The shawl is moving along slowly. One thing that slows me down is using the cable needle. With this project, I learned that I don't like the cable needle with the "dent" in it. Since it slows me down so much, I started researching how to cable without that third needle. I found this particular website very helpful, though there are others:  http://www.grumperina.com/cables.htm My cable is super easy: just a two stitch cable right then a two stitch cable left. I think that's the ideal cable to learn to knit without the third needle.

I hope you find that site helpful as well.

Happy knitting!

Well, I thought I'd be writing more in December, but time seems to be slipping through my fingers faster than water. I have two more days left of teaching before I can enjoy the holiday season. My shopping is just about done, but I am behind on my knitting. I still can't believe that Christmas will be here on Sunday! It feels like November just finished.

I have finished two hats this month (pictures to come). I have really enjoyed that craftsy course, Hats Four Ways. It gave me the opportunity to experiment. While my designs are not very exciting (ribbings and stockinette), today I'm going to try a little design for the body of a hat. I'll let you know how it goes. I'm also still perfecting the art of making a gauge. I'm pretty close, but I always run a little too big or too small.

I am also working on a shawl for myself. Like everything I've knit for myself, which so far is just a hat, I keep putting it aside to work on items for others. I started a scarf for myself a year ago and I still haven't finished it. Maybe I can use my two weeks off to finish these projects. My goal was to finish this shawl by the end of December, but I'm not sure if I can. I'm using a chart for the first time and there are cables, which slow me down tremendously.

So far the holiday have been happy for me. I usually dread them. They remind me that life goes by too quickly and that another year has passed in the blink of an eye. The worst part? Older people always tell me that it passes by even faster as you get older. Great. Therefore, I comfort myself by doing as much as I can for others.

I have been reading the Yarn Harlot recently and she makes me feel so much better about myself as a knitter. I no longer feel so guilty about wanting to constantly buy yarn, even though my current stash could keep me busy for a year or more. Oh well. Perhaps I should feel more guilty about it. Her ideas for gifts for knitters is great as well. I listen to her book on my kindle as I knit and I feel like I have more company.

I'd write more, but my dog calls. It's time for the nightly potty break and I need to get ready for school tomorrow. Only two more days to teach!

Happy knitting!

Now that the Big Lebowski Sweater is done, I've been floating between projects. I am taking the Hats Four Ways course on craftsy.com, so I've made four hats already. Now I just need to find two more people to give hats to. I still have one hat to make from that course and I want to dabble in designing my own hats. Nothing fancy, but perhaps fun.

Nonetheless, with the big project done, I've noticed that my knitting speed has decreased and I'm reading more. While those aren't bad, it makes me wonder if I'm going to finish this next project before January: a shawl. I have been consistently knitting for 6 years now and I've only knit myself one hat. All of my knitting gifts are done, so I'm hoping to knit this shawl for myself for Christmas. I found the pattern on Brooklyn Tweed and it's cables and lace. It's the first time I've knit something entirely from a chart. So far so good! It's just taking a bit longer than I had planned. Perhaps my knitting speed is about to increase...

Happy knitting!

I hope you enjoyed a good laugh!

Happy knitting!

Neatly Wrapped Yarn Mug preorder for May by haldecraft on Etsy

Yarn Harlot: I am sure it will pass

Fiber Burn Chart

Now that the Big Lebowski sweater is done, I am ready to start knitting some new stuff. I really wanted to work on a sweater for myself (so far I've only knit myself a hat; one scarf in progress), but it seems that I will have to put that idea aside, at least for a few weeks.

I am currently working on a sweater for my dog. I thought that three weeks would be more than enough time, and it probably is, but I'm still unsure with what I am doing. Therefore, I knit as much as I can without advice from the designer, and then I have to wait until I can meet with her to double check that I'm interpreting the pattern correctly. So that project is going slowly, but surely. I'd love to make more dog sweaters and I'm sure the future ones will knit up much faster.

Instead of working on both of those, I will be knitting my grandfather a scarf and hat. He told my mom that he wanted them. Of course, he only told her 7 days before coming for Thanksgiving. Normally it takes me 2 weeks to knit a scarf alone. I will be having a knit-a-thon. I am going to make a seeded rib scarf. I think I like this pattern because it reminds me, loosely, of brioche, which I want to learn. It's also a very easy pattern. Thanks to craftsy.com, I can design my own hats, so I will be posting the scarf and hat pattern in a future post. Yes, they will be basic patterns, but I will do my best.

Happy knitting!

Well, the Big Lebowski sweater is finally finished. It was one of those projects that seemed to drag on forever, though it only took 3 and a half months to finish. The only reason I finished it so quickly was because it was for my dad's 65th birthday. It was also my first sweater project: yes, I have knitted boleros, but nothing of this size.

