back to school, and decisions, decisions...

My son went back to school - grade 4. This is the first year that the teacher did not meet the class in the courtyard - once in grade 4, they are considered "junior" grades, not "primary", and are expected to find their own way to the classroom. So we all hung out in the courtyard, then the kids all congregated, while we parents chatted - the bell rang, and they were off. I barely got a backwards wave, let alone anything else.

Of course, this was after we spent a glorious long (but really too short) weekend at the cottage. It was the weather we had been waiting for all summer. Hot, sunny - everything you want when you are sitting by a lake, watching kids swim and play. The horseshoe tournament was played, the new deck at a friend's cottage was admired, drinks were drunk, food was eaten, everything we wanted to do was done. We just couldn't warp the time-space continuum to stretch the weekend out any further.

The drive home was humourous - my SIL and older nephew left on Sunday - he's starting high school, and wanted a day with friends to "map out" how they were going to do this. What hat to wear, how the shoes were tied, is the shirt tucked in or out? The minor details that define the cool from the nerd. Unfortunately, he's going into grade nine - he has no chance at being cool for a while. But still, that extra day was needed. To make a long story less tedious, that left my BIL and other nephew to come home with us, and get his car (conveniently left at our house) to go home. So that's five people in a Pathfinder. No problem, there's an extra row of seats - it says it sits up to 8 people. Well, yeah, if you have no luggage, no cottage laundry, and want to share the back seat with two nine year olds! So it was left to me to be squished (literally) into the third row - sitting sideways, since I could not fold my legs into the space provided. One would think this a horrible fate for a 2.5 hour drive. But then it dawns - I have the width of the car to myself, with all the pillows, my Ipod, my knitting and an excuse to ignore the 4 males I'm sharing the car with. Can we say prime knitting time?? I'm almost ready to end to Kauni body, and start in on sleeves! I guess I should determine what kind of edging I want to do...

(thanks to Helga for taking the pictures). We had discussions about the edging, and I think between Tove, Helga and myself, we have possibly decided on a 3x3 checkerboard folded over hem. I think. I still want to do another couple of pattern repeats - I want this cardigan to just hit the hips, and it's just past the waist right now. Once I get the length I want, I will probably put it back on a thread, do the sleeves, and decide the edging then.