Monday, August 30, 2010

The Months Are Changing

As August is changing to September my mind is turning back towards knitting.  Is it unusual to put down the knitting needles for the Summer sometimes and pick them up again for the Fall and Winter?  This summer I have knit very few stitches.  I've thought about knitting a lot, but I've actually done very little of it.  Now that August is preparing to vanish it seems as if I have suddenly come out of a long knitting slumber to rediscover my knitting needles and all of my stash and my books and kits and feel like a brand new knitter!  I just hope this doesn't happen every single summer.  This would really annoy me, and my husband, since he expects sweaters in the Fall and Winter, especially this Fall and Winter and he won't get them until the Winter and probably then until deep winter, i.e. January and February.

Last night I came up with a wonderful little idea for a gift for a friend of mine.  A cute little sweater that would just make her look absolutely adorable and make her so warm in the winter!  I'm hoping I can save up the money to get the money for the yarn for the sweater.  She is so very tiny I don't believe it would take very much to do the project for her. 

The yarn for Hubby's sweater I already have, I just have to make sure and just locate the stupid book or buy another one, which I really would hate to do because I've already had it purchased for me once before.  Having two copies of the same book would really make me feel silly, but, I suppose, it could come in handy in case a friend and I were working on similar or same projects and needed to compare notes.

I am ever so glad the knitting mojo has returned in its proper proportion.  :)

Friday, August 13, 2010

Books and Knitting ..... Perfect Birthday Happiness

 Tomorrow is my birthday. 

Most of what I have asked for my birthday this year has been Barns & Noble gift cards.  Can you guess why?

Finished Magic Bites a couple of days ago and simply couldn't wait to get it from the library or to see if Sniffles had it on her shelf so I went ahead and splurged and got the second book in the Kate Daniels urban fantasy series. 

I was SO impressed with this book.  It was just what I needed.  Now we have headed on to the second novel, Magic Burns

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Casting Forward

Believe it or not but I've cast on for a new project and actually got a couple of rows done!  I'm so excited I could spit fleece!

Monday, August 2, 2010

Found Pups and Rearranged Knitting Baskets

This morning I was awakened with news that a pup had been found when Cheyenne and Jake had been out for their morning constitutional.  He is a beauty as you can see.  He looks to be about 4-6 months old.  A pitbull terrier and as friendly a fellow as you would ever wish to meet.  He is well-fed and appears to be kept mostly outside, although, of course, he had to come inside to meet my pack who greeted him and then accepted him as easily as possible.  I was a little nervous about how he would react to the wheelchair and wheels, but once he realized that I and the wheelchair were connected, well, he decided we were all right and since there was much pettings to occur from the woman in the wheelchair there wasn't anything bad to occur.  He especially decided it was a good thing since he discovered he could jump up onto the couch and be reached much easier for petting and playing, which made his eyes glitter with absolute joy.  Because we didn't know his name - he just had a choke chain and tether when he was discovered - we called him Buford.

Sadly, Buford had to go to the Humane Society until we discover if someone is looking for him and until Hubby could meet him and decide if he is possibly welcome into our home.  Part of me is hoping and another part of me is really trying not to to get my hopes up - mostly because he is a pitbull. 

I've done a lot of research on the breed today and most of what I've discovered is that if there is a lot of exercise, love and basically "a job" for the breed to do they don't turn like I've often heard people talk of the dogs doing.  You have to be very observant and keep the dog active and loved and disciplined.  The more I learn about the breeds of dogs the more I believe Cesar Millan has it correct - exercise, discipline, affection.  Give a dog a job, let him/her work, let the dog know who is boss without cruelty, and love the dog unflinchingly just as they do you, and everything falls into proper place for them as well as for you. 

At any rate, I've put my name on the call list just in case no one claims the fella after10 days.  Hubby can go meet him and check him out and see if he agrees on him and then we'll bring him home if all works out and I can start training him.  It was nice having three dogs again in the house.  Bu actually lowered his head to Gabby and let her sniff him and check him out without fuss.  I was quite proud of him.  Like I said - trying not to get too hopeful.  We'll see.


As for the knitting, well, I've gone through the knitting basket and moved a few things around and rolled up a couple of balls of yarn.  I should be spinning up the blue roving instead of blogging and preparing for knitting Christmas presents, but I am actually more interested in knitting up the neck pillow I've got in my head.

The first one is just going to be a simple straight felted tube.  It's going to be done out of wool, of course, felting requires wool, and it's going to be done out of purple yarn.  See it there?  It is very prominently seen in the basket.  It isn't balled yet because I haven't set myself down to doing that yet, mostly because I wanted to wait until Hubby got home and we kind of settled in for the evening and just hand a quiet few moments together before I dived into yarn and such.  The thought of knitting and making something for myself has made me smile some today, as well as a sweater for Hubby. 

I've decided on my own stitch pattern and a construction pattern out of a book I have.  Hopefully the two will mesh well.  Keeping track of stitch numbers, increases and decreases is going to be the hardest part for me.  I guess I could just go for a sweater pattern I have, but the sweater he wants I have misplaced the book, and I simply do not have the funds to replace the silly thing.  So, this means I do what I have decided and just go for broke with the yarn I have and let everything be as it should. 

If all goes well and this sweater turns out as it should - Cheyenne will end up with a sweater, too.  That will stop his bitching!  LOL!