Too Hot to Chase

Happy Dogs on Thursday!    Just a quick little friday post here…  I’m hoping that after tomorrow, life will return to normal, but don’t hold your breath.

The girls finally got up a quick thank you to Mr. Bettis and his family on their blog, but we’re all tired of this heat, and we’re just half-way through July!

We’re wondering how you and your pack burn off all that doggy energy when it’s just too hot outside for chasing lizards and such? 

The girls will do a bit of indoor chasing and “wrasslin'”, but it’s never enough.  Sissy wakes up in the middle of the night, restless.   Gretchen wears us all out wanting to go out, then we have to get her back in before she overheats, then she wants to go back out…

Thankful Thursday?  Well, thank goodness tomorrow’s Friday.  How ’bout that?!  No?  Okay then, how ’bout thank you to all those grand gents at the firehouse who buy me a soda here and there?!  I really do appreciate it, especially when I’ve known some of them since before they got an allowance.  I joke that I’m going to leave everyone who is or ever was a member of our little station $35 to cover all the 35 cent Diet Pepsis they’ve gotten me over the years.   It really is those small gestures that make me smile!

What little thing makes you smile?

Boxes of Fibery Fun

Good grief!  Where has yet another day gone?! 

Last week, two boxes, overflowing with fiber, showed up on my front porch. 

The first was from dear Alison.   She’s such an invaluable resource to me for all things fiber, and now, some of her stash that no longer sings to her has moved east, where it most assuredly does sing to me… and to MJ, who is just crazy about the round ball of roving.   If I remember correctly, the cone shaped fiber is wool, and the round one is unknown.  Thank you, Alison!  I do adore those colors!

The other package was from Kathy and her pack.   This is a mohair blend batt.   I just love the colors.  I’m on a blue kick, in case anyone has missed that.

This batt is named The Spa.  It reminds me that I need to MAKE time to get to the day spa!  It is a BFL batt, and on a rainy day like today, I can only wish I could go home and spin up some of this sunshine.

This is a lovely new base in the Gypsyknits line.  It’s a cashmere blend, and this colorway is Thunder.   I can only hope that today’s thunder and rain green the grass up a bit.

Regular readers might recall that Gretchen has a thing for cashmere.   Sure enough, before I could scoop the yarn to safety, she had sprinted up the steps and come to inspect the latest lovely to arrive for HER stash.

Of course, the girls weren’t forgotten.  Mr. Bettis took full credit for the Sissy-allowed treats, but a little birdy told me that Mr. B’s owner actually fetched the meat-free cookies.   I can’t tell you how much it means to me that my friends (and their spouses!) go to the extra trouble to find treats for my DIVA.  I can assure you, both dogs heartily appreciate it!

The girls would have liked to have posted their own thank-you, but it just wasn’t that kind of weekend. 

I tried to get a photo of the girls savoring their new favorite treats, but I’m afraid that they were so into them that all I have is an unimpressive cleaning up the crumbs shot.

How was your weekend?  I’ll have to tell you more about ours another day…

Coindog

(The Knight happens to love a good corn dog, just so you know…)

That nose gets her in trouble every time.   Yesterday afternoon, as we have every single weekday afternoon since the steps were built off the deck, I let the girls out, let the girls in, and then went about MY business. 

Yeah, the girl happens to think she’s also a sight hound, but it’s that dangerous combination of can’t see but can smell that leads her astray.  (She was STANDING in my lap when I took that photo, just so you know.)   Yesterday, I was frantic when I found an unwrapped “roll” of quarters on the sofa upon returning to the too-quiet living room.  A quick count calmed my racing pulse; 40 quarters, but not the FIRST shred of a wrapper.

They're all angels when they're sleeping...

What was she thinking?!  What enticed her to EAT the wrapper?  The Knight had handed me the roll of Bicentennial quarters the night before, because I collect them.  Shame on me; I should have put them right away, but honestly…  Even with all the training my bassets have given me, it never entered my mind that she’d EAT a roll of quarters.  Thank goodness it was just the sleeve and not the coins themselves…

I think that Mr. Bettis is a bad influence.  Maybe she was collecting coins for his defense fund?

