Knitting, Beads, Meetings......

I've been knitting on several projects this week. The Retro Socks are waiting for me to teach my friend, Bella, how to decrease the toe and work the Kitchener stitch. She did very well with the heel flap and heel turn. The Meida Socks have been quietly waiting for me to finish them. I only need to spend about 2 hours to do this. The MS3 is now into Clue 3. My first Clapotis is about to have the straight rows started. My Lacy Anklets are stagnant right now. I managed to complete 3 charity hats so far from Sheelagh's stash.

Thanks to Ravelry, I found out about the Clapotis Second KAL. Also, I signed up for the Holiday Sock KAL at Socknitters.com and plan to make a toe up sock in some of the yarn I bought from EJ Yarns when they were closing.

Today, I added another book to my library, "The Best of Interweave Knits" The Forest Path Stole, Icarus, and about four other items are already calling to me.

Last Wednesday, I stayed late at work with Robin and Sana. We made jewelry together. I find it very interesting to work the wire. I already work with wire when I am making a stained glass project, but, in a different way. Of course, the first thing I think of is ......stitch markers..... Well, on Tuesday of this week it's off to the store I go to buy myself some goodies. I now have a small collection of beads in blue, pink, purple, red, yellow shades as well as several findings, supplies, and tools.

Also, last Thursday I joined the Knitters Guild in RI thanks to Kimberly. I had a wonderful time meeting the ladies and talking with them. The items shown during show and tell made my head spin with the beauty of them all. Now I want to knit some of these items even more than I did when I only saw pics of them. lol

Happy and Sad Happenings......

It's been a week of good, happy events accompanied by a couple of sad ones.

One of the good things is more yarny accumulation. I have been breaking the yarn diet left and right. Since Fabric Place will close it's only store in RI in a few months, I have been visiting it - often - this week. I ended up buying 7 skeins of Cascade 220 Wool for the Tilted Duster pattern from Interweave Knits. After re-checking the pattern, I discovered I was a bit short on yardage. I went back yesterday and looked for the color, only to find I had bought the only skeins they had. This meant I could make the sweater and hope to squeak out just enough to finish, or, buy enough of another color to make it. I chose a lovely medium gray and bought 10 skeins. I know I don't need that much, but, the color will also make a nice pair of mittens or gloves to go with a couple of my coats.

On these two visits, I also picked up several skeins of Wash Day by Reynolds to make into solid color socks. The colors are a bright red, medium gray, and a shade that reminds me of watermelon. On the way to the register, I saw a copy of the Summer Interweave Knits I hadn't bought. I was undecided about that issue until recently when I found a couple of the patterns mentioned on line. Now I plan to make a couple of them. Also, there were pins with bigger, colored heads that will work for blocking. One box of these found their way into my basket.

All these items were 20% off at the present time. The only reason I didn't wait for a better discount is the supplies are limited. All the yarn is on the shelves for the most part and what you see is it. I didn't want to try to match dye lots and get frustrated to save a couple of extra pennies by waiting.

The other acquisition involved a lady named Margo. DH and I went to our usual flea market in CT on Sunday. As usual, I mentioned the alpaca farm, Safe Haven Alpacas, and my desire to visit it some day. Well, the sign was out for an alpaca store as well. He pulled right into the drive and headed for the buildings. The store is in a beautiful chalet style dwelling and is the whole first floor.

After browsing the yarns and finished goods for sale, I spotted a display of a blanket with a huge pile of fiber under it. This led me to ask if they had fiber for sale. I was directed to a basket in the corner and had a hard time choosing a shade. I loved the cinnamon, rusty brown shade as well as the natural, creamy shade. I ended up with the cream shade. There was about 7 ounces in the bag, so I just bought the whole thing. "Margo" was written on the plastic bag, which caused me to ask if the fiber was from her fleece. After learning it was, DH and I headed out to the barn to meet her and her cria, as well as about 2 dozen other alpaca mamas and babies. They are all so sweet and adorable.

Now, no more yarn or fiber additions are planned to come in the house at this time. Ooops. I forgot to mention the message from my podiatrist regarding the fleeces he mentioned last year. Both sheep and both Llama fleeces are waiting for me..........

This Wednesday was the Border's meetup with somebunnyslove, Kimberly. We had a great time, as usual.

The sad news is my car got sick and conked out on the highway last night. Fortunately AAA towed me home and DH checked it out. I need a new water pump and timing belt. He had just changed both of these things about 4 months ago. He thinks the water pump seized and this messed up the belt. Plans are to fix it tomorrow. Meanwhile, I'm using the spare car........

Another Happy Meet Up....More Yarn Goodies....Fiber Yummies......Kitty Antics........

Saturday was a busy day here. I had an appointment first thing in the morning, so I had to miss out on the breakfast get together with some local Ravelry members, Kimberly, Carine, and Nancy. I met them, along with Jen, at EJ Yarns in Pawtucket. Sadly, the store is closing for good this Friday. It was my first time there, and, I fell in love with a few yarns. Somehow, I ended up acquiring enough Berroco Pleasure yarn for a sweater. It just felt so soft in my hands.....I couldn't leave it behind. The color is a nice deep red and I also picked up the four skeins of white next to it in the basket. Just in case I'm a bit short on the red. I plan to knit the sweater from the top down and if I'm short, the ribbing will be done in the white.

Also, finding it's way into my basket (with some encouragement from Kimberly) was enough Lana Borgosesia in a lilac shade for a pair of socks. Along with that was Baruffa in navy and white for one pair, and a burgundy with cream for a second pair. These yarns are solids which my stash really needed. Since I bought more than 10 skeins, I saved an additional 10% for a total of 60% off. (Total was $110 from about $275)

I ran by Manmade By Jonne for some of his hand dyed roving. I have been looking at it longingly for a while and just went for it. I had told him on Friday I would be back when I stopped by and ended up with some yummy wool, alpaca blended roving and a complementary color for my other roving I had at home.

Since I had to go to Stop & Shop, I decided to go to the Rte.2 store. Co-incidentally, Fabric Place just happens to be in the same plaza. I used my last $7 of the credit slip, plus $30 more. Enough said there.........

By the way, these yarn and fiber purchases are completely justified. After the computer trauma earlier in the week, I needed "sympathy shopping". That's my story and I'm sticking to it - no matter what.

Pooh had his stitches out today. No problems from the neutering. He was very good in the car for me. I was nervous to take him alone, but Pat was busy and not home. Now, I can take Pooh for car rides by myself and not worry. The cats are being their usual selves and cavorting all over the house.

Computer Woes..............Shortened Knit time............

Last night was a horrible night. I came home from work, turned on the computer, got ready to read my mail, and........wham!......My computer would not work. After trying to start the darn thing six times without success, I gave up.

I went to Weight Watchers and stayed for the meeting. I didn't lose or gain this week. That's o.k. New week started today, and hopefully, I will have a loss next week.

