Half Empty- Half Full

I've been reading a-many minimalist blogs. I've got pack rat tendencies like nobody's business. Not quite an episode of "Hoarders" but plenty of "just in case" stuff.

You may remember the purging of this summer. A little free time today brought on some more activity. THe main eyesore in this room (and a home decorating item I find unattractive) were the bins of stash stacked next to the bookshelves. They weren't full, and as it turns out, they weren't necessary. All stash fits on 4 bookshelves. So after some serious rearranging and vacuuming we have the "half empty" part of the room.



A clear open workspace, the ipad connected to speakers with old-time-radio episodes playing, space for possibilities. So very much unlike me and it will be only with great effort that it will remain so.

And now to the "half full" section of the room-



There is some decluttering to be done here but it's a summer project. I don't want to cull until it's easy peasy to dispense of the goods. Cold winter does not lend itself to such an activity. Knitting from the stash is the closest I"ll get until the spring!

Finally over "not smarter than the camera" blues

At last posting you saw day 1 of Ben and the Babybabies. What you will not see here (though I was so disheartened at accidentally deleting the pictures that I considered drawing stick figures and taking pictures) is a picture of both babies falling asleep in Mr. Sophanne's arms. You will also not see Ben covered from head to toe in flour after playing with the tonka trucks in the flour. And, you will not see the thrill of sucking up said flour with the shopvac. Really, it's taken a week and then some for me to face posting on the blog without those pictures. They were that adorable.

In the knitting from stash news:

This Noro was originally purchased for a second Jared Flood scarf. I never made it and the idea of knitting one row at a time and changing colors every other row didn't do much for me. Instead I've started this Multidirectional Diagonal Scarf, a short row scarf pattern free on Ravelry.


Pictured is one skein and a little bit more- I've got the remainder of the second skein left so it will be a short scarf. Given the the muted colorings, I think, after a heavy bath in Eucalan, I'll be able to convince Mr. Sophanne that he wants this.

In clothes shopping insights:

If you buy clothes that fit well and are comfortable, they will probably look o.k. This is as opposed to buying clothes that you think will look good and hoping that they will be comfortable.

Sock knitting news:

Thanks to Wendy Johnson's toe-up sock book (which I've now just found a free pattern that would have done just as well), I've knit my first toe-up sock. Direction follower that I am, the sock is 64 stitches and roomier than my usual 56 stitches. There was great joy in my heart as I knit the leg with abandon, not fretting about when I should start the heel so I wouldn't run out of yarn. I don't remember the name of the yarn.



In holiday festivities news:

Mr. Sophanne and I don't really "do" Christmas. We believe in things, we cherish every day, we celebrate the magic that is life but unless we have the good fortune to have family and or kids at our house, it goes by relatively unnoticed. People sometimes feel sorry for us and invite us for dinner. We don't really feel sorry for ourselves but this year we accepted an invitation from one of his co-workers. I do not have the writing skills necessary to convey the Seinfeldesque nature of the evening.

The evening began with the host's adult son greeting us with a handshake in a reclining position while never taking his eyes off the tv watching Shrek with 3-D glasses. He did get up and say hello again after the burping and farting section passed.

At the start of the meal, as she put food on the table, the wife proclaimed, "We are so glad to have everyone here- especially people who don't have anywhere else to go." I almost felt homeless for a second.

Somewhere in the middle of the evening, Great Grandma, who was ignored by all (except Mr. Sophanne and myself of course) managed to eat several fried smelts and leave the tiny bones intact. Later, her countless pleas of "Can I hold the baby?" fell upon deaf ears.

Neighbors arrived and the hostess came to the table (where we were working hard at some kind of after dinner table talk) and said, "I'm going downstairs (to the finished basement) the neighbors are here and they might want some of these periogies. You're finished aren't you? We'll be downstairs."

Downstairs was a finished bar (and the 3-D tv). When we finally took the hint and joined everyone, we watched in mild discomfort as the host endlessly tempted a non-drinker into having a little taste of wine/hard cider/beer/apple pie schnapps. Finally the guy said to the host "Look- I made a deal with God- I drank all I could for one lifetime and he let me live. I don't drink now."

The night ended with the host's wife exclaiming to Mr. Sophanne, "YOU HELD THE BABY???? Now she'll never sleep tonight." Not sure what that meant but insert any line from "We have to go see the BABY" episode and you'll get the idea.

Mr. Sophanne had high hopes of these two being our first "couples friends." I've always known otherwise. On occasions past, I'd prepare myself with a little anti-anxiety medication. This time it wasn't necessary. I went pretending it was a tv show and it was one of the funniest episodes I ever watched. We came home grateful for the meal, for the hospitality that was intended (if not exactly delivered) and just a little bit more appreciation of who we are on the planet.

News from The Claw:

Here's a picture of what I received from The Claw in exchange for my unused Kindle. He is having great success at his Etsy shop and I'm pretty sure we've got some of you to thank for that.




And finally (in the most non-sequitur post I believe I have ever written): There is NOTHING better than a Sunday night when you don't have to go to work on Monday morning.

How could I wait to show this?

Immediately upon their arrival, Mr. Sophanne said "we need babies in this house." Oy vey. I said we have some. Enjoy it while it lasts. He loves babies and kids who are three.



They arrived and Ben (age 3) was shy for approximately 90 seconds. Mr. Sophanne and Ben went downstairs and banged on the congas. Then they headed to the train station to see some trains. Prior to their arrival, I had suggested the toy train but Mr. Sophanne thought he'd be too young. Turns out he was not. This is the look of a first-time engineer on a "real train" as he called it (as opposed to the wooden ones he was playing with.) As for the real "real ones"- they were just a little scary. He stood near one and then decided it was time to come back home.



The dog? She was born to be with babies. She'd give love and kisses until they pulled away or stuck out a hand- then she'd lay back and just watch, waiting until they gave a sign that she could come forward. There was serious communication beyond what mere humans could understand going on between babies and dog. It was magical.

Ben and the BabyBabies

Are taking a road trip to House of Sophanne!

YIPPEE!!!

In preparation for a little more festive setting (we had zero decorations) Mr. Sophanne put up some icicle lights. I put some Christmas cards around the window. We don't send cards (except we have some around when we want to send some money to relatives) so the number of cards we receive is minimal. (and if I really had to be honest, 2 of the 5 cards in view came from my sister and her family and one came from our insurance agent.)



