The countdown June 26, 2007

Just a few days before we head off to Hilton Head.  I have done something to my back so Kevin has kindly booked me a flight and is driving the kids down without me.  I have some serious reservations about this as I am the voice of caffeine and stretching.  However, I am not so helpful on pain killers.  I go for an MRI tomorrow but I suppose it will be a bit before we get any answers.  I had backpain similar to this 11 years ago and with exercise I brought it under control–really building up those abs.  I haven’t seriously exercised since we moved back here and my weight is heavier than it ever has been before.  Sigh.  There is some work to be done once we figure things out.  I did try out a chiropractor.  This is something I have never done before.  I am still not sold but I know some people swear by them. 

Nancy’s birthday blogger fest was so much fun.  Ann drove us in style–Onslow, of course!  Miss Maribel–a cookarific caramel–made delicious food.  The company–Risa, Tisha, and Chante was wonderful.  Rinaldo was an absolute doll especially delivering carrot cake.  I brought a Lloyd’s Carrot Cake home for every holiday when I was in college.  YUM!

In other countdown news, I want to  have a birthday party too.  That was so much fun.  I just need to find my own Maribel! 

Geesh, nearly forgot my own knitting content.  One sock is finished and I started the other.  I don’t know if I have enough for the second.  The second picot didn’t go as smoothly as the first but it is good enough.  I still have to figure out what to bring down to Hilton Head.  I now have to consider what I can bring on the plane. 

I am sorry for any incoherent content….

Just one day to go June 21, 2007

Tomorrow is the last hour of school for Cameron and Gracie.  Owen has another week before his vacation starts.  We leave next Thursday for Hilton Head.  It is a looong drive.  Sigh.  Gracie believes she did well on her finals.  Cameron’s meeting was today and he will be remaining at his elementary school with modifications.  I hope this works out.  The independent evaluation was interesting.  Cameron is of average intelligence and average achievement.  He does, however, have a terrible short term memory and this, it seems, is his greatest problem.  Memory, they say, is difficult to build but I am researching and we will do everything we can to help him. 

End of year gifts were a bit tricky this year.  I went with the soap socks and a bar of Blessed Juno soap.  The soap got rave reviews at Christmas and I am scarfed out.  I used Saucy Sport and Patons Grace.  Maybe they weren’t thrilled but it was the best I could do.  I have it in my head to knit the resource room teacher a throw if Cameron graduates from the elementary school.  Someone tell me that is crazy!

Otherwise, I shouldn’t have predicted finishing the back of St. Brigid in that last post.  I haven’t touched it.  Maybe today…

St. Brigid June 12, 2007

I can’t get over how quickly St. Brigid is moving these days.  I am nearly finished with the 7th repeat with just one more to go for the back.  I estimated–given the amount it has taken me to get this far (wrote fart)–that it would take 6 months.  I may be finished with the back by the end of this week.  Granny suggested starting a sleeve but I might just start the front.  The pattern is pretty well set in my head.  I am not saying it is memorized but I only need to glance at the chart for reference.  And–the kicker–I am enjoying it. 

Half days start for Gracie tomorrow.  Teenagehood starts Thursday.  It is frightening how quickly she is growing up.  As her social life picks up, her grades seem to be dropping.  Other parents of teens and tweens–what is a reasonable amount of time to spend on the computer IMing?  I certainly set no good example of computer time.  Nor does Kevin with that darn Blackberry.

Parent training at Owen’s today.  Dynavox training tomorrow.  They said he showed a real interest in it at school.  We just need to get it programmed correctly for him.

All aboard June 7, 2007

Shetland Trainangle rolling into the station.  Reported delays due to ends not being run and no one to take the darn picture.  Swimming is over for the season and Gracie is home again in the afternoons.  I was able to finally snap some pictures today of the Shetland Triangle shawl by Evelyn Clark from Wrap Style.  Super duper, easy to remember pattern.  It should have been knit with just one ball of Brown Sheep Naturespun fingering but I was trying to get every last yard out of the ball by making the shawl larger and needed another.  I have lots of yards now!  Waste not need more, I guess.

The Flower Basket Shawl has been on the needles for a while…even longer the Bird’s Nest.  Someday…in the meantime I left my 3 most active projects at the shop yesterday.  My sleeves on the Kersti cardi–the ones I decided to knit longer–my gauge has tightened.  Rip again.  So, what do my wandering eyes see?  St. Brigid.  I tried to knit across, remembering–ever so slighlty and annoyingly–I needed to tink a row.  I found the mistake in the second to last chart of the back.  I tinked two rows and now seem to be back on track.  At least till Saturday, I will try to remain true to St. Brigid.

One last look at the Shetland Triangle.   

Socks by my mom June 4, 2007

Knitting has been limited as of late.  I have been distracted, to say the least, and this is a crazy time of year anyway.  Thanks for all of the input and support on Cameron.  The district has reconsidered and he is staying in his current placement.  We are finishing testing today on his independent evaluation.  The scores have been about 10 points higher on each of the tests.  We also started Fast Forword last week.  I hope it is as effective this time as it was last.

My mom has been busy knitting.  The blue socks are from Vogue Knitting by Charlene Schurch in Claudia’s Handpainted Deep Blue colorway.  The purple socks are a Cookie A. Twisted Flower in Tess Designer yarn.  Perhaps not the best yarn choice as the pattern doesn’t show as well as it could.  They are goregous though and my mom thoroughly enjoyed knitting them.  What’s not looking so hot are her  Monkey socks.  She is using the Great Adirondack Silky Sock and it seems to be another case of pattern not working with yarn.  She is continuing on though.  They are just socks, she says.  The process, right?  😉