New Year Motto: Make Do and Mend

I am going to give the blog another go. I will mostly focus on my crafts and projects, but share some of my other lives (teaching, family, etc.). My new motto for this new year is Make Do and Mend. I've been listening to Brenda Dayne's podcast Cast On, for some years now. Series 8 from last summer was titled "Make Do and Mend". While I loved listening to this while knitting, the motto didn't sink in for it's real meaning. Not until just a few days ago when I was listening to CraftSanity (another crafting podcast) and I listened to an episode from August with an interview with the Beerhorst family, did Make Do and Mend finally make sense to me. I don't even remember anyone actually saying this phrase, but what they shared about their lives explained it all. I don't need to run out to Michael's or JoAnn's when I think I "need" something, such as the perfect buttons or exact color of yarn after 3 tries, etc. Believe me, I have plenty of STASHES of yarn, buttons, paper, stickers, yarn, yarn, yarn...
We recently moved and I got new furniture for my craft room. Putting away my yarn- a whole closet full of cubbies filled with yarn! By color, fiber, weight. I don't need to buy any for a long time...but yet I can't help but look forward to a trip to my local yarn shop! I always say to myself, "But I'm supporting local shops!" But I'm realizing that I have PLENTY to create with and I need to stop wasting my energy going out to get what I think I need and spend that energy looking through my button jars and using what I already have. When I feel the urge I say, "Make Do and Mend" and that makes me stop and think, "Do I really need to get this?" It's been working the past few days, and I'm hoping to keep it my motto this year and throughout. How exciting to see what creations I will come up with, with the many supplies that I have here in my home!

i went to Sock Summit 2009!!!

It was the best day ever! I will post some pics soon. I got the cutest hand scultped stitch markers of an owl and mushroom. I want to get some more from "Good to be Girl", she has some cute cupcakes and others. I got some beautiful yarn from "Becoming Art": "Twilight (which one one of the Dye for Glory categories) and "Outlaw". Both beautiful! Looking for the perfect pattern! There was SO MUCH in the market place!!! What goodness!

Green Eyes

My cat is a Russian Blue and has the most beautiful bottle green eyes. I love my Yuri!

I am rereading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I just sent it to one of my brothers to read for the first time. I hope he does! I know he'll love it just as much as the rest of us!

I can't believe I am going to the Sock Summit this weekend!!!! I really don't know what to expect, except for crazy overload of knitting goodness! My poor husband is taking me and must hang out with me! I told him he can wait in line to get my books autographed while I shopped. He said, "Will there be enough people to be a line?" Ugh, I can't believe he said that! Hello, there are going to be 150 vendors alone!!! And it's in the convention center!! My goodness! I see this as my last summer to-da because next week I start professional development classes for school, then teacher inservice, and then the start of school!

Summer Days

Colorado was a fun trip! I got some nice worsted Malibrigo in true Colorado colors (red like the hills/plateaus and some yellow like the hot sun) for a hat on Knitty called Foliage. I haven't wound it up yet, because I am waiting to buy a ball winder from Knitpicks soon.
I sold 5 of my hats! I was able to buy more yarn =)

In 2 weeks I go back to classes and then inservice...already!

. School's Out For Summer!

It was a bittersweet goodbye today- my class this past year has been the sweetest and best class any teacher could ask for! They were truely the class every teacher says "This is why I became a teacher!". They were sad to leave until they met their uber cool 5th grade teachers and all of a sudden they became the oldest and coolest kids of the school =) I also met my new class for next year and they seemed very sweet. There is always one though =) I can hear the song, "schools, out for summer!".

update on my niece's birthday present...

the date gets closer, but I still haven't started anything. i may have to just buy something this year. c'est la vie!

Almost Nearly Done!

The research papers are done, the kids actually got into it after me talking it up so much, and they are done with their part- now I need to do mine and grade them. ha! all us teachers are in the same boat. we think that by carrying them back and forth in our school bags each day to and from school and work they will get graded themselves...still hasn't happened yet. Guess what I'll be doing on my personal days off this week! ahh, at least report cards are done. I get to meet my new class next week, but I am going to miss this class so much. They are every teacher's dream!!! They were a wonderful bunch!

Summer Awakenings

There are 2 and a half weeks left of school, and believe it or not, I have to start teaching a new unit- thank you, demands from the district!! I'm not looking forward to it, and I have a feeling my students won't be either.

The weather here has been all summer for the past 2 weeks! I have started cleaning out the house and getting rid of junk. There is so much more I would like to get rid of, but need help from the husband. Over summer break we are going to paint some rooms and maybe get new carpet. The carpet might have to wait for a while.

I need to find a cute- and fast!- project to make for my niece's 5th birthday. Some kind of amigurumi would be cute- I need to look through my books.

Here's to 2 more weeks!

Lace Knitting Class

Last night I took my first lace knitting class at my LYS. It took about 2 hours to get one inch (square!), but I'm excited and hopeful! The pattern is really pretty and I am *hoping* I will have it finished by the time I go on vacation this summer for those summer nights around the campfire! I'll post pictures when I get a little further and you can actually tell what the pattern is.

New Etsy Shop

My new Etsy shop is now up! I am learning how to use the site and hopefully it will turn out great! Please take a look at the items I have up for sale. I will be posting more as I make them. BTW- I will be making an Oregon Ducks hat as well to sell along with the Oregon Beavers hat.

Craft Room...Studio

My husband and I went to Ikea last weekend and picked out some furniture for my craft room. It looks so good! I will post some pictures soon. The whole room is getting turned into just my craft room...or should I say studio?!