crazy payoff!

I watch a lot of podcasts these days and one of my new favorites is The Fat Squirrel Speaks. If you're up for some fibery fun, you should definitely go check her out. She's hilarious! Really. Go! I'll be here when you get back... =)

Over the holiday season, Amy Beth (of the above podcast) had a contest in her group on Ravelry for everyone to post their crazy. Mine? Knitting way too many things for Christmas! She did the drawing and guess what? I won an ebook! Such cute patterns too. This is the ebook I won:

I think that hat on the right will be the first one I try. Love it!

I also was gifted a pattern from a friend for my birthday! Aren't I the lucky girl?! I've seen this shawl (Piper's Journey) on a few podcasts and love it. I'd planned to buy the pattern when I was ready to start it so had it in my queue. =) Isn't it pretty?

I've seen this done in two colors and love the effect! The garter will be nice and relaxing and that lace edging is just enough detail to keep it interesting. This might end up being the year of the shawl for me. =)

Speaking if shawls, I've started on the shawl I'm testknitting but all this overtime at work is killing any knitting progress! It's just far enough along to start showing the pattern well when stretched out, but it's still so tiny!

It's difficult to stretch it out and take a photo. I promise a good shot when it's completed and blocked. =)

I did finish the hat I posted last week:

Not a great pic, but it was dark already when I finished it up on New Year's Eve and had to take a shot to post for the KAL. =)
(project details on Ravelry)

Want a peek at some of what I plan to use use up this year?

The fingering weight yarn on top is what I'm using for the current shawl. The oatmeal color yarn underneath is destined to become a sweater, though I don't yet know which pattern. The cream wool on the left will become a sheep hat:

Isn't that adorable?? I plan to dye some of the skein green for the grassy part. No new yarns, remember? =) I also have a bag of baby-appropriate yarns:

Mostly cotton and cotton blends with just a two small skeins of acrylic.

And I just had to share my little goofball:

Reilly's a good distraction from all the paid work! =)

Hope you had a very merry Christmas!

 I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! =)

It was another week of working a lot and knitting very little. I did cast on for a hat this week for a knit-a-long and I'm nearly finished:

Could have been done days ago, but after work, I've been choosing my pillow over the needles. Hard to believe that I was working 14-hr days on a regular basis this time last year with two full-time jobs. Guess I'm getting old... lol
(project details on Ravelry)

Oh! I did finish the pair of slippers for my friend in time for Christmas:

Not sure they went over that well, but they were done in time at least. I'm determined to finish up these skeins of acrylic if it kills me. lol
(project details on Ravelry)

I did take Christmas off and spent the day with my friend's family. We opened gifts in the morning then headed to her husband's parents place in northern Idaho for the afternoon/evening. I wish I could say it was drama-free, but it was much more like being with my own crazy family than I'd have preferred. The holidays seem to bring out the best and, sadly, the worst in people. At least this wasn't my family drama and Reilly got to have some fun!

This was just before he let loose with a barrage of barks letting those deer know he was in charge... or at least thought he was. heh Not sure what he would've done had there not been a window in between him and those 10 deer! These were young... maybe most will be pulling Santa's sleigh next year? =)

mmmm, peanut butter

Since work is slim today, I decided to try out a new recipe for dog biscuits. Reilly's always a willing taste-tester though he's probably not really the best judge since he'll eat just about anything. lol

I used the peanut butter dog treat recipe from Chloe's Kitchen. With only four ingredients (whole wheat flour, water, molasses and peanut butter), it couldn't be quicker or easier. The most time-consuming part is cutting them out.

They are definitely Reilly-approved!

"Stay" only last so long when homemade peanut butter biscuits are involved!

This has quickly become one of my favorite cookbooks and I'm so glad I splurged on it!

Winter Blues

My sweater's not done yet, but someone else's is!

I did this one in wool and alpaca (details on my Ravelry project page) for a little extra warmth. I'm likeing the color combo. I've had that alpaca for awhile with no idea what to use it for. Holding it with a strand of wool seems to be a good combo. =)

This week has been full of indoor time thanks to ice, snow, more ice and snow.

 Nice, huh? And I'd already brushed the loose snow off the top! That's solid. :-/ The drive was a solid sheet of ice too so I was stuck out of the garage for a few days. Thanks to some fresh snow (and the traction it brought), my baby's back under a roof. It may be a tough jeep, but it's sure a heck of a lot easier running errands when I don't have to chip ice off it first!

  Someone hasn't been at all bummed about the weather. Pure Alaskan, born and raised! =)

He's about 3" off the actual ground there. Still pretty solid under the latest snow, but at least we got off a heck of a lot easier than a lot. Looking forward to the thaw so I can head west... not so looking forward to that thawing and creating a mud pit in the back yard. lol

Sometime, the budget's NOT the most important thing.

I was all ready to post about the new crafty thing I did last night... but apparently my little dog decided he hadn't had enough face time on the blog lately. Reilly has had a few issues in his four years and today, added one (or two) more. He had his first (and hopefully last) seizure this morning. Out went the budget I've been sticking to along with my work schedule for today and off we went to the vet. Bloodwork came back this afternoon with off the charts markers for pancreatitis. We'll hear tomorrow on the next test results. Hopefully, the outcome will simply mean a new super-lowfat diet and we'll be able to proceed without more bumps in the road. This has been one heck of a year for the critters in my little family. Can this please be the last health crisis this year? Please?! 

The craftiness? It'll wait.

Back home again... in Indiana.

And Autumn is firmly upon us...


It was a beautiful, frosty morning today. Chilly enough to pull out Reilly's cold weather wear.

Perfect weather for knitting! I finished the fingerless gloves for my friend last weekand started the matching scarf at the airport while waiting for my flight home from NY Friday evening.Wasn't so sure about this pattern after the first couple of repeats, but now that I have 8" or so, I'm quite pleased with the results. Switching between US4 and US7 makes this scarf progress rather quickly, esp for one made of fingering weight yarn! This set should be nicely cozy yet lightweight, perfect for a cool Seattle day without being overkill. =) One Christmas present (almost) down!

I have a problem

I love finding awesome deals on yarn. Yarn I don't really need. But it's just so irresistably pretty, dontcha think? Six skeins of this yummy mohair, wool, silk blend now reside in my stash. Well, my hotel room for now. heh It's not fattening... or illegal... so it's all good, right? ;-) And under $20 for the lot of it! How can that be bad? Heck, if the heat goes out, I can always just bury myself in my stash to survive, right?

I do believe the company I got this from is covering up the fact that they've perfected that method of transport used in Star Trek movies and beamed this to me. I placed my order late, late Wednesday night... and it was waiting at the hotel for me Friday afternoon! Wow. Okay, so it was only coming from Vermont and I'm in western upstate New York, but still. Now, what to do with it? I think this needs to be some sort of shawl or wrap. Any suggestions? I have 1200 yds and it's 8 sts/24 rows to 4" on US7 and a boucle (Wool In The Woods Harmony) - not looking to use all 1200 yds, obviously. heh =)

I started my fingerless gloves... and then frogged them. I'd started them on US6 dpns and realized quickly they were too big. I also realized... I didn't like this yarn as fingerless gloves. I loved that yarn in the ball. Still do. And it'll be perfect for something... just not fingerless gloves. ;-) At least, not for me. So I left that yarn at home last weekend and brought back some purple/blue/green variegated wool to restart my gloves. This colorway seems much more fall-like anyway. Pics to come...

BTW - Reilly is doing much, much better this weekend. Though it took longer than anyone (including two vets) expected and racked up a couple more vet bills along the way, he's apparently back to his old, bouncy self. =D Woo!

Hmm, any techies reading this? I know next to nothing about html. Is there an easy fix to make this section wider? So it doesn't cut off the edge of my pics? Just curious. It bugs me. =)

It's times like this I hate my job

Poor little guy. He's had a rough month. First, it was cysts that had to be removed, followed by him puling out stitches requireing a trip to the emergency vet's almost an hour away on a Sunday (of course) the last weekend I was home. Now, just as the time neared to get his staples removed, I come home and find this pitiful sight. Not exactly what I was hoping for when I got home at nearly 11:30 Friday night! He'd apparently been sick (not eating... this dog never refuses food!) since the afternoon though my mother decided to ignore this huge warning sign and even went to bed, leaving him in my bedroom where he'd thrown up multiple times. Yes, I'm beyond PO'd. So... half an hour after walking in the door, we were in the car heading to the emergency vet's again with a very sick little dog. Finally got back home just after 3a and spent the rest of the night mostly awake - Reilly and me anyway. Morning finally came around and things hadn't improved so off we headed to the local vet to see if there was any more to be done to help him feel better and to be sure it wasn't something more serious. X-rays thankfully came back clear so no blockage (which would have required surgery). Turns out it's gastroenteritis triggered by who knows what and the little guy has to take three different meds twice a day for the next week. He got fluids today to counteract dehydration and some special food (which he still won't touch). I'm just hoping I can get him to eat in the morning before I head back to the airport and back to NY. I really wish I could stay home until the pup is better. Times like this are when this job really sucks.

It was supposed to be a stress-free weekend...

Does this look stress-free?
Yeah, I didn't think so either. Poor little guy. Had some skin cysts removed a few days ago, wasn't given an e-collar by the vet (really, what is wrong with that vet?!) and he pulled out some of the stitches so had to deal with the mess and have things fixed... with a trip to the emergency vet's 45 miles away. *sigh*
I do think I figured out the inspiration for the first "pill pockets" though!
haha Worked like a charm! Reilly does love his fruits (and veggies too)!
It's been nice having the house to myself this weekend (my mother is visiting her mother and my sis in OH). I've organized the freezer finally. One of the few places in the kitchen I haven't overhauled since being here. I picked up a couple of plastic shoe boxes today to wrangle in the smaller items in the hope that my mother will actually look and see what she has before buying more stuff. I can dream, right?
I also picked up a couple of shallow storage bins to slip under my bed so I could move the large red suitcase (that's been holding a good chunk of my stash) out of my bedroom and into the basement... where I discovered my mother now has THREE bicycles. *sigh* One is older, though I'm sure, still usable as much as she would actually use it if it was cleaned up and serviced. She had a newer model in the garage that probably just needs new tires or something. Now there's a third in the garage... brand new... tags still on. I don't know the last time she actually rode a bike. I guess my attempts at helping her declutter aren't helping...
Anyhoo, I sorted my stash mainly by fiber content and decided my two balls of this:
are destined to become fingerless gloves! So pretty! And will go perfectly with my black wool coat. =) Haven't picked a design yet. I'm open to suggestions...
I also came across this:
Such a pretty, pale lavender and so very soft! I'm thinking baby something. Baby what, I don't know. A sweater perhaps? Or possibly a hat and matching booties? Decisions, decisions. Again, open to suggestions!
Some of the stash isn't making the cut. Once I saw it all together, some skeins just didn't inspire a desire to knit. I'm thinking of putting together a bag to pass on to someone... I've also got a bag full of clothes, shoes and purses mostly, ready to donate to Goodwill or somewhere. Planned to take care of that today, but the little guy had other plans. Ah, well, the longer the bag is here, the more that will end up in there! =) Just gotta get it out of the house before my mom realizes it's donation stuff and decides to sort through it...

Back in the desert!

Back in the land of sunny, cloudless days and endless blue skies.

The obnoxious people in the room next to me finally checked out today. Yay! Finally, some peace and quiet. Arizona has been nothing but unnecessary stress so far. Can't wait for this project to end! The constant travel may be losing a bit of it's shine. I'm missing my boys...
Look at those faces! Gotta love 'em! I brought my new little camera home and played with it a bit to test it out. The boys are always willing subjects!

While I was outside taking pics, I had a robin constantly hollering at me. Finally found the source of the poor thing's stress:No wonder she was upset! I'm hoping I'll get to see some fuzzy babies my next trip home. =)

I am getting some knitting done too. Still working on my sweater, but I finished my 2nd net bag on my flight back to Tucson and finished the first of the pair of bright socks I started ages ago. Began the second on the flight back. I really like how the first turned out! (Pics to come later.) Need to get back to my afghan block as well. I have maybe 2" done so far. heh So much for my plan to do a block each trip out. Ah, well. I refuse to stress over knitting... =)

Pearly Whites

So many things are getting done while I'm home. The boys both went in today for a teeth cleaning. Reilly's weren't too bad, Mugsy's were worse. Here's the difference between a just over 2-yr-old and an almost 13-yr-old after anesthesia. Reillly's a little droopy still, but poor Mugsy is completely wiped out.

I got these chews at the vet's. They have enzymes on them that are supposed to deter plaque now that they once again have pearly whites.