When I left there, I headed to Circuit City for help. The guys in the Firedog section of the computer area were great. They explained it sounded like my harddrive had crashed. It should not have been a surprise according to them, since my poor PC is about seven years old. I ended up with a new computer tower, which came with a new keyboard and mouse.

I came home and took the old PC cover off, blew it out with canned air, let it sit a bit, plugged it back in, hooked it up and prayed. No good..........It's still the same. My DH came home from work..........new PC is connected. Now the darn thing won't recognize any of my other equipment.

After work today, I'm back to Circuit City with the old PC so they can try to save my files. Especially my pictures, favorites, and knitting stuff. Also, the guy tonight told me to call tech support for my LAN connection. Finally, the modem is working, and, after 3 hours, I have drivers installed for the other equipment. Also, some of my favorites are saved again.

I do like this PC, but need to adjust to the differences between XP and Vista.

Thanks to my computer woes, knitting time suffered greatly today. I only worked on the sock for half an hour at lunchtime. I plan to make up for it tomorrow............

Time for bed........It's been an extremely long day..............

"Accidental" Yarn Find and Purchase.....

My DH and I went to the indoor flea market in Woonsocket today. We try to stop by there about once a month or so. I've gotten some good deals from the owner. Once, I found a pile of vintage knitting needles and he let me purchase the whole pile for $2 . Another time, he had some great plastic drawer containers that roll. I had found these at Walmart previously for around $30. I got the tall one and big 3 drawer one for $8 total. Other finds have been just as good.
Today, however, he was not there. Instead, a woman I don't know was working. As I walked around the shop, I didn't think I would find anything worthwhile.

Suddenly, there it was....just sitting on the floor. It was a bag of yarn. Now, this is older yarn that obviously was some one's stash at one time. Inside the bag I found another bag with 10 skeins of a dark heathered purple wool, mohair, viscose blend. Also, several cotton skeins, a few other small hanks, and a skein of lace weight natural in need of re-winding. I ended up with all except the cotton.

I turned the corner, and peaking out from under the bottom shelf was another bag of yarn. It had a one Pounder skein of bright red poking it's way out and caught my attention. Inside the bag was a fair isle sweater someone had started. I have never done fair isle, but, the yarn drew me in. I ended up with about 10 small skeins of DK weight in various colors and 6 small skeins of the same yarn in a evergreen shade. I don't usually wear green, but, this will make a nice pair of socks, possibly. I left the big skein of red and a few others. The small skeins might work up as striped socks, if there is enough.

As I pass the table on the way to pay for this splurge, I see.....another bag of yarn. This time it's all alpaca - purple again. There's a partially knitted sweater front and back as well as 6 more skeins. After frogging the knitted part, there should be about 9 skeins to work with. The sales slip was in the bag and the person had paid about $70 just for this portion.

Now, I don't see anymore bags, so I'm heading to the woman to pay. I'm expecting to pay a considerable amount, since I have two good size bags now. Hold on now. The grand total.......... $4 ........... Yep......You read correctly ....... Four dollars for the whole thing!

It's still in the car until I get ready to wash it prior to introducing it to the resident stash........

Oh No!...........More yarn.........

I decided to stop by Fabric Place and use my credit slip. There was a SnB being held, also. Since it was technically free thanks to the credit slip, Cascade 220 is now in my stash and entered into my Ravelry stash. It will become a Clapotis soon........

I refuse to acquire any more yarn or books.......That does not rule out fiber for spinning.......Hmmm..........Jonne's open late tomorrow night.........

Yarn Acquisitions, Knitting, and Library Thing.........

Sunday, at Sakonnet Purls, I met up with some Ravelry folks, Kimberly, Laura, Pam, and her friend, Kelly. We knit, talked, laughed, and had a great time together. Of course, it goes without mentioning some stash enhancement was also happening. I will only speak for myself on this. I bought a lot......I'm in love with the Malabrigo Lace yarns. I bought one skein of "Blue Surf," but plan to get a second one for the shawl I want to make with it. Also, I bought two skeins of "Floral". It matches my Maple leaf socks done in jessicaarts' Wildflower yarn! Also finding it's way into my hands was four more skeins of Claudia for socks. I went for "Oops" and "Freesia". I'm trying to veer from my usual purples, pinks, blues, and reds. The "Oops" is in that category.

When I came home, I had to check out Knit Picks sale. The book sale ends this week and I really wanted to add to my library. I placed an order for books only. No yarn. Yesterday, Monday, Knit Picks tempted me again. I ordered just books...and one skein of Bare lace weight. I might decide to play with a bit of dyeing or leave it natural. Don't know yet. Last night.....temptation struck again.......another order. This time, it's yarn and one more book.

New Hampshire and shopping will be on hold until later in the fall.........I told my husband I wanted to wait for the leaves to turn so I could see the foliage at the same time. In actuality, I need to pay the cards down a bit. They both had quite a work out this week ......... (He's paying for the yarn on that trip, but, I might find something else I want to buy)

I also finally entered several of my books into Library Thing. I think I have about half of them in now.......It's an ongoing project.

Yarn Shopping.......and Visiting Angel View Pet Cemetery

Whenever we go to Grafton, MA to the flea market we always pass a yarn store and I always tell my husband, one of these days I'm going to take a ride to check it out. Well, today he took me to it. It's called Knitting Pointers, but she doesn't have a web site. The owner Linda, is very pleasant and helpful.

I ended up with 2 skeins each of Claudia Handpainted yarn in "Passion Fruit" and "Just Plum". Now, I need to pick out the patterns for them. I also picked up Fiber Trends pattern for the Felt Clogs. I have been wanting to make these for a while. Now I have the pattern, I can check my stash for yarns and make myself a pair for winter. I plan to put the puffy paint on the bottom to prevent slipping. I have only hard wood and tile floors in my house. I am also thinking of making a pair for a friend. She is older and I don't know what to buy for her most of the time.

Also, Linda had a skein of "Dream In Color" yarn. This is a favorite of the Yarn Harlot. Let me say...........I want this yarn!!! This skein was her own personal one. She has a shipment due in soon. The colors are so vibrant and flow together so nicely..........And it's sock weight!!

Tomorrow........Sakonnet Purls trip.............

The Pet Cemetery visit was to gather info for the interment of our Babs. She's really slowing down now. When she gets up for laying on the floor or her blanket, she is limping. We think her hip is bothering her. She still gets around and perks up for food. Her vision is worse, too. I can tell because she doesn't come as close to get the food as she used to. Her perception seems to be off and she thinks she is closer than she actually is. I hope we have a bit more time, but, I fear the end is very near. My husband is going to have a hard time when it comes.............

Frog Pond Visitation.....and...Yarn Delivery!!

My Meida sock has been frogged.......it was way too small. I spent a good portion of the weekend working on them only to have them not fit over my foot past the arch. They looked a bit small, but, I figured my eyes were playing tricks on me (land of denial here). When DH tried to fit test them for me, he asked if I had someone else in mind for them. Yes, I suffer from fluid retention, and my feet swell. This is why I usually fit test them in the evenings. If they are o.k. when my feet are puffy, they will be perfect the rest of the time. Anyway, I have re-knit up to the fourth repeat of the pattern and plan to get the heel flap, heel turn, and gussets done tonight.

