One

It's hard to believe, but one year ago today we got Jewel. She was a long time coming with cancelled flights due to snowstorms or just booting her cuz she's a dog. We waited over three weeks for our little puff of fluff. She was still babyish looking back then. So this is her unofficial birthday, even though she's really about 1-1/2.

Before we got her, when she was being fostered.




After we got her.

More recently with Maggie.

The kids got a storm day today. It started snowing last night around suppertime but changed to ice pellets, freezing rain, then rain in the evening. Everything is a sheet of ice. Look at all the ice in the graveyard across the road. I almost broke my neck going to the compost bin.

Got tonight and two days left to make the second sock of this pair for Pa in order to catch the deadline for January socks for the SAM7 KAL. They are the socks-from-you-know-where. I started them awhile back but had to set them aside for awhile. Seems like I knit hours on them but don't get anywhere. Never had a sock like it. I don't like how the leg pooled at all. The foot is fine, just how I wanted the whole sock to look. Heaven knows what the second one will look like. I'm sure he won't care, but it'll tick me off.

My boys are always happy when they get to disassemble things. They've got an old radio off of one of the boats from where their grandfather works. It doesn't work any more, so they get to play. The Oldest One has taken apart VCRs, Playstations, radios, computer parts.... (all non-working, of course). Hopefully he'll learn how to put things back together so they'll work!

Happy knitting!

Thorpes

We're experiencing another cold snap, so on the weekend I made the boys each a Thorpe hat. (Especially since the Littlest One has an ear infection.) I didn't crochet any edging cuz 1 -- I don't know how to crochet. 2 -- I don't have a 5.5mm hook. 3 -- I didn't plan on adding the ties cuz of the danger for kids, etc. Mine are clumsy enough, I can see the Littlest One hanging himself on the schoolyard equipment. 4 -- They look fine and suited their purpose without the edging. (Even though I would like to make myself one, and when I do I plan on trying the crochet edging and adding the ties.) The Littlest One's hat is a small with some added length and was made on the 24th, and the Oldest One's is a medium with added length and was made on the 25th. I used Patons Shetland Chunky in red robin and dark sage green and 5.5mm needles.

The green yarn turned my hands bluish, as well as the needles. This is a one-piece circular, and the needles were the same color as the cable. Now they are blue. I made sure I washed the hat in warm water/rinse to get the excess color out before he wore it to school today.

I'm a winner! I won some Cherry Tree Hill from Heddy. She had a quickie contest for her missed blogiversary earlier this month. She and her Hubs also left today for Montreal by train til Friday, and she wanted some ideas of what to do. Not sure what pattern I'll use, but first thought was this from my Ravelry queue.

I'll leave you with a video of Maggie trying to play with Pumba. Pumba is such a softie. He's the only cat that tolerates the dogs really. If they were easier on the poor old guy he'd probably cuddle up with them. They're too young and silly yet.



Happy knitting!

Trigger Finger

Finally finished the trigger finger mittens that I was requested to make by a customer. They are from an old Patons pattern, and I must say that I did not enjoy making these. Normally I don't mind mittens, but it must have been the finger or the yarn or something. They were a pain. I used Briggs & Little Heritage in medium grey, started January 20, finished the 23rd. That was probably another factor. I find that B&L yarns bother my hands if I'm making mittens or socks on smaller needles. The yarn is stiff, and I have carpal tunnel. My hands go numb, so I have to take breaks to get the feeling back. Sometimes it makes my hands sore, too. He hasn't picked them up yet, so I don't know if they'll fit. He said he wears a 10 glove, and I found on the internet that that is an extra large. I guess if they're a bit big they could be washed in hot water. I can never get B&L to felt very well, so I wouldn't think it would overshrink if they keep an eye on it.


I'm going to try and whip the boys up their Thorpe hats this weekend. There's another cold front coming tomorrow for a few days. The Littlest One has an ear infection and is on antibiotics, so I think he should have his to wear to school on Monday. If it's too cold they won't play outside, but he'll still need it for going to and from the bus.

Maggie decided she loves the Littlest One's waterbed. I couldn't find her the other day, and here she was. She's getting super spoiled. The last two nights she hasn't been put in her kennel, she has slept on the foot of my bed with Jewel. Not too comfy for me since I have one dog on one side, one on the other, and boths kids have colds plus the ear infection, so they arrive in with me. Three people and two dogs in a queen sized bed is a tight fit. Plus she's grown so much since we got her, she is losing her puppy look.

The question of how I get videos on my blog was asked. What I do is go on YouTube and select videos. Search for the video you'd like. On the right you'll see a like URL and under it a line that says Embed. Sometimes it says, "Embedding disabled by request". Ain't gonna get that one! I copy and paste the embedding code to the very bottom of my blog template. To get it to automatically play, you have to insert this -- &autoplay=1 -- behind -- =en&fs=1" . So you'll end up with a line of coding that has a section that has this in it: =en&fs=1&autoplay=1

Happy knitting!

Mittens

I finished a couple of pairs of mittens. I had a request for pure wool mittens for a local lobster fisherman. This first pair is being modelled by Hubs. I used the pattern Basic Mens Mittens and Briggs & Little Heritage in medium grey and light grey. Can't really see the color difference in the pictures. The first pair was started January 13 and finished the 18th.


This second pair was started January 18 with the completion of one mitten. The second mitten was finished the next day. I don't know if they fit the man who requested them or not, he hasn't picked them up yet.


Pumba had to check them out.


Then Maggie had to check them out as well. Nosy animals.


