Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Selfish Knitter

Yes I know it has been months since I have posted.  I've been a tad busy with this little thing called teaching!!

Anytime I meet new people and they find out I'm a knitter, their first response is "oh will you knit me a ...."  To which I reply, "I don't knit for other people." I usually justify this with my excuse of limited knitting time, which is only partially true.

What I'm really saying is that I'm selfish with my knitting goods.  I am afraid the recipient will totally destroy the item or not appreciate the time and care involved when owning a hand knit item.

So imagine my surprise when I willingly asked someone if they would like a hand knit hat!!!

I even sent several pictures of color & yarn combinations for approval.

So I will be casting on a Jarod Flood Turn A Square hat using Frog Tree Pediboo yarn. Pictures will be forthcoming.

I just hope the recipient understands what a rare event this is. Would a signed & notarized terms of agreement be too much to ask for before handing over said hat????


Friday, September 14, 2012

Where Has All the Compassion Gone?

My friends know that I am usually a sarcastic wench.  I believe that we take life and ourselves too seriously at times.  My friends also know that I am usually the quiet one - until I get comfortable around you.  I would hope many would say that I am someone who would do anything for anybody.  Anyone who knows me for more than 5 minutes knows that my family and closest friends mean the world to me.  Nothing is more important.

What my closest friends and family know about me is that I am a very senstive person, who puts her trust in people way to freely and gets easily hurt by people's words and actions.  This is not a side I show to just anyone.  Although one look at my face and you would know how I was feeling.

For those of you that are thinking "wait usually these post are full of sarcasm and funny tales" keep reading.  I'm sure there will be some sarcasm thrown in here somewhere!!

As we are all aware, my son has gluten intolerance.  We also know he is 14 years old.  As soon as I say this around moms who have made it through teenage boys, I usually get the "ahhhh" with a nod of understanding.

My son somehow missed the bus last Thursday morning.  I'm not sure how this happened.  I set the timer on the stove before I left for work.  He was awake and had eaten breakfast before I walked out the door.  I am chalking it up to being a 14 year old boy. 

I am impressed with his recovery skills.  He called my brother and asked him if he could take him to school (Big THANK YOU!!) before he called me to tell me he had missed the bus.  He had used the backup plan we had put in place for such an event.

What he forgot to do was grab his lunch!!!  No problem you say, he can buy lunch at school.  Yeah I wish it was that easy.  You see what my 14 year old son is supposed to do if he wants to eat lunch at school is sometime before his third period class he must stop by the cafeteria and let the head cook know he needs a gluten free lunch.  Sounds reasonable!

Until he is having a the morning from hell.  I mean he already missed the bus, had to listen to a lecture from Uncle R the entire way to school, and realize that everyone in our family will hear about his mistake.  (That's just how my family is.)  So I am not at all surprised that my son didn't notice he had even forgotten his lunch until - yep you guessed it - lunchtime.

I am just sitting down to my 30 minute lunch when I get the text message - "Mom I forgot my lunch".  At this point I realize my son is having one of those days.  You know the kind where you should have just stayed in bed and pulled the covers over your head. 

So I reply back "Check with the assistant principal to see if your gluten free food has arrived at school".  (I was told it would take 3 weeks for the school to get gluten free food).  His reply - "OK".

From this point things start happening in a very nasty blur.  Apparently the gluten free food had not yet arrived.  He was offered the following choices: rice, pinto beans or salad bar.  I have told the school staff from the beginning that salads cannot be our backup plan.  The boy will not eat a salad.  Rice & pinto beans - that doesn't sound appealing to me AT ALL. EVER.  And especially not from a school cafeteria.

So when speaking to the nurse and assistant principal, they kept saying that my son refused to eat.  He choose not to eat.  He refused any of the plethora of options.  Yes I kid you not.  The assistant principal actually said he had a PLETHORA of options.  Last time I looked 3 is not a plethora!!!

After a 45 minute conversation with the nurse & assistant principal, I realize that their main goal was to make sure I was well aware that my 14 year son had not followed the proper protcol for ordering his lunch and that this was all his fault.  They were not interested in solving the issue that my son was going to be at the school until 6pm eating nothing but an apple.

I offered up solution after solution.  All of which were met with an excuse as to why that was not possible.  I mean I know you serve 1800 kids.  I know each of the 3 lunch shifts is only 30 minutes.  I know that my son needed to take some responsibility here.

Yes I am aware that in 4 short years he will need to enter "the real world" and be prepared to function given his food limitations.  I am more than aware that he is 14 and needs to take responsibility for his choices.

