Dogs on Thursday (Oh, and a Lunar Eclipse)

Frisky is a lap dog in the literal sense of the word. As soon as my behind hits a horizontal surface, thwunk, there he is.


The funniest thing about this picture (aside from the the cellulite, sorry about that) is the story on the back page. Do you think maybe Frisk was trying to read it? It wouldn't surprise me.

Edited to add: If you like dogs and want a giggle, go check this out. The music completes it.

Also this week, we woke the kids up at 5 am on the first day of school to see this:


Lunar eclipse! It was so cool. We sat on the back porch wrapped in blankets and watched the whole show.

Summer's End...

I’m back from vacation and rushing around to get ready for the upcoming semester. The kids went back to school today and I’ll admit I was a bit stunned when the bus actually showed up – it doesn’t seem possible that summer is already over. We had a fantastic few months around here and it’s a bit sad to see it end, though the school year always brings exciting new things to look forward to. It’s the pace of summer that I really enjoy, I guess – that and having more time to just hang out with the kids.

In any case, I have a few FOs to show. It’s vacation knitting, mostly, little things that didn’t require too much concentration:

Cashmerino nap mat for Frisky:


Cute washcloth for a friend:


Another cute washcloth, also for friend:


And one WIP: Redo of my son’s socks – hopefully for the last time!


My niece LOVED her felted bag (and the Uglydoll I put inside it.) It was hilarious to see her galloping down the beach on a hot summer’s day in her bikini with this felted wool bag hanging around her neck and the Uglydoll’s head peeking out. Ah, to be 8 again. Also, one of her brothers has decided that if I can make his sister a felted purse, I can certainly make him a felted knapsack. Any pattern suggestions would be most welcome!

So, between now and Christmas I have to apply myself to several pairs of socks, the remaining Breeze, and the ripple afghan. And probably a scarf or two. And maybe a knapsack. Oh, and a baby gift. And I'd like to finish Einstein in the next month or so. That’s the plan, anyway, until I get distracted by something new ;) Or until reality sets in.

And now, my Ravelry update:
You signed up on July 20, 2007
You are #18983 on the list.
8296 people are ahead of you in line.
10436 people are behind you in line.
35% of the list has been invited so far
*Sigh*

Dogs on Friday

Okay, so I'm a little late. We are vacationing on the coast of Maine and dh and I are currently enjoying free wi-fi at a local cafe. I have to type fast before my battery runs out :)

Frisky is enjoying long walks, meeting other small dogs (man there are a lot of small dogs) and chasing sea gulls. He would send his love, but he's too busy napping.

On the knitting front, I went here, and bought some of this on clearance at 40% off. It is magically soft and I used it to make a tiny nap mat for Frisk - perfect for snuggling. Pics later.

Also realized that tiger socks for ds, almost done, were too small for his newly growth-spurted kid feet. Fortunately my little nephew was only too happy to spend some time frogging them for me at the beach. Now they are back OTN and my mission is to finish them before the little guy's feet get any bigger...

Off to enjoy the Trolley Museum with my kids and their merry band 'o cousins, and then hit the beach. Hope you're enjoying these last days of summer too. TTFN ;)

Dog Day Thursday

Is it Thursday already? Well, then, time to dog-blog:



There is no creature more content than a chihuahua basking in the warm sun...



...or snuggling in a giant comforter.


"Now, go away!"

Actual Knitting Content: Felted bag, finished in time to give to my niece next week:


Feels soo good to work those WIPs!

New York Link-a-Dink

I went to New York this weekend to catch a few days of an academic conference. DH came along for the kidlet-free weekend, pool, and king-size bed (he's tall). We had staunchly agreed to use Saturday night to chill out and get caught up on some studying, but our moral weakness and the hotel-window view of Times Square prevailed. Instead, we saw this - it was fresh in our minds as we just bought the video to watch for the 10,000th time - and we even procured some coconut shells to bring home to the kiddies :) Always look on the bright side of life...{insert whistling here}. Our faces hurt from laughing.

