Bad to the Bone

This is the little sweater I knitted for my friend Melissa's chihuahua, Ceasar - Bad to the Bone. Ceasar wears a spiked collar and is so sweet, but with just a tad attitude. So skull and crossbones was perfect for him. Just found out that Melissa's daughter, Gabrielle, is a skull and crossbones fan too. Hmmmm - I think she needs a matching beany.

Here is Ceasar in his new sweater:

I knit this with Caron's Simply Soft and a new yarn, and Nightlights Glow in the Dark yarn for the picture. It really does glow in the dark! You just leave it under a light source - like the sun! - for an hour and it glows for about 4 hours. I want to make one for each of my doggies with a ghost picture on the back, just for fun. I really don't like halloween, but with glow in the dark yarn - what can you do?!

K9knittersUSA is up and running!

I have been knitting like crazy getting sweaters to stock our store, and finishing the pattern for the God Bless the USA signature K9knittersUSA sweater. Here is Roxie modeling:
I think it really came out great and am looking forward to seeing it in all sizes. I gotta see Buffy modeling the X-Large!


And I have also been busy rescuing a fabulous dog.
Here is Boy modeling a sweater for K9knittersUSA.

Here he is the day I pulled him off a major roadway as he was standing, in shock, in the middle with all lanes of traffic stopped trying not to hit the poor thing:
Turns out he is a pure-bred red-nose pit bull and is the sweatest dog I have met since Murphy (the dog I rescued for my oldest son's bday about 3 years ago). And here is the big news - I'm going to keep him.

The sky is falling!

It's very interesting times right now in the markets. (understatement noted) Since all around me is disintergrating, I'm glad I have knitting to keep my mind happy. If things continue on like this, I may have to knit for a living! hahahahahah - wait a minute - might not be so funny. . .

Anyway, been knitting like crazy since our store at K9knittersUSA will open by Oct. 1st. Beautiful Jean (trialsmom on Ravelry) is doing our website and it's coming along nicely. Here is one of the things I've knitted to sell for our charities:

I call it the Snuggly Shrug and I knit one just like it for my GoldenLovers swappee's Golden, Winston. Here Buffy is modeling and the pattern is Cables & Bits which the designer, Sarah, has let us use to sell for K9knittersUSA. I didn't knit the "Bits" since I thought the bobbles on the ribbing might be TOO tempting to see as chewies. Buffy actually really loved wearing this - I think I'll have to knit one for her out of lightweight yarn. It does get somewhat cold here in Florida. Somewhat . . .

I went today and visited the neighborhood's knitting club and talked with them about K9knittersUSA and several of them wanted patterns, so that will be good to get more knitters.

I need to get online and announce us to the breed clubs on Yahoo and elsewhere. It will be fun to see orders coming in. Carrie from the UK warns that they have Greyhound custom orders piling in - that would be good!

I'm in Seattle!

A lot of frustration later, I'm here. The flat tire last night on pitch black US 19 at 9:00 didn't stop me - the fact that my printer had no printers didn't stop me (I'll just have to find a Kinko's - since Seattle is world headquarters for Kinko's - shouldn't be a problem!). Even Tropical Storm Fay cooperated - it was a beautiful day to fly out of Tampa and my flight to Denver couldn't have been lovelier. I even got almost an entire dog sweater knit while on planes today:

I'm going to do some overstitching argyle work on it - I think it will be pretty.


So let's talk about getting to Seattle - I could talk about the $55 cab ride, I could even talk about my Inn - the College Inn, built in 1909, no elevator, check-in on the 4th floor, no help with bags. Thank God I'm so young and fit! hahahahahahaha But I made it, and after trudging to the 4th floor and checking in and paying for tonight, Wed, Thurs, Sat., Sun., & Mon - but wait, isn't something missing? Why yes - they have no room for me for Friday! No worries - I now have a reservation at the Artic Club Hotel in downtown Seattle, just blocks away from the waterfront. It was built in 1917 and has just been completely restored. Here is the facade that it is famour for:

I'm really excited about it - it's not really too expensive, although a lot more than College Inn. But it has a bathroom in the room!!!!! Not to worry though, the bathroom here is just right across the hall. It really is a pretty great adventure.