I also know that my son was having an extremely rough day and needed someone (other than me) to show him a little compassion and empathy.  I know that it is not fun being a 14 year old boy who can't have gluten.  I know that being different in any way in high school can easily make one a target for ridicule and bullying.

What I don't understand is how the people to which I am entrusting my son have absolutely no empathy or compassion!!!

What I also am aware of is that there are days when we all have a crappy day.  There are times when we all just want someone to show us a little compassion.  There are times when we can't be perfect.  I mean as adults we have options if we forget our lunch.  We can get in our car and drive ourselves to a store and get something to eat.  The last time I looked my son's high school is a closed campus.  Oh wait he isn't even 16.  He doesn't even have the ability to hop in a car and run to the store to grab a gluten free option.

What my son needed that day was for just one adult to show him a little understanding.  He needed someone to say "I realize how difficult this gluten thing is for you.  How can I help you make it better?"

Instead he learned that adults he is supposed to count on to support him don't really care about how hard it is to be gluten free.  He learned that if he makes even one mistake, it will be held over him. 

As I have sat back and reflected upon the events of that day, I realized why this all made me so very angry and upset.  I was in tears several times.  Crying is not something I like to do - especially not on the phone with school administration.

I realized that I felt like my son and my parenting skills were being called into question.  I felt like I had two women judging me and my son.  I felt helpless when my son needed an adult to care about him.  I was a concerned mom who needed some compassion and empathy.  Not to mention the things that were said to me by the school administration were things I would never say to my best friend much less a parent of one of my students.

So my question is where has all the compassion gone?  Why do we not care about each other?  Why do we not want to help each other have a better day?  Compassion and empathy are two traits that we as a society are losing.  We seem to have lost the art of caring for one another. 

I know that my son will need to learn to fend for himself.  I also know that sometimes we all have to count on those around us to help get us through life.  We were not meant to be islands.  Sometimes we all need a kind, caring person to help us navigate through life.

And just in case you were wondering, I solved the problem and created a workable backup plan just in case he forgets his lunch again.  After explaining the backup option to my son, he hugs me and says "Mom, you are the best problem solver". 

I just hope he is paying attention and picking up some of these skills!!

Monday, September 3, 2012

Handbaskets, Paved Roads & Other Debacles

Happy Labor Day morning!  I am finally feeling like I can take a few minutes to post.  The first two weeks of school are under my belt and I plan on going back tomorrow.  Always a good thing!! 

Warning - Non-knitting story about to unravel!!

So I woke up early Saturday morning and thought I will get everything done today and then I can relax the rest of the weekend.  Great plan in theory!

After a very productive morning cleaning house and washing laundry, I settled down to tackle my To-Do List from school.  I went through the weeks worth of emails, happily deleting & checking things off my list.  Then I decided to get a daily schedule of all the comings & goings of my students.  The number of pull-outs occurring on a daily basis in my classroom is enough to make your head spin.

I reached in my school bag for my external hard drive, which houses EVERYTHING in my world.  It isn't there.  I check my purse.  Nope not there either.  Yep you guessed it - I left it at school.  No problem.  I have a badge that opens the doors.  All I need is a code to turn off the alarm.  No hyperventilation happening. Yet!

I obtain a code from another teacher at my school.  Grab a box of books for my classroom library.  Off I go to retrieve my hard drive. 

Here is where things start to take a BIG downward turn!!

I let myself in the front door of the building with my badge.  Head to the alarm keypad.  Enter in the code.  Alarm goes off!!!  I try the code again to no avail.  That's OK.  I know the password for the security call I am about to receive. 

I enter into the main office to wait for the call.  Phone rings.  I answer & give the password.  All is right with the world.  Except the alarm doesn't go off.  I head back out to try my code again.  Phone rings again.  I answer & speak to a second alarm company employee.  Give her the password.  Ask how I turn alarm off.  She suggests I try my alarm code again while on the phone with her.  I say "OK hold on a sec".  I set the phone down and head out the office door.

As I hear the click of the lock re-engaging, I turn and scream NOOOOOO.  There on the office counter is my purse, car keys, cellphone, & badge!!!!  This is where panic starts to take over.  I am stuck!  I can't get back into the office to get my stuff.  I can't get back into my house because my keys are in the office.  I have no phone numbers because my cellphone is next to my keys.

Enter in my saving grace.  The box of books I mentioned earlier was extremely heavy so I had asked for some help getting it into school.  My knight in shining armor was waiting out in front of school for me to turn the alarm off. 

I walk out to the car and ask if I can use his phone.  I use white pages.com to look up fellow teachers' phone number and start calling.  After my second attempt, I reach the teacher who teaches in the room next to me.  She said she would be right there with her badge.  Oh thank goodness!!!

