Why I sometimes have trouble making my bed

I really like to have my bed made - I kinda even like making it. It's satisfying to me to get the blankets on all crisp and fluff the pillows. Plus, handling the quilt and pillowcases I've made gives me a little daily dose of happiness.

Lately, I've been having a little trouble accomplishing this most basic of tasks. I'm not making excuses - but here are a couple of the reasons I'm finding making my bed so difficult.

Reason #1

Reason #2

Reason #1 + Reason #2

I keep trying to sneak in between dogs, but they have a real tendency to follow me and hop up on the bed before I can get started or, in Ripple's case - flop on the quilt and blanket on the floor while I'm trying to get the sheets straightened.

Not Dead Yet . . .

Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated. I only smell dead.

Here, in no particular order, are some of the items that have been occupying my time.

Above: A spring skirt made from Sew Serendipity by Kay Whitt. I did an invisible zipper for the first time and am so pleased with the result that I may never do any other type from now on.

Above and below, a jacket from a pattern Migi gave me for Christmas.

Below - same jacket, different fabric.

While I was knitting the drop-mesh tee (see below) I couldn't keep the small, annoying dog away from it. She wanted to be on my lap, completely wrapped up in as much of the knitting as was possible. She has never reacted quite like this to any of my other yarn, and I had a spare skein, so I knitted her a little drop-mesh blankie of her own.

The drop-mesh tee, below. Finally, after two other incarnations, I found a pattern that worked with this tired, overknit yarn. I'm very pleased with the final result.

Happy New Year!

Dear 2010. I am glad to see the last of you. Here are the good things that happened in 2010 - and it is, sadly, a short list.

Thing 1. We added the small, annoying dog to our family. She fits in with the good dog and really helps keep things light and funny around here.

Thing 2: KNITTING!

Thing 3. The Escape Pod.

Please be a better year 2011!

June

The back yard is looking lovely!

The dogs really wanted to be in the photo for some reason.

You can just see the crabapple tree - though right now it is being upstaged by all the flowers.

May Socks - Darn!

I can't decide if I'm cheating on my self-imposed sock-of-the-month club.

April's pair of socks ran over into May - but I'm still counting them as April's socks. Which brings us to May. I have cast on and nearly finished one sock for this month, and let me just tell you - they are the GREATEST socks EVER! Super great knitting pattern, I adore the heel and toe treatment, and they are a silk/wool blend in a great color - no down side anywhere. Except that they aren't going to be done in May, so they can't count as my May socks.

Enter these socks, which I knit last Sept. or Oct. and Zora (the Gorgon) chewed a hole in in February.

So, here is my thought. (why did the font just change? but that isn't the thought). If I darn this pair of socks, I am essentially gaining a new pair of socks as these have been unwearable since being chewed - plus, I learn a new knitting related skill. Sounds like a win/win and by being loose about the sock-of-the-month club rules I have my May socks done!

I'll show you the new socks soon - they are a delight to knit and hard to put down. I may actually get two pairs of June socks done which would be nice since I didn't start my sock-of-the-month knitting until February, but still want to get twelve pairs in 2010.

March Crabapple Chronicles

Impossible as it is to believe, the sun was shining so brightly when I took this photo that the tree is kinda bleached out. Looks like the lawn needs a trim . . .

Here is a rare sight.

I'm not sure if Ripple was asleep and therefore didn't notice the infringement of her space by Zora, or

if she's just given up.

Maybe tomorrow I will show some of the many items of clothing I got when the girls and I went shopping at the second-hand store in Salem with El Guapo's sister and her girls on Presidents' Day.

Who's Idea Was It To Have Dogs?

Sure. She LOOKS innocent.

This one also. I don't see any green threads caught in her teeth.

But SOMEONE did this while I was distracted this morning.

I'm glad I took the photo of the whole sock when I did. Now at least I have proof that I was on schedule for a pair of socks in time for the birthday. The thing is, I have only myself to blame. A beautiful hand knit, wool sock left lying on the arm of the sofa is far too tempting for a new little dog who has shown that she will bite at yarn and bamboo knitting needles when sitting on my lap! Or for the dog who regularly chews sock spiders that I make for her from old, worn out socks! The only thing I can think to do is rip the sock back to the gusset (there is no damage until after the heel turns) and carry on from there. The socks will be slightly late, but I will persevere.

Dang it!

NOT a Chiggy then . . .

Zora is a VERY wiggly dog, which makes photographing her difficult.

But it appears she is NOT a chiggy, which is sad, as I really like saying Chiggy.

Cheerleader found a dog breed book at the library and, minus the cropped ears and docked tail, the photo below looks just like the little miss.

It had never occurred to me that she was a Miniature Pinscher because the only Min Pins I'm familiar with are black and tan. I didn't even realize they came in the lovely cinnamon color that Zora is sporting.

February

Here are the arm warmers I made from the sale wool. I made one using the same fingerless mitten pattern from {a-black-pepper}, but it was too tight so I ripped it out (even though I FINALLY figured out the thumb gusset!) and made these from A Friend to Knit With - I think they are "Toast", but maybe "Toasty". One thing I have learned about my knitting - not only do I knit tightly, but I bind off tightly also - perhaps a bit too tightly. The thumb openings need some definite stretching. But I love the color and the form fit.

Ripple has reservations about Zora.

She dislikes the snuggling and would really like to play - which Zora is not quite ready for.

February Crab Apple

A New Family Member

Doesn't she look lonely?

A lone dog amidst all that fluff?

Never fear!

The new dog (a chiggy) is here! We adopted her today from the Humane Society. She is 1.5 years old (and has already had a litter of pups!); she weighs 11 pounds, and they said she was maybe a Whippet/Italian Greyhound mix. I think she looks much more like a Chihuahua/Italian Greyhound mix, therefore: a chiggy! She came with the name Zora, which we quite like and intend to keep. Poor pup gets spayed on Friday, so she won't be feeling so photogenic for a few days.

A New Family Member