The 14 Days of Homeschooling

THE 14 DAYS OF HOMESCHOOL

(written by an anonymous homeschool mom and her kids — Sing this to the tune of “THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS”)

On the first day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “Can you homeschool legally?”

On the second day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “Are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the third day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “Do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the fourth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “What about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the fifth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “YOU ARE SO STRANGE! What about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the Sixth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “How long will you home school, YOU ARE S0 STRANGE, what about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the seventh day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “Look at what they’re missing, how long will you home school, YOU ARE SO STRANGE!, what about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, do you homeschool legally?”

On the eighth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “Why do you do this, look at what they’re missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE, what about P.E. do you give them tests, are they socialized, do you homeschool legally?”

On the ninth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “They’ll miss the prom, why do you do this, look at what they’re missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE!, what about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, do you homeschool legally?”

On the tenth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “What about graduation, they’ll miss the prom, why do you do this, look at what they’re missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE!, what about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the eleventh day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “I could never do that, what about graduation, they’ll miss the prom, why do you do this, look at what they’re missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE, what about P.E. do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the twelfth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “Can they go to college, I could never do that, what about graduation, they’ll miss the prom, why do you do this, look at what they’re missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE, What about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the thirteenth day of homeschool I thoughtfully replied: “They can go to college, yes you can do this, they can have graduation, we don’t like the prom, we do it cuz we like it, they are missing nothing, we’ll homeschool forever, WE ARE NOT STRANGE!, We give them P.E., and we give them tests, they are socialized, AND WE HOMESCHOOL LEGALLY!“

On the fourteenth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “How can I get started, why didn’t you tell me, where do I buy curriculum, when is the next conference, WILL PEOPLE THINK WE’RE STRANGE? I think we can do this, if you will help us, can we join P.E. and we’ll home school legally.“

Crocheted Swedish Woven Heart

I have created my second original pattern. The first will never be written up, as I can't duplicate it. I am just not that good at filet crochet.

I will get a picture & the pattern posted asap.

Weasley Wizarding Wheezes Christmas Sampler

This group of knitted and crocheted food are part of a swap from swap-bot.com - Knit & Crochet Tasty Goodies. The recipient was also the co-ordinator and she said she was a fan of Harry Potter and loved miniature things. The candy cane is about 2 1/2" long to give you a bit of scale. I forgot to take a picture next to a coin.

Here is the text of the letter that I sent along with the "goodies".

Dear Molly,

Congratulations on being the recipient of the new Weasley Wizarding Wheezes Holiday sampler. This assortment of new W3 delights has been sent to you as a gift. Below, you will find a description of the new tasty treats and the resulting consequence of said morsels.

Merry Mint Creams : The eater frequently Ho Ho Hos for a period of 3 hours.

Red Reindeer Roll: The nose of the eater becomes a large round ball and glows with an inner red light for a period of 2 hours.

Plum Party Pudding: The eater becomes the life of the party, with random occurrences of the following: whistles of steam erupting from his/her ears, glowing eyes, uncontrollable urges to dance an Irish Jig, and produce mistletoe in order to kiss strangers. The effect lasts approximately 3 1/3 hours.

Frosty Candy Twist: The eater gains the power to chill glasses of pumpkin juice and butterbeer for a period of 1 hour.

Please tell all of your friends about this great new holiday gift. We are currently accepting pre-orders now.

Yours in jest,


CC
Delivery Specialist
Weasley Wizards Wheezes

Stripes or not...

Moms just informed me that she purchased a table-top loom for Christmas. I am excited to be getting it, as it will allow me to further my skills in the fiber arts. I won't be ready to try a spinning wheel for quite a long time - I'll leave that to Moms.

So, will this new, soon-to-receive addition, I thought dyeing my own yarn, spun by Moms of course, would be pretty interesting. I found this tutorial, which is more for knitting and crocheting, but who's to say I couldn't use the same technique to dye yarn for weaving.

You can check out the tutorial and learn something really cool! Thanks, Eunny!

