Extravayarnza

This spring I knit several Double Knit scarves as gifts, you can find them here & here.
Tis the Christmas season & inspired by a scarf I saw in the latest Magknits I pulled out my graph paper once again. I knew from experience that soft yarns don't work for shadow knitting, but they do work in double knitting. Plus I know someone who totally deserves one more hand knit gift & would wear a piano scarf.
One Octave in I had a pleasant surprise...

When I was fingering scales on the scarf I noticed that it's fairly close the size of a real piano keyboard. I can just barely catch an octave on the corners of the keys. That's a real bonus.

It's official, I'm totally obsessed with knitting, yarn, and sheep. I've been working on my final project for my painting class. It's a series of 3 paintings that all go together. Mine is an abstract (to the point of graphic) look at knitting.

Painting One is pretty much finished~

Painting 2 is close to done~

(Painting 3 isn't ready for a debut just yet...)

Trent & my new plant were both being very corporative this morning so I have a bit of eyecandy to show off.

My pretty Succulent is slowly blooming. 8 days under my care & she isn't dead yet. This is looking up!

To reward those of you who have read to this point... I got lots of comments and emails on the last post after scout mentioned the socks being famous. She's filming an episode of Knitty Gritty next week & my socks are going along as an example of her yarn all knit up. I know I'll be excited to see the episode & I'll let you know when it airs (it will be a while, they film these things quite far in advance). For any of you living under a rock, Stephanie is over there now filming an episode! This is going to be an exciting group of episodes.

The mighty Trent glooms over his prey. With great intent & stealth his moves in for the kill...

Poor little Ms. Mousie pincushion doesn't know what danger lies only feet away~

Will she escape or will it be off to Mousie death camp?

Trent & I noticed this afternoon that the supply of his favorite toy was running dangerously low. Due to the apparent shortage of fur mice with the all important rattle inside we stooped so low as to clean! A few mice here, a few more there, then we hit his favorite hiding hole.. under the oven. Over 50! little toy mice. At least I don't need to worry about buying any for a long time.

Tonight I finished a big project for me & here's one more quick photo before they get packed up in the morning & sent off to SWTC.

Now it's down to a few last minute Christmas gifts to finish & I can get knitting on my very own pair of Thrummed Socks (they are so warm... I need a pair to keep.)

Now, for the first time in several years I'm not entirely single on v-day, but this year brings a fledgling relationship so still no big plans for the day. Instead I'm concentrating on a special guy who's been with me through all that relationship stuff over the last 5 & 1/2 years. The one who curls up with me every night when I'm knitting & keeps my toes warm all night. My buddy Trent~

As far I as know my plans tomorrow night consist of watching Bones (will Booth & Bones finally get together?), knitting on some yet to be determined project, and cuddling up with Trent. I count that as a good night.

I did have a lovely day today. Lynn stopped by & we spent the afternoon looking online for big full skirts for Contradancing this weekend. Nothing is more full than twirling around in a pretty skirt. Then apparently mum & I were the only ones willing to brave the winter storm to Belly Dance. So, Garnet gave us a semi-private lesson. I'm feeling much better about Belly Dancing now. (Plus she gave me to go ahead to sign up for the Intermediate class, but I probably won't till Mom's ready too).

Plus I now have a finished pair of Rockin' Knee Socks!

The cool thing... I finished the first one on the plane. I had no idea how close I was to the half way point of the skein. I used up every last inch of the skein & the second sock was only a couple rounds shy of the first. That Rocks!

Okay,
apparently I worried some of you last weekend with the whole 'potently bad news' thing. No one is sick or dieing, it was nothing that bad. I was awaiting the decision from Sharon (aka the wonderful puppy lady) on whether or not I was going to be Bruser's (aka Christopher Robin's) new mom.
Well, I just got the call & he's coming home on Thursday night! I promise lots of cute puppy pictures this weekend.
With all the change that will be happening in my life over the next year I really count on a few constants to keep me grounded. As much as I love Trent, a kitty alone can only do so much. The exercise & added regularity to my schedule that a Dog brings is going to be a big help. I'm already looking ahead to all the wonderful experiences to come.
I found a local AKC chapter that offers obedience & agility training.  I've always wanted  a Dog to do Agility with. Agility is like a high speed obstacle course for dogs. It's full of Jumps, dogwalks (like a balance beam), tunnels, weave poles, and other obstacles that test the connection between dog & trainer. They have to be willing to go through these tests & have to trust you to guide them where to go next. (all while running as fast as they can) It's so much more interesting than the show ring. Here's a page with lots of photos of Dogs running agility courses (many of them Shelties!)
The other bit of excitement is that  the Lansing Dog Park is going to open in June if all goes well. Since I don't have a fenced back yard this will provide a valuable place for Robin to really run around & have fun (under careful supervision of course).  This is much better than sneaking into golf courses after hours or during the off season (no I never did that...)
Well obviously I have a lot to tend to between now & Thursday Night, so I'll talk with you all later~

First off... yes knitting content will be resuming soon! I started a new shawl yesterday & am almost finished with a very important pair of socks, so stay tuned...

