Effie's Car Seat

Effie's new car seat came. She loves it, jumps right in!

Name, Website and Photos

http://www.justintara.com/

Summer of Stash

Summer of Stash - how much yarn can one person accumulate?

Grooming

Effie's daily grooming session with Dad.

Effie's Chaise Lounge

She just loves it! Tres chic, non?

"Real Children"

OK, my REAL daughter, whom I love dearly, is packing up her apartment in San Francisco to put in storage while she is on some safari stuff in Africa for the next 2 months! Stories and escapades to follow, I am sure! And my Real son and Daughter-In-Law are expecting their first child. I love them both! We don't know the name yet, but we are calling him TP for now... Long story, another day. Look for his upcoming website: www.JustinTara.com But for now here is MOM, due October 11, 2006!

New Needle Keep, Effie, and Needles

Surprise in the mail. I really LIKE these PVC NeedleKeeps! The larger opening was better for my Lorna's Laces Shepard Sock Booby Sock: Well, Effie went to the vet yesterday and other than a little ear hair and wax in one ear, she is just fine. Started the HeartGuard and Frontline. Here she is in her favorite spot. We put a spa towel on the floor for now until we buy her a bed. She is just so cute. After we play she picks up all her toys and brings them back here. She even takes her little treats there! KnitPicks is having a clearance sale on Addi's - my favorite needles. Too bad the credit card was so close :)

Booby Sock & Effie

Managed, in spite of Effie to get a little done on the Booby Sock. I'm down to the Breast Cancer Awareness band, having finished the "Awareness Walk" and cuff.






There's nothing like an unruly child or dog! So I started training Effie right away. She had never had a color or leash, being raised in the home. Bought the cutest little color and matching leash. That along with a brush, pillow, car restraint (which I am going to return), 2 boxes of treats and a couple of elastics for her top knot that the groomer gave me and all the usually new customer "gifts".

Then to PetCo to get a bed for her crate, a few toys, travel water bottle, longer leash for outside and a booster seat. She did OK with it for a bit yesterday, but I am still on the look-0ut for something to go in the back of the car. That's where you put a baby car seat so they have to make something.

Effie never had a collar, and is not leash trained. So I started with just the collar. She did NOT like that, and spent the next couple of hours trying to rub it off. After a nap she seemed to settle in to it, so I attached the small leash and that took a while before she would move much with that on. No way is she going to walk on a lead yet, she would just lie on the floor.

Today she was much better with the long leash outside, and actually stayed out and played on the deck with it attached for a while. She is good with the smaller one inside too. She goes to the vet today, and the groomer next week. She seems to be getting "come" when she is in her playful mode, but tires of that game easily. Will have to try and work on the leash this afternoon.

She went to sleep at 9 last night, and at 5 this morning she was just sitting in her crate awake, not making a noise. She promtly went outside and did her duty!

Effie Update

Ok, so she got up at 4:30 AM, I can deal with that. We crated her upstairs with us. She fell alsleep on the couch about 8, and we woke her up and took her out at 9:00. This morning we heard the FIRST sound out of her, sort of a combo whine/woof ;) 7.5 hours, not bad. After we took her out she so wanted to play! Big tough girl! Phil tries to set the timer last night to capture a "Family Portrait". Effie is the only one that looks anywhere near cute! Settling down to hear the morning birds.

Yup, she really has turned us into OLD lap-dog people!

Effie!

OMG, Phil bought the cutest little puppy for me! We had been thinking Bichon, but am so glad he called about a Maltese. We had been doing a lot of research and had narrowed it down to those two. Both of us are so happy with the decision. She is so even tempered, friendly, affectionate - what else can you want. I wasn't able to go look at the dog, but I trusted his judgment. Actually he kind of planted the seed, since I've been home so long, not being able to drive, thinking it would be good company for me.

She had a little accident in the car on the ride home, but actually backed up and pooped in the little dish attached to the crate! We got her and the crate all cleaned up and she has been a delight.

She just follows us around, and sits on our laps. Right now she is asleep on the sofa with hubby.

My son and daughter-in-law came to visit and just fell in love with her. They even picked up some baby shampoo and a little doggie toy for her! They are definately BIG dog people, Callie is a, well they say not so large, Golden. Compared to Effie, she is HUGE!

Effie doesn't seem to want to use the doggie pads, but has been fine with going outside right off our deck and she goes every time we take her out!

Took her for a car ride to get my husband's car, and she was awesome!

Isn't she adorable? All we've done is play with her since she got home. I want to get her groomed but we just love her!

Effie perched on the sofa. Just sitting in my lap! Too cute! Hmmm, you talkin' about me?

