Where Does The TIme Go?

I really don't know where the time has gone. It seems like only yesterday that my daughter Henny was born and Joseph is 14 today. Paul woke him up this morning to wish him a happy birthday and then he ended up staying awake. He tried to go back to bed but kept getting disturbed so he gave up. Before I left for work I wanted to give him a birthday kiss and he almost freaked. He said I could give him a hug but not kisses. When did this happen? Can I turn back the clock to the days when he was little and cute and let me give him kisses? It's not like there was anyone in the house who would have seen. Paul said that he misses the younger days and before you know it he'll be out hanging with his friends and we'll hardly see him at all. That's so true and it's scary.

Look what I picked up at the post office today. It's the second custom spindle I ordered from Tom at Golding Fiber Tools. I decided on an owl because my sister was an owl collector. I was debating between a barn owl and snowy owl. I received a sketch of a barn owl but the shape would have been the same for the snowy owl. I decide on the snow owl and wanted dark wood. The wood is Bog oak and I have to say that the pictures don't do it justice at all.

I have one more spindle in the works from Tom and then I'm done for a little while. The next one is going to be one of his scrimshaw spindles and it's going to be a lighthouse. I think I'm out of ideas for now but if I think of anything else I know where to go to have it done. The spindles spin like mad and are the most special things.

Happy Chanukkah to all that are celebrating. Good thing it's 8 days long since tonight is the start of day 2.

I'll post about my trip to the Purple Purl tomorrow or Wednesday.

Startitis?

You know the problem with working on a big project? It takes a while before you can see progress. I was hoping to get the Evergreen section of the Magickal Earth shawl done this weekend. I am now in the middle of the second set of trees so I only have about 12 rounds left before I hit the unicorn section. It doesn't pay to take pictures until the evergreen section is completed.

I think I also had a bit of startitis this weekend. I started two new projects. That's the reason I didn't get the evergreen trees section finish on the shawl. The picture on the left is the first sock from the December Sockamania Club sock. The pattern is called Cables & Lace. Because of the way the heel looks with the cable going all the way down the heel flap, I've decided to do these socks from the top down. I don't usually do that but I am giving it a shot. I'm also using 2.5mm needles right now but I might switch to the 2.75mm needles after I finish the current pattern repeat. The yarn is from Maggie.

On the right is a pattern I found through Ravelry. It's called Shrimy Cowl and it's designed by Sue Adie. I am not sure if there is an error in the pattern or not but I cast on 132 sts and not 131. I also think that even though the pattern states CB4, CF4, from the picture on her bloc I think she did CF4 and then CB4. I am doing it CB4, CF4 and I still like the way it is knitting up.. The yarn is a DK weight Misti Alpaca and it is so soft. I'm just going to keep knitting until the skein of yarn has just enough to cast off and that's it. I should be able to wear it by Wednesday, I hope.

I Think I Give Up

I am done getting frustrated with Joseph and school work. I can't handle it anymore. From now on I leave Joseph and his school work in Paul's hands. I don't want to know. I want him in a different school next year and Paul says if I do that Joseph will get kicked out of school. Well fine. Then he can deal with it. I'm done. We got his report card. Tonight was parent/teacher night. Paul went. I couldn't deal with it. Joseph's geography teacher said that he got a zero for the first 4 units because the time for him to take his exam expired. Joseph claims he tried to take the exam once but the code he had was the wrong code. He never tried again. I've tried giving him back the X-Box. I know he is trying harder but he refuses any kind of help. For example, he had to memorize 2 stanzas of something for his English class. I offered to test him. He went nuts and said no. I thought maybe he didn't want my help but would let Paul help. Nope. He refused help from Paul as well. He just wants to do everything on his own. Tomorrow is a PA day and target date for unit 6 is Monday. He has 26 out of 40 signatures now. Forget about geography those don't matter anymore. He can't get those units done anymore.

I'm halfway through the evergreen trees on the Magickal Earth shawl. Each round takes so long. I can't wait until I can transfer to 32 inch circulars. Thank goodness for knitting or I would be completely insane by now.