First, my self-critiques: The pattern used Fair Isle for the color charts, but WITHOUT stranding to avoid the opposite color poking through the purls. Well, I decided to strand to avoid pulling or puckering. I also chose to do that so when my dad put the sweater on, he wouldn't pull the strands on the wrong side. On the back side, I stranded every other stitch. However, when I got to the front pieces, I realized that not only would that take forever, but more stitches would poke through. I realized that I could do it every fifth stitch or so and no puckering would happen. I also would have altered the front sides to start the decrease for the shawl collar sooner. I have never altered a pattern before. I didn't really know how. Now I know that I would simply start the decreases a few rows sooner and make them a little deeper. The shawl collar was also a little tight, so I would have used one or two sizes larger to knit the collar and I would have cast off more loosely. Lastly, the sweater is a little larger, especially the length of the arms. Again, I would have altered the pattern to shorten the sleeves. Lastly, the sweater was a bit large, so I should have made one size smaller. On the bright side, he can layer and still have room to zip up the sweater.

Now it sounds like the sweater turned out terribly. It actually turned out very nicely. It looks like the Big Lebowski sweater. One thing I'm really proud of is the zipper. I was terrified of sewing it in because everyone says it's complicated. I found it a bit awkward, but my finishing book gave me many good tips.

Of course, I could not have finished this project without help from many people. First, to Andrea Rangel for creating the pattern. Kiwi Knitting Company also provided me with a knitting space, taught me Fair Isle, and helped me finish the sweater. zipperstop.com is a great website and they helped me order the perfect zipper with a ring pull, which is quite hard to find.

Thus ends the Big Lebowski project. Onto new knits!

This dudette abides!

Happy knitting!

• wool
• Angora: hair from a rabbit
• Merino: soft wool from sheep
• Peruvian Highland: a stronger wool, but can be soft
• Alpaca: from the Alpaca, which is like a llama. Soft and silky texture.
• Mohair: from the Angora goat; soft and warm
• Cashmere: from goats; very soft, fine, and strong
• Cotton: plant fiber; soft, not very elastic, absorbent 
• Linen: light-weight fiber, soft, wrinkles in garments
• Bamboo
• Acrylic: light, soft, warm, similar to wool in feel
• Nylon: very elastic; usually used in a mix
• Silk: from silk worms; soft, not slippery, strong, can shrink

Well, I FINALLY finished the Big Lebowski Sweater. I had to order a zipper from New York because no places in Tucson carry the right length, color, and slider (the thing that you pull. I just added that to my vocabulary). So, this Monday, if not sooner, I will be sewing in the zipper and then it will be done. It's a good thing, too, because my dad's birthday is next week.

As a new project, I am now knitting my dog a sweater. That should be done within two weeks. To keep my fingers busy when I'm out and about, I'm also working on a 1x1 rib scarf, simply  because it goes well with the yarn.

Happy knitting!

After about a week of knitting, I am done with the first sleeve of the Big Lebowski Sweater. I was really nervous about it because I had to shape the sleeve throughout all color patterns. However, there were enough stitches for me to place stitch markers at the beginning and end of the fair isle pattern, so I could think about the color and the shaping at different times.

As I was finishing the shaping today, I nearly made a huge mistake. I bound off too many stitches with only 15 rows to go! So I undid two rows. I was really nervous about dropping stitches or twisting them, but I could untwist them afterwards. I was really afraid of taking out the needle and putting it back in, but it worked and went really well. I think that it went so well partly because the wool is so "sticky" and retains its shape well.

Today I also talked to a knitting teacher and she will help me to finish the sweater next Saturday. That's 6 days away to knit one more sleeve and do the two facings, not to mention weaving in the ends and buying a zipper. Lots to do, but I must admit that I'm excited to work on a new project. I think that's why many sweaters go unfinished: one gets bored. This project should have taken me 6 months, but I will finish it in 3.

Happy knitting!

I have been really stressed about finishing the Big Lebowski sweater lately, for about a week. I have been super nervous about doing increases and a color pattern at the same time, something I've never done. However, after crunching the numbers, it's much easier than I thought. I knit 7 stitches, place a marker, doing the color pattern, place another marker, and knit 7 more stitches. When I do the increases, I will do them in the main color since the pattern will be centered. Now that I've done the fair isle pattern 3 times, it should be much easier and faster. Now I can't wait to go home and knit. As stressed as I've been with this pattern, I have learned SO much from this and this break through makes me feel like I'm at the top of the world. It's a reminder for why I knit: it is overwhelmingly rewarding!

The light at the end of the tunnel just got a whole lot brighter!

HAPPY KNITTING!!!!

I'm in the home stretch, or so I thought. Two sleeves, piece of cake, right? Some increases and decreases, I already know the color pattern. Should be easy. Think again! I had to go to my knitting store to get help understanding the pattern. It looks like I increase every 4-6 rows until I start decreasing. That woud be fine if I didn't have fair isle patterns throughout. I got a headache--literally--just thinking about how to count those patterns and where to start it, etc. All I need is to mess up on the sleeves and have to start them over.

I also need to start thinking about finding a zipper and getting help to finish this project. I'm also stressed to finish this project. I'm terrified that color patterns won't match up or that my seaming is crooked. Then I have to install a zipper and pick up stitches to do the shawl collar. After three months of work, I think I might have a mini break down if it doesn't seam well.

This project has been rewarding and challenging. I go through ups and downs: I'm proud of all that I have learned and I love seeing a finished piece. On the other hand, when I start knitting a new difficult aspect, my stress level goes through the roof. My boyfriend has to remind me that I knit for enjoyment.

Regardless of my feelings, this project will be done by November 15, finishing and all. Let's start praying that it all works out.