Look but don’t touch

… like that’s a problem with the internet.

I thought I’d flash a few of the prizes for my contest to generate  more traffic/entries.   I need to start a spread sheet with the assorted entry options and your names…

SpringValley donation

Y’all have seen this yarn before, but just to refresh your memory, one lucky ducky will win this hank of yarn as part of one of the two grand prizes.   If you can’t wait to see if you win it, you can click on the photo to head straight to Jessi‘s shop.  

Piddleloop donation #1

That’s the bag from the great gals at Piddleloop that will go with the yarn shown above.  It’s a sweet little notions bag, in Sissy’s honor.  Again, click on the photo to head straight to the Piddleloop shop.  Those girls were VERY generous with their clever bags, so you’ll see more of them later!

Second Grand Prize, from GypsyKnits

Dear Kathy, Mr. Bettis, Gypsy and Molly sent along the other grand prize.  I’m delighted that I get to offer bags by my two favorite bag makers!   Again, click on the photo to head to Kathy’s etsy site.  Each grand prize will also include coordinating stitch markers and tape measures.

I’ll share more prizes another day.  It’s taken about ten hours to get this much written, and I need to go buy a new washing machine tonight, quite unexpectedly.  The Knight is meeting with a certain friend of ours to deliver the first round of special gifts.  I’ve been told to knit faster; “Hope” as we’ll call her began her treatments yesterday.

In other news, Sunny had another surgery today, but pop over and read it directly.  Keep those prayers and good thoughts coming!

Copper Mystery

Happy Monday!  I had a very productive weekend, and if I EVER get my hands on the Knight’s thumb drive (that just sounds dirty, doesn’t it?!) I’ll share some photos from the firehouse open house, but for now, meet my first handspun off of my Bellus wheel.  This is the skein with the first (and worst) of it, so it does range from about sport weight to bulky, with the most of it being light worsted.

This was plied from the left-overs on the second bobbin, so it’s much more consistent, and is almost uniformly DK weight.   I can’t tell you much about the fiber; it was a gift from Anita, to replace the fiber Gretchen destroyed as a wee pup (which led me to decide not to try to spin again until she was older).  Anita even consulted with Jan of Heavenly Handspinning to find out where Jan got the free fiber she sends out with her wheels, so ‘Nita could send me the very same thing Gretchie ruined…   Mr. Bettis has his own lawyer, but my girls have a fairy dogmother who just goes around making everything they destroy new again…)

From the second I unpacked my new wheel, I was smitten with this fiber.  I couldn’t explain why, but I REALLY loved this fiber.  It was great to re-learn to spin with, because with the two colors, I could watch the twist happening.  (And STILL over-spin it, but…)  It wasn’t until Alison pointed out that the yarn looked like the fur-girls that I realized WHY I am so fond of this yarn.  Sissy was tired enough  gracious enough to pose with the yarn to illustrate the point.

The left bobbin is displaying the remaining yarn after I’d plied the two bobbins together.  I wound that into a ball and then plied from both ends of the ball and made that whole second skein.

That’s the plied yarn – the first skein – on the bobbin.   Yes, there was a streak of VERY dark brown in the fiber, but just a small bit, maybe in one or two sections.

And that’s the second bobbin, the end of the fiber, before I plied them together.  There at the end, I was really in a groove and spun so very nicely, if I may say so myself.

I wish I had more information on the fiber for you, but I don’t.  I have decided I need a yarn meter.   The Knight made me a niddy noddy out of Pex pipe, but I have no idea how long each wrap is.  I think it would be easier to just measure the yarn when I wind it into a ball…

I also did a pile of knitting, but no finished objects, not yet.  Gretchen and I enjoyed piling up under the Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky while it was growing, as it was rather chilly in our neck of the woods this weekend.

How was your weekend?

Dorsets and Dog Treats

I had two parcels waiting for me when I got home yesterday.  One was my Monthly Adventures (Ravelry Group) Dorset Button Swap goodies.

It was a great assortment of buttons, and while I insisted I didn’t care much for embellishments on these beauties, just look at the delicate shell facade on the brown one:

My kind partner sent more of the little shells.  Yes, one cracked in shipping, but as delicate as they are, the break was clean and the two pieces will glue back together nicely.

