Bed and Breakfast?

No- dinner and knitting. That's my big green bag under the lamp in the last picture. That chair is where I spent much of knit night last night.

KnitnightRuth gets to LIVE in these rooms! This is her house!! I was enchanted. When I wasn't sitting on my arse knitting, I was in the (not pictured- duh) dining room eating homemade vegetable, tortelini and cheesy vegetable soups. Dear Panera, you suck. Ruth rocks. The End.

KnitnightTara made cuppycakes. The hands creeping out of the chocolate ones on top were an homage to my love/hate relationship to zombies. I think she also made them special for me because I'm not so much a coconut fan. That Tara- she's always doing something for somebody. Always.



KnitnightGina-daughter of Ruth and also known for always doing something nice for somebody- made eyeball bon bons. I was trying to think of some joke about wine and bloodshot eyes but I couldn't think of a way to say it without sounding like I was talking about her ACTUAL eyes so insert your own clever banter here.



You know I've heard tell of knitting groups that branch out and do things other than sit in the corner of coffee shops and knit. Apparently now I belong to one. And while this shouldn't really surprise me I couldn't help but feel like I was a kid being invited to the "most popular kid's house" for a party.Giddy was the word of the day. Sometimes I am so simple.

Post the Two (of Three)

KnitnightRuth invited knit night to her house (see Post Three.) On the Saturday before the event, I ventured out of the 'burg and towards the City because I wanted to be able to find her house with ease.

Oh how surprised she was to have me show up 4 days early for knit night.

Not to waste a good adventure, I traveled up the pike to a yarn store. My stash of madelinetosh sock yarn has increased. My new favorite thing to knit are Stephen West patterns of which I have completed one unphotographed Clockwork and am working on Chadwick which is a design as clever as EZ's Baby surprise jacket.

Feeling confident about my ability to adventure I traveled to the Washington County Fair Grounds for the Annual Arts and Crafts Festival



Not willing to admit defeat and the end of my adventure, I ignored the signs of "this isn't for you, friend."



I stood in this line to pay my $6 entry fee in blissful denial of what was ahead, thinking only of the handcrafted jewelry I was hoping to find. I'm a sucker for the sparkly. (fashionalbe sparkly- not trashy- in case you're shopping for my birthday)



Once I paid my $6, I would have skipped ahead but the man carrying the 4 ft wooden Christmas Tree kitsch and the woman with a bag of about 5 cabbage patch looking dolls were in my way. I joined the slow herd-like shuffle. I passed a baked good cart. I passed a kettle corn cart. I went into the first barn of crafts. There might have been something interesting to see. I can't really tell you as the twilight zone line of shufflers prevented any thoughtful looking. I made it through one exhibit building and high-tailed it back to my car. Having only been away from my car for about 15 minutes, it was easy to find.

The main reason to go to this festival was to notice what people can and choose to do with their hands and brains. I didn't really have any major purchase plans. I consdered my $6 the cost of a lesson learned and came home and cruised Etsy.

Where to begin?`

This working for a living-while it's a good thing- cuts into blog posting time.

Blog Post The One (of Three)

The Sky.

Sanna (or someone like her) asked blogville what the world looked like around everyone a few weeks ago. I took some pictures. The pink ones are from this morning and in no way capture the absolute spectacularness of this morning's sunrise.







Truthfully, if I weren't working for a living, I wouldn't be up and in my school parking lot (where these were taken from) to see the world. So there's another upside of having a job.

ice cream zombies and further research

It's not all always fun and games and here we go round the mulberry bush here at House of Sophanne. Sometimes there are lulls.

Not to let that stop me from blogging, Welcome to Sometimes.

THe reason I like living with Mr. Sophanne is
1. Sometimes he buys ice cream.
2. He doesn't always tell me when he does- he keeps it a secret.
3. He keeps it a secret because he knows I will look and see if he did.
4. When I look and see and he's bought some, it's like a surprise birthday party for me.


Zombies-

1. Mr. Sophanne LOVES those shows.
2. Me not so much.
3. They give us both nightmares.
4. He likes to think of it as a double feature.

Further research on Young Frankenstein

As mentioned before, Teri Garr and Cloris Leachman's character can be found in The Lady and the Monster.

