Nope, no pigtails yet. And nope, I didn’t finish my plain and simple pullover, though I do have progress to share.
Yesterday was kind of a big deal for me because I gave my first-ever lecture. I’ve done a fair amount of talking in front of people before, and I generally don’t mind it once I get going, but there was something different about this, in terms of the significance of the opportunity: this was a chance to do the thing I want to do, a chance to practice a big part of the career I’m working towards, and I was really nervous. I worried about all the usual things: that I’d talk too fast, that it wouldn’t go well, or worse — that I wouldn’t like it.
I still have a lot to think about in terms of planning and pacing a lecture, and quite a bit to learn, but I did enjoy myself yesterday, and the students even laughed at my jokes. And there won’t ever be a “first” lecture again — just a “next” one.
Onward to my pullover progress:
Under Boh’s watchful eye, I finished the body, and moved on to the next step in the pattern, which involves working the front stitches back and forth. I panicked, thinking that there was no way I had a set of size 2 straight needles, but some digging through my vintage lot of aluminum needles (an ebay acquisition born of my new-knitter excitement a few years ago) yielded a mismatched pair.
As you all noted, Boh takes his job very, very seriously. I wish he’d step up and supervise the huge pile of grading I have to get through today…
barefoot rooster 
Whew! You did it! Glad it went well. Such a great feeling to crack the ice and realize it’s not so bad after all.
Congratulations on your first lecture! That’s is a huge deal. :)
Your sweater is coming along, looking forward to seeing more. Good job too, Boh ~ Amy’s knits are worth supervising.
Congrats about the lecture! That is so exciting. Good for you!
Congtaulations about your first lecture, that is great. You should be very proud of yourself!
Way to go!! That is more than just a qualified big deal; that’s a full-on big deal! I hope there are more first lectures in your life, though: first of the first job, first after tenure … it’s all so exciting. And you can do them all in hand-knit style.
Yahoo! No longer a lecture newbie! Congrats. Must feel so good to have that under your belt.
The sweater looks lovely.
Congratulations on your first lecture! What a huge milestone.
Wow! Congrats on your lecture! They are bound to get easier from now on. Are you sure Boh is supervising or is he thinking “um. excuse me, sweater, but that’s MY spot on the couch.”?
Kudos to you!! It sounds like this will be a happy memory for you. And though lecturing won’t always be “new” the students will change and they will make the lecture, even if you’ve given it for years, new each time. May your students always laugh with you.
CONGRATULATIONS!!! Whooo-hoooo! First lecture under your belt! Good for you!! That is so cool, and I am so jealous! I think it is what is holding me back from the old PhD…. I got awarded a teaching assistantship during my masters, but after telling me, they CHANGED THEIR MINDS and put me in the slide library. Oh, well. Many people have told me that beginning PhD students rarely have teaching experience.
Anyway, good for you! And I am so imnpressed that you got knitting done in the same time period!
Jennifer
CONGRATULATIONS!!! Whooo-hoooo! First lecture under your belt! Good for you!! That is so cool, and I am so jealous! I think it is what is holding me back from the old PhD…. I got awarded a teaching assistantship during my masters, but after telling me, they CHANGED THEIR MINDS and put me in the slide library. Oh, well. Many people have told me that beginning PhD students rarely have teaching experience.
Anyway, good for you! And I am so imnpressed that you got knitting done in the same time period!
This may disappear, because I am getting a duplicate comment error….
Jennifer
Hooray for huge milestones! Way to go, Professor!
Hey, congratulations!! That is awesome and I just love your attitude on it – you’ll never have a “first” again :) It must have gone quite well!!
Hey, congrats on lecture #1! I remember my first one, it was nerve-wracking and I was way over-prepared yet under-prepared at the same time. Now you’ll know what it’s like for the next one!