However, a little somebody has now bounded calmly walked into my life.
Introducing... Christopher Robin!

How could I resist taking him home!

Robin is a Shetland Sheep Dog. He was born Nov 29, 2006 which makes him 13 weeks old. Full grown he's expected to be about 30lb & a touch over 16" tall.

He really stunned me with his intelligence. At 13 weeks he already has sit mastered! They don't even teach that till 6 months old in the puppy classes. We even worked on lay down for a bit today & he did it twice. Good Dog

I was so stunned when I went to register him at the AKC site & the name Christopher Robin wasn't taken. I was worried that I might have to add some silly bit to his name. I'm not down with all that fancy nonsense.

Everyone pretty much agrees that he's the calmest puppy they've ever seen. Right now he's curled up in a pile of his toys taking a nap. Sharon said he's a very calm dog.

As for Trent. He's earned a big Gold Star from me (and a pile of kitty treats). They aren't instant ' bestest buddies forever!' but Trent's very curious & is walking up to the gate and getting nose to nose with Robin. No hissing, no growling, just not quite ready to meet without a gate yet.

Bravo Trent!

So, I've lost my favorite hat & these socks just aren't working...

I'm on 000 needles & they are still gargantuan. To the frogging pool with them. I really love this pattern though. I probably will redesign the legs of the sock & add some ribs between the cables to get them from 48 sts to something more realistic (and hopefully smaller than the massive 72 stitches of the current design).

As for the hat, it was my original hat in my EZ Fit hat pattern. I hope it eventually turns up. In the mean time I ripped out my meat head hat & am knitting a new hat in the lovely hunter green alpaca. I should have some pics in the next day or two once it actually begins to look like a hat.

I think I may just console myself with a scarf kit. A Dragon Scarf kit to be specific. I totally need one of these in Snuff.

Or maybe I just need to look at more cute puppy photos...

Robin visited me at work on Tuesday. He was so good. He'll be back Friday from 3-6 if you'd like to meet him in person! (can you tell he'd had a long day before he visited me? Vet visit & a walk with the Grand Dog in the park)

We can't forget Trent either...

I can also cheer myself up with these fab shoes I found in the closet. I purchased these 3 or 4 years ago & I swear I never wore them. They're perfect for taking Robin out in the snow (and yes, I have 2 laces on each shoe, I did grow up in the 80's you know...)

Okay,
This is very new to me, so I'll see how it goes... I hope I can figure out how to add photos.

While I've been working on this whole design project I've also been knitting like mad. I've got about 9" of the sweater I started Thursday already knit! I'm really loving knitting with this yarn (Rowan Cashsoft) and the angora is starting to give it just a little halo.

(hey the photo thing worked!)
My favorite part of this sweater is that I'm just totally relaxing on it. I didn't swatch, my yarn is the wrong size for the pattern so I'm making it up as I go, I just am trusting in my instincts to knit a sweater that fits. I don't even know what the neckline is going to be yet other than it won't be a boat neck like the original design. I've done a few measurements & it looks like my instincts are steering me right and it will fit.
I've been lucky to receive several gifts this weekend. Erin stopped by and brought Robin a super cool bag of treats!

The cow's legs, arms, and head can be pulled off. Robin hasn't figured that out yet, but it has a squeaker & he loves da squeaker.

Robin says Thank You!
Then I arrived at work Monday morning a mysterious skein of huggable green yarn was sitting there with a note simply saying Rae. I thought it was simply odd till I found out that it appeared there between when the store closed Saturday & when it opened Sunday. It seems I have a yarn elf...

Robin & I took a very long walk today. I think it may have been upwards of 2 miles right at dusk. By the time the sun set (and we were still at least 1/2 a mile from home) it got quite blustery indeed & the temperature dropped about 15 degrees. I started to think it may start down pouring any moment. Luckily we made it home dry, if a little tussled from the wind, and relaxed on the couch for some knitting & a little Mythbusters. Robin loved tonight's episode, it was all about dog myths.

I'm working away at my sweater, it's not too much different from yesterday... I figured it was more interesting when Robin was helping show it off.

The bananas I picked up this weekend finally archived the perfect level of brown so I whipped up some banana bread. I am the Queen of banana bread. I basically use the recipe out of the Betty Crocker book. I don't use nuts (allergy) so I have a few other additions to zip it up. First, I use Olive Oil instead of regular vegetable oil. Then I add 1 tsp cinnamon & 1 Tbl honey. It is so good...