To rectify this and make it look not so pathetic, we put up a couple of cards that we had to send. Mr. Sophanne thought a blank card hanging might be tacky so inside one he wrote.

"This card is for decorational purposes only. If you are reading it, Merry Christmas anyway."

He cracks me up

Also waiting in the wings are these:



which I'm imagining will be rolling in flour on our table at some point.

Finally, I also made sure to have on hand the "3 CH's" of feeding children. CHicken nuggets, kraft mac n CHeese, and CHeerios.

Again I say YIPPEE!

ETA- and in further yippiness- I found the Queen Anne's Lace Pattern!

How to have a Zen-like winter/holiday program in an elementary school

Early November- pick the songs and put them in order in a separate notebook. Pick easy ones that your kids will love and that will make the parents smile. There's more (or less) to a program than showing what you can do with kids. It's all about proud parents seeing their son/daughter on stage taking part in one of the few holiday traditions that hasn't changed with time.

Mid-November- teach the songs. Adjust for your inability to figure out what is actually "easy" versus what is just plain delusional and replace hard songs with something else.

Late-November- take a Thanksgiving break- time for the songs and the season to sink in.

Early December- let kids practice standing and singing on risers. Let them know how to enter and exit the stage. Practice both procedure and songs tediously. Put all standing orders in your notebook for future reference. Fret that you've picked songs that are too difficult. Remember that you've got 2-3 weeks and that everything always works out even when it doesn't

Prepare printed program and send along to the copy center. Make sure everything is spelled correctly.

A week before (if you're me) turn your classroom into a stage by removing everything in sight.

Let the custodians know what help you're going to need and when you're going to need it.

Let the teachers know via written communication how things will work (if there are some who didn't really follow your "how things will work" plan last year, make sure you give them the memo to "proofread" for you this year. heh. heh.)

If the kids know the songs, let them watch the Nutcracker and color programs- another personal touch to the tradition and another way for them to own and remember the event.

Get together the info that the art teacher and counselor need to get kids to the stage at the right time and in the right order.

Two days before-set up the stage/sound system/etc in preparation for the dress rehearsal. Hopefully there's a custodian or two around to help out with this.

One day before- have a dress rehearsal with the sound system and a performance for the school. Or, have a county-wide "it's too cold to go to school day off." (I prefer the latter)

Day of the show- Sing the songs- thank the people delivering the kids to the stage, pretend that you can read music and play the accompaniments, enjoy the beloved tradition of another holiday show.


This used to be a high drama event in my life- anxiety ridden, general bitchiness, resentment, martytdom, etc.

I've done away with most of those feelings. There is still some anxiety but not an unreasonable and prolonged amount. There's occasional internal bitchiness when a kid stares blankly at me after giving directions for the third time.

Other teachers (unintentionally) try to feed the drama potential. Are you ready? are the kids ready? This must be so hard for you. etc etc I nod and smile and say I hope so, I hope so, and not so much.

If you're not paying mindful attention, the kids can send you over the top as well. They are so excited. They ask questions they already know the answers to. They ask you what songs they are singing (the day before the program). They let you know if they have a sore throat. It's what kids do. It's how they involve themselves in the excitement of something new. On a good day I smile and patiently answer their questions. On a bad day, I roll my eyes and say "REALLY???" and let one of the kids answer their questions. They may sing like I've encouraged them to do but chances are when they see a crowd of 200+ people looking at them they will revert to what comes naturally which is a sort of rapping/yelling combination.


I've come to know this is not about me. It's about one of the few traditions left from school days of yore. It's about community. It's about kids taking pride and responsibility in what they do. Some might think that in a perfect world it would be about making beautiful music with stunning visual effects and cleverly choreographed additions-that in a perfect world the audience would care more about what they were hearing rather than catching up with old friends. In that perfect world, nervous kids too sick to be there but wanting to be there so badly they won't tell anyone, don't puke on the kids in front of them. In my world it's o.k. the way it is. The teachers are happy, the parents are happy, the kids are happy and I am happy. Peace on Earth and only 9 more holiday programs to go until I can retire!

LYS makeover- yippee skippee!

I needed some "boy blue" (light blue won't work for boy mittens according to the intended recipient) yarn. I've been going to The Needlecraft Barn in Morgantown, WV on and off for the last 5 years. When it was "off" it was because the yarn quality, selection and variety were never changing.

Enter Cecilia, a former employee now current owner of the LYS. They had new yarn! She said "if Michael's has it, then I won't." She had some milk-based, sugar-based yarns that I had never seen before as well as some Lamb's Pride which I love but don't have easy access to.

I hope she does well- it would be so nice to have a thriving LYS less than 30 minutes from home in a city where I know how to get around. If you're in the Morgantown area, check her out- she's in the alley across from the Courthouse Square. She's even got a wall of locally grown/spun fibers as well as some roving. And she's quite the salesperson. She placed every skein of yarn she showed me in my hand just daring me not to buy it (in a very inoffensive and relaxed way)

In other news, last Wednesday Mr. Sophanne's Morning Wake Up Message was, "Hey Sophanne, Nostradamus called, you're going to get a snow day on Monday." As the magic 8-ball says- "outlook good."

The winter program featuring Children's Favorites is scheduled for Wednesday. On a conscious level, I feel no pressure. I've done this enough times to know that I've done what I can, it is what it is, and (insert platitude here.) I don't think my subconscious is buying it. Last night I had a dream about volcanos erupting and running from lava. When I looked it up it talked about being under pressure. Laryngitis is working it's way around my head right now so if the germs cooperate, at least I'll get the sympathy vote on the 15th. (as in, damm, she worked so hard on this program, she's lost her voice.)

I only have one speech to give at the program which is to tell them that if this year really really was about children's favorite carols then I'd have to have every class grades k-2 sing Jingle Bells and Rudolph and every class grades 3-5 sing Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree and Jingle Bell Rock. Maybe that's what I"ll do next year. Have every grade sing the same song and the audience can listen and hear how much their voices improve as they get older. I can call it the "Broken Jukebox Holiday Program!"

thank you karma

For anyone who comes here solely for the knitting content (which I can't imagine there is anyone because I come here for the laughs), there will be another shawl collared (steeked) vest in the next few weeks. About 10 more inches above the sleeve line, some steeks, some miles of garter stitch on the shawl... did I say weeks?

