Some kitty loving

But first: it occurs to me that that "I Will Derive" video isn't just good geeky fun, it sets a good pedagogical example. The young man in the video, faced with a difficult problem:

1. Doesn't throw up his hands and go "I can't DO this."
2. "Thinks back to calculus, back to Newton and to Leibniz and to problems just like this..."

One of my frustrations in teaching centers around #2. I know in some ways I was an unusual student but I was very good at taking a "tool" I learned to use in one place and be able to apply it in another - like "Oh, this calculation I have to do is a lot like this other one I did last year." I've found a lot of students really "compartmentalize" their knowledge - like, they think once they've finished College Algebra that they are done with that all, forever. And so, when I'll be showing something on the board and I'll go, "Remember the formula for a straight line?" (y=mx+b, which I KNOW they have all had), many people will shake their heads or deny all knowledge. (A few people will nod tentatively, and maybe one or two will go "Oh, yeah! I remember this!" after I start going into more detail).

I don't know. For me, one of the beauties of learning some of that stuff is that it's applicable across so many different fields...

Or things like genetics problems. I can show students how to do a dihybrid cross with maybe PpTt x PpTt plants (where P and T are different unlinked traits) and then ask them to do a PpTT x PPtt cross on an exam....and a few people melt down. Because it's DIFFERENT. (heck, in some cases, if I gave them a YyRr x YyRr cross, people complain "but I don't know how to do that, you never covered that in class")

Anyway. Not everyone is like that, thank God, but it's the few people who get really upset when challenged with something "new" that you remember.

***

I went to the quilt/yarn shop yesterday. I wanted to drop off the baby quilt to get it quilted, and also, the new Interweave Knits came, and there is a really, really sweet pair of fingerless mitts knit of laceweight yarn. Now, I have laceweight in my stash, but either it's already designated for a particular project (and it seems wasteful to use maybe 300 yards out of a 1200 yard quantity, and then not have enough for the planned shawl) or it's scratchy.

I am SO glad the quilt/yarn shop is here. It makes my life so much better. And it's even beyond the simple "I need a backing for a quilt, oh, I can run down to the quilt shop mere blocks from my house" rather than having to plan a jaunt to Sherman or somewhere.

It's the sense that there's a place where I can walk in and instantly feel happy. The people who work there are all super nice. They all know me and greet me when I walk in. Even if I'm not planning on buying anything, even if I say, "Oh, I'm just planning a project and wanted to look at the fabrics" (Though I don't often leave without buying at least something small).

It feels like a safe place to me. The only people who will come in there will be other quilters or knitters, or perhaps husbands or children (or wives, men make quilts and knit too) of knitters. It's not like going to the wal-mart where you're likely to see a couple arguing by the frozen food, and a child melted down and crying in Toys, or someone at the checkout yelling at the checker. I suppose it's because quilt supplies and yarn are not "necessaries," people tend to be in a good mood when shopping for them, and be well-behaved.

They have cats. The first time I ever saw a hairless cat in person was at that shop. (Hairless cats are interesting to look at but I don't think I'd want one. Petting a hairless cat is not the same experience as petting a cat with fur.) The usual cat that's in there is a calico. She's pretty friendly and likes to be petted. The other one that's usually there, a tabby, is a little more aloof but I've even managed to get her to like me.

Well, yesterday, I was contemplating the yarn when I heard a loud, "MIAOW!" I looked over and the calico was sitting on one of the sofas looking at me. I guess she wanted me to pet her. So I went over and started petting her, and then sat down next to her so I could more comfortably pet her.

She got up and walked over into my lap and sat down.

It's been a long time since I've had a cat do that. I miss that. It was just NICE. It was something I needed after the week I've had.

(My mother often says: "Cats know people that like them." Then again, I've also heard people claim that cats will go specifically to the person who DOES NOT like cats.)

I wound up finding my laceweight - a skein of laceweight alpaca in a soft beige color. I also bought a couple of skeins of a Pagewood Farms laceweight in a colorway called "Crayon" but that looks more like stained glass to me. I think I'm going to make that sideways-knit shawl in the Best of Knitscene book with it.

I also wound up filling out my "loyalty" card, with the yarn and backing fabric purchase. I'm seriously considering going back this afternoon and getting the Oliver and S fabric Jelly Roll (paper dolls and sort of 30s style prints) I was contemplating yesterday. It would be $20 off with the card, which is a good deal...