"a blog mostly about knitting, but also about reading, shelter mutts, and other assorted craftiness"

There's lots of ground to cover since my last post, seems I've been absent from blog land lately only managing a post about once a week. As my last post noted there's a new baby in the house, and new babies require lots, and lots, of attention. So while I have managed to keep up with my half dozen or so ongoing projects, and with Aaron (just barely), I have not, shamefully, been able to keep current on my blog.

However, this morning I spent a little more than 2 hours running all three dogs ragged, and now they are sound asleep on the office floor. (Yup, nothing makes me happier than all my dogs scattered about the office resting peaceful, it's truly a lovely thing.) And so I take a deep breath and begin a much overdue blog post.

On the knitting front: I started and stopped, and started again on the Josephine Top from the Summer Issue of Interweave Knits. Yesterday at my knitting group I quit the dang thing for good, and I frogged my meager 6 rows of Josephine. It's too bad really because it is a lovely garment, I just can't seem to get it going. It's the lace thing, every row requires no interruptions, I always have to have the pattern in front of me, and I just don't have the luxury of that much quite time, remember I've got three young dogs, and so I end up not working on it at all. So frogged! I guess I'm just not a lace knitter.

I have been making progress on the Montego Bay Scarf. That pattern I can memorize, and if I'm distracted momentarily it's no big deal, I can pick up and know where I left off. I like that. I also impulsively whipped off an Amanda's Squatty Sidekick purse, all that's left is the fulling, which I intend to do just as soon as the laundry is caught up.

On to reading; I've joined a new Book Club, one that actually reads books. I love my old book club, but as I mentioned previously it tends to be more of a "wine and eating" club, which I've got no problem with. The old book club seems also to have fizzled on getting together regularly. I miss the old book club and will definitely join them for some "wine and eating" should they manage a meeting.

The new book club actually reads books, and talks about them at their regular meetings. They also eat and drink, but that seems to be secondary to the reading. When I attended my first meeting they had just read "The Time Traveler's Wife", a book that has been on my list for awhile now and one of the members was kind enough to loan me her copy, which I started and intend to finish just as soon as I read this month's selection. This month's selection is "Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl". I'm not sure how it was selected but it's one I somehow got a BA in English without having read. I also just read "Water For Elephants" - I mention this only as a way of recommendation, it's a story well worth reading.

As for other craftiness, I've been binding journals, mostly for my Etsy shop. I seem to have set aside the Book Arts for knitting, and other necessities of life, but lately I've been making the time again. I've been working with my favorite sewn binding for hardcovers, the chain stitch. There is something tedious and repetitive about book binding, not unlike knitting, and that appeals to me very much. I've always enjoyed edition work.

And finally as for the shelter mutts: I've already pretty much covered that in the last few posts. The mutts are all well, and beautiful.

So that's the catch up post, pat your self on the back and resume breathing if you made it through this long, windy post. I'm off to Minneapolis, the first trip "home" since moving to Austin, and so I'll be absent again for another week or so. When I return I'll have finished objects from airplane knitting, tales of yarn store visits and stash enhancements, and news from both the MN Center for Book Arts and the MN Textile Center. Until then...

The New Baby In The House

There's a new baby in the house. He was my second foster for Blue Dog Rescue, he was born to a stray who had the good sense to stash her litter in a safe place, under a boat. Blue Dog Rescue won mom's trust and saved the litter. They all got boating names and foster homes. This little guy was called "Johnson". It only took a few days before I realized I could never let him go. He's what we call in the rescue world a "failed foster". The adoption is final, I'll be keeping "Johnson" forever. Because I come from Minnesota where everyone is named either Johnson or Larson, and my Mother's maiden name was Johnson, and my sister's married name is Johnson, and my ex-father-in-law is named Johnson, we won't be keeping that name.

I've named him Aaron. Aaron Johnson. He's a special little dog - smart, beautiful, happy, and with eyebrows to die for. He fits in beautifully with the rest of my small pack. He looks up to Mike, who will be an excellent role model. He's also the kind of spunky playmate Layla loves, while always respecting her dainty nature. I of course adore him. It was a perfect match.

The pack is complete. And happy. I will only be doing short-term respite fostering from now on, but I will continue to volunteer with Blue Dog and I don't feel bad about that. Welcome to the pack Aaron Johnson.

Where Have I Been

Gosh, you turn around and next thing it's been more than a week since you've posted to the blog. How does it happen...? Where have I been... ?

There was the new giant tattoo. It's my fifth tattoo, and for sure the most painful. It's going to be beautiful, but right now it's still too nasty to photograph. And too achy to love. And too sun sensitive to be outdoors. And not totally finished. There is still a few details to be added, in about a month when it's healed. I'm not looking forward to it.

There was the first ever foster dog for the rescue group I volunteer for. An experience I won't soon forget. She's a beautiful little girl, and extremely bright, and she make the cutest little pig noises, but to say she has issues is an understatement. It's not her fault, she's been through a lot, so I forgive her. But I'm not too sad to see her go. She's found a forever home, and will join them tonight. I hope she can try to be a good girl, and I hope they are as smitten with her as they seem, and grow to love her very much.

There's been knitting, some, not enough. I missed my Sit and Knit for the tattoo. I cast on the Montego Bay Scarf, not enough progress to photograph. I cast on The Ruffles and Ridges shawl, or something like it, I'm modifying, but not enough progress to photograph. And I whipped off a bag and a bucket hat for fulling, but haven't fulled just yet.

There is Habu in the wings. The LYS got a new order of Habu Textile Kits, so I wisely snatched up the Kushu Kushu Scarf and the Paper Moire and Silk Boucle Jacket so I could get the colors I want. I haven't even thought of casting on yet.

There was a flurry of doggie day care, play dates, training classes, adoption days, home visits and agility courses, for my own dogs and the foster. The mutts run me ragged, makes me feel like a soccer mom, without the suburbs and the mini van. Just a sweet neighborhood, a VW Golf, and lots of dog hair and exercise. I'm not complaining. Really.

There is the new button press. I finally broke down and got a button press off ebay. It gives me an excuse for all the ephemeral bits, pieces, and scraps I keep saving. As well as an outlet for some small graphic projects. You can see what I've been up to so far at my Etsy shop.

And there it is - you spin yourself around a few times, and a week flies by. Now it's time to get back to all of it, and do it all again.