Fall posting

I'm starting to appear like a blog that only has postings quarterly! Bad me!

But here I am, alive and kicking.... alive and knitting, I should say. And starting this post by putting a photo in the wrong way! But what the heck,,, it's a photo of the facket I'm about to start putting together for myself. I bought this yarn soooo long ago, and it was discontinued colours and super cheap. I just started knitting away, thinking it would be a warm but lightweight woolen sweater to have up at the cottage. And - a very good point this is: it is POR MOI!

Not the most beautiful pattern but I wasn't sure how much yarn I needed- had to make sure it lasted to cover all of me (which is quite a bit!!)
I have also finished a UFO (UnFinished Object) that has been in my basket unattended for months. I made a shawl for my sister more two years ago, a bit bigger than this one and then I started one more from the leftover yarn. That is why the pattern is a-symmetric. I think I might have enough for a hat to go with it.... It is not blocked yet on this photo. I will do it next week.

My newest project is this: blocks from Noro Kureyon yarn. It will end up as a blanket consisting of 24 blocks, all from different colours of kureyon. Here is the link to the pattern - in the wonderful online knitting magazine Knitty .com

This Noro yarn is so expensive that I can only buy a few balls at a time, but that's fine because each block is from a different colour. And i have no deadline since it is not intended as a Christmas present!

I am also about to start another long lasting project and that is going to drive me crazy, probably, but I am dead set on challenging myself in the knitting department: The Great American Aran Afghan. Here is the booklet with the patterns to the 24 blocks that together will make a beatiful blanket consisting of all different aran patterns! I have never used an English pattern before so I am going to be challenged in more than one way, but I do have a web based forum where I can post desperate cries for help when I have used up my wee bit of patience and my extensive vocabulary suited for frustrating moments (but not for delicate listeners).

News on our personal lives:

My daughters are now both at Junior High, the youngest in the first year (grade 8), the oldest in the last (grade 10), I'm still teaching at the same school but are now back with the oldest grades, 5., 6. and 7. grade. I like it!

My husband is back to work (he injured himself badly in an accident exactly a year ago now) , he works out of town, but with home office Mondays and Fridays. The two nights he sleeps over by the office the rest of us are so busy anyways that the days just fly by. Besides, I talk to him on the phone at night usually. He has no TV in his room there so he usually eats his supper, talks to me, watches a movie on his computer, goes to bed early... He works long hours when he is there.. Starts at 7, finishes around 5. That way he is home around 3-4 on Thursday even though it is a two hour drive.

Next week he is going on a two week business trip to Asia and I myself have two insanely busy weeks ahead. Meetings, preparing written comments on all my English students (30) for their teachers to present for their parents, preparing parent teacher interviews in my own class , attending my one daughter's parent teacher interview.... The list is a bit overwhelming.. And on top of it all: Halloween demands attention, and the following day is my youngest's 13th birthday.

Our dog has suffered from a really bad urinary tract infection and had to be taken to a clinic for an ultrasound and blood tests- and the whole ordeal amounted to A LOT OF MONEY! But we have insured her so we get away with paying only 1/5 of it ourselves. She is now all better- and must be guided back to her normal way of life and away from us pampering her with love and goodies!

Here is a photo of the view from our cottage now that late fall is here.