She arrives with her adorable son in tow.  We call another teacher and get a different alarm code.  We enter the building, use the new code to turn off the alarm & head happily to my room.  I grab my hard drive.  We drop off the books. 

After all this excitement, I did not get any planning accomplished.  So here I sit surrounded by school stuff.  Good thing I can spend my entire day planning with Agent Jethro Gibbs & team!

In knitting news, I have been working on my Origami Sweater.  I have about 20 inches of the large panel finished.  The knit 1, purl 1 repeat is great mindless knitting.  Only 46 more inches left to go on this panel!!

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Lovely Lady

I  present to you my completed Lady Jane Wrap!  Yes I said completed.  I finished it up today while watching Channing Tatum in Step Up (not the best acting, just enjoyed watching Channing!).
 
Lady Jane Wrap
I started this wrap back in May.  I knit it with Frog Tree Pediboo yarn in a pale pink.  Now pink is not a color to which I gravitate.  However I love this shade of pink and absolutely adore the yarn.  Here are a couple more finished pics of Lady Jane.



A few months ago I received a frantic text message from my nephew, The Prince.  He was very upset because his mother (my sister) lost his hand knit hat.  He wanted to know how fast I could knit him a new one.  (Yes his texting skills rank in the advanced category for a one year old.) 

The yarn I used for his beloved hat was Plymouth Baby Boutique.  Great yarn for baby hats.  Well baby hats for GIRLS!!  Why must almost all baby yarns have some shade of pink or purple in them.  Do they not realize that some of us are knitting for BOYS!  I went on a hunt for some soft yarn to use for a hat fit for a Prince.

Now before you are all cursing my sister for losing the hat, you must know that she found it under his car seat.  I'm sure SHE shoved it there because there is no possible way that Prince would have done that to his hat! 

So after months and months of searching for yarn, I decided on cotton supreme batik from Universal Yarn Inc.  This yarn is 100% COTTON and extremely soft.  And there is not one hint of pink or purple.  I cast on 80 stitches.  Knit in a 2 x 2 rib for about an inch and a half.  Switched to stockinette for another 5 inches.  Evenly decreased until I was left with 8 stitched and bound off.  Here is Prince's new hat!

Prince K's new hat!

I started this project Thursday evening and finished it Saturday morning.  I love hats for this reason.  Instant gratification! 
 
Another view of Prince K's hat

I know some of you are impressed at all the finished projects I am churning out.  My only answer to this is I realize my days are numbered.  I am hoping to continue my knitting mojo this week and finish my Summer Flies shawl.  (pics will be forthcoming)

In Adventurous News, this weekend was the Green Grove Garden's Hot Air Balloon Festival.  The weather did not cooperate for the 6pm balloon launch Saturday evening - disappointment!!  They did inflate all the balloons around 8:00 for the Balloon Glow. 

Balloon Glow
Now the Adventurous Countdown begins for Kenny Chesney!  Only 6 more days until he has the chance to pick me out of the crowd to run off into the sun with him!  Kenny, if you're reading, I'll be the red head in the Tennessee tank top.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

How to Impress a Teenager!

Bman is 14 years old and has all the classic teenage symptoms that go with being 14.  Add in the fact that he is gluten intolerant and watch the attitude ratchet about 3 million notches when trying to fix dinner.  So imagine my hesitancy when trying out a new gluten free pizza recipe tonight. Here are the ingredients:

Cream Cheese, Pepperoni, Mozzarella Cheese, Parmesan Cheese, various spices, Marinara Sauce & Eggs
The recipe for this pizza can be found here - What's That Smell. After baking the crust a little longer than stated, we let it cool and added the toppings.  The smell coming from the kitchen was heavenly. Bman said, "Usually when things smell this good, they will taste good as well."  He was right! 

Finished Pizza
We took the pizza out of the oven and started eating.  Bman's reaction was "Mom this is AMAZING!" Yes that came from a 14 year old boy that can't have gluten and is an extremely picky eater.  I know - shocking!

Yes Rachel, the crust wasn't really dough-like.  It was more like a cheesecake consistency - but is that really a bad thing??

In Knitting News, I have been working on finishing my Lady Jane shawl.  I only have 8 more decrease sections to knit.  I am using Frog Tree's Pediboo yarn in a very pretty pale pink.

Lady Jane
I am really enjoying working with the Pediboo after working with the linen yarn on my sweater.  The Pediboo is very squishy and soft.  I love how the pattern works the edging as you go. This pattern uses the brioche stitch, which creates a very dense fabric.  Hoping to wear this in the winter! 