I've also hit that point each spring when I feel like signing up for a bunch of swaps.
I'm currently signed up for:
SP10
Handspun Keychain Swap(Signups open till March 23)
Tiny Pincushion Swap
(Signups open till March 30)
Dye-No-Mite! (signups open till March 21)
The last one is particularly exciting because we'll be swapping all sorts of hand dyed things, not just yarn. It's open to roving, fabric, etc... since knitting isn't my only craft I find this very cool.

I also have a neat idea for a swap brewing. But, I need something to get it really going.
Does anyone have a spare copy of the Alan Dart Gnome pattern? I know I could order it from England, but that could take over a month for the pattern to arrive & I'd like to finish him up for Spring... So, can anyone help me out?

Sorry all,
Still nothing blog worthy in knitting today. I've knit another inch or so on my sweater body... I may hit the armholes in the next day or two if I'm lucky. That's about it.
However, I do have a cute puppy picture for you. Today we had yet another perfect sun shiny day here in Michigan, we get so few of these each year that you really can't waste them. Robin & I went for a long walk on the Northern Tier Trail.
Between this trail & the River Trail in Lansing I can pretty much walk/bike anywhere in the city (within reason, I've hiked 8mi in the mountains before, that doesn't mean I have any desire to walk from my house to the state capital). The trail was pretty packed today, lots of joggers, bikers, and tons of dog walkers. Robin got to meet so many dogs today. By the time we got back home he just collapsed in a little pile o'puppy on the floor & slept for hours.
I took this photo near the beginning of the trail, when he was still all bright eyed & ready to go. I think the photo is really a testament to our training so far. I managed to choose a spot with a nice view of the pond plants behind, got him to sit there, and got him to stay while I walked 5 feet away & fiddled with the camera. This photo was actually the first shot. I have a few more on flickr, every single shot turned out. I don't think that has ever happened before.

Robin & I are starting puppy school tomorrow. One of the things that the school requested we have are a pouch that's easy to get into for treats. They gave us some suggestions like pants with a big pocket, a climbing chalk bag, or a small carpenter apron. My first thought was to use my Go Knit pouch, but I also have to use moist treats for the class and they are smelly & icky so I don't want to contaminate my knitting bag. I also won't use my pants pocket for the same reason.
Then today at work I was putting away some new yarns that I wanted to try out & realized that I could knit myself a treat pouch. I knew I wanted something that would hold itself open so I could quickly grab a treat. It also needed to be easily cleaned, able to attach to my belt loop, and deep enough for treats not to fall out. Here's what I came up with~

I totally love it! I used Nashua Cilantro, which is a cotton/poly blend with tons of stretch. I started with a hemmed edge so the bag holds itself open. Then I increased after the hem to give it a pouch shape to help the treats stay in when I'm moving around. I put a pair of eyelets near the top for a carbineer.
The treats in the background are the ones I picked out for puppy school. I love that they are tiny, so I can give Robin lots of them. Plus they are all natural (no preservatives or artificial flavors!) and peanut butter flavored rather than some stinky meat smell. Robin just loves them.
I see this sort of pouch as having lots of uses. Check in the free pattern section later this week for the pattern!

"...so you do know you have a Sheltie, right?"
That would be the answer you don't want to hear when asking your dog trainer about a barking issue. Yep, I knew Shelties were umm... vocal, but I think the neighbors would appreciate if he didn't bark at everything that moved on our walks. Plus apparently barking is self rewarding for Shelties, so simply ignoring him isn't going to work. Sigh...
On the plus side, other than that he's a little angel. Right now he's curled up on the couch giving me that look at says "mom, why aren't you over here knitting with me!"
Can't argue with that.

I have the pattern for the Doggie Treat Bag up on my site. It passed the practical exam tonight & is now Robin approved.

Robin & I just had a lovely anti-barking session over at the Brenke Fish Ladder and on the River Trail. I had planned to start working on heeling today, but there were tons of people in the park & barking seemed to be a big issue with Robin. Our instructor recommended teaching him an alternate behavior to do instead of barking. So, every time anybody came by on the trail he had to sit down & "look at me", once the person passed he got a treat. This actually worked really well. By the time we had walked to LCC & back he wasn't barking at walkers at all & only barked once or twice at joggers/bikers. This is a huge improvement over our last few walks. Now I think it's just a matter of being consistent with this new training.

In Knitting news today... My Cashcotton sweater is beginning to really take shape. Last night I had a marathon knitting session and finished up the back. Plus I went back to where I split the body for the arm holes & did short rows for the front (in a lace pattern...). I'm now just about to where I'm splitting the from for the v-neck. It feels so good when you can start to see that this blob of fabric really will become a sweater.

So, I've been neglecting blogging for a few days in favor of this...

