When Work Interferes With Knitting

I haven't knitted in over 2 weeks. I was working on a baby sweater and the baby was born on Tuesday. After texting congratulations to the new grandmother I added, "Gotta finish his gift" to which she thanked me for. Started socks for Ben. Barely made it past the ribbing. Feeling slightly guilty. But work interfered with my knitting. Someone once told me that he made himself knit for at least 30 minutes a day, like exercise. I think my health care professionals would prefer me to exercise for 30 minutes a day and I'm not talking about my hands. So how do I stop work from interfering with my knitting and overall creativity? Maybe I should schedule 30 minutes a day. Wait. Am I talking about knitting or exercising? Let me set my priorities straight.

I desperately need to exercise. I've been told my my doctor that I should and a cardiologist about 4 years ago. No, I don't have a heart problem but she recommended that I should start doing this. Maybe I should schedule 30 minutes a day for exercising, like walking and then knitting later as a reward for exercising?

Oh about work? I should really try to do as much as possible there, not at home.

I'll let you know how it goes.

My Second Career

I have been working for over 30 years. I am beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. "Walk into the light, Carol Ann." I do want to walk into that light and I have been thinking,"What will I do then?" For some reason, unbeknownst to me, I feel the need to start looking for a new career. Ideally I would like to do something part time that would generate some decent bucks. It's all about the Benjamins, right? Since I have a BS in Biology, I am naturally drawn to science-y stuff. I also wanted to work in a hospital setting. Don't know why. Maybe I am a frustrated doctor but I would really like to try that. So I got it in my head that I would work in a laboratory doing whatever. I thought it would be a nice change from being in front of a classroom constantly talking. There wouldn't be any work to take home. It would all be left there. However, I was clueless. I had no idea how people became lab techs. I thought you just apply and the place trains you. That's a big N-O! After doing my initial research, I found out that I would haveto get another BS in Clinical Lab Specialist. Ok...still not so bad. I was a biology major (x amount of years ago) and not all of my courses are obsolete, are they? I was asked to send in an unofficial transcript to one college and they will determine what I would need to take to enter their program (other than the fat tuition). I called another place where I could do distance learning and then I could intern in my area since they are located in Brooklyn. However, I would be unable to sit for the qualifying certification exam since my BS was not in the right area. OK, scratch that. Then I looked up how to be a phlebotomist. I imagined myself sticking someone with a needle. I think I could do that. Blood doesn't bother me. I think the sticking part will bother me more but I could get over it. So I made some calls about that. I'm interested in a summer program so I have to call again in March for the summer schedule. I'm just glad I'm thinking about it and actually doing something about it. My next step is to contact my local hospital and see what advice they can give me. The worst thing they can say is NO!

My other second career is creating beautiful things from knitting. However, it's not the most lucrative thing I can do and it's not generating a decent amount of income but I'm still not discouraged. I just listed 3 new pairs of handknitted earrings and got 17 views in less than 3 hours. It really made me feel good. One pair was favorited by a person who I found out later sold beads. I guess she's hoping I become a customer of hers! She lives in the Czech Republic. I don't think so. The fact that people look at my stuff makes me want to create more. I know my designs are offbeat but that's what makes them mine. They are different. Who wants to wear the same thing that everyone else is wearing? Okay. Sometimes I want to wear what everyone else is wearing but not all the time. So if you are reading this, please take a look at my etsy shop. The link is right over there...to the right. Let me know what you think. This hipknitta wants to keep busy.

Mojo MIssing

I've lost my mojo. I don't want to use the words "burnt out" but my creative juices aren't flowing. I feel bad neglecting my blog. I feel bad about not enjoying my knitting right now but that be due to the project I am working on or just my mood. My mojo is waning. Maybe it's this winter. I am so sick of snow. We had another foot yesterday. Where the hell do I live? Definitely not in the mountains! We have colder temperatures and probably more snow than Sochi. I have lost 4 days of work due to the weather. I don't like to do that. I am actually feeling guilty about missing today. Not much I can do. The snow plows have undid all of the hard work I did yesterday. I walked over to my car today after shoveling the driveway AGAIN. When I saw the snow pushed up to my front bumper, I just said, "What the fuck!" I called in my absence.

So how do I get my creative juices running again? First, I have been spending a lot of time of Ravelry looking at patterns. That has been helped a lot. It even has me thinking of writing my own pattern for something and posting it. Then I started to think about all of the things I want to knit after I finish something I am obligated to knit. This includes my Samba Shawlette, socks for Ben, a slouchy hat for me, my mother's shawl and a new afghan. I'm not loving my present project which is a gift for someone so I can't write the details. When it is finished, I will post it on Ravelry.