Gotta scramble tomorrow to set up vet and grooming appointments. If the leg and back are OK in the morning might chance a trip to PetCo... We'll see - the driving is still a MAJOR issue for me! I've only driven about 15 minutes for the last 2 days - just to pick up Phil 'cuz his car died, and to pick up his car today.

Booby Sock

This arrived on my doorstep on Wednesday for the Whenever Sock of the Month Project. ! 2 skeins Lorna's Laces Shepard Sock: 80% Superwash Wool, 20% Nylon; 215 yards, 7 sts = 1"; Machine Washabe; Dye Lot 8053 Pale Pink.

So as I was looking over the pattern, I decided I would add the beads on later using a crochet hook method I found on the web. Then I decided to swatch. The pattern calls for 8 sts/in on size US 2. I get 10 sts/in on size 2, 9 sts/in on size 3, and finally 8 stitches on size 4!

My ankle is 8.5" so @ 8 sts/in I really need 68, but that only puts me off by 1/2" so I think that will be OK, without looking too holey.

So I have been playing and fretting. I really prefer the denser fabric on the size 2, so I recalculated for that and would have cast on 80 instead of the 64 called for. Then I could go back and use the pattern for Simply Splended Socks to complete the heel flap and foot.

And then I got to thinking maybe use the size 4 for the cuff and decrease only down to 84 for the foot. Then I would have a lacier pattern on the cuff and a nice dense fabric for the foot. These would be clog socks anyway. Need to figure out how to do the toe. I'll use the Eye of the Partrige heel.

Maybe I am just thinking too much!

Still working on the sweater for hubby, and the Sixth Sense Socks.

Had epidural injections yesterday, and the Valium kicked my butt. Came home and slept for 2 1/2 hours!

Watermelon Socks

So excited! I contacted Suffolk Wool Yarn and they should have the Watermelon self striping yarn sometime in August. Don't ya just love these socks!

Effie? & Weekend Getaway Satchel

Hubby and I have been discussing getting a puppy to keep me company while I am home. I'll be home for the next 10 weeks, and since I have a vacation week every 7 - 8 weeks, I really am home alot.It's pretty isolating to be housebound, and I really don't know when the doc will let me drive. Hopefully the epidural injections tomorrow will help.

Had been considering a toy dog but I think we settled on a Bichon. He called this moring and found a local breeder not listed here but in Marlborough. A co-worker has had 2 of them. Knowing him, he'll call and most likely surprise me!

I think this is a very cool project.

It's from Interweave Knits magazine Fall 2005 issue and there is a kit that can be ordered. Substitute WOTA? Also found a KAL . I have no Intarsia experience so it would be a real learning experience!

Ugggg Word Press Frustrations

Hubby went to see Spamalot on Broadway today. I couldn’t go along since I am still not mobile I am having epidural injections AGAIN on Thursday, and have to see the dermatologist on Wednesday. I hate for hubby to have to take all this time off, so I may see if I can get a friend to drop me off, and then he can pick me up after work. The timing should work just fine. Edited @ 9:23 hubby is not in agreement. He wants to take me.

So I played around with WordPress blog. I copied all my entries over to Blogger, deleted the entire database and reinstalled, then imported. I finally figured out how to get an image in the header, but not how to get rid of the box in front of it. Worked a bit on the sweater. Not sure I entirely understand the sleeve directions, but I am sure I will figure it out when I get there. This past Thursday a GF picked me up and we went for pedicures and lunch . Off to rest before a friend picks me up for dinner…

Stash and WIP

Have to see the doc this afternoon. I am convinced that I will need the 3rd round of epidural injections, and will not finish the school year :( WordPress is still not playing nice. So I am coming back here, and will try reinstalling Word Press again. You can't carry over your comments though. With a technology degree you would think that I could figure it out. Maybe it's the meds. Knitting Progress: Top Down Sweater for hubby: The 24" circs are really full!

Meilenweit Magico Sock Knitting Yarn Color: C-2524 from The Naked Sheep arrived.STRETCHY CIRCULARS TO KNIT SOCKS! Also from The Naked Sheep Aluminum needles and clear polyurethane cord. The 10" elastic circular knitting needles work the same way as other circular knitting needles. Haven't tried them yet. http://theknitter.com/17standstfco.html " 1776 Stars and Stripes is printed to make red and white stripes alternating with a field of blue and white stars. The star shapes may vary depending on your gauge and number of stitches. Each 100 gr. ball contains a generous 460 yds. 75% wool, 25% nylon." Haven't decided for sure on a pattern. I think I like the look of starting with the blue for the top ribbing.

Still plugging away on the Sixth Sense Socks, making slow progress, that was the April/May pattern of the Six Sox KAL.