Getting Started

I love starting a new project don't you?

The beginning of a Serenity blanket with plenty of bling attached.  I've done a few more rows since I took this pic and all but one marker is off - thank goodness!  I'm not a fan of all that knitting jewelry.  The blankie is for a co-worker who's expecting a little boy in April.  The yarn is so soft.  It's Caron Simply Soft, purchased at my local Michael's. The color is Lt Country Blue.  I can't wait to sit down and work on it more this evening after chatting with you and scarfing down a little (slightly burnt) pizza.

It's been a busy week of vet visits for me, Sam and Boomer Stuart.  Sam now has his stash of p@rphenalia and we had a little lesson in administration...in a few months he should be a less itchy-scratchy dog. 

 Boomer Stuart loves to imitate the Princess and the Pea in the morning while I'm getting ready for work.

and he really enjoyed Jasmine's visit last weekend.

Our favorite restaurant in the whole world is re-opening next week...and we can hardly wait!

Projects abound

Here at Chez B it's been busy-busy with the planning of knitting.  Lots of projects in the works, one with a deadline the others without. 

Seems there will be a baby shower that I need a gift for so I'm thinking about Serenity, it's made with Cotton-Ease and looks light and airy.  The cotton will not give off fiber like other yarns so would be nice for a baby blanket. 

 I have one of a pair of brown/tan striped socks finished and the second started.

I've printed up a pattern for a sock yarn teddy bear sweater that looks like a lot of fun. 

 And last but not least I have a few inches done on a Mini Mochi Rainbow Scarf in the yarn that my friend Deb gave me a while ago.

Today is the annual family reunion so will be over eating and talking too much this afternoon.  Taking the grand-daughter today and it will be a new experience for her.  Should be fun.

Hope you all have a great weekend.  I'll be mostly relaxing and enjoying other folks company.  Boomer is off confinement and sleeping like a log in his favorite chair.

Confined to quarters

that's what Boomer is since his tragic miscalculation jumping onto the sofa on Thursday night. There was a mad minute of screaming and dragging of hind quarters before I caught him coming around the dining room table. After some checking we determined that he wasn't broken but called the vet. After a few hours stay at the vet on Friday and an x-ray, we now know that there are no fractures but that he has hip dysplasia...he'll be confined for a week so his sore little muscles can heal and then he'll get some anti-arthritis meds for the rest of his days. sigh If you look carefully you'll see him in his crate being a nice little doggie. Sam has been on post, watching over him. I know he misses the daily play. Glad it's only a week. Last night I had a dream that I changed Boomer's name to Stuart. I've always disliked the name Boomer, it has always sounded like a disrespectful nickname to me. I would think that Stuart wouldn't sound much different to his ear and that I could pull it off...whatchu think?I've been working on my latest sock while keeping watch over the little doggie this weekend. It's not looking too bad. The color is a bit drab...goes with the January weather in W Mi. In the background you'll see Rita's yarn that will become Travelling Woman during the Ravelympics. I can't wait to get started with it...just about a month to wait...guess that's not so long.

And in the stupid things department...I'm having a little recovery of my own...yesterday I should have kept my eye on the ground while walking down the driveway to the mailbox. About 4 feet from the box I found myself suddenly lying on my back having hit my arm on the step and the back of my head on the driveway...fortunately I have 3 really sore places today but nothing broken...I didn't even get to do that hilariously funny "whoa-oa", just hit the ground, glad I'm so short so there wasn't so far to go to get to the ground, LOL

Have a great week, thanks for stopping and be careful on those icey spots!

ETA: had the wrong project listed for Ravelympics, gah!

Allergic to wool? Really?

That beautiful dog in my previous post...

I found out yesterday that he's allergic to wool and horse hair...and peanuts, soybeans, milk, beef, pork, flax, kelp - kelp? really? about 7 different kinds of trees, 6 weeds, a bunch of fungi and wool. sigh

I'm thinking there's probably wool in the old carpet in the crafty room - nevermind the bins of wool yarn in there, LOL

We start his allergy shots in about 3 weeks. At least I can buy some Purina One at the grocery store now instead of paying the highway robbery amount for that stuff at the vet. Ah, a silver lining...you know there always is one somewhere.