I was going to work on the MS3, but, I really want to finish one of these socks first. My Retro Rib sock is also waiting for completion. I'm at the gussets on that and after working them, I just need to finish the foot.

When I got home from work, there was a box sitting on my desk chair for me. It's my Lime n Violet order. Inside was two skeins of sock yarn. One skein is yummy shades of green with a bit of a purply blue mixed in. The other one is soft shades of pink with a hint of a smoky purple. I snuggled them a bit and put them on the desk in front of me just for gazing at. They're still there.......will put them away....soon.....


Off to knit now...........

Knitting Socks, Meetings, Picking Blueberries.....

I cast on the Mieda Socks this past Wednesday in the Walnut colorway from LnV's store. At first I wasn't happy with the way the color was pooling. All the pink was on one side of the sock and the green on the other. After completing on repeat of the pattern, magically, the colors seemed to switch. Apparently, it's going to do this after each repeat. I'm on the fourth one and it's happened each time so far. It's very pretty now. This yarn is dyed in very soft colors and looks wonderful in this pattern. Very dainty.....kind of hard to be in my big feet - size 10s.

I'm also still working on the Retro Rib pattern I modified. That one's a bit boring to me right now, so I keep switching between the two socks.

Besides that, the MS3 is getting a little bit of attention. Clue 5 came out yesterday. I'm not going to say anything, so as not to spoil the mystery for others. The theme was also released. I'm still on Clue 2.........slow progress here........

Wednesday night was the meetup at Border's with Kimberly, Katy, and Susan. We had a lot of fun and plan to meet in two weeks again.

Today was blueberry picking at Rocky Point Blueberry Farm in Warwick. I got more than enough to last a while. It was so hot in the field I had to stop early because the heat was getting to me. Donna and I got there about 8:30 and the place was already busy. Many berries are still not ready, so there should be a few more weeks of picking this season. Maybe I will go back and get some more to freeze..........

Now, I'm just cooling down in the living room, and then need to make a potato salad and fruit salad for tomorrow's meal.......too hot to cook major items........

Ravelry Invite........

I forgot to mention I had received my invitation from Ravelry the same day last week as the meetup, Wednesday. I've been busy learning how to enter items, looking up projects, joining groups, and just enabling myself to extend my fiber "addiction". (At least it's a safe addiction - causes no harm to anyone except my wallet and time - lol)

I had viewed several projects in on line, in catalog, books, and magazines over time. However, seeing them as items here, has me adding several new ones to my queue.

I think I'm in love with this site.............

Tired, Sleep Deprived Due to Cats and Puppy, and I Still Want to Knit...........

Thanks to my cat, Megan, I haven't been sleeping well all week. She has acquired the nasty habit of sitting outside the bedroom door and meowing until I come out to her. I wouldn't mind, but I have to get up for work. She keeps coming back when I shoo her away from the door. None of the animals come in the bedroom. It's the only spot off limits to them. One of the kittens, Tipper, also meows and paws at the door once Megan is finally away from it. I don't understand the sudden fascination with coming in the bedroom with us. All I know is I am taking a nap almost every afternoon for about 30 minutes just to make it through the day. It's funny that the little furball, Megan, leaves me alone then. Tipper is usually squawking anyway.

The puppy, Pooh, has even gotten into the act. After I leave for work, he started yipping and barking. This means my husband gets about 5 to 6 hours of sleep if he's lucky.

I don't know if the recent humidity and warm weather is affecting them or what. I think I need to call the vet for some meds to calm their behinds down..........Little brats.........

The stole is still at Clue 2. I don't trust myself not to make mistakes because of the tiredness. My second sock is progressing nicely. I'll probably turn the heel this weekend.

Gotta go to the market, then do laundry and housework, then bed with my knitting for a while til I can sleep............If the brats let me.........

Knitting, Meeting People, and Working Late.......

This past Wednesday, I went to a knitting meet up at Border's in Cranston. I had a great time and plan to be at the next meeting. Hopefully, I will have a couple of more people with me. The owner of somebunnyslove.com is the host of the meetings and a very interesting person to talk to.

Thursday was just a work, work, knit, knit kind of day - nothing special....except I fixed my mistake in my MS3 stole and am now ready to start clue 2. I even knit on it in the car waiting for another friend to meet me for supper. lol I had taken it to work to show a couple of people, so it was calling to me to fix it.

Today, I got to spend the majority of at the hospital ER with a patient. I didn't get out of work until after 10p.m. No lunch or supper break. I just snacked on a sandwich from the concession in the lobby which I had bought when my patient went to have his x-rays done. As he slept from the medication he was given to calm his agitation, I knit my sock. The first one is finished, and the second one has all it's ribbing in place. Since I started the stole, my sock is only travel knitting........It's possible it's feeling neglected..........

MS3 is Started..........

After the bead episode, I stopped by Jonne's store to show him the beads. When I asked his opinion, he felt the cream beads would be lost in the yarn, since it is essentially the same shade. The clear just didn't do it for him either. He loved the mauvy purple with it. I trust his judgement in fiber, so purple it is.........

Well, I'm now on row 41, and I love the way the beads look. He's right.......The cream would have been lost in there. The purple are a bit iridescent as well and really give off a nice sparkly tone. Hopefully, I can finish clue 1 by tomorrow night. This is definitely a stay home project. Socks are for traveling........

Round, and Round, and Round.........I'm Lost in Providence........

Well I spent 2 hours lost in my own capitol city today. The street I needed kept coming up, just the wrong way on a one way. Eventually, I got onto the end I needed just to search endlessly for a parking spot. After circling the area about four times, I found a great parking spot. The walk to the bead shop was less than a block. I was sure the cop was going to stop me if I drove past him one more time. lol

Once inside the shop, I was a bit disappointed in the service at first. I explained it was my first time there and didn't know where to find the beads I needed. Part of the explanation included the project planned for the beads. I was told with a wave of a hand, "All the seed beads are on that wall." Not good........nothing was labeled with sizes, prices, or colors. Again, I approached her, apologized for being a pest, and asked for help. This time she told me I wanted the biggest beads on that wall. Finally, on the third attempt to get help, she came over. I ended up with size 6 instead of 8 because I didn't think the crochet hook would make it through the hole of the 8s. (I forgot to bring it with me.) When asked how many beads to a vial, she gave me the wrong info. I actually sat and counted the whole vial out and it had twice as many as she said....200 beads. I only needed to buy 2 not 3 of each color.

Now, she is very pleasant to me, explaining if I buy 5 vials, the 6th one is free. I picked out 3 colors....clear, cream, and a mauve/purple color. I figured I probably won't need them for a while, but better to stash them at home. I paid, got a frequent shopper card, and left.

I then went to ACMoore to return the huge beads I had gotten last week. The same staff member was in the department when I went to look at other beads. Also, I realized I could have saved myself a lot of aggravation and a trip to the city if she had known the beads I needed were right there the whole time. They have a huge supply of seed beads on display.

