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!