Happy knitting!

I now have a knitting club at the school in which I teach. Although we have only met once, it has been very rewarding. One of my students came in already knowing how to crochet and has picked up knitting quickly. She is a very creative person and opened up a baseball and started to crochet with the fibers in it until she reached the hard core. While the fibers are a little sticky, I thought it was a very resourceful way to use materials for fiber crafts.

Happy knitting!

In order to get this sweater done by my dad's birthday, I knit all day yesterday. I did the complete fair isle part between Friday and yesterday, and I went ahead and finished the piece last night. I am feeling a lot of pressure to finish it, which isn't making the knitting too much fun. I started the project in August and I need it done by early November. For learning fair isle and finishing techniques, that's not much time. Now all I need to do is de-code the sleeve directions and I can begin that. Again, I'm hoping to do each sleeve in one week, even with the fair isle. I am planning to dedicate a day to seaming the sweater and putting in the zipper, which I need to start looking for.

To make my knitting stress level rise, I have also started a dog sweater for my new baby. While it is considerably smaller, I need to figure out how to continue to meet my Big Lebowski goals, while not falling behind in my dog sweater class. I know the Dude would tell me to relax, but I do have deadlines...and a full time job. Although I'm stressed, I know I'll be happy with the final project. I just have to focus on that.

Happy knitting!

This is the basic cast-on method. While there are various ways to cast-on, this is a good method for beginners.

Happy knitting!

This is a tutorial for how to cast off the basic way.

Happy knitting!

This is a tutorial for the knit stitch in the Continental or German method. You hold the yarn in your left hand. Another tutorial can be found at knittinghelp.com.

Happy knitting!

This is a tutorial for the knit stitch done in the English method with the yarn held in the right hand. Knittinghelp.com has another great tutorial.

Happy knitting!

Well, I've been meaning to write sooner, but I've been knitting instead. Here's what I have been working on.

This is a little video I made about knitting supplies (yarn and needles). Although I mention two yarn brands, there are many more that I enjoy using, but are more expensive. Kiwi Knitting Company and knitpicks.com have a great selection of yarn as well.

I will be posting more videos. I hope you enjoy them!

Happy knitting!

No rest for the wicked, some say. I must be terrible indeed because I am always working! However, not all work is terrible. Thursday evening I finished the back part of the Big Lebowski Sweater. Although I was happy to see the fruits of my labor and learning, I started the left front of the sweater yesterday. This time it's going much faster. I have already completed the first stripe and z pattern. My goal is to get to the first chart today or tomorrow.

I think it's going faster because I have already practiced quite a bit with color work and because there are about 1/3 of the stitches on this piece compared to the back. Another knitting aspect that I've learned in this process is the Continental knitting style. While I'm still not super fast at it, nor the most stationary, I have switched to knitting the sweater in Continental style because a 1x1 rib does go faster this way than English method. I'm beginning to see how I can do increases and decreases using Continental, but not casting on or off.

I'm really enjoying the sweater now. It's become easy and it's a constant reminder for how much I've learned since the beginning of August. Let's hope I can finish it by November! Now that I have a dog, I want to knit him a sweater and a blanket for the holidays. So much knitting and so little time!

Happy knitting!

After starting the Big Lebowski sweater in August, I finally finished the back piece. Never mind that my goal was to have the sweater finished by October! Now I'm hoping to have it done in time for my dad's birthday in November. In order to complete this, I had to learn Fair Isle with 1x1 ribbing, which is much harder than doing Fair Isle in stockinette. That slowed me down considerably. Also, being a teacher is quite demanding, though I love my job, so I was only able to work on it during the weekends. I'm hoping that the rest of the sweater goes much faster, now that I know what I'm doing.

I thought I would be ecstatic to see this piece finished, but I was prouder when I had finished the Fair Isle chart. At any rate, you see that I'm pretty happy. I'll start the front piece tomorrow!

I had a very productive weekend! I did some work, but I spent the bulk of my time knitting. The more I knit, the more I want to knit. I know, I've said it before, but it's true.

While I am almost done with the back piece of the Big Lebowski sweater, I did finish a scarf. My boyfriend has a friend in Spain who is a police officer. Since he's always been a good friend of my boyfriend's, I decided to make him a scarf. I bought the yarn in San Francisco this summer because he has always wanted to go there. It's a dark brown color and the pattern I chose created a nice texture.

CO 30 stitches
Row 1: *K1, P1, rep from *
Row 2: *P1, ybk, sl1, k2, yfrn, psso the k2 and yfrn, rep from * to the last 2 sts, P1, K1
Row 3: See Row 1
Row 4: p1, k1, *p1,  ybk, sl1, k2, yfrn, psso the k2 and yfrn, rep from * to end.

Repeat rows.

Happy knitting!

Yesterday I learned that one of my coworkers is a New York Times Bestselling Illustrator. This is a link to his website: http://guyporfirio.com/ Not only is he a talented artist, but he also writes and teaches. Be on the look out for him in early spring, as he will have a new book coming out.

I hope you enjoy his artwork as much as I did!

