Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Hands Across the Sand

Hands Across the Sand
Jacksonville Beach

This Saturday we spent some time at the beach participating in a Hands Across the Sand event.  Hands across the sand is an international organization whose mission is to stop off shore drilling and keep our beaches beautiful.    We had wonderful weather and met some very nice people.  What I really loved about the day is how nice everyone was.    There were people on the beach who were not interested in "the cause". Some were very open about their support for off-shore drilling but no one, on either side of the issue, was anything but pleasant and respectful.    A couple of people even offered to take pictures for those of us participating.   It was a terrific experience all around.

On the knitting front, I did rip out the button band on the Summer Open Cardi.   After I re-knit it in the bigger needle size, it still pulled up in front.   My new plan, is to rip out the cast-off, and re-work that using Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Cast-off.   My hope is that, with a stretchier cast-off, I will be able to block the front into shape.  

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Say it isn't so....

Summer Open Cardigan

Here I am happily working on my top down cardi and I hit a snag.   When I tried this baby on after finishing the body, it fit like a dream and I knew (knew!) that the rest was going to be a cake walk.   As instructed, I used a smaller needle to pick-up and knit the ribbed button band.    I could tell that something was not right as I was casting off but it was not until I tried it on again that I realized that the smaller needle size brought up the front by quite a bit.   In fact, it changed the whole shape of the cardi and not in a flattering way either.   The only hope is to rip out the button band and do it all over with a bigger needle.   Man...I hate it when that happens!

This is not the only knitting glitch I have encountered lately.    I have been, successfully, knitting these felted bags for the co-op, using  Paton's SWS and Bernat's Felting Wool.    After being asked for the pattern a couple of times, I decided to write it up and submit it to Knit Picks Independent Designer Program.   With that in mind, I gave a friend the pattern and some yarn and asked her to critique the pattern.   That went really well.   The next hurdle was figuring out how to create a PDF file.  Got that done (PDF for Dummies is a keeper).   Again, I thought the hard part was done.  All I had to do was knit up a sample in a Knit Picks yarn.  What I had not accounted for was the fact their yarn would felt differntly than the ones I had been using.   The fiber did felt in that it be came a solid piece, but shrank hardly at all which made it a much floopier bag than I am used to selling.   I have ordered more yarn and am going to try it doubled with a size bigger needle.   The other thing is that it did not felt in my new machine (a top loader) at all.   I tried it twice at home and then took it to a laundromat where the results were better but, as I said, too floopy.   With this next attempt, I will take it  straight to the laundromat in the hopes that I will get the nice firm fabric that I am used to.

Hubby and youngest are watching Gettysburg (T2 has to read Killer Angels for this summer).  I hate war movies.   Perhaps HGTV has something good to watch while I rip back that button band.

Monday, June 14, 2010

WWKIP...Where were you?


T1 and I like to do something on our own, before he leaves for to visit the ex for any length of time.   Since he leaves for six weeks on Wednesday we decided that a trip for two to Disney was in order.  So, Saturday morning we got up early and headed for Orlando.  Once parked, we split up, with Hubby and T2 heading over to Animal Kingdom, and T1 & I making our way to Hollywood Studios.   The plan was to do our own thing and then meet up for dinner to discuss our outings.    



Hollywood Studios was busy for an off season day but not nearly so bad as a summer crowd.   We actually got to do everything we wanted to do with relative ease.   Since it was WWKIP day, I made sure to get as many characters as I could (without waiting on line) to hold my traveling sock.   I even got a storm trooper to do the deed (It was also Star Wars weekend).



It was awfully hot.   By lunch time I was longing for a sit down and some a/c.   With that in mind, we made reservations at Hollywood & Vine.   The idea of a buffet was appealing because we could take our time.   The food worked out well enough and we definitely did not feel rushed.  What we did not expect was that H&V is apparently a Playhouse Disney themed establishment.   Meaning, that I have no idea who these characters were who stopped at our table (LOL).  

Despite the heat, we had a terrific time.   I am so grateful to have these times with my boys.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

The Deportation Room


So, last week, I was at T2's school for an event.   While roaming the halls looking for the cafeteria, I saw several rooms with names.  For instance, I passed "Principle's Office", "Nurse's Office", "Executive Secretary" (she has a nicer office than I had in Manhattan), and the "Computer Lab".   All were pretty self-explanatory until I came to "The Deportation Room".    Really?   I have talked to a couple of friends who are, or were, public school teachers.   They have no idea, but assure me that, besides being heinous, the obvious explanation is unlikely since it is against the law for a teacher to report an illegal alien (although one suggested that a dungeon would have been appreciated in her day).   I feel sure that when I finally get the nerve to call the school and ask (T2 has asked that I do this after end of year exams), it will turn out to be something benign that I should have been able to figure out for myself.