Shrug help

Calling my fellow bloggers - I have a wedding to attend in two weeks. I think I have found the dress - black / white / skinny straps dealio, very cute. I was thinking that I should make a shrug to cover my shoulders if the AC is on too much, or to cover my shoulders in church... I really want to use white Filatura Di Crosa Elena - I have six skeins. Usually I'm ok with guage. I thought that I could do the Ribbed Shrug from Interweave, but now I don't know - I'll work on a guage swatch, but in the meantime - are there other suggestions? I ordered the one skein wonder (thinking to make that in black) I've also been poking through the patterns on the shrug KAL, and I like shimmer from knitty.

Summer Time!

I've been quiet this week on my blog, letting Jackson entertain those of you who stopped by :) And that's okay, because it's been a week! My 27th birthday was on Monday - it was low-key and enjoyable. Dinner at my favorite restaurant, Mary Englebreit books for the home, mini ipod (previously received), "B" floor mats for my car, and this:
- all my costume crew experience is coming back to me :) It's helpful for working on the back-tack projects too.

Tuesday was the last day of school for the students, Wednesday the last day for staff. Woo-hoo! Thursday I ran around doing errands (finally updating the bank stuff following the wedding) Friday was more of the same. I'm catching up on old soprano's episodes while plugging away on the Rebecca Wrap. Now it's the weekend and boy is it going to be hot! But tonight, we're going to a local Lobster Fest! Yummy.

The mailperson is hopefully delivering my package to my SP5 today, and they brought me Scarf Style, Loop-d-Loop, Knitted Toys and 7 Day Afghans

In giving my garden a second try, a Thank you goes out to Tori for sending me several seed packets! I'll keep you posted on the progress!

Too Cute

eeee. just looking at this picture makes me giddy :^) not bad for pre-birthday cheer! Introducing... Jackson


Action Shot

Potential

School's almost out - yippee! The 8th graders graduated last night - I've known these kids two years now and I'm glad to see them off. Mon / Tues are half days for the rest of the kiddos, and we have to take down the classrooms and staff has to go in on Wed, but that's all! I've been teaching for two years - wow.

Yesterday before graduation I went out to the yarn store to pick up some yarn for my SP5. I drooled over most everything else in there and wanted it all but promptly forgot what yarns were needed for any upcoming projects. I really should list the projects / potential yarns.... hrm. Another summer project. On top of learning to sew / finishing my back-tack project, developing lesson plans for grades 4 - 8, learning to crochet (my ebay amigurumi book arrived! That was fast!!), reading, gardening, getting puppy-fied.

I really loved the Blue Sky Alpaca's Organic Cotton - it's so soft!! That would definetly be on my wishlist. Along with the Kidsilk Haze - the store had a little cardigan style item done up in that and it was so pretty, airy, lacy. I need to keep cracking on my rebecca wrap and then maybe make a second one in that? I don't know, maybe.

Tailspin

So, we're getting the puppy - and his name will be Jackson! He was too precious!! We'll get him towards the end of July.

I've been working on my back-tack project - it's slow going, as I'm hand sewing everything... can't decide yet on a sewing machine, but I do like this one (and am thinking about treating myself as an end of school treat) that I found through NotMartha.org

I've been sucked into the san-x stuff - everything from here and I MUST learn crochet so that I can attempt this:

I bought a book on ebay because I can't resist the amigurumi!!
one english version of arigurumi

Google "convert crochet patterns to knitting patterns" turned up this:
from eHow.com

cute japanese craft site

EEE - the "In Her Shoes" trailer is on ivillage! Yay!

Nutshell Update

Very little knitting being done lately. This is due to the following reasons.

*School has been very crazy over the past week - the first grade teacher died last friday - complications from cancer, she was sick for about the last 2 months (that we knew about) - my school is a very close community. This coupled with my grandfather's passing and my Nana's current health issues, it's been very hard to deal. The funeral (homegoing celebration) was today at the Seventh-Day Adventist church - quite a culture shock for my irish roman catholic background.
*School is also starting to wrap up - finals this week (somehow amid the chaos) - somehow either I misplaced, or someone took two exams - I was grading and realized I was missing two students! gah. not good.
*My nana had a big operation this week, but things are looking ok for the moment. Chemo is going to happen, but it is not as bad as it could have been.

*I've been spending a lot of time researching puppies and dachshunds! This little guy will be ours! We're going to visit him on Sunday!


*How cool are all the fabrics going about in the back-tack swap? I love what I received from yarnstorm she's got a great blog - awesome embriodery! Thanks so much! Again, I adore the fabric, and will be sorry to send it on!

And on a random library note - how annoying is it that netlibrary.com doesn't work with the ipods?! Sure, there's audible.com (from where I got The Ivy Chronicles it's just okay, the narrator's voice is a little annoying) but this was supposed to provide me more. Groan.

Grr.

So I thought I was making progress.
So I thought I finally was doing the chart right.
So I looked at the sleeve last night and thought, "something looks funny", but maybe I can fix it....