Yesterday the Lunchtime Talker was Out Of Control. Seriously. My ears hurt at the end of the 30 minutes and I wasn't even the first one to comment about it later. (usually I'm the biggest whiny baby about the whole thing being the least reluctant to change) I try to save all my complaining for this space.

You also need to know that I've been playing the "what's your theme song" game with all of my friends and colleagues. They don't really get it at first but once I give a few examples, they're mostly good with it.

We had a faculty meeting today. One of my favorite teachers came in and I asked her what her theme song would be. The talker heard this (I don't know how) and said "She didn't even ask me mine." I said, "Oh I already have one for you- Yackety Yack!" She laughed and laughed and slapped her knees and laughed some more. Others were sucking the air out of the room in fear. Then one of the lunch partners said "yea, if you eat lunch with her you KNOW it's true."

All was done in relatively good spirits-not snarky at all just the truth as we know it. I feel now I've at least had a chance to say what's on my mind without being offensive and when it gets to be too much at lunchtime, I may have a joking tool to ease the constant prattle.

Random Mutterings

Muttering #1
Today I am wondering if there is a style in haute couture called Ninja by day, Bag Lady by night. If there is, I am the poster child. If it's black, I'll wear it to work and if it's baggy I'll wear it at home and if it's both (yet to be acquired), I may never take it off. That being said, someone tell me why I knit an adult surprise jacket in the color of sharpie markers.

Muttering #2
Perhaps like many of you, I can start the laundry with good intentions. There seems to be a breakdown when it's time to move the clean folded clothes from the laundry area to the clothes storage places. Today I'm trying a new method. I'm taking them (unfolded and in a basket-these modern contraptions are fabulous) to the storage place and then folding them. I'll let you know how this works out.

Muttering #3
The religion chosen for my sister and I by our parents was Judiasm for the first 10 years or so. We were always only that, but not having connected to it for many years, it's not really a part of who I am now. Last week a teacher came into my room and all of her students wished me a Happy Hanukkah. I didn't even know it was Hanukkah. It created discomfort for me. I smiled and nodded thanks and moved on. What's a girl to do? Is it the thought that counts?

Muttering #4
I'm not really going to knit one pattern from every book. That was a good way to cull the books- they found a good home a few blocks away (and if I ever really really need that knitting basics book again, I know someone who might have it-until she chooses to cull it which is o.k. by me)

Muttering #5
A note to summer self. The sweaters and warm things that you knit are very convenient in the cold weather. Don't downplay their importance.

Muttering #6
There is really not one thing that I like about the holiday season except for when it's over. After that comes the feeling of guilt that comes from not buying into the whole thing and the never-ending attachment to snow days.

Muttering #7
One thing that might make the next two weeks tolerable is that I've decided that everyone I work with should have theme music. At first I thought mine would be Simple Gifts (tis a gift to be simple...) but then The Claw suggested the music to Mr. Roger's Neighborhood. I must be doing a good job of faking jollity and that's an accomplishment. It's been great fun exploring the possibilities for others. What's your theme song these days?

News FLash!!!

The Claw is on Etsy!! He's selling handmade wooden miniature piano music boxes. They are awesome- all of the music box sounds are traditional wind up sounds as opposed to electronic simulations. Please go check them out and pass the word along to anyone you think they might appeal to. The Claw has had a rough year and I love him.

Mittens: A Question

Vanfox at institches posed the following question while we were chatting in email.

When making mittens, rather than holding stitches for the thumb, is there any reason you couldn't do the thumb first and then pick up the stitches and finish the mitt?

Would there be any advantages to this? A more stable thumb? Is vanfox23 the next Elizabeth Zimmerman?

Determination or Denial?

This is right below and in front of our house. If it weren't hunting season, I imagine the deer jumping up and trying to get the last remnants of the growing season. Where's Gary Larson when you need him?


The new knitting resolution has been a good plan. Whether I really do it or not is not nearly as significant as is the fact that I'm going through the books and will have some to move to better homes very soon.

To be filed in the category of things I wish I had said:



I was wearing this hat at the grocery store yesterday. It is very warm and I noticed, also makes people smile a little when they see it. The clerk checking my groceries said,

"I like your hat but I honestly have to say I'd never wear it."

Had I the wit and wisdom of someone older than myself- like those 80 year old ladies that say whatever they want- it would have occurred to me to say,

"That's o.k. It wouldn't look good on you anyway."

I suppose I can relish the fact that karma was in my favor- though I wonder if I lose points for thinking it as I drove home.

Project Number the One

This is Sunflower Tam by Nora Gaughan knit in Stitchjones Hemlock. The color is more accurate in the top picture- pattern is visible in the bottom.




I only started this 4 times and tinked back 6 more. It's not a difficult pattern. I have a short attention span and do not always heed the difference between a k2tog and right twist.

I bought this book because it is a beautiful book and it was 70% off at a going out of business sale. I didn't really see any other patterns that pulled me in but tastes change so for now this book is a keeper.

I had not really considered how I was going to keep track of which books I've used etc. *light bulb flicks on while typing* I'll label all related blog posts "knit from the library." Since I (foolishly) never use labels, they should be easy to keep track of. Shoot- now that I'm thinking about it, I might even tag them in Ravelry- if I ever get them posted there.

A swan and a turkey

....walked into a bar. Just kidding- I couldn't think up a clever title and after I put that in, the rest seemed to fall into place.



What you see above is the never-before-pictured niece of Sophanne and her fabulous contribution to the Thanksgiving Feast.

It's a frosted cooked with orange wedges for feathers, a hershey kiss for the turkey head and a red m&m for the "snood." I learned that was what the red thing on the end of a turkey's nose is called.

Sister of Sophanne prepared a fabulous meal and my additions tasted like they were supposed to (which is all a girl can ask for).

In some knitting news-

During some free time yesterday, I considered the possibility of culling my knitting book stash. When I approached myself with the idea, I found that my attachment to the potentiality of projects prohibits me from doing this just yet.

New Resolution.

(why yes, in fact, this is another one of those blog resolutions that will fade away into the archives of this blog)

My newest knitting goal will be to knit at least one item from every knitting book (AND MAGAZINE) that I own. There will be no yardage rules- just as long as I knit something from it, I can justify keeping it for now. It also makes the question of what to knit next a little less overwhelming.

