Time keeps on ticking...ticking...ticking...

Happy October everyone!

Fun stuff is the the name of the game. New pups, mamma dog with the trots, sleepless nights. Lol! I might as well have given birth to five puppies! While a bit weird, it's been just as much work.

There is truly something miraculous about witnessing the birth of new lives. I've had the priviledge of delivering both of my dog's litters and lending aid to a friend give birth to her oldest son. Both, while vastly different, were nothing short of awe-inspiring. For hours, their bodies were contracting-gearing up to act as a vehicle to usher in a new life. Everything was instinctual and natural.

All I had to do was watch!

In Liza's case, there was a few seconds of silence and stillness before I broke open the sac and started clearing airways. I laid out each puppy after breaking them free before I started working on rubbing them down. It was really neat seeing them encased in amniotic fluid and unmoving. There was no movement, no breathing. They laid there much like they did in their mother's body.

A few swipes from a cotton towel and small sucks from a bulb syringe induced lungs to fill with air for the first time. While I didn't cause their spark for life, I aided them to begin it. Really humbling stuff.

Of course, there's the new-baby draw and they are pretty cute! Puppies are about the best thing since sliced bread!

On the book publishing front:

I got to meet one of my favorite authors last weekend. Katie MacAlister. What a cool lady! Besides her wit and humor, she's very personable and in-touch with her readers. She accompanied another 30 authors at a gig in Bellvue. There were classes offering all sorts of advice about writing and publishing...wish I'd known about it. I knew about the authors being there but not about the classes. Ah well, next year.

As of right now my check list is much shorter.

Book is written.

Book is redrafted.

Test readers weigh in.

Copyright filed.

Query typed up.

Now I need to redraft yet again, rework the query, work with the latest test reader, and woo an agent!

My latest test reader is getting a tad lost in my wording and does feel the beginning is a tad slow. Knowing how sweet she is, it's probably REALLY slow. Lol! I am going to try and rework the first five chapters into three chapters. Trimming and stream lining.

I didn't think too much about a target audience when I started the book. I assumed everyone would be able to read it...and would actually want to. Sheesh! You have to keep the reader in mind. I want to appeal to a wide audience base and should have kept that in mind.

It's been an interesting journey overall. I truly enjoyed writing the book and would love to be published. I don't care about being a best-seller or having anything made into a movie. Would it be nice? Comepletely! If it never happens, doable! I'll rework the book a dozen more times if I have to. My only goal as an author is to make enough to make a living. Whatever else happens is just cake!

Whoah...I'm lame.

Lots of time has passed since I blogged last. I started writing a book in March and finished all content in June. There have been several redrafts, test readers, sleepless nights, and a great hunt for an agent.
It would seem writing the book is the easy part. Being unpublished is quite a stigma theses days...lol. I am sending a copy of the book to the Library of Congress for a copyright before I start looking for an agent. Like all overachievers, I have a list of agents I want to entice first. If I make my way through them with no interest, I'll get to make another list and keep going.
Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter books, was turned down by thirty-four, count them, THIRTY-FOUR publishing houses! Talk about preserverence! I can only hope to have her tenacity and faith.
I truly want to chronicle what happens on the road to book-publishing-ville. If it can offer anyone else any courage to try and find their own dreams, it'll be worth it.

Slap me like a Peasant hat.

Ok...the title of this post is one of those, had-to-be-there-to-laugh things. Basically my yarn friend and I were shopping at our lys. I was browsing for something for the "Like a Peasant" hat that I have been jonesing to make. My friend has a short memory and kept asking me what I was wanting this yarn for and that yarn for to which I replied, "for that Peasant hat...the 'Like a Peasant hat'". After patiently answering her several times I got tired of saying the same thing so...I made up my own title. You guessed it..."Slap me like a Peasant". I am sorry to all Peasants for not being more p.c. about the phrasing.

I found a super yummy chashmere blend yarn that was a little out of my $10 budget so went to the very commercial Jo-Ann's. I atually really like some of their Sensations yarns! Anyway, they had a sale on Moda Dea and I bought a plain old vanilla colored washable wool for a whopping $8 for two skeins. I LOVE the yarn. It's soft and durable. It has a nice drape to it and it's a finer worsted weight so I had some play in the stitching without losing too much definition. I will use more of that yarn in the future!

I had a couple of sick kids this weekend so had a chance to do nuttin'. I knocked out that pattern in two days and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that hat! It is so stinking cute! I have plans to go back for some of the cashmere blend I coveted the other day in a fun color...something in a bright blue or purple. Shoot, I guess I could dye the hat I finished, though the vanilla is an easy color to wear.

My only "blah" about the pattern is it's slouch part (up at the decreases) is a little weird. I may go and pull out a couple rows and redo it but for now am leaving well-enough alone to see how it grows on me.

