Fall

I very much enjoy fall. Yesterday I went to the post office downtown and got to drive through some of the neighborhoods near downtown. I like those neighborhoods. There are places where the houses are not so nice, but for the most part (at least where I was yesterday), the houses are well-maintained. And they're not in a subdevelopment, so they have individual characters and it makes them more interesting to look at. There are lots of trees that have been there for a long time, and they're all changing colors and are gorgeous to look at. The wind and the rain yesterday caused a lot of the leaves to fall off, so the trees are getting more and more bare. But the colorful carpets of leaves that cover the lawns and sidewalks make me smile. I also like that once I finish a knitting project, I can wear it immediately. The weather is now appropriate for knitwear. I've been wearing my wool socks, now that I have a few pairs that I can wear frequently. I forgot to post a picture of the socks that I finished most recently. I like them. They're the perfect fall socks.


The pattern is Monkey by Cookie A, and I've lost the band, so I don't remember the brand or colorway of the yarn. I love the socks, though. I finished them last week, and wore them the next day. I also wore them again yesterday. They're even better after a washing.

I finished my flip-top mittens, too. They didn't take very long. I wore them today for the first time. It was chillier this morning than yesterday, so I thought it was perfect for a trial run. They kept my fingers nice and toasty, and I had the benefit of being able to flip back the top to use my fingers as necessary. They only issue I have with them is when I picked up stitches across the back of the hand to knit the flip-top part, I didn't go all the way to the outside edge on either one. It's not a huge deal, and if it really bothers me I can tack the edge down with a darning needle and extra yarn. But, for making them up on the fly, and the first pair of flip-top mittens I've ever made, I think they're pretty good.



I've also been making yummy things. Yesterday I baked pumpkin bread. I found a lower calorie recipe on allrecipes.com. I ended up using a whole cup of buttermilk (well, sour milk, actually) by accident. I soured a whole cup of milk and intended to only use half (and save the other half for the next time I make it). But, without thinking, I dumped the whole thing in. It turned out fine, though. I didn't even have to extend the baking time. It's very moist, and tastes great. I had two pieces last night and three so far today. I'm currently making apple butter. It's done in the slow cooker, so it takes quite a while. Slicing and peeling a 5 lb. bag of apples takes a while. The apples have to cook for about 12 hours total, so it'll be done around 10:00 tonight. Hopefully it's worth all the effort! I have a few more recipes to try in the next couple of days. We'll see how those turn out, too.

Endings and Beginnings

I finally finished the argyll kilt hose I had been working on. Here is the finished object:

I actually finished them on Sunday. They have been blocked, but took nearly all day Monday to dry completely. I haven't quite made it to the post office yet to get them sent off. My guilt over that is assuaged by my suspicion that I've contracted the ever popular H1N1 flu and that I shouldn't be in public. My days of illness have given me lots more knitting time. The raging headache and general malaise makes practicing a non-event, so I've been watching shows on Hulu and knitting. Kind of a lot. And mostly for me. I have been working on the finishing details of Katrina's sweater. The ruffle collar takes an eternity to get through one row. And it's 11 rows. Normally, that would seem easy. But each row takes about an hour to get through. No joke. So, it's slowly progressing. Plus (sorry, Katrina), I'm feeling selfish. I want to knit things for me. Here's what I've got so far:

The first picture is the back of a sweater I've started for me. It's simple...stockinette stitch, nothing fancy. But I have a feeling I'll wear it a lot once it's done. The second project, as you might be able to tell, is a mitten. It'll be one of those convertible, flip-top mittens. I've got the main body of the hand finished, I'm currently on the thumb, then I need to do the flip-top part. This will be perfect for the winter since they'll keep my fingers warm, but I'll still be able to use my iPhone without having to remove an entire glove.

Observations

1. When I have several things going on, I blog much less.

2. I'm really tired of working on these argyll kilt hose. These ones are small and I'm over halfway done with the second sock. But I want them done, and I want them done now. I have other projects that I would like to work on, and Christmas gifts to get started. I did finish the green kilt hose and delivered them to their owner in Portland a week and a half ago. I actually dropped them off at his wife's store, as he and his wife were out of town that weekend. I haven't heard how he likes them, but I think they turned out pretty well.