Giving Thanks

look away, no need to stop here...

Unless of course you're interested in this week's cooking forays.

I told sister that I would bring homemade mac and cheese. (which really involved using jars of cheez whiz so I'm not sure how "homemade" it really is- but it's what we used to eat at home.)



Realizing that there would likely be little room in the oven for such an ordeal, I put it together (with noodles mostly cooked) and put it in the crockpot. I'll bake it for 2 hours on high tomorrow morning and hope for the best- the lunch crowd said an hour and a half but I'm tacking on an extra 30 minutes because it will have been refrigerated. We'll see.. we'll just see.

Sister also declared cranberry sauce as disgusting and slimy. I'd be sad without a little cranberry flavor mixed in with everything. I went a-searching online and found a recipe for a cranberry mold. Apparently cranberries have their own pectin if not cooked too long- who knew? Right now the berries are popping and bursting in a honey/orange juice/cranberry juice base. The jello mold is ready. Nobody has to eat it. It might not turn out but I will have had an adventure.



As is the case with all such adventures, right now I am full of excitement and hope- thrilled at the possibility of having made something people will eat.

We can all be that hopeful- at least until the serving spoons appear.

Another one down, approximately 100 more to go if I last that long

I'm referring to dental cleanings with the assumption that I'll live to 95. If not- then there will at least be fewer trips to the dentist. I can picture it now. I'm on my death bed, my organs slowly shutting down and I weakly look up (at who I'm not sure having had no children- we'll see who shows up) and declare "I will NEVER have to go to the DENTIST again.!" These will be my famous last words.

This evening's pre-trip anxiety could have been really bad given that Mr. Sophanne doesn't get home until around midnight tonight. However, I had a delightful surprise. Grandaughter (of Mr. Sophanne) #1 (age 10) rang in on skype (likely missing Grandfather who had just left) I happened to be blog reading at the time and was happily surprised to get the "call."

We chatted for about 15 minutes, she showed me the Seattle snowfall out her window and then the call sort of transitioned from a telephone call feeling to a "hey let's hang out even though we're on opposite sides of the continent" feeling.

She got out her violin and played some tunes. I had her hold the music up to the screen so I could do some rhythmic tutoring. I let her know why "Boil Them Cabbage Down" is such a great song and why she doesn't really have to hate playing it. She continued to practice, I took the computer into the bathroom and gave the dog a bath while I listened to her play. Before I knew it an hour had passed and I realized that my face was killing me from smiling so hard!

There are moments in life when the right things happen at the right time and you will remember them forever. This was one of them. I am such a lucky duck.

Why?

Why is ice cream so good?

Why could I eat it for every meal?

Who thought of putting ice cream in between two chocolate chip cookies? That person should have be financially responsible for the personal trainer I now require.

Why is it that even less than perfect combinations of ice cream and stuff (I tried the m&m cones/drumstick ones) is still better than any balanced meal I could ever hope to concoct? (except the ones maybe involving lots of cheese which really aren't balanced at all)

WHY? WHY? WHY?

Mr. Sophanne returns tomorrow when I hope to return to a slightly less ice-cream-filled eating schedule. It's just been so quick and easy for meal time and there's no one around to give even the hint of a guilty look or ask, "another one? really?" (the only time the dog gives that look is when I don't share it with her which is never.)

Habits

Before I got married I,

Did laundry when all of the underwears were dirty.
Did dishes when all the dishes were dirty.
Ate when I was hungry.
Never ate snacks.
Didn't have cable.
Stayed up at night until I couldn't keep my eyes open

For the last seven years I have

done laundry every Sunday.
never gone to bed with dirty dishes in the sink.
started eating lunch and dinner with some regularity.
Started eating snacks with greater regularity.
Watched t.v.(I don't really commit to it but there it is- often on.)
Tried to go to bed so that I wouldn't be tired in the morning.

I thought these changes were mostly because I was living with another person. Every now and then during hyperhormonal moments I even get annoyed at Mr. Sophanne in my head and blame him for making me so "regimented."

He's on a little adventure of his own and I was left to my own devices.

Last night I still made dinner, did the dishes, ate a pile of ice cream sandwiches and went to bed at a reasonable hour. The t.v. was on as I transitioned from late afternoon to evening but the volume was way down. I have assimilated structure as a part of my life where there once was none.

Those things still felt a little weird to me. I'm used to my brain racing everywhere. I imagined myself getting into all kinds of mischief with knitting books and craft supplies and maybe some crazy cooking project at 2 in the morning. It's still how my brain works most of the time. I flit, I flutter, I wander from thought to thought and my being is guided by the whims of my brain, often becoming so overwhelmed that rather than do anything, I sit and knit.

There's more balance in my life and I've still hung on to the creative/random way of being. There's more food in my life which isn't necessarily a good thing. It's a change that I wouldn't have really noticed if Mr. Sophanne had not gone adventuring. It's a good thing to notice. There's more to it than I can articulate but for now I'm just going to notice it and feel it and maybe I'll figure out what it all means- or doesn't mean.

Hat's On.

This is one of the hats from Charlene Schurch's book Hat's On. I figured once I had gauge figured out with the busdriver hat, I might as well whip out another one to make me laugh.



I looked at the book and realized that I have made 5 of the hats in it. That's a record for a book and constitutes a "mighty good purchase."

a lull..

I haven't had any deep meaningful adventures or thoughts of late but I do like this blog so here's some more random.

Sad News. My favorite music store (the one with The Claw) officially closed after 28 years of business. It was a surprise to me. Like a sudden death. I am in denial. I feel as though if I don't go to the town with the store, then it won't really be closed and I can live happily ever after. (No wonder denial is so easy when it comes to knitting.)

Good News. Mr. Sophanne and I have figured out Skype. I was chatting on the regular phone with his daughter about how she should get him to figure out when he's there for a visit and realized that he didn't have to be 2000 miles away to set it up. I went into the bedroom and he stayed in the living room and we practiced skyping. Easy Peasy.

Hopeful News. I cast on once again for Icarus- it's in some peacock-feather colored lace- written directions, I love you. Having finished a shawl or two, lace knitting no longer seems like a black hole to me.