I bought some pretty beads with the idea of weaving them into the hat but I think I will match them with the new color for the second one instead. My, "Let's be practical" side is winning with this one...lol.

I have recently discovered Ravelry. Wow what a great place! I joined almost a year ago to snag a free pattern and nary darkened the site again...till a few days ago! I've been dying to knit up another lace weight scarf and for some odd reason want a hot pink skull pattern. There are a couple on there but neither one was quite what I was looking for so...I am attemtping to write my own pattern. I've just about got the skull part the way I want it. All I need to do now is figure out a nice lacey background for it. Here is what I have so far. I like the cable idea, though I am not sure how that will look in a lace weight. I am thinking of trying to make a transitioning patten where it starts out as a heart and after three morphs turns into the skull. Again, I dunno why but it sounds cool in my head...lol. Makes no sense as I am happily married...disgustingly so. *Shrug*

Anyway, it's a work in progress and I will post updates as it progresses. I already have the yarn. It's a sexy little number from Crystal Palace...their Kid Merino. I used it for the Mediera Scarf and really liked the results. It's a killer pink on pink variation. Pics to come soon...

On a not so crafty note, there's been a veritable college reunion on Facebook for me. If you haven't checked that place out do it! It's pretty safe and porn-free...so far. It can be a little hinky to navigate as it's not really a common sense approach BUT it's still a great way to find a long-lost friend or two. I was feeling pretty popular with almost one hundred buddies on there until I got an invite from an old chum that had almost six hundred...lol. Pride goeth before a your-not-as-popular-as-you-think slap...lol.

Happy Valentine's Day

The Madiera scarf is done. What a pretty thing it turned out to be. I LOVED making it and can't wait to try another lace-weight scarf again. I donated it to our church for a fundraiser and a friend of mine fell in love with it and bought it. The drape and bloom on it was soooo pretty. Uber soft and made you wanna curl up in it for a while.
The only no-no I did was I didn't block it. I used the steam setting on our iron and teased the pattern open with heat and steam. I was very gentle and careful and it turned out pretty good. The sides uncurled and the ends scalloped nicely.
The pattern had one error on line 20 (called for 5 repeats and it's like 9) and you have to double the amount of yarn you buy but other than that it was a nice pattern to use.

February Felt day...shibori tastic.

Shibori Knitted Felt: 20 Plus Designs to Knit, Bead, and Felt (Paperback)by Alison Crowther-Smith (Author)

I checked out a really cool book from the library that had a gorgeous scarf using the Shibori technique. Always one that's game to investigate unusual and new things, I've been scrounging around for pictures and tutorials on this fascinating method. There are two camps for this technique: silk and resist dying, and knit and resist felting.


The silk and resist dying by all accounts seem to be the older method of the two but I find the knit and resist felting much more up my alley.


Someone else went to all the trouble of finding spots and links for some eye candy and tutorials so I will shamelessly use hers here:

http://www.unikatissima.de/e/?p=1549


While perusing this page I looked to the left and found some really cool....really ODD projects that are a great way to make your carbon footprint smaller and put some unique bling in your life!
Check this out:
A cassette tape coin purse!
http://www.miniurl.com/5692

I am SO going to hit up the thrift store this week and see what I can find in the way of cassettes!

This is a great idea for all you soda drinkers!


http://www.miniurl.com/5691

The madiera scarf is nearing it's completion and I will get some pics posted this week. It is going to be a pretty scarf and I will hate to see it go!

I have plans to knit up the boobie scarf from Knitty and it will have nipples! Lol. What I will most likely do is knit up a scarf and make the boobies with the shibori method and then felt the nipples on. Anything to make women aware of their breast health and be a deviant in the process is ok by me!
There are tons of to-do's on the horizon (three fish hats, and a cute little pink dog sweater) so of course I want to do anything but. My fingers have just been itching for a new thread animal. It will more than likely be a camel. I've never made a camel before...lol. Something with big eyes and lashes. I've got the perfect gold shag yarn and it's all wool baby.

Newest dry fish

Here's the promised pictures of the dry Chubbles I made. Swim free little man! Hope the Rainbow Pond is treating you well.

As a fish-lover, I understand alot of people don't understand the attraction or love for fish. I dare anyone to setup a tank, pick out a fish of any sort, take care of it, and not love it. Goldfish in particular have such a presence about them. They are truly puppies with fins! Lol.

I am nearly halfway done with the Madeira scarf and will post some pictures tomorrow. I am having that "middle of the project" boredom...ugh! I am sooooo ready for something different. There are about three other projects I have to finish before the "different" can begin, however. *Chuckle* No rest for the wicked I guess!

I've got some neato yarn that will make a cool really terrific hat. It's a definate tweed and is intended for this particular project:

http://www.nakedknitters.com/patterns/JustlikeaPeasantCap.pdf

It's a terrific little deconstruction of this hat that costs a whopping $165!!! Oh wait...it's on sale now for $80! I guess cashmere has gone up in price a little! The yarn I've picked is all wool baby! I really want some crisp lines and stitches! It seems all the other knitters are using wool as well. I may make two and try the second one in cashmere.

Here it is:

https://secure.stewartbrown.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=40600

I gotta say this gal looks a little pissed to be wearing it...lol.

Back from the land of broken computers.

Ugh! Three weeks...THREE weeks without a computer. What could be worse than that? The Hubs found out he doesn't like to share his computer all the much...lol. The other bad thing: The whole motherboard had to be replaced because the wireless card is integrated into it and unavailable for repair! Can you believe that? Integrated motherboards are no bueno.



Having said all that, it's good to be back. The Hub's laptop is a standard size and I, of course, have to be uber-cool and have a laptop with the full size keyboard. After using his for three weeks you should see the typos I am accumulating as a result of misplaced fingers. Haha!

I did stay busy with a private comission and another fish hat for a photo contest so the fingers stayed busy. Oddly enough, the house stayed cleaner too. Hmmm! Do I waste time on the internet?

Ooh, I also found $50 last week cleaning out my purses. How cool is that? I would have been jazzed over $5 or $10 but $50?! Oh ya! It was promptly spent at my favorite local yarn store called, "Lamb's Ear" that's owned by a friend of mine here in good old Tacoma, Washington.

I've been wanting to try my hand at lace-weight work and I really like the feel of it but picked a less-than par free pattern. It's going to be really pretty when it's done but there are a couple of errors in the pattern that I am sorting out:

http://www.straw.com/cpy/lacescrf.htm



I attemtped this one but am pretty certain I needed to double the yarn for the proper affect. LOVE this pattern:

http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEsummer07/PATTwisp.html

I love how versatile it is. Come one, sometimes you feel like a scarf, sometimes you feel like a hood! How cool is that?




This is also a must-knit for this year. Having a bad hair day? Why not knit up some new hair! The pattern can be found right here:

http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall04/PATThallowig.html


I am loving the kid merino. On a side note, I really wanted to buy some new bamboo needles but blew the budget on yarn. I read somewhere that you can take sandpaper to metal needles to rough them up and get a nice grip on slippery yarns. Well, it works! The needles look like crap but they have a tooth to them that's perfect for this particular project.



I also finished a private comission. I quoted a price and the gal overpaid (which I didn't know about until after I mailed the little guy to her) and I had a couple of, "I'm freaking that she won't like it" moments. When you cross over a certain price range, I feel, it raises expectations and I try REALLY hard to exceed all my client's desires. This was a replica of a fish she lost in November and he was quite a special guy. I really wanted to get him right. I wanted to do something else (I dunno what) when I found out she more than doubled what I priced her at. She sent me the nicest e-mail after receiving him and just loves him! It made my whole week when she told me the eyes were just like the real-life fish's. I literally choked up! I had him all done and ready to ship but started fiddling with him and wound up spending another day and a half adjusting little things. It was more than usual work but totally worth it. Considering she deliberately overpaid (wants to keep me happy for several more fish in the future...lol) I am happy I am anal about details! It's not about the money....it's about getting it right.

Here he is:





WHOOPS. Pictures are on the Hubs computer...hahahahahah! What a dork. I'll get them moved over and post later. Sheesh!

Must-Knits for 2009

If I can figure out how to have a list on the side of the page for this list I will move stuff over there.

One of my resolutions for this year, besides returning to adoptions of ThreadGoodes, is to venture into some new knits. Knits that will cause some cussing, crying, and general stretching of my meager skills. How else does one improve unless they are subjected to trials?

First on my list is this GORGEOUS-YUMMY-MUST-HAVE coat:

http://twistcollective.com/2008/winter/magazinepage_06.php

Of course, being a bit of an odd ball, these little darlings will be on my list as well:

Adorable little nosewarmers! Who'da thunk it? Something to put on when I run on those frosty mornings and make me unforgettable to the passing drivers (I worry about getting run over).

http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter02/PATTnosewarmer.html

Everyone needs something to keep their feet warm and why not Musk Oxen?

Found in Knitty's winter issue 08

One other resolution is the cessation of an on-going addiction that I have. Yep folks! This blogger has a not-so-secret weakness that must be dealt with! I'm calling it out right now in order to make myself accountable...lol. I LOVE Goldfish! I love them, their little faces, their shameless begging, their fins, and their tank-care. They are much smarter than people give them credit for and being considered by the ignorant majority to be "expendable pets" it's my mission to take care of all of God's creatures...even the little Goldfish!

