The "between-project" project

You know, I never seem to think about posting until my husband is playing "Crack-4" (AKA Call of Duty- Modern Warfare II) on Xbox live, and uploading photos would cause his game to lag, and that causes him to yell...so I don't usually get around to uploading photos.  However, I managed to sneak in two pictures of my beautiful new alpaca fiber, courtesy of a lovely woman from Ravelry, while he was upstairs.  There are four ounces total, the top photo being white with a little "tort", and the bottom being white with "blue".  I have no idea what this fiber is going to eventually be.  I really don't care.  I just know that I have four ounces of the softest stuff I've ever touched in. my. life!  It's so soft that when you put your hand in the bag, you don't even register that you're touching anything.  Unbelievable.

Now, to the "between-project" project in question.  Alex just loves Dante.  He likes to dress like Dante and do things that Dante does (which will hopefully translate into missions for both of them, but that's for another day), so when we were getting dressed for church last week, Alex kept pointing out how he had a tie "just like you, Dante" and "church-shoes just like you, Dante".  Well, it did not escape his notice that he doesn't have church-socks just like Dante, so yesterday I cast on a pair for him.  It's an improvised design based on the calculations in my ever faithful "Handy Book of Patterns" by Ann Budd.  I'm using the size 4-8 years (based on earlier foot measurements that Alex insisted I take, after I took Dante's) and my gauge is 8sts per inch so I just cast on a quick 52 stitches, worked 2x2 ribbing for about 6 rows, and then fell into a pattern of knitting two rows, and K2 P2 for two rows.  The yarn is from Knit Picks, and I picked it up in a "neutral sock sampler" kit a few years ago.  The colors were just too butch for me and I've not really used them, but the pattern I whipped up works well with the striping in the yarn and Alex likes them.  He made me put the first one on, and then told me that he "needs an other one for right here (his left foot)".  It should be all set by tomorrow afternoon, and then it's back to the latest shop sample.  I've finished the back piece knit with Canela yarn by Ester Britton.  It's coming along nicely, but I'm really itching to knit socks right now.  It's spring, and socks/shawls are my usual go-to projects this time of year.  Never mind the fact that I have 10 ounces of various types of fiber that need to be spun, and five sweaters on deck.  Oh, and school, and work, and family.

Speaking of school, I just got an email today from school that I've made the President's list for last term's grades.  I guess that's different from the Dean's list, but I'm not sure what qualified me for one over the other.  I just keep trying (and so far succeeding) to earn A's, and they keep mailing me certificates of achievement for my GPA, lol.  I don't really know what it all means, other than I stand a good chance of being able to get into Grad school.  Thankfully, this term is like a mini-vacation compared to last term because I've picked up an extra day at work and I'm going to cover our new open-knit hours on Friday mornings from 10am-12pm, starting April 16th.  I'm also going to be busy with Dante soon.  I've made an appointment for him at the East Bay counseling center to help us manage his ADHD.  We've decided that he will only be medicated for school (so no weekends or vacations), and I'm trying to avoid the need for him to take the booster pill in the afternoons.  He struggles with his homework because the meds are gone by then.  Taking the pill later in the morning is not an option as it takes too long to hit his system and that would cause problems in his classes (where he's just doing the best he can right now as it is).  I'm taking some suggestions and having him eat a large snack when he comes home, and having him finish his homework downstairs where I can observe him.  We're back to checking his agenda to be sure he truly doesn't have homework, and that he's completed what he has, and I've started signing it.  We wrote up a homework contract that listed some things he needs to do, and what we will do if those steps don't work or he doesn't follow them.  We've both signed that and it's hanging on the fridge.  We'll just have to see how it goes, but I'm really hopeful about counseling.  He really needs to learn some skills to manage his attention, and I'd like for him to be able to feel like he has some power over the situation.  I'll update when I have news.