Happy Birthday to me...

I'm old enough to be president!!! Lucky me. :) A student-made cake. Yum.


We went karaoke-ing last weekend and had a grand old time. Here Andi and I are singing "Baby Got Back".



We also had a girls-only tea that afternoon at Chado Tea Room on 3rd street. Delicious!

On to knitting news...


i finished a beanie for my TA Jeff. He is on the basketball team (#23). Go Dolphins!

Here are a few student projects that were finished last week:

So Hyun made this totally cute pink and purple sweater vest.


Shannon made this lemon yellow baby blanket for a family friend.


Ivonne finished her stuffed bunny. Very sweet.

Yesterday, Andi and I got a wild hair and decided to make candles. Never done it before, so we channeled our inner-Martha and dove in. Here's what we did...

first, chop up the brick of wax...

then, melt the wax...ours is sage green with melon/cucumber scent.

then, pour the wax...

then, the candles cool...

...finish with a matching saucer and a cute matchbox.
LOVE IT!!!!!!

New Donations and Knitted Toys!!!!!

Something wonderful happened today. Fayanne, a yarn angel, has donated TONS of great yarn to our class. This is her livingroom this afternoon, after many people came by and picked up yarn. Thanks so much to Fayanne for the generous donation! I will keep you posted throughout the year(s) of the great things my kids do with this stuff.

Speaking of great kids, this is Ivonne and Jennifer. They are beginners and decided to tackle a toy bunny. Jennifer made a baby sweater set for her third ever project (she is so good!) and they thought a knitted toy was the next logical step.

They knit the body in a single piece, then sewed up the toes and the legs and stuffed as they went. They are in the process of adding the finishing touches. Face, ears, jaunty scarf. Who knows?!? I am eager to see the progress they have made this weekend. I'll post pics of their finished bunnies next time.



Another super-motivated knitter is Shannon. On her own, with no prodding from me, she found this funny pattern for a little man. With no previous construction experience, she pieced this doll together last weekend. Here he is keeping my coral reef tank company. Way to go, Shannon!


I have been busy as well. I purchased some mohair from Suss Designs and made this tam. Charlie moved, i moved and the picture is weird, but the tam is fabu and I can't wait for a little bit of a chill so I can wear it and keep my head warm.


Last night I went to the USC stomping of the Oregon Ducks. Not fun, since I am a Duck fan. Graduated in 1994. A fun time was had by all, here is Jack (my favorite football fan) and me standing in front of the stadium. A little intimidating, to say the least!

Then, to top off a weekend of gluttony (Barney's Beanery for burgers and beer on Saturday afternoon followed by stadium food last night) we got up early to brave the crowds at The Griddle on Sunset at Fairfax. Holy Pancakes! Check out the size of my pumpkin pie pancakes! I got through the first one and had to admit defeat. Their selection is awesome, and the portions would feed a large group. My out of town friends enjoyed the LA-style diner, and I enjoyed the company.

It 's The Little Things That Make All The Difference

I had a great week. Professionally and personally. My knitters are "getting it" and I am filled with joy when I see this appreication for knitting growing in them. Nothing could make me happier in the classroom. A great example this week is LaTijera. She found a simple pattern for baby booties and wanted me to show her how to make them. I was busy with another student, and asked her to read the pattern all the way through, and highlight anything she thought she didn't understand. She happily went back to her seat and began her task. I didn't hear back from her for about 30 minutes, when she proudly showed me the purple bootie she had finished on her own. "But what about knitting in the front and back of a stitch?" I asked. "Oh, you were busy, so I looked in the book's glossary and figured it out myself." This is music to a teacher's ears. I took initiative and figured it out on my own. Better yet, she then taught someone else how to do it. Now, there are booties springing up all over the room. They can go with our slew of baby hats. Hopefully, this passion will sustain through the baby sweater assignment!

the first bootie

LaTijera working in class



Mike and I carved pumpkins on Monday night in preparation for the onslaught of trick-or-treaters we were expecting Tuesday evening. Here are our favorite carvings, but we did 10 pumpkins total. They lined the driveway and our front walkway, and were accompanied by halloween music playing from the house and lots of scary skeletons and other decor. I really like Halloween. (sigh) We had about 400 visitors that night, and still managed to have leftover candy. I took it to school and my students got rid of it very fast. Scarily fast.

Hannibal Lechter

Dracula Burns

Jack Skellington



Charlie and I went on a few car rides on Saturday. He is obviously getting better at riding in the car. Here he is relaxing and using the arm rest.




My latest project. The tam. I have seen them on celebs lately (Kirsten Dunst and Ashlee Simpson) and yet I still want one.

The grey one I made is a little bit big, so I am trying to shrink it. I have started a new one, in pink mohair from Suss. I'll post pics once I have one that fits!

FLAVA FLAV!!!!!!!

My alter ego...Flava Flav. 80's rap icon? VH1 reality star? You decide. Halloween was a blast yesterday. My students enjoyed my costume and I won the school costume contest. Yeah, BOY!!!!!