Long time, no see!

Wow, it's been busy this week! My band went to our state competition this weekend, and received top honors! They were really amazing, I was so very proud. And what made me even happier was to have my mentor come up, give me a hug, and tell me that couldn't be prouder of me. The school I teach in can be a tough place, and to show the students that they can be some of the top musicians in the state is just great! I'm so happy!




In knitting news, I've reached the arm hole shaping in the deep v sweater - not that you can really tell in the picture. I've made a few little mistakes, but nothing that I couldn't solve easily. Overall, I'm happy so far, but I think next time, I will convert the pattern so that I can knit it on circulars. I just can't wait to get it done so I can wear it!


















Also, I've lifted my self imposed ban on starting new projects to begin this lovely basket-weave baby blanket. It's just in simple Peaches and Cream cotton, but for Michigan summers it will work nicely. My mom's boss's daughter just had a baby, so my mom asked me to make something. I'm going to see if I can actually finish a baby blanket that I start. (I have this bad habit of starting projects and never finishing them).

Speaking of never finishing things, I found the socks that I started last year. I'm realizing that I'm a much better knitter this year than last, and found a major mistake in the heel of the first sock. Well, I've fixed it in the second, but now the socks won't match. Oh well...

One last note on my middle school knitting club - it's going so well! I've got 10 students knitting so far (5 of them are boys!) and somewhere between 7 and 10 more waiting to join. We try to add one more each day so that each kid can get a really good start. The kids are even starting to help each other at it. One took her project home this weekend to see how much more she could get done. It's so great! It's only about 15 minutes every day at lunch, but they are so pumped to come down to my room and learn to knit! For me, it's such a great pick me up in the middle of the day. And a huge thank you to eleven stitched for offering to donate to the knitting group - it will come in so hand!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!

P.S. I get married 5 months from yesterday!!!

Yahoo!!

This may not look like much, however it is the beginning of my middle school lunch time knitting club! Today I went to the Ben Franklin near the school and just asked the owner if they would be willing to donate anything and she gave me 3 balls of cotton yarn. Then the lady standing at the counter said that she had all sorts of needles that she didn't use any more and that she'd be willing to give some of them to me!!!

So I went to this great lady's house (where I saw two of the most amazing quilts - one with 48 pieces in each square and another that was made out of neck ties) and she dug out 8 needles to donate to us! Only 5 more pairs to go!!

The kids are all asking when we start, they seem pretty jazzed about the idea. I hope at least half stick with it. I can't wait!!

They're finished!

Here they are! I finished them Sunday afternoon and they fit perfectly! I was so excited! And I have to say that I think he liked them too - he was wearing them inside while he worked on crossword puzzles, and it was not cold inside that house. Outside is another story...

It's freezing! The current wind chill is 0. Without the wind chill it's something like 22. It's so cold outside! Last week snow was melting, and this week it's piling up again! We're supposed to get another 6-8 inches tomorrow night!! I'm kind of excited about it though, it just means that I have more potential snowshoeing ahead of me!

Oh, and one other note, my middle school lunch time knitting club might just be getting off the ground! I just have to figure out how to get 12 pairs of needles that are between US7-9 so that they will work for lots of projects - like the first one I've got planned, a dish cloth in fun colors! The secretary in the front office had the great idea of making them and selling them to raise more money for the club. But first, I have to get the needles to actually start the group! Any ideas?