason and I saw in Mexico last summer.

Back to the stash...the first picture is my sock yarn stash. Then all my leftovers that will become some baby gift items (since there are two new buns in the oven amongst friends and family) and of course the plastic containers that are FULL with projects just waiting to jump on the needles. The end of the stash is my newest acquisition...LLAMA FIBER! I won it in a contest here.