Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Knit Picks Samplers

So Knit Picks has these sweet little sample packs of their cotton yarns that come with six assorted balls and four or five (one ball) patterns to use them for... perfect for summer knitting.
I got the Renaissance Sampler:
Knit Picks Renaissance Sampler
---
And my first knit from it is the Twig Lace Cap:
Twig Lace Cap
It's knit in Comfy (75% Pima Cotton, 25% Acrylic, in Blackberry),
which is lovely- very soft and lightweight.
---
I really have been slacking on the knitting since learning to sew recently. I promise to get back on the wagon, though... my fingers are lonely for yarn.

Friday, July 25, 2008

More Gifties

For Doug's Birthday:
Doug's Cat 1
Doug's Cat 2
Pattern from Animal Mascots
(ISBN-10: 4391624206, ISBN-13: 978-4391624205)
---
For Rhiannon's (FIRST!) Birthday:
Rhiannon Cowgirl 1
Rhiannon Cowgirl 2
My own pattern!
Because she's a cowgirl.
See?
Rhiannon Cowgirl 3

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Laika's a Betsy!

So, