Knitting Catch-Up

It's been a loooong time since I did a knitting post, so tonight is all about catching up. All links below are to Ravelry sites, so if you want more information and aren't on Ravelry, leave me a comment and I'll find a non-Ravelry link.

A couple people have asked about the doggie hat in my last post, and I finished it today so here it is. First, here is a shot of it all finished except for the final point.


And here it is in all its glory. Well, maybe not "in all its glory" - it's really just sitting on a table at work, but it'll look great on top of a Christmas tree this year!


Pattern: Celestine by Norah Gaughan.

Next up, socks, socks, and more socks.


Pattern: Dead Simple Lace Socks by Wendy Johnson of WendyKnits

Pattern: On Hold socks by Wendy Johnson, again.

Pattern: Nanners socks by Wendy again.

Pattern: Diamond Gansey socks by Wendy, yet again.

Pattern: Lacy Ribs socks, by guess who...Wendy Johnson again! After mom gave me Wendy's "Socks from the Toe Up" book for my birthday, I can't stop knitting toe-up socks. I have three more pair on the needles. I'm hooked!

Rockin' It

For this week's Dogs on Thursday, Emma, Tara and Cooper begged me to let them model some knitwear. Well, maybe "begged" isn't the correct word. "Pleaded" "cajoled" or possibly "asked" would be better. OK, I'm going to come clean here. They weren't exactly thrilled, but they did it for their mommy because they loves their mommy. And their mommy had treats for anyone who would let me take a picture of them in the hat.

Cooper got a treat, then shook the hat off of his head.


Emma pretended to be invisible, but I got a picture, so she got a treat.


I think you will all agree that Tara really worked the hat:


She ate her treat, and kept the hat on so I could take a whole bunch of pictures.

I think she found her calling in life: Hat Model!

OK, it's really not a hat--it's a Christmas tree topper, or it will be when it is finished. So I guess it could be considered a hat for a tree!

Sick about Vick

I can't seem to get Michael Vick out of my head, so hopefully writing about it here for Dogs on Thursday will help, so I can get on with my life. I just can't believe that any team would sign Michael Vick, let alone the Philadelphia Eagles. Full disclosure: I'm not a football fan. I don't understand the game, and have absolutely no desire to learn. To me, it's just a bunch of seriously over-paid bullys pushing each other around. Still, the Eagles are the closest team to me, so I've always thought of them as the "hometown team".

I'm embarrassed to live so close to the team who signed Vick and is giving him a boat-load of money. I suppose if I were a good Christian, I would say that he paid his debt to society and deserves a second chance. Bull. I watched as much of the 60 Minutes interview as I could, and I don't believe he is sincere. I think his lawyers schooled him on what to say in order to minimize the damage to his reputation, and I'm just not buying it.

One of the most distressing parts about this whole thing (to me) is that the Humane Society of the United States IS buying it. I called them today and cancelled my HSUS membership. I told them not to send me any more information in the mail or via email because I refuse to support an organization that supports Michael Vick. The woman I talked to just said "Yes... OK... I'll pass your message on..." I'm sure the loss of my membership fee will not make much difference to an organization as large as HSUS, but American Brittany Rescue, ASPCA or the Farm Sanctuary would probably be pleased to have a little larger donation from me this year...

I wish I could say that I feel better after getting this off of my chest, but I'm still just sick about the whole situation...

My Working Boy!

This week's Dogs on Thursday, is all about Cooper, my little working boy. One day last week, we had terrible thunderstorms in the morning as I was getting ready for work, and poor Cooper the Coopie Baby was really in a bad way. I gave him one of his "doggie downers", but he was still pacing and trying to dig under all of the furniture, and the forecast was for more storms all day, so I just couldn't leave him. What to do... Take him to work!
I still don't have a boss, so there was no one to clear it with, and working in the library of a museum, I don't have any contact with the public, so it was a no-brainer. I packed him some toys and blankies and bowls and treats and poo bags and off we went to work! Emma and Tara didn't mind at all. I think whey were happy to get Cooper out of their hair for a day! Coop was such a good boy.I can't honestly say that he got very much work done, what with all of the naps he took...

... but he's not the only one who naps here. This is a picture of one of the temporary workers sent to us from the county's summer youth program.

Even the ringing phone didn't wake her up.