Driving to work today, NPR was talking about science fiction movies and books that mention technology that is actually available and used today. Facial recognition is not only a reality, but it is very accurate. Iris recognition is not far away. Much like "Minority Report," we get personalized advertising online. Perhaps in our lifetime that will be available at malls and shopping centers. NPR mentioned that this technology could be very useful or it could become a nightmare. Here is the catch: the technology is not the nightmare: people's actions make it a nightmare. This means that all of our actions are being recorded and will follow us around. Companies are already constantly following people every time they use their cell phones and credit cards. Somewhere all of that data is being collected and stored.

In other words, we are constantly being monitored. This is a Dr. Jekyll nightmare. Much like life in the 19th century, people are constantly striving to be the best in their area. Especially in the United States where there is no royalty, awards and degrees set individuals apart. However, even if one is extremely accomplished professionally, they are still being monitored by credit card companies and can do no bad, or even risqué, at home. For the leaders of society or leaders of communities, they must be on their best behavior at all times, even in the safety and "privacy" of their own homes. This lack of privacy is enough to bring out the Mr. Hyde in anyone. This new technology is the nightmare of the 19th century: Queen Victoria's repressive society was harsh enough, even though people had more privacy at home. If they had this new technology back then, repression would have been unbearable.

However, in today's society, there is enough apathy where this technology should cause no disruption or uproar. If anything, people will think that it's new and exciting. In reality, this new technology is a violation of privacy and it can increase repression in our already repressed society.

Well, I'm going to start the arm holes either later tonight or tomorrow, depending on how soon I finish my real work. Here are some picture updates.

I have heard a lot about deregulation on the news lately. Apparently it is the key to ending this recession, according to republicans. They seem to forget how much damage deregulation can do.

One example of needing regulation is with home loans. The housing bubble was partially caused because people could get loans more easily and receive more money. When the bubble burst, many were living in houses that they could never afford, even when economic times were strong. Deregulation says that the market will work everything out itself. However, that is assuming people are honest. Although the USA is a supposedly religious and God-fearing nation, we have many, many people who are willing to take advantage of the system and to live beyond their means. It's already happened.

Another case where deregulation would be bad is in education. If education were not regulated, standards for becoming a teacher would disappear and perhaps people would not need to have a degree in the area they teach, or be finger printed, which could endanger children. That, of course, is an extreme example. However, if education were deregulated, grade-level standards would be topsy turvy across the nation. If children were to move into new states, they might enter a curriculum a few years behind or ahead. While I don't believe in over using standardized tests, I believe that consistency across states is important in education and testing is a fairly efficient way of doing so.

Lastly, if becoming a politician were deregulated, then Arnold Schwartzenegger could become president. An 18-year-old could go into Congress with barely any knowledge of how government works. Let's face it: experience counts. While some politicians have been in office for years and have messed things up, usually more experience means more control and knowledge for dealing with tricky situations. Being intelligent, loyal, and working hard are GOOD qualities, not bad ones.

So please, stop singing the deregulation song. We tried it while Bush was in office and that dug us into a deep hole. You don't use the tool that got you into a mess to get you out of it. Try something else. Even if it goes against your political party's belief.

Lastly, stop playing politics. I don't care your party background as long as you help the majority of Americans to get back on their feet again. Not big corporations. I want politicians to help their people. That is how the Constitution began: a country for the people, by the people, and of the people. It's classic, it's over 200 years old, but it still holds true.

As a child and teenager, I hated to get vaccinated. First, I'm afraid of needles. While I donate blood, I can never look at my arm otherwise...I'd be that pale lump that fainted. The last few times I've gotten shots, the actual "stick" hasn't been bad, but then my arm gets sore.

This time, I got two shots: the flu vaccine and the tetanus, whooping cough, and diphtheria vaccine. I'm a teacher, so I thought it would be mature of me to face my fear and do it. Well, a few hours later, I had my worst vaccine reaction in my life. This may be because I have just finished getting over a cold, but it doesn't really matter. After looking up side effects from both shots, it turns out that I have a combination: red eyes, sore throat, headache, sore arms, and I ran a fever last night (I know that because I was cuddling with my dog for heat and I was using my knit blanket, which normally makes me sweat after 30 minutes.).

So that botched my knitting and working plans. Unfortunately for me, I did manage to clean the apartment before symptoms set in. I say unfortunately because of knitting, working, and cleaning, cleaning is the activity I hate the most.

While I still have blood-shot eyes, I will brave my students and go to work today. I will be the zombie-looking teacher, haha.  

One really cool thing about working in the school district that I attended is seeing teachers that I had. This time, I get to know them from a different perspective. It's weird to think that while I've gone to high school, college, and started working, they have stayed at the same school, sometimes in the same grade, teaching year after year.

Yesterday I had a first-year teacher meeting. One of the presenters was a special education teacher in my 5th grade class. It's been over 10 years since I last saw her. However, she is one of those people that just radiates joy and safety. She still calls the student in my class that she assisted. She calls him every year on his birthday and keeps in touch with his family. Although I wasn't one of her direct students, she did remember me, which was touching. It made me think: if a teacher has 30 different students a year in elementary school and over 100 in middle and high school, it must be difficult to recognize all students one has had in over 10 years. What really touched me was that she has continued to be a role model and a friend to students that she had over 10 years before. She really goes above and beyond, especially in a culture that does not appreciate teachers the way it should.