Not So Hopeful News. I've lost my pattern for the Giant Queen's Anne Lace that I haven't finished. Finding a copy of the pattern is easy- it's right here on the laptop. Figuring out where I was in the pattern. Not something I'm going to even pretend to try to do- life will have to become pretty desperate for me to go there.

a funny lunch story I forgot to tell

We were talking about pets at lunchtime yesterday. (a common topic.) LisaLunchFriend shared this story.

She knew someone devoted to her cats. Upon finding a cat that had been run over in the road, this person was certain that it was her cat and needed to have a decent burial. She and her husband built a coffin, dug a hole, had a service and buried the cat with much boo-hooing.

The next day the cat in question came back and sat on the front porch. Some stranger's cat got a very respectful burial and memorial service.

THAT MADE ME LAUGH SO LOUD AND HARD!

What I've learned this week...

About the accordion:

You can feel the muscles in your "arm wattles" with a minimal amount of playing.

The rhythm of playing/pressing keys/buttons is completely different from the "rhythm" of squeezing in and out. Totally unrelated.

The big white tabs above the piano key side are stops that change the octaves. There is a 3rd grader proudly taking credit for discovering that. I had no part in it.

The accordion can make VERY loud sounds but sound better when played softly.

Guitar amps of the 1950's often had jacks for two pickups. (the place where you plug things in so they'll play really loudly). An informed source tells me that one was for the guitar and the other was for the always present accordion. Why anyone would amp an accordion is beyond me- unless maybe their arm wattles were tired.

About knitting for other people. This by request knitting feels great when the requester knows what she wants, knows what it's worth and then wears it every day! I knit a fair isle hat with earflaps from a modified Charlene Schurch pattern. (Hat's On!) I decided that I wouldn't do it for free- I asked her to pay the $20 cost of the yarn. The hours spent knitting are happy hobby hours and I don't need reimbursed for them.

Yesterday I got a thank you card with $50 and know full well she won't consider taking any of it back. Sometimes people want to pay what it's worth to them. She'll be wearing it everyday this winter as she drops kids off at school (during my morning bus duty.) I will see her enjoying that hat every single day of winter. Now THAT's some kind of knitting payment right there.

Someday there will be photo/video ops- right now it's just time to enjoy the moments.

Accordioning to who? (to whom?)

Why yes, it is my birthday. And Mr. Sophanne made it as awesome as ever. (though how do you top a LizaJane b-day) I don't post the specifics because the world will be jealous of my life and probably come and try to kidnap him.

BUT..... in other news.

I was visiting Aunt of Sophanne yesterday and the subject of accordions came up-and she has (had) one. And I said I'd take it off her hands whenever she was ready. And now I have one instead.



And the sound of the accordion- even poorly played- makes me SMILE!

I'll give you stripes...

horizontal AND vertical.

I call this design "cherry cordial." I used the same pattern and went up a needle size to account for the extra pull of yarn.



Come to find knitting with two colors isn't as relaxing to me as using just one but you can't argue with the results. I hope I cast on for the second mitten. I know I won't cast on a new mitten until this one has a match so if nothing else it's a cure for my mitten knitting addiction.

My new knitting Crack

Mittens- my new crackcocaine of knitting. I think I'm going to do something else- maybe try a pair in 2 colors, maybe work on the shawl collared vest, maybe pick up the Queen Anne's Lace that is so close and yet so far from being done, and yet I find 40 more stitches magically cast on and a feeling of ready set go. I can finish one of these in a standard Mr. Sophanne t.v. time evening. The rush of finishing something so quickly is more than I can resist.

Once you do enough of them the whole thumb gusset thing becomes a non-issue-that's what's slowed me down in the past

I'm going to share these with my lunch crowd at Christmas (yes, even the endless talker because that's how I roll). As long as their hands are close to the same size as mine, they will have warm mitts for the winter.

I've also taken apart some of the multi-color babette the two to have enough yarn. This mitten binge is an awesome way to reduce the one-skein-multi-colored stash that I have acquired of late. It feels good to be knitting from the stash and while I haven't declared and official "yarn diet", the idea that I need more more more yarn is less and less prominent in my mindset.

Thoughts on a big yarn stash- when I first began knitting with good yarn, I was constantly concerned that I would not be able to get my hands on some. After experiencing the joy of knitting with wool, the idea that I would only be able to find red heart to knit with was horrifying unpleasant. Now I know I've got 3 LYS's within an hours drive and I also know that there is so much fabulous fiber online and independent dyers ship really fast.

That's not to say I don't have my weak moments- Sharon-Stitchjones-Mymommadethis posted the MOST GORGEOUS yarn there ever was. Fortunately I had just paid the credit card balance and wanted to go at least a week without adding to it. But oy, can that woman dye some beautiful colors.

There's no school because of election day so today I will go vote, go to lunch with a few of the school lunch friends, work on lesson plans so that I don't go crazy between now and the Holiday program, and probably knit another mitten or two.

Goodreads.

Do you know about this site? Goodreads.com?

I love it. Networking without all the social. You keep track of the books you've read, you see what you're friends are reading, and you can figure out what book you want to read next.

I always thought there should be a secret club and decoder rings for people who read books so we know who each other are and can share books. I'd get thrown out of the club for never remembering the title, the author and only being able to say- "this book felt like...."

Goodreads is the secret club without the ring- and my books are listed so I won't get thrown out.

I think my secret name there is blts. If you join, are a member, aren't my friend there, come find me so I have more things to choose from to read. if you can't find me, send me your secret name and I'll find you.

(this is not a paid endorsement. I really like the site.)

Politically correct Hoo doo

JelliDonut cracked me up in her comment on the last post. She said maybe she'd make a bad juju doll and just pinch it instead of stab it.

In the interest of a kinder gentler bad juju doll, I'm thinking I'll suggest that my friend rub jalapeno over it and bestow some mild indigestion or maybe slide the edge of a piece of paper across it and inflict a paper cut.

Maybe you could just keep the juju doll in a kind and loving atmosphere and hope that some of that rubs off on the intended recipient.

I think if the door to door voodoo proselytizers ever came to my house they would consider me a lost cause. Except for the badass doll of course.

oh so sporadic and random

Thanks for the well wishes. My heart is continuing to beat and I will visit the dr. next week for a followup and am expecting to ask some questions about panic attacks.