Bent Objects

I have just been introduced to the coolest art blog. Terry is very talented and his work is really witty and whimsical! He is also a bit of a kindred spirit. I am looking forward to the publication of of his book. I KNOW I will buying it.

So, please check out Bent Object Art!

Going Batty!

Well, I can't post a picture of my bats until I find the cord for my digital camera. Until then, I'll "borrow" the original image.

Here is the link to the pattern, tho, from SweaterBabe: Little Bats

I'm doing it again!

I said that I wanted to take a break from swaps, since I have so much else to do. Well, I didn't listen to myself again! I just joined another swap. It's Knit & Crochet Tastey Goodies. Fortunately, my swap partner likes minitures, Harry Potter and rainbow colors & color graduations.

I have an idea of what to do, thankfully. Now, I just need to get it done, amid the million of others things I must do!

Hogwarts Swaps!

Since both of my swap partners have received their packages, I can freely post pictures of what I sent. One swap was for Hogwarts House Pride. The other was for Weasley Household Items.

The first picture is of Arnold, Ginny's pet Pigmy Puff; Pig (Pigwidgeon), Ron's pet owl and golden snitch knitting needle point protectors. Arnold & Pig went to Astra and the point protectors to Lindsey.

The second picture is of Arnold in his home - Arnold's Abode. I gave him a water dish, a crocheted sleeping mat and a piece of crocheted celery. (The real stuff would have rotted! - Yuck!)

The third picture is a close-up of Pig.

The fourth picture is of a cauldron containing "third-eye" filled chocolate candies and Ravenclaw stitch markers. Some of the candy was "charmed" to give the eater a temporary "third-eye" in the middle of their forehead. Astra got a cauldron and candy and Lindsey got the cauldron, candy and stitch markers.

I told Astra that the cauldron was a toy cauldron used my Ron & Ginny to copy their older brothers and not harm themselves in the process.

I told Lindsey that the cauldron was travel size and could enlarge and shrink with the appropriate charm.

The last picture is a close-up of the stitch markers. They are done in Ravenclaw colors (movie blue & silver) with an eye on the middle bead. The eyes watch out for the likes of Cornish Pixies who like to unravel or knot-up works. Lindsey got the markers and point protectors because she likes to knit.

The only item I did not photograph was a 3-D snowy owl I made out of paper. I named her Astra and said she was Cedric Diggory's pet owl. Cedric is the most famous Ravenclaw, was Hogwarts original Tri-Wizard tournament champion and was killed by Peter Petegrew on the old Riddle estate.

The swaps were fun, but I'm not going to do two in one month again! I had to make these at the same time I was making the crochet tote for my sil!

Whew!

Tubular Cast-On

Casting on stitches for sleeves and the like without using waste yarn has its advantages.

You can find a simple tutorial for this at FluffBuff.

Scroll down the page and you will see a quicktime movie of this technique.

William Tell Overture - A Mom's version

This video is too funny not to share! Even being a home educator, this rings so true. And will for a very long time!

Enjoy!!!

Weasley Household Items

I received these wonderful items from the Molly Weasley, by way of Astra at HarryPotterCrafts group.

I think Astra really zeroed into my personality when she sent this. I just laughed and laughed. I still smile when I look at my great magical cookbook.

Now, I just need to think of what to hide in it!

Expecto Patronum!

While pursuing completed works of craft for two swaps, I found a link to a quiz that would indicate your patronus. Well, I am surprised to say that mine would be an eagle! What an awesome animal!

My Patronus would be an Eagle!
Take this quiz!

BEWARE of the Bear!!!!!

My sil & bil have a dog named Bear. He is a great big teddy bear (or honey bear as my sil calls him). His pen has this great sign outside of it and I just had to take a picture of it. Bear can be seen on the lower left of the picture.

The $80 Tote

I made this tote for my sil. She had a baby girl, very healthy and so pretty!

This bag is for her, not just to be a baby bag. Unless she wants to use it as such. I wanted to give her a gift, as usually when a baby is born, almost all of the presents are for the newborn.