(Not So) Local Yarn Shop

Instead of having a big ol' pity party for myself because I was not at Sock Summit this weekend, I decided to have a Sock-Summit-type-day of my own. Yesterday I went to Woolbearers! Every time I research yarn on Ravelry, there is a little box that says "Buy this yarn from a local store" and has a link to Woolbearers. I've been saying I've got to look into this "local" shop, and yesterday was the day!

Turns out, it's not all that local. It took a little over an hour to get there, but that's OK, since my sister was driving while I was knitting. It was a lovely shop, with helpful but not too helpful (know what I mean?) people. I browsed around as long as I could, as it was pretty hot in there, but am so pleased with my purchases:

I've been wanting the pattern for the Jojoland Swirl Shawl for a very long time, and am so happy to finally have it. I even did a trial swatch, and (after much frogging and cursing) think I have it down now.
I also got yarn for three pair of socks, and a couple of HiyaHiya needles. I've been wanting to try them for a while, as they appear to be better made than Knit Picks, but (much) cheaper than Addi Turbos.

My sister put her time to good use. too, and bought this book for me!

What a good sister! I promised her I would make a pair of socks from the book for her - just waiting for her to choose the pattern.

Dogs on Thursday

This week's DOT is dedicated to The M.O.M.S. Rescue. No, not "moms" as in mothers, but M.O.M.S. as in Making Of Miracle Stories. It is an ordinary group of people making a huge difference in the lives of homeless dogs.

They are organizing a caravan of cars, trucks, campers, etc. to travel from the Animal Adoption Center in Lindenwold, New Jersey (the same place I got my first dog) to Georgia. They will be delivering food and supplies to high-kill shelters...
...and will be literally emptying those shelters of dogs and bringing them back to New Jersey to be cared for and adopted out to good homes.


Click on the links above and read all about it.
I'd love to go along, but don't see how I can leave the dogs as I don't have the Nanny on Wednesdays and Fridays. I haven't totally given up trying to work it out, but it's not looking good.


All photos are courtesy of The M.O.M.S. Rescue

Next Stop: Whineyville

::Whining Alert::

I should be on a train. Right now. I want to go to the Sock Summit soooo baaaaad. An airplane is not an option, so I should already be on a train in order to make it to Portland, Oregon by Thursday. I know I'm fortunate to have family, and three of the most goofy but wonderful dogs ever, and a job, and a home, and it's not like I'm the kind of person who has to "have it all" but a little bit more would be great. Not a lot. Just enough to get me to Oregon and back, plus hotel, plus Sock Summit registration, plus meals, plus an enormous yarn/book/souvenir allowance would be just about right.

Little Miss Green Eyes

A week or so ago, this little creature showed up in the garage.

The garage! That's Joseph's domain! He rarely allows Joanie, Lizzie or Tigger in the garage - those three cats make their home in the chicken coop because King Joseph is usually very territorial. Tigger will sometimes venture into the garage, but as soon as Joey shows up, Tigger beats it out of there like a bat out of hell. That's why we were so surprised to see this little one in the garage.

Anyway, she's been eating (Joseph's!) cat food, and some kitten food that mom's cat Bessie didn't like. Oh, and milk. Warm milk. Warm milk with a shot of Carnation Fat Free French Vanilla Creamer, thank-you-very-much. She's got a soulful meow, and you can tell she wants desperately to be loved, but she's very skittish. My sister tried putting food and toys in a trap, but that kitty is too smart to fall for that old trick. She will play with cat toys, and lets people get really close, but not close enough to grab her. That is, no ordinary person can get close enough, so we called The Cat Whisperer, a.k.a. my niece Jen. She has rescued countless cats and found homes for them. She's like a snake charmer when it comes to stray cats. Jen came over and just reached down and scooped up that sweet little kitty, and put her in a cat carrier.


I wish we could bring this little girl into the house, but my sister is horribly allergic to cats. Not to mention the fact that any newcomers would have to get past these three hooligans who hate cats with a white hot passion.

Jen has a great cat cage (that her two favorite aunts gave her for her birthday this year) and took the kitty home so she can socialize her. After all, Jen has 8 cats and 3 dogs, not to mention the sheep and horses and chickens and ducks and guinea fowl, so what is one more, right? We will pay to get the kitty vetted and spayed when she is old enough.

After that, this little girl will need a home. She's a pretty little thing with long hair and green eyes. Jen is calling her "Olive" because of her pretty green eyes.

Anybody want a kitty?