This evening when I got home I took my regular Friday afternoon 2 hour nap. Liza Jane can usually count on a walk after said nap and after my batteries have recharged. Just in case I might forget though, I woke up with this next to me in bed.




That dog Makes Me Laugh.

In knitting news- this will be the Bad Juju doll from Anticraft"



I can't believe this is the first time I've made it. I'm not making it for myself or anyone in my immediate or distant circle. In fact, Mr. Sophanne is very much opposed to invoking Bad Juju voodoo. You just never know says he. And while I believe him to be correct, there is a friend at school who is being treated very badly by some family. She is the epitome of grace when facing these disappointments. Doesn't get upset, doesn't even look sad or disappointed. Everyone loves her so much, we all get mad for her. THis juju doll can be a "bad behavior juju doll" so instead of stabbing a specific person with pins, she can just stab their bad behavior. Perhaps it will be a new trend- politically correct voodoo.

In other knitting possibilities, one of the bus drivers asked me to make her an earflap hat with long tassles. I like her o.k. I fear that other bus drivers might have similar requests if I fulfill this one but am willing to take the risk. She wants it in blue and gray- local school colors. I don't have any blue and gray on hand. A trip to the LYS is in my future. This is eventful as it has been some time since I have purchased yarn.

I told her she had to measure her head and give me the number. Seems like she should have to do something for the cause. (Actually she does a lot of things for a lot of causes which is why I'm willing to knit for her and won't be accepting payment) I have an ulterior motif. The fiber community at school is all about the polyester. If I can get a little wool into the mix, I might just be able to share the power of sheep with everyone.

Work on yet another EZ (meg swanson) shawl-collared vest continues. You may recall the first one was too small. The second one was good but the cables got lost in the marled yarn, the collar could have been more "shawly" and the finishing could have been tidier. All of this is irrelevant because irony insists that the only knitter in my school also has the hottest room in the building and gets to wear her hand knits on the walk from the car to the parking lot only.

And finally- if you're still here, Mr. Sophanne just interrupted the blog post with this gem.

So, two guys are walking down the street and a pigeon poops on one of them. The other guy hands him a tissue and the pooped on guy says It ain't gonna do any good, that pigeon is long gone.

one way to get a day off...

but not recommended is to wake up with chest pains, go to the doctor who will put you in the hospital and give you a stress test.

Actually- that's the way to get 2 days off. All is clear. So it must have been a panic attack or some really weird a$$ heartburn like I've never had.

When Mr. Sophanne is in a similar situation, it's easy for me to sit and knit and pass the time pretty patiently (no pun intended). When the situation is reversed and there's nothing else he can do, he pretends to go for Chinese food and comes back with an early birthday present.



Maybe next week it will be appendicitis in case there is a matching bracelet- KIDDING! I scolded him for spending money, told him to take them back so he could go blow off some steam at the casino but he refused. What's a girl to do?

WeirdyPants Jenn whose name I have coveted since entering the blog world has got some serious illness in her dog family. Rufus is the greatest dog ever and I've never even seen him in person. He's the dog that pushed me over the "please let's get a dog" edge. His face is magical (click here if you don't believe me) and Jenn's words about him always make him most lovable. If you say prayers and put important things in them, maybe send one out to Jenn, Tom and Rufus because they make the planet a great place.

Unintentional Twisting

What you see here is another shawl-collared vest in the making that will soon be in the unmaking and remaking. All 225 stitches with 7 strategically placed stitch markers and 18 rows of k1b p1 as well as two rows of cabling. (and in case anyone doesn't want to get their calculator out- that would be 4,050 stitches.

How can a person go so far in the making of such a project and not realize that it is twisted? I can't be certain but I do know that if you ever need it done, you can count on me.

Shut your pie-hole

I know you are but what am I?

Just a couple of the thoughts I was able to telepathically pick up during a recent faculty senate meeting.

Now I know why we have Robert's Rule of Order.

I'm hoping that our organization realizes that not everyone has to vote "yea" for a motion to pass.

Yes, it was that kind of day yesterday. But it's so beautiful out today that it was washed away with cool crisp weather and a new Boston Terrier puppy for the neighbor next door.

I continue to crank out the mittens. And the big mean barky dog on Liza's walk route didn't even phase her today! Go Calm Assertive Energy!

Mittens and such.

The weather here in the land of Sophanne has been pretty delightful. Last weekend we went to Ohiopyle State Park. We took the dog and both bikes. The last time we tried biking with the dog, Mr. Sophanne took a little spill that required knee surgery so we took turns. Need proof? Here's the lovely Liza at the falls



and the always dashing Mr. Sophanne riding his bike-



In other House of Sophanne news- I am reading a Cesar Milan book and seem to be having some success. A trip to a local bike trail that involved the lovely Liza showing aggression towards a passing dog made the decision for me. I watched the show when Liza first came into our lives but the book has made the difference (Cesar's Way I think it's called.) I've had time to absorb the ideas rather than be amazed at the success. The girl and I have had several walks this week and she is at my side, not pulling me hither and yon. And I like walking her better so she gets to go farther. Win. Win.

I've heard that to discover what kind of winter we'll have, you should watch the animals. If I am any indication, it will be a winter of many mittens. I call this my Goldilocks collection. The first pair was too big. The second mitt was too small and the last three are just right. I'm pretending that the first three errors were my swatching for gauge. I'm using Ann Norling's basic mittens for four needles(rav link) I've got the numbers figured out for the perfect mitten and I'm going to knit enough of them so that I don't find myself mittenless as I did last winter. I'm using the Cascade leftover from the Brandon Mably workshop (sorry colorful Babette blanket the Two- you may not be finished after all.) Size 7 needles cast on 40 stitches and the thumb gusset directions are the easiest to memorize that I've found. (although the first pair shown are in Dream in Color worsted weight- I may go back and rework them just a little cozier)



Oh how I miss the days of endless summer blogging.

p.s. Do you not spontaneously weep every time you see that 7 year old Chilean boy greet his dad? It's like a Pavlov thing for me. So beautiful.

Checking in

Here's what I know. I'm on some 3G at the casino- mr sophanne finally has enough money to take me to knit night and I finally had enough money for an iPad. I am a happy camper sitting in the high rollers lounge waiting until it's not too early to go to knit night.

