Boy, when I come Back...

I come back with a vengence! Call me Samuel M*therf*cking Jackson.
I've got an itch to knit again. And this time I'm going to throw it down Eunny Jang-style. I've just ordered twelve, count 'em, TWELVE skiens of Palette from KP, all in different colors, and I'm going to design me a fair isle. I've got ambitions for a full sweater, but come on- this is me. You'll be lucky to get a vest. No sketches but think along the lines of Venezia.
I've also got designs on a cabeled boat neck where the whole thing is knit in two tubes. Think tubey, but with two holes in the top tube. One for the neck and one for the bodice. Oh, and a herringbone jacket.
I've decided to set aside time to knit each day. I need to reclaim some sanity. Maybe a half hour before bed. Do you think that will be enough? Talk amongst yourselves.

In other news. What's up with House, MD? Would anyone in the real world put up with crap like that from a coworker without knocking him on his ass at least once. And they're all, "We love you. Let us be your friends!!!!" That show is thisclose to jumping the shark for me.

No posts lately, blah, blah, blah...

Bad Blogger, yada, yada.
In real news, we are almost done with the house. We have the elec and plumbing all hooked up and should begin moving in within the week.
Haven't been knitting much because I used to knit while M was in gym class and she went and got kicked out. Behavior problems. Yeah, proud mommy<> me.
I finally got a Ravelry invite. I'm ShannonAnn there, so add me if you're on. I'll try to do something interesting in the mean time so you can laugh and point.

No motivation to write.

Enjoy these photos instead:

Widdershins in Socks that Rock: Lucy

Wavy Lace Stole in Cascade: Lana D'Oro Alpaca

Endpaper Mitt in Knitpicks: Merino Style(?)



Final Spoil package of awesomeness from Staci:

Kidnapping attempt mentioned in previous post: Successful!

Wish me luck.

I posted a while back about maybe wanting to take a teaching job so I could have more time to spend with my kids. Well, a position opened up at a small regional university (the univ. where I got my BA.) andI applied for it. They weren't very clear about what courses are involved so it would either be my dream job, or something I'm not even qualified for, and it will involve supervising student teachers, which is not my goal in life. (Not so sure about the grammar in that last sentence.)
Of course with Univ. ads, you never know about teaching load, salary, tenure requirements, or any of that good stuff so I might not even want it in the long run. But right now I have a really good feeling about it.
So anyway, feel free to send any positive vibes my way.

As if you care...

If anyone visits this site, it's probably in hopes of knitting content or delicious yarn pron. Of course there's seldom any of that. In truth, I did finish one endpaper mitt, and I'm up to the instep of some Widdershins in some loverly Socks That Rock in Lucy.

But I don't have photos.

I also don't have photos of the great stuff my PRGE pal, Staci, sent me this weekend. Purse kits for my girls (they love) yarn for a clapotis (I love) and more random, yummy yarn to do with as I please ( I also love) Oh, and a dragonfly clip. How did you know I have a secret love of bugs? I'm pretty sure I didn't put that on the questionnaire.

I do however, have a few house photos. The house is of course, getting most of my attention these days. Especially the studio, which just got cabinets and a lovely pink marble countertop.

Yes, that's MY studio. For knitting, painting, sewing, soaping, and other general craftiness. The blue-green walls are an homage to my love of all things Tiffany.

Another thing I am loving is my guest bathroom sink and countertop. The sink is from overstock and the counter is granite.

Isn't it lovely? The faucet will look like bamboo and I will paint a few strategically placed Louisiana iris on the wall in a corner.

My kitchen is also coming along. We just need the granite on the island. We won't have wall cabinets on the right, just open shelving.

We also need to figure out what to put on the wall behind the stove that will tie in the slate floor with the granite counters. Here's a close-up of the antiquing I did on the island:

Here are two exterior shots so you can see the final color. Eventually, we'll put up black shutters and have black rockers on the porch.

Here's the front.

And the back/left side ( I don't know what's up with the gray stuff at the bottom):

In other good news. I might get to meet my PRGE spoilee in person! Kate will have to drive right through my town when she moves later this month, so I am trying to figure out how to kidnap her and take her to lunch! Wish me luck.

I can't believe it!

I treated myself to a lunch break at my local MegaBookstore!(tm) and while perusing the loverly selection of knitting-related print, I. got. bored. What? Uh, yeah, furreal. I had to leave the store even to get something to eat because nothing, not one single book, compelled me even flip through much less purchase.
I looked at some new things like Runway and Twinkle City, and some of the old Vogue Quick Knits. All I could muster was, "meh." Maybe I'm just saturated. I know my "to knit" list is way longer than my "will knit" list will ever be, but that's never stopped me from dreaming before. It just seems that nothing in the new books is, well, new.
Come on guys, inspire me! Or else I might have to try to design something. And, trust me
NOBODY wants that!

