Introducing Annie Ruth

I am proud to announce an addition to our family! Annie Ruth. She's a 9 week old Schnoodle (half Schnauzer/half Poodle) and a joy to have. Of course, she's been with us for only 14 hours!
She's gentle, loving, eager to play, wees on her housetraining pads (can't go outside yet, we still have wet nasty snow, rain, flooding, etc...), and seems to enjoy her puppy playpen, along with a comfy bed (cat bed, really) a soft stuffed dog (we call her lovey "bunny", don't ask why), and everyone in the human family has done well in not smothering her, and allowing her to rest and sleep. When awake, she's ready to play, without being obnoxious.
Her coloring is black, with white on her chest and paws. Very Schnauzer-ish mannerisms. I like that. I know that "Annie" is close to "Hannah" (may she rest in peace), but she LOOKS like an Annie! Toby isn't sure what to think of her. He knows she's not a rodent or toy, and seems either bored by her, or realizes she's a puppy.
So, I welcome Annie to our family. :)

Deja Vu Flooding...NH Style

Here we are, surrounded on top of a hill in the middle of NH, and we're flooded! Or, at least, our land is. See pic. At least this time, our basement is dry and not calf-deep. See the "brook" in the photo? We have no brook! It's water off from the housing development behind us, I think. Oh, and the driveway has a gully, the driveway gravel is at the bottom of the lawn, and the ducks are having a ball in the pond (that doesn't exist, really). However, I AM grateful to the Lord for no flooding inside, the electricity, no school today, my healthy family, and everything else. :) No griping here. My poor neighbor has water up to her knees in her cellar, and it's coming through her first floor walls. She'll be over for coffee and warm goodies later, I pray.
Sam's socks are finished, they're a plain, basic stockinette leg in his favorite colors. I finished them at 9pm last night, and he wore them to bed. I can't get his new socks off him!
On the needles now: a Spring treat of All Things Heather hand dyed "Oceania" superwash Merino in Sock Weight. I'm using size 2 dpns and still selecting my leg stitch pattern from SKS for my gauze. Probably something lacey. I love this color!

SP10 Quest for Yarn...

Hmmm...what has been my wildest quest for yarn? Stalking shops, eBay, Etsy, or my best friend's stash...nope, it hasn't been a global quest for any exotic yarn. Most of my "must have" yarns have been found and bought, or given to me. However, early on in the yarn stash search, my desire for Blue Moon Fiber Art's Socks That Rock yarn led me to buy many (MANY) of their colorways, in various weights...online in their shop, eBay, and now...through their RockinSockClub...where a box almost magically appears on my doorstep every 2 months, with a luscious skein of a new yarn, some goodies, and a new sock pattern. Instant, and ongoing, gratification! So...a quest for ONE skein of yarn, led to a $210 commitment to a sock club. Ha ha. Hubby doesn't quite know the extent of my fiber addiction...yet! :)
Of course, I still go to LYS for my hands-on "fiber fixes". That is a must. Joining the Blue Moon Socks That Rock club has just ensured a steady supply to meet my needs. :)