And no more horseback rides for him! ;-)

Thanks for stoppin. Have a great day!

Sam says hey!

Sam asked if he could welcome you all to the blog this time...he thinks Boomer gets too much blog time around here... handsome devil isn't he?

I really have been knitting, endless rows of waffle stitch on The Saint's Big-Ass Sweater. The front is almost done and I'm a bit excited about starting the sleeves. I'll be working them at the same time so I can be sure that one doesn't end up longer than the other.

On this very cold but sunny day The Saint and I took a little road trip to pick up my latest internet find...$15 - it needs a lot of cleaning and lubricating but I think with a few hours of TLC this baby is gonna be awesome! She's a White Rotary Model 77 circa 1948. She moves freely when I turn the hand-wheel and that's a good thing. When I get her done she'll sew circles around any of those over-priced-new plastic machines. Gotta love craigslist. And you should see the pile of sweaters I got at GW last week for $28! Being thrifty - it's all about the hunt and so much fun.

I spent a few minutes removing screws to detach the machine from the cabinet frame that was still hanging on to her. I'm thinking the cabinet must have been annihilated at some point. Whoever salvaged her from the cabinet left part of it still attached like an albatross. It took me about 30 minutes of studying and removing screws to get her free. I have been taking lots of photos and notes as I go...my plan is to totally clean and re-wire her should be a good learning experience, right?

The big bonus is that the box of attachments was somehow still with her, even a Greist button-holer. Lots of little gadgets to play with... including this really scary one...
got any idea what this would be for? Notice that sharp spikey looking thing? hmmm

I'm listening to KIPing It Real podcast...if you haven't listened yet, check it out. An interesting mix of knitting and life. I like to listen to podcasts while knitting or sewing as it helps me pretend I'm hanging with other knitting peeps (yeah, I know, I probably need some help, LOL). I also check out Electric Sheep, Stash N Burn, Fiber Beat and Knitmore Girls. If anyone knows of any good sewing podcasts I'd love to hear about them.

Boomer is takin a nap but I know he'd be wishing you all a great week! Yesterday he thought he needed to sleep on Rena while she was here knitting with me... he's so weird sometimes.

2010...finally...

and I have a finished object already. Completed January 1, 2010 about 9:15pm...The Saint's new Sofa Blankie!He says it's warm and toasty. And long enough to cover his feet! Yay!

Made with flannel leftovers from the 2 new pr of jammies I made for him a couple weeks ago.
It's 6" wide strips cut at random lengths and pieced together in strips in no particular order. I will forever think of Stephen King's "Under The Dome" when I see it as that's what I was listening to while piecing it. The layers are tied together with black embroidery floss and bound with crappy store-bought quilt binding - I promise, I will never buy ready-made quilt binding ev-er-a-gain! Anything worth piecing together is worth binding with good quality hand made binding.

Knitting continues on his Big Ass Sweater but I may be distracted by these or maybe this...

Hope you all had a safe celebration welcoming the new year. Happy 2010 everybody!

Big Socks/Big Holiday

I decided to make a pair of clog socks for Audra. I made sock #1 to the point where I would need to Kitchener the toe closed, put it in a gift bag and presented it as a gift on Christmas evening. The fit was good so yesterday I started the second one. I managed to get it done today so now she'll have a nice warm pair of socks to wear around the house. I made these with Lion Brand Jiffy in Apple Green color. It was inexpensive and I could knit them up speedy fast and that was the goal. I used my sock construction knowledge and made them up as I went along. I did use the stripe idea from the Clog Sock pattern in the book "Simple Chic".
Speaking of the holiday...it was good. Nice visits with family and no drama.
Glad it's over and I'm looking forward to 2010. It's a nice round number and hopefully it will bring good things. Hope you and your families had a nice holiday.

Boomer and Sam are practicing for the New Year's Eve party with their new toy...