I made the bag out of Sugar 'N Cream yarn. I added rigidity by creating an inner shell of plastic mesh and then lined it with fabric. The response was fantastic. Both of my sils, including the one who had the baby, loved the bag.

The one who was not pregnant suggested I make them to sell. She commented she would pay $70 - $80 for one. Well, she won't have to, as she is getting one for her birthday. It made me, think, anyway.

(Another surprise was that my mil praised my work and suggested I make things to sell in craft shows before Christmas.

The pattern is free, found here. It was negotiated as being a free pattern from Lion Brand as it is included in the book HOOKED BAGS, from Creative Publishing international.

I left off the back pockets and the button clasp due to time.

The next one will be a dark brown base with light blue piping.

On to the next project! The work never ends!!!!

Baby Harp Seal

Here is a gift I just finished for my soon to be niece or nephew. My sil is expecting anytime in the next week or so.

I made it from Baby Homespun yarn, so it is washable and dryable. I also sewed on the eyes, nose and wiskers and the bow. I made every attempt to make sure this is as safe as possible for the baby. As an added benefit, the stuffing gets softer and a bit flufflier each time it is washed. Now, of course, the girls want one, too!

Machine Knitting for a Techie

Here is one of the coolest knitting machines I have ever seen. Now I do have an Incredible Sweater Machine from Bond, but I haven't even begun to master it. (Too many projects and way too little time!)

Well, here it is!

Knitting Scouts - Are you one?

I recently found a group to which I truly feel I belong - the Knitting Scouts! I've included my earned badges below to the right. Now, I just need to get them stitched and I can proudly wear them. Some are a bit out of my reach (thankfully!), and I'm sure there are more to come, but the irreverency of it all.....

Until such time, you can read more about what each means at the Knitting Scouts info area.

In case anyone has any doubts about the continuing popularity of knitting, then you should read this article by the Yarn Harlot (a TRULY best selling author of, yes, KNITTING books). It's humorous and soooo true! I just love how she calls non-knitters MUGGLES! *Harrry Pottter!*

Now, don't take that as a severe slam against non-knitters. I have several good friends who are such and I don't consider them Muggles. Muggles are meant to be more of a people who don't believe in the "community" of Magic as in J.K. Rowling's novels or Knitters as referred to by the Yarn Harlot.

Drape (no, not curtains!) and the correct hook size

This is a fantastic tutorial about drape and how the size of a crochet hook can have a dramatic effect on it. Plus, there is a definition of "drape" when dealing with clothing.

Hangin' Tough - A Highly Subjective Primer on Crochet Drape and Hook Size

I'll be reading this one over and over again!

Happy Hooking!

More on ITE IV

I got a message today in a comment from the recipient of the bag I knitted for the International Tote Exchange IV. I have copied and pasted her post from the ITE IV blog, just in case it gets lost on that site. I hope you don't mind, Kris!

"Better Late Than Never!

Thank you, CC! I received this bag a month ago, but just recently had time to take pictures with a borrowed camera(I'd love to get myself a new one soon!), and I'm home from traveling. What a great bag this is! It's so soft, roomy, and lined with a dark blue marbled cotton fabric that coordinates with the color scheme. It's sturdy, and I love it. :) Again, thank you, CC!
CC also sent some lovely Mosaic FX yarn, a crocheted coin purse (I'll be using it to hold knitting accessories), Mary Kay Embrace Fragrance Mist, and Lip Gloss, along with a great Manicure and Pedicure Set. I've been spoiled, and thank you so much, CC!!!!"

I'm so glad she likes it. It was a bit bothersome for me to create, being my first tote, and all. And I was a bit worried that she either didn't get it or didn't like it. Now I know the answer to both.

I feel good enought about this exchange that I think I will do more in the future.

When Pigs Fly .....

I found a cute free pattern the other day and just couldn't resist making it up. I've given one to my dh so he can take it to work. He can show it to people who want him to do the impossible. His response, of course, can be "When pigs fly ...." Besides, he's so cute!!!

I think I'll also make some for Christmas gifts.

Follow the link if you want to make one of your own. It took me less than a day to do it.

Aerial Pig

It's A Winner!