And I can talk about trudging up stairs and no bathroom and no restaurant, but I don't think I've mentioned the fabulous queen bed. There is no TV, but who cares - there isn't anything to watch anyway - I just end up yelling at the Olympics coverage!

But I have saved the best for last - here is the best part of my room:

I adore it - no air-conditioning, just three big windows opened to 60's fresh air overlooking some beautiful swaying trees in front of one of the University of Washington's smaller buildings. It is lightly raining and I think I am going to get a fabulous night's sleep. It's 8:30 pm here, but 11:30 in Florida so I think I'm going to get started on that. Night

OMG! I'm injured!

I tried to take a photo of my knitting injury, but it just didn't come out - the cellulite kept getting in the way! This is how it happened: I was knitting along happily the dog sweater I call Hearts and Stripes Forever, so obviously there are stripes - so, it comes time to change colors and I snip the yarn I'm working with - but, oh no! I also snipped my leg! Who knew I had a pair of scissors in the house that is sharp enough to cut through flesh - I would have bet the farm that especially my knitting scissors wouldn't cut paper! So there it is, I now have a pretty deep V-shaped cut on my thigh. I immediately applied a pressure bandage and left it on til this morning. It did close so I changed the bandage. Dr. Cathy took care of it! Surgery averted!



So, you say, where is this dog sweater that was worthy of such a knitting accident? Voila'

Called Hearts and Stripes Forever because of the red and turquoise stripes and the red heart buttons. This photo doesn't do justice. I can hardly wait to get a model to try it on. There are two in the neighborhood I'm going to ask - a maltese and a weiner dog.

Dog sweaters are fun! Too bad Buffy and Ronda don't need one. Maybe I'll have to take them somewhere this winter where it is cold so I can make sweaters for them. Is that sick?

Time for some more FO's

Finished Objects for those not in on knitspeak. I've been on a tear lately, so here are photos of my projects - DONE!

This is my new Buddy! It was originally started for another purpose (don't ask!) but has ended up as a beautiful sweater for my teddy, Buddy. You can't see it in this picture, but the left shoulder is closed with 5 little buttons - very cute. And of course, short sleeves - this is Florida! I didn't know if I would enjoy knitting with very light sock yarn, but I liked it a lot. I guess I will try a pair of socks - everybody else is knitting them.

This my Noro yarn bag - the pattern is called Earl. The yarn has been done for this bag since 2005 and has been in my closet just waiting to be sewn together. Finishing is not my favorite part, but I like it more now than I did in 2005! I added some plastic needlepoint canvass to the bottom and sides for support - otherwise it's just a limp noodle.




Got another dog sweater on the needles today. Since stuff for business is so frustrating - my knitting is keeping me sane - or at least out of the hoosgow (do people still say this?)

Banner for K9knittersUSA

Forgot to post the banner I designed for K9knittersUSA, and I promised to unveil it here! Oh well - here it is:

I like it!!!! I've ordered clothing labels that are exactly this and will be sewn in every sweater or coat sold.

Color My World!

My first dog sweater for K9knittersUSA is done! I used Ronda's dimensions because I think she is a pretty good example of a medium-size dog and it fits her to a tee. I'm so happy because I have had trouble with size in the past (Darice, are you hearing me? Send Zena's sweater back - I'm better now!). Ronda seems to like it!

It's very colorful, nothing muted about this sweater! I think it should make people smile, especially if they see a doggy prancing about on a cold, dreary, winter's day, sporting this bright sweater. I knit it with a cotton blend yarn because so many people are hating wool these days - too itchy -and if they think it's too itchy, they probably will think their dog will find it itchy, too. It's very easy care yarn. And I'm happy with the way it turned out - now for a Navy all-ribbed number!