Look at this fancy jewel!  Makes me want to re-decorate a room in those colors just so I can use that as a pull on a fan or light…  Thanks Joanie!

Gretchen also got another birthday present from the pack at GypsyKnits.   Of course, Mr. B couldn’t resist sending something along for Sissy too, after he tested and approved it.  (Or sealed it with a slobbery kiss?)

You’ll have to pardon the photos.  I didn’t get home until after 8pm, and the girls were WILD.  Smelling the dogs and cats from the sender’s household didn’t help any at all.

I tried for a “staged” group shot, but the belated birthday girl is small and quick.  Before I could step back, focus and click…

Well, you KINDA’ got to see most of the goodies.  There’s a pink Swiffer cover, because Mr. B knows Sissy made lots of big footprints all over the hardwood floors over the rainy weekend, and if you hold your head at the right angle and use your imagination, you can ALMOST see the cute slide over the collar kerchiefs Kathy made for the girls!  (Yes, Sissy’s is lined in a lovely plaid!)

And just to tease, if you look behind the card Mr. B sent to Sissy  the girls, you MIGHT be able to see part of the prizes Kathy sent for my October contest.  I’m jealous, folks. 

Sissy generally isn’t much on toys, other than to play keep away from Gretchen.  However, she didn’t let this fleece braid out of her sight until it was time to come to work this morning.  I couldn’t get a better photo, because if I stared long enough to zoom in, she turned, just like that, to guard her prize, even from me.  (And yes, you dog whisperers, that did mean I had to take it from her a few times, just because I really am the Alpha Mom.)

Thanks to all the humans and critters at GypsyKnits!  The girls are well-spoiled and I can’t wait to announce the contest and prizes on October 5th!

Here We Go Again…

Baby New Year, I thought we had a deal…

Sure, so far you’re treating me kind.  We had pajama day at our house yesterday.  Nothing like taking the fur girls out in a gown and a shawl when it’s in the teens outside, but I did just that.  However, tomorrow brings the first memorial service of the year, and Kathy and her family sure didn’t need to start the year off with her father in the hospital.  Cut it out already, will ya?

And Mr. Bettis, the fur-girls are making a public plea for you to give your humans a belated Christmas gift.  Be a good boy while they’re away, will you?  Even if it is several days in a row?  Gretchen swears that being good unexpectedly will result in a treat windfall.   They’ll be home in the evenings to praise you, and Sissy suggests that you might find all the cooing and “oh what a good boy!” stuff almost as heady as a good romp through the house with pillow stuffing flying…

I’d all but promised you a finished object report today, but I had no idea how long it would take to do the adorable hem on the Spiralucious!  21 little points down, and three to go with a kitchner of the provisional cast on stitches that started the hem, with the ones left over at the end of the 24 points.  I could have finished last night, but Gretchen DEMANDS to go to bed around 11:30 if we’re still up, and I bet you couldn’t deny that face her wishes either.

So, that’s first on the agenda as soon as I get home tonight.  Then, I’ll get ready for the afternoon tomorrow, which will be spent with Rosanne and Daddy Dawg.  Their fur-boys may not know it yet, but they’ve invited our fur-girls to join the festivities.   The Knight began yesterday begging Sissy to prove him wrong and have TWO good Saturdays of socializing in a row…

That’s not exactly a “sure, Dadaw, anything for you” look, is it?  Wish us well…  Those two photos tell the tale.  Sissy is the Princess, and basically makes what she wants happen.  Gretchen is the little cutie pie, and she gets what she wants with that “pweeze?” look…

What does your first weekend of 2009 hold?  Are you done with the holiday happenings, or like us, do you still have a couple of friends to get together with before you truly say it’s all over?

A-Boxing We Will Go

Happy Boxing Day!  My desk calendar says it is a Canadian  holiday, but I grew up celebrating it…  ??  

We opened our gifts from Nichole and her gang yesterday.  They spoiled us well, as always! 