Actually, writing about my mojo has been pretty helpful. Cathartic. I missed writing. Sorry for letting my followers down. See you all soon.

Did I Really Fail?

Okay...it's been way to long since I last posted but my work life interfered with my real life. Let me put it this way: It was the worst year of teaching that I have ever had in my long career. On the last day of school, I happily skipped out of that place, laid low for a week and realized that I am drinking a lot less caffeine than ever before. I have one cup of tea in the morning and that is it! I use to have 3-4 cups each day. I also gave up artificial sweeteners. No, this hipknitta is not pregnant. I saw some interesting facts that led me to give them up. I am good. And yes, I am still continuing my weight loss journey. Nine pounds and I lost 6 of them after I gave up the sweeteners!

Let's continue the thread about knitting and weight loss. When I knit, I don't eat. I do drink lots of water and yes, you have to put those needles down to get rid of the water but I have noticed that keeping my hands busy makes a difference. I also try to snack on fruits and veggies. I no longer have chips and pretzels in the house so if you think about it, a bag of chips that are not on sale can be around $3.49. I can take that money and buy a skein of yarn at a craft store or at KnitPicks. Which lasts longer? Chips or yarn? You get it? It's just adjusting the mental process. Also, another thing I learned is not to let yourself get super hungry! Eat every 3-4 hours. Snacks, meals...it works.

My big downfall is not exercising. It's been incredibly hot where I live and my goal is to start walking (without the dog because he hampers my progress with all that sniffing and marking his territory). My goal was to reach 10 pounds by the time my son's visiting day at camp arrives and I think it's going to happen. I can't believe I did it. I have a tendency to give up. Hopefully, I'll hit it this week. I try to do some dancing in the house when I am by myself just to get the heart pumping. Overall, I'm pleased with my results. Remember, listening to music and knitting puts you in the best of moods. One other thing I discovered was listening to books on these little players I got from the library. I'm presently listening to a book about getting rid of stress to open up one's creative side more.

Speaking of being creative, I participated in a flea market today. This is where the title came from. I did not sell one thing except some clay things my kids made years ago to 2 little girls. I had beaded jewelry, handknitted jewelry, baby sweaters and those damn ruffle scarves that everyone and their mother told me that their friends made them one. Did I mention that it was brutally hot? I believe that the weather was a detriment to people coming out. I wish I stayed home in the cool confines of my humble abode. My husband hung with me for a while and told me that I should be proud of my stuff and "Look, honey, no one else is selling anything either because no one is here!" I still wanted to sell things. I wanted to walk away with less items and more cash in my pocket. I wanted to send my things home with other people so they can enjoy it. I did get lots of compliments on my work which I truly appreciated. It's hard to be objective. The jewelry glistened in the hot July sun. But seriously, who wanted to look at scarves and baby sweaters in this weather? I didn't even want to touch them after awhile.

So did I fail? Selling? Yes! Gaining experience? No! I realized I have a large inventory and I am going to pursue craft fairs in the fall. After drinking a caffeinated ice coffee and getting that caffeine high, I wrote down a list of changes to make and am pretty psyched about it. So this hipknitta will get her shrinking ass in gear and start making changes.

Here's a list of some great music to listen to while knitting:
Rolling Stones (I am a big fan and when I listen to them while knitting, I just hear new things in their old songs. Read Keith's bio!)
Jazz-we lost our jazz station on the radio so I listen to CD's or find something online.
Beatles-fun to sing along and knit to...
Classical music-for some reason I like listening to this on a Sunday morning with a cup of tea by my side.

Hope this helps.

No Memory

Last week I wrote a whole blog about how I'm going to use my knitting to help me lose weight. Well, how did I do? It's like I never even wrote the blog! I completely forgot to knit my half an hour a day to prevent me from doing my after work munch out. In fact, I did very little knitting! Why? Because I didn't make it a priority which in turn means that I didn't make myself a priority! My job has become very stressful. When I get stressed out, what do I like to do? Eating is high on the list of activities. My second choice would be to sleep. There's nothing like lying down, closing one's eyes and just drift off. When one wakes up, it's as if my brain got reorganized and I can cope a lot better. (Sleep deprivation probably adds to my stress because this hipknitta does not get enough sleep. This is something I definitely have to work on!) While at work, I was talking to a woman who I know exercises. She told me that exercising is her release especially when she is stressed. She plans her whole day around going to the gym. That concept sounds great but it is so foreign to me. How many times have I canceled plans for myself to do something for one of my boys or my husband? Yes, I am a total stereotype of putting everyone's needs ahead of my own. I have to become more conscious about it and make me the main priority. Happy mom...happy family.

