Quickie Post of Pictures from Canby

Up too late again tonight after having taken Sillyvannah to handling class and Petsmart. We decided she needs more socialization after Canby. She's a bit cautious and a little easily spooked, so we took her around and asked people to maul her. I think it went well and both were very good experiences to strengthen her bravery in other places. She's a normal pushy corgi girl at home, but she gets a bit overly cautious and doesn't mind having a talk about it when she's out and about. And she decides who can and who cannot maul her...touch her places other than head and neck...which must change. Thanks to Auntie Kim, the Camera Jedi, for capturing the bucking wild thing while Gramma Kim was trying to stack her.

Below there are pictures of the group wearing Union Jack pins to honor Trooper at Canby. This weekend when I have a bit more time, I'm going to put a copy and a pin in a card to send to Troop's family to let them know we care and loved him. If any of you wizards can photoshop Paul and Savannah from the second picture into the first picture, everyone will look great.

Finally, there are a couple pics we took of Savannah the week prior to Canby...prior to bath and grooming. She'll be 11 months old on Saturday the 30th.

Not much happening...thank goodness

Sometimes I think I have such a boring life and sometimes I think I have such a busy life. Today, I just think I have a pretty good life. Sure, I don't much like work these days, but I'm in too good of a mood to go into a lot of detail about why. It's busy there this time of year with one group finishing and the other starting over the summer, but I know the calm for me is just around the corner. And, if all goes well, maybe in a year or two (or less) I'll be looking at different "work" type things to do, anyway.

Paul and I had a lovely time getting soaked yesterday...a truly Eugenian time, I think. We went to Saturday Market, even though it was raining, and had a lot of fun. It was nice just to get out...yes, I actually left the house to go somewhere other than a dog show on the weekend! :) We meandered around for a couple hours, bought some tie-dye (very Eugene), some fresh veggies, some chocolate, some street vendor food...all wonderful...wet, but wonderful! Another shocking thing we did? We watched a movie! I know, not too exciting for most people, but we actually used the tv for something other than Halo 2 on XBox and DVRed versions of "Knitty Gritty." That's pretty amazing for us!

I didn't go see the Yarn Harlot in Portland on Friday...thus the boring part...but I'm glad I missed the busy-ness that would have brought, not to mention the late night drive that it also would have entailed. I've knit quite a bit, but not tons, I've listened to some podcasts, but not hours worth, and I've bought some books, but with gift certificates so they were "free." I'm plotting in my mind how wonderful Black Sheep Gathering will be, but don't really mind that I'll be sharing that weekend between it and a dog show in Canby.

Speaking of the dogs, they've had a terrific weekend. They've had long walks each day, they've been very cooperative and happy around each other, and there hasn't been even the slightest idea that they might be otherwise. Libby has been cuddly and easy going and not as hard-headed as usual. She adores both Ethan and Savannah and has a great time playing with either one. As we sat on the porch together today, I admired the white hairs where she's greying early around her muzzle. Funny how fast time moves! Ethan, who most of you only hear the bad about, has been a perfectly happy, well-adjusted, sweet, cooperative boy all weekend. He's down about 3 lbs from Nationals, he's lost a lot of hair, but isn't naked, and I think he's beautiful. He's really been into smiles, woo woos and hugs this weekend, not to mention playing with Savannah...in the yard AND in the house. Savannah has been her silly, goofy, adoring, cuddly self. She's really good at finding ways to try to injure herself...must be a cardi puppy. She's such a goofball, yet there are times when she'll stand and look at you, just regal as can be. Her brindle pointing really stands out on her neck now. She hasn't shed much, but she doesn't look fluffy, either. A bit long in places, but not fluffy. She truly is a dog in the most loyal sense of the word.

I guess the word to sum it all up for the weekend (except for Paul on Halo!) would be peace.

More Knitting

Here is one big sock. It's for my size 13 footed husband. One big sock down and another one to go. This is done in Lorna's Laces Motherlode colorway. I guess I got a couple of vintage skeins from a woman on eBay, because the colorway was handwritten on the wrapper band. This is a pattern I sort of made up using a basic sock pattern with two circs. One down one more to go. The color is more true on the ones that the flash didn't go off on.

The next pictures are the diagonal rib scarf out of the Artfibers Alfabeto that I got in SF and mentioned in an earlier post. It's still a work in progress...pretty slow going since it's also in fingering weight yarn.

Finally, this is a work in progress that's been in progress for awhile. It's a Wings of the Swan scarf/stole out of Traditional Knitted Lace. I'm using Cherry Tree Hill Supersock merino mill ends I got on eBay, so I'm not sure of the name of the colorway. I think it may be African Grey, but I'm not positive. Computer monitors are so weird! It's not blocked yet, since it's a little less than half done. It should spread quite a bit when I do block it, I think. Wouldn't really know for sure, since it's my first lace project, but that's what the books say it will do. :)

Paul's biiiiiig sock - the ball on the left is all that's left, the ball on the right is a whole ball. Good thing he likes the tops short!!!

More true to life color of the sock on this cuff detail

Heel and gusset detail

Diagonal rib scarf in progress

Close up of this lovely, shiny silk blend yarn

Wings of the swan with flash...

and without (more real life color than flash)...