I was hoping to be further along on this project, but I forgot how exhausting a new teaching job is! I love my new job, but working with new students and adjusting to a new community really takes it out of you! I should be fine by the end of the month.

At any rate, I was not able to work on the sweater at all last week. So, come Saturday morning, I went on a knitting rampage. It turns out that I really love knitting with two colors. No, I can't really watch TV or talk to anyone while I'm doing it, but I love the challenge and the thinking of fair isle. It's as if my hands and fingers are doing a choreographed dance. Needless to say, I knit for about three hours without stopping.

I'm about 10 rows short of shaping the arm holes at this point. I took it into Kiwi Knitting Company, my favorite knit shop, and showed the owner because she taught me how to do color knitting and I'm sure she'll teach me much more! Once there, I showed her the sweater and a few other people, who were all really impressed. It wasn't until that moment that I realized that I have gotten far. Yes, I'm still on piece one, but, holding it up to myself, it is almost long enough to cover my torso and it's wider that I am (it's made for my dad). Receiving all that positive feedback only made me want to knit more, but, alas, work and other things got in the way.

Sunday I planned all day, so I shouldn't have any prep work today. Therefore, after my after-school meeting, I think I'll be knitting some more :)

Happy knitting!

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/20-tips-create-safe-learning-environment-rebecca-alber?utm_source=housead&utm_medium=post&utm_content=blog&utm_campaign=20tipsforsafelearningenviro

All you teachers out there: this is a quick read to give you ideas to improve classroom management. I'm sure you're all doing this already, but sometimes I find it helpful for a fast reminder.

Have a great school year!

Although many people had told me that I would be greatly disturbed if I watched "Black Swan," or that it would anger me due to the violence against women, last night I watched it. Yes, I was disturbed, but I kept watching. It also brought up many important ideas in our culture. It seems that women have always had to work extra hard to get recognition, especially when women started working when society was still a "man's world." In this film, it is still a man's world, yet the protagonist, who had already achieved perfection in order to get her dream role, is still not good enough. Like so many themes, she has to play the angel and the seductress, a role that ultimately destroys her. Conclusion? Extreme perfectionism leads to self-destruction.

So in America today, does that mean that perfection is bad? That instead we should only be passionate and not have perfect technique? I don't think so. Yes, I hear you: everything in moderation. It does make a point that with so much competition in our global economy, what, exactly, do the leaders want from their employees? Do they want perfection or passion? Intelligence or creativity? Do they want the whole package? Even if working 24/7 makes one the super-person, is sacrificing your personal life worth it?

"Black Swan" brings many current issues up: how hard women need to work to be successful, perfectionism, work ethic, and female to female interaction. I'm just hoping that reality is a little more optimistic that Aronofsky's perspective.

http://www.giftsfromthemermaids.com/index.htm

This is a website about a lace wrap designer. She was a university professor and now designs wraps. You can buy two of her patterns on knitpicks.com. I'm hoping that she'll sell more of her patterns, which are beautiful.

Happy knitting!

Even though I am working on a big sweater project, which I need to get back to this week, I can't help but think of more techniques that I want to learn when it comes to knitting.

To learn:
--socks
--mittens/gloves
--improve entrelac
--brioche

Currently, I really want to learn brioche, but it seems a bit complicated. I'm sure it's like Intarsia: it seems hard, but then you develop a rhythm and it becomes easy. I found a great website and an amazing book, which I will buy when I have time to further study it. You can research brioche here: http://briochestitch.com/brioche/

Happy knitting!

I have wanted a dog for over a year now. After carefully thinking about the logistics and looking at petfinder.com daily, yesterday, I finally got a dog! I rescued him from Arizona Poodle Rescue, which is a delightful organization to work with. His name is Darcy, we changed it. We have no idea what breed he is, but he is about 2 years old. He hasn't yet barked, seems house trained, and loves to sleep and cuddle.

I don't think I've had this much suspense in a 19th-century novel before, at least not a mystery novel. Francis Burney's Evelina kept me on the edge of my chair the past few days and I'm barely half-way through! She influenced Jane Austen, which was one of the reasons I am reading her work. It is clear that she influenced Austen: both are preoccupied with marriage and have mini soap operas going on. Just like in Pride and Prejudice, Evelina is concerned about first impressions, misgivings, and how to properly act in society. Burney is masterful at building suspense with Evelina's actions and decisions: just when you think she can't mess up more, she does! However, in the eyes of all, she remains perfectly genteel and sweet.

Half-way through the book, she changes her opinion of Lord Orville, who is the only decent bachelor in the book. As soon as I read her change of mind, I instantly turned my kindle off. I could not handle her messing this up to. I was not ready to read a tragedy for another hundred pages.

Two days later, I haven't read it again because I'm still not ready to see her majorly mess up. My boyfriend says it's like I'm addicted to a soap opera. Instead of reading it, I started reading another book. However, today I knew that the suspense would kill me if I didn't read Evelina again. But I was tricky: I took my paper copy and read the ending. I know, cheater. I'm like Harry in When Harry Met Sally. I won't tell you what happens, but I can continue reading again.

If you thought 19th-century literature was boring, definitely pick up this book!