Getting back to knitting...when I am knitting it's as if I am getting a rush of endorphins through my brain. My mind starts to wonder and conjure up these interesting thoughts and images. I truly get lost in my own world. I know this is something runners get when they are working out. I wish I could run and knit. My doctor would love to see that! I don't eat when I knit. I do drink tea, water or seltzer but I do not eat. See? If I come home from a stressful day, ideally I should make myself a cup of green tea and knit for a half hour. I have done this twice. It works. I also noticed that when I am involved in cooking a meal, I don't eat while I am cooking. It works. But since this blog is about knitting, if you could sit and knit for a half hour after work, do it. It will be good for your mind, good for your weight and it will deplete your stash so you can buy more yarn!

Now how about some music? I am a big fan of live radio. I have satellite radio in my car but not in my house. That's okay. I like hearing a live DJ between the songs. When I'm in a radio mood, I listen to a rock station that plays a lot of new music. First by knitting, I find myself knitting along with the beat of the music. The faster the music, the faster I knit. Also, when a new song comes on, I actually sit and listen to it. If I was in my car, I would switch stations until the song was over. I like to think that I'm helping the music industry this way. Now it's not all rock for this hipknitta. I also love jazz and classical. Since we don't have a jazz station in this area anymore, I pop in 5 CD's and just groove my way through my project. It really sets up a nice atmosphere. I get lost in the music and in my knitting. I'll try to list some individual songs when I remember them. Go back to the title of this post: No Memory.

Next post: Guess who went back to Weight Watchers...

The hipknitta wants to lose her hips

You read it right. The hipknitta wants to lose her hips and some of her stomach. She will not be losing her hipness but if she loses some of her hips, her knitting will definitely get much hipper. The hipknitta had a very humbling moment in front of a tri-fold mirror while trying on clothes. First, the clothes I picked out in my size, XL, looked so big. They weren't. They fit me with very little room to spare. They didn't look great. I could see it from all sides...left, right and the back. My rear was never big but I did not like my profile. It was a good thing that it was in the middle of the day and no one else was in the fitting room. They would have heard a loud gasp. I could have cried but I didn't. It's reality. I really wasn't surprised. I was actually avoiding it and now there was no escaping the It will be set for 10 pounds at a time.

I'm not new to losing weight. Hell, I worked for a weight loss company. I was a Weight Watcher leader for quite a while. The only way one can be a leader is by losing weight on the program and hitting your goal weight. I did it. I trained and did lots of meetings. It was my third job at the time. When I got married, I quit. I didn't gain weight until after I had my second son. To maek a long story short, the weight kept creeping up and sometimes went down. I could never get it to where it was before I had Elijah. The main goal I want now is to walk into my internist's office for my annual physical and NOT have him have the "you-should-go-on-a-low-fat-diet-Robin". I always feel like I'm letting him down. I'm letting me down. After I leave his office, I vow to come back leaner and meaner. Well, not meaner but you know what I mean! I just got the reminder to make the appointment for this year and it hit me. I have to get some of this unhealthy weight off.

How will knitting help me? Most of the day I can stay on program. Yes, I'm using Weight Watchers again but I'm not going to the meetings. (Long story, not important now. Later.)I may actually do it online but right now, I need to get through one day. Back to the knitting...When I get home from work, it's as if someone unleashed a feeding machine in me and I go crazy. I start to pick around the house...chips, cheese, anything carbohydrate-ish, no fruits or veggies. Also, I realized that I'm not really that hungry. I really regret when I do this to myself. Why can't I just have a cup of green day and sit and relax for a while. How about knitting while sipping that green tea? Gee, Robin. What a concept!

Years ago, there was a yarn shop that wasn't my favorite but it was close and good for some items. The owner, also not the nicest man on the planet, once told me that he forces himself to knit at least a half hour each day. It's his therapy. I agreed with him and tried to do it, too. Lately, my life has become so busy that I can go for days and days without knitting. What if I knitted when I came home from work? Ideally, it would be good to do some exercise but right now, I want to change my routine and instead of eating, I will knit along with a cup of tea, of course!