I am so in love with this sweater. I still need to knit some sleeves, but I could help sewing the shoulders & adding in the neckband. It needs some major blocking (and sleeves...), but I was able to double check that yes, it does fit. By the end of next week I should have a new sweater! Another good thing, I've only used 4.5 balls of cashcotton dk so far. The whole long sleeved sweater should be just under 7 balls. That rocks!

I also had a rather eventful trip to my Dad's this afternoon. Robin got to have a long fun play session with Aspen.

Can you see where my love of herding/working dogs come from? I love this photo of Aspen, she's showing a classic Sammie smile. She also has the best coat right now that I've ever seen on her.
It's really interesting to watch Robin play with dogs of different temperaments. With puppies he's rambunctious, jumpy, and um... humps... much to my embarrassment. When we play with adult dogs he calms down and matches their temperament. Aspen is around 15 years old, so he mostly just calmly walks around with her. She was up for about a minute of chase & hide, but that's about it.
At Dad's I also picked a belated birthday present, my new to me laptop. It's a 15" powerbook G4, completely refurbished with mostly new parts. Considering that my old laptop had a 9" screen this is a mammoth improvement.

I will be sad to say goodbye to my old clamshell iBook, but he doesn't run most of the programs I use everyday, so it's time.

I can't believe how much of this I knit today. I don't think there's any worry of it not getting done by the end of the month... I have hit a bit of a glitch in the pattern, but I stopped & figured out how this misshapen blob becomes a sweater & I think I can figure out how many rows I need to knit before the last bit of shaping. Robin is so tired. We had a big evening at puppy school. He learned to look me in the eyes when I say his name. We got started with clicker training. We learned the gotcha game (grab the collar & say 'gotcha', helps with rounding him up easily later). AND most importantly, Robin did his first agility obstacle tonight! During our socialization session our teacher pulled out the tire jump. It was set so they pretty much walked through it rather than jumped, but Robin went right through twice! Yippy!! Now I need to get my tax rebate (or get you guys to buy some patterns) so Robin & I can get Agility in a Bag.
Okay, now for a whole bunch of pictures....
First up, the Baby Pearl Surprise Jacket (mostly done)...


Then Robin is learning how to be a couch potato...


There are a few more of those on my flickr page. Click on any of the above pics to go visit.

Robin gets a bath every other weekend. He's not a particularly smelly dog (actually he stays fairly clean), but he's just so lovely smelling and fluffy after a bath. We're on our 3rd bath now. He's starting to figure out there is no point in struggling. I don't think he likes getting the bath, but he does seem to be a bit more fresh the next morning.
I wanted to get a photo of his spiked hair do right after his bath last night, but it seems that wet shelties just can't stop moving! I've got a couple dozen photos of brown & white blurs. After his bath we just relaxed & watched Ocean 11 & 12. I hadn't seen these yet. Oceans 11 rocked! Once Robin was just damp he slept harder than I've ever seen him sleep...

I managed to do our nails...

(I love this photo)
And I just joined him for a nap...

This morning I though I should maybe give a quick review of Project Spectrum so far. I made a last minute run at white/gray/blue with knitting a baby surprise jacket.

Then I added on the most perfect buttons...

I'm starting out green/yellow/pink with a photo of some of my favorite yarn. I love it even more now that it has a new label!

Check that out! They now tell you the fiber content, weight, yardage, and suggested gauge. This color is Shaba green which I've knit quite a few projects in. I'm thinking I might knit a cardigan in Sea Moss (light heather green). I have a feeling you will be seeing quite a bit of green for the round of Project Spectrum.
(btw I feel like such a hick right now. I actually wrapped my radio antenna in foil this morning. You know what though? It works! Finally, static free NPR)

Robin learned a few lessons today.

1~ Mud is a totally terrifically wonderful thing. Lots of fun to jump in, then jump on mom, then splash in. The ideally everyone should be coated in mud up to their belly...

That goes for you too mom!

2~Unfortually muddy paws/feet/clothing all needs to be washed asap when we get home. Yep, that means a bath for puppies...

We ended up really exploring & going off the paved path tonight. A total of 3.25 miles!

The paths through the woods looked quite dry initially. Later on we found 10-20 foot sections that were quite deep with mud & standing water. There was no going around it, you have to go through it...
Robin was feeling particularly photogenic tonight. You can visit my flickr page for even more photos from tonight.

(Yes there is knitting content below. I don't mind if you skip all the dog stuff...)

