Thanks for the tip, I'm going to get a container just for rising bread. I struggle with it every time it seems, so I'll take any help I can get.
For awhile last year I wasn't getting any rise at all. At one point I thought it was the yeast, but when I switched to a new jar the trouble remained, so that couldn't have been it. Or so I thought. Turns out I got two bum jars of yeast in a row.
Here is a link to the King Arthur 8 cup measuring cup I bought. I knew in this small town I would never find something like this.
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/acrylic-measuring-cup-8-cup