This will be the beginning of me regaining some control of my life and my eating. Later I will post some music I enjoy knitting to, some projects that can be done quickly for some satisfying knitting and of course, some easy recipes that will help me stick to my program.

So wish me luck. Dr. Rizzi...hopefully the next time you see me, you'll say, "Keep up the good work!"

Stitchin' & Bitchin'

This has been a very prolific weekend of knitting. I finished "198 Yds. of Heaven" yesterday and started and finished "Holes to Make Lace". I'm into little lacy projects, I guess. I'll post the pictures as soon as I block these 2 garments. I feel very energized from my knitting. Don't know why because I've been feeling so tired these past few weeks while recovering from a disgusting cold. It's been going around because I've been hearing others complain about the same stuff I was complaining but I'm feeling a lot better now.

DH just told me a very disturbing story. He was at a warehouse store and while walking in he saw a woman who looked familiar to him. He looked at her and walked away. Her husband grabbed his arm from behind and asked what was he looking at. This man was ready to start a fight. DH diffused the situation but it made me think...did this man not learn how to behave in public? What grade was he in to act that way? It reminded me of how my students behave. It's so sad to hear that an adult acted that way. I'm just glad that nothing violent happened but it makes me worried. I was always taught to be nice. Remember that from kindergarten? Be nice. Share. Smile. Laugh. Enjoy life. Don't look for fights. Just had to vent.

It All Works Out in the End...

At my ripe old age, which isn't that old and I don't smell at all ripe, I finally figured out that everything works out in the end. The road to that goal may not be the smoothest but I finally realized that we do reach that goal. I would love to take that easy path to the goal but you know what happens with the best laid plans. So from this epiphany, I realized that it's not worth stressing over the littlest details, I should pick my battles carefully and just chill out. I just needed to say this out loud. There. I said it. Now a picture...I love daisies.

Perceptions

Perceptions, point of view...it's all where you are in your life. The glass half full or half empty. You know what I mean. I just needed to write about the difference between a retired teacher and an actively working teacher.

My newly retired friend and colleague, Toni, retired this past June. This was the last year I would see her in the building. We lucked out and had lunch the same time so we had a daily dose of each other. We bitched and moaned, celebrated each time Ben was accepted into a college, shared concerns about health issues with ourselves and loved ones and enjoyed a cup of tea to make us more "civilized" for the afternoon. I listened while she talked about the paperwork, anniversary dates and tying up loose ends so that she can leave like the consummate professional she has always been. I tried many times to put myself in her shoes but it was too hard. As the last days of the school year approached, I teared up a few times knowing that I will not have my friend in the building with me when I return in September. Here's the where the word perception comes to play: While we were sitting in her beautiful home, I asked her how she felt when July 4th came and went. This is her answer: "In the past, I would freak when Independence Day was over because that meant my summer is slipping away and I would have to be at work in September. Now that I'm retired, no anxiety. Everyday is a vacation day!" Can I call my good friend a bitch? Yes but it's sour grapes on my part. I'm already panicking about how much I need to do before September rolls around and it's the 3rd week of July!

On the very, very bright side, my friend Toni did the smartest thing one could do. She bought a condo in Northampton, Massachusetts. Her gorgeous place is literally a 3 minute ride from WEBS, the best yarn store in the world (as of this moment because there could be others I don't know about!) Once a year, on my son's camp's visiting day weekend, I pay my respects to WEBS and then head over to Toni's to say hi. It happened again last weekend. Neal and I drove up to WEBS. I ran through the back looking for sock yarn for Ben but I was stopped in my tracks by the lack of sock yarn. In the past I had my choice of all different manufacturers and colors. This year the pickins' were quite slim. What happened? I think the May anniversary sale happened! Good for WEBS! Good for the economy! Bad for me! Don't cry for me, fellow knitter. I walked out with yarn to make 3 pairs of socks. I have my shiny white and blue bag emblazoned with the WEBS logo. It will go into my closet (or as my mother likes to call it, my warehouse!) Am I down on WEBS? No way. I love that store. I can walk around and get lost for hours thinking what I could make with this yarn or that yarn. Toni chose a good spot to retire in. It's not that far and I can make a Toni/WEBS run when I really need to.

So I would like to congratulate my friend Toni on her retirement. May it be a very happy, healthy and long one. Congratulations on a fine career and for picking a great place to live. See you soon!