Harvey Korman's character (mechanical arm, clicking heels and all) can be found in the Son of Frankenstein with Boris Karloff, Basil Rathbone, and Bela Lugosi. As can the source for the line "I think it's time we had a riot."

Bela Lugosi's Igor (Son of Frankenstein)is also reminiscent to me of Gene Hackman's role as the blindman.

Another Netflix-streaming find and another mad scientist movie I can't recommend enough- sets, costume, design, absolutely everything you could ever hope for and I keep falling asleep before I can finish it. (which I'm kind of glad about- it will last longer.)

I'm sure there are students of film that can break down every scene and reference every source. These geeks like me probably have thorough on line documentation. I refrain from the googleresearch because finding these tidbits is just like finding ice cream in the freezer.

PSA number not so important

I am a big fan of "Young Frankenstein." It makes me crazy happy laughing every time.

I had, of course, always noticed the similarity between the scenes in it and the original Frankenstein movie.

What I did not realize was that there is a movie called "The Lady and The Monster" from 1944 based on H.P. Lovecraft's story "Donovan's Brain" that explains where the Teri Garr and Cloris Leachman characters come from. Dead. Ringers.

Young Frankenstein just got funnier to me if that is at all possible.

Knowing that, I'm going to guess that there is a movie out there that explains the rest of the scenes that don't connect to either of those movies and my mission is to find it. (without cheating on Google or Wikipedia)

I realize that my partial attraction to these 1940's horror flicks is that I just skip the Mel Brooks/MSTK3000 step and they make me laugh because I realize how funny they would be if someone WERE parodying them.

If you are a "Young Frankenstein" fan and have not seen "The Lady and the Monster," I strongly encourage you to do so.

you meme you

Kmkat by way of Soxanne tagged me in a pet peeve and what makes you happy meme. The only rule is that there has to be more happy than grumpy.

Pet Peeves- as a rule, I try not to have pet peeves because they'll really only drive you crazy if you buy into them. That being said I will share with you the things that have taken much greater effort to "put on a shelf and leave alone"

1. The custodian at my school does not clean my room. There are 350+ kids in and out of my room all week long and she neither empties the garbage on a daily basis nor sweeps the area rug where the littler ones sit. The tipping point this year was when I went to the custodians corner to get the vacuum cleaner she lifted her head from her mystery novel and said good morning. More aggravating is that she's a nice person and I don't really want to carry resentments toward her. To lessen the sting of this situation I've taken to vacuuming in the afternoon when she's not there. I did let her know the bag needed changed this morning.

2. Impatience in trivial matters. It makes me crazy when others, believing that the universe revolves around them (in line- in traffic- in a faculty meeting- wherever) complain about the "injustice of it all" and in turn assume that I am equally indignant with them.

3. The kid who rides his motorbike in circles right outside our window when I get home from school.

4. The New Jersey landlord who charged us $15 for leaving and frozen unopened package of kosher hot dogs for the next renter. Man, that guy got under my skin- 3 days without air conditioning in 100+ degree temperatures and HE CHARGES US???? I really can't think about that one too much. It's along the same lines- self-absorbed and uncompassionate- not to mention seedy and greedy.

Things that make me happy-

1. Rickie Lee Jones' songwriting skills

2. When my dog brings me my shoe and when she gives me extra cuddles when she knows my feet are cold.

3. The sandwich my husband makes for me every morning because he doesn't want to imagine me eating salad and fake crab out of a bag.

4. Knit night.

5. Blog friends.

6. Shoes that don't make my feet hurt. (yet to be achieved but not for lack of trying.)

7. When a kid leaves my classroom saying "that was fun."

If you've got time, I'm tagging Yarnhog, Sanna, Jellidonut, Becky at Flossy and Kate and Haley at Labor of Love- but it won't hurt my feelings if you don't do it- I know that being tagged in a meme can also be an unspoken pet peeve!

This is a knitting blog.

And it might be nice if pictures of knitting occasionally made an appearance.

This is an extra sock yarn log cabin. I'm doing my best to destash and get rid of bits and pieces while simultaneously buying the occasional skein of sock yarn to eventually add to it. I see it being a usable size in 2021, assuming that the world hasn't ended.



