Deciding what to knit....

I just downloaded the new beautiful Cabled Baby Jacket pattern from SweaterBabe.com, that just might be my next project. check it out here.

It has been a slow recovery since losing Shadow Dec 18th. My husband and I have cried for days, some days are easier than others, while all the christmas doings were going on it took my mind of her for brief periods but my heart still ached. Our other dog Abby a mini dachshund was lonesome and kept staring at the door waiting for Shadow to come back, they were together for 6 years and got along beautifully.

In the end Shadow refused to eat ( this lasted 6 days) I even tried hand feeding her, I cooked up a rice diet withe chicken livers, bacon fat, eggs and Tums, I thought for sure she would eat it but nothing. Shadow was a biscuit monster and when she refused biscuits I knew she was a sick girl. So she got weaker and weaker by the day, initially our vet said she could hang on for a few weeks or maybe even a month but she only lasted a week after she stopped eating. She was the best dog you could ask for and the part my husband and I have trouble getting over is when we arrive home and she's no longer here to greet us. She would always pick up a shoe, slipper or toy and carry it around when we got in the door, she was such a happy dog!

My daughters were home for the holiday and they got out the big box of photographs, here are some of Shadow when she was 6 months old and the top photo was taken just this past summer in August.

Christmas was a happy time but went too quickly, the house was all quiet again the 27th after 6 days of celebration.

Here is a shot of the girls, andrea, silly jennifer, me and my mother

Here is another group shot, my husband, me, Andrea, my new SIL Todd and Jennifer.

we spent one day at Niagara Falls, went to a winery called Niagara Landing, checked out the casino ( I am not a gambler!) too much cigarette smoke for me and I'd rather spend my money on yarn and patterns! Then we went back to Buffalo to the Anchor Bar, home of the original Buffalo Chicken Wing. check it out here.

We will have another small celebration Saturday with my sister, nieces and nephews who could not be here christmas day.

I finally feel like knitting again, so I guess I'll go search my stash and see what yarn I can use for that pattern, maybe even cast on this afternoon.

VERY little knitting....

I am here but having a tough time as my older dog and buddy Shadow is in failing health. She is 13 years old and last week was scheduled for surgery to remove an ulcerated tumor on her side. After pre-op blood work is was determined she is in renal failure, her kidneys are shutting down. So more than likely she would not have survived the surgery. My husband went and brought her back home and our vet said she could last month or so but as of 24 hours ago she has not eaten, she drinks water but that's it. I am afraid this is the beginning of the end. :(

So no knitting for me and barely getting things done for christmas.

Here'a a picture of a few more xmas towels I knitted last week and the dishcloth knit-along, I completed but forgot to take a picture until today, a stocking.

Christmas Wreaths

I created these on Monday during the snowstorm we had here in western New York!! I cranked up the christmas music and just had fun!

They are from an old Leisure Arts book titled " Romancing Christmas a victorian collection" # 1062, dated 1986. Requires 2 1/3 yards of fabric sewn into tubes, lace is added and then one tube is sewn on top of the other, that seam creates the casing and you slide the casing onto a cut 12" extruded styrofoam ring and glue back together, add a bow and a hanger and Ta-Da!

See I have been busy!!

Is it christmas yet?

Dish Towel Toppers... and snowman favors

Here are the dishtowel toppers I have been busily knitting for a friend, almost done! I am using Paton's Canadiana color "denim", from my stash of course. The other yarn is Bernat Satin color "lagoon".
I have a few more to knit and of course more buttons to sew on. I love this snowman dish towel, it's a nice quality, not scratchy and fairly thick too. I bought a few myself to knit up. I think they're a good choice, they can be left out all winter because their not too "christmasy". We found them at Martin's Grocery store on sale for $2.99 each.

The "will wash dishes for chocolate" towels she found at the mall, one of those kitchen/gourmet stores, $3.99 each and very nice towels! Those she wants knit double, meaning I pick up stitches all across the middle of the towel without cutting it, that was tricky!

you can click on the pictures to see them close-up




These are what I made last Saturday, took me 6 hours at least.... they will be given as favors at our TOPS Christmas brunch on the 13th. Believe it or not they are made using a white washcloth ( those I found at the dollar store very reasonable). I made 24, that should be enough, I think the ladies will love them! Here is the pattern.


Of course they want you to order the kit but you can see what you need by looking at the picture. I cut the hat out of red felt a piece 6"wide x 3 -3/4"high, quick seamed it up on the sewing machine 3/4 of the way up, turned it inside out, folded up the brim and glued it on.

My scarf was cut 1" w x 9" long. The arms I cut from brown chenille stems 2 pieces each 2- 1/2" and 1 piece 1- 1/2" long and wrapped that around the longer piece. I used black 1/4" pom poms for the buttons on his body, 10mm wiggle eyes, an orange spaghetti bead for the nose, a 3/8" gold jingle bell that I thread on a piece of red yarn and used that to gather up the hat, tied in a knot in the back. and I got out my button box and glued a button on each scarf. I made the body the way the directions tell you do so. I used hot glue for all of the construction, what would we do without hot glue?