Awwwww!!

I forgot to put this picture in. We had a big snowstorm a week or so ago and the puppies had a ball!! Phineas was past his belly but they managed.

Happy New Year

Hope everyone's Christmas was spent with people you love and everyone remained safe. I return to work New Year's Eve, should have been Jan 2 at the first minute of the day, however I offered to come in earlier.

Our Christmas was spent in our new home.

The children are older now and the puppies need tending to, so it worked out all around.

I received some knitterly things.

This beautiful lace knitting bag and markers from my good friend, Hariamrit(aka Goatlady).
I met Hari through the LoopyEwe Spring Fling 08. Hari was the best thing about the entire experience. She is a treasured friend. The kind that you could talk with every day or once a month and there is never hard feelings or a loss of things to talk about. It is a very non awkward friendship, very rare. She is a very interesting lady and solely responsible for my knitting socks on two circular needles. that has been extended to mittens as well. I could, momentarily, knit two on two but have lost the knack. However I did receive from Ds1GF

Pretty neat right? ....yes I will soon be venturing into the world of spinning.

DS2 picked this up all on his own, and as with her other books, I am enjoying reading it.

Not knitterly, but DS1 gave me this requested book. I am not going vegan but so many of the recipes seem healthier and I am going to incorporate at least some of the theories into my lifestyle.
My friend, Michelle, (NeedelD1) accompanied me on the trip to WEBS year end blowout sale. Michelle gave me this beautiful coin purse/notions purse.
So sparkly..love it! Speaking of WEBS, we crossed the threshold shortly before 10am and were both convinced including the 2.5 hour commute, we would be home earl afternoon. Checking out in line someone said it was shortly after 2pm!! We literally had to stop ourselves from another trip up and down the aisles in the back room. This is what I got to add to my stash.
The yarn is for this sweater,
the corally color for DS1GF and the other for me. Sock yarn(which I held and thought it was as nice as the Cascade sock and the label on the bag actually said Cascade yarns.
Relabelled for WEBS or similiar I am not sure). I love the Cascade fixation and couldn't resist this colorway.
I had wanted this book for some time and it was 25% off so who could resist?
We tried to take Christmas photos of the puppies in their holiday finery. They were a bit confused at first.

We are not sure what prompted this pose but .......

I am trying to decide what I want to accomplish in knitting in 2009.....will think on it the next few days.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and is planning a safe and joyous New Year Celebration.

Happy Birthday, Oliver!!!

Today our very first dog, our precious black lab, Oliver, turns one year old!!! I had always promised the boys when we owned a house we could get a dog. So, last December 18, when we passed papers on our first home the question ineveitably came up. Then it was pointed out we have a house, a large barn and land so...yes the decision was made that we eventually will end up with at least 4 dogs. March 15 we picked up our dear sweet Oliver. he was so much larger than we anticipated and he still frightened me(scared of most dogs).

His first night he was awake all night sick with kennel cough and when we called the kennel the next day they offered to take him back. DS2 stated he was his dog and we would not be returning him. So we all nursed this frightened little 22 pound puppy back to health.

Oliver and I reached an understanding the first night when we learned he couldn't maneuver stairs and I had to carry him up and down, shaking all the way. He also was quite tolerant when I was the only human around to give his pills as I waited for a yawn from him to throw the pill in his mouth.

We have come along way and he steals our hearts everyday. he is a wonderful dog, all lab, cute and loving and curious and protective and so happy to you return even if you were gone only a few minutes.

Oliver generously welcomed our second dog, Phineas, into the family in August. Poor Phineas was a very frightened little guy having been rescued from a kill shelter(what an oxymoron) and Oliver immediately became playmate, protector, mentor, big brother.

Our lives are all enriched with the daily unconditional love this dog gives us. He is a joy.

Happy Birthday, Oliver!!!

Amazing

I just have to do a plug for Zappos . I ordered yesterday at 6pm, by 650pm the items was shipped and is scheduled to be here today less than 24 hours later...wow.....The only other online merchant who can compete is Sheri from

The Loopy ewe

ALSO, it is the one year anniversary of the purchase of our home. We had signed and were just putting the key in the door right now last year. What a year it has been.

Long Time Coming

No excuses, we all have them and mine are probably not any different, so let's just have at it.


There will be many many pics and lots of updates, probably won't cover them all, not intentionally though. Knitting, dogs, house. Links that are missing, will be placed by the weekend.


Knitting:
I have been lucky enough to get into the Wollmeise Sock Club and have thus far received 4 beautiful skeins of Wollmeise exclusive until after the conclusion of the sock club. Claudia always outdoes herself and this yarn has been no exception. I will attempt to get all my Wollmeise acquisitions together and display them after the holidays.

Side bar, November 24 was our 7th wedding anniversary and the themes are copper and wool. DH presented me with two yarns from Loopy Ewe in the theme colorways, a copper shawl pin and a substantial gift certificate to Wollmeise. I have hopes of procuring enough Wollmeise for a sweater.

I was working on a stealth Christmas project designed by dear friend Bev of Emma's Daughter designs and worked very diligently in secrecy, still shall not reveal the project pics as DH reads blog. But it will not be presented on Christmas as we have agreed to not exchange gifts this year. Bev's designs are amazing as are dear friend Lorraine's of Twisted Traditions. I am waiting on delivery of KP Palette yarn to make Delphine . I am so excited as the designs are old and traditional and modern and romantic all at the same time. There is talk we will all actually meet up at Rhinebeck next year. It will be like meeting rock stars!!