Amazed and Proud

My son Ben had his freshmen orientation a few days ago. He has chosen a state college about 6 hours away from our home. I knew nothing about this college especially when I went to school many, many years ago. I went to a state university that is the best in the system now. It was pretty good when I went there but now it has an amazing reputation. Ben's school was just a blip on the map when I was applying to colleges. Now, it is the best one in the system. It's harder to get into his school than in the one I attended. It is also much smaller. There are over 5000 students in his. My alma mater has over 14,000. He picked the right one for him.

Since this was my first time seeing the school (Neal was the one who took him since I had to work), I was excited and a bit apprehensive. I've seen pictures on the web but what will it look like in real life? Would it be too small? Where the hell was it anyway? I've never been this far west in our state. How will I get through this 6 hour car ride?

I packed so many knitting projects. I figured I wouldn't be driving and it would be a great time to catch up on all of the projects I started. I packed up my Brooklyn Hipster scarf which is being knitted with Royal Llama Silk that I got from Webs last year.

Then I took my infamous unfinished Catkin. I stopped a few months ago because I couldn't concentrate on the pattern. I was hoping to pick that one up to really get over that proverbial knitting hump.

I also brought the table runner I was knitting with yarn I got from Rhinebeck 2 years ago. This yarn was suppose to be a scarf but seriously, you could rub the calluses off of your feet with this stuff. It is too rough and scratch. Hey, at least I'm using up stash yarn, right?

Finally, I brought cotton yarn and my size 13 needles to make a market bag. It's fast and easy and satisfying. I ended up making one on the ride up and starting one during a lecture. I can only doodle so much during these meetings. I finished it on the way home. You can find the pattern here


Monday and Tuesday were so busy. We attended seminar separate from the students. Neal and I were constantly checking our schedule to see where and when we had to be somewhere. It was amazing. I enjoyed every single minute. The campus is absolutely gorgeous. The views are breathtaking. One big thing to do is to watch the sunset from the gazebo on campus. The sunset is beautiful no matter where you are. The campus has ivy-covered buildings. You think you are in a private New England college. That's how picturesque the campus is. Finally, the people. We met the nicest people there-professors, deans, orientation advisors and the parents. Oh my God. Neal and I met the loveliest people. Granted we all are going through the same emotions and feelings but how nice everyone was. There was a great feeling of belonging to a wonderful club of some sorts. I came away from those busy days knowing that Ben made the right choice. I am so proud of him and if he ever reads his mom's blog, I want to say to you Ben: I am very, very proud of you!

Back to the knitting: I never touched the Catkin. I made 2 market bags. I knitted 8 rows of the table runner. I knitted 20" of the 25" of the scarf. Then I realized that it's not reversible. What did I do wrong? I'll tell you. I somehow decided that Reverse Stockinette stitch was the Garter stitch. So I frogged that sucker and started all over again. I wasn't even the least bit disturbed. It's only 29 stitches and it works up quickly.

In about 6 weeks, we will be making the trip to drop Ben off. Besides focusing on what we need to take for him and how I'm not going to cry until I get in the car and drive off, I'm starting to think about what knitting projects I'll be bringing with me. Hey, priorities, right?

The Laundromat

It's been a rough senior year for me. My son graduated high school but it wasn't smooth sailing. We had the girlfriend, stupid decisions, missing schoolwork more than once and then "I am 18 now so I am an adult" attitude. I tried very hard not to laugh when he said this. But the kid graduated with an advanced diploma, picked up a ton of AP credit along the way, endeared himself the his principal and the entire school and we all breathed a sigh of relief, for a while. The girlfriend is still in his life and I would be a wonderful patient if Sigmund Freud was still around. It's really the stupid decisions he has been making that were getting to me.

This past weekend, the girlfriend was here. Ben had a few graduation parties to go to and instead of going with the girlfriend (who didn't go to his high school), he went by himself to drop off gifts and came back. Then there was the one we were invited to as well as Ben. We went ahead and told the girlfriend, "See you at the party!" Ben showed up by himself. "Where's Molly?" I asked. I told him to go get her. Really! What's up with that? He went home (a 5 minute trip) and called me to tell me that I made her feel uncomfortable. I don't know how but he told me that she had to go home and was late. Fine. The party was for his friend, not him or his girlfriend. Neal and I had a wonderful time and Ben went into the city to his girlfriend's house. He stayed there until this morning.