Mommy Wars Revisited

I'm a working mother. I tried to stay home with my first two kids and was. bored. out. of. my. mind. I couldn't wait to get back to work, to have real conversations, to feel some semblance of sanity. By my third child, I realized three months was the max. I nursed all of my children for a full year each and my sister was able to alternate caring for them with my husband. I chose to work, not because of money, but because I needed more to do in a day than what staying home offered.
MSN today has a report:

NEW YORK - If the typical stay-at-home mother in the United States were paid for her work as housekeeper, cook and psychologist among other roles, she would would earn $138,095 a year, according to research released Wednesday.

I've been a stay-at-home mom. I was raised by a stay-at-home-mom. I've also been to a psychologist (perhaps as a result of my experiences with my own SAHM.) I can tell you, a psychologist, my mom ain't.

I can understand lumping housekeeper, cook, nanny, maybe some other things into the monetary value of mothering. But when you start to sneak in specialized professions like psychology or nursing, who are you really trying to kid? A SAHM can kiss boo-boos or stroke developing egos as well as I can, but until they put in the hard core academics and hours it takes to earn an LPN or PSYD, let's not call a chicken a duck. And let's not inflate the hypothetical salary of someone who chooses to not earn one so she can feel important. Because that's what this is really about isn't it? SAHM's wanting to feel like what they do has value. And, believe me, it does have value. Only its just to you and yours. You cooking and cleaning and raising your own kids, doesn't mean a hill of beans to me. Just as my salary shouldn't matter to you. I don't try to make you value my choice, don't inflate yours to try to sway me.

Someone help me.

I'm in as much need of the Rowan 38 magazine as anyone with a too-long project list and not enough time in a day can be in need of anything. Which is not a lot of "need" per sey, but a whole bunch of irrational "want." Which is why I don't want to pay $22 for a backorder copy. I tried to bid on one the other day, and thought I had it in the bag, but I remain unfulfilled. Someone was obviously watching the auction, and I was not, because they beat me by a measly $6.
If anyone out there has an unloved copy (not too unloved, I don't want anything you housetrained your pets on) and might be willing for a pattern, book, or yarn trade, please let me know.
I really need to knit Kaffe Fassett's Brocade. And you know you won't get to it and the other patterns in the book are really ugly anyway, so why would you hold on to it. Release your rowan 38. It needs a good home, really it does!!!!

Hmmm...

Seems Annie Modesitt is trying out for Project Runway. Wouldn't that be interesting. I can't imagine she'd be able to knit many of the challenges, but I can think of a few challenges where the designs just begged for some fibre. Does Moods even sell yarn?
I wonder if I'd root for her because of the whole knitting thing. I can't really say she's my favorite pattern designer, she's really not. In fact, there are only a few of her designs I would consider knitting. I can't say I've considered any come to think of it.
That said, if you poke around her blog, you'll find some of the things she's bringing to the tryouts and they look fine enough. I hope she doesn't bring the felted mitred jacket *woof*.

Took the Plunge

Well, not really. But I'm considering it.
I've completed an online application to test the teaching waters. The paperwork to get my certification renewed is on my desk. I've contacted an old friend to pitch an idea about High School courses in Statistics and Psychology. And my stomach is in knots.
In case there was any doubt. Teaching is a suck job. I have theories about why teachers don't get respect and those theories mostly sit with the fact that teachers are largely unaccountable for their product. If a doctor fails to cure all of his patients, if a lawyer loses all of his cases, career suicide. But a teacher can fail to bring her students up a grade-level and gets to blame the students, parents, society. Imagine if a doctor said, "well, Joe was already sick when he came to me, of course I couldn't cure him."
But, I digress.
The pay is less than what I make, although not bad with my Ph.D. and experience.
Lesson plans, grading, other people's children, other children's parents, no freedom to eat or use the bathroom when I want. And other teachers like to whine! I hate whiners! They cut up in meetings, complain about paperwork, backstab, you name it. Anything they fuss at students for they are worse. And I know, because I did all that at four different schools, three districts, and even a private school. Plus I had a job in state professional development training teachers.
So if I'm such a hater, why am I considering going back?
Good Question.
I am bored in my current job. I'm BLOGGING now for Chrissake!
The hours and commute suck. People hate me b/c I'm state employed (for real, my mom introduces me to other teachers as the enemy). And most importantly, my babies are starting school. My sister watches them now and all three have stayed with relatives all their lives. I'm feeling super guilt about having them in school all year and summers too. I fell like teaching will allow me to have precious time with them that I don't get now.
Now don't think I'm kidding myself. I know during the summer they'll be watching tv, or at friends', I'm no June Cleaver. I never said the guilt was rational. They might be better off in a camp with structure and activities. I also feel a tug to do it right this time. I know I wasn't that bad, parents have told me they wish I would teach again. But with the shortage, I think I'd make more of a difference with 25 kids than trying to get the adults in charge to change like I'm doing now. Ironically, I left the classroom b/c I wanted to affect change on a larger scale. But guilt is a mo fo and it makes you do wierd things.
Like apply for a teaching job.