Spooning With The Dog

My two very large Labs have become accustomed to sleeping with me in my king sized bed, and since I still stay on "my side" of the bed it isn't a problem. Last night, plagued by insomnia, and struggling to get comfortable, I finally fell asleep well after 2:00 AM and woke around 4:30, warm, and snuggly; wondering who in the world I was spooning with at my house. I must have been dreaming and hadn't gotten fully awake yet. Yeah, that was it. I was dreaming I was spooning... Only when I opened my eyes, I found that I had snuggled up to Bruno, my huge yellow Lab, who just turned eight years old this week. Happy Birthday, Old Pal. (Coco turned eight, too... or at least we think she did. She came from the pound and we made her birthday the same day as Bruno's.)

Note to self: Get a life. Soon.

Mayhem turned 10 this past week, and I celebrated by giving her a wiener dog. She's been begging for ages for a dog of her own. Wasn't she surprised to see that her crafty momma knitted it for her! I used the Dotty Dog pattern from Knitted Toys by Zoe Mellor. The dog is pink and purple, and ever since I presented it to her, she hasn't stopped toting it around. It's been dubbed "Pinkie" and I've already had to knit an i-cord collar for the new pet. Here's a cell phone photo of Pinkie in progress... the stripes are the belly. Can you see the hole for stuffing?

As soon as the home computer is deloused (Absent-Minded Professor downloaded a virus... darn junior high kid!) I will show you the complete doggy, and happy kid.

Sock Club at Yarn Cravin' is in full swing and we have some new challenges. I'm working on socks on two circular needles (a big change for me - I'm totally a dpn girl) and trying the Chevy pattern from Knitting Socks With Handpainted Yarn by Carol Sulcoski. This book is fabulous, and full of gorgeous patterns of all skill levels. Plus it explains how to avoid flashing and pooling that comes with using handpainted yarns. This photo shows my sock after just completing the set up rows.

The other day I posted that I had ordered The Knit Kit. Readers, it has arrived, and it is cool. "MacGyverish" is the best word I can think of to describe it. Really, everything you need is right there, in one little egg-shaped flat packet. It looks a bit like a birth-control packet, but performs beautifully! The thread cutter slices through yarn easily, allowing one to not even open the back to unfold the scissors. That prevents the spillage of the stitch markers. The tape measure works smoothly. The stitch counter works effortlessly, and with just enough pressure, plus also includes a lock for when you toss the whole kit back into your bag. I love that there's a little crochet hook included for picking up dropped stitches, although I probably would have tried to make it a bit finer for sock yarns. It's less than 1/2" thick, so this fits easily in any bag, even your purse. This is a great gift for other knitters, a treat for yourself is worth the $20, in my opinion.

Thank you, those of you that posted good thoughts about my health. The neuro appointment was long, but thorough. I have started a new med to prevent migraines. It has some strange side-effects, but I'm hanging in there. An EEG has already been done and I have more tests coming up. I will try to not bore you with details, but I'll keep you posted.

Is it Spring where you are? It's snowing here.