Close up detail

Super close up detail

Drifting Dreams Jacket for Ida on Ample Knitters

Here are some photos of my finished version of the Drifting Dreams Jacket from Just One More Row. The first is me in the jacket on BART headed to San Francisco during my trip to the area last week...I just had to prove I knitted on the trip! Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) I don't have any pictures showing the whole jacket on me, but these will give an idea. The following pictures are stitch detail. It's amazing how much maneuvering there was for each stitch, particularly with the "in next 3 sts work (p3tog, yo, p3tog--all in same 3 sts)", but I think it came out pretty well, considering it's my first ever sweater. I made it out of Elann Sonata (100% mercerized cotton) in the vineyard colorway. I made it longer and made the sleeves longer. I think I went a bit overboard on the length of the sleeves, but the added length to the bottom of the jacket was a must.

What's in a name?

One of the people I used to work in the same office with is also one of my dog friends. We call her Libby's fairy dogmother, because she's the one who connected us to the people who led us to Libby. Anyway, we'd been emailing back and forth a bit today when she invited me to lunch with some of the other people who used to be in my office and a new hire from their office. The newest secretary's name is Genevieve, which makes her only the second one I've ever met in person after my sister, Genny, also Genevieve.

Walking on the way to the restaurant, she mentions how interesting it is that my sister's name is Genevieve, because she has a sister named Rachelle...yup, just one letter off from mine. We laugh a bit at the coincidence, then she jokingly says, "You wouldn't happen to have a sister named Sarah, too, would you?" She thinks this is impossible, I know she does, but I have to tell her that I do, in fact, have a sister named Sara without an h. How bizarre is that? My name is Richelle and I have a sister named Genevieve and a sister named Sara. Her name is Genevieve and she has a sister named Rachelle and a sister named Sarah...too weird!!!

So, we get to the restaurant and, of course, my friend and I are talking dogs, which brings the topic around to Genevieve. She also has a dog and asks what kind mine are. I tell her Cardigan Welsh Corgis. Her mouth drops open and she says, "No way!" I'm not sure why she's so surprised until she confesses that her dog is also a Corgi...a Pembroke. Okay, so now we have the same unique names among the sisters in our families and we both have corgis. To top it off, she wants to join our knitting group to learn to knit.

Weird!!!

Artfibers in San Francisco

One major highlight of the San Francisco trip for me was riding the BART from Pleasanton to a station just one and a half blocks from Artfibers in the financial district. It isn't a large yarn shop and you certainly won't find anything here that isn't special. They only sell their lines of yarn that are either made by them or specially made for them. The things you can find here, you can't get anywhere else. And it's incredibly amazing stuff!!! Very mind boggling, but wonderful! If I ever have to go back to SF, even as a layover for a flight, I'll make sure I have plenty of time to go back to Artfibers, though I'm sure I'll order online in the meantime. The woman who helped me was terrific, friendly, and helpful! The patterns were lovely...wish I'd had the money to get a sweater custom designed, but we'll save that for next trip...they design for free, if you buy the yarn there to make the design.


I didn't get much, considering it was the end of our stay, but I got some very interesting things. Here is the color of Alfabeto (76% silk 19% superkid mohair 5% wool) I got...

And here is the stitch pattern (diagonal rib stitch) I'm using with it to make a slim scarf...

Another yarn I got was Tsuki (silk 40% superkid mohair 60%). It looks almost black in the picture, but it's really a vibrant dark electric blue...

And here is what I plan to make out of it...

Finally, I got some lush Big Bunz (90% angora, 10% nylon). Super, super soft and gotta love the name. I think I'll do a small cable scarf with it...really wanna make that angora sweater some day...

Anyway, a great, great place! Check them out at www.artfibers.com.

Random Nationals Pics

These were all taken by my sister, Genny, at her second or third ever dog show.

Poor Ef ...he can't help having a coat

Jeri, Lizzie, Traci, and Sedona in classes

Savannah in classes

Too fast for the camera

Could she shed any more?

Okay, who did that?!?

How did my daemon go from being a glorious tiger to a not so cute bunny rabbit?

The Golden Compass - Daemon

I haven't read the book or listened to it, but got a bit of a head's up about it on Amy Singer's Knitty blog at http://knitty.com/blog/. It's kind of interesting and I definitely think I'll listen to it...I've got Audible. I dunno about the shy part, but, anyway, here is what it came up with...

How to make her eat and some random pictures

Savannah's been on a hunger strike...not only does she have to start blowing coat right before Nationals, she thinks it's a great idea to be a tube dog, too. BRAT!!! We've tried everything...different treats in with her food, feeding her in different places, threatening that the cat would eat it for her, taking it away after 15 minutes, leaving it with her in her crate all day, hand feeding her...everything...until tonight. And what was the magic thing to do? Lock her in Libby's big wire crate in the living room and drop food in the crate with her, with no bowl and Libby and Ethan staring at her, willing to eat whatever she wouldn't. So, today anyway, she doesn't like bowls or dishes. Very ornery, but at least she ate it all. Sheesh!!!!