I picked up some cheapy acrylic to make a pair of mittens for myself yesterday. I wanted to use a color where you could see the owls. I also need a pair of mittens that are a little cooler. I have felted wool mittens that are as warm as warm can be, but sometimes they're too warm on days that are a bit chilly for bare hands but not cold enough for wool mittens. Hope to start these soon. I'm working on a pair of wool trigger finger mittens for someone right now. I need to move on to something other than mittens, I think. (Poor Heddy would be nuts using all this blah grey with no fancy pattern!)

Off to Bridgewater soon for an ultrasound. (And NO, not for a baby!) Not looking forward to drinking all that water. I don't start as soon as they say or I'd never make it.

Happy knitting!

Guess Who Contest Results

Got a couple of FOs -- yes, felted slippers. These ones were started January 9, finished the 11th. I used the old faithful Fiber Trends Felted Clogs pattern and Patons Classic Wool in black and barn red. They are men's medium.

Next up was a pair for Hubs in men's large. They are made with Patons Classic Wool in moss heather with chestnut brown tweed around the cuffs. Started January 2, finished the 16th.

So next up is probably what everyone is waiting for, the contest results for my blogiversary contest. I put all 16 correct answering people's names on little slips of paper and put them in a hat.

The lucky winner was ever green knits! She will receive a $20 gift certificate to The Sweet Sheep.

So I suppose everyone wants to know who the yarn sniffer is. Here's a clue.


I would be none other than the little shiny-eyed imp known as Maggie, yarn sniffer, slipper stealer, toilet paper mangler!

"Who, me?" Jewel says, "yes, you!"

Thanks to everyone who entered the contest!

Happy knitting!

Six!

The Littlest One

Six Years in Pictures

You'll always be my baby, even though you are a, "big man"! Love you lots, XOXOXO.

Happy knitting!

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

Looking for the contest? Click here.




We are getting snow today, and lots of it. It started spitting flurries two hours ago, and now everything is covered. The forecast is for 8" or more. Sucks that Hubs is on the road, so I have to try and clear all the snow myself. Needless to say that I'll only get my little driveway cleared and the steps. I'm not touching the big driveway. The snowblower is in the basement, and it hasn't run for a couple of winters anyways. I tried to start it last winter, and I couldn't get it to work. (Probably has rotten gas.) And I'd never touch his ATV with the plow cuz if I did something to it I'd never hear the end of it. So today will be a day of knitting, knitting, and more knitting. (Hubs would say it's no different than any other day.) My "to do" list today includes finishing the second clog to the red and black pair and also finish Hubs's second clog. (Won't felt his til he's home next weekend.) That should be it for felted clogs for a bit. I also have to right-handed Fetchings to knit. If I get that done I'll be happy.

Someone asked what kind of dogs Jewel and Maggie are. I wish I had the money to do DNA tests to see what exactly they have in them. Jewel was a stray, but the vets say she's Golden Retriever and Nova Scotia Duck Toller mixed. (I've had a lot of people as me if she's a Toller. She really looks it except she's not orange enough.) Maggie was the result of an unwanted pregnancy, so I was told, and she is Golden Retriever and husky mix. Plus I'm sure they both have other stuff in there as well!

We have the yarn inventory completed at the store. I finished the Briggs & Little yesterday. There is a lot of odd dye lot skeins that are all marked down 25%. There is a lot of baby yarn as well as a basket of Briggs & Little of various breeds. (Atlantic, Regal, Heritage, Tuffy)

Happy knitting!

PS The felted clog pattern I use is the Fiber Trends Felted Clogs AC-33 by Bev Galeskas.

Blogiversary/Guess Who Contest

Four years ago today I made my first blog post. It wasn't much of a post. I decided to try Secret Pal 4 and needed to have a blog, and it just stuck ever since!

Finished a couple of pairs of felted clogs. They are as bad as dishcloths, betcha can't knit just one pair! This pair is ladies medium and was made with Patons Classic Wool in old rose. I took some tapestry wool and stitched a flower on each one before felting. Not too bad for the first time ever trying something like that. The slippers aren't quite this dark in real life, darned flash. These ones were started January 5 and finished the 7th, Ravelry details here.

This second pair is also a ladies medium in Patons Classic Wool in maize and old gold. Never used the maize before, and I really like this color combination. These ones were started January 7 and finished on the 8th.

I will also be making a men's medium in black and rich red. Can you guess which dog is checking it out? (Jewel or Maggie)

Maggie, my little bugger, steals my slippers every chance she gets. This was taken about ten minutes ago. I took my slippers off long enough to put on a pair of socks, and when I turned around there was only one slipper on the floor! Found her in the living room with the other one.

So lets turn this into a little game. Please leave a comment on this post between now and next Friday guessing which dog is checking out the yarn, Jewel or Maggie, and we'll do a random draw thing for a prize of some kind for those who pick the correct dog. If I can think of what the prize will be between now and then I'll post it. This is just a spur-of-the-moment thing right now, so I want to give it a little thought. Be sure it'll be knitting related. (If you want to comment but not enter the draw just don't pick a puppy!)

Spread the word! Check out this post to see a picture of them both. And this one has two head shots at the end of the post.

Happy knitting!

EDIT: I think I'm leaning towards a gift certificate to an on-line yarn store. Haven't determined which one, but I think that's definitely what it'll be, then the winner can put it towards whatever purchase he/she desires.

Nine!

The Oldest One

Nine Years in Pictures

Happy birthday, babe! No matter how old you get you'll always be my baby boy! Love you bunches. XOXO

Happy knitting!

PS I don't have a scanner, so all of these except for the last picture of photos of photos, and I was too lazy to take them out of the albums. The picture of him with the cat -- he was three months old and weighed 13lbs. Pumba was two, and he weighed almost 17lbs at that time. That picture got a lot of attention. I had it on the wall at work behind the mini lab, and everyone was like, "Look at the size of that cat!"