Well, It's Official

...I'm a teacher. After over a week of training and working on my room, I had students Thursday and Friday. I was a little nervous, but I had a great time both days. And I'll be more comfortable once I learn all the students' names.

I'm going to like this so much better than my year at the laboratory school, where I was thrown in to teaching K-6 with no curriculum, no mentor, no training, no anything.

Everyone at the school where I work is really nice. We had Monday to work on our rooms, and I had everyone from janitors to assistant principals coming by to introduce themselves and welcome me.

I am only part time, which is good because I'm working on my Masters. I have two classes of Art Awareness (that's art appreciation) and one Art I.

And all the new teachers got $100 at the local teacher supply store to get stuff for their rooms. I'm going today to get a stapler, tape, dry erase markers... all kinds of stuff.

Not much knitting done lately, but I am working on a pair of Magic Stripes Socks. The mystery shawl has fallen by the wayside. Maybe once I get my lesson plans ready I can work on it for a little while every day before I have kids.

Image Heavy, Minor Knitting Content

This has almost ceased to be a knitting blog. I did get some knitting on my Prisoner of Azkaban scarf at the Harry Potter Party. Friday night we went to our local Books-A-Million for the activities. They were very disorganized (lots of disappointment over the costume contest foul-ups), but we still had fun. I went with Hermione Grainger (on the left) and Luna Lovegood (center front), and we ran into a Gryffindor friend of ours when we got there (on the right):

Whenever there was an activity in the kids' department, my child ceased to participate (she couldn't resist the lure of the books):

There was wand making:

...but we had already made ourselves wands earlier in the day (from top to bottom, mine, Hermione's, Luna's):

We saw Fluffy:

...and Madame Pomfrey and Professors Umbridge and Trelawney:

My child left early - she was starting to wind down and couldn't seem to forget we were in a bookstore:

We had a good time, despite the jerks who had endings written on their t-shirts going through the store. I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

In other news, I did get a job, teaching 2 Art Appreciation classes and one Art 1 class at a local high school. It's part time, so that will give me time to work on my Masters in Education.

I am excited to hear that Nervousness.org is being worked on. One of the projects I plan to teach this year involves making ATCs, and I learned about them and made my first ones through Nervousness. I tried playing recently, and only had two participants sign up, and both were really late sending things. The current site is but a shadow of the former site. I hope it returns better than ever!

I have finished the body (up to the armpits) and two sleeves (up to the armpits) of my first Elizabeth Zimmerman Percentage System sweater. I am making a big, oversize one for Miss Priss that she can grow into. The yarn matches her eyes. I hope to join all the pieces today. I still haven't had time to work on the Mystery Stole.

Dressed to Kill

This is what happens when your daughter loves dinosaurs and Polly Pockets:

Take a closer look:

In other news, Mystery Stole #3 is kicking my backside. I can't seem to find any *guaranteed* uninterrupted moments to work on it. Plus I've had a lot going on, including a new job and starting a new school for a new degree. So I am still on (I think) row 91. On clue 1. And clue 4 comes out tomorrow. I expect once school starts and I get into a routine, I will be able to work on it. I hope.

Some Amazing Stuff!

Check this out:
Knit-Night Cupcakes

Mystery Shawl 3

Still on clue one.

One More FO

It' s been a long time since I posted a finished object, even though I have finished a few. Here is my most recent:


The Jayne hat and its happy recipient!

I'm Back, at Least for a While

Well, I have graduated (yay!) and am out for the summer. So I have finally been able to play with this:
which I have been using to turn this:

into this:

Then, I have been using this (a wooden wheel, cup hook, and a dollhouse turning):

to make this:

... and I'm enjoying every minute of it. I am shooting for different skeins but similar colors, and trying to decide what I'll make of them. Right now, socks and gloves are what I'm thinking. I want to stripe with the different skeins. The wool is superwash Merino mill ends.

I also recently finished my first Moebius knitting (yes, I know that's missing some dots, but I'm lazy) with some blue-violet cashmere from SP9. Also working on some odd balls that I got on vacation last summer. I've made a short neck scarf out of one and am working on a hat out of another. And I'm working on a pair of cotton Tabi Socks. It's good to be out of school!