Sunday, January 23, 2011

The train!

Yup, the light at the end of that tunnel was a train.  As of tomorrow, the semester is officially here.  I'm as ready as I usually am by this time; my syllabi are finished and posted on the online course sites, my files with course materials are all in the drawer in my desk (instead of in my filing cabinets), the dates on the course assignments have been changed, I have printed up the class rosters, and added the names of the many students who have asked to be put on wait lists (because it's apparently impossible for our administration to actually activate the wait-list feature on our enrollment software - and yes, that does make me cranky, because it's both a huge amount of additional work for me, and because it means that faculty have to be the bad guys, even though it is by no means our fault that there aren't enough sections for all the students who need classes).

I have also wound up yarn for meeting-type projects, copied the patterns (I like to have trashable copies in my knitting bags - I don't want to lose any originals), and cast on (I don't know about you, but I need to concentrate when I get a project set up).  Since I also have a birthday coming up (and since I will be spending all day on my birthday in meetings - CFA, budget committee, Senate, right in a row), I decided that starting a couple of simple projects in decadent yarns would be the way to go.  To that end, I got started on the Lune shawl last night with my handspun silk/cashmere.
It's knitting up beautifully.  The scarf will probably turn out smaller than the pattern, as I'm using a slightly finer yarn and smaller needle, but I like the way the fabric is turning out at this gauge.  Once the pattern is established, it's completely mindless, but decadent in this yarn, just right for meetings.  I also cast on some Bugga - my first for myself! - to knit another pair of the Kimono Socks.  I have/had a pair, but they seem to have slipped into the dryer, and are now too small for my feet.  I have long wanted a second pair, so this seems like the perfect opportunity.  Of course, for these to be a second pair, I may have to knit yet another pair after this, but this seems like a good start.

That's it in knitting news.  I finished my aunt's socks, which don't make for exciting pictures, since they're exactly like the Lenore socks I knitted for myself.  I've mostly been enjoying the lovely weather by taking my knitting out to the back patio - it won't last, so I'm sucking up the sun while I can.  I haven't had a chance to take any pictures of the hood I knitted (too busy sitting in the sun), so I can't share that.  I can share a couple of shots from some hiking we did a few weeks ago. 
Happy kids, happy dog. 

We have also lately had some spectacular views of the snow-covered mountains north and east of here.  Right from the hills behind our house.  I wish we could get a clearer shot - early in the morning, when it's clear, they're just right there, bigger than life.  I think if you click to embiggen this picture, it's clearer - the white there on the horizon is not clouds.
Snow-covered mountains and San Diego.  Weird.

12 comments:

lori said...

that's just wrong, having to spend you birthday in a day o' meetings. wrong, wrong, wrong. good luck with the train, try to stay out of the way! i'm already knee-deep in the misery of a crop of exceptionally challenged students (e.g., after a week they still can't seem to grasp the concept of a mean score. sigh.).

here's to us both making it through.

twinsetellen said...

You are smart to soften the birthday blow of all day meetings with some nice yarn. Very smart.

And the mountains look lovely, even from here.

AlisonH said...

Gorgeous yarn and happy pictures. Best wishes in the new semester!

Mary Lou said...

Good luck with the semester, and how smart to get all set up. I have a question about the Bugga/kimono socks. I see they are knit in sport weight but at 30 sts over 4 inches. That seems awfully tight. I'm working on some projects in Frogtree Pediboo, which feels more like sport to me at 28 sts over 4" using size 0 and can't imagine going even tighter.

Laurie said...

Can't wait to see how your Lune turns out. Beautiful mountain picture. I recently heard that Florida is the only state that doesn't have snow. Eek. LOL! Hope you have a wonderful birthday, meetings bedamned!

Nana Sadie said...

I hope you have an excellent semester!!!
(((hugs)))

Rachael said...

That shawl will be LOVELY!

I think that if your birthday falls on a day that is no fun you reserve the right to classify a new day later that week your birthday. (I do this when my birthday falls on a weekday - which is of course quite frequently, the following saturday is 'my birthday saturday' and I get to do whatever I want.) :-)

Hope your semester is off to a great start!

Carrie#K said...

Oh wow, that IS snow! Gorgeous.

Lovely way to spend your birthday! Until the IRS changed the extension due date to 10/15, I was in the office working long hours on mine. Gah.

Gwen said...

Fast train! May it be a smooth ride.

EGunn said...

I love it when mountains appear out of nowhere. It's always amazing when they do. I'm glad you've had a chance to be out enjoying the sun before the semester sucks you in. And it sounds like you're pretty well on top of the things that one must be on top of at the beginning of a new term. Good luck, and enjoy that knitting! Happy birthday, too!

Anonymous said...

happy birthday! i'll eat a piece of cake for you today. i know, i'm so noble and good that way. :) i hope it's a great year, filled with good things!

Bea said...

Hope your semester has started alright. I saw another post come up as I was clicking on this one so maybe I'll just go see how its going.