Spiffy New Do's and Fluffy Flowers for Dogs on Thursday

Puddin was very annoyed that I made her stand still and get her picture taken with her new flower.

Gus is such a ham!

Trixie is feeling bashful.

Yarn Smackdown Round One

My hat is done. Huggybear's hat is done. Tomorrow morning it will be in the hands of the USPS. I chose the spiral column option and I love it. After I'm killed, I'll definitely start another for myself. The spirals would look great on matching fingerless mittens, too.

My hat is suicidal.

Yarn Smackdown Update:
Meet the ribbing. Sure I'm slow. But at least I didn't screw it up. Then comes the spiral columns. I HATE TO TINK. And apparently I can't do two things at once. Like watch t.v. while I knit. My opponent Huggybear http://nettieville.blogspot.com/ finished today, but didn't mail yet. Theoretically I should have time to finish, mail on Monday and have a postal race (advantage: me ...because I get delivery around 4p.m.). But I'm tired, tomorrow is Easter, and I never finish anything anyway. Who knows...maybe I'll get a wild hair in the morning and just go nuts.

Grouchy Puddin on Thursday.

I know it is hard to see, but if you look very closely you will be amazed by how wide Puddin's mouth is open. I started to take this picture because it looked like Gus was whispering in her ear. At the last moment she whirled around and tried to eat his face.

The cocoa has come!

Yeah!! I'm so excited. Bianca from http://lansingerland.blogspot.com/ sent me all this. Two types of sock yarn, peppermint and coffee candies, a mouse pad, stitch markers, cinnamon (I think), Dutch cocoa, cooking chocolate discs, and "American Marsh Mallows".

Just look at the incredible black sheep she knit. As soon as I saw him I thought of Dodge, my only ram. He was named Dodge because he was "built Ram tough". This guy will be Dodge, too. Actually, make that Dodge II.

Here is Dodge II meeting and greeting some of the resident sheep. Behind them is a picture of Dodge. He was very handsome. I bottle raised him and loved him. He grew to almost 300 pounds. Then he decided that his life's mission was to kill me. After an elderly neighbor was trampled to death by his ram... I sold Dodge.

My first cup of Dutch cocoa. Wowee. It's chocolatier than any hot cocoa I've ever had. Thanks, Bianca.

I'm back, and busy,busy,busy.

To recap:
1. The bronchitis/pnuemonia practically gone. I'm well enough to work.
2. I missed work yesterday in a futile attempt to bail the water out of the basement. After 7 hours I decided to give up and move as much furniture as I could. After I sat down to rest it occurred to me to go buy a pump. Maybe I'm not as well as I think.
3. Rain finally stopped. Six hours later the water stopped squirting through the cracks in the concrete wall.
4. I'm going to attempt to convert to a 50% raw/live diet. Hopefully it will help to stave off my new sickly nature. Mom suggested this when we were both sick, but we were too exhausted and miserable to do anything about it.
5. The yarn smackdown has begun. I imagined that I would sit up tonight and finish the hat, then mail it first thing in the morning. After 6 rows...I sense impending death. At this point my goal is to get far enough along to give Huggybear a good start when she gets my WIP. After all, if the person who beats me does really well, that makes me look pretty good too.
6. Tomorrow I have to take the dogs to the groomer and the car to the garage. Something about an O2 sensor and the "service engine soon" light. damn. Plus Gus is so matted on his backside that I'll have to stop and buy a bribe (maybe chocolates?) for the groomer.
7. It's cold in here. When the water was rising I shut off the gas to the heater. Mid-March is just too close to spring to re-light.

no posts

Nothing for a few days. I'm sick and tired. Well...not "sick and tired". I am both sick and tired.


So that your visit isn't entirely wasted, here is a picture of me and Grandma on her porch from a couple of summers ago.

I'm a rotten cheater.

Confession time. I lie about finishing projects. I tuck the unwoven ends inside and underneath to take pictures to facilitate my deceptions. Then the item gets tossed back into a bag or yarn box for me to "finish later". For me, "finish later" means: avert my eyes and pretend not to notice.



As part of my personal 482 step process to face my problem, I decided to grab up the first handful of items I found and pile them around me. Armed only with a tapestry needle, I will confront the enemy (me) and vanquish my tormentors. And then give this crap away.

I also created another blog to document my UFO's.
http://area51aknittingconspiracy.blogspot.com/
There is a UFO-knit-a-long here: http://ufo-knit-a-long.blogspot.com/ that I just requested to join.

UPDATE: The 3 hats are ready to ship to Warm Woolies, the mobius scarf is ready to block, calorimetry needs a button, and poncho completo.

What if I skid off the road?

We had an ice storm. At home we are well provisioned for disaster. My car is not. Searching online for everything needed in a car emergency gave me this list. I have begun gathering the items, but it may be spring before my list is complete.

CAR EMERGENCY KIT

• JUMPER CABLES
• FLARES
• TOOL KIT
• FLASHLIGHT
• RADIO
• JACK & TIRE
• TOW ROPE
• GAS CAN
• POCKET KNIFE
• FIX-A-FLAT
• FIRE EXTINGUISHER
• SHOVEL
• ANTI-FREEZE
• OIL
• DUCT TAPE
• WASHER FLUID
• RAGS
• PAPER TOWELS
• ICE SCRAPER
• CAT LITTER OR GRAVEL
• FIRST AID KIT
• HELP SIGN
• RED CLOTH
• MAPS
• WET WIPES
• PEN & PAPER
• FOOD
• WATER
• PHONE #S TO CALL
• SKI HATS
• CLOTHES
• BLANKET
• METAL CUP
• MATCHES
• CANDLES AND A TIN CAN (COFFEE SIZE)
• HAND WARMERS
• DE-ICER
• MONEY/CHANGE
• PHONE CARD
• WHISTLE

It was also suggested that most of these be kept in a canvas bag within the car (rear floorboard). If you are in an accident you might not be able to open the trunk.

Again? Seriously...Again!?!

Another ice storm last night, and now thundersnow... again. I never even heard of thundersnow until this year. It's a thunderstorm with lightning and thunder and heavy snow (instead of rain). My camera doesn't show it very well but it is coming down with a vengence. I didn't go to work today. Since I work 10 hours days, that means 1/4 of this weeks pay just blew away. BTW, there was a break in the weather between the sleet and the snow this morning. It cleared up just long enough for us to notice...so that we would notice that it was HAILing.

I'm taking my yarn and going back to bed.

Yarn smackdown preparation begins.

I got the recommended needle sizes last night. size7 circ, size5 circ, and size7 dpn. Turns out I don't have any odd sizes above a 3. So I ordered Harmony circulars from Knitpicks. I had to get bamboo for the dpns because the Harmony weren't available until March 14. That's cutting it way too close.

Recommended yarn is Lamb's Pride Worsted or Noro Kureyon. I have a lovely red worsted wool that I may use instead. The gauge is measured in pattern, but without the pattern I am not at all confident about substitution.

On March 13 I will be driving past Columbia, MO and the Hillcreek Yarn Shoppe. The next day I'll be in Independence, MO for my new neice's adoption ceremony. Convieniently located near Knitcraft. Can I be trusted in a yarn shop? Do I have any self-restraint? Doubtful.