It’s All About Mememememe

I was tagged for this photo meme by Kate, my long-time blog friend. I don’t normally do memes, but I loved the idea of using photos as answers…

2.jpg

Notice that I was able to squeeze in a photo of Ike and me…

The rules:

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker.

1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name.

I’m not going to tag anyone for this meme, so if you’d like to play, consider yourself tagged. I’d love to see more mosaics, please drop me a note if you make one!

Have a great weekend!

Possums – 2, Basenjis – 0

I have another chapter to My Sensitive Security System…this time with photos!

It all starts calmly enough. Last night I was home from teaching a knitting class, watching Deadliest Catch and knitting. Abe is suddenly really interested in going outside. I put my knitting down and open the back door.

I plant myself back in my knitting chair. Then, over the din of crab pots crashing on the tv, I hear some strange doggie noises. Abe is making a frustrated yelpie-growl sound. I jump up to investigate.

img_0979.JPG His focus is this fence. I move in closer.
img_0976.JPG And I see these beady eyes.

“All creatures great and small”…whatev. Possums give me the CREEPS.

I find myself making this strange gargling noise of disgust in the back of my throat. Like a caveman sound.

img_0980.JPG Naturally, Ike wastes no time getting in on the action. He can’t see the possum at first, but he can smell it.

He knows something is there, and he wants it.

img_0983.JPG The boys spend several minutes running around, trying to figure out how they can build a ladder with no thumbs.

Then the frozen possum moves. It wobbles across the fence, sending the dogs into a frenzy. Then it FALLS, and Ike quickly snaps it up.

Even though my skin is crawling, it is actually pretty cool to watch my dogs hunt. They are so instinctively good at it.

img_0986.JPG I didn’t get many photos of this part, because I was really really trying to convince Ike to leave the possum alone. He doesn’t. He carries it around for a while, shakes it, drops it, carries it around some more…all while I keep making that grossed-out gargling noise in my throat.
img_0987.JPG Luckily, my domestic dogs don’t associate “hunting” with “eating”. Food is something that I lovingly present to them in a bowl, not something that they have to catch themselves.

Once the possum stops moving, Ike loses interest and comes in the house.

img_0993.JPG And Mia? Does not care about the stinky possum.
img_0997.JPG Once the dogs were in the house, I watched the motionless creepy rodent through the window and said to myself, “please be playing possum, please be playing possum.” Sure enough, the possum stood up and crept away.

Drat! Maybe next time…right, Ike?

Ewww.

Madder Than a Wet Basenji

Sort of a Fast-Topic-Changing Friday, except I’m going in chronological order…

100_1770.JPG My mom sent me this photo of my niece, Molly Renee, in the Vestee I made for her. I love to see my handknits in action.

Yes, this child is adorable.

Next…!

2537387776_c329f3ce5f.jpg Last weekend, The Knitting Nest hosted Franklin Habit on his 1000 Knitters pre-book book tour.

He is as charming and delightful as I imagined.

Photo courtesy of Stephanie.

2539975575_e69441822c1.jpg And he left us a big present – a larger-than-life Dolores on a wall of store.

I think everyone agrees that Franklin is invited back to Austin any time he’d like to come.

Photo courtesy of Stephanie.

Next…!

day-171.JPG Then.

Then I got food poisoning. Oy. I was too sick to knit, or even watch tv.

I wouldn’t wish salmonella on my worst enemy. Or a crocheter, even. (honk!)

Next…!

day-172.JPG Once I started to feel better, I finished up this French Market Bag and felted it.

Felted bags are GREAT for grocery shopping, especially in warmer climates. The felted fabric really works to insulate your cold food on the trip home.

Next…!

img_0847.JPG I also knit up this pair of Fetching.

Both the French Market Bag and these mitts are samples for a “Countdown to Christmas” campaign we’re running at The Knitting Nest.

Next…!

img_0857.JPG Everyone is a little mad at me this morning. We were about half-way through our walk when it started absolutely pouring rain.

According to three Basenjis, the rain is my fault, and they are punishing me by ignoring me. (They’ll get over it once they get hungry.)

Have a great weekend!

All Pink and Girlie

Don’t touch that dial! It’s time for Fast-Topic-Changing Friday…with your host, Strawberry Shortcake.