I did BO1, k2tog for all 13 rows of the binding off / decreasing!! I think you're only supposed to do it a few times, followed by the rest of the 13 times just doing the BO1 or k2tog on one end (and the slip 1, knit 1, psso on the other)

Here's what I misinterpreted:
When work measures 6cm bind off for sleeve cap at each end 3 sts. once, then 1st. on every 2nd row 13 times as foll:
at beg of row work edge st. and k2tog; work to 3 from end of row, then slip 1 k-wise, k1, pass slipped st. over, edge st.

I did. I BO 3 st at one end and less than that at the other. GROAN. Phooey.

Dirt lover

I can not quite put my green thumb on what it is, but there is something very satisfying about gardening. My dad has gardened forever, and I always tried to help. Lucky me, some of all that practice paid off :) Currently I'm successful at getting some seeds started! I am trying to be patient as I wait for the morning glories, sunflowers, and other things to get much bigger!

I've been making slow and steady progress on the Rebecca wrap - I really want to finish it if only to say I finished it!! There are so many projects to be attempted!!

I found out today who I have for SP5 - I'm looking forward to making contact. For the person who has me, I'm re-posting and editing my previous survey answers:
(me, in a nutshell)

Becca - a lefty, self taught knitter. Currently has the following works in progress (yarn is bought / on the needles): Rebecca #29 eyelet wrap cardigan, a prayer shawl for my Nana

I like to think I'm not a yarn snob, as I do use lion brand (it's not all bad!) and red heart, but I have seen what else is out there. It's like going candy shopping at CVS and then candy shopping at Dylan's Candy Bar in NYcity.

My allergies are seasonal, to pollen, but *knock wood* they haven't been bad this year.

I have a wish list on amazon.com.

I have a massive sweet tooth. Jelly beans / mike-and-ikes are my favorites.

I adore the blue-green-purple range of colors.

I live with my husband - we've been married 6 months. I teach science to students in grades 5 - 8; I actually started out planning to be an environmental chemist, but got burnt out in grad school. I worked retail for a year (at a fabulous stationery shop, i've been there on and off for 6 years) and went through an alternative route program to get my teaching certification (done!). I love being a teacher - it's the hardest thing I have done yet, and I can't see myself doing anything else!

Quickie Favorites:
Movies: The Princess Bride, Singin'in the Rain, Rebel without a Cause, Say Anthing, the Muppet Movies
Music: Barenaked Ladies, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Dave Matthews Band, Alanis Morrisette, Tori Amos, Ani Difranco, 80's music - I listen to pretty much everything except country (yes, I'm mp3 compatable)
Actors John Cusack, Tom Hanks, Brad Pitt, Nicole Kidman, Renee Zelwieger
Misc. Hello Kitty, Paper, stickers, Becky Kelly, Kate Spade, Origins, Bath-and-Body Works, Bamboo Needles, Chad Pennington, basketball, environmentally friendly stuff, Burts Bees

I am into photography, doodling, stickering, gardening and interested in trying most DIY things.

My life dream is to always be content with what I'm doing, to see the lighter side of life, to not forget to laugh (at myself) and to always try my best. In that vein, I would like to own a home, plant a garden, raise a family of happy children, continue to make my family proud of me, and have pets!

Favorite yarns? Currently I adore lamb's pride. I love Koigu. I recently learned how wonderful Noro is.

I don't really like the eyelashy / overly furry yarns.

My knitting obsession is starting projects. And the magazines.

I really enjoy socks, now that I have it down.

No needle preference, although I will say that now that I know how to do socks on 2 circulars, it's hard to go back to dpns (I keep pulling out a needle that has stitches on it)

Bamboo rules.

My oldest UFO is the purple cardigan sweater - the yarn was bought in 2002, I began working on it in '02-'03 and completely frogged it and started over. The button holes are messing with my head.

Animated characters I like: Hello Kitty, Sanrio, San-X, powerpuff girls, strawberry shortcake, muppets

Favorite animals are rainforest poison dart frogs.

Favorite holiday is thanksgiving.

I had a massive frog collection going, but I'm trying to limit it.

I would love to get back issues of Rebecca (I have the home and the one before that, with the eyelet wrap, but no others).

ipod, i blog

Will it ever charge?

That's Patrick next to my early birthday present - a very slick electric blue ipod mini! It's very cool, although it seemed to take forever to charge up! Anyway, today we're fully functioning! We've also got an iStation so I can have music in my craftroom or whereever I may be.

Knit wise, I've tossed aside the sleeve for the Rebecca wrap that I was working on (mistakes and all) and started the sleeve over. I've got to make this one work because I'm out of balls of yarn - the others have pieces waiting to be frogged before that yarn can be used!! So it goes.

Nana news: she's back in the hospital. She was feeling uncomfortable, so she called the doc and went in to have more fluid drained. Big operation next week, followed by chemo. It's looking like it is ovarian cancer. bugger.