Some of you may know about the knitting life line. It's a strand of yarn (excess from another project) that you thread along the row on the needle. It basically goes against the needle. This way, if you mess up a few rows later, you can pull out your work, but it will stop at the yarn (life line) and you can easily put the needles in again without worrying about dropping a stitch or twisting one the wrong way. Normally these life lines are used in lace patterns.

However, I'm using it for the Big Lebowski sweater. Being a newbie to color work, it takes me 15-30 minutes to knit one row. I wouldn't want to have to go to my local knitting shop every time I messed up. With foresight, I had used a lifeline right before the complicated colorwork--and I needed it today. After spending 45 minutes on a row and a half, I realized that I had miss counted and messed up my ribbing (purl vs. knit). Being a perfectionist, I quickly prayed that I had threaded my life line correctly, and pulled out my work.

And it worked! I didn't drop one stitch. Not wanting to have to use that life line again, I adjusted my strategy. Instead of counting the small boxes each time, I took a piece of paper to cover the part of the chart I wasn't using, and I wrote the number of each color for that row. That gave me the ability to focus only on knit/purl and counting the number I had written. Thirty minutes later, I knit the first two rows of the complicated color work perfectly and stress-free. I'm hoping to do at least 10 rows today.

Pictures to come!

Happy knitting!

http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2011/07/how-to_cyanotype_print_on_hand.html

This idea can be for those of us too tentative to do color work or for simply a different look. If I had the time at the moment, I would love to try it!

Happy knitting!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVRfVEONxJQ

Regardless of the criticism of this video, I had never even thought of knitting a mattress as an option. Of course, I will never in my life have enough yarn to do so. Also, a knitted mattress must be comfortable: firm yet fluffy.

Food for thought.

Happy knitting!

Some pictures I took of the beautiful Santa Catalina Mountains in Tucson, AZ while at Camp Snowball.

While I am working on a massive project, I did have one project to finish and two scarves. Here are a few of my recently finished projects.

Sorry I haven't been posting regularly. I just started a new job, so that has been a top priority.

As has my knitting. I have started the Big Lebowski sweater. I am working on the Fair Isle on the back piece right now. I'm hoping to have that finished this weekend. So far, so good. It's looking great!

Balancing Work and Life: The On-Going Challenge for Educators | Edutopia

The new school year has just begun. So far, it looks like it's going to be great: two different classes to prepare, tons of technology, and, most importantly, incredibly supportive coworkers. I'm at a new school and I can recreate my identity as a teacher; well, a bit.

Although the year is just beginning, the feeling of swimming or sinking is very strong. Last year, each weekend went up and down: I felt like I could enjoy life when there was nothing to plan, but when the need to plan my classes hit, I felt like I was going to sink. Each weekend I planned my classes so I could enjoy a few days, but then the sinking feeling of having to plan more was always a few days away. As my new principal put it, there's always going to be more work, so you need to take time to enjoy life. She's completely right. While I did spend one day this weekend planning, I'm hoping to spend less time working during my weekends and more time enjoying life.

Everyone says that the first year teaching is incredibly difficult--some say the first three years. I know that last year was really difficult for me, 60+ hours a week and feeling stress so much that I thought it would never go away. Yes, I had to plan 6 different classes a day and write lesson plans, so I was justified in my stress, but I would have preferred to not have been in that situation to begin with.

While I was reflecting on last year, I realized a few things. One, that I learned a lot about teaching, interacting with coworkers, and being in "the real world." I think I learned more last year about the work place than most people learn in a few years! Am I glad that I learned so much so quickly? Normally my answer would be "yes," but under that circumstance, no. Not only would I have wanted more time to learn all that, I realized that I would have preferred reading about it in a book instead so I wouldn't have had to make the mistakes in the first place.

That was my biggest realization: my dependency on books. My entire life, my philosophy has been that I should not make mistakes that I can prevent by learning about them from reading. I can get experiences through characters or from nonfiction. Why should I suffer the consequences when people, real or imaginary, have already done it for me? Do I really need to mark up my own tabula rasa? I'm still of this belief, but others emphasize the importance of learning the feeling and emotion behind making mistakes and learning things the hard way. Perhaps so; I definitely empathize more with the characters I read about. Still, an imaginary character's mistakes aren't so dire as a real person's.

Books are my safety blanket. When I'm overwhelmed with life and just want to forget everything, picking up a book has always been my cure, my relaxation. I want to mark up my tabula rasa with experiences from books and reality. Is that so wrong?

Simply Knitting

Yves Marchand & Romain Meffre Photography - The Ruins of Detroit

Although I've been back from Spain almost a month now, I still haven't really blogged about my time there. I'll blog a little about specific events that I loved, starting with Torrejon. It's a small town in the Community of Madrid. It used to be the location of the American Base. Once the Americans left, the town was kind of deserted. So people who can't afford to live in either Alcala de Henares or Madrid usually move there. In Torrejon, they took a particular part that was filling up with trash and little shacks and they completely transformed it. Now it's a free part with monuments from countries all around Europe. I couldn't believe that it was free! I just wish I had a park like this to walk around in in the US!

Leaders Agree on Framework of Deal to End Debt Crisis - NYTimes.com

After pulling it apart three times, I successfully knit the swatch for my sweater. It's a simple "z" pattern with two colors. What makes it difficult is that it's a 1x1 rib, so I have much to count! It took me an hour to knit the 10 rows, but I finally finished it. Pictures to come.