There's also something that you can put in their drinking water every day and some wipes for their teeth with the enzymes. I opted for the chews to give them 1-2 times a week. I was warned they stink to high heaven though. Good thing I can't smell... =)

In between dropping off and picking up the boys, I had to get out of this house (and away from a certain irritating woman who cannot speak in normal voice even when I'm 2' away - I hate yellers!) so I ran down to the new fabric/yarn/vacuum shop that is now the only place to get decent yarn (Red Heart at Wal-mart doesn't count) without a 2-hr round trip. They just started carrying Cascade yarns and have really good prices (complete surprise for this little town!). They know their customer base and priced accordingly. =) People around here aren't going to pay a ton for yarn. Their prices are actually about the same as the non-profit sold it for out in Seattle and less than pretty much anywhere I've seen it, including online shops when not on good sales. Not bad! I'll definitely be checking them out should I need a skein or two. Not foreseeing that need in the near future after my recent yarny deals... but you never know. I was very tempted by a sampler afghan they had there. It's knitted in blocks, then stitched together - several very cool blocks in that pattern! I did make sure to tell all the ladies at lunch today that the yarn is in and that the prices are good! =)

One very bad little dog...

*sigh* I knew this whole flimsy wooden lattice thing was a bad idea. Can't tell my mom anything though. She had it in her head that an enclosure made of 1/4" pine was more than adequate for keeping animals in or out. There was already a small hole elsewhere, but no definite proof that it was Reilly. Yeah, I knew. Who else would it be?! haha Anyhoo, tonight I let the boys out into the yard and a little while later, here comes Reilly into the house. I'm thinking, hmm, the door must have come open. Nope.

Reilly decided to let himself in... by making a Reilly-sized hole. *sigh* Rotten little dog. Gotta love that minpin tenacity. haha So much like a terrier! We had some chicken wire in the garage left from the garden so I nailed that up along the outside to thwart any future attempts at break-ins. ha! Yeah, he's not chewing to escape... he's chewing his way IN!

Goofy little dog. He wasn't even out there all that long. Don't worry. I did thoroughly check out his mouth. Didn't find any real damage, thank goodness. My whole idea for an enclosure in the beginning involved chicken wire and on a much smaller scale... for the cats. This was my mother's idea. This way, she could put in a dog door and never get off her butt (and away from her precious television) to let the dogs in/out. It was also a way for her to build this stupid thing and make me pay for it. Not that she asked me anything, just did it while I was out of town and it was too late. I absolutely hate this enclosure. It's way too small of a space for the dogs and when I'm out of town, I know she's not letting the dogs out into the rest of the yard to stretch their legs. And apparently picking up poop is below her as well so it gets pretty nasty during the 3 weeks I'm gone. Reilly just flat out refuses to poop out there. Frankly, I don't blame him. That's one of the reasons I'm switching to 2-week stints when things pick back up so I can keep an eye on them better. The plan is to be back out west by this time next year. Just gotta hold out and save up.

Learning to make repairs

Well, I learned pretty quickly that Reilly doesn’t appreciate wearing a sweater for too long in the house. Not long after I finished his Besotted sweater last year, he decided he’d had it on too long - maybe he got hot? - and decided to take matters into his own paws, er teeth. Yeah, wool’s tough, but it’s no match for little doggy teeth! It’s been sitting since last winter (Nov/Dec ‘07), waiting to be repaired. I finally got around to it today. Since the damage was on the cast ON edge rather than the cast OFF edge, that complicated things just a bit, making it harder (and much slower) to rip back the damaged rows. I finally got it all the way back past the mangled area and re-knit the 2x2 ribbing (this time on size 5 dpns to tighten up the neck a bit) and it’s fixed! Goofy little dog! =)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Finished Reilly's Besotted Sweater!

Reilly was a very good model for our little photo shoot. =)

Happy Howloween!

Reilly was kind enough to model his Halloween costume in exchange for a few (er, handfull) of Cheerios. =)


I've been doing LOTS of photography the past couple weeks and having loads of fun! I just love autumn! Spokane has some really great parks! Here are a few of my favorites. Check out my flickr account to see more. =)



And I've started another sweater for Reilly using the cable pattern from the Besotted Scarf and my doggie sweater pattern. I'm loving how it's coming out so far! Just in time too. The frost finally hit a week ago. =( Snow will be coming all too soon.