That’s the group shot.  There were lots of goodies for all of us.  Sissy was so sure her Dadaw’s turtles were for her too, but chocolate is a big no-no for dogs, so no such luck!  While it was all wonderful and thoughtful, there were three VERY special items.

Those are cuff bracelets with Fred, Sissy and Mugsy.  They were made before Gretchen entered our lives.   How special! Thank you so VERY much, Nic.  Now I can take the gang with me when I’m feeling blue – er, pink or purple?

 

 

Then, there’s this adorable wall hanging.  The little bone on his neck is a magnet.  How cute is that?!

 

 

 

 

 

That’s the ornament Nic had made for us.   What I don’t think she knows it sthat the Knight and I adore gingerbread!  Thanks again, Nic and the rest of your gang!

 

 

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Dearest Mr. Bettis and family –

Thank you so much for your awesome Christmas package.  That’s the humans’ stuff, although we saw a ball (dog toy, right?), a smelly warm thing, and a half-crate pad for Gretchen, but Mom says they’re hers, not ours.

We did get our gifts, but we were too excited to allow Mom to get a photo of our goodies with everything else.  I REALLY liked the cube, and could tell you’d sent me a kiss on it.  I wouldn’t let Gretchen play with it at all; she’s just a baby, you know…  (Edited by Mom – Sissy’s loved this toy to pieces already.  She’s NEVER done that before, so I’m quite sure that she was so taken with Mr. Bettis’s kisses and smell…)

I let Gretchen have the “mink” baby.   I know it looks like I wasn’t about to share, but this photo was taken before the cube was presented.   The baby is bigger than Gretchen, but she’s a game little thing.

That’s Mom’s favorite photo.  Gretchie was more than a little excited about the baby, and could barely wait when I was checking it out. 

There was a little confusion over the foot warmer.  Dadaw thinks it is for him and can’t figure out how to fit his big feet in it.  Mom said he could borrow it for his toes if he’d take the swiffer sweater (red with paw prints) for a test wipe or ten, but so far, he hasn’t bothered.

This Christmas thing is pretty cool.  We got lots of pressies from all kinds of people, but Mom won’t let us have anymore right now.  (I told you last time she’s rude, and she has a mean streak too.)  I’m still waiting to try this snow stuff everyone keeps talking about.

Hope you had a good Christmas!

Sloppy kisses,

Sissy (and Gretchen too)

Dear Mr. Bettis #1

Dear Mr. Bettis –

Mommy read your letter to me.  While my humans’ friends are great about sending treats and including Gretchie and me on the cards they send, this is my first letter, all to me!  Gretchen enjoyed it too, but she just bounced around and raced here and there.  (Why is it when she does that, it’s cute, but when I must restort to running and jumping inside to burn off this energy, the humans seem to brace themselves and fuss?)

I’m very glad you like the treats and I hope you’re able to steal some soon.  Mommy instructed another friend to let her human kids open their gifts the moment they arrived.  I hope that woman doesn’t put the gifts away until Christmas after they’re opened…  Gretch and I get a broken bit of the same treats daily now, and they’re really good, so again, I hope you get some soon!

Oh, and your name and photo make you seem so dashing…   Mommy said perhaps I should urge you to be a gentleman and share with the little girl dogs in your home.  Me?  I don’t mind sharing.  Gretchen is so little that if she grabs hold to the other end of a toy, I can still walk around the house with her tugging and pulling like she’s really doing something.  My favorite version of sharing though is to simply help myself to what Gretchen has if it looks or sounds fun.

Gretchen doesn’t bark much.  She’s actually a cute little thing, and keeps me company when the humans aren’t around.   

Well, this is getting long, but no we don’t have that cold, white stuff around here.  I want some.  I like to eat it and snort it, and if we get enough, I bet Gretchen can make tunnels!

Oh – and I don’t know what the deal is about the special string Mommy calls yarn.  It smells, oh how it smells, but I must admit that I haven’t crunched her fancy sticks in a long, long time.  

Write again after you get some of those treats. 

I don’t know how to shake…

Sissy

PS – I actually sleep in the humans’ bed, but Mommy does keep a pile of towels at the front door and she rubs us down and wipes our feet when it’s icky outside.