This is the "make it up" cardigan from Elsbeth Lavold Silky Wool. The colors are a little less blue than pictured. It's in time out because I'm a little nervous about what's going to happen when I get to the armpits. As I am fearing that there will be no gratification and that it will not be instant, it's living it's life as potential right now.



This log cabin of cascade started on a whim to get rid of unruly leftovers of cascade and I'm starting to like it's randomness a bit. I actually purchased more cascade to expand the color palette and hopefully tone down some of the colors I don't love the best.



This is a stash-busting distraction. It's going to be arroyo (rav link) The original pattern calls for worsted weight on size 8's. This is sock weight on size 5's. What I'm really looking for is a long thin scarf/shawl/wrap pattern (probably with short rows) that will become one of those cool "around your neck numbers.)-also feel free to let me know of any patterns like that that you know of.



I'm pretty confident about finishing it because I want to use the new madeline tosh yarn to make clockwork - another one that I am hoping becomes the fashionable neck thing.

There are always socks on the needles. I've moved from size 2 to size 1 in my standard socking so things are taking a little longer but I'm hoping for a little more durability.

So yeah, I knit. It's just that lately it's not been as funny as when I bake.

Saturday.

a day in which I recover from a knit night field trip and go to a soccer game. (and try to write that first sentence as if I were A.A. Milne)

Last night knitnight met for Chinese food and travelled to Natural Stitches. Other than the location- me being from the country side of the city, I can't get from here to there alone- this is one of the best knit shoppes I've been to. Plenty of floor space. Never any yarn falling down on your head when you try to look at a skein. A wall of needles and a wall of Cascade. I was on such a field trip "high"-but as overwhelming and overwhelmed as I was when I got there, everyone treated me like I was a normal person.

After I touched some malabrigo worsted (it's been a while) I had 8 skeins in my hands. I realized I'd have to knit a sweater and I'd blow up my stash and put them back. I picked up 4 with mittens and a hat plan- but I really can't plan and then buy yarn. I do better if I buy yarn and then plan.

4 skeins of MadelineTosh sock yarn and 2 setts of additurbo lace (even on sale) nearly broke the budget but I did manage to pick up some random cascade to add different colors to the neverending log cabin afghan I'm working on.

All of this is pretty meaningless without pictures. When I read blogs I get bored looking at skeins and reading plans so I'll just leave it at- hey- I got some yarn and I hope to knit it. When I do I'll tell you about it.

One of the best parts of the night was getting to meet a devoted blog follower- Lisa! I know she wasn't expecting it but I had to hug her when we met. She once told knitnight Gina that she thought I was funnier than the YarnHarlot and should write my own book. You can't BUY friends like that!

THEN this morning my sister phoned to let me know that my nephew's Green Team would be playing soccer RIGHT HERE IN THE BURG. Speaking to him was prohibited but I did grab a shot of the winning team coming across the field. I also waited like a groupie near the bus to give a quick point "hello" and a thumbs up "good game." Very discretely of course. He's one of 2 9th graders playing varsity and I didn't want to be responsible for humiliating him.



Sister, niece and other nephew had to head to another game to be cheerleader, cheerleading coach, and spectator respectively immediately after the soccer game but I did manage to snap a picture or two of the green family.





GO LIONS!

PSA

If you live near where I live and you let them squeeze the girls with a giant machine, you get a prize package in the month of October. Go get those girls squeezed. I dare you. I double dog dare you!

ETA I can't believe it took me all afternoon to realize that it was the booby prize!

The truth is...

my Black Forest Cake did not turn out as I had imagined. I could tell you where the recipe came from but I'd likely be sued for libel.

At first it appeared to have great potential.





But after things cooled off, they didn't quite want to stay together.



Vowing not to trash the whole thing, (it really tastes good) I tried to paste it together a little.



The artistes among you will quickly recognize the cherries on top as a distraction to the disaster below.

Finally I realized that I had forgotten a key ingredient-



the shaved chocolate on top.

When Mr. Sophanne saw the final product, he doubled over and choked on his own spit. I don't give that much credence though because he guffawed when I bought a 9x12 baking dish last week.

It now occurs to me why they have cake baking contests at county fairs.

Don't you wish it was summer and I could adventure every day?