Thanks to Courtney, I just spent the last 4 minutes assessing what should I know about Human Anatomy & Physiology:

I named 17 organs in 4 minutes!

In all fairness - I named WAY more than the 17 this quiz gave me credit for. I think I was only missing 6 according to the quiz. I named 'skin' - it is the largest organ of the human body, yet it didn't count. I named veins - yup, that counted, but arteries did not. The small intestine and large intestine were combined as 'intestines'. I typed in 'adrenal gland', when the quiz only accepted 'adrenals'. This was a fun way to spend 4 minutes & a great way to avoid doing laundry.

When you don't have a regular table - a wooden sock blocker works just fine! I'm writing the line-up rotation for the U-8 soccer team I coach on Saturdays.

On the knitting front:

I'm almost finished with sleeve #1 of the Central Park Hoodie - I had to rip back about 17 rows to fix a hole and a cable. I'm waiting for my knit picks 60" cable so I can pick up the button band ribbing all along the hood and both fronts. The pattern calls for picking up half of the stitches at a time, but I think a continuous band from the bottom right all the way over to the left front would look so much nicer. It's running a bit small, so I think I'm going to add a zipper rather than buttons - that should give me an additional inch.

I'm beginning some Christmas knitting as well - a hat for hubby in the colors of the high school where he works, as well as some hats and mittens for my children's teachers. I can't believe it's already the middle of November - time sure does fly.

On the soccer front: My knees are holding up & I'm enjoying being back in the game. Last night I played as a sub for an over-30 league. This league plays small sided games (4 v 4 + goalie) on the small end zones of our large inside field. It was way more relaxed & fun - you actually had to worry about touch on the ball & technique rather than speed and strength. As a result - I scored 2 goals & had one assist in our 4 - 1 victory. Now - why can't I do that in my regular league games?

Winter has arrived here in Southcentral AK - last weekend we went ice skating at Potters March - a large wetland perfect for skating when it's frozen & there isn't an appreciable accumulation of snow. Here Iain & some friends are showing off the fish they caught. - They broke open a hole in the ice & just scooped it out. Iain is wearing the mink hat his Iain is wearing the mink hat his Oba (Japanese word for grandmother - she's my stepmother) made for him.

Stay warm & knit on. Off to soccer games #2 & #3 for the weekend. I hope there are more goals left in my shoes!

Summer is Over...

Yes - it's true. Summer has officially come to an end; if you are a teacher within the Anchorage School District. I know we get no sympathy from non-teachers, but going back to work after a long summer hiatus is still a shock to the system. I'm using that for my excuse for not blogging more this week & lack of any true knitting progress. Today was day #2 back at work - an 'inservice' day where teachers have mandatory meetings, trainings, etc. Like any occupation - some meetings, etc. are more beneficial/interesting than others. Today was no exception. One of the great things about the school where I teach & the department I'm in is our Weekly meeting at the local watering hole/pizzeria "The Moose's Tooth". Ahh - what fun to gather w/colleagues/friends & share a pint (or two). A good way to end day #2 of work.

Here's where I am on the knitting front:
I've made it to the gusset on the Jungle Stripe - 2 at a time - socks. That was the adventure, let me tell you! I was working in bed & just too comfy to jump up & search on the internet for the best way to pick up stitches along the gusset for 2 at a time socks. I quickly realized that when you turn the heel, you have to do one at a time since you work back and forth. That was no problem. The gusset was a bit more tricky, since I don't think I picked up stitches in the right order. So - I had to transfer stitches of the 2nd sock, albeit briefly, to a 2nd circ, pick up those gusset stitches & then put it back on the original needle. This was a bit unorthodox, but it seemed to work. So - just a few more decreases & then the foot & I'll be done with the pair. I still love thinking about that. I recently joined Monkey Sock Swap 3 (There's still time to join if your are interested) & am considering making the Monkey socks on one circular as well - guaranteed to finish a pair at the same time! :0)

I have been making progress on the 'Cindy' sweater. I finished the left side arm & started working on the right when I became concerned about how the 'V' was formed. So - I revisited the Yarn Branch where I originally saw the sweater made up. My 'V' is correct - hooray!
But... I apparently misunderstood the directions. If you look along the arm hole, you'll see a series of CR3 & CRL. When I looked at the made up sweater in the store, it only had a few of these & they didn't run all the way up the arm hole. Hmm... Now if the photo on the pattern would have been more clear about showing more of the details instead of the nifty necklace she's wearing, then maybe I could have avoided this error. Well - I'm just going to call it a new 'Design Feature'. I hope it doesn't affect the shape too much & that when I knit the sleeves, they actually fit. Arghhh... I am planning on singing up for a finishing class that is held in September to seam it together.

Well -