I found some time today to frame some of the pictures I have taken during my waterfall adventures and create this:
Just looking at these pictures makes me smile.  Most of them were taken at Swallow & Muddy Falls near Deep Creek Lake in Maryland.  I love the Deep Creek area.  Only 14 more days for me to chase a few more waterfalls.  Any suggestions?? 

Friday, July 27, 2012

Congrats! It's a . . .

Sweater!!!

Completely Finished Jordan Sweater!
As seen above, I have finished my FIRST sweater.  Yes I have been knitting for close to 10 years.  Yes I have knit way more complicated things than this sweater.  So why this was my first ever knit sweater is beyond me!!

This was one of the easiest knits I have ever done.  The lace was interesting enough to keep me entertained.  It is knit in the round - which means absolutely NO sizing issues for fronts and backs!!  The seaming was minimal.  And best of all it fits me nicely!

I think the main reason for my success with this knit was joining the knitalong at yarnability.  The knitalong provided me with the structure I needed to complete this project.  Each week I could get support from Susan or other knitters.  My competitive spirit came out as other knitters moved ahead of me.  I learned from their mistakes design features.

The other key to my success - time!  I have a lot of free time on my hands.  One of the many perks of being a teacher! 

Susan is starting another knitalong in August for the Swirl sweaters.  The knit, Swirl trunk show has begun at yarnability.  The jackets are GORGEOUS! (Looking at you Rachel - I think you would love them.)

Click on the yarnability link to get all the details for this trunk show and knitalong

However the knitalong is beginning in August!!  I will be starting back to school in August!!  This two factors make for a disaster waiting to happen.  My knitting time will take a major hit.  I will be spending my "spare" time writing lesson plans or grading papers. So unfortunately I will not be joining in on this knitalong.

So for my knitting I will be working on my Summer Flies shawl (very appropriate since I have only 20 days of vacation left!!) and on my Origami Sweater.  Pics will be forthcoming as I make some progress.

For now I will leave you with:

Countdown to Tennessee Football Kickoff - 35 days!!  

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Not So Relaxing Vacation

I am back after two weeks of vacation.  I have been knitting - just not home long enough to blog.  I spent the week Bman was at Scout Camp catching up with many friends!  I had breakfast, lunch and dinner "dates" with some amazing ladies!  Started my week with sushi at Kobe and ended with breakfast at Bettys in Shepherdstown. 

I have stopped using my paper calendar and started using my Google Calendar.  Yes I am jumping into the 21st century!!  So when I planned all these fun outings, I did remember to add them to my calendar (with reminders).  However I never stopped to look at the week as a whole.  By Friday afternoon, I realized that I may have overbooked myself.  Thank goodness for vacation starting on Saturday - or so I thought!

We decided to travel to Williamsburg for a week of relaxing at Greensprings Resort.  Thinking that entertaining a 14 year old all week might be a tad difficult - Bman was allowed to bring a friend. 

Looking back, I realize that this might not have been my brightest idea.  Bman is an only child. At least at my house, he is.  He had spent a week at Scout camp with 20 other boys.  He then had to spend a week with another friend.  Can we say people overload??

By Wednesday the honeymoon period had ended.  We had the One Up contest going.  There was so much testosterone being flung about that ducking and covering really wasn't an option.  Thank goodness for knitting and for teenagers sleeping until noon everyday!!  I got about 4 hours every morning to sit quietly and knit! 

On Tuesday, I finished the body of Jordan.  I must say this really was a quick & easy knit.  And the linen yarn has been great to work with - not as scratchy as I thought it would be.  I can't wait to see how this yarn will soften as I wash it.
Jordan Sweater body
Immediately after I finished the body.  I cast on both sleeves.  This is the first time I have knit a pair of items at the same time.  I usually knit my socks one at a time.  I definitely like the idea of both sleeves being finished at the same time.  I can also see this will help make sure both sleeves are the same length - always a good thing!!

One of the sleeves
On Thursday, I woke up and visited Knitting Sisters. This was my second visit to this great shop in Williamsburg.  I came away with some great Lorna's Laces sock yarn and Prism Lace Wool.

Prism Lace Wool - Sedona colorway & Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock - Maple Grove colorway
When I entered the shop, there was a group of knitters having a social knitting time.  After making my purchases, I wasn't ready to head back to the boys.  I joined in with the ladies. They welcomed me and oohhed and aahhed appropriately at my sweater.  So very glad knitters are a friendly group!  I felt like I was among my people again!

Now I am back home with no more travel plans for the summer.  I hope to finish my Jordan sweater before school starts.  Because once August gets here, I have a feeling my knitting time will be taking a hit as I will .be busy planning for my first year as a 5th grade teacher.  Thank goodness for the Origami Sweater!  Mindless 1x1 ribbing for miles!