No Crochet!!!!

I can't believe that I still don't have those soda tab necklaces done yet! I haven't been doing my homework at school during my long break between classes, so I have to do it at home and that cuts into my crochet time. I don't do thread work really well at school. I have to pay to close attention when I work with thread and I can't do that at school. I do have a couple more bath sets to do. Maybe I'll take those instead of the soda tab necklaces.

Anyhoo, I've decided to get back to doing homework at school during my long breaks between classes and use the time I have been doing it at home for crocheting. That way, hopefully, I'll be able to get the soda tab necklaces done in the next couple of weeks. It would be great if I could get them done by the Trainfest committee meeting on Monday, but since I've got 8 more to do, I don't think that's going to happen. I do have the original necklace made with sport weight yarn. I'm going to cut those little dears right off of there and use them for thread necklace number 10. I hope to get one done every couple of days. That will put me getting number 17 done in time for me to get them to the council office at the first of the week of Trainfest. I plan on dropping them off when I go to drop off my handouts and stuff to get copies made for my classes. I'm also going to get the bath set done by then for the auction they'll be having at Trainfest.

Wish me luck! I have a feeling I'm going to need it. :)

Test Day

I dislike the fact that most of my instructors give tests on the same day. Today I had two- math and business finance. I think I did okay on the business finance test. I think I flubbed on the extra credit on it though. I was really hoping to get full credit on that extra credit too :(

My math test only had 4 problems! I was okay for the first 3, but that last problem I am worried about. Well, maybe not real worried. After all, it's a little late now. But I'm going to be antsy about it until Monday.

I got my Critical Thinking test done and then my Business Law test. Those I got done on Monday. I have a income tax test on Tuesday. Then I'll be done with tests for at least a couple of weeks.

Books Away, With Hooks I Can Play!!!

Wow, I was worried I would get behind in some of my classes since I missed so much school at the beginning of the month. So far, other than missing all of chapter 2's lectures in tax class, I think I'm okay. I got an A on my math lab and today at home I got a really great start on my finance take-home test, finished my federal and state tax forms for tax class and I'm going to try to do my online test for business law tomorrow at school during my really long break between math and tax class.

I'm trying to get into the schedule that I originally worked out at the beginning of the semester. Since I have those long breaks 3 days a week, there's no reason why I should have much homework to actually do at home. That way, when I do get home I'll have all kinds of crochet time. Not to mention time to help the kids with their homework.

Gideon is missing mama's cooking right about now. I talked to him yesterday and when I asked him if there was anything he needed, he started listing off all this food :D Bless his heart. Him and Isaac are still cleaning in that house. At this rate, I don't know if they'll be able to have their house warming party on the 10th or not. He's still plugging away at it though. I'm proud of him!

Empty Nest Blues

Well, it's official. Gideon came home today after the family reunion to get the rest of his clothes and his movies and video games. Apparently the house is ready and Gideon and Isaac are going to be able to spend their first night in their very own place tonight. It's been heartbreaking watching him go through the movies and packing up all his clothes. He'll be coming again to get his bed. He's going to borrow Stephen's sleeping bag while he's awaiting the availability of a truck to be able to haul his bed. I guess I'll have to get used to him not being around. Oh, well, kids have to grow up sometime.

Crochet Classes are almost ready!

I am so excited about teaching the crochet classes at Trainfest. I'm just about all set. I have a lesson plan and I'm now thinking of someone to practice on. I think it would be a good idea to practice. I'm going to be hunting out some balls of yarn and making sure that I have enough of the right colors (solid colors, light but not white) and the right weight. I'm also going to hunt out all of my hooks and pack up my extras with the yarn and stuff I intend to take. I want to have extra hooks in case I have some that didn't get or forgot to bring their own hooks

I read a post to my CrochetPartners group that asked for crochet instructions to use for teaching a beginner class. The answer than I read pointed out the Craft Yarn Council of America's "Each One Teach Two" program. Not only are there really good diagrams and instructions to use for a beginner crochet class, there is also a certificate to print out to give to the students. I am so excited about that. So not only will my beginning crochet students get a Ghoul Scout SWAP to take home with them, they will also get a certificate saying they successfully learned to crochet! Groovy :D

For my advanced beginner crochet class I'll need to do more prep. I've got a lesson plan and I want to practice it too. However, the project for that class is using plarn (cutting plastic grocery bags into strips to use as yarn) to make a water bottle holder. I thought about using different colors of bags for each ball of plarn I make, but Mama suggested using the different colors in each ball to make variegated, maybe even striping patterns. I need to hurry up and finish those necklaces so I can play around with that idea and see what I like.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to make the plarn-making a family affair. I know I can get Dorinda and Stephen to help with the folding and cutting. I might even be able to get Steve amd Stephen to help with the joining and then Steve, Gideon and Stephen to help with the winding.