My filet Phaleonopsis won a blue ribbon! And, even better, it was awarded a rosette for Best of Original Art! Wow! I didn't expect this and I'm a bit overwhelmed. What great news after the events of the past few days. Something nice to get before going under the knife.

OOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!

Thursday I was hit with a stabbing pain in my lower abdomen at about 3 AM. It was so bad that I couldn't sit upright or even stand upright. I was able to find a semi-comfortable position and dozed for about 2 hours. When the doctor's office opened I called and made an appointment.

After being seen by a partner of our general practitioner, I was informed that the pain was probably diverticulitus or appendicitis. I was sent to another facility to have a CAT scan. Oh, that barium drink tastes so horrible!

The results of the tests confirmed that I did, indeed, have acute appendicitis. So, if was off to the hospital I went. Thank heavens for drugs! I was finally able to lay down without feeling like I was being stabbed.

The illness was caught in the early stages, so now all I need to do is recouperate. Oh, I hurt! Thank God for vicodin!

Moms is gracious enough to stay in town to help me and the girls.

It was a blessing from God that my parents were in town when this illness struck.

Too bad the doctor wasn't willing to remove the excess fat or even tie the tubes while he was in there. And instead of getting the appendix in a jar, I got some pictures of my insides. I won't be posting those!

The marvels of modern medicine.....

I'm off to take more pain pills and then to bed.

My first fair entry

My parents are taking the filet Phaleonopsis Orchid, my original design, entering it into the Orchid Show at the Indiana State Fair tomorrow. I hope that it is well received! I'm a bit nervous.

Harry Potter! (and knitting, too!)

I saw the movie, and it was awesome! I went to a theater that showed it in IMAX, with the 20 battle scene in 3D!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH, it was great! It really felt like you were in the movie and could reach out and really touch the thestrals.

Many people (mainly crafters) have commented about the knitted/crocheted items in the film. Most notable was the shrug worn by the character Luna Lovegood.

A pattern for a really close look-alike item can be found here:
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=184172.0

I think I have also discovered the stitch that was used to create Luna's sweater for the battle scene. I won't disclose it yet, as I want to try a swatch first and then attempt to create the sweater itself.

I'm also looking for pictures of the hats, scarves, sweaters & hoodies found in the film.

Remember,
"You're as sane as I am." - Luna Lovegood

My ITE IV tote

I received this package from my partner in the International Tote Exchange IV. What a wonderful surprise!

Filet crochet, not mignon or sole

This is partially so I don't lose this info, but also in case anyone would want it. (Not that anyone reads my blog but me.) :-(

For Filet Crochet: to calculate length of foundation,count numbers of square in row 1,multiply by 3 anad add one more to ch

Mallard

I have added a link on the right side under Home Education to a site that has some Mallard Fillmore comic strips. These pertain to Home Schoolers and the current NEA (National Educators Association) opinions about parents taking their children's education into their own hands.

Enjoy!

ITE Knitted Bag

Here is the knitted bag I made for the International Tote Exchange. The pattern is from the June issue of Simple Knitting.I made some modifications, due to the yarn I was using. It called for wool, and since I am allergic.....

I added a surprise - photochromic buttons. They change colors from white to purple. She said she likes color, but not neons, and likes textures. I hope the recipient likes it!

The Age of Consent in Indiana is 14 as of July 1, 2007!!!!!!!

'Romeo and Juliet' law starts
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070709/LOCAL/707090367

I have been out of town and so I missed this if it was in the Indy Star paper. My dh told me to turn on the O'Reilly Factor on Fox News this evening to see a blurb about this law. I could not believe that it went into effect on July 1! I am outraged!!!! Did anyone see this in the paper? The article was actually written for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. It has been distributed via the Associated Press, but not very widely. I feel that this law requires action on our part as parents, as this portion of the law simply encourages our young people to be sexual active without the possiblity of consequences.

I am composing a letter to our congressmen to protest this law and request its amendment. This may not do much good as the law was passed 98-2 on the 3rd reading reading in the Indiana House http://www.ai.org/legislative/bills/2007/PDF/Hrollcal/0313.PDF.pdf and 44 to 5 in the Indiana Senate http://www.ai.org/legislative/bills/2007/PDF/Srollcal/0402.PDF.pdf .