Robin & I had a very successful class last night. Every week the barking thing gets less & less of a problem. We actually went to the vet Tuesday & he only barked when we first walked in and when our name got called. Night & Day compared to the first visit. Same thing in class. I'm teaching him that it pays (in food) to pay attention to me rather than bark at the teacher/other dogs/invisible friends... As much as that thrilled me, it's not what's gotten me glowing with pride. That was our socialization time.
Each week in class they bring out different things for them to check out & learn not to be afraid of. Since this school also teaches basic agility they bring out a few agility things. This week they brought out the tire jump again. Robin loves the tire jump. We were doing run bys within minutes of him seeing it again. Then we got to see a pause table. Up him went & laid down for 5 seconds. Such a good boy. Then the second coolest thing was the wobble table. This is a precursor to a teeter totter, basically a big board with a pipe under it so it moves when walked across. This freaked him out a bit, but he was willing to walk across it with a bit of encouragement (food). The coolest thing was defiantly the little mini tunnel. All like 9 inches of it. A bit weird to walk on, but within a few minutes he was running right through! Yippy! My boys going to love agility. We start agility class in 2 weeks.
Before that I'm picking up a few things for us to practice on. Sunday I'm getting a tunnel from Ikea. Plus I'm going to order a practice chute to go on the end so we can start getting used to that too. Then probably next month I'm ordering the coolest set of training weave poles.
I realize this is complete gibberish for many of you. If you're curious to know what I'm blabbering on about here's a link to a cool site that's all videos of different agility competitions.

Okay, I promised some knitting content too...
First off, A big Thank You! to my Secret Pal. She sent me a neat package yesterday with some sock yarn, roving, and bath products that are fragrance free! I'm super allergic to fragrance, so I really appreciate these sorts of things. I even had to switch shampoos because my old one was making my scalp break out in hives! So Thank You!!!! (and Robin says Thanks too, he loves the bone you sent)

I've been kinda crazy about my knitting lately. I'm knitting on several socks for various class. Book projects that I can't show you. But, I also have been knitting on the little donkey sweater. I spent a whole night weaving in more ends than should ever be on one part of a baby sweater.

Then I pulled out my sewing machine & whipped up a lovely misshapen box bag.

Now that I've figured out what I'm doing on that I'm going to sew up a few more...

Sorry I've been away for a few days. I've been working on Rent & I pretty much have been collapsing on the couch when I got home.
Today was a big day too. We had a big family Easter brunch then a few of us piled into a car & zipped over to Ikea, then back again for a big dinner. The main reason for heading to Ikea today was a get a few of those kids play tunnels. I set them up when I got back from dinner & Wow! Both cats & Robin have been non-stop running through these things!

Trent ~ Hey... This is nice I think I'll move in...

Robin ~ Umm.. Trent? I do believe Mom bought these for me.

Robin~ That's much better... Tunnels Rock!

Still my favorite photo has to be this one~

Okay, back to play with the fur kids. I'll have some knitting content tomorrow!

So, Yes I've been attempting to knit lately. My book projects have been begging for more attention & so is Robin, so bloggable knitting is a bit on the pitiful side.

So, sitting through 3 shows of Rent may seem like 525,600 minutes (I'm sure actually watching the show is much more entertaining), but I now have actual proof. Two socks almost entirely knit during those shows...

The sock in front is out of CPY Panda Cotton, the one behind it is in a machine washable Alpaca. I ran out of knitting half way through the 3rd show. I was told that the look of terror on my face was quite memorable. It didn't help that 2 of the guys in the cast continuously asked me out, over & over to the point I was considering a harassment complaint. I had to walk that thin line of being polite, but firm, so that I wouldn't get in trouble for decking one (or two) of the actors during the performance. Knitting was very therapeutic during all this, so you can imagine the down hill slide of my attitude toward them once the yarn ran out.

So, while not fending off unwelcome advances from horny guys who only wanted one thing (considering they were in town for only 2 days) I was working on my Little Democrat sweater. I'm down to only one sleeve left to knit.

I think this sweater is so cute. I decided to pick up stitches & knit the sleeves onto the body. I've realized some flaws in my plan to knit a little USA flag onto the other sleeve, so that is in a holding pattern till I work out a tiny but viable chart.

Now that I've gotten myself all upset again about this weekend I'm going to leave you with some puppy pictures. How can you be upset when these eyes are looking in your face?
(I took bunches more of these yesterday, click any of them to go to the flickr photoset to see the rest of the photos)

So, This weekend marks my shops 2 year anniversary! To be technical we made our first sale April 11, 2005. I still am finding it hard to believe it's really been 2 years. I absolutely love my job. I can't really see myself doing anything else at this point. So, those of you in Lansing can stop by this weekend for a little cake & a big sale.

Also, I've been contacted to help with the Detroit Tigers Stitch N' Pitch game on September 9th. We're going to be purchasing a large block of tickets for the game so that all of us Lansing knitters can sit together. Tickets are going to be $15 & it also includes a bag of knitting goodies at the game. Our block is in the upper deck along the 1st base line. I'll be purchasing tickets as soon as they go for sale in about 2 weeks, so if you're interested in going please contact me to be sure you'll have a seat. Tickets are going to be more limited for this game than some of the other events due to the Tigers success last season. So, you'll want to get in early to be sure you have a seat with the Stitch N' Pitch group.