Unfortunately, I never made it here :( I was so close. But I did finish the i-cord for the pink felted bag and zip through a few more rows on the afghan in the car on the way home.

Soooo, anyway, I know it's a little early but I think I've succeeded in getting the family interested in driving out to go to this. Anyone else thinking of going?

Yes, I'm a Joiner...

...and since I already talk way too much about my chihuahua anyway, I figure I might as well just jump right on this bandwagon :)

Updates...

First, a Frisky update – he is doing fine, seems a little more tired than usual but that could be due to the very hot and humid weather. Not that he isn’t milking this for all it’s worth:


"Ooohhh, I feel faint. Quick, scratch behind my ear."

He hates the antibiotic, which is lovely because he needs to take it 2x per day for a whopping 28 days. Due to Frisky’s small size the med had to be compounded at a local pharmacy , and even though they added special beef flavoring he despises it. *Sigh*


“I’ll need a new chewy, stat. And make it a chicken-basted one.”

The vet says the meds should do the trick, so we are keeping our fingers crossed. In the meantime I’ve managed to get a little mileage in on the ripple afghan. It doesn’t look like much progress, but keep in mind this is 52” wide…



I wasn't sure about the DK but it really makes a nice drape-y fabric. I think my parents are going to love it :)

Nature-y Stuff

Mother Nature seems to have appreciated me sacrificing my geranium to the purple finch posse. Look what I came home to after a weekend of camping:



Believe it or not this is the same plant that was a half-dead finch condo just a few weeks ago! After the finches moved out I stripped off all the dead leaves and deadheaded the poor thing until just two tiny buds were left. The leaves that remained, though sparse, were in great condition, so I soaked the whole plant and sat it out in a mostly sunny spot, watering daily. Now it's nice enough to hang up again! Oh, but don't look at the back side...



We'll just keep that big gaping dent to ourselves, thank you.

Also new: Is it just me, or does it seem early for cattails?



And, today's harvest from my micro-garden:



These were yummy.

Very little knitting got done this weekend as we were too busy enjoying some killer waves with good friends on the coast of Maine. Beer around the campfire also got in the way ;) But I did finish three more stripes=6 rows= 3 inches on the ripple afghan; 13 down, 35 to go! Pictures when I have more to show.

Note for dog lovers: Although we religiously treat Frisky for fleas/ticks every month, year round, he tested positive last summer for Lyme disease. We had him treated and he seemed well, until, at this year's checkup, the doctor recommended a re-test. This was an expensive add-on test that I was reluctant to do given that Frisky had only one tick bite all year, but the doctor was concerned so I went with her on it. Turns out his levels are dangerously high. We're staring a one-month course of antibiotics this week, and with luck he'll be okay. Please, please remember to treat your doggies year round (the tick that caused the first instance of Lyme was in February in New England) and be vigilant in checking their coats - this year seems to be a particularly bad one for ticks in the Northeast.

Breeze!

My first Breeze:



Kudos to Jennifer Appleby! This is a beautiful pattern and - even better - beautifully written.



Yarn: Mondial Cashmere Gold (discontinued, no idea why, it's lovely.)
Needles: US size 2 dpns
Modifications: The small size (meant for size 5-6) ended up being a good fit for my size 7 foot, and I worked 30 rows for the heel instead of the recommended 34. (I think <Kathy needed to do the same on her heel; check out her lovely purple pair here.)



If I can find something comparable in a cashmere blend I'll definitely make some more of these. Right now I have to finish the mate to this one, hopefully this weekend.

BTW, the yarn for the project came from frogging these:




Pretty Comfy Sock - great pattern, and my first-ever short-row heel, I just ran out of yarn. I just might make these again (but, duh, with adequate yardage.)

This little FO makes me feel a little better about having missed the Yarn Harlot in Burlington, MA, this evening :) Hmm..not really, lol. But it is nice to get something done!