Hello Again!

Hello again! I am back. Thank you for your condolences on the death of my father. It's still hard to believe he is gone. I have been pretty good, but have had some moments lately where I feel quite saddened by his death. I'm sure it will be some time before things will seem "normal" again - or at least we'll have o create a new "normal" now.

I have done a little bit of knitting, though in all honesty, not too much. While my dad was in the hospital, I got a pair of baby socks knit and a pair of toddler socks as well. There was a problem with the baby socks, however. I think I either knit one tighter than the other, or I accidentally skipped a few rows in the foot of the sock, because one of them is slightly bigger than the other. When I put them together, it's noticeable so I will either have to make 2 more socks to match, or just use the others as Christmas tree ornaments or something. Because I was too ashamed of this gross error (or not so gross), I didn't bother to take a picture of those ones.

For these toddler socks, I used my 2.7mm bamboo needles I bought in when I was in South Korea with Knit Picks yarn (oh my gosh, I'm having a senior's moment or something - can't recall the name of the yarn!) and the colourway, I believe is called "Crayon". I've had this yarn in my stash for a couple of years now and decided to use it once I got back home to Canada. The pattern is the Baby to Toddler Sized Socks by Miriam L. Felton (I love this pattern!). The pattern is linked to the one on Ravelry.

In the last couple of weeks, I've worked on another pair of toddler socks in the same yarn as the first pair, since I had enough left over from the skein of the first pair. I finally finished the second of those socks last night. These may look like the first pair (making it seem like I'm counting the same pair twice), but rest assured, they are different.

The first pair I made, I gifted to my cousin for her little fellow. She loved them (as did her mom and her grandmother, my aunt). My aunt was telling me last night that my cousin's son was sitting on the floor trying to put them on (he's not quite 2 yet) and wasn't getting angry, but just couldn't figure out how on earth to put these things on! Hopefully they'll fit him. My cousin said they would, though. The second pair I am planning on putting on the "mitten" tree at church this Christmas. Which reminds me, I need to get cracking and make some more socks and mittens, etc. since I don't really have anything (other than a pair of baby socks and a pair of toddler socks) as I haven't been knitting for that while in Korea.

Well, university started up this week and it looks like I'm going to have a pretty full plate this time around. I'm taking six courses each semester, and I'll be starting my observation in a classroom next month (I think). I have no courses on Friday's so I think that is when I'll choose to do my observation and teacher training. I'm also hoping (providing I have the finances) to take part in their program where I will be able to do part of my teacher training here, and part of it in Australia! I need to find out more about it, however - particularly how much it's going to cost. Also with school, we have a lot of group work, presentations, lesson plans, etc. to do and that will take up a lot of my time. I hope I'll have some down time so I can knit and read and whatnot!

Well, I'd better go and start on some homework. For my literacy class we have to write a 4-5 page essay/report on our own literacy memoirs. The prof said it is due next class, but the syllabus says it's due Sept. 15. I have this class on Monday, and I want to get it done for then just in case. If I get to class and find out we don't need it done that day, then I can go over it and revise it (if need be) for the actual due date. If I don't need to, then that is one assignment I will have done and won't have to worry about.

I'll leave you with a picture I took of one of my mom's dahlias (I really love this particular flower). She's got some gorgeous flowers growing in her garden. Her and dad have been into growing dahlias for the last several years and I think they are so beautiful.