It's true. Finally and at last, the long and boring summer is over and we're back to the delightful experience of learning. Dd is excited to find where I put her math book so she can get back to algebra, while ds is scheming to get his work done as quickly as possible so he can get on with life. This year introduces the first year of Required Reading for my scholars. Patrick confessed, "This book isn't actually bad," after he finally decided that reading the book quietly was indeed the best of his available options. He's waiting eagerly for the next Redwall book, and I'm on the list for Eldest. 
School is also off to a bumpy start, because tomorrow our schoolroom is being taken over by people wielding tape, paper, and drywall mud. Saturday will see the advent of The Texturizers, and Monday, well, Monday we're driving to Minneapolis to get a stander for dd. We'll just have to stop at a used bookstore and the Olive Garden as well, rats.
I met my goals from last week - got all my Bible Study work done, and only one day's work per day. The TwoStep socks are finished, and Parade Blues are on the sock needles now. The sweater is coming along as well, as is Abigail's quilt. Six blocks down, 14 plus the trimmings to go! And one of the books I edited has been hanging out as the #1 in sales for Recent Books. 
This upcoming week should be fun. I'm expecting a shipment of yarn from KnitPicks, with yarns for more socks, a vest for Marcia, and the beginnings of a lace shawl. Gotta love lace shawls. I may also get my Level II swatch back, and there are two more packages coming. One with household stuffs, and the other with an Elementary Greek text.
Goal for this next week: continue with daily Bible reading (and recording of reading), plus enjoy all those packages! I'd like to finish the Blues socks, but that may not be realistic, and maybe - just maybe - I'll finish up a sweater.
I am delighted to report that I finished the first sock on Saturday evening, the sweater front yesterday evening, and have turned the yarn I brought home yesterday into a stunning replica of Swatch #20, but with a 16th row and better tension. Or at least, better tension in some places. The swatch is currently drying, and if the humidity is right, I'll get it sent back tomorrow, thus meeting all my goals from last week. Unless, of course, I get penalized for not weaving in all the intarsia ends on the sweater. I've got lots done, but a dozen or so more to go.
Today also saw the release of the Book B set. I do so enjoy finishing up a project. Rather like tucking in ends.
We're looking forwards to the start of school next week. Both children have finished up their summer math books (Keys To...) and I am hopeful that the irregular exercise of the math portion of their brains will have prevented major memory loss. Dd is exicted to continue in Algebra, which I find exciting. Math was one of my favorite subjects in school. That and band. Anyway, our school shopping is complete, our TOG notebooks decorated with a map of the Nile basin, and I'm looking forward to another year of learning. Time management will, once again, be my major bugaboo. I just *know* I could accomplish everything if I used my time wisely. And didn't sleep, probably.
This is also the last week of our I John Bible study. Tomorrow the assignment centers around the sin leading to death ... what is it? Can we know? If I am diligent and apply myself, I should know the answers by this time tomorrow. I have been impressed with the emphasis I John puts on love, and doubt I will ever forget the 3 tests he covers again and again ... doctrinal, social, and moral. Or "Jesus Christ is God's Son", "Love your brother", and "Keep God's commandments". It boils down so nicely.
I don't really have any decent goals for next week. There's a sweater back, but I haven't even cast on for that yet. And a sock to finish, but if I work on the sweater, I won't be working on it much. Being faithful in my Bible study is a good goal ... I'll seize on that one. And perhaps even get some pictures of my WIP to share.
Where is this week going? Monday evening was spent at my mother's house in preparation for our quarterly Mom's Day Out on Tuesday. Of course, we spent the evening knitting and cross-stitching. Tuesday was full of miscellaneous shopping and, somewhat not so miscellaneously, getting material for a long-promised quilt for Abigail's bedroom. We found some lovely pinks and greens at Hobby Lobby, and the material is now washed and folded, awaiting its dissection into approximately 720 tiny triangles. Barbara Frietchie's Star, here we come! It will be a mother-daughter (me and mine, respectively) project for the forseeable future.
Wednesday evening was also spent at my mom's house, in preparation for a 6:00 AM departure for some doctor visits in Minneapolis. They went surprisingly smoothly, and we got the good news that Abigail has reached the 4' 6" mark. Afterwards we went to Half-Price books, where I found Padraic Colum's The Golden Fleece as well as a hefty book on ancient civilizations which will work in wonderfully with TOG Year 1. My children read most of it on the way home from the bookstore. Why do I continue to entertain the delusion that one day, I will be able to get a book, and later assign it to them to read?
The new KnitPicks catalog also came this week, and I'd like to say here and now that I think it is unfair. ELEVEN new yarn lines? And most especially, two new sock yarns and one new line of fingering-weight Fair Isle yarns? That is most definitely unfair. And waaay too much fun. Especially as they were thoughtful enough to offer a package of one ball of their 30 colors of Fair Isle yarn. Waaaah!
ALSO this week, the proof copies of Book B arrived. At least, they arrived in Minnesota. I don't know if anyone else has gotten their proof copy yet. Things look pretty good, and once the other proofers weigh in with their findings, I will be able to turn my attention to the next set of books which is already well under way.
And today, when we arrived home from the doctors', there was upon my desk a large box with a return address reminding me of the knitting guild. At long (but not too long) last, my level II package came back to me after wandering through the US in search of evaluators. I didn't pass. I didn't expect to on my first try. I wasn't too sure I wanted to open it, though, and find out just how much I needed to re-do. But I mustered up my courage, carefully cut the tapes, and found the evaluator's letter. I am so thrilled I have only ONE swatch to re-do ... the Fair Isle one ... because somehow, I missed row 16. Tsk! It was my favorite swatch, so I am looking forward to re-doing it, after I raid my mom's closets for more of the yarn I used last time. I goofed on one pattern as well, so will need to go over that with a fine-toothed comb and re-write/re-submit it. Everything else was in very good to acceptable shape. Aaaaaah.
In other knitting, my sock and sweater yarn arrived last week, and I'm making good progress both on the sweater (two sleeves done, and the front is done to just above the armpits) and my take-along sock. I'm working it on size 0 needles, at 11 spi. I do that sort of thing occasionally to remind myself why I 'always' work socks on size 2 needles. Did you know size 0 needles go right through clothing? They could almost be used for acupuncture. I cautioned my daughter - who is sewing together a knitted stuffed horse at the moment - about the dangers of working with small double pointed needles and using your body to nudge the needles around a bit. She could get one stuck in a stoma.
Reading. I have been reading lately, I'm sure of it, but am not sure what. Oh yes ... yarn catalogs! And making plans for homeschooling, but if I go into that now, I surely won't have anything to say next week.
By this time next week, I hope to have finished the sweater front, the first sock, and gotten my resubmission into the mail.