After reading the bill itself, it is evident that this is a line-item addition to a bill that has some very important changes. Most of the legislators probably were either willing to allow this addition to pass in order to get the rest of the items in to law or were ignorant of its inclusion.

It is so sad to see another reason why our society is out of whack and that we need to be so vigilant for our children's well-being.

I'm off my soap box now.

Crochet-based Economy

I read this blog entry from one of my fav email lists, Crochet Partners, and I just had to respond! I have copied my response below, but in the interest of the rights of intellectual property, I request you click on the link to read the original post to the blog.

http://crochet.craftgossip.com/the-proper-care-and-feeding-of-the-crochet-based-economy/2007/07/09/

Here is my response:

"I am so glad I am not a traitor to the cause! One project at a time?!? Blasphemy!!!

For those of us cross-breeds (both knitters and crocheters), I would add NAS = Needle Acquisition Syndrome as well as the general NAAS = Needlework Accessory Acquisition Syndrome, we can't forget all those lovely gadgets that help us create our works of love, if not, art. BAS (as stated by Bonnie) and FIPAS (Free Internet Pattern Acquisition Syndrome) I would freely include in the PAS, lest we get too confused by too many abbreviations.

And, on the topic of ecology, many of us also recycle those grocery bags to use in projects. Plus, we have encouraged yarn manufacturers to create yarns with other such renewable resources as corn, soy, bamboo, sari fabric, etc. Yeah for us needleworkers who assist in the global economy as well!

This is not to forget those independent designers, who have been encouraged to create more patterns to feed our addiction. And several of those designers have become published as a result of the internet and our societal needleworkers support.

And then those ball winders, that necessity to aid us in keeping order of our stash. Or, at least, attempted order. Plus the act of winding can be meditative, as well, as addictive.

And for the computer programs, we also need them to keep a list of our WIP, WIM and to aid us in calculations and conversions. So, computer programmers are a portion of *another* industry we support.

You are so right! Without us crocheters (and knitters, too!) our economy, as well as our society in general, would completely collapse!

Thank you for putting into words what so many of us feel!

Happy Hooking!"


Oh, and I forgot to include this comment from the CP list:

"LOL JD too funny but you forgot we also help with the housing boom
because as George Carlin says we need stuff, then a place to put our
stuff, then more stuff to put our stuff in, then a bigger house so we
can go out and buy MORE STUFF!

The blessed Law of Stuff!"

Here's Fluffy!

This is Sammie, our 1 yo Maltepoo. We rescued her from a bad situation.

I'm finally done!

I finished all 12 scarves and mittens for the bears. Here is a picture of the finished project. They kids really like them and the people at BBW said they had never seen anything so cute.

The way of life...

Well, Momma Duck has abandoned the nest. I found an egg in the driveway yesterday and carefully put it back in the nest in the hopes that she had just left for food. Today, I found the nest disturbed again and the egg gone. So, no baby duck for us.

The girls are sad, but it is a good lesson in life.

Wildlife outside my door

We have a "hopefully" momma duck making a nest in the garden in our front yard. She has been in the same place off and on for several days now. Maybe we will get to see some ducklings in the future!

It's an original!

I've created and completed my first crochet project. It is a filet design of a phaleanopsis orchid. Please let me know what you think about it.

I'm hoping to enter it into a few orchid shows, the big one being the Indiana State Fair this summer.

Have a blessed day!

A Beginning

Well, after 12+ years online, I've finally entered the world of Blogs, so please bear with me.

This blog will be about what is going on in my world, especially my crafting.

My current craft obsessions are crocheting and knitting, especially toys and animals. My favorite designers are Alan Dart and Jean Greenhowe, both from The British Isles. Jean's website is http://www.jeangreenhowe.com . Alan doesn't have a website, per say. But, if you do a search on his name, you can find his patterns. I also recommend "The World of Knitted Toys" by Kath Demeny.