3. I think the cold makes me tired more. Since the weather turned I've been a lot more tired. That, or I'm still getting used to my new schedule. I'm teaching the 5th grade strings classes at a few schools, and I have to be there by 7:20 am. That's early for me. I'm not a morning person. Maybe it's just that getting up early on a regular basis makes me more sleepy, even if I go to bed on time. Also, I have a headache today, which doesn't help with feeling tired. And before you ask, yes, I take my vitamins and as far as I know I'm getting sufficient levels of iron.

That's all for today...nothing too fascinating.

Blessings

Yesterday I went to EWU for the last time (at least as a student). I returned everything that I needed to return and went to Records and Registration to withdraw from classes. I've told everyone that needed to know that I'm not coming back. This morning I actually spoke to the conductor of the orchestra there. He was very upset about the situation and how it was handled. But he totally agrees with my decision and is supportive of my decision to withdraw and pursue other options. While I was sure I had made the right decision, it's still nice to have outside confirmation. Since the decision has been made it seems like blessings have been coming our way. I've decided that I'm going to focus on two things for the immediate future: 1) practicing and working on building up my music career through auditions, performances, and teaching, and 2) working on creating more income through our business. Both of those things have been working out really well, and it's been less than a week since I've made the decision. I've had appointments already and have some coming up and I'm sure I'll get orders out of those meetings. I've been contacted by two different people to perform at their events (one at Macy's Northtown in October and one for a wedding in November). Today I received a call from the Coeur d'Alene School District asking if I would be interested in teaching the beginning strings class at one of the elementary schools. I'm going to email them my resume and meet with them later this week to see what we can make happen there. Now, nothing is confirmed yet, but I have a good feeling about all this. I'm truly blessed to have all these good things happening in the wake of a troubling situation and a husband who supports me through everything.

Pulling the Plug

As at least some of you know, my experiences at EWU lately have been less than satisfactory.

Let me start at the beginning.

This time last year I began the first year of the Master's program at Eastern Washington University with an emphasis in performance. I came in with the understanding that I would be working with the same teacher for the two years of my program. In performance degrees at the collegiate level, but especially at the Master's level and beyond, the program is often selected based on what teacher you will be working with. When I originally expressed interest in EWU, I took a lesson from the violin professor on faculty, I liked him, so I decided to go through with enrolling. Unbeknownst to me, the University had already decided not to renew his contract after the 2008-2009 school year. I found out through the grape vine during the first week of classes that my teacher wasn't going to be there for the duration of my program. When I confronted the Department Chair with this information, he lied to my face and said nothing had been decided yet. I was informed the next day by someone else that it had been decided, and that what I had been told originally was correct - my teacher would only be there for the first year of my program. I requested to be included in the search process for the new teacher, was assured I would be, and left to my own devices.

They did not begin the search until sometime in the spring, brought three people in over the summer to interview, and I was included in that process. I took lessons from all three candidates and provided my feedback to the commitee. Unfortunately, someone from the department sent an improper email to one of the candidates, the candidate complained to the University, and the search was cancelled. So, they're hiring someone temporary for the Fall Quarter, restarting the search to have someone permanent by Winter Quarter, and they're hoping it will be the same person they were on the verge of making an offer to previously.

So, this means that I would be having three teachers in a two year program.

The private teacher is the most important component of a performance program.

Does anyone else see a problem here?

I've been trying for the past month to work with the department to make the best of a horrible situation. I proposed that they hire me as a grad assistant for the Fall Quarter to handle the duties of the violin professor position. I meet the basic minimum requirements for the position as advertised, and am more than capable of teaching the current violin and viola students as well as the string techniques class. Out of this deal I would get more money and the right to work with a mutually agreed upon instructor for the academic year. They decided that this was not the greatest idea. Instead they told me I would have to take from whoever they managed to wrangle into the position (my words, not theirs), and that I should "look at it as the glass half-full." They also informed me they would allow me to teach the string techniques class in the fall. It would be great experience, they said. When I asked how much they were going to give me to teach the class, they said, "Nothing." So, they want me to do more work this year for less money. Does anyone else find that to be absurd? This is a class normally taught by full time faculty, and they want me to voluntarily teach it for free. I informed the chair that I don't work for free, and that I could use the time spent teaching the class teaching actual paying students. Frankly, I'm insulted that they even suggested that. I was further informed that allowing me to take lessons from a teacher of my choosing and still receiving credit from the University for it would, "set a bad precedent," and proceded with a ridiculous slippery slope argument. (I've noticed over the years that most of those slippery slopes never happen in real life, because we don't live in a ridiculously hypothetical universe, but maybe that's just me.)

