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.

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!

So . . . it was pretty hot

9.28.10

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.

Remember Folks - You Heard It Here First!

That's right. You heard it here first. "Heard what?" you ask? I.finished.knitting.the.rosebud.cardigan!

Yup.

No. No photos please.

Instead of blocking the final sleeve and sewing it in so that I have a whole cardigan to model. I spent my evening celebrating with a mug of tea, my new Victoria magazine, some quilting and the good dog on my bed.

Stay tuned, more to follow.

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!

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

Comfort and Joy

Is there Anything that a piece of chocolate, a good mystery novel and this little whippet can't make better?

Did you say . . . Yogurt?

Knitting Bones; Knitting Cardigans

Big moment around here! Here is the fruit of my post-surgical, lay-about-the-sofa, past two-and-a-half weeks! My first knitted cardigan! Yay Me! I did make a couple of alterations to the pattern, namely I changed the neckline and ties to 4 rows of stockinette stitch instead of garter stitch, as I wanted it to curl; also, after consulting with Cheerleader, I decided to make the sleeves 3/4 length, rather than having them bell out to a wide, full length. Cheerleader thought this looked better - not so old ladyish (she's 16 now - :HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHEERLEADER: so anything I wear must, by definition, be old ladyish!).
And I leave you with a photo of Ripple, looking as she has for much of my recovery period! Who knew when we bought a neutral colored sofa that the dog would blend so well? If not for the colorful blanket, she would be too easy to miss.

A Thing of Beauty is a Joy Forever . . .

And I'm not talking about the dog, this time! I just finished my first knitting project - woooot! A nice, woolly pair of socks for Sunshine.

Speaking of things of beauty - look at these hibiscus blooms from the back yard! I took these photos last week and I think they're mag!

Impediments to Crafting

The dog isn't the only trouble I have when it comes to crochet. I sat down at the computer for FIVE MINUTES to figure out how I wanted to edge the Babette Blanket. I decided on a simple granny stitch with a final shell stitch. So, to get on with it . . . where did the blanket go? I had it spread out on the floor awaiting my final decision? Oh. Cheerleader is trying to squeeze in a nap under it. And look at Ripple! It really ticks her off when someone else is in her favorite spot on the couch and hogging the new blanket, to boot!

Ugly Duckling Story

Several weeks ago I responded to a Craigslist ad and bought two garbage bags of really cheap yarn. Cheap in more ways than one:: it was very inexpensive; and it truly belonged in the garbage bags! Really crappy stuff!

The gal who was selling it told me she had bought it to make hats for the homeless. It made me wonder how she could hate the homeless soooo much? Did she really believe that they should be grateful for hats made from such ugly, nasty yarn? I tried to get a good photo of the stuff - see the red yarn? Crocheting with it is like crocheting 1970's shag carpet that has been on the floor of a college rental and never cleaned! It squeaks when you work with it. All of the yarn is acrylic and it is in some of the most eye smarting colors!

But . . . I like a challange. Also, I am not quite ready to spend real money on real yarn yet. I still have some experimenting to do before crocheting a masterpiece. So, I challenged myself to make a pretty (or presentable) patio throw with the stuff. I put together the best combinations of colors I could with what was available and I started on a "join-as-you-go, Babette-style, Granny-Square Flower" throw. Say that three times fast.

Hm. This picture is blurry. Could it be that the colors were causing the camera trouble? Or was it me? Okay. Because I, basically, have a positive outlook on everything and I like lists, I decided to come up with a list of good things about this yarn and throw.

1. It was practically free;

2. If it had cost actual money, I wouldn't be willing to use the throw outside, on the patio, of an evening when it is chilly;

3. There is a certain satisfaction in making something functional and even, pretty, from something so ugly and crappy.

4. I just like to crochet!

Sunshine was bored and pulled together a blindingly outrageous outfit the other day. I had to document it for posterity! Yikes!

To France and Back Again

. . . And yes, every bit of it was this pretty. We took somewhere around 600 pictures in two weeks between the four of us. I will try to share some of the best photos with you over the next few weeks. We keep being asked what our favorite part was and I guess I have to say the Alps, just because they are so awesome. But, I do love history and so the Roman and Medieval Ruins were right at the top for me.

Ripple was terribly happy when we came home!

Next on the agenda - more crochet, some sewing . . . and I am determined to find that particular blue that is used on all the shutters, etc. in Provence and paint something out in the garden with it! Also, many of our photos were of gardens - stay tuned as we make transform our own humble back yard into a French Cottage Garden.

Crochet Cushions!

Remember the cushion covers I started back in April? Well, I finally have two finished. Here they are, in place and they look lovely.

I really love this one - it was supposed to be the back side of the following, but I think it is the new front side!

I do still like this, just not as much.

Who can resist this? I want to sit out here all day, every day.

For some reason this blanket edging is taking an inordinate amount of time.

It's Done!

You know how sometimes you see an absolutely ugly baby and you have to say something, but all you can come up with is "Wow! What a big head!" or something like that. Maybe this hasn't ever happened to you . . .

I was trying to come up with something positive about this afghan I've just finished for Cheerleader. Here goes:

1. It's done!

2. It's warm.

3. It doesn't have any mistakes.

4. It is done in U of O colors (although living in the same city as OSU may make this last one a negative.)

I'm just glad Cheerleader likes it so well. If she tires of it, the dog likes it also! (I'm glad El Guapo never reads this post - he dislikes having Ripple on the couch, but during the day I get tired of the constant arguing trying to keep her off).

Why some WIPs take longer than they should . . .

She doesn't find this to be a problem. In fact, it is nearly the perfect situation for her . . . she is as close to me as she can get right now; she is involved in what I am doing; and she is not 'technically' on the carpet.

I've been working on this afghan for Cheerleader since my parents came to visit in April. My mom brought her 20+ year old stash of yarn (it was dusty), from her knitting heyday, and Cheerleader decided that even though the colors are atrocious, they are U of O colors and that's where she's planning on going to college, so why don't I make her an afghan? There is both too much and too little yarn, too many colors, but not enough of the colors I need, so we added black and have varied the pattern from the original concept and Cheerleader is thrilled. Once I get the dog off and finish (I just have the edging left), I'll spread it out and show you.