Some suggestions from my local knitting store, Kiwi Knitting Company, really helped me. First, to knit a swatch before acting like an impulsive teenager and trying it on the sweater! I should have thought of that myself. Oh well. Second, to use a marker or a pin so I know which is the right side. I know it sounds silly to need a reminder, but with so much going on in my head with the knit/purl, counts colors, etc., it really makes it easier.

Happy knitting!

City Tweed DK Yarn Knitting Yarn from KnitPicks.com

Today, I finally learned Fair Isle. Well, as much as you can learn in one day. Learning the stranding wasn't too bad. I prefer stranding every other stitch than every single one, but the three stitch stranding was nice too. However, it got difficult when I had to read a chart and count the main color and contrast color. I had to count the number of stitches per color, but I also had to be alert to count for when I needed to strand. It became extremely difficult when I had to think about which side to strand on, like how to strand on the wrong/right side. Coupled with the counting, my brain felt like my head would explode. It's definitely not the kind of knitting I can do while watching TV.

I got so frustrated, that after an hour, I had to put the knitting down and go exercise. Actually, difficult knitting is the perfect incentive for exercise. I worked out extremely hard after I took a break from the knitting. So, this sweater project may help me to lose weight, which I need (sitting and knitting and reading all day isn't the best dieting technique...)

Being a teacher, I am constantly trying to work at a level of perfection. I know it's impossible to teach a class perfectly, but it's something to shoot for. Knitting, on the other hand, has taught me, again, how to learn. I know that I need to make mistakes in order to learn, which I find terrifying. However, I think that this project will help me to become a better teacher and learner because I will learn how to knit better and, with this direct experience, I can truly empathize with my students with all their frustrations in school.

Happy knitting!

What Your American Girl Doll Says About the Rest of Your Life | The Hairpin

Dudeism - The Religion of The Big Lebowski | Free Online Ordination

KVOA.com | Tucson, Arizona View Videos Page

Being an avid knitting, I always enjoy visiting new yarn stores. Since I am near Noe Valley, I visited ImagiKnit (www.imagiknit.com). As I mentioned in a previous blog, it was amazing. There are two large rooms filled with yarn of all types.

 I was so excited to simply see all of the yarn. It kind of took my breath away. My local yarn store does have a great selection, but since there are a few rooms, the effect is not so intense. I spent a good 30 minutes simply touching the yarns and looking around. There were so many beautiful colors and soft wools (I particularly liked the Merino Wools). They also had yarn from sheep from the area and spun in the area as well. I could have spent more time, but my grandmother was waiting for me. I did end up buying two skeins of brown yarn to make a scarf for a Spanish friend of mine. The staff was also friendly and helpful. It was neat to see men working there who also knew a lot about knitting. I found it very helpful to ask a man´s opinion about colors for projects for men. They have an online catalogue, so I can always buy their yarns online. They also offer classes.

 I am very tempted to go back and buy more yarn, but I know I shouldn´t, considering how much yarn I already have at home. However, I´m sure that ImagiKnit will be around the next time I´m in the city.

Happy Knitting!

San Francisco is a beautiful city. I was lucky enough to be born across the bay and spend time here as a child. Now that I live elsewhere, I look at San Francisco differently, but certain childhood opinions stay with me.

Before moving to the desert, overcast days and fog didn't bother me. As long as it wasn't too hot, I was happy. I do remember that I loved driving through the fog; that it felt safe, like nature was wrapping me in a blanket that made me invisible to the world. Even the streetlights with the red and green halos seemed to be more of a memory than a reality.

Driving through the fog yesterday, I still had that left over sensation of safety, but now that I have experience driving and I know how dangerous it can be to drive in fog, I felt more tense. This time, rather than feeling the privilege of being hidden by the fog, like wearing an invisibility blanket, it made me feel isolated, alone, and depressed. It felt like I was on this journey through life and no one else existed or was there to comfort me. I was on my own. While part of me still enjoys the fog, I know that I could never live here again; I need the sunlight. It's been four days and not seeing the sun has already gotten me down. I am officially, and proudly, a desert rat.

Now, as I look out of my grandmother's window, who has a great view of the city and the bay, it is still overcast. However, like the rain, the fog seems to have taken out all of the impurities from the air and I am able to see San Francisco in a crisp, fresh way. Only a shining sun could make this picture perfect.


On the bright side, I did go to ImagiKnit, a famous knitting store here. I will write more in a future blog. Suffice it to say, seeing all the yarn made me giddy.

Esencias del Gourmet | Vinos • Ibéricos • Dulces Selectos • Lotes para regalo

Packbasket Designs: Knitters' Periodic Table of Fibers

Top five FREE patterns to knit this summer | Welcome to Craftsy!

indigirl: stylish knits, modern life- Asking for Roses

About a week ago, my boyfriend and I went to Porto, Portugal. It´s a city that has the potential to be one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, but the Great Recession has hurt it a lot. Porto is almost a perfect juxtaposition of remodeled antiquity and old architecture that has fallen to such a degree that it´s almost unsalvageable. What was really hard to see was those old houses and buildings with grafitti. You could make out their greatness, but today´s youth seems to mock its history with tagging. It was also difficult to find restaurants. While they claim to eat according to the Spanish schedule, we walked an hour and a half to find a restaurant and all we found were two very overpriced restaurants.

