I know my readers don't know what Ravelry is, but I've moved up almost 6,000 places in line (in 2 weeks) and only 14,101 to go! I might be "in" by Halloween!
I'm trying to hold off on buying any new knitting books or yarns until I'm "in" because Ravelry will really help me pair yarns with projects. I'm so excited to get in and learn more about what you can do with Ravelry... so far all I know is what I've heard from those who are already in and from what I've seen on the video tour (which I've watched at least 3 times!)
Since last week, I've knitted one wacky-looking baby bootie (I needed to borrow my friend's baby to model it just to make sure it looked more like a booty on an actual baby...it does) and a few rows on a doll poncho. I think a doll poncho may be one of the popular projects for knitting club. It's easy, it's basic, and I *think* some 8-13 year old girls still play with dolls! Even if it doesn't work out at knitting club, I want to knit a few up to contribute to my aunt's doll clothes "trunk show". As an added bonus, I can say I'm knitting a "sample" for knitting club and count my time knitting towards my required 20-39 hours for my club stipend!
Since I mentioned knitting club, I should explain that that's the after-school club I'm going to be sponsoring this year instead of scrapbooking club. I had my knitting projects with me a few times at SB club last year and the girls were fascinated and started pestering me about a knitting club. So I asked my administrator and, though he had a lot of doubts ("I don't know... do you think there's many kids that want to knit?") he let me write it up and give it a shot...with the stipulation that if I didn't get at least 10 kids to join, I'd have to change it to SB club. Well, my club was the first to fill up...23 kids and more have been wait-listed! I heard my admin tell our new assistant principal, "the kids really like her...she could have a sitting club and kids would join it!"
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Kids & Lizards...can't decide which is grosser.
Yesterday there was a baby gecko cowering in the corner of the girls bathroom in my classroom. There was much crawling on the floor and speculation as to whether or not the thing was dead.
Finally a little girl's hand emerged from the bathroom, holding the gecko. She pronounced him dead, and I (stupidly) told her to put him in the garbage can and wash her hands.
About an hour later, I was reading with a small group when I hear a small hullabaloo...one of the boys in the class took the dead gecko from the garbage can and was playing with it. By the time I figured out who the culprit was, he had put the gecko in his pocket! A little bit wiser by this time, I told him to put the gecko outside (our classroom door opens up right to the outdoors, no enclosed hallways at our school) and watched him do it. When he came back in, I heard him explaining adamantly to the others that the gecko was, in fact, alive...he wasn't moving, but his eyes were open.
Shortly thereafter, we left for specials. When I walked back, I looked in the grass where I swear I saw him put the gecko...and it was gone! I find myself wondering if that little sneaky boy picked it back up and put it in his pocket when I wasn't looking (maybe he feigned tying his shoe or something?) or...if it really was alive! Do geckos play possum? I know they stand very still when they sense they're being watched, but I wonder if it could really be so...lifeless...while being handled by a bunch of 6 year olds!
Finally a little girl's hand emerged from the bathroom, holding the gecko. She pronounced him dead, and I (stupidly) told her to put him in the garbage can and wash her hands.
About an hour later, I was reading with a small group when I hear a small hullabaloo...one of the boys in the class took the dead gecko from the garbage can and was playing with it. By the time I figured out who the culprit was, he had put the gecko in his pocket! A little bit wiser by this time, I told him to put the gecko outside (our classroom door opens up right to the outdoors, no enclosed hallways at our school) and watched him do it. When he came back in, I heard him explaining adamantly to the others that the gecko was, in fact, alive...he wasn't moving, but his eyes were open.
Shortly thereafter, we left for specials. When I walked back, I looked in the grass where I swear I saw him put the gecko...and it was gone! I find myself wondering if that little sneaky boy picked it back up and put it in his pocket when I wasn't looking (maybe he feigned tying his shoe or something?) or...if it really was alive! Do geckos play possum? I know they stand very still when they sense they're being watched, but I wonder if it could really be so...lifeless...while being handled by a bunch of 6 year olds!
A New Obsession
Hey, Knitters...
Have you heard of Ravelry yet? Of course you probably have, especially if you're one of the 18,000+ people ahead of me on the waiting list. I'm beginning to wonder if it will even be possible for me to visit Ravelry MORE often once I'm finally invited than I do now. I've watched the video tour quite a few times, and check my place in line at least 8 times since Sunday night! I even just spent an entire 42 minutes listening to the Ravelry honchos talk about it on a podcast. Perhaps instead of obsessing over when I will get in, I should start knitting. Since I have no new project photos since I'm entirely more concerned with the prospect of being invited to a knitting website than with actually knitting anything, I'll leave you with a few images of my old ones...
This is my latest, finished this past August.