Uninformed staff is a bad thing to have. I wish stores would put trained, knowledgeable people in areas they are more familiar with instead of just plopping people in an open slot. Maybe they don't realize this costs them sales in the long run.

Knitpicks arrival today...........Beads tomorrow.............

I picked up my cone of yarn from Jonne's store tonight after work. It's a nice soft Shetland yarn in it's natural color. I also fell in love with some of the other laceweight yarn colors and plan to get some of them later. He has his own hand dyed roving calling my name as well. I see many more stops there on my way home in the next few weeks..........

When I got home, I found my Knitpicks order on the table. I really like the Bare yarn as well. The new sock yarn in solids, Risata, is also very pretty. Now I can work on a couple of those Favorite Sock patterns I didn't want to use variegated colors for.

I plan to use the Shetland for the MS3 now I have it. Tomorrow, I am going to the Beadworks store in Providence to pick up the seed beads. The cone will accompany me for comparison purposes. Matching beads is my goal. I checked the store out on line, but, I don't trust the colors to be true on the monitor.

Now I am anxious to start my MS3.......I am 3 clues behind as of today......... Yikes!!!

Saying "Good-bye" to a friend of 25 years..........

I got the dreaded call tonight around 5:40. I have held my breath every time I answered my phone for the last two days waiting for it. It happened........My friend, Sheelagh, passed away tonight. We had met at work in 1982 and became quick friends. She was old enough to be my mom, and, sometimes tried to act like it. My mom used to keep her in line about that. lol Her only son is a year younger than me.

She had a very interesting life. Sheelagh was from Great Britain, was on the stage in London in a chorus, and came here as a war bride on the Queen Mary in 1946 with thousands of others. The stories she told were insightful as to how WW II was from a British civilian viewpoint. The bombs dropping, air raids, and tough conditions...........While she told them, we used to sit and knit together. I loved to watch her way of holding the needles. She held them on top of her hands instead of under. In her closet was a box full of baby items she had made over the years, but, never had a grandchild to use them. I know her family will give them away to others with loving memories of her.

When Patty, her daughter-in-law, told me she wouldn't make the summer, I went to see her with another friend, Diane. We both knew the end was nearer than Patty thought. I'm glad I got a chance to say my "silent goodbye" to her while she was still aware. Sheelagh didn't want us to see her at the end. We had to respect her wishes even though both of us wanted to sit with her for a while.

Now I say: "Goodbye my dear friend, until we meet someday in the distant future. I know my family and yours will greet you today when you get there.......Love, your old friend"

Fire Number 2.....And Another Laceweight Yarn.........

Today was extremely hot here. The air was actually oppressive when you went outside for anything.

We are still on generator at work, but it appears to be o.k. The day was going well when.....all of a sudden......we hear "Code Red in ***** Building. This is not a drill."

Apparently, one of the patients in the psych building lit his mattress on fire. The entire building had to be evacuated outside. With the intense air conditions, we had to work fast to get water and shelter for the patients. It was a tough day, but, at the end, everyone was returned to the building. The mattress was gone, the building checked thoroughly by the firemen, and no one was hurt or got sick due to the weather conditions..........

I pray nothing happens tomorrow............It's suppose to be even hotter and more humid............

No knitting was done today on the sock. I am just too tired to pick it up and I had no lunch again today. I did stop to see Jonne after work. He has a laceweight yarn I really like, so I need to go back on Friday to pick it up. It's a Shetland wool in a natural color. There is enough on the cone to do two shawls or stoles.

I found a nice laceweight yarn in his shop. I checked the status of my Knitpicks order, and it is being processed. Now I need to see which one I want to use. Sana and Robin gave me directions to the "Beadworks" shop in Providence and I plan to visit it this weekend. Hopefully my Knitpicks order will be here and I can take both yarns with me to match beads to themt. If I find something I like at the store, I won't order the other ones from Sana's catalog.......So many options..............

Power Outages and Cable Woes.........

I went back to work today after a relaxing, calming week of vacation at home. As I go in the clinic, I notice half the lights are on. Apparently, we were on generator. Sometime during the evening, or night, there was a manhole fire that fried the wires for electrical power and phone service. The phones were only working in house, and, not connecting to outside lines. It's not an unusual occurrence to lose power and go to generator during the summer with the a/c and fans in use. But, today was different.

The generator was not going to make it. While waiting for the back-up generator to arrive from about 4 hours away, the whole facility was put into emergency mode. No one could leave, not even for your lunch break. There was the possibility of moving patients to other facilities, but it was not necessary.

After all this activity at work, I went to pay my cable/Internet/phone bill. I questioned the amount due and told the representative we were thinking of dropping some options. Or we might switch some services to another company. I got a great price adjustment for the next 12 months. I also got a new cable modem for free ($100 value).

I get home and decide to install the modem. All is going well. I plug in the hookups and my husband plugs in the power cord. Now I download the software and this where the problem develops. It won't work. No Internet.......Nothing. After three calls to tech support, and finagling around with the wires, it is finally working. Yay!!

Hopefully, tomorrow will be a smoother running day...........

Lapse in Yarn Diet....Again....

The yarn diet was moving along at a crawl, until recently. After signing up for the Mystery Stole 3, I decided to use a credit slip for a local LYS for the laceweight needed for this. Unfortunately, they don't carry laceweight yarns. I should have realized this before with the amount of times I have been there.

After talking to the sales person, and mentally going through the yarn in the stash, we came up with the idea to use yarn I had earmarked for a lacy sweater. Knitpicks had a pattern a couple of years ago called the MaryJane Sweater and I fell in love with it. Yarn was ordered in "Oregon Coast" and "Jewel" to make a couple of these, along with the pattern. Needles were part of my KR Elf exchange (wonderful lady for a partner), and plans were made to start it. Never happened...the cast on was done and frogged a couple of times. The yarn was put back in the stash for "someday" knitting.

Well, the "Oregon Coast" color was chosen for the stole. I ended up at four other shops plus Michael's and ACMoore for beads. Eventually, I found a cream colored bead that might work.

When I got home, I just didn't like this yarn for the stole. Thus, a big crash as I fell from the yarn diet wagon was heard..... Knitpicks has received my order for Bare laceweight yarn, along with a couple of other items to get the free shipping option. The beads won't work either, so when I go to work tomorrow, I will definitely be ordering from Sana. I have an older jewelry supply catalog here and found a couple of different options in that department.

O.K. I've picked myself up, and am back on the yarn wagon again. By the way, the food diet is going along slowly as well. My doctor changed a couple of meds and hopefully a few pounds will melt thanks to that..........

I am a Violet What Flower Are You?

"You have a shy personality. You tend to hesitate before trying new things or meeting new people. But once people get to know you, you open up and show the world what you are really all about."

