Among finished items are a pair of socks for Alexander and this sweater for him as well:



It's the Ribbed Cardigan from Last Minute Knitted Gifts, and it looks fine zipped up, but he's a little too cool for that.

Not knitting related, but I was tagged in facebook to write 25 random things about myself. You are supposed to then tag 25 people, which I don't want to do, but I thought I'd post it anyway.

1) I am the fifth of six children, and though I did not have many hand-me-down clothes, I didn’t have a girl bicycle until I was in sixth grade.
2) My kids are the greatest achievement of my life.
3) One of my fondest memories of my father happened one Friday night dinner when I was quite small. He asked me to go get him a handkerchief and when I went to get it, I found the bride doll I wanted sitting next to his nightstand. That’s right, a bride doll. It was the 50’s.
4) I love Shirley Temple movies…even wrote a paper about them once.
5) My husband and I married less than two weeks after we met.
6) I have lived in LaSalle, Illinois, St. Louis, New York, Boston, Miami, Baltimore, Tucson, and Edwardsville, Illinois.
7) I never could pull all-nighters, not even in college.
8) I saw the Beatles in concert and am still convinced that Paul McCartney and I made eye contact.
9) I stand with Israel.
10) In Germany covering a story, I convinced a rent a car person who said there were no cars to give me one as I was with CBS news….which was not entirely true. CBS was kind of mad at me.
11) I have this weird way of clearly remembering clothes from random moments in life. I remember the red dress I wore to my brother Jerry’s Bar Mitzvah. I loved that dress. I also remember what I wore the first day of Junior High, the first outfit I bought for a boy-girl party, a green plaid dress with a red belt from summer camp when I was nine, a random black dress with a cute bolero jacket I wore in the 80s, the coat I wore my freshman year of college and what I was wearing at most of my job interviews. It occurs to me that most of these items were dresses. I miss dresses.
12) I can’t believe I voted for someone named Nixon. It was Jay Nixon, the next governor of Missouri and a Democrat…but still.
13) I think Steve McQueen was the greatest. I must have seen The Great Escape 30 times
14) I always try to vote, even in bond issue elections. I get stupidly sentimental about it.
15) I wish I could sing…and fly.
16) I worked with Oprah. She was nice.
17) The mother in Back to the Future was originally named Eileen. Look it up. I grew up with one of the screenwriters.
18) I was almost named Elyse. I think it would have been easier for people to spell, but maybe not.
19) Knitting makes me feel both productive and calm. It’s a good combination.
20) I hated high school, but I did get a pretty good education.
21) The best chopped liver I ever had was in Tucson, Arizona, at Feig’s deli.
22) One of my biggest achievement in tv news was breaking a story that caused the bells to ring on the national AP wire.
23) After a concert, I got to meet Bruce Springsteen backstage in his dressing room. I was almost unable to speak.
24) Seeing the Anne Frank house was one of the most moving experiences of my life.
25) I am inordinately fond of black licorice.

I've finished a few things since my last entry. First, the February Lady Sweater in Cascade 220.

Also, the Vintage Beret from Rowan 44, in Rowan Wool Cotton.


There have also been three other hats, a couple of which are in the store, and a pair of socks in Lorna's Laces, which are also in the shop.

I'm also working on the Men's Zipped Raglan from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. I'm making it for my son, and using Eco Wool.

I've been working on it forever, and I've finally finished the Barclay Jacket from Simply Shetland 3.



It's for my Aunt Betty and is made from three different colors of Cascade 220. TJ helped with the finishing---and I could never have done it without him.

No blogging, but there has been knitting. Two Clover cardigans---one for a class(Blue Sky Alpaca Cotton) and one for Elyse (Eco Wool).



I also completed the Capri from Rowan 43 out of Calmer. It's actually closed with the snaps called for, but I used the buttons for show. Got them last year at the Victoria & Albert Museum and love them.



Currently working on the Deep V sweater from Erika Knight's Classic Knits in some Knitpicks Sport Shine I've had for years. Planning to do the Neaty sweater from Rowan 42 for the Knitting Olympics.

First monkey sock for Alicia, made from Cherry Blossom Supersock yarn from Cherry Tree Hill.

Finished my first Baby Surprise Jacket. It's part of the Knitty Couture knitalong. It will be donated to Knits for Newborns, a partnership through the shop. I used Lorna's Laces superwash, along with bits and pieces of other yarns from my collection of leftovers.

It's a remarkable pattern that requires a real leap of faith. I can't wait to make another!

I'm pretty proud of this:




I finished my Pi Shawl. It's in Interlacements Toasty Toes, color Southwest.

I must stop kvelling.

It's spring break, and while many are off to Jamaica, Cancun and Florida, I went to Worden Illinois yesterday to visit an Alpaca farm. No tan, but a fabulous trip! Thanks Lida Murphy, for your incredible hospitality.