One expects verypink to be a bit pink and girlie, right? Well, this week it’s double the long eyelashes, hair bows, and mani/pedis. Because…

mia.JPG Suddenly there are equal numbers of boys and girls in this house.

This is Mia, a girl I’m fostering for Basenji Rescue.

Before I even brought her home, we stopped at the pet store so that I could deck her out in a pink collar and leash.

She’s so petite and delicate looking next to my manly-men dogs.

img_0634.JPG Isn’t she fit and spry for a 9-year-old? She already has my boy dogs wrapped around her little…umm…finger. She’s a sweet thing, and we’ll find a good home for her.

(This is not going to turn out like my last fostering situation.)

Next…!

img_0698.JPG This is me, as Strawberry Shortcake.

Not really. This is the beginnings of a French Market Bag. I’m making a sample for a class I have coming up in June.

img_0690.JPG Abe had some fun with the yarn when I very foolishly left it within his reach for about ONE SECOND.
bambam.JPG I really can’t blame Abe for liking yarn. I like yarn, too. I just wish he would show his affection for it differently. Maybe he could just smell it, like I do.

Photo taken by Alexander.

Next…!

img_0679.JPG Ike is a Master Chillaxer.

Have a great weekend!

The Return of the Grumpy Knitwear Model

The people are real. The cases are real. The rulings are final. This is Fast-Topic-Changing Friday!

If you didn’t get that, it only means that you don’t watch Judge Judy.

img_0492.JPG Off the needles – another One Skein Wonder, but with some modifications. Like, two skeins.

I added sleeves to this one, and used 2×2 ribbing instead of seed stitch.

The sweater is cute, but I had a tough time with the photo session.

img_0500.JPG Here it is, minus one grumpy model.

Next…!

img_0519.JPG For your yarn porn viewing pleasure…

Say it ain’t so.

It’s mostly Stacy’s fault, but I have STASH. And it’s growing.

I had better get knitting.

Next…!

sew-bendy.jpg A quick plug for a talented friend…Melissa has a new Etsy shop called Sew Bendy where she sells her awesome hand-sewn bags. Perfect for knitting or whatever.

Not only do I love these bags, but I love seeing Melissa so passionate about what she’s doing. Her passion totally shows in her work. Go look!

Next…!

img_0528.JPG I’ve had a goal this year to catch up on old movies I haven’t seen. I was doing okay on my own, then I happened to make friends with a guy who is a serious smartypants about movies. Now I have help.

I saw this one yesterday on his advice. Loved it.

btw…Ted Turner and your Movies Classics Channel? Yeah, you do me right.

Next…!

img_0509.JPG Speaking of old movies, here’s Ike, doing his best to look like Bambi.

Have a great weekend!

Faster, Puppydog!

Fast-topic-changing? Not today. There has been one constant topic all week. It starts with a “d”, ends with a “g”, and has a bunch of badness in the middle.

I’ve had custody of all four dogs this week.

img_0134.JPG Little Lou…
img_0139.JPG Manly Gus…

This is a yoga pose called “peeing dog”.

img_0125.JPG Handsome Abe….
img_0111.JPG And Ike.

Besides knitting and teaching classes, this is what I did this week.

You can imagine, I was BUSY. And terribly happy.

day-150.JPG I still managed my self-portraits.

Now that I’ve found this cinder block wall, I want to marry it and take a photo in front of it every day. Unfortunately, it’s already seeing someone and has only agreed to keep me as a fondle puppet.

img_0190.JPG Kill! Kill!

Have a great weekend!

The Languages are Amused

Did someone say fast-topic-changing Friday? Okay.

It’s been a while since I’ve done this…almost a year, in fact. The text below was run through free translation software into Portuguese, then translated again back into English.

Here we go…

img_0487.JPG The Abe acted strangely a day. It acted ridiculous, then I supposed to be fair in an arrangement. Later, I found my eyeglasses of sun in the quintal, gnawed and broken-down.

They are ruined, but look happy, does not do they?

Near subject…!

laceribbon2.JPG It look what did I do! This is the Cord Gazes Shawl, a free standard of knitty. I high recomendo this standard. Very funny it knit.

It is actually called the “Lace Ribbon Scarf”.

Near subject…!

2.JPG This week in my project of self-portrait I did an “Impudent Knitting Stunts” series. This it is called “Blindfolded Clear Island”.

Geez…you’re going to have to go to flickr if you want to know what I really said.