What I also know is that my school had no water yesterday. Kids had the day off but teachers had to report. I am old enough to decide if there's no flushing, I'm not there. I had to take a sick day and I'm pretty sure if I called OSHA I'd get it back, but that's just wrong. Today there was flushing but we were under a boil water thing. No hand washing. No lunch table washing. No dish washing. OSHA is still on my mind but I'm going to wait until this wave of perimenopausal hormones pass.

One other observation is the amount of stress contemplating the holidays brings. Seriously, can't we just skip them?if my calculations are correct (and I so hope they are) I have 10 more holiday programs until retirement. I've never been a "repeater" when it comes to those shows but I am so seriously considering it. I wonder if anyone would notice.

Sharpie Surprise

This is where I've been. There are ends to be sewn in. Not a million of them because I did many of them along the way. There are dropped stitches to be tied in (it's all I can figure to do short of taking it apart.) When I caught the first dropped stitch, I was most distressed as it was well beyond the point where I would run it back up. When I found the second one I thought "that sucks." When I found the third one I realized- there are a million damn stitches in this thing. Of course I dropped some.

I put together some Denise needles to accommodate the knitting that goes all the way round the mulberry bush. The last two nights were spent doing an EZ sewn bind off. (with needle go into first to stitches purl-wise. go into first stitch knit-wise and remove- sort of a one-needle kitchener) I missed the guess on how much yarn I would need but think I'll be able to make it all work.

There's enough yarn left for a matching stocking cap and mittens- I may add length to the sleeves once it's said and done- I may also give it a light spin in the dryer if it's too humongous.

While it wasn't difficult to do, I'm calling this my most recent adventure in "fearless knitting." With that many stitches, you had to be fearless to trust that it was all really going to work out!

You are Here.

Here's where I am- The potato chip bag lovingly included in the photo can be used to gauge size. (It's a regular size bag)



Here's why it's good for me-

When you knit this EZ Adult Surprise Jacket, you have to follow directions. You have to read the directions. Over and Over until as you continue to ponder how it will really work, you begin to understand rather than just SpeedyGonzales guess.

As one who fails to catch the details of directions, this has been a very good thing for me. There are no extra words in the directions for this. If I choose to ignore the words that are there thinking "yea, yea, I get it," knitting will come to a standstill.

It hasn't come to a standstill yet and just when I think I won't know what to do next, I read the directions for the millionth time and finally notice it says something like "put these stitches on some wool" and I had been ignoring it and now I get it.

Suck at following directions? Knit EZ for practice.

Fraternal twins from different mothers.

I'm not sure I'm going to be able to convince anyone that his is actually a "pair" of socks but my need to convince anyone of such things has long since disappeared.

Hey knit-night friends- I'll be back- I just can't do that drive alone after school for fear of falling asleep and Mr. Sophanne has been disinclined to travel to his normal destination on Tuesdays. I'll leave it to you to figure out why. heh heh.

Sometimes they come back

Maybe you know already that I've had many student teachers under my guidance. If you hear about them on the blog, they don't know about the blog. If you don't, they do.

Sometimes they are a source of frustration and aggravation but every now and then, the good ones come back.

Today at school had unpleasant exchanges with a rude elementary aged student. I don't mind so much when they're rude to me. This one was rude to another student for 40 minutes. Various attempts including a phone call home and a trip to the office (where he at first refused to go and walked away from me) yielded no results and a big old pile of WTF?

Today a student teacher emailed with similar distress and asked for Sophanne Wisdom- HA! That cracks me up! After giving him some advice that I needed to take myself, he wrote back saying it was occasionally it was good to check with "Yoda" because he forgets to use "the force."

There is a former student teacher now teaching at an International School in Latvia. She's started her first job after a 7 year stint as a performer and sailor. We've been corresponding in an effort to help her regain her "teaching legs." I also sent a care package full of peanut butter,bags of dried black beans, and ripped cd's. Hey friends- she lives in LATVIA! and she knows I knit- this is what I found in the mail when I got home today.



Knitted Latvian finger puppets (a chicken, a mouse a dog and a cat) and a not-puppet pig! Made with real wool from and in Latvia. I feel so cool. Also included in this fabulous package was some Latvian honey and a tote bag which cracked me up. In case you can't see the words too clearly it says Latvija, Nice place Love it.

A Fluke.

Past experience should have warned me that the one perfect cake of summer was a fluke.

I should have caught a clue when I burned the second one.

Instead of listening to the voices in my head, I listened to my friend The Claw who said "A Boston Cream Pie type of cake would be great for my 60th birthday."

This morning I got up to make said cake. I saw in the recipes that it was possible to add 2 squares of chocolate to make it a chocolate cake. The Claw is not opposed to chocolate. I thought to myself- "how cool would that be! A boston cream pie like cake with CHOCOLATE instead of yellow cake."

In the words of Simon, "off I went."

In my self-confidence and ease (I've done this before) I combined flour, double acting soda, and salt. I combined sugar and butter and melted chocolate. I added egg yolks. I patiently alternated adding the dry ingredients and the milk. It was beautiful. A sight to behold. So proud was I. I thought "I should blog this." and then thought "no, it's just a cake- this is really not news for you."

Pans are greased, oven is preheated. Batter goes in. Cakes-to-be enter oven. Call the mom to chat while waiting for the cooking. Talking to the mom-"oops- this recipe calls for 2 tsp of pure vanilla" Rationalized that by adding the chocolate it would be o.k. Maybe even better- a more subtle cake rather than sweet.

At the end of the allotted time, I removed said cakes from the oven. I did the obligatory toothpick test. Hmm., that has a little bit of "stuff" on it. I'll just test it over here on the edge of the cake. Oh good. Clean toothpick. Light brown spots on top of the cake indicating a near-miss burning-saying to self "oh, remember that burned last cake? you got this out just in time. You are so good."

I let the cakes sit. I put them in the refrigerator to cool. When I went to retrieve them, the had collapsed a little. I forgot that maybe I should have taken them out of the pan before letting the official "cooling" begin. Still, surely I'll have a nice flat side to frost when I take them out. Not so much.

Behold my new invention- chocolate crater cake with no vanilla.




And so it goes. Happy 60th Birthday to The Claw. I'll bring over a GiantEagle Boston Cream Pie the next time in town. Delusions of Sophanne the Baker adequately in check.

it tastes pretty o.k.- the parts that are done- it won't go to waste but all the Claw got for his birthday from me were good intentions.