After a very sad week, Lolly has inspired me to be positive.

So this week, I will try to finish my Pi shawl, grade 30 internships assignments, continue to take my mother for short walks as the weather permits and remember to appreciate all the good things in my life.

Thanks, Lolly.

Third Annual Bloggers Poetry Reading

A lesson in humility worth remembering--

Ozymandias

I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert . . . Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which still survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed:
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Nothing else remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

... Percy Bysshe Shelley

Eleven down, one to go...hats that is. I've knit 11 stocking caps in the last month or so...that's a lot of hats. It started when I taught a class on simple caps at the shop. I didn't want to violate anyone's copyright, so I made up my own. That took two hats...one for figuring and one for counting. I gave one of those to a son, who loved it and asked for a warmer one, and thus it began. I finished the 11th on Friday and finished a pair of socks for my oldest last night. He's got size 15 feet, so they were in Dream in Color classy, which is a worsted weight.

I am also making a pair of socks for my mom and a wrap/jacket thing for my aunt. Knitty Couture is having two knitalongs that I am taking part in.

I'll apparently finish my Must Have Cardigan some time in 2009.

The boy has rhythm. Must come from dad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lveQoJ5oVOE

Yesterday, I gave a talk as part of a "Last Lecture" series. I was one of eight professors chosen by students to present a talk that could be about anything we wanted. I talked about what I've learned from students. It was quite an honor, but what meant the most was that both my kids and my husband were there. My oldest had a two o'clock flight, so the noon time was good; my youngest had been up till 4am writing a paper that he e-mailed the teacher--thus missing class.

Anyway, I've been knitting socks and caps. My son (of the size 15 feet) wants a pair of socks, which I'm finally making for him. And the caps are in preparation for a class I'm teaching at the shop tomorrow evening. Should been interesting.

Thankful
for a houseful of boys--mine and one of my brothers.
for a husband who still thinks I'm cute--or pretends to.
for our good health.
for a job I like.
for a part time job that's lots of fun.
for friends and family.

My son took my digital camera to school, but since it is actually his high school graduation gift, I guess I shouldn't complain.

In any event, no pictures. I did finish the burgundy Cascade 220 pullover. I'm delighted with it. Cascade is such a terrific workhorse yarn. I'm working on the Must Have Cardigan from Paton's Street Smart pamphlet and enjoying it.

Did a bit of part time work this weekend in a new LYS called Knitty Couture. It was terrific--a great addition to the city and a yarn store that's actually pretty close to me. I hope they use me again because I enjoyed being there.

It's getting to be that point in the semester when students realize they may be behind in their work and emotions are kind of close to the surface. Ah, these kiddos.

I'm working on a pullover from the Cascade 220 website.



It's mostly stockinette, but it has a fantastic woven rib pattern at the bottom. The sleeves and yoke will be in this stitch as well, and are knit in one piece.

I love that woven pattern.

I went to a knitting group yesterday and enjoyed it. I went to another one a few months back. Both were made up of very nice women.

I am very proud of this. Where can I wear it? Oh, who cares---it's pretty. Must do more lace!


An ice cream truck playing Clare de Lune just went by. I feel so cultured.

I thought I was so smart getting a blocking board, but it wasn't big enough for blocking this shawl. I'll be straightening it out for the rest of the day.



Forest Canopy Shawl
Pomfret (discontinued Brunswick yarn from who knows when)
Size 6 needles

I can spot a few mistakes, but for my first real lace project, I'm happy. I know understand the appeal of lace. It's so lovely when it's stretched out. I feel like starting another shawl immediately.

I haven't written here since June and I think that's because I now lurk on Ravelry way too much. I still haven't done much with my profile there, either.

Summer was good--my trip up east was very relaxing and my class in London went quite well. I had a great group of students who all got along, showed up for everything and did all their work so far---they still have a final paper due, but I am confident in them.

London was busy and crowded. I spent two months there in 1999 doing some administrative work for the university during my sabbatical, but it seems busier to me now. Probably a combination of being 8 years older and going in August rather than in March.

In any event, I have been knitting. I've completed a pair of Monkey socks in Tofutsi---a yarn that was okay, but I would not buy again.



And a pair of Not Cable Socks by Sockbug, a free pattern online. I made these in Lorna Laces, which I would buy again.





I also completed a turtleneck from Erika Knight's Classic Knits. This is done is Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted. I may frog this.



I did frog a sweater I made a few years ago and reknit it into a shawl collar cardigan I found online.



It's kind of 80s, but I know I'll wear it a lot. I hear the 80s are back, anyway.

I'm currently working on a Forest Canopy Shawl in a sportweight yarn called Pomfret. I found it at a yard sale.