Near subject…!

img_0505.JPG Canine macros of face! The Ike all, camera? Yes, please!
img_0497.JPG Abe? Not really so lively about the idea.

Have a big weekend and a Mother happy Day!

You Will Be Sold to Gypsies

We now join the fast-topic-changing Friday, already in progress.

sperrypoem.JPG Stacy entered me in the Interweave Knits poetry contest on the sly…

And I won second place! I’m pleasantly shocked and amazed.

The winners will be announced on Knitting Daily sometime soon.

Next…!

image_121.jpg Playground rules at an Austin restaurant.

What are the gypsies going to do with all of those bad children?

Next…!

crop.JPG A little knit I finished up this morning…the One Skein Wonder. I’m teaching a class on it this month, so this is the sample.

This is also my self-portrait for today.

img_0395.JPG This little thing can actually be a useful piece of clothing in Texas right now, since so many places over-do it with the air conditioning.

One word: Malabrigo. Yeah.

Next…!

image_134.jpg Is it a holey tank top? A slutty camisole?

No…

image_131.jpg It’s a mesh market bag, knit with corn fiber.

Paper or plastic, ma’am? Neither! I got me a corn bag!

image_136.jpg Anne Boleyn after her visit to the farmer’s market.

Next…!

img_0226.JPG Silly Munky.

Have a great weekend!

A Woman of a Certain Age

Saturday was my 40th birthday. FOUR-TEE. Four-oh.

In order to protect the innocent, I’ve refrained from posting many party photos. Everyone was cutting loose and having a good time. Party photos are never as flattering the next day, are they?

I want to thank Stephanie Gage for most of the photos. Thank you for being my volunteer birthday photographer!

This was my birthday:

2446555012_8524609508_o.jpg The day started with knitting group/morning birthday party at The Knitting Nest. Presents and cake and breakfast tacos and knitting!

Photo courtesy Stephanie Gage.

2446000626_2a1cbcaf5c_o.jpg A few moments before my guests arrived at my evening birthday party.

I was pretty excited.

2445593893_5f443fe4da_o.jpg Ike and Abe spent some time behind a baby gate…

Photo courtesy Stephanie Gage.

2445592983_3b23083e64_o.jpg …But later came out to help serve cake.

Photo courtesy Stephanie Gage.

2446418748_e235ff44de_o.jpg The weather was perfect, and the gazebo was always full of laughing people.

Photo courtesy Stephanie Gage.

2445591981_cd9d12934c.jpg Like a junior high dance, the boys and girls mingled among themselves much of the time. (Do we talk about our boobs too much?)

Photo courtesy Stephanie Gage.

2445591603_81e561e819_o.jpg Ike entertained us with a little birthday dance.

Photo courtesy Stephanie Gage.

2446421308_913d6a5a7c_o.jpg We were also celebrating the birthday of my dear friend Meg, so we decided to take our self-portraits with simultaneous camera action.

Photo courtesy Stephanie Gage.

2445594157_cb2012c8bd_o.jpg Meg and I started the evening in hot shoes, but later switched to flip-flops.

Photo courtesy Stephanie Gage.

2446030674_e0073217b5_o.jpg This is my self-portrait from the next day. Birthday wishes and obscenities on my bathroom wall.

I love my immature friends.

Not Whining. I Swear.

Fast-topic-changing Friday, first door on your left.

img_0159.JPG Sad. This is Arbor, the cutest dang sweater ever. My problem? The shoulder-to-bust ratio ain’t gonna fit me. It isn’t supposed to fit off-the-shoulders like this.

I can either start lifting weights and hope for beefier shoulders, or I can give up. Sigh.

Next…!

img_0166.JPG New product alert! We can all be more discreet with our germophobia issues now! This is a hand-sanitizing spray, but it looks like a marker.

“La, la, la…just a minute, let me write that down…” spray spray spray spray

Next…!

img_0050.JPG I might, might, might be adapting to Texas weather. Finally.

It was 80 degrees in the house, and I was fine. Not whining, not sweating, not a single swear word. I didn’t even need to turn on the air conditioner.

Next…!

day-125.JPG I had a lot of fun with my self portraits this week…here’s one I especially like.

Next…!

img_0044.JPG When you come to my house, don’t even bother trying to sit on the sofa. They have arranged it just the way they like it, and they are enforcing a strict No Human Zone policy.

Have a great weekend!