Okay, puppy news. Robin & I walked almost 6 miles today! The big excitement on our walking route today was the first ELHS soccer game at the new lighted field. I decided to take Robin over to the soccer complex to see how he'd do in a crowded situation. We made it there just before the game began so the part of the complex we could go to was just buzzing (I don't believe they would have let us into the stands, we hung out in the unfenced part that included the concession stands). He passed with flying colors. He behaved perfectly, no barking, no running up to people, no jumping when people petted him! Now I feel completely confident in bringing him to all the fests this summer.
This afternoon Robin did the cutest thing. He carried all of his stuffed toys over to the sliding glass door. Then he nested up in them for a nap in the sun.

And because I don't want to be accused of playing favorites I think Trent is overdue for an appearance on the blog. He and Robin are becoming best buds. It's so cute to watch them play together. However at the end of the day a cat just has a regal side that a dog just can't mimic.

Okay, well I've just spend 2 days recreating the class list. It's redone... time to move on.

One of the new classes I'm teaching this spring is Cut That Knit. It's a little wrist warmer that's steeked open to add a button band. In theory I hope to ease a few knitters discomforts with taking scissors to their knitting.
I've been busy knitting up & charting out the design for the class project. The sample is out of Silky Wool which just has to be one of the best yarns ever...

This is version 2 of the design & I think it's just about right. The only change I'm going to make from here is to add a couple more stitches to the steek. I think it might be a bit less stressful to new steekers to have more than a 3 stitch safety zone. The steeks are crocheted so they are going nowhere & we're sewing in ribbon to finish off the edge. I'll have pics later this weekend of the finished wristband.
I've also been working on a pair of Monkey socks (in Cookie's blog colors no less). It feels good to have a simple pair of socks to tote around. Every sock I'd started lately got ditched because too much thought was needed to knit it & I've got plenty of stimulating big projects right now. But these are perfect~

I have one other project that I'm going to start this weekend. Robin's favorite toy, or at least favorite plush toy, is this bright green fun fur bone.

He loves his fun fur bone! Unfortunately he's starting to over love it...

I stitch it up over and over, but I think it's not long for this world. A search was performed for a replacement, but none was found. So, I'm doing the unthinkable for Robin... I'm knitting him a new fun fur toy. A better one... One that will last forever...A felted one with no seams.
Okay I'm off to build my reserves to knit with the dreaded fun fur... This one's for you Robin~

Okay, today I'm playing the role of freaked out mom. My little Robin is having a particularly difficult teething day. He's in pain & I don't know how to make it stop! Both of his lower Canine teeth are coming out today (long pointy ones). Those are big teeth to loose both on the same day. The left one is out & he bled all over his toys... The right one is sticking out of his mouth at a very wrong angle.
I just picked him up a chilly bone & it's in the freezer now, but I'm still being a bit frazzled by all the blood. He will look awfully silly without his canines though...

Okay Rae just a few deep breaths...

Well today was just about the most perfect day I've ever had.
The main event was a trip to see the Detroit Tigers with the family. Now, after last season I was starting to think I was bad luck or something because every game I went to last season they lost. Gosh, maybe it was my handknit Tigers Socks or something because the game today was amazing! The weather was beautiful, the tickets I purchased just happened to be aisle seats & in the shade. We won in the 12th inning (all those people who left when we were down by 2 at the top of the 9th missed the most exciting part of the game...)
I think we're going to try to go once a month this season, Tigers games are just so exciting.
Then we went for a really nice dinner in Williamston & for icecream at DQ after. I'm telling you, The Perfect Day!

Plus when I came home Robin was so excited to see me & we curled up in my new hammock to watch the sun set. Yeah, did I mention I now own a hammock? I've wanted one since I was a little kid (kinda like how I wanted a Sheltie since I was a little kid...)

The hammock is one of those new ones that folds up into a bag so you can take it with you. How cool is that!
I finished my first Monkey sock. The only changes I made to the pattern was to use a short row heel & pull the pattern down into the back of the heel. I'm pretty ease wear wise on my socks so lace on the heel & toe is safe for me.

The finishing touches were also put on my wrist band for the class I'm teaching next month. I found these little hand carved shell buttons that matched just right. Then I used some knitting themed ribbon to finish off the cut edges inside.


I found out that I am the only Rachael Blackledge in the entire country...