Your Power Element is Water

Your power colors: blue and aqua Your energy: deep Your season: winter Like the ocean, you evoke deep feelings and passion.You have an emotional, sensitive, and spiritual soul.A bit mysterious, you tend to be quiet when you are working out a problem.You need your alone time, so that you can think and dream.

What's" Your Power Element?

Mystery Stole 3 Called to Me......

As I click into the Yarn Harlot's site to see what she's up to, I had no idea what was about to happen to me......Yep, she had a "warning" up about the Mystery Stole 3 KAL. Of course, there was no twisting of the arm necessary. I simply click the link, and created my own downfall.

My experience of lace knitting is limited to a few lace socks, hems and cuffs on a couple of sweaters, and a lonely WIP "Elizabeth" alpaca scarf I still need to finish. I may have to finish that before I actually think of any other lace project. I feel better able to handle it now I have had the lace sock experience.

After drooling over the pictures of clue 1, the decision was made. I had to sign up for this thing. I don't even have the yarn or beads yet. I know what I want though. White or cream yarn with clear or iridescent beads. Hopefully, I can order the beads from Sana at work before she puts her next jewelry supply order in.

The Retro Rib sock is giving me issues. I followed the pattern as directed until I had two repeats of the leg done. Holding it as far away from me as I can, the pattern is lost in this yarn. After altering the pattern to be a bit simpler, it looks better. There are just too many colors in this yarn for the pattern to pop out at you. I left the first two repeats as a break from the cuff to the leg, then knit rows 3 and 4 five times. This still didn't look great to me, so I am just doing the 4th row of the pattern. I do like the ribbing part of the pattern and think it shows up fine. I am about a third of the way down the leg now, and, hope to get to the heel turn before the weekend is out. I do have other commitments this weekend, but, my yarn travels well in it's little bag. DH will drive as usual so I can knit........I will have to make this pattern again in a less variegated or solid yarn which will show it up better........

The animals are o.k. Buddy the cat is not a happy camper because we had to shave him down due to multiple knots. He looks cute with his new do. Not too happy though right now. Pooh is still doing puppy things, like chewing on stuff he is not suppose to and pouncing on Isabella the cat. She gives him a good swat now and then to show him who's boss..........

"Flow" socks are completed!!

I finished the second sock while in the car riding home from a flea market today. I wove the ends in tonight and they fit nice. Now, I need to pick out another pattern from "Favorite Socks". I think I will pick the "Retro Rib Socks". They appear to be similar to the last pair I made, with a section of reverse stockinette between the pattern stitches. The yarn is by http://www.digitechpatterns.com/ again.....The "Dusk" color I tried to use for the "Waving Lace" pattern.

The LnV Sock Marathon KAL is suppose to be finished as of today. I did manage to make my goal, but, it was not as easy as I thought it would be. The last 2 pairs of socks were extra, but took a lot of time to complete. The "Favorite Sock" KAL is still going on at Socknitters.Hopefully, I can get a few more pairs made before that ends. I have decided to use one of my LnV yarns for "Meida's Socks", and one of the Kindred Spirits yarns for "Embossed Leaves". Also, I have yet to actually start my Lace Style socks.........So many pairs of socks....so little time............

Due to unforeseen circumstances........Knitting interrupted.....

With all the issues involved with finding the kitty a home, not much knitting happened this week. I am 2/3 of the way through the foot part, but, not ready to decrease for the toe yet. Maybe by tonight...... Home on vacation all this week with much running around to do.....Hope to get some knitting in too...........

Kitty rescue and drama.... sad story with a happy ending

A close friend of mine is very ill with cancer. Last Monday, she had to concede the fight to live at home with help coming in every day. She went to the nursing home. It's actually the best place for her at this time. She has company, is not alone, and is safe. She feared dying alone in her apartment, even though her son and his wife live in the same complex and building.

This move also meant a major upheaval for her 7 year old cat. Whiskers is a beautiful, huge, Sylvester type kitty and very loving. The son and daughter-in-law were taking him, but, she is extremely allergic to cats. Whiskers stayed in the apartment by himself with multiple daily visits from the two of them. He desperately needed a home by today or would be put in the pound or sent to kitty heaven. (I have since learned vets don't euthanize healthy cats upon request). It would have definitely been the pound.

I worked all week on trying to locate someone who could, or, knew someone who could, save his life. The only reason I could not keep him myself, is I am already way over the amount I should have -- as anyone who has read this site before would know -- and I have special needs pets at this time.

Well, the cat angels above must have been listening because he now has a home with one of the doctors from my job. She already has two other cats and instantly fell in love with Whiskers when she met him. We brought all his toys, supplies, and him to her house Thursday evening. He has already started to settle in nicely and I foresee a great future for him.

The previous owners have been invite to visit him any time they wish..........

Yarn, Yarn, Yarn from the mail box...........

My Lime N Violet package arrived last week and I truly love the colors of both of my selections. I also had discovered KindredSpirits.com site and ordered 2 skeins from them. This arrived the other day and is now sitting on my cabinet near the desk along with the LnV package. All I am saying is this..........They are evil....... They tempt me to forsake my other sock in progress to cast on one of them now.........I can almost hearing them calling me to pick them up and squish them a bit. I have a pattern in mind for the dark blue from Kindred Spirits and the light pink/white multi from LnV already. Just Must Resist Urge to Start Them..........

Zipping through sock 2 of this pattern........

I started the mate to "Go With the Flow" last Sunday during a leisurely drive to the flea market in Mansfield, CT. If you drive slow, it's about an hour and a half away. We take rte 6 through Scituate and parts of CT. It's a very picturesque route with some highway as well as rural areas blended together.

The cast on was being difficult for some unknown reason and I had started this sock about 4 times before it finally clicked. So, the cast on and first 2 rows of the cuff were already waiting for me from a previous day. As I joined the stitches, I could feel myself relax.......Knitting usually has that affect on me....... Then I resumed working the cuff pattern, then the actual leg pattern. By the time I got to the flea market, I was into my second repeat of the leg and really was remorseful about getting out of the car and leaving it languishing in it's bag on the floor. I just wanted to sit there and work on it.

I wandered around the grounds, but, could feel the tug of the sock calling me back to it. When we returned to the car, I picked up my bag, got comfortable, and started knitting before we had even pulled back onto the road from the entrance. The needles only stop moving once for a stop at Walmart to pick up a couple of items before we headed home. Purl, purl, knit, k2tog, yo, knit, purl......all the way home.......

Now it's Saturday, a whole 6 days later. I had high hopes to finish the poor sock by now after that great start. Sadly, I am just starting the gussets. My friend has been placed in a nursing home and I have been trying to find placement for her cat. Her son's girlfriend is highly allergic and can't keep him like she wanted to. I am over full with my "kids" so it's not an option for me. I have the kittens, my older cats, the diabetic cat, old dogs and puppy. It's just not possible for me to take another animal. Finding him a home has taken priority over my needles. We have some other people asking their friends and family if anyone can help us out in the circumstances.

Maybe another ride tomorrow will get me almost to the end of the foot............

Yay!!!!!...........It's Here!!!!!!!!!