Regardless of those things, Porto was fun. The mornings are cool and comfortable while the afternoons get very warm. It´s not the heat, so much as the humidity that really affects you. We stayed at Hotel Dom Henrique, which is in the center of town and it´s a very comfortable place to stay. On the 17th floor is a bar with a panoramic view of the city. One of the most enjoyable things was drinking port up there during the sunset. Once it is dark, at least during the week, there are very few people walking around and we couldn´t find any nightlife. Maybe we were looking in the wrong place. Up the beach a little ways in Foz there was supposed to be a lot to do. However, without a car and much knowledge of the city, we didn´t want to risk getting lost at night.

Our hotel recommended the Yellow Bus Tours. For 19€, you can take the yellow bus for two days, go to Calem Cellars for a Port tour, and take a 50 minute ride on the Douro River underneath five of its six bridges. We went on all three bus routes, which also have audio in six different languages: Portuguese, English, Spanish, Italian, French, and German. Since we were only there two days, it was a very convenient way to see the city. I really enjoyed Calem. The tour was in Spanish and we learned a lot about the different types of port and the process of making it. All of the grapes come from the area, not Porto, but further east nearer to the Spanish-Portuguese border. Once the tour ended, we tried a white port and a tawny port. We met a Spaniard from Almeria and his wife who was from Austria, I believe. We also met three women from Brazil, but who now live in Miami. I really enjoyed meeting people from around the world. Everyone was so friendly.

I always love getting out on the water. The river ride was relaxing and beautiful. We saw the city and enjoyed the summer breeze. Unfortunately, I did not put enough sunscreen on and my back, six days later, is still a little red. Lesson learned!

Lastly, the churches were beautiful. Much of the architecture is baroque, so everything is over the top. They didn´t allow pictures in many places, so I got postcards. The churches were so decorated that it was difficult to take it all in. Another must-see place is Palaco da Bolsa, or the Stock Exchange Building. It´s right next to an elaborate church, which you also need to go inside. The Stock Exchange Building has many beautiful rooms, but the Arab Room really is a treasure. It was built to impress and it really does. It´s breathtaking. The designers styled it after the Alhambra in Granada, Spain, but from a Catholic perspective. I know, it doesn´t make much sense, but it truly is a must-see.

I´ll spend this week relaxing in Madrid and Alcalá de Henares. Next week we will visit Santiago de Compostela, the third most holy city in the Christian world after Rome and Jerusalem.

I´ve been in Spain for a week now and I have loved every minute of it! I´ve been fairly busy and I hardly touch a computer. So far, I´ve mostly been in Alcalá de Henares, which is a city in the community of Madrid. I´ve been here three days total and I haven´t done much more than walk around the city, window shop, and have a few tapas in the various bars. Since I studied abroad here, I´ve already done most of the touristic things. Although it may sound silly to go to Spain to just walk around, I really enjoy it. It´s exhilarating to be in a foreign city without a cell phone, by yourself, and to just enjoy the atmosphere; I felt free and relaxed.

This past weekend I went to Extremadura. While most American tourists don´t go, they really should. There are many cities that are gems and most people don´t even know about them. In two days, I visited Valle de Ejerte, Plasencia, Cáceres, Trujillo, and Guadalupe. Extremadura is known for its cherries, ham products, and cheese. In Valle del Jerte, I plucked cherries off of the trees and they were simply delicious. I´ve never tasted such good cherries in my life. Plasencia has a beautiful plaza; I don´t know much about it though...Cáceres is a World Heritage Site with so many churches that I lost count! It´s the town of the conquistadors. Almost all of them came from Extremadura because of the primogenitor: since only the first-born son inherited, many people were poor, so they made their living going to the Americas. The tombs of some conquistadors were in a cathedral in Cáceres, but since there was a wedding, we couldn´t see them. The jamón serrano, chorizo, salchichón, queso, and wine were all delicious. Trujillo had a great statue of Francisco Pizarro, who conquered the Incas. There are two palaces there, but we didn´t have time to go inside. Guadalupe was incredible. While there´s not much more to see than the main plaza, cathedral, and monastery, it´s definitely worth a visit. There is a black Virgen of Guadalupe there. Take the tour of the monastery (4€) and you will see it up close. There is an amazing collection of artwork and items that the priests wore throughout the ages. Phillip II´s desk is in the church, there´s a Christ carved out of a single tusk, paintings by Goya, Rubens, and el Greco, along with a crucifix carved by Michaelangelo. There are rooms that are entirely painted with amazing frescos and many relics with bones from the first Christian martyrs. I kissed one relic, but due to the noise in the tour group, I´m not sure what it was for. Since it was near the Virgen, I think it had something to do with her.

Words cannot describe how beautiful Extremadura is. Really, one should dedicate at least half a day to many of the small towns.

Tomorrow morning I´m off to Oporto, Portugal with my amazing boyfriend. Although I´ve basically forgotten all of the Portuguese I´ve learned, I´ll do my best and I will let you know how it went!