Anyway, my scholarship money is severely reduced from last year, I don't have an acceptable situation with a teacher there, and they have no respect for me as a person or a professional. They, and the Department Chair in particular, seem to think that I'm a freshman who has no idea about the world at all. I wouldn't say my experience is vast, but I've done the college thing before. I pay my bills. I am, in fact, older than most of the Master's students. Most of them are 22 or 23 and I am 26. I have an entire professional life outside of the University. Nevertheless, they expect me to be grateful for whatever crap they decide to dole out to me. I'm not acruing that much more student loan debt for a substandard program. It's just not worth it. So, I have a few more things to wrap up, and then I will be officially withdrawing from the University next week, probably on Monday.

It actually feels good to have made a decision. I don't have to worry about it anymore and can spend my time focusing on other things, like the two gigs and audition that I have coming up in the next week and a half.

Finished!

I finished my first pair of commissioned kilt hose! I finished the argylls first because the dancer who they are for has a competition this Saturday, so I've been working on them exclusively this week so I could get them done in time. And I did. I will deliver them tomorrow afternoon. Here is a photo of the finished project:
This is a pre-wash photo...they're having a bath now, and I will soon take them out and lay them out to dry. The colorwork should be more even and the yarn softer after the bath.

Works in Progress

Life, or at least my life, seems to be a string of works in progress. I constantly have a few knitting projects on the needles, I'm pretty much always working on one piece or another musically, and relationships are constantly evolving and need attention in order to flourish. All works in progress. This isn't a bad thing. If anything, it's a good thing. It means that I'm growing, learning, exploring...all necessary to a full, enjoyable life. Stagnation would be so sad. So, I'm glad there's always something new to do or learn or experience. Right now I have several works in progress. I'm preparing to audition for the substitute personnel list for the Spokane Symphony on September 24. I also have two weddings to play this month, one this Saturday, and one on September 26.

Knitting wise, I have five projects in progress by my count. The two pairs of kilt hose that have been commissioned, the two pairs of socks I started while waiting for the yarn to come in for the commissioned hose, and Katrina's sweater. I still need to put the sleeves in and do the collar. Sorry, Katrina, for taking so long. I promise I'll get it done.

I have made significant progress on the kilt hose. I have the first sock done of the heather green ones (minus weaving in the ends). The annoying thing about this sock is that I thought I would have enough yarn in two balls to complete the sock, but I was about three rows plus the grafting short of a full sock. I did order five balls of yarn for the pair, to be on the safe side, and I'm glad I did. Here is a picture of the completed sock on my leg. It does not fit me well at all. The foot is about two inches too long, the leg is way too long, and it wouldn't stay up for long if I tried walking around in them. This is all as it should be, since they're for a man with feet two inches longer than mine. But it looks better on a leg, even a too small leg, than it does just lying limp on the floor.

Close up detail of the cuff:

The first sock of the pair of argyll hose is coming along. I have nearly all of the ends woven in and have seamed down the back and started the heel. I still need to finish the foot and sew down the hem on the cuff, as well as weaving in the last few ends once that's all done. It does look a bit silly right now, though.

The front:

The back:

Here is a picture of the clippings after weaving in about half the ends:

In an earlier post I postulated that I might get an entire pair of socks done before the yarn arrived for the kilt hose. This is true, and not true at the same time. While I was knitting the sock I had started at the Highland Games, which was a toe-up sock, I had the urge to make a top-down sock. So, I got out the yarn that I bought a year and a half ago when my mom and I went to Spokane on a yarn shopping tour, and started another pair of socks in a popular pattern called Monkey by the designer Cookie A. I finished both the toe-up sock and the top-down sock, but then the yarn came, and I haven't finished their mates. Here are the photos:

The Evergreen Sock (toe-up)

Monkey sock 1

Monkey sock 2 (or at least the cuff)

So while only two projects are actually on the needles, I technically have five in process. Katrina's sweater is not much further along than previous pictures (the body is sewn together now), so I won't post more of that until it's finished (whenever that may be).