I love it when I open the door to check for packages on the front step and find something. I have a couple of things ordered and have been patiently awaiting their arrival. There are a couple of books from Crafter's Choice, a CD from my music club, and .......YARN from Lime n Violet.

I was surprised to find the yarn on the step this morning. I only ordered it a few days ago. Let me just say this: It's beautiful! The colors are so pretty - much nicer than the monitor indicated. I know different monitors can give different color perception, and mine was really close to the real thing. The colors just seem a bit prettier in reality. Now, I'm off to pull out some patterns and choose which will become each of these yarns........ My needles are calling me....... :)

First Flow Sock Finished........Also a long Rant About "Special" People..........

The toe is kitchenered closed and the second sock is cast on................ Hopefully, number 2 will work up a bit faster and with less issues than the number 1 did. I have all the bugs worked out of the pattern now, so it should be o.k.

I am patiently waiting for 2 skeins of hand dyed yarn from Lime N Violet's store. I haven't picked out a pattern yet. I need to actually see the yarn so it can tell me what socks it wants to be.

I went to the grocery store tonight after work. As I shopped, I saw a former patient I knew from my facility. I have not really had much to do with him, because I never worked in his building. He is now living in an apartment on his own. He had mental health issues and spent a considerable time at the hospital. When he saw me, he asked me for a dollar, and then asked me if he had enough to buy the food he wanted.

While I was talking to him, store security came up to us. The security person was in regular clothes to blend in with the shoppers. Apparently, T had asked other people for help or a dollar before he saw me. Security identified himself and told T he could not bother other customers and to leave the store. Obviously, he had been following him around for a bit.

When I said I knew T, the security person asked if I was sure he was not bothering me. I assured him this was the case. Then I handed T a dollar, helped him with his food choice, and told him not to ask any one else for help. Just go pay and leave the store.

I looked around the aisles as I headed for check out, but, did not see him or the security person again. Hopefully, T did as I said and left. Hopefully, the officer did not detain or bother him again. I wanted to explain about T to him, but, could not do this, because of his privacy rights.

I think it's sad that as a society, we judge people before understanding them. It is obvious this person had issues. He looks o.k., but, if you speak to him, you can figure it out. I also have a family relative with mental illness who is living is supervised housing. My husband takes him to the stores and runs errands with him. I wonder how many people look at P and veer away since you can tell he has some issues. He is completely harmless and timid. Actually, he is more afraid of others then they need to be of him. The other side is people can be cruel and mean to these unfortunate people. Don't get me wrong. Sometimes they are very invasive and can be abusive. Not the usual case.

I also had a mentally challenged and physically handicapped sister who died several years ago. Her disabilities were obvious if you saw her, especially because of her speech problem. She was not a stupid person, just slow. On many occasions, I saw people look upon her with almost disgust because she was different.

I always think, but for the grace of God, there goes you or I. Please think twice before turning away from, or ridiculing someone with a disability, immediately obvious or not. No one chooses to have to live with these problems. Actually, I admire them for their perseverance to get along with their life in spite of the restrictions and challenges their problems present to them. Sometimes I think they are stronger because of them.

Slow Progression on the Flow Sock....

The sock has been reworked up to half way through the gussets. I'm not sure if it is a pattern snafu, or just my interpretation of it, but, I had a problem lining up the stitches for the instep. The pattern said to knit 14 stitches, turn, slip one as to purl, and purl 27 more stitches. This was suppose to start the heel flap. If I did this, it put me off by two stitches in the instep. Instead, I knit 12 stitches, and when I turned, I worked the slip stitch and 29 purls. This ended me right where I needed to be. The discovery of this problem happened after the heel flap and turn had both been worked and then ripped out. I plan to finish the gusset tonight, then hopefully most of the foot. If the problem hadn't been there, I think sock #1 would have been finished already. I'm not in a hurry to get these done, but, I do have many more patterns calling to me........

My friend, Donna, had to put her diabetic cat to sleep last week. My old roommate and I found him back in 1993. After fostering him, Donna gave him a home . This was an extremely spoiled cat who let you know he was the boss. He had his own personality and was a temperamental kitty, friendly or distant depending on his mood. Oscar was a Maine Coone mix and just a huge beautiful boy. He will be missed by many people.

My cats and dogs have been behaving very well lately. I hope it continues. The cat, Isabella, likes to play with the puppy, Pooh. If he gets too rough with her, she swats him.

Oooops........... I guess I can't count right or read correctly...........

I have a preference for working 5 DPNs instead of 4. When I cast on for the "Go With the Flow" socks, the directions were to cast on 60 stitches. This should not have been an issue......If I had followed directions. Instead of casting onto one needles and moving them to the other DPNs, like usual, I decided to break up the stitches as they were created. If I had bothered to read the entire instructions, I would have realized I was to put 18 stitches on needles 1 and 2. Needle 3 was to have 24 stitches. Since I didn't realize this, and only put the 18, I created a boo-boo. This made me one pattern repeat short.

I didn't realize this until I wanted to re-arrange them to be on 4 DPNs after mentioning this to my friend. He pointed out my snafu and explained how to break them down correctly for the extra DPN I wanted. This meant frogging the whole sock.

Luck was with me in the fact I had only done 5 of the 20 repeats for the leg. I cast on the correct amount and worked on it for a bit last night -- berating my foolish self the whole time. All the previous repeats are now back in place and a couple more as well.

I have learned an important lesson here: READ the instructions for the pattern BEFORE you try to knit it !!!

"Waving Laces" Finished....On to Go With the Flow"................

I finished the toe with Kitchener stitch today and did the "happy dance" for this pair.

Now it's on to my next project. I decided to go with the "Go With the Flow" simply because I had a skein of yarn with me, and thought it would look good in this pattern. It's one of my hand painted from Jessicaarts and had bright pinks, purples, and blues in it. Also, it was the only one in the "Favorite Socks" book calling for my size 1 DPNs. It just so happened I had no other needles with me and had an hour plus to sit and wait for my patient to come back from her procedure.

So far I have the cast on and cuff completed and am working on the leg part. There are 4 rows to this part and you need to repeat them 20 times. Simple enough to do. Hopefully, I haven't jinxed myself by saying that.

By the way, I lost one of my Brittany No.1 needles when I left the ER last night. Fortunately, this pattern only called for 4 needles, so this is not a problem. I really love working with these and need to buy another set now. DH feels bad, so he is replacing them for me. He really knows how to make me smile. :)

Interrupted Sock Completion...........

Sometimes no matter how you try to finish a project, it's not meant to be rushed. This is the case with my second sock of the Waving Lace pattern. This one seems to be taking a long time to come to fruition. Lately, there were days when I didn't have a chance to knit a stitch. I am down to 8 stitches on each of the four DPNs and had planned to finish it tonight. Unfortunately, this is not to be. My DH and I spent a couple of hours at the ER tonight with a family relative. I worked on the sock a bit, but it was hard to stay concentrated with all the activity happening.

