Emptyknitster

The last two weeks have been filled with Grandchildren! The California Dreamin' crew came up two weekends ago and we've been having fun ever since...we tried out the new "swimmin' hole", The Oasis, in the Heights. stopped by the library and borrowed a whopping 50 books (more than half are now  read) and learned to play Ticket To Ride before heading out to North Dakota to meet up with The Tiger and Sadie Lou Who. Hubby decided to go along on this trip and shortly after starting I'm sure he wished he'd stayed home. He recently bought himself a new pickup and we weren't 20 miles down the road before we'd picked this up...   Less than 250 miles on the truck spedometer - the Montana roads are killers! The Pirate and Chloe-A-Little-Bit were great travelers - thanks to the library... and once they saw their cousins it was like they had never been apart! The NorDak cousins immediately began giggling and running through the house showing us eve...

The first of six Christmas sweaters is in the cupboard! I've finished Choe-A-Little-Bit's Vodka Lemonade cardigan and am on to the second sweater. I did make a few modifications, both intentional and unintentional. The pattern calls for a US size 5 but to get gauge I used size 4. Although I’m not sure of the final fit, I loved the decreases and increases at the side for a fitted sweater. I just hope it works for Chloe. I was a sloppy pattern reader and only put one lace repeat on each front side - a design feature I guess! I looks fine to me but doing two on each side would have added a little more interest for me when knitting it! Pattern: Vodka Lemonade Yarn: Jojoland Tonic Colorway: Shaded Spruce Amount: 4 skeins Needle Size: US 4 All in all this is a sweater worth doing again!

When visiting the California Dreamin’ family in May, Chloe-A-Little-Bit was very enamored with my Fiesta Wear Socks. I thought I was being very smart in finding her favorite colors blue, purple, and turquoise in fiesta ware colors. I was to find out later Chloe’s interest in the socks was for the yellow orange color NOT necessarily the socks! Pattern: Lala's "No Pattern" Afterthought Heel Socks Yarn: Dyer Straits Colorway: Needle Size: US 2 Hope she wears these!

For the last week we have been watching a trio of baby robins in their nest. I had noticed a mama robin hard at work building a nest under our deck but didn't think much of it until The Chick and I heard babies chirping a week ago. We followed the sounds.When we got on our hands and knees, we could peek through the crack in our deck and see three the babies just five inches away. All week we have kept close tabs on them. Today I attempted a quick photo....   About a week old and it's hard to believe that they will be on their own in a week!

Many people are knitting socks this year with a call to needles of: "Twelve in 2012". With my new found fondness for knitting socks I thought this to be an admirable endeavor. Even though it is only half way through the year I'd like to present my twelfth pair of socks: Pattern: Lala's No Pattern Socks Yarn: Patons Kroy Socks Ragg Shades Colorway: Blue Brown Mari Amount: 2 skeins  Needle Size: US 2

Next year I will be teaching science to third and fourth graders. I really didn't want to spend the summer thinking about what I will be doing and not producing anything concrete, so I spent the first week of my summer vacation lesson planning for fall. Scientific Method, ecology and worm farms are some of the things happening in the fall. The principal also encouraged me "to just have fun." No more needed to be said! The "geek" glasses and science tees have been ordered, and a lab coat will be on hand by fall. I'm still looking for a pocket protector but think I should be able to find one soon. A real favorite of mine arrived yesterday:  "Morti" McMasters My 7th grade math teacher Thanks to DeeAnn, our primary secretary, for the great idea! Morti will be our class mascot - taking tests for the students, giving out rewards (candy in his cranium) and keeping an eye on the kiddos. The grandkiddos aren't to sure of Morti. The Pirate ...

Continuing the family competition called  The First Fawn Sighting , this morning Hubby and I were plotting out our day when I spotted the first fawn of the season out our living room window! Hubby immediately said it wasn't a "confirmed" siting. The Number One Rule is: Until there is a photo the siting is labeled unconfirmed. SO..... June 12, 1202 6:45 am Score! Checking the previous fawn sitings over the last four years this is the earliest yet.  The closest only four days later, June 16, 2010.