I was a bit apprehensive about how we were going to relate to each other. I was mad. He was mad. I feel that we need to have some family time together. This is the summer where he is the only child in the house. Elijah is at camp. I told him that we were going to go to the laundromat and do his wash. This child, who I sometimes think came from a family of pigs, hadn't done his laundry in ages. We had 4 giant bags as well as 2 hampers full. We took the bags to the laundromat so that we could do them all at once

and filled 5 triple loaders and one double loader. Then we sat and chatted like old times. After we were done, I took him out for a bite to eat. Maybe the laundromat was the place we needed to relieve the tension and anger that was building up between us? The tension of his upcoming departure to college (it makes me happy and sad at the same time) and the anger that he listens to the girlfriend more than to us, his parents. (normal yet frustrating). The laundromat "washed" our bad feelings away. We're starting anew. Fresh. Clean. Wrinkle-free. It was a good day at the laundromat.

It's April Already?

Where have I been? Time had just flown and I have neglected my poor blog. Obviously I don't have a big following because no one has complained. Maybe that will change.

The big events in the house are that Ben will be attending college in the fall. We are very proud that he got into every college and into 4 honors programs. But like everything else going on in the world today, the economy was the deciding factor of his choice. The scholarship money he received just wasn't enough to make some of these universities affordable. We live in a state where the state university system is incredible. He got accepted to the two top colleges and finally decided on the smaller one. I think wherever he went he would do fine. He's that type of person: friendly, flexible, loves to learn. However, he has been doing some naughty things so if he doesn't change that behavior, the local community college may be the start of his college career.

But let's not talk about things that totally stress me out. Let's talk about KNITTING! I had a knitting mojo issue last month. I just lost the desire to pick up the needles and knit. I don't know why but I was so happy when it finally passed (like a kidney stone?). I just started to knit small things like baby hats and booties for the man who cuts my hair. He just had twin grandchildren (boy and girl). It was a big effort for me to get those little items done. Then I started to knit jewelry. The results were great. I "test-drove" the pieces and the comments were very positive. Now I'm knitting socks for Neal. I have all this sock yarn that I bought from WEBS. It's time to start using up that stash. I also have the Catkin shawl started but I had to put it down. I just wasn't concentrating enough to get through the pattern. I will pick it up when I feel it's the right time. (I know you knitters understand this!)

My knitting group is still going strong. What an great bunch of people! We really enjoy each other's company and are very supportive of each other for knitting and nonknitting issues. Love my bitches!

So keep on knitting!

Hello Everyone

Happy Belated New Year! I still haven't sent out our holiday picture greeting cards that wish everyone Peace and Happiness in the new year. This hipknitta has been very busy. I have said it before and I will say it again: My job gets in the way of my life. Work has been taking up the majority of my time. You can tell by the way my house looks. Did you know that tornadoes come up to Yorktown Heights? Did you know they only come into my house? Some weather phenomenom, huh?

Then my knitting has fallen by the wayside. Again I have to blame it on work. Those damn lesson plans! I want my students to really understand the material. I have be come a power point addict. I need to add pictures to explain the concepts. remember when we were in school and the only pictures of ameba or paramecium were illustrations. Well, now you can get the real thing on line! I guess I'm trying to impress myself! BTW, I just got observed by the interim acting principal on last day of classes. Thank you to my 3rd period class for doing a great job! However, I still haven't had my post-observation conference with him. I guess if I did poorly, he would have wanted to see me right away, right?

Back to the knitting: that's the reason why I started this blog, right? Tonight I finished a gorgeous baby blanket that will be on etsy by tomorrow. It's in a gorgeous aqua color with a baby cable. I had the hardest time getting that last skein of yarn. I wasted a month going back and forth to AC Moore only to hear,"Come back next week." I did and was disappointed each time. Evidently they have an automated restocking program that doesn't pay attention to what the customer wants. So I found it through a mail order company and received it a week later. Yeah!

Our Northern Westchester Stitch 'N Bitch is still going strong. Our gatherings have been a bit smaller than usual but you know what? I love when we are a small group. We can hear the conversation and talk to each other on the same topic. We really are a great bunch of knitters with such diverse backgrounds. I decided that we all have our quirks but they work well together. What an amazing group of knitters.

2012 has a lot going on: Presidential Election, 2 graduations in our family, Shadow's 4th birthday...you know, those really important things. I'll try to keep posting.

A Haiku for Me!

