BFF's

We have been trying to get the two little bubbas together each week - they are such a hoot when they are playing - I swear they learn stuff from each other. Just two weeks apart, we have decided that these two should be "BFF's" - nothing like an arranged friendship.

A sock adventure

I knit a pair of very simple garter-rib socks out of Magic Stripes yarn for a dear classmate - Liz Thompson. Liz lives in NY, and even though we are in class only on-line, we have connected. It was a blast to meet her last fall during the NAI conference. It was there I decided that she needed a pair of socks. I do not give socks lightly - I have only given away three pairs now - one to my Grammie, one to my mother-in-law, and now a pair to Liz. Socks are getting easier to knit though so my generosity will expand, I'm sure.

When I got to work this morning, this little story was in my in my email in-box:

Thanks for sending us to New York - Liz is lots of fun. Today we got to go out of the house for the first time! Liz took us to the movies to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. We saw a movie called 27 Dresses. Actually, we only heard it - but it sounded really good! We got a chance to look around (see picture) but then we went back into the shoes. We were glad though, because that theater was really cold! Liz said that James Marsden was "dreamy" and worth going to the picture for that reason alone.

Before we went to the movies Liz's mother inspected us and seemed very impressed. After the movie we went back to her house and got to come back out of the shoes. Liz's Mom kept admiring us from where she sat and occasionally asked Liz questions about how you made us - it seems Liz is a quilter, not a knitter, so she could only answer based on what the knitters at work said about us when we first arrived.

That's all for now. We'll write again after Liz takes us on our next adventure!

Socks for Veronik Pattern

sock 003
Originally uploaded by WATERCenter

This beautiful sock pattern came out of the Interweave Knits Holiday Gifts issue. The yarn I'm using is the J. Knits Superwash Me sock yarn that I purchased at my LYS Twist.

One sock down, one to go.

I never have too much trouble with the "second sock syndrome" - I'm always too excited to wear the pair of socks - which is hard to do if you only have one done. I know, I know, I could do "two at once," but I end up getting to tangled up with the two balls of yarn. I'll just keep plugging alone, one at a time.

Wheels make the wool go 'round

So my friend Jessica and I took a spinning class last fall. Not one of those exercise-y spinning classes (have you seen me lately?), but a yarn spinning class. Can I say it was just wonderful?! Anyway, this led Jess and I on a quest for wheels of our own. We have two things happening now.

First, I bought a pattern on a "no lathe Saxony style wheel" and gave it to a woodworking friend with the promise of a knitterly payback.

Second, I called my dad in New Zealand (land of wool and wheels) and got him looking on TradeMe for used Ashford wheels.

Success!

Both avenues are paying off. It looks like Jess and I will have custom crafted wheels from our friend as well as a traditional wheel from NZ.

This multiple wheel situation (which is f'ing awesome) has led my hubby to ask...."How many wheels do you NEED.?" Good question. I say many. I mean, how many video game consoles does HE need? Anyway, I have already mentally rearranged my dining room to accommodate the wheels. Expect to hear more on the wheels as the year goes on.

Off to a good start

So far I think 2008 looks promising. Why? I have dropped very few stitches in my knitting. Okay, that's really not the only reason why, but it does add to the cumulative good-feeling effect.

School starts up again on the 14th and this semester I'm taking Interpretive Research and Evaluation. Eeek! I have never been very good at pacing myself through research but if I'm going to get through a thesis, I better learn. This is the only class I'm taking though this semester so my plan is not to get overwhelmed - we'll see how that works out.

NAI, the National Association of Interpretation, recommended the MSRI program as a good fit for my grad school experience - I'm "settled" and can't go back to traditional, on-campus college life. The program is based in TX, was designed originally for National Park Service folks, and is offered on-line. I was very wary of an on-line program but this one is legit. It is also kickin' my butt! And lastly, as it is out of TX, it means out-of-state tuition. Sigh.

Last December, I applied for NAI Region 6's 2008 Freeman Tilden Scholarship. As Region 6 is made up of KS, MO, AR, OK, TX, and LA, and there was only one graduate scholarship being awarded, I was not optimistic. Two nights ago though, I got the call! Yee-haw! Its not huge $$$ but it will get half of my semester. Plus I get to go to the Regional Conference in Tulsa!!!

Anywho, that and some other things that I'm working on lead me to think it might be a pretty good year. We'll see how it plays out.

On a knitting note, I am tackling the "Sock for Veronik" with the sweet-as yarn that I got with my Twistmas discount...see previous post. I'm sticking in the picture from the Interweave Knits pattern as well as my little beginnings.