And here are some random pictures taken over the past couple weeks or so.

Bobannah and Woobie

Li'l Bit close up and personal

Nothing like a good play session to tear the cover off the couch and wear ya out

Libby's New Hobby - Halo 2 on XBox 360 (she takes after her dad)

Peaceful coexistence

Stalker?

Man, I'm a crappy blogger...just had to get that out of the way before telling my story.

On the way back to work today after letting the dogs out at lunch, I decided to stop at a convenience store in the university area to grab my friend and I some diet Dr. Peppers (like you needed to know that). I drove along in my semi-trance headed back to work and pulled into the lot like the thousand other times I've gone to this store. As I'm getting my wallet out of my newly knit and felted bag (which I will show and brag about at Nationals), I see this flash of a blue car in my rear view mirror. It pulled right up behind the Kiasaur very quickly, then, just as quickly, slammed into reverse and powered into the parking space two over from me. How odd!!! I finished what I was doing, trying not to look at this car (afraid to make eye contact), and headed toward the door of the store. This woman somwhat breathlessly comes bounding toward me and, once she realizes what she's done, sort of stutters her way into saying, "Uh, I saw the stickers on the back of your car...so you have a corgi? A Cardigan corgi?" Yup, it was another one of us extremely odd corgi people who just had to track down the owner of that car with a corgi on it that she'd seen in traffic. Been there, done it myself. Turns out she has a pembroke girl who is just over a year old that she got from a breeder out toward Junction City. I didn't get the name of the breeder. And, though we talked about the differences between Cardis and Pemmies and all other corgi related topics for a good ten minutes, I don't know her name or even her dog's name.

Funny, aren't we?

Too dark and rainy

I tried to take knitting pictures, but my camera sucks for detail with a flash and it's too dang dark and dreary to get a good photo without the flash. Let's see what the ever changing weather of Oregon holds for tomorrow...

Finally

:)

I am so done with American Idol

I mean it! I'm not watching any more. Hacks like Sanjaya and Haley are still there, funeral singers like Phil are still there, but Gina got voted off. I didn't expect her to win, but damn if those three shouldn't be gone first. I'm disgusted. Guess those stupid vote for the worst ones are getting their wish and ruining it for me. Bastards!

Plug-Ins?

Glade needs to make Savannah scented Plug-Ins. Ethan would be in a good mood all the time with those. Wonder if those pheromone ones would do the trick... I've never seen a bigger Ethan grin and he's never been this easy going...no moaning, no teeth chattering, he just plays it smoooooth. :)

Do They Have Doggie After School Specials?

You know the ones...everything that's happening to your body is completely normal, this is what to expect, and here is how you handle it. Nah, I guess they don't, even though Savannah is ready for one. What was her birthday gift for Mom? She decided to come into her first heat this weekend. It started with Ef acting like he does around the girls he meets at shows...cute, perky, easy going, fun, no growls to be heard. We knew for sure when Savannah told him in no uncertain terms that he could keep his nose to himself, thank you very much, that she was probably officially in. She's been a bit swollen since Thursday or Friday. So, her gift to me is that she won't be in heat at Nationals. Thank you very much, Bobannah! The bad part is that she'll be two weeks into it when the five of us head over to Yachats and have our first Savannah hotel weekend over Easter. Lovely. Please let Ef not be a moaner!!! Please let Savannah not be messy!!! Good grief!!!

And, though I said it on the list, Happy Birthday to Guppy, Caleb, Becca, and Georgi!!!

Show Update and Pictures

We showed both Ethan and Savannah at the Albany show this weekend. Saturday wasn't great. Ethan barked and barked and barked and barked...so much so that Tami said he was hurting her ears. ACH! Savannah realized right before time to go in that she needed to poo, then promptly forgot the minute we got outside, then acted up the whole time in the ring. She wouldn't stand still, she wouldn't walk straight, she had to bark at the big dogs the next ring over, and the judge was laughing at us. BAAAAADDDD!!! She was second of two in her class. Oh, and Ef got propositioned again, but it'll be a good 18 months before the bitch is ready, even if they still want him then.

Sunday was a new day. Ef was VERY well behaved, no barking or carrying on, having a great time, and today Tami wanted to know what the secret to keeping him chilled out was. He didn't win, but he did in our book! Savannah had a better day, too. We were both calmer and Auntie Kim K and Uncle Mark saved us with a squeaker!!! That made a ton of difference. She moved well, she didn't bark at others, she was great on the table, and she won her class. She was pretty well expired by the time winner's rolled around, and she kept chomping at the bit to do her up and back...more judge laughing, but in a good way this time. She still did okay and I was proud of her.

And Libby was spoiled by having Grammy and Grampy over BOTH days this weekend...a much better treat than going to the show any day! :)

On to the pictures taken in the yard at home this afternoon. Not the greatest shots ever, but they should fill the need for gratuitous puppy shots. Should have brushed Savannah's topline, but oh, well.

The money shot...don't have bait? Just crinkle money in front of their faces. :)

Stand straight? Surely you jest according to Savannah.

Libby didn't want to be left out...this is what can happen when you spay early...long legs and a not so good topline. We lub her, though.