I work with an interesting bunch of people. I guess we can all say that, right? Sometimes the word interesting could be interpreted different ways. I work with an English teacher named Phil. Phil's very smart. He went to amazing schools. He's a lawyer but he's teaching English. He also is an insane Red Sox fan so of course he is subjected to lots of verbal sparring with the Yankee fans in the building. (The school is in the Bronx, need I say more?)Phil also writes a Red Sox haiku each day. He has amassed over 1000 of them. I told him to get them made into one of those Haiku-a-day calendar for Red Sox fans. You know how us knitters have those type of calendars? Phil has joked around with me and has asked me to make him an Irish Fisherman's sweater for years. Unfortunately, I can't. One reason is that it takes too much time and the second is that I can't find a pattern that will fit him. Phil is a large man who is finally going to take care of his health. He has been absent for a long time due to an infection in his leg and is now on bed rest. We say hi to each other via Facebook. I wrote to say how I'm getting very discouraged with my students and the state of education in my school. Phil came back with this great haiku just for me:

Robin knits away,
Problems fade into nothing:
But where's my sweater?

I love it!

Get bettter real soon, Phil! I'm sorry but this hipknitta is a Yankees fan.

And You and I...A Thank You To My First Boyfriend

This month my dear, funny, loving husband and I will be married 20 years. My longest relationship evah! But lately, I've been thinking of the person who started me off on a long and sometimes rocky road of romance. My first boyfriend. The reason why I was brought back to my 16 year old self (and he was 17) is because my 17 year old son is now dating. He is dating a sweet girl from the city. He is realizing the monetary cost of this first love when he goes into the city to visit her. Parking at the train station, the train ticket, going out for something to eat or some coffee. It adds up and he doesn't have a job. (Yes, we are supplementing the romance!) I told him that it is perfectly acceptable for his girlfriend to pay half since she is in the same financial situation. As I said this, I had a flashback to my first boyfriend.

He was from Queens and I lived in the Bronx. He drove a van and crossed that bridge twice every time he came to see me. Gas was much cheaper way back then but for a high school student who didn't have a part-time job, it cost money. I never thought of paying him for gas. I can't even remember if I picked up my half of the cost of our dates. This bothered me so much, so many years later, that I need to say, "Thank you, Bob!" You were a great first love. Our relationship probably helped make me the person I am now: in a loving, successful marriage. Thank you for going the distance, literally, to see me. I can only hope that you have good memories of me.

As for the song, "And You and I" by Yes, I heard it this evening. It brought tears to my eyes because it is so beautiful and sent me back to my high school years. We use to listen to Yes. It was the '70's. They were great. Neal sat in listened with me and was moved by the music as well. Life was great then. It's great now.

Ten Years After

It's been 10 years since our nation was attacked. Everyone asks, "Do you remember where you were when you heard the news?" I do. I was at work in room 225. I wasn't teaching. I was working on paperwork in the office. One of the women, Marie, just got off the phone from her son who was near the World Trade Center. She said he saw a plane hit the building. I looked at her and said, "No way! He's playing an April Fool's joke on you!" I don't know why I said that. I had to look at the calendar to make sure what day it was because that news was so unbelievable. Up in the library, the librarians set up a TV in one of the back rooms. I made it up there after teaching a resource room class. I couldn't believe what I saw. It was so unreal. Staff members were sitting around the screen crying. I had to leave to go back to teach. At this point, the principal made an announcement about what was going on. I entered my classroom and right away one of my girls told me that her mother worked in Manhattan. I asked where and she said she didn't know. (This wasn't unusual that the kids didn't know where the parents worked especially if it was a new job). I allowed her to call a relative. The next thing I heard was the principal start to announce names of children to come down to the office. I later found out that parents starting to swarm into the building to pick up their children. When I had a free period, I went down to the lobby and saw mostly mothers begging for their children to be released from class. I can still see these women crying and yelling at the security guards.

My friend Ellen called me to tell me that she was picking up Alexandra and my Elijah from daycare. Our older ones, Ben and Matthew were being dismissed early from their schools. I wasn't allowed to leave until my day was over which was around 2:15.

When I left the school, the first thing I noticed was the silence. There weren't any planes in the sky except from the military and that was weird. It jolted me to the realization that this was event was really bad. Manhattan was closed off so as I traveled north on my parkways, I noticed that the only traffic going south were military vehicles. There weren't any civilian cars. I remember my heart racing seeing this. I knew our lives were changing forever.

We all made it home safe and sound. Ben understood the magnitude of what had happened. Elijah knew that some buildings fell down and that a lot of people were hurt and killed. Neal and I understood that as long as we are together, we are safe. How can we explain to our children that there are people in the world who hate what our country represents?

