Why I Knit

I had a pretty crappy day today.

So here's what's healing me: big yarn on big needles, round and round in stockinette. I think I'm making a cowl to keep someone warm this winter.



I've covered myself with a blanket I made and I'm listening to public radio. I've got some hot tea brewing. All of this, and the rain falling outside, are helping.

I'm feeling warm. And healed.

In Which I Start Out Strong But Still Leave Out Any Craft-Related Content

I started a little redwork embroidery based on this pattern last weekend.

That's it. That's all I've got related to any craft activity. And my camera's broken. So if you were hoping for any crafting excitement, sorry. I just disappointed you.

But-let-me-just-tell-you-what. I have learned, this week, about Jaques Derrida and deconstruction.

Now, wouldn't you think that an English student in a major state university would have heard of this guy before, well, she had been taking classes for six years?

Well I had not.

And I find it almost insulting to think that, because I was a creative writing major, the aforementioned university felt that I didn't need to know about major methods in literary criticism and thought. Shouldn't writers, more than anybody else, know what is going on in writing, and why, and how?

Now I'm an English literature student in a non-major state university. And gosh, am I learning.

I don't know that I particularly like Derrida. Maybe I do. I'll let you know. As soon as I understand it...

So, there's a digression onto some literary territory. Next post I'll try to get back to something more craft-related.

Maybe.

I'm Alive!

I'm not sure where I am, it's either driving: to school or from school, or to work or home from work, or to Andy's or home from Andy's.

Or I might be at a baseball game, like last night (Come on Rangers!).

But I promise, I'm thinking of crafting! And there's a long lonely weekend ahead.

So stay posted!

Words, Words, Everywhere

Today I have learned so much about captivity narratives and New Criticism and David Hume and Edmund Burke that my mind is full of language.

You've seen this before. We've all seen this before, but I am tired and fresh out of class and it struck me as a good sentiment:

"Take your needle, my child, and work at your pattern; it will come out a rose by and by. Life is like that; one stitch at a time taken patiently." --Oliver Wendell Holmes

I shall embroider it onto a pillow.

Maybe tomorrow.

Tonight, I go to bed with the good kind of exhaustion. I am accomplishing a lot these days.

Flowers for School

See what was delivered to me at work today:



Andy scores again. He's the best. :-)

Introducing Shannah the English Major

Yesterday morning I left the house at 6:30 A.M., and I took my pink, purple, blue and brown spotted backpack filled with books, and I stopped for a tall non-fat no-whip Mocha from Starbucks, and I parked in the parking lot at my new university, and I was off!

I went to my first class, which is canceled for two weeks while the professor leads some sort of governmental emergency mission in Alaska. Not canceled in the sense that he didn't leave us any work to do, but canceled in the sense that I don't have to actually GO to the class for two weeks. I think this is a positive.

So I walked about campus, fiddled around in the student union, checked out the library, and sat out in the sun.

My second and third class were with the same professor, in the same room. I have American Lit and a kind of "baby theory" English class that I probably should have fought harder to get out of. Except: I'm really excited about both of them; they look interesting, and who doesn't need a good and thorough review when they've been out of school for two years?

Then I went to work.

Then I went back to school and faced what will probably end up being my most terrifying class to date. Literary Criticism. Part 2. My professor is vintage--she's been teaching at my school for forty years. She believes that she is doing us a great favor by ripping our papers apart. She loves Heidegger. She wishes the semester was only Heidegger, but they required she teach other things. She hopes that we will have great in depth discussions in class. For class on Thursday we'll cover selections from David Hume and Edmund Burke. Some light reading. As for last night's class period? I took four pages of notes.

Well, look here. I'm already learning! :)

Check List

New Notebook. Check!
Fresh Notebook paper. College Ruled. Check!
Unused dividers. Check!
New Box of pens and pencils. Check!
New highlighters. Check!
Sticky Notes, pop up tabs. Check!
New backpack. Check!

School books. Check!

Dining room table turned into desk/workstation. Check!

House cleaned? Yes.
Papers sorted? Yes.
Clothes washed? Yes.
Backpack packed? Yes.
Lunch packed? Yes.
Coffee ready for one-button punch in the morning? Yes.

Well, I think I'm ready for school tomorrow. (Now, where did I put the car keys?)