Tuesday, September 04, 2007

You can teach an old dog new tricks

This weekend I spent my time watching 2 children lament about the summer being over. My almost 13 year old actually cried when I refused to let him sleep over with some kid who just got back from Vegas. I don't know about y'all, but having a lazy learner hang out two nights before school starts with a kid who just got back from partying in sin city was not happening on my watch!

We spent the day instead at Staples buying school supplies.

"How could you do this to me, on my last day of vacation, forcing me to go buy school supplies?"

"How could I do this to you? Do you actually think this is my idea of fun, dragging you around when I can be someplace else knitting?"

Somehow that always sobers them up.




I did get to complete 1 sock during the many, many hours buying back-to-school clothes and classroom supplies.

I must also bring this to your attention: I LEARNED KITCHENER




After going to 3 supermarkets and two drug stores and not finding safety pins large enough to do that toe trick I mentioned previously, I realized that I was spending more time looking for safety pins than the time it would take me to rip out and reknit the toe if I screwed up the seaming. Thanks to the description in the book, Sensational Knitted Socks, that somehow penetrated whatever sewing/seaming phobia I've had since a dreaded 8th grade Home Economics class. I can now say with assurance that you can learn anything just before your 50th birthday!

Oh, and today was the first day of school! It's the most wonderful time of the year!


11 comments:

Mary Anne said...

Congrats on the Kitchener Stitch! You're right, you can learn something before your 50th birthday (and even after ^.^)

Happy school days!!

Virtuous said...

LOL @ sober them up w. what you rather be doing! Haha!

Happy Birthday in advance!!

AR said...

Yay, school! And, yay, school shopping is over! That has got to be one of my least favorite activities.

I love the kitchener stitch for some reason. The sock (and toe) look great!

Janice said...

I always LOVED the first day of summer and having the kids home, but I REALLY LOVED the first day they went back to school ;-)!! The Kitchener stitch looks great! I'm doing my first top down sock and will be needing to learn it soon as well...

Gina said...

I just ordered a book about making socks. I am DETERMINED to learn to make socks before the end of the year. My kids started back to school the 20th of August and there was not a happier person in the whole country!
( still lol @ the " not on my watch")

WandaWoman said...

I think it's funny that they think you're doing this to them b/c what, it's fun for you? I love it. My stepson is the same way. Congrats on getting the kitchener down. See it's really quite simple!

Diane said...

You go with your bad ass kitchener self!

Don't you love how kids think we have nothing better to do than spend money on back to school shopping? That's time and money you could spend on knitting!

Hope the kids have a good school year.

Rebecca said...

lovely sock (there was typo, but i corrected it;>)! i'll never have kitchner down. i always have to look at instructions when i'm doing up the toes on socks i make. have your boys expressed interest in learning to knit? maybe if they got the bug there'd be no interest in going over for a post-vegas bash!

Anonymous said...

Isn't it wonderful?? YES! I'm so glad you finally got up the nerve to try Kitchener...not so bad, is it?

Lynn said...

OMG I dont read my blogs for a couple of days and not only do you finish one but almost TWO socks!!! WOOHOO!! They are fantastic too! You did a great job. And your kitchener is lovely. I dont go nuts over it. As long as it looks decent, it works for me. It eventually works its way to looking right after a few wearings. All your stuff looks great, but as you know, I'm partial to the socks.

Jeanine said...

Kids... Gotta love em! congrats on your kitchener. How soon will you be casting on for a new sock? (:-)