HowManyOfMe.com

There is 1 person with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

Spring is finally here in Michigan. Robin & I enjoyed escaping out for a long walk in the April showers. Early flowers are blooming all over the woods. Plus when we go walking in the rain generally we see lots of dogs on the path (and only dogs/dog walkers). The last couple weeks we've been running into a group of black & white dogs on the trail. Robin just loves the border collie in the group (I guess it's a family thing). We found out today that they joined the same agility class we did! So they'll get to play every Wednesday night.
However, that's only part of the whole walking on sunshine thing. Many of you will probably remember the Dragon Shawl I knit last summer. I knit it as a wedding gift for two of my closest friends who are engaged. I love that they found each other, they are the two best people I know. I worked with J all week on Sweet Charity and after the final show on Sunday I went out for Oberon with the two of them. This was the perfect opportunity to present them with the shawl.
Lets just say it went well. They totally understand the value of a handmade gift & I've never felt so good about giving a gift. Especially when they wrapped me in their arms & told me I was a good person. That meant the world coming from them. And she looked so beautiful wrapped in the shawl...
Okay, so yes I was way busy last week. I kept thinking I'd blog when I got home, but I was working 12+ hour days & pretty much fell right asleep when I walked in the door.
One thing that happens when I work in the theatre is I usually knit lots of socks.
First up for last week was finishing my Monkey socks. These really ended up as almost a tribute to Cookie... seeing as how I used her pattern & her blog colors. So I decided to take it one step further & use my leg to take the photos!

There are 2 socks, but I only had one leg to use...

This is one of the 2 spots I changed from the pattern. I swapped out the heel for a short row heel & carried the stitch pattern down into the back of the heel.

and I'm pretty sure this is different from the pattern... I think I'd lost the instructions by the toe. Well, either way I again carried the stitch pattern down the top of the toe.
Can I just say that I love these socks. I'd totally knit this pattern again!
I knit more socks over the week, but I think I'll cover those tomorrow... but just a quick sneak peek...

(it's Socks That Rock w/ silk in it)
Good Night Robin
Good Night Siouxsie

Good Night Moon

If you haven't read this news story you need to check it out!
THOUSANDS of rich women were conned by a firm into believing LAMBS were valuable miniature POODLES.

So,
in the last installment I showed you all the amazing new Socks that Rock Silkie. Yep, 3.5oz, a touch under 400 yd per hank, 81% superwash merino, 19% silk. Wow...
Plus with half a skein you can just eek out one of these~



Right now this yarn is only available to Sock Club members, but the rumor is that it should be available on their website soonish. I'm using all my will not to knit the second sock right away.
Now why would I do such a thing? Well, I have another new sock yarn that needs to be tested out!
This is a limited time sock yarn from Rio De La Plata~

Can you say yum?! Again the word on the street is that they are only making these shifting multi-ply yarns this one time. I have a ton at the store right now, but once it's gone I probably will not be able to get it in again. (that makes me really sad, but there's nothing I can do about it...)
Some Doggie news...
Now that I'm home again at night Robin & I are back on the trails every evening. Walks are becoming quite pleasant with spring in full force.

If you're in the Lansing area I have a really cool dog event to invite you to.
This Friday from 5:30-8:00 the Friends of Greater Lansing Dog Parks is hosting a Dog Paddle at Hawk Hallow! Robin & I are so going to be there.
More information is available on their website.
Speaking of Robin...

I think he's telling me to keep my eyes on the road! (no worries we were at a red light)
We finally start out agility class tonight. Wednesday has just been a bad night for rain. Luckily the forecast looks good for tonight (knock on wood).
To prep for class I spent last evening baking doggie treats.


Those are doggie banana bread & cinnamon chicken treats. Robin approves!
These are the easiest things I've ever baked and none of the ingredients are gross. Most are probably already in your cupboard. Usually meaty flavored treats involve things like putting liver through a food processor, but this recipe used canned low sodium chicken broth. Very easy.

This is a quick update from earlier today. The weather did hold out & Robin got to enjoy his first agility class. He did so well! I've very proud tonight. He went right through the weave poles (set at a beginner angle). The A-frame through him a bit, but with a ton of positive reenforcement he made it over. Once he went over right there was hardly any hesitation the next time. He just needed to see that it wasn't going to hurt him & that there were treats at the other side. I even got him to stop on the contact on his way down (for those of you who don't know about agility, on obstacles like the a-frame the dogs feet have to touch a contact zone at the beginning & end of the obstacle. This is to make sure they don't jump onto & off of the beam and hurt themselves)

They put us in the group with what I think of as 'pocket dogs'. At first I was a bit miffed that we weren't with the shelties, aussies, and cocker spaniel, but when I though about it I think it's better this way. He is too young to work on jumping, so if we work with the tiny dog group he can just walk over the jumps & not risk injuring himself. I suspect they thought about this...

Robin loves some of the new training games they showed us. Especially the game that teaches them to go to your hand. I hold my hand out & tell him to 'touch'. Then he goes to my hand & touches it with his nose. That's got to be the easiest way for him to get a treat...