No star spangling

My life is so uneventful that things that don't happen become a blog post.

Tonight the local music teachers were scheduled to sing the Star Spangled Banner at the local Band Spectacular. Conflicts and daily life brought the number of singers,which started at about 20, down to 3. While one in attendance was more than willing to do it herself (there's always one in the crowd, yes?) I try to make it a rule never to sing in crowds less than 5.

We would have been singing here with big microphones and everything.



On the way home I saw this bumper sticker- it says "Who rescued Who?" on a pawprint.



I didn't get it right away until I came home and saw this-



Now I get it.

In years past I would have stayed for some spectacular bands, watched kids and parents proud of themselves and each other and gone out for a couple of cocktails afterwards. Now with a Mr. Sophanne, a Liza Jane and some knitting, there's no place like home.

Surprise!

While I've tried to do this pattern once, I think my color choices the first time were way boring and caused me to lose interest. So here goes another attempt at EZ's adult surprise jacket- The colors are much more vibrant than they appear. I am imagining wearing this in the coming winter so that I will be easy to spot in drifts of white snow.


This gourd makes me wish I weren't such a chicken when it comes to the watercolors I have housed a mere inches away from it. I think it would make a fabulous subject but fear of failure prevails and for now I will content myself with admiring the colors, texture and beauty of the original object instead of trying to reproduce it.

Rules at House of Sophanne

That last post and a reminder from a friend gave me pause for thought on how it is that Mr. Sophanne and I manage the stresses of life without collapsing into knock down drag out marital distress. Thus I present today House of Sophanne's spoken and unspoken rules of marital disputes.

#1 No one is allowed to leave or threaten to leave. EVER. This came up while we were dating and however uncomfortable it made either of us, we've stuck to it because we both know that in spite of whatever momentary differences there may be, giving up is not an option.

#2 No telling the other person how they should think, should act or should feel- as well as no telling them how they do think, do act or feel. The closest we come to this is by saying "when you say x it makes me feel y."

#3 Taking a time out and going to separate corners is o.k. (kind of like boxing in rounds) but usually rule #2 sets someone up for an apology of some kind (even if it's "I'm sorry you feel that way.") and that person usually knows it's his/her turn to come to the middle.

#4 No picking on or baiting one another. When this occurs, the other can say "that felt like you're picking on me."

#5 The only way to resolve these kinds of fights is to step back from the emotion and try to rationally discuss.

#6 Both of us recognize that we bring baggage from the past into every argument. We're not always arguing with each other but instead yelling at the baggage from our past. We try to pay attention to that.

Most of our disputes have come from high stress levels, lack of communication, or fear of one thing or another. More than once I am sure the neighbors got quite an earful. Especially in those first two years. Lately (knock on wood) because we know how things eventually resolve, we skip the whole emotionally charged yelling and go straight for the "what's going on here" scenario.

We haven't yet gone to bed angry but when we both get up in the morning at the same time, we have left for work angry and that is no good.

Sometimes it's good to ask the other if "now is a good time to talk about...."

When we were on vacation, I was mired in the stress of making sure it was all good for all of his family that was there. He was mired in that stress as well but recognized mine, stepped back and gave me space for it. In return, I recognized that I was crazy bitchy and after a snappy remark would immediately acknowledge that it was stress-related, apologize, and try to reign it in.

We rarely argue about money because we have a working budget that meets our needs. When we have to talk about the budget (for an update or to change it) we both say "talking about money is stressful- look at us both getting stressed." and we give ourselves some big high fives when we make it through that conversation.

These rules-most of them a matter of habit rather than spoken or acknowledged in any way- take some giving in from both of us. Being willing to be wrong and being gracious when right is the key for us. As is acknowledging and being sensitive to each others fears and insecurities.

It makes me wonder what other people do.

Sleep much?

So I didn't really have insomnia. I was cruising YouTube videos waiting to make sure Mr. Sophanne's tongue swelling didn't eventually block his airway. (stupid blood pressure medicine)- which it didn't and he's fine now. But you can imagine my emotional reaction when I watched this. (and really- I'm not a random video poster so you can trust me on the loading time on this one.) It's an animation of an interview done by Storycorps.

Summer revisted

It seems as though given a weekend and an extra day I can get a little vacation mojo back.

I had hoped for a live action shot but maybe later. Mr. Sophanne is dissembling a dead tree with the chain saw- not a good time to interrupt and Liza Jane hasn't learned to use the camera yet.

Behold Tiger's Eye Jane Goodall by Jordynn Jack. I used some handspun by Barbara Campbell- (a local spinner- who has no internet links) I am moderately pleased with the outcome. The yarn is a little rough in a way that I can't exactly explain.






I am picturing a black collarless shell underneath with 3/4 length sleeves and of course the tiger eye ring which was the whole point of the sweater.`



There's banana bread in the oven, the grocery shopping is finished and now I'm going to wind some yarn.

so I'm in the kitchen

and suddenly I feel like Luke Skywalker

Luke, I am your Father.







or maybe just a coffee pot.



Maybe I can't divide 52 by 2 but I can crack me up. Cracking me up even more was that I HAD to post this discovery tonight after I had already gone to bed. It would not wait until morning.

I knit

It feels a little silly to me to post socks. When I knit them it's all about product- I want socks this winter. To me it feels like posting about making the bed. My friends at knit night really liked these. The yarn was a gift from 5elementkntr many moons ago- I forget the kind. The pattern is my standard r.1 k2p2- r.2 k



But as long as I'm photographing socks- here's the next pair. That Noro sock yarn is crazy pretty. I removed the gusset and heel turn last night after realizing that 21 was NOT half of 52 and am proceeding cautiously.



The Jane Goodall cardigan knitted in the tiger's eye color is soaking for a honking wet block. Note to self. Take more pictures in the basement sink.





The dog is wacky stupid because the deer love this tree. She's just a big old load of "Get Off My Property." They are shaped like cherries but they remain yellow. Quince maybe? I'm making that up.



Time to go flatten some wet wool.

For the record it feels like I'm walking around in the world with 5 or 6 ellipses between thoughts and the world is happening with none or one. That makes for a whole lot of "huh?'s" in my neck of the universe.