Snow Day Highlights

Drank coffee with my husband at Starbucks.

Finished knitting my monster scarf.

Finished watching Bones season 4.

Finalized some grades.

Played Skipbo.

Shift in Interest

I feel a shift coming on. My reading has slowed and I think crafts are coming in the near future. I still have my 75 book goal this year, but since I am at about 55 books read, I am sure I can reach my goal by the new year.

I have two baby gifts to make and some other experimental projects coming up.

What are your favorite crafts and what projects are you working on?

Updates in Daba Town

I have been busy lately. When I stopped being as busy I took a break to rejuvenate. So I haven't been commenting on blogs (though I have been reading most of them) and I haven't been posting much other than Quotes from Class.

Here are some things you've missed because I didn't post about them:

Big Things:

• I passed my thesis oral defense (big sigh of relief).
• I turned in the 2nd to last draft of my thesis (bigger sigh of relief).
• My little brother passed his GED test.
• My big brother took care of all his license issues with the state of New Jersey.
• Two nieces/nephews on the way- one due Aug 1, one due Nov 24.

Medium Things:

• I bought my cap, gown, tassel, and hood for graduation.
• David signed up for summer school.
• Lee J (nephew) crawls like a mad man, makes the "d" sound, and stands for long periods of time without falling.
• I have been eating healthy foods and feeling good about it.
• Played catch and hit some softballs with my dad. He says I "still got it."
• Made a baby blanket (star shape through crochet) and I'm almost done making another one (patchwork of knit squares).
• I learned how to make some new things like baby hats.

Small Things:

• Tulips from our roommate to celebrate the thesis accomplishments.
• David found 12 long gray hairs in a section on the back of my head.
• Less than one month of being a student (for awhile).
• Our dryer broke.
• I still want a dog but it might have to wait another year.
• I want a new lens for my camera because I want to get back into photography this summer.
• Haven't read a book in almost a month (no time and using it as motivation to lose weight).

Spinning and Knitting

Over the break I went to my friend Ashley's house in Lincoln City, OR. She runs her own Fiber Arts store from her home. She buys wool, dyes it, and sells it. Sometimes she spins it but she says most people who buy from her want to spin their own yarn. She is teaching classes in Lincoln City on how to recycle yarn from sweaters, beginners knitting, beginners crocheting, and how to spin roving using a drop spindle.
We had a lot of fun this week. She practiced some of her lessons on me. Here are some pictures of what I learned.

This is what dyed roving looks like before it is spun. I picked one dyed periwinkle and violet.

Ashley also made the drop spindle I used. She is going to sell them. Mine has two leaves on the top and the word "grow."














Almost done with the scarf while in Lincoln City.














I spun the yarn extra hard to put the extra kinks into it.














 This is the finished scarf project with beaded ends.

She also taught me how to knit baby hats.

I loathe... (part 5)

I loathe the word "chagrin."
I loathe having unfinished craft projects with no time to work on them.
I loathe Family Guy.

Welcome to the World!

I am happy to announce my friend "C" and his wife "B" had their first baby: Lydia Charlotte! She was early (due on Halloween) but I know her parents were as sick of waiting as she was. She is such a blessed girl already! She has such wonderful people as parents (and an awesome "aunt Bailey").

I was waiting for her arrival to post pictures of the present I painted for her. I got the idea from a friend who likes to wood-burn and paint wooden items for people. She's made me a beautiful candle holder and that wonderful Math Wheel (see other post). B decorated Lydia's nursery in all things Dr. Seuss. They have blankets and sheets, they painted scenes to hang on the walls, etc. I thought that I could make a stool for the nursery that had a The Cat in the Hat theme with the hat's stripes on the legs. I love the way it turned out and I plan to make more of different themes for presents in the future. C and B said they love it. I hope Lydia loves it (eventually), too.

I really wish I could go meet her. Thousands of miles is very expensive! I hope to meet her before she turns one and I plan on seeing tons of photos!

Math Trig Wheel / Lazy Susan

Ashley was doing some of her many arts and crafts this summer while I was visiting her in Lincoln City, OR. She wood-burned and painted a Lazy Susan for her husband's relative and had an extra one. I told her that I always wanted a wheel that converts radians and degrees but that I wanted it color coordinated for when I teach trigonometry someday (color coordination makes it easy to memorize). Well we both got brainstorming and I listed exactly what to put where, which colors for the degrees/radians parts, and a bunch of other trig-related concepts like special triangles and "SOH CAH TOA." Right away Ashley jumped on my suggestions and came up with this masterful wheel that has an application problem, three major concepts, and the conversion wheel all in one. It is beautiful and functional! I cannot wait until I get to use this wheel in the classroom! Thanks Ashley!