The Internet is a fun place to be

I've been exploring lately. Here are a few Internet gems you've just got to try.



If you want to create a word search you can print out, check out www.teacherly.com/. Now that you've made yours, just what do you do with it? Check this out: http://www.curbly.com/DIY-Maven/posts/5074-How-to-make-a-Word-Search-greeting-card-



If you want a giggle... trust me, I laughed until I cried. Check out http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/. I really liked the section to the right called fan favorites.



And, in honor of Emily taking biology this year, I bring to you this. For just $4, you can get the pattern to create a knitted dissected lab rat. You must see this to believe it. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14627496

I Peaked Early

I was a 4-Her as a kid. I learned to sew, cake decorate, do all sorts of crafty things (except knitting, which now that I think of it, was a major hole in my crafty education at the time).

I entered lots of those things in the various fairs held all around the valley and even the State Fair. I won lots of ribbons (you always got either a first, second, or third unless your project was dreadful) and I saved them in a shoe box that I covered with a pretty paper and kept them in the closet of my room.

When I got married and moved away from home, they disappeared. I didn't have them, and Mom swore she didn't have them. We looked for them lots of times over the years, but I had pretty much given up hope.

Well, you can see where this is going. Found! Not at my house either! Ha! But all gloating aside, I was glad they were found. And what I discovered as I went through them is that for once, I may have actually impressed my very hard to impress children! Wow. Who knew their mother actually did all that?

And, look what else I found- you're seeing that correctly, SECOND place in TRACK - long jump no less. Who knew of my athletic potential. Not me, I'd forgotten that entirely. Of course, seeing that make Alex snicker. But I had proof. Ha.

This week marked the first day of school. My baby is in 2nd grade. My giant boy is in 8th. The last year of them ever going to the same school, unless Alex gets held back several times in a row. Emily has refused first day of school photos for years.

On the knitting news, I finally got a decent photo of my Undulating Waves Scarf I did for Ravelympics. I still haven't blocked the Juno Regina.

My ribbon winning days are getting fewer and farther between, but I did just win a few medals!

Ravelympic Update

My lack of posting has not been because I have been hanging out at the Ravelympic village, trading pins with other Ravathletes and visiting the Great Wall of China and the Water Cube. It has been due to REALITY! - that 4 letter word, WORK. School starts Monday and I've been in meetings and retreats, etc.... Not that I don't love work, ahem, [waves to readers at work] it just takes up time. Add the stress of school starting for the kids, and boom, no time.

I have however, been squeezing in some knitting at last minute appointments and during late night Michael Phelps watching. I even got to go to my new knitter friend Lisa's house and there I finished my Juno Regina Scarf. I then grafted it together last night (stressful, but doable) and it is done. That counts as the second of my three ravelympic events. Here it is in its unblocked blob-like state.

Not much to look at, but no time to block. Maybe tomorrow, my coveted day off.

My beaded scarf counts as two ravelympics events- Bead Balance, and Scarf Stroke. I am doing okay with it, but it is not done. I even ordered a 3rd ball of yarn in case it is too short after the second it done (soon) and I think I can finish before the flame is extinguished.

This whole olympic knitting thing has been corny but fun, and if nothing else, has gotten me to finish a few things before school starts and the serious drain on my time begins. And now I have medals to show for it - not as many as Michael Phelps, but can he graft lace? That's what I thought.

All that training paid off...

I'm in the Olympics. The Ravelympics, Ravelry's knitting olympics that is. My first event is wrestling some WIP's (works in progress). That gave me a little incentive to work on the scratchy yet pretty socks.

Finished those this morning, due mostly to my hair appt. Now to wash them and pray for softening. They fit well, so I hope they get more comfy.

I cast on my main Ravelympics project, the Undulating Waves Scarf, this morning when I woke up. The official time to begin was after 5 am which corresponds to Beijing Olympic start time, but I cast on around 7. Not too bad. I have about 5 rows done. I actually starting stringing beads last night, since that isn't actually casting on. So far moving the beads down the yarn is a pain. I think I like the crochet hook method better, but for this project they need to be strung on the working yarn. Other than that, this pattern is basically like the waving lace socks I made last summer.

The yarn is Knit One Crochet Too Handpainted Ambrosia that I purchased at Lambtown. It is silk, alpaca, and cashmere. Yummm. I'm hoping for a yummy beaded scarf. This qualifies for the Scarf Stroke and the Balance Beads events. Yes, I realize this is a little silly, but it is fun.

Notice the stitch markers? They are little pink donuts. I got them on etsy.