I did attend Rhinebeck in October for a day with another dear friend, Michelle, NeedleD1 on Ravelry. We had such fun we have already decided it will be the entire weekend next year. the only question remaining to be answered is whether or not DHs will also come along. I did very little spending as I was very aware of stash and WIPs. I have so much to put into stash on Ravelry. DH cleaned the office where the yarn has been living and it seems a doable project for January. Perhaps there will even be some destashing.

I finished and have mailed mittens for the third round of No More Humdrum Mittens. Deb does a terrific job organizing and keeping us all in line. these were the Peace Gloves by Nanette Blanchard which I modified into mittens. I love them. They are long and soft and warm, made from KP Palette yarn which is quickly becoming one of my favorite yarns for stranded work.

There has been yarn purchases and project planning but I cannot photo it all in time for this update.

The house has seen major improvements. the living room is done, wallpapered and tin ceiling painted.
New lighting ,the hand embroidered piece on the wall was made for us by my DM. She did one for each of her daughters(6) in the colors of their living room.


and taffeta drapes.
here is the room before and after.

The ceiling is brown leather color, with a border of metallic copper and a mo;ding of dark blue with an overwash of copper.
We didn't put our regular gaggle of ornaments on as we weren't sure how the dogs would react so these are felt. But they are fine and we could have put our more than 200 ornaments, primarily glass, on. I may add a few more but next year we will go all out.
DS1GF helped with the drapes working into the wee hours of the morning to have it done for our family Open House.
Nice to have my own personal elf.

The outside of the house is not completed, I did what I could every day, but the weather now has me beat. It will be finished in the spring. There is still dentil to paint and hang,

a gable insert to procure and paint and hang, gingerbread trim to be carved and painted.
But the front and 1.5 sides did manage to get done up.

The holidays lights are also up and looking oh so pretty.

People drove by and frequently would yell out how they liked my color combination so I imagine I will be seeing it around some. The new porch light was hung(ceiling and deck not painted yet), the lamppost had to wait til the spring(something about getting the concrete foundation in before the first freeze). the new steel door and storm door look marvelous, custom like. The steel door involved actually making the opening large and reframing. The houseis old with horsehair and lathe plaster so it was a tedious tenuous job. I am very pleased. The inside foyer and stairs will be the winter projects, then come spring, finish the house, paint the barn(install a very tall arched window first where the loft door is) and build a deck. All this work took so much time from my knitting. DH helped a few days when we had a boom to do the high spots, he doesn't like ladders, I didn't like the boom.



These are reindeer gingerbread cookies minus eyes made for the Open House,
And a Snowman cake centerpiece, he has a real carrot nose.
Speaking of gingerbread, when I was growing up an aunt always made THE gingergread boy cookies. THE boy RUNNING, after all he ran and ran as fast as he could, right? I never understood the standing boy cookies and lusted after the running cutter. After many many years said aunt gave to me the treasured red plastic running gingerbread boy cookie cutter. Before its first use disaster struck and sister number 5(I have 5 brothers and 5 sisters) accidentally threw the cutter out. I have never found another. Same sister came to our Open House and brought along this
a new, larger running gingerbread boy cookie cutter. "I will run and jump as fast as I can, you can't catch me I am the gingerbread man" Oh so cool!!
This most beautiful poinsettia was gifted from my DHs DA and DGM

Brother number 2 and his wife were at an antique fair and thought of me when they saw this engraving. It is from the 1870s and is titled the "The Skein Winder" by Jean Louis HamonAppropriate, eh? There is also an explanation about the engraving and I am looking for the very perfect frames for both pieces. It already has the perfect feel for the house. DS1GF Mom came by and gifted us with this beautiful kissing ball. I wanted 7 but they are expectedly expensive. So this year we have two. perhaps if I save my pennies for next year.
DB number 3 and his wife came strolling in with this magnificent Christmas cactus. I had had one for 16 years and one day the cold got it. I had planted several plants from the original, each as beautiful as the other. Now I can once again start my family of Christmas cactuses.

DS2 turned 19 Dec 3 and was presented with an iPhone. he had wanted one but would never ask as he is very unselfish. he needed a new ipod so why not just combine a phone upgrade with a music device upgrade? Needless to say he was thrilled. It is quite an interesting little machine, enough so that I am intrigued. He is a wonderful young man and we are very proud of him,
Yes it does say cake by Oliver. You don't think I did such a messy job do you? DS1GF turned 24 on October 1 and had a fun filled birthday celebration before the cake and as you can see with the singing. I have said before we are so lucky she has become part of our family. l>r in picture, DS2, DS1 and DS1GF lsighing hysterically at the antics

The pooches are cute as ever, Oliver will be 1 at the end of the month and Phineas is 7 moths old.

DS1 seems to be particularly partial to Phineas and
Oliver is obviously DS2 dog. Look at the crazy way he relaxes on him.

They love the new storm door

and spend many a morning lazing in the sun in front of it. They were both mystified by our first snow and ate much of it.

As I speak they are herding DH into kitchen to procure some of the roast beef that just came out of the oven. So much fun they are!!

I am thinking that is it for now. I am going to try and post at least weekly in the future.

Happy Holidays to all, be safe, be happy and hug your loved ones.