& what does Robin think about all this?
I'll have to ask him when he wakes up.

He's been napping for 5 hours straight since class got over. Apparently agility is hard work ; )

Just a forewarning... not a single stitch of knitting happened today. Nor will any be shown on the blog tonight. Today was all about Robin.

I had the morning off, so Robin & I started off our day with a 4 mile hike (note to self... next time you wear shorts remember bug spray). The woods are still going crazy with wild flower. My favorite flower is in full bloom right now~

Where I grew up the woods would literally be carpeted with Trillium blooms & May Apples for about a week every spring. I have to look a bit harder for them now, but luckily I saw that the trees were starting to get leaves & knew it was the right time to find them. Two days ago they weren't there yet. As a kid I always was amazed how a plant that's so fragile (they die if you pick the flower & are heavily protected) could flourish in my backyard.

After that hike in the sun Robin had a few hours to crash at the shop before we headed off the Dog Paddle.
The Dog Paddle is a special day where dogs are allowed at the Hawk Island beach and it's a fund raiser for the first official Lansing Dog Park.
We just couldn't miss this. Robin doesn't get to play off leash with other dogs very often. Plus I was curious how he would take to the water. Robin just had a blast! The first thing he did was run up to the pair of Great Danes. Eventually he found a cute little 4 month old Collie pup who was his perfect match for a playmate.

I got him to venture into the water quite a few times. I love that he would wade out till the water reached his belly, then he would yelp & book it for dry land!
There was quite a bit of media coverage. One of the photographers was quite taken with Robin & took tons of photos with him. I wish there was a way to get a hold of those! Hopefully a few will make it into the story, I believe he was with the free paper that comes out on Thursdays?
Robin was absolutely wonderful tonight. I was a little apprehensive to let him off leash (the area wasn't fenced) but he mostly stayed by my side & when he did run and play he came right back to me.
These are a few of my favorite photos from tonight... you can click any of them to head off the the flickr set with all of tonights photos in it.

This weekend really breezed by. The whole weekend was filled with wonderful activities. Even here at work I had our new employee Rachel in & we got more done than I could even have imagined. Every ball of yarn that could be out is now out. The class room is once again a class room & the storage system is now complete with all shelves & boxes packed with yarn. I once again have some breathing room.

This weekend I found myself knitting on two projects that have some close deadlines. The gnomes really should have left on their journey the end of last week, but gnome number 2 still needed some knitting done on him... Well he's down to the finishing touches, all that hairspray & jazz. I want him perfect for the big trip, but I have to share a photo of my favorite gnome knitting stage with you:
The webble wobble...

The other project is one that I just can't photograph. It's a sport weight shawl that was cast-on then forgotten about a few months ago. The shawl's knit from the center out & is hexagonal in shape, so there just is no good way to photograph this thing! It's just this purple pouchy misshapen blob squished on a set of circular needles. However, I'm hoping to continue my tradition of finishing a shawl for/at TNNA (first weekend in June...). I'll knit on this one a few more days & if it's seems undoable I'll probably sneak back over to my half finished peacock feathers shawl. Either way I need a new shawl in 4 weeks!

Robin continued to have a big eventful weekend. Actually Saturday was a day of rest for him. However Sunday totally made up for that!
We had the first meeting of the new Yarn Tails knitting group!!!!
Luckily we found one of those square picnic tables that up to 8 people could sit at & for those of us with dogs who can't be held on to at the same time as knitting, the table had lots of spots for leashes to be attached. Robin was loving spending a few hours with some really cool dogs.

Plus it was the first Sunday gallery walk in Old Town & the farmers market. We broke up the group early to head down to Gone for the Dogs to get the pups some treats then zipped over the farmers market to look at handspun yarn & get the dogs more treats (one of the vendors had all natural liver dog treats).

When we got home Robin & I enjoyed some good grub on the grill & headed for a long walk. I decided to go along the grassy side of the river & see how Robin would do off leash. Umm yeah, he walks better off leash than on. He stayed right by my side, came right back when he stopped to smell something. The bikers/joggers on the paved side of the river didn't phase him. and we got to play fetch! This will now be a permanent part of the walk. I'm just so pleased with how well he minds me off leash.

In fact I was so pleased he got rewarded with a bath when we got home *lol*

I don't think he saw it quite as a reward (the work torture might have come into his mind), however the massive amount of *oh he smells so good I just want to hug him & squeeze him* cuddling he gets in the days after a bath more than makes up for the bath.
I'm just going to leave you with some photos of flowers in our yard & on the path from this weekend...

So, I need to blow some steam. I'm just a touch upset right now & I really shouldn't be.

Tonight was Robin's first big boy training class. We moved up to Beginning Obedience at the OTCGL. This is our local AKC obedience club.

To set this up, you all should know I have some issues with authority figures. I was alway