We got home after 9p.m. and we hadn't had any supper yet. I threw something together fast and the dishes are now done. I'm heading for bed, so the poor sock has to wait until tomorrow at lunch time to reach completion. Needless to say, there are patterns, needles, and yarn in my bag to immediately start another pair of tootsie warmers.

Goodnight for now....... My bed is calling to me...............

Wavy Lace Socks Progression..........

The first one is done and the first repeat of the second one is on the needles. I hope to finish them this week. It took some time to make the first one due to the yard sale last weekend and other commitments. Poor needles were barely looked at or petted for three days.

I really do like the way they are turning out with this yarn. Jonne also encouraged me to work from the chart instead of the written translation I had done. It wasn't that hard to do and I'm proud of myself. My only other attempt at a chart has been the alpaca scarf which is still languishing somewhere waiting for completion. I'll get to it soon........Promise.

My plans were to attend the Wool Festival today, but the weather is rainy and cloudy. Husband has gone to his aunt's to finish her room instead. I am sad to miss the Festival, but he has promised to make it up to me. The request for Vermont's Festival was immediately placed. We can't do Massachusetts' because of other commitments that weekend.

Let me get back to that sock.......... My wheel is calling to me as well. Must spin and ply the last of that roving so I can wash it all........

"Wavy Laces" socks restarted..........

After much thought and opinion gathering, I decided I didn't care for the way the socks were looking. I love the flow of colors in the yarn, and the pattern. Just not together. There is too much going on with all the colors to appreciate the pattern. It gets kind of lost in there. I went to see Jonne and learned I was using the wrong king of yarn to begin with. I purchased some Wildfoote in the color "Columbine", which is made by the Brown Sheep Company. It's light pink, light blue, and white plied up in each strand. I have only done 4 rows of the scallop rib and can see the difference already.

The original yarn, from Jessicaarts, will be used for a shawl at a later date. That had been the plan for it before I started these socks.

O.k....... back to the socks.........

Wavy Lace Socks started........

I decided to make the wavy lace socks from "Favorite Socks". I'm using my hand painted yarn from Jessicaarts again. It's Peruvian wool again.This one is called "Dusk" and has a myriad of colors......light and dark greens, light and dark blue, mauve, purple, a bit of rose and gold. There are so many colors in this..........but it's so pretty. Originally this yarn was to be a shawl. I plan to order another skein later for that project. Each one is 440 yards and more than enough for socks with some left overs. There is also a sock club available with this seller at her other site, www.Digitechpatterns.com that I'm thinking of signing up for. I have all the colors shown in the photo except the bright green. The same colors are available in roving. Some of those are also waiting for me to spin.

These socks are a bit of a challenge for me because I have not had much experience with charts. I hand wrote the two charts out so I can refer to the worded version if I have a problem. Wish me luck.........I'll need it.

Moebius completed on Sunday......... Back to sock land.............

I finished the moebius while my husband painted the room for his aunt. I bound off the last stitch at the same moment he finished the wall. The knitting came out better than I had thought it would. There will be another one in my future, but a bit longer to cover the upper arms better. I need to figure out how to do some increasing to the pattern first. It should not be too hard to do. If I increase the pattern 16 stitches evenly around, there should be enough of a drape over the shoulders and arms. The plan is to do another one the same way as the first, but instead of binding off, work in the increases and repeat the whole 20 rows of the lace pattern. Then do the edging again and bind off. Need to play with this idea some more before actually doing it.

Now it's back to sock land. I want to make a pair from Lace Style and several from Favorite Socks. I had picked out a hand painted yarn from Jessicaarts, but don't think it will work for the lace socks. The colors are too bright. I need to check my stash for a more calmer, muted color. Maybe a solid. I'm going now to do that and then call it a night. It's been a long day.

Weigh in went well. Last week was challenging and I only lost a half pound. Pizza was the supper of choice after. I haven't had pizza for a long time. It was soooooooo good!!!!! I love the garlic dipping sauce from Papa John's. Tomorrow is yogurt and fruit for breakfast, turkey sandwich and salad for lunch, and chicken for supper. Back on plan. One meal at a time...........

Moebius is growing......

I already finished 12 rounds on the moebius since Tuesday. I had 8 rounds done by yesterday, but did manage to get 4 more done between lunch break and this evening. I think I might actually get it finished in a few days. Depending on what comes up this weekend.

I was hoping to go to CT for the festival in Vernon, but, unfortunately, that's not going to happen. My husband has a commitment to paint a room for his aunt, so we will be there for a good portion of the weekend. At least I can take my knitting with me to visit. lol

After I switch the clothes in the washer to the dryer, I will get back to another round. Round 15 is my goal for tonight. I think I can make it. :)

Socks finished.....On to the Moebius.........

My Maple Leaf Socks are finished and look wonderful!. Now, I'm working on the moebius in some of Jessicaart's hand painted yarn in a colorway named "Concord Grape". It has dark shades of purples, a bit of blue and a bit of burgundy in it. I also see a little bit of a sort of dark rusty color. It's a Peruvian yarn and very nice to work with. I am enjoying the project, but, have to admit to being surprised it is taking some time to do. The pattern is only about 30 rounds. It take some time to get around it each time though. I started it Tuesday night, late. Round 9 is finished already and I hope to get it finished this weekend. Maybe I will take a road trip with my hubby and knit on it in the car. It's only one pattern row and a plain knit row for 20 rows. Then there are 6 rows of a lace pattern before a few rows to make a nice edging before binding off.

My mind keeps going back to the yarn waiting to be made into socks. I have so much of it now. Also the alpaca scarf is screaming for completion. The Malabrigo yarn is crying to be made into a scarf as well. I don't usually do more than 2 projects at a time, but may have to start that scarf. I need to wind the skeins into balls first, but I keep putting it off for now. I can't get to the winder right now with other stuff in the way in the room.... major clean out/re-arrangement needed again for the craft room thanks to hubby putting stuff in there. lol

I just found out tonight about the CT fiber festival this weekend. I need to check for directions to see how far it is from here so I can decide if it is feasible to go. The plan is to get to a couple of festivals this year. Maybe NH and MA as well as the new one planned for here in RI.

Still in sock land........

I'm still knitting the same socks as last week. The heel and gusset are done and I just need to finish the foot section on the second one. Then I can start my moebius. Also, waiting in the wings to be finished is the alpaca scarf I started last year.

Last night was devoted to plying the rest of my singles I had done a while ago. It appears to me that they are not as nice as the first bobbin I did while at Jonne's store. I had a problem getting them to feed onto the bobbin, but eventually, it happened. There was no problem with the knitty knoddy. I had 38 yards on the first bobbin and 36 yards on this one. I still have to spin the last couple of ounces of roving and ply them to finish the original bag of fiber. Then it all gets to be washed. There should be enough for a hat hopefully. Might have to be lacy though.