My First Hand-Dying Yarn Class...I'm hooked

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to take a yarn dying class at Yarn and Fiber in Windham, NH...with Cheryl Potter of Cherry Tree Hill Yarns!!! Whoo Hoo...it was a fun, educational, and eye-opening 3 hr. class. :) And...I came home with a skein of my own creation in Supersock 100% merino fingering weight. Wow! I learned a lot on how dyers create their colorways, and then we did an exercise on how to take an experience, place, event, feeling, attitude, etc...and translate it into a colorway! Cheryl is a great instructor, and I was very pleased with the free-feeling of creating my own colors and bringing the skein home. I think I'm hooked. I started to make a coffee colorway....all sorts of coffee, expresso, cream, etc...a java type theme...but I inadvertently ended up with mulberry, some burgundy, wierd blues, etc...and now it is called "Coffee and Cobbler"...I think of my morning coffee and a bowl of homemade berry cobbler. I can't wait to knit it. First, socks for Sis' birthday and then for Mom for...Mother's Day, of course. I began Sam's camouflage "army socks" Wed. night, and I'm just about finished with the second sock, with only an inch to go on the toe...these socks were a breeze, straight from Sensational Knitted Socks...I used Fearless Fibers Sportweight "Duck Season" colorway, and on size 3 needles, cast on 48 stitches, and it fits my 8 yr old son's 8 inch long foot perfect. He's so happy that he's shown everyone we've seen, including our Pastor this morning. I bring my sock sack with me everywhere I go, in case I get a few extra minutes to knit. It's amazing how much knitting can be done everyday while just squeezing in a few minutes hereand there!
I also have met my next little girl, I think. NO, not a human daughter...a Schnoodle...half Schnauzer, half poodle. Sigh. She's 10 weeks old, black and salt and pepper with some white patches on her paws, yet cut as a Schnauzer. Sigh again. She's a love bug. I didn't mean to fall in love with her, although I have. If she joins our family, her name is...
Annie.
Annie looks like an Annie. That's why. So...stay posted, because I will certainly post about whether or not she comes home with us tomorrow. Call me nuts. I need to pray about this. Hubby is no help. He's an animal lover, too...but more level headed, I think. We'll see. I miss Hannah so much. I don't want to get a dog for the wrong reasons, and it has been 13 years since I had to train a puppy!
Weather Report: Snow, snow, snow. Nor'Easter, so they say, here in New England.

Monkeys are Finished!

Yes, my Monkey Socks are completed, and ready to ship (after blocking) to their secret pal's home. This was such a fun pattern to do, and easy to memorize after a few rows. I'm looking forward to Monkey Sock Swap 2 beginning in May!

RIP Hannah-Banana...and new yarn arrivals

Happy Resurrection Day! or Happy Easter! I know I'm early, but I probably won't be online tomorrow.
I arrived home from CT yesterday, only to find my 11 (or is it 12?) year old Schnauzer, Hannah, hiding up in my room, unable to use her back legs. We went to the Vet's office, and $247, x-rays and lab work later, she went home last night without a clue to what's going on. She didn't seem in pain, but didn't move from her bed all last night, peed in the bed overnight and slept in it, and wasn't interested in anything, or food. To the Vet's we went, for a one way trip. She was my little girl, as I have no daughters. Actually, I called her my "little princess". I miss her, and this afternoon I threw away her dog beds (ruined since she emptied her bladder in them), bought a new mop, broom, and all sorts of cleaning supplies for Spring cleaning....then I brought them home, and I'm too tired to clean. :) I miss Hannah, and didn't sleep well between those 2 vet clinic visits.
I always thought that big old Toby would be the first one to enter doggy heaven. :)
On the good list: I came home to yarn stash additions from various ebay sellers: I have 4 skeins of Wildfoote, 4 skeins of Panda Wool (so soft!), 2 of Panda cotton, 6 skeins of Noro Kureyon (to make 2 Booga Bags), 2 skeins of Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino, and a beautiful skein of Serendipity fingering yarn by ZenString in a chocolate brown and pink colorway. Yumm-O. (See picture below)
I also had a lovely Spring Purse Knit Kit from Sherrin in NYC, and this kit came with 2 skeins of Cotton and EcoSpun yarn in a blue/grey/white colorway, with the Ms. Poppin's Bag pattern from the Fall 2006 Interweave Knits magazine. Awesome!
Baby socks are finished, but I skipped the baby shower today, as I'm tired, worn out, emotional, and the house is frightfully in need of cleaning. :)
All of the above is trivial though, compared to the reality that tomorrow I celebrate the resurrection of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. After church tomorrow, we're having an Easter brunch with our immediate family: a Breakfast casserole with sausage and cheese, a fresh fruit salad, hot cross buns, and fresh orange juice...NOT from concentrate! :)
Again, Happy Easter...

I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth

I am not a slacker this week, just in CT helping my mom post-op and working a bit to help pay for my new tires for the Suburban and brakes for hubby's truck. :)
I've been knitting a pair of baby socks for a shower this weekend, and the Monkey Socks...are on hold till the baby socks are done! :) I have photos, but they'll have to wait till I get back home this weekend.
I'm glad I'm NOT in NH today, as they've received 4-8" of fresh snow overnight...something about being Easter weekend and snow on the ground just isn't right! :)