lifelong knitter

How cute is THIS?

I had kind of a rough morning yesterday,
but when I got back from teaching,
THIS was in my mailbox:

Oh, Skippyjon Jones, how we love you!

Thanks to ANN for introducing us
to our new
Mascot.

Gypsy

We saw Gypsy in a cage, and I asked what her *story* was.
(will I NEVER learn?)
Apparently she was found in a trap,
pregnant and starving,
all the kittens already dead.
They were going to euthanize her at the shelter,
but *she seemed like such a nice cat* to the vet techs
that they had her spayed instead.
She stayed in the shelter from November to January,
(oh, thought my silly brain, she missed CHRISTMAS)
and nobody even tried to adopt her.
Then she got dropped off at my friends pet boutique
for some *exposure*.
We saw her on the last day before she was going back to the
shelter.
*What's going to happen to her, Mom?*
asked dear Daughter bird.
*Well, if nobody gives her a home, she'll go back to the shelter.*
*OH, well, We have plenty of room, why don't WE take her in?*
So, Gypsy came home with us last night for an overnight
camping trip.
It was AMAZING.
She purred and curled up with the poodles like they were all
of a pack.
She rubbed up agains our legs, hopped up in our laps,
and generally made herself at home.
*I think that went rather well, Gypsy*
said the daughter bird this morning.
*I guess I'll see lots more of you when I get home on my breaks.
Right Mom?*

Right.

All the applications and paperwork have been filled out.
We go for the vet check and the microchipping
and the hour long session with the Adoption Counselor
on Monday.

She's a FABULOUS Cat.
We feel very lucky to have been Chosen.

Off to find the pattern for the fabulous felted kitty bed!

Hooded Scarf

This is a great pattern by Joyce,
who works in the LYS where I teach.

Daughter bird LOVES it!

The shaping is Very Clever.....

Thanks, Joyce!

This was a fun knit....One skein of Cascade 220 and half a ball of Splash!

What I WANT....

If anybody knows the Wizards in the
APPLE Think Tanks...
I really, really
WANT
a cell phone
that works.
An ipod phone.
Don't you?

I can start knitting
little sweaters for it
right NOW.

Oh, and while I am
on the subject,
I also WANT
a convertible
Mini Cooper.

Extreme Cuteness.
Good Gas Mileage.
Clever Marketing.

AND.

I wanna join the
Knitters with Minis
blog ring.

sigh.

Must be MONDAY.

What I'm NOT doing...

Saying NO.
I always say *oh SURE! I can fix that for you...*
when really,
I probably can't.
The KNITTING part of this,
sigh,
I feel really,really guilty about.
I took in a badly chewed dog sweater.
Chewed by a Doberman,
mind you,
so it wasn't some teensy tiny hole
or just a dropped stitch or anything....
but a slobbery, gaping, GASH
in a lovely Red Wool Cabled
Handknit.
I've spent the better part of two days
trying to stabilize, wash,
and reattach frazzled ends.
Know what I have?
A Migraine
and an unfinished mending job.
Know what I am going to do?
Tell the doggie
he did a really good job chewing
and tell his Mama that it is Sadly
Beyond Repair.
sigh.
Just THINKING about it makes me want to go back
and try One More Time...
ouch.
Never Mind.
Some things just
Cannot Be Fixed.

Sven's Sweater

Before:

and, AFTER:

Ah, the Power of Knitting!

How I knit a blankie.....

Here's what I do when I want to make a baby blankie or a
prayer shawl that needs to be machine washable:

I get an even number of skeins of acrylic out of my stash.
(400 yards total makes a very nice baby or small pet blankie....
double that if you want afghan size)
I cast on 3 stitches on size 10.5US 24" circular needles.
I increase in the first stitch (knitting into the front and back
of the first loop) and knit across...
EVERY row until I have used up half of the skeins.
Then I decrease in the first stitch (by knitting the first two loops
together) and knit across....
EVERY row until I am left with 3 stitches.
I bind off,
weave in the ends
and give it as a gift.

Over the years I have amassed quite a stash of prayer shawl
acrylic. Whenever there is a sale, or I have a coupon, I pick up
enough to make a blankie and put it away for a rainy day.

Stay tuned tomorrow for pictures of SVEN
wearing his sweater!

The Carson Project

My dear sweet Carson has had to spend quite a bit of time at the Animal Rehabilitation Hospital this winter.
The regular vets had all pretty much given up trying to treat his back pain and said
No More Prednisone.
He was barely able to walk to the end of the driveway, and would just SCREAM in pain.
I was being SELFISH and wanting to keep him as long as possible,
and not knowing his history, it was pretty hard to know What To Do.
All my instincts said to try just one more thing.

The folks at this animal hospital are AMAZING. Dedicated, kind, and really, really good at what they do. You can just TELL when someone is doing what they are called to do, especially with animals.
When we arrived for our first consult, they greeted Carson with a bowl of water and a soft quilt to wait on, and then brought me a cup of coffee and the *clipboard with the forms*.

So, after several visits and phone consults with the other vets, they prescribed something that REALLY helps my sweet doggie. They compound it right there, just for him. He can now trot to the end of the village, twice a day, and only has a pain episode once in awhile, which is then managed with another dose or two of the apparently side effect free meds.....

In appreciation, I've started knitting blankies for the hospital. Machine washable, acrylic, the diagonal dishcloth pattern on size 10.5US needles, I figure I could make a dozen or so this year.
If anyone would care to join me, the animals who have to spend time there after recovering from surgery would be MOST grateful.

You can click on the Animal Wellness and Rehabilitation Hospital to see more about them.
www.arwi.com

The Pooches send Smooches and hope you get a chance to go for a WALK today, too!

Knitting for Cats

I've been commissioned to Knit a Custom CAT Sweater.
Really.

Berrocco PLUSH...
to match his eyes.
Ahem.
Perhaps the backstory is in order....

My friend owns the local cat and dog boutique.
She has *several* cats and more than a few doggies,
most of them rescues and Projects with a capital P.
(I'm sure you can figure out why we get along so well.....)

Her favorite cat is named Hey Baby
and is really, er, ah, ODD looking.
I never said anything about it,
until she got the new guy,
SVEN.
Then I heard that these cats are
Quite Expensive and Rare
and all of that.
(Dear Me, I thought they had some kind of
skin condition or were malnourished or something...)
Some kind of REX something or other..
not T Rex
(that's a DINOSAUR, I think)
but I guess if you google
Hairless Cat
you'll probably
get the Picture(s).

So, I'm happily Knitting
a sweet little sweater
for a hairless cat
named for a Norse God.

Hope your life has some silliness
too....
Tee.Hee.

Back to Work

The tree is undecorated and out on the curb.
It used to make me weep to see all of the forlorn piles
of former glorious greenery...
but in our county at least,
these Christmas tree farms are a way to save farmland
that otherwise would have to be sold for
More Development
AND we get to help make mulch
for next year's gardens.
sigh.
Equivocation.

Although classes do not Officially Begin
until next week,
I'll be at the Knitting Shop
today, bright and early.
I love the half an hour to myself to KNIT
and gather my thoughts,
getting ready for the students to arrive
surrounded by yarn and patterns and
the good energy of Creativity.

I'm excited to see how much progress my students
have made over the holidays
and hear about all of their family celebrations
or how they coped with being alone,
far away from Loved Ones.

I had forgotten what a JOY
it is to teach....
especially those moments
when the anxiety and frustration
give way to the *OH, I get it*
feeling and we can proceed to
Knitting Happily!

So May it Be.
Peace be with you.