Technical Difficulties

My computer had been acting funny for a few days - it forgot how to start up, but once it figured it out it worked fine. Well, now it's in the shop. That means that the pictures and things that I hadn't gotten around to editing and posting are temporarily unavailable (although they should be fine and I should be able to access them when I get the computer back), and I don't have some of the programs that I am used to, or files. The good news is that (1) it made it through the semester and all the projects that I was working on for classes were done and turned in and (2) a friend gave us his old computer, and we are not without one while waiting for the other one to be repaired. If you are reading this (you know who you are) thanks!!! So, this computer is supposed to be Mark's and the other one is mine (but who knows what mixing and matching might happen), and we will become a two-computer family. Cool, huh?

This is the last week of the semester, and I only have one final left (on Friday). Then I should have a little bit of free time until January. That just might mean more blogging time.

I have my schedule for Spring Semester:

• Linguistics 4100 - The Study of Language
• Linguistics 4900 - Analysis of Cross-Cultural Difference
• Psychology 3110 - Health Psychology
• Psychology 5910 - Independent Research

I've always been interested in linguistics, and in fact I have some background in that subject through a prior linguistics class and a lot of my communicative disorders course work applies also. These will be real live, in person classes! They are being offered here mainly for the benefit of teachers in the public schools, but I got permission to join in. Health Psychology is by satellite. I'll find out in January if there is anyone else enrolled in the class at this site. And 5910 is a continuation of the same research project I have been working on this semester.

Since this has been primarily a knitting blog, I suppose I should talk about knitting at least occasionally, shouldn't I? Since finishing the shawl I have not started another big project. I swatched for the sweater I want to make for Jonathan, but haven't gotten any farther than that. And I have been making small items that I can finish quickly. Some of them will be Christmas gifts, and others just mainly gave my hands something to do.

If you need an easy and fast knitting idea, hand warmers are great but here's one that is even easier and faster - headbands! The simplest way to knit a headband is simply to cast on enough stitches to make it as wide as you like, knit in garter stitch until it will fit around your head (or whoever's head you want it to fit), stretched. Then bind off, picking up one of the cast on stitches with each stitch on the last row and knitting them off together. Or you could just bind off and sew it. Add a twist if you like. Another joining option would be to use the figure-8 cast on and finish with three-needle bind off. As with anything, the possibilities really are endless. I have knitted headbands in cable patterns (I have one to match the Ragna sweater, in the same lattice pattern), or in stockinette stitch with an intarsia motif. At Thanksgiving, while sitting around trying to be social, I knitted two garter stitch headbands in leftover Lion Brand Homespun and gave them to my nieces - they were a hit!