In The Mood

It's starting to look a little Christmasy around here.



That's December's handmade, very soon to be on it's way to Jane. Once it's mobile I'll show what it looks like full frontal, as it were.

Last week I received another ambermoggie creation in the post.



Her name is Bastet and she is the Egyptian guardian goddess of cats, also known to be a house guardian. She likes to spin negatives aspects into positives ones. Hmmm...I've been doing exactly the opposite of that lately, so I think she's going to be just the influence I need.



Here she is next to Coventina. I adore these little dolls. I've always liked faceless dolls, so easy-going and non-judgemental. I'm going to have to add some more of these little lovelies to my household, two is definitely not enough

I don't have much in the way of knitting to show you today, in fact, I've almost completely lost my will to knit lately. I always get to feeling just a tad overwhelmed before Christmas - I don't think I'm alone in that.

Here's a couple of shots of the dogs.

Gus doing his best imitation of a gargoyle from the top of the stairs,



and here's Whimsy, pretending to ignore him at the bottom of the stairs.

The Two Edgars

I finished knitting Edgar times two, one for me (pinks and purples) and one for Elly (blues and browns).

Both were knit with Noro Silk Garden, a wool-silk combination that everyone raves about. I've never been crazy for Noro yarns, I've always found them to be scratchy, but most people I know swear that the yarn softens up as soon as it's blocked. To be fair, it does soften up a fair bit, but I decided to use this yarn mainly for the colours it comes in. The colours jump from one shade to the next in large chunks - perfect for this particular pattern, as each diamond turns a different colour as you work further along the pattern.

I had planned to make them while we were in Dublin, but they were just too much fun to sit idling. So, now, they're done and I have to decide what to take on the road.

So many projects, so little desire for anything complicated...

While I consider my options you can see Elly's new fashion accessory for her dog.

Since Whimsy's bows are a thing of the past,



she's opting for hats.



Poor thing.

A New 'Do for Whimsy

As many of you know, Elly and I are spending this week preparing for her move to Dublin.

It's been a feverish whirlwind of activity - mostly organising, cleaning, packing, and curiously, shopping (does Ireland have shops? We both seem to be assuming they have none!)

While we're gone Nigel and Ian will be on they're own to cope for eleven days without me (I'm going for the first week and a bit to help her get settled, Elly has to stay for three years, you can read about her gripe about it here.). In anticipation of this we had a salon appointment booked for Whimsy to have a new 'do. Something short and kicky - and low maintenance. She has a coat which her stylist calls "rotten cotton", meaning it tangles easily and soaks up stains and spills like a rag.

Elly loves to keep Whimsy's topknot long and brush it up into a big Las Vegas-style spray with a bow. However, it always comes undone and looks a state in no time. Needless to say, I've been eagerly anticipating today, when we get to cut off that topknot and have the dog stay tidier. But wouldn't you know...

The night before last Whimsy was in the back garden, saw a rabbit, and chased it under the deck and out again, right through a weedy patch full of burrs.

Aaaahhhh!!!!



She didn't even remotely resemble a dog anymore.

She was completely covered in burrs.



She sat on a towel on my lap and I painstakingly (for both of us) pulled them off her back, belly, legs and ears. It took four episodes of the X-Files worth of time - did I tell you I bought seasons 8 and 9 to watch while Ian and Nigel are in Alaska?

Thankfully Elly came home around midnight and took over. I left the worst parts, the tail and topknot, for her to do. She was up til the wee small hours, with good results.



And today was the day...



no more topknot.

Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!

Whims and Whimsy

It's a curious thing, my sense of reason. For a couple of years now my life has been buzzing with crafty whims and projects; hats, mitts, scarves, sweaters for the dogs, along with little toys and what-nots, knitting, beading, cross-stitch, felting. In fact, it's been so busy that I finally decided I had enough interesting little things going on to support a blog. Curious though, because just as I begin blogging about all of it, I'm settling in to two time-consuming and complicated projects.

I have no wonderful finished creations for you.

Nothing.

I do have a bit of unfinished:

the Asian cross-stitch.


Can you see? There is more of her kimono. See? Just there, at the bottom. No? Well, believe me it's been a ton of work.

And the cardigan? Well, I'm still working on that first sleeve.



Can you see? I'm past the ribbing now and working on the stocking stitch. It's coming along. Slowly.

However, I suppose I have finished one small item.




A little snail to go with my turtle.



Fittingly, a snail and a turtle reflect the pace of my two larger projects.

On an unrelated note, I have to offer birthday wishes to a family member.



Happy Birthday Whimsy! Two Years Old Today! Hip, Hip, Hurrah!

Going to the Dogs and Rabbit

I thought I should introduce the dogs in my life.




This is Whimsy, my daughter's dog. She is five pounds of whirling fury (the dog, not my daughter). She is a miniature Shih Tzu and will turn two on September 13 of this year. Whimsy likes to pursue our larger dog endlessly, biting his elbows and ears.






Suffering all the abuse is Gus Gus. He is a two and a half year old border terrier. We had to wait nearly two years for him (we got him from a very reputable breeder who doesn't over-breed her females). He is a bit dim for a border, but very sweet tempered and litter-perfect, except for a little white patch on his chest.

My husband remarked on how Whimsy looked quite majestic and Gus looked terribly intelligent in these shots I took the other day. Don't be fooled, there was a reason it took ages to get these snaps of them.

Gus is looking out the living-room window at our neighbour as he works in his front garden.

I made a little felt Gus Gus from the book "Making Fairy-Tale Wool Animals" by Angelika Wolk-Gerche.





Can you see his wee tongue?




We also have a rabbit named Pippin, he just turned four, and I have to say, he is one of the most vicious creatures I have ever cared for. Gus adores him and tries and tries to make friends, but Pip just lunges at him and threatens to gouge out his eyes. I find Pippin quite difficult to photograph. This was the best I could do.



His colours remind me of the horse in the Hidalgo film. I adopted him at four weeks old because he was very beautiful. Lesson learned. The woman I bought him from sells, not only pet rabbits, but rabbit meat and rabbit skins. As tempting as it was to return him, I knew what fate had waiting for him, so opted to keep him.

He really is beautiful and its important to focus on his positive attributes (before I have him turned into a hat and a pie).