Have you heard of Ravelry yet? Of course you probably have, especially if you're one of the 18,000+ people ahead of me on the waiting list. I'm beginning to wonder if it will even be possible for me to visit Ravelry MORE often once I'm finally invited than I do now. I've watched the video tour quite a few times, and check my place in line at least 8 times since Sunday night! I even just spent an entire 42 minutes listening to the Ravelry honchos talk about it on a podcast. Perhaps instead of obsessing over when I will get in, I should start knitting. Since I have no new project photos since I'm entirely more concerned with the prospect of being invited to a knitting website than with actually knitting anything, I'll leave you with a few images of my old ones...
This is my latest, finished this past August.
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Random Thoughts on...Handkerchiefs
It seems strange to be thinking of handkerchiefs, but if you've been sick for the past 4-5 days and blown your way through two whole boxes of Kleenex, you might start thinking of strange things too.
My grandma and my dad have always had handkerchiefs (or "hankies" as my grandma says). My dad's are plain white, and my grandma has lots of little cute ones. I'm sure she's even given some to me, although I recall that they ended up being used as Barbie quilts rather than their intended purpose.
But this morning, when I was spending time in my "best thinking spot" (the shower), I started to think about the merits of handkerchiefs. Are they better for the environment or not? (less use of trees, but more use of water to wash them) Are they softer on your nose? (I go through a lot of Kleenex during the day in my classroom and most of my class parents don't buy the extra soft, extra cost kind) And, it'd be so much better to run with a handkerchief when I'm sick like this--it wouldn't disintegrate like a kleenex, has less chance of undesirable results than a "snot rocket", and seems more refined than using the bottom of my t-shirt.
But what do you do with all that snot? If you put it in the washer, does the snot get on your other clothes? Or do you rinse it off first? And how pleasant can it be to unfold an often-used hankie at the end of the day to shake or rinse the snot out?
Ok...this blog entry has definitely taken a turn for the worst, so I think I better stop now before I get carried away. Besides, I need to blow my nose.
My grandma and my dad have always had handkerchiefs (or "hankies" as my grandma says). My dad's are plain white, and my grandma has lots of little cute ones. I'm sure she's even given some to me, although I recall that they ended up being used as Barbie quilts rather than their intended purpose.
But this morning, when I was spending time in my "best thinking spot" (the shower), I started to think about the merits of handkerchiefs. Are they better for the environment or not? (less use of trees, but more use of water to wash them) Are they softer on your nose? (I go through a lot of Kleenex during the day in my classroom and most of my class parents don't buy the extra soft, extra cost kind) And, it'd be so much better to run with a handkerchief when I'm sick like this--it wouldn't disintegrate like a kleenex, has less chance of undesirable results than a "snot rocket", and seems more refined than using the bottom of my t-shirt.
But what do you do with all that snot? If you put it in the washer, does the snot get on your other clothes? Or do you rinse it off first? And how pleasant can it be to unfold an often-used hankie at the end of the day to shake or rinse the snot out?
Ok...this blog entry has definitely taken a turn for the worst, so I think I better stop now before I get carried away. Besides, I need to blow my nose.
Saturday, September 01, 2007
TGIS!
I missed out on my first "TGIF" opportunity last night. (Why did I miss it? Oh, probably because I was asleep by 8:26 last night... a late night for me as I've been out by 8 every other night this week!) The first week of school is over! I can barely believe I made it.
It's funny how I forget each year what exactly the students will be like in August. When I sent away my 1st graders at the end of last year, they were "all grown up"... they could all tie their shoes, they could all sit for long periods of time, they could all READ, they all knew how to raise their hands and wait to be called on, how to put a paper into a folder, how to choose a new pencil if theirs was broken, how to tell time instead of asking me "what time is lunch? what time is it now?"... those were not the same students who had shown up last August, and the students who showed up on Monday can't do any of the above either. They are kindergarten babies! One girl even sucks her thumb!!
I asked a colleague of mine--she taught multi-age with me at the end of last year and took the second grade spot after I decided to go with first grade--how hard she thought our principal would laugh if I went in his office and told him I changed my mind... I want 2nd grade after all!
Oh well... it's just 'til January. By January, the students will finally be first graders instead of kindergarteners. They'll know that they need a spoon to eat applesauce at lunch time and how to turn on the bathroom light. And after that... it's just 'til June!
It's funny how I forget each year what exactly the students will be like in August. When I sent away my 1st graders at the end of last year, they were "all grown up"... they could all tie their shoes, they could all sit for long periods of time, they could all READ, they all knew how to raise their hands and wait to be called on, how to put a paper into a folder, how to choose a new pencil if theirs was broken, how to tell time instead of asking me "what time is lunch? what time is it now?"... those were not the same students who had shown up last August, and the students who showed up on Monday can't do any of the above either. They are kindergarten babies! One girl even sucks her thumb!!
I asked a colleague of mine--she taught multi-age with me at the end of last year and took the second grade spot after I decided to go with first grade--how hard she thought our principal would laugh if I went in his office and told him I changed my mind... I want 2nd grade after all!
Oh well... it's just 'til January. By January, the students will finally be first graders instead of kindergarteners. They'll know that they need a spoon to eat applesauce at lunch time and how to turn on the bathroom light. And after that... it's just 'til June!
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