Of course, there have been new additions and as it stands right now, I'll have three tanks setup unless I can finagle that 300 gallon I've been drooling over on Craigslist. I would/could settle for a 150 gallon and that would put me at two tanks in the house and a couch in the family room.

The first of the four newbs (yep...this is a record for me) is Gnocchi. I have three Pearlscales already and really wasn't looking for another one but after rounding the corner of the local fish store I was greeted by a pair of button eyes and boobs...on his head. I sensibly said no to him but yes to my son, who had saved money for a fish of his own. It took over twenty minutes to get help from someone to bag up the second dude in quarantine and in that time Gnocchi's wiggles and pleas for rescue broke me down and he made his way home with Memo, Kid-1's orange Lionhead. Both are just too cute for words and pretty scrappy! Memo has these fluffy cheeks and while small, a mighty attitude. He's often seen herding the other fish out of his way in order to get the Lion's share of the food!

Tada...

These last two are a totally different story. I am a member of a Goldfish Forum that has a monthly photo contest. Well, after 14 months of effort I won the contest in November. That month the sponsor for the site just so happened to offer a free black Ranchu as a prize. Pretty cool really as that doesn't happen too often. I opted to purchase a second Ranchu for a friend that also keeps fish and she later decided not to buy the fish (after it was paid for by me). Oh darn! What will I do? Quarantine him with all the other new guys...lol. These little cuties have been dubbed, Mully and Sculder. In the running was Pete and Repete, Hawkeye n Honeycutt, and Hocus n Pocus. If both had been girls I think Laverne and Shirley would have been a winner but Sculder is a boy so...my love of all things sci-fi, which includes the first couple seasons of the X-Files spawned their names. I also had a blah moment and transposed the letters so that explains the dyslexic lettering. Better pics to come soon!

Tada:

Hot Lips my fish hat!

LOVE, love, love this fish hat. I found the fun pattern here: http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter08/PATTfishy.php

It took me by surprise how badly I wanted to knit this little darling up. It's for me, of course, but I have visions of everyone I love joining the club and have plans to get several more under way. I used a fuzzy pink yarn for her lips...hence the name.

She took all weekend long to make up and finish (someone is a real stickler about the details) and I modified the pattern a tab by casting on 80 stitches instead of 90. I also adjusted the short rows for the mouth and repeated decrease four. It fits nicely and I think the original cast-on's would have made it a tad large (I have a pretty decent size head too).

She proved to be a spunky little fish hat and tried to nibble on my arm. The third shot shows a close-up of her eye. I needle felted the white area and then installed her pupil (it's a safety eye for stuffed animals). I then did a rough satin stitch to add a slight eye lid and some eyelashes.

Youngest son had an affinity with her they sure were cute in this photo!

Welcome 2009!

Happy 2009! Isn't a new year wonderful? I often think the powers-that-be made an observance of time in order to give us a sense of renewal and hope. It's a little like recapturing our childhood. The possibilities are endless and what's more, the DESIRE to achieve them is endless...for a bit. :

We went to California to visit the Hub's family and take the kids to Disney Land as their "big gift" for this year. I don't like the idea of going broke for a day as everyday, in theory, should be a gift but it was a great trip. We saw Duane's youngest sister and it's been a while since she's spent time with her nephews. They loved her!

We have some record snow and weather while we were gone and bless-him the Hubs was having a fit about it all. He loves the snow and we hardly get any here in the PNW as there have to be "just right" conditions for such an occurence...lol. It was indeed a white Christmas and since we flew home Christmas Day it was a special gift just for him. I can take or leave the snow.

Made some new woolies and one was a gift for a lovely lady in Oregon that comissioned me for the lions. She requested some black bears and soon thereafter a tiny little fish made it's way to her house.

The fish is Penny (For Your Thoughts) Goldfish and was a special, "thanks" for liking my oddish art.

The bears were a total pain to photograph (black is no bueno to capture) but here are a couple of attempts:

Not all the comissions were a huge success and thank goodness this one wasn't paid for until I was finished (which means she didn't have to pay anything)! Lol. I attempted to felt a couple of my cro-sculpted horses but stuffed them BEFORE I felted them in my front loader with no shoes to agitate. With those two factors they felted unevenly so I'll be making them all over again...ugh! It's a compulsion to finish anything I fail at and sometimes it really stinks! They were intended for five year old twins so they were suppose to be able to handle rough loving.

They turned out kinda cute in a "fat pony" sort of way:

True to the Resolution Cliche the Hubs and I decided it was time to lose weight. Twenty pounds for both of us and more exercise. The exercise part is easy for both of us, we both maintain frequent routines. The hard part will be the diet. Who in the world invented that insidious word? It just sounds nasty!