The next day I went to work and out of the window of my 4th floor classroom, there were the thick, black plumes of smoke from the World Trade Center. Only one student showed up for the class and we looked out the window and talked about what had happened. My asshole of a principal walked by and yelled at me to get away from that window. I just looked at him and refused. (My school is in the North Bronx and we were far away from the tip of Manhattan). I'll never forget that moment because of how angry this so-called educator made me feel.

Ten years later...I still work in the same building. Elijah totally understands what has happened. Ben has become more worldly and has a hard time realizing that people can hate you for what you represent, not for who you are. We just watched the memorial service of the names being read and I shed quite a few tears which surprised me. I thought I was over it. I now realize that I'll never be over it and it's okay to grieve for the lives lost that day. I hope the families know that we share their loss and even though we are strangers, we are united as humans.

Peace.

I'm Not Going To Whine

Labor Day weekend isn't my favorite weekend. I'm been off all summer and it is the signal that I have to go back to work. I'm not whining! I'm grateful that I have a job that allows me this time off to recharge my batteries but it's a downer. But I'm not going to whine.

I knitted my ass off this summer making up for lost time. My job sucked the knitting out of me. I plan on making knitting dates with myself (and exercise dates, no really! I swear!)I have to work my butt off again but I'm not whining!

I seem to be having difficulties with some relationships in my life. I'm becoming more bitchy? I guess that filter in my brain has broken. I need to work on that or become a loner, alone with my knitting. I don't think it's only me. If I have treaded on toes or seemed abrupt, then I apologize. Don't make me 100% responsible for your misery. I'm not whining! I'm yelling!

There's always room for improvement, right? I'm so not going to whine about it. I'm going to have wine!

A New Knitter Was Born Today

The telephone rings. It's my son's friend's mother.
"Can I ask you a favor?" she asked.
"Sure!" I said. I figured it was about my son taking care of her son's pets because they're going away or a school-related question because they're on the same team at school.
"Cathy is trying to teach herself to knit and is having a problem. Can she see you?"
"Of course! Tell her to come on down!" (We live down the hill from them. Cathy is the older sister)

Cathy walks in. She found a book of dog patterns and had these knitting needles with little dogs at the ends of them. It was a set.

She showed me how she cast on a lot of stitches using a method she found on the internet. Kudos to her for doing that but they were so bunched up. She thought that the knitting would only be as long as the needles. I ripped out those stitches and showed her the long tail cast on. I made her cast on 20 stitches just to practice and she got it right away. She then proceeded to knit and like a beginner she was a bit tight but she got it! She was so proud of herself! A new knitter was born in my kitchen!

The Dog Pooped Out On Me!

In my effort to move more, I've been trying to walk 30 minutes a day and what better way to do it then with my sweet dog Shadow P. Freiman! (The P is for Poodle!) I missed Thursday but jumped at the chance to walk again on Friday. I take the pups out so he can do his business and then grabbed the leash in such a way that he would know it's time for my business. As we walked passed our house, Shadow sat down in the road and looked toward the door. He wanted to go home. I took him in the house and told my family, "See you later!" I did the walk by myself and talked on the phone. It was great! I am very proud of myself.

Now back to our regularly scheduled show!

My Day Was Going Well Until...

I had a nice day. The evening didn't go as well. Both of my boys are now home. Okay, I don't mind doing the laundry. It's one of those things that has a beginning and an end. It gets done. I visited one of my mother's friends to get some boxes from her that my mother sent in her car. They had her old china which goes well with my china, baseball cards and figurines for my younger son and some great t-shirts she bought for me. That's a good thing, right? Then Elijah and I donated the games that made up the centerpieces from his bar mitzvah. That's a good thing. Then I donated the boys' old soccer jerseys to a organization that helps girls in Cameroon get involved in soccer to help prevent the spread of AIDS. Good, right? Right!

Our knit-out was wonderful! Lots of women, good food and drink (free coffee!). Beautiful fiber flying off the needles. Some bad news. One of our ladies has a suspicious spot on her lung. We're sending good thoughts and prayers her way. That wasn't good. It was a bit upsetting because she is such a sweet lady. Then yesterday I heard rumors that my principal was retiring. No way! I really like this person! My spies told me it wouldn't be until January. Okay. I can deal with that. Tonight I got the letter from her that she will be retiring in September. No! She's a major knitter! I really like this person! How often can one say that about their boss? I'm really bummed.

I'm off to knit my blues away.