We have the returned kitty here for good. His human mama can't take care of him with his medical condition, so she gave him back to us. She knows he will be safe and well cared for here. He is a "talker" and loves attention. The vet said he is doing well, but needs to be on a special food for at least a month to make sure there are no more crystals in his bladder. The others are still in the transition stage of accepting him back to the household. His brothers, sister, and Tucker are adjusting well, but the old witch, Megan, is being difficult. She doesn't like anyone, animal or human, except me. And that is more of a tolerance.

Sock knitting along nicely.....

I am still knitting socks. I finished my Cherry Bomb tank top and have gone back to the socks. Right now, I am knitting a pair of Maple Leaves socks. Cute pattern that shows up well on the hand painted yarn I'm using. I already met my goal for the Lime and Violet KAL using your sock yarn. I also have been very busy falling in love with some more hand painted sock yarn I bought from Jessicaart on eBay. She also has an online shop, http://www.digitechpatterns.com/ , which has the same yarns and roving along with screen painted items. Absolutely breathtaking to see. As I told a couple of other people, I have the greatest urge to drool on the monitor screen while looking at this stuff. I resist by simply "petting" the yarn screen images. lol

Last weekend, April 7th, was the annual sale for The Stained Glass Emporium in Rehoboth, MA. I decided to get there early and only buy what I absolutely needed. Well, I got the Rehoboth at 8:15 a.m. The store doesn't open until 9 a.m., so I went to Warren to buy soup at the Blount Soup Store. I thought they opened at 8:30 and got a surprise since they also open at 9 a.m. I grabbed a bag of French Onion soup for me and two bags of the Portuguese soup for dear hubby. They have three gluten free soups available in the store, the Portuguese soup, a cook's chili, and Chicken Tortilla. . He already has lots of chili, so I passed on that one. Blount makes about four kinds of chili. I did get a small container of Chicken Tortilla for him to try. I love their Southwest Shrimp and Corn, but still have some in the freezer. The soups are frozen and good for one year from the date stamped on the bags. Four pints are in each bag. I cut up the bags into fourths and repackage them in freezer bags. Not easy to cut frozen blocks of stuff. lol

After the soup visit, I went to the glass shop and only bought three pieces, two of which were in the clearance bin and marked lower during the sale. That's the best I have ever been as far as restraint in that store! I have done some serious shopping in there in the past.

On the way there, I remembered Sakonnet Purls is in Tiverton, so I decided to add them to my shopping day. Unfortunately, I had no idea how to get there. After calling my husband and getting directions by phone from him from Yahoo Maps, I arrived there without any problems. This is a wonderful yarn shop. I bought some Claudia yarn, but when I returned home, I realized I have two other skeins very similar to it. A couple of days later, I called and asked if I could return it for a credit or exchange. The owner was very gracious and had no problem letting me get a store credit to use whenever I wanted. Today was a stormy day and we took a ride to do the exchange. My husband sat patiently in the car while I shopped. I ended up with two books that were on my wish list, Folk Socks and Lace Wrap, along with some adorable button from Incomparable Buttons. Their website in http://www.buttonmad.com/ and I really like a lot of their products. The price of them was very reasonable as well for ceramic buttons. Of course, mine are cats.

Puppy Pooh is growing in leaps and bounds. He is fresh sometimes and wants his own way, but is learning to share and behave. In order to cut his nails, I had to put a towel over his head while holding him. Leaving a paw out for the clipping, struggling to hold him still, and him screaming like we were killing him were all part of this episode. He should have won an Oscar for his performance. The older two dogs even came near the table to see what was happening. Hubby clipped about an eighth of an in inch from each nail successfully. We get to do this again next week. Oh boy!! Pooh is actually a sweet heart except for the nail issue. He gives kisses on command now, too. He almost has the stay command down as well.

All my other animals are fine. We do have a visitor right now though. Our kittens' brother is visiting after a medical emergency. He had crystals in his bladder and had to spend the night at the emergency vet a couple of nights ago. This is a life threatening problem with male cats sometimes. He is here for recuperation, but may be staying, because his human mommy can't really take care of him right now. We have to monitor the litter box activity for a few days and contact the vet if there are any problems. So far, so good. My guys forgot who he is and we are having a growling fest right now. I will put him back in the other room before I call it a night. Don't need a cat fight later.

Yarn diet exemption shopping.....

The yarn diet is going well. The Knitter's Breakfast was today, and, as it was scheduled as an exemption from the diet, I had fun. I bought some yummy Malabrigo to make a new scarf. Also picked up a new book and a couple of circular needles. One pair is Addis. It's the first time I have used them and hope I like them. The project I plan to use them with is a mobius I saw on Knitty Gritty a couple of weeks ago. The tank top needs finishing first. I have started the neck edging, so it should be finished by the end of this week, if there are any delays. Also, the next pair of socks are waiting for me. I like taking sock projects in my work bag, since they are so portable.

Pooh is growing fast -- 4 months old now. He's totally housebroken, sleeps and plays with the other dogs constantly, and now weighs 9.6 pounds. I hope he doesn't get too much bigger. Pics will follow soon.

My Yarn Diet Continues......

I am still not shopping for new yarn. I decided to work on de-stashing a bit before adding any new stuff. The exception is fiber, because there is not that much of that in the house. Also, I have joined Lime N Violet's knit from your sock yarn knit-a-long. I started late, but have done about a mile, which was my goal. Yarn purchases are allowed during the knit-a-long, which is a good thing.

The yarn diet co-incides with the food diet. Part of the deal is, no yarn can be purchased until I lose 25 more pounds. Then, I am allowing myself to buy yarn for one project only. Every 25 pounds earns me another project. Meantime, I continue with the stash. So far, I'm down 5 pounds and have 20 more to lose for the first reward.

Pooh is growing fast. Already he has learned to fetch and return his toy when I throw it. The barking is down to only when he thinks the other dogs have his toys or he wants them to play with him. Only a couple of piddling accidents, so the housebreaking is almost perfect. He cuddles up and sleeps with the older 2 all the time. Such a sweet picture. Two cats give him "kisses" now as well.

pooh playing with his stuffed toy 003
Originally uploaded by calicokitty6.

He actually growled at it when I played tug o war with him. Then, he proceeded to shake the daylights out of it, and attack it's ears. He's so cute and funny to watch.

pooh playing with his stuffed toy 005

pooh playing with his stuffed toy 005
Originally uploaded by calicokitty6.

pooh playing with his stuffed toy 002

pooh playing with his stuffed toy 002
Originally uploaded by calicokitty6.

pooh playing with his stuffed toy 004

pooh playing with his stuffed toy 004
Originally uploaded by calicokitty6.

pooh puppy 8 weeks old first visit to house 004
Originally uploaded by calicokitty6.

We have a new addition to our household. He came to be introduced to the two older Pekes last Tues, Jan.2, when we took this pic. He came home to stay this past Sat, Jan 6. The old dog has adopted him and treats him like he is her own puppy, instead of her nephew. His grandma and my oldest dog were sisters.

Pooh is a sweetheart, but a bundle of energy, as well as still young and needs a lot of training. He is learning although he does not like his crate at this time. He wants to be with you constantly, because his original human was always holding him or his brother.