2009 Favorites – The Knits

This is Part II of my favorite photos of 2009 series. Still trying to get my photog mojo back.

While I was loading up the coffee maker this morning, I thought about a couple of handknits that I hadn’t bothered to photograph and put on Ravelry. Then I thought of a couple more. Then I started thinking about a ton of things I made this year that hardly got any attention at all. Lame! The number of things I knit and didn’t photograph has to be upwards of 30 items, because I know I made 23 Christmas gifts that were shipped off without so much as a blurry camera phone shot.

Ah, well. Bygones. Here are my nine favorite photos of things I made this year.


3209681549_041ee86d61_o

3314742826_6595cf0607_o

3221451924_1a200f6191_o

3418110557_8dc7d3dd73_o

3539316800_01df9eb179_o

3812243900_ee5c955118_o

3857688552_014becaa5b_o

3969248095_af3ddb4ca5_o

4056873184_6367ce599d_o

Next up – 2009 Favorites, Self-Portraits.

2009 Favorites – The Dogs

I’ve recently done something I didn’t think I’d ever do. I “paused” my year-long, photo-a-day project – on day 325, no less. Poof! I lost inspiration. I found myself skipping days and taking crap pictures, so I paused the project until I can get back into it again.

For the sake of trying to jump start my inspiration as well as wrapping up the year, I browsed the photos I took in 2009 and picked out my favorites. Here’s Part 1, Basenji Bonanza.

3174185879_5357c933bf_b

4035855900_054deccca9_o

3956476907_122714aee3_o

3759730454_bf0073786e_o

3215740428_2c808154ac_o

3208699572_e469e6b18d_o

4147486007_632a600451_o

3838413658_a1e70c2035_o

3445013738_e0c1be154a_o

Next up, 2009 Favorites – The Knits

The Rush is ON

Things have been quiet here at verypink.com, but not at Verypink Headquarters.

The weather is cooler, and the business of knitting is busier than ever. My knitting classes are full (or overflowing), and I have private lessons all day. Then there is also Christmas knitting – I’ve been finished with my Christmas gifts twice already, now I’m back to just one more. I also have two newly-finished sweater designs that are just waiting for me to release the patterns.

But I can handle all of these things without trouble, even with four dogs. The stickler is that I’m feeling tendinitis creeping into my wrist and elbow, so I need to save all of my arm/hand use for knitting, which means that I need to spend less time on the computer. The horror!

You will find a new Pona update over on the Basenji Rescue site, and I’ll post an update on everything else very soon. Even if I have to type it with my nose.

IMG_9682

Santa Baby

New baby jumper design!

small

Santa Baby
Ready for Santa! A wooly Christmas jumper for your favorite little girls. This design features a pleated skirt, a peter-pan collar, a tidy turned-hem skirt, and icord edging. Just in time for the holidays, you’ll find it is a surprisingly quick knit on size 9 needles. Sizes range from 3 months to Child Size 2 (chest measurements from 16” to 21”).


Pattern is $5.50, via PayPal

A Love Story

A few weeks ago I got this email from a reader named Fiona:

Hi Staci,
This is possibly a little bit strange but I just wanted to write to you to say well thanks. I’ve been reading your blog for probably around about 4 years now and have always been very impressed with all your knitting. So much so that in August 2006 I decided to give it a go for myself, now both my grans knitted like demons and my mum dabbled so they had all tried to teach me before but nothing doing, so my mum was surprised to be asked to show me again. I took to the knitting this time and it stuck, after admiring your clapotis I followed the link to knitty.com, started posting on the message board there and eventually found my way into the chat room.

There, as these storys often go, I met a boy.

4035430786_9a8f328ae4_b

At the end of August that boy became my husband and we are currently in the process of getting me a visa so I can go and live with him (he’s American, I’m Scottish).

IMG_3139

So my point, I wanted to thank you for being an inspiration and leading me to discovering a hobby that I really enjoy and which has ultimately led me to finding someone I aim to spend the rest of my life with!

P1000956

All the best
Fiona H.

*Sniff*. Someone pass the tissues. What an awesome story, Fiona. Thank you for letting me share it. Best of luck to you and your husband, and may all your “pains” be “champagnes”.

By the way…does he have a single brother? 🙂

Angry Eyebrows

Here is the progression of my Halloween costume this year:

black wig First, I scored a black wig for $6 at Target…
belly Then I made a fake pregnant belly using pantyhose, fiberfill, and rubber bands…
IMG_9500 I collected a few more bits, including black liquid eyeliner…
chola And, bang! Chola!

Here is one definition of Chola from UrbanDictionary.com:
hardcore latina gangbangers. They usually have thin, arched, angry looking tattooed-on or penciled-on eyebrows, brown or dark red lip liner, …tats, Converse or Nikes, flannel shirts, lots of gold jewlrey (with their name and crosses), crunchy gelled or moussed hair either down or gelled in a high perfect ponytail either straight back or gelled in a design, and they go out with cholos.

us I got myself off to my friend Kristin’s Halloween party. Here I am with two of my good knitta friends, Steven and Meg, in Alison‘s awesome party photobooth.

So much fun. I always see Halloween as the first wild night of the holiday season. Onward!

The Big Q

nyquil_large

Flavor hits my lips
Sleepiness overwhelms me
Much like Pavlov’s dog.

The haiku speaks the truth! I took NyQuil last night, and before the medicine had even hit my throat, all of my muscles relaxed and begged for sleep. Classic conditioned response. I slept for 11 hours last night.

I felt the woozies of a virus coming on last night, and I like to attack the symptoms while they’re tiny and manageable before they can really get a grip on my body. My head is a little swimmy this morning, but so far so good!

FrankenSenji!

I was calling Pona The Bionic Dog until today. Today Pona decided to remove his bandages, and I finally got a look at the hardware. Now he’s FrankenSenji.

I knew what was under there, but I am shocked at how it actually looks! Bolts! Rods! Pins! Surprisingly his skin looks fine and healthy, as if the hardware has always been part of his leg.

IMG_9347

Sorry this photo is crap, but Pona is afraid of the camera. That’s right. The only Basenji in the house who doesn’t come running towards me when I pull out the ol’ Canon.

Today wasn’t supposed to be goin’-to-the-vet day, but I guess it is now…

One Month

Pona has become sort of a favorite at the vet’s office, and this is his best friend there. Her name is Laurie, and she’s the vet tech who does Pona’s bandage changes every week.

10-13

Every time we get out of the car to go into the vet’s office, Pona does his DO NOT WANT routine, and refuses to walk in the door. That’s until he sees Laurie. Then his ears perk up and he wags his tail. He willingly walks through to the back with her, because he’ll follow her anywhere.

Pona’s doing well. Another few weeks in the hardware, and his leg should be healed. He feels so good lately. He’s completely off meds and gets himself around pain-free. We should be able to start heartworm treatment soon.

Pona’s been at my house for just over a month now. He’s come a long way, and I’m so proud of him.

In case you were wondering why there hasn’t been much knitting on verypink lately…it’s because it’s all about secret Christmas knitting right now.