Friday, May 06, 2005

No More Pencils!...

No More Books!
No More Teachers' DIRTY LOOKS!

Yippee!! It's SUMMERTIME!!!

I've been doing the Happy Dance* since half-way through the knife skills test on Wednesday. I was really doing the Happy Dance when I went downstairs after the final on Thursday and there was nothing left to clean in the labs and I got to go home. I think I got a high B on my knife skills test (which is pretty good considering how much I practiced) and I probably got an A on the final. I did, however, get a B on my workbook because I didn't have about four pages done. Nevermind that we were to do two chapters a week, there were 14 weeks of class, and 36 chapters. But now I never have to take another class from that imbecile again; I don't care what the consequences are. [Fun fact: Two weeks ago we were supposed to do teacher evaluations. He just didn't give them to us. Ever. Do you think he should be fired for this? Discuss.]

Today I went to the laundromat** to do laundry. And instead of doing homework, which I have done faithfully since January, you'll never guess....yes, kids, I knitted! I got to knit for something over an hour. It made me feel good to be in my skin. However, I don't have anything to show for it. I've been on a quest for the quintessential cast-on for a 2x2 rib. Here's what I've tried:

1. Last night I tried the Tubular Cast-on for 2x2 Rib from Montse Stanley's book. It worked, but I didn't like it for this yarn or project. It was a little bulky and thick. Maybe in a thinner yarn or a squooshier yarn. But not cotton.
2. I tried the simple tubular cast on in M.S. again, and just tried knitting it 2x2. It didn't work. I didn't really expect it to, but thought I'd give it a try.
3. Today at the laundromat I tried a knitted cast-on. It failed miserably. Way too loose. In fact, M.S. has a picture of 1x1 rib and how inappropriate the knitted cast on is, but I didn't bring the book to the laundromat.
4. I tried calling Gwen to see if she could find a reference to help me while I was stranded book-less at the laundromat. She wasn't home, so that didn't work.
5. I tried an alternating cable cast-on, but it was terrible.
6. I tried a long-tail cast on with some alternating stuff going on. It's been trial-and-error, but I'm on the right track. It works best if you make sure to keep the tail as the loop part and the ball end forming the stitches on the needle. I've only gotten as far as casting on this way, and when I've knitted a few rows I'll take a picture if I feel it's acceptable. I may even make a tutorial if I'm really happy with it. It seems that 1x1 rib is easy and there are a million ways to do it, but 2x2 is the devil's spawn.

*I spent about five minutes trying to figure out a way to make an animated thing of me doing the Happy Dance, but decided the time was better spent knitting.

**[Fun Fact: Blogger thinks the word "laundromat" should be capitalized. Discuss]

[Another Fun Fact: My last boss thinks that when you add an 's' to the end of a word to make it plural, you should also add an apostrophe. Discuss.]

3 comments:

jenifleur said...

Teach should be fired. Obvious disregard for policy and he knows he'd get bad reviews. Cripes, people are PAYING to take his classes. However, school must realize he didn't do it, so....?

laundromat is so skeevy and lowly I don't think it deserves to be capitalized even when it is at the beginning of a sentence-just to show it how undeserving it is. Don't take advice from blogger, blogger is a tard.

My husband agrees with your boss. They're both WRONG. Hub's argument: everyone does it so it's okay. I would argue against that except that's how 1/3 LESS calories came to be proper english over 1/3 fewer. No lie.

And can I say WOOT Beth Is Back! And she hits us with another technical post first thing. This is why you were chosen for the most helpful award. You WILL find the answer. And share it. Go You!

Vicki said...

~You should at least tell someone at the school. Aren't those things like requirements and all? He's probably filling a bunch out himself to look good.

~Maybe laundromat is like kleenex? I'm just trying to make sense of it, ya know.

~ Your boss was nuts. How'd he make it through, like, 3rd grade? lol

Congrats on your freedom. I'm rediculously jealous!!

Gwen said...

I think I would let someone know at the school that you didn't get a chance to evaluate him.

I'm excited about the big chop. Sorry I won't be able to be there on Weds due to work travel. Yuck!

Sorry I wasn't home this afternoon. I was out shopping with Kelly and the little one. She's a cutie. It's hard to get service anywhere because all anyone wants to do is make faces at her.

Gwen