I'm a know-it-all

So, I always knew I was somewhat of a know-it-all, but I figured, I read so much and have this great ability to retain information, that I wasn't so much of a know-it-all as a source. Not that thinking of myself as a "source" is any better then being an annoying know-it-all.

Well, I have come to the realization that I'm a full blown know-it-all as I stumbled upon Yahoo's answers pages. Wow! I get to answer people's questions that I think I'm an authority on! I'm having a great time, but boy, am I annoyed with myself. I think I need a dose of humility.

Who figures this stuff out?

You Are Red Lights

Your holidays are a time of warmth and sharing. No one epitomizes the spirit of giving as much as you do. You enjoy all of the tastes, sounds, smells, and sights of the holidays. You usually have the best decorations, music, and food.

What Color Christmas Lights Are You?

A hat that fits

So here is my second, and successful attempt at the tracker hat. I knit it using Rowan Big Wool that I had in my stash. I figured it would come out humongous again, but this time, I had a plan. Here it is when I finished knitting:



And side view:



So, since I used pure wool, I ran it through my hot wash for a cycle. I didn't think it would need an entire cycle, but I kept checking it and the hat didn't shrink as much as I anticipated. Of course, if I were more patient, I would have test felted a patch...but I got lucky this time and it came out just right! Here it is felted and the correct size (But don't mind the awful photography and bad skin):



And side view:



I had never felted Rowan wool before, but I rather liked how it came out nubby. And, I think the cables still look good. Since it's felted, it will be super warm, but itchy, as wool tends to be...you can't have it all!

And since she can't stand to not see what I'm doing when I'm on the computer, here is my crazy cat:

Recommended Read

I just finished The Self-Esteem Trap: Raising Confident and Compassionate Kids in the Age of Self Importance by Polly Young-Eisendrath. This is a great read for any parents or educators, but I enjoyed it even though I am neither. It is about how children have been raised for the past three decades to believe that they are special, have no weaknesses, and problems will get solved for them. The self-esteem trap appears later in life, when they go off to college or out on their own and are unprepared to face real life. They don't have problem solving skills, or believe that they should be the best and "win" at everything they do. When they realize they can't win all the time, it leaves the young adults with feelings of inferiority, depression, and not being ready to go off on their own, among other problems. Not only does the author point out this epidemic, but she offers solutions on how to raise children or learn yourself how to be "ordinary"--that is, a compassionate, functioning member of society.

This is something I think every parent should read. Too often anymore, children are all winners...everyone gets a ribbon, etc...and when they get into the "real world" they expect things to be handed to them without putting forth effort, or think everything they do is great and perfect. Instead of overly praising your children, you should point out that they have strengths and weaknesses and cannot always be the best. I am reminded me of this recent story, where children in Pittsburgh cannot earn a grade lower than 50%. They say so the children can catch up, or won't give up, but basically, in my opinion, you are telling the children only half the truth. You are not giving them the skills they need to be sucessful. Children will grow up thinking they can't really fail, they will alway have a chance. Is this the message we want our children to grow up with?

Well, I knew I had the German down

You Can Say "Merry Christmas" in 13 Languages

You can say "Merry Christmas" in: English Spanish French Arabic German Italian Swedish Portuguese Greek Hawaiian Dutch Latin Esperanto

How Many Languages Can You Say "Merry Christmas" In?

Christmas hustle and bustle

After our annual Christmas party, I still have yet to finish my tracker hat. I have one ear flap and the front left, and then a little bit of felting to get it nice and fitted...so I don't have anymore oversized hats! I was too busy cooking and cleaning to work on it this weekend, hopefully I'll get to it tonight.

But...I still have those Christmas cards to get out yet! I finally got my Christmas shopping started, I knocked out a ton of presents yesterday in one short shopping excursion.

And I'm exahusted. My cat, Calley, who hid from the party all weekend, finally re-emerged last night, just when I wanted to go to bed. She has been lately getting under the covers with me at night. She'll jump up on the bed and sit between me and my book, basically telling me I have to pay attention to her and not my book. Then, she will nose around the covers until I lift them up for her to walk under and curl up next to my belly, where she will remain until I fall asleep. Then she will spend the night waking me up to repeat the in and out of the covers. Who ever heard of a cat who likes to sleep under covers??? This is also the same weird cat who chases her own tail, something I thought only dogs did...

Another one, this one more like it

You Are Hot Chocolate

Your holiday personality is generous. The holidays are your favorite time to practice the art of giving. You enjoy picking out presents, sharing treats, and making everyone's day a little brighter. And you don't even notice if you don't get anything in return.

What Holiday Drink Are You?

Don't think I believe this one.

Food is What Stresses You Out About the Holidays

During the holidays, you tend to forget that there can be too much of a good thing. Plus, there are so many good things to go around! You tend to over indulge... and then indulge some more. Self control is not really an option for you. And while you eat well, you don't like buying new jeans after the holidays are over!

What Stresses You Out About the Holidays?

These are good time wasters

Your Snow Test Says You're Agreeable

You feel like something good will happen to you in the next few months. You don't really like to work, unless work feels like play. You only are successful when you are doing what you love. You are a cooperative, agreeable person. You enjoy the company of others, and you enjoy compromising for the good of the group. Your biggest worry in your life is your health. You tend to be a bit of a hypochondriac. When it comes time to relax, you really indulge. You are all about your favorite comforts.

The Snow Test

My undersize head won't fit your gigantic hat...

Here is my too large tracker hat. It is really warm, but I used too bulky of yarn. Pattern calls for Rowan Biggie Print, and I used some Lion Brand Wooleze Thick and Quick I had left over from another project. I even cast on 80 stitches as opposed to 100, but it is still too big. Maybe if I had an Amy Winehouse beehive to fit under there it would work! I'm trying again, this time with some (again) left over yarn, some thick Rowan wool. At least the Rowan wool will shrink if it is too big again!

These are fun

You Are a Turtleneck Sweater

You are sophisticated, streetwise, and even a little cynical. You are quite cultured, and you don't fall for gimmicks or trends easily. You are naturally chic. You have a urban, cosmopolitan style. And you know that the secret to looking good is not trying too hard!

What Kind of Sweater Are You?

New Quiz

Your Sensuality Score is: 75%

You taste, smell, feel, see, and hear more strongly than most people. Even the smallest sensual act can be quite divine for you. You are a hedonist. You like to experience it all... whether it's food, art, music, or sex. If you're not careful, you're apt to overindulge or get addicted to a certain pleasure.

How Sensual Are You?

Good Read

Yesterday on the way back home I started and finished An Exact Replica of a Figment of my Imagination by Elizabeth McCracken. A very compelling memoir, one of the best memoirs I've read. I saw somewhere that this is one of the top books of 2008. The author and her husband are expecting their first child, but in the ninth month something goes wrong and she delivers a stillborn. A heartwrenching story, one that I suspect many women can identify with, whether they have had a calamity (as Elizabeth calls it) or any type of miscarriage. I would highly recommend it to anyone, especially anyone who has experience any type of this loss. As Elizabeth points out, it helps to know there is someone else out there who has been through such a tramatic event, and that you are not alone.

Quiz

You Should Walk the Tightrope

Any subject you study, you aim to master. You enjoy being the best. When you're good at something, you like to show off your skills. You're the type of person who would practice years to walk the tightrope. And you'd love the glory you'd get from walking it in front of a crowd.

What'>http://www.blogthings.com/whatcircusactshouldyouperformquiz/">What Circus Act Should You Perform?

I was hoping for Elephant Trainer, but oh well!

Finally there...

Just got out of the car. A three hour car trip took us five. I hate snow! There were a ton of accidents on the way. Surprisingly, a lot of the cars spun out were SUVs.

On the way, with all my spare time, I knit a tracker style hat. Pattern can be found here. However, it turned out too big...so I'm going to try to shrink it, or try it again with a different yarn. Once I reach success, I will post pics.

Also, I finished a book called The Real Toy Story by Eric Clark. A nice short read about the toy industry in America. It discusses the over sexualization of toys today for children, how toys today do not encourage imagination because they do everything for you, and of course, the horrible conditions in China, where 80% of American toys are manufactured. A real eye opener that will certainly make me think before I buy another toy for my nieces and nephews.

Recycled Mittens

I finished these mittens about a week ago. They are super warm! The pattern came out of an old Knit It! magazine, I think it was the first issue. The yarn is recycled from a sweater I bought at Goodwill a long time ago. I unraveled the sweater and have found many uses for the thick wool. I made a couple shrugs for my sisters and now these mittens. It's hard to see in the pictures but there is a simple cable running up the middle of the mitten. I added the fuzzy yarn in the cuff to match my scarf. This was a great stash project!

Going for it.

Well, here I am. I have finally decided to venture out into the world of blogging. I'm hoping to showcase some of my knitting here, and possibly any patterns that I create. I have taken so many great patterns from other's blogs that it would only be fair to return the favor for other knitting fanatics. Maybe I'll write about recent wines I've tried or books I've read. And, since I'm going back to school in January, I can vent about the trials and tribulations of getting a degree from a remote location...I'm sure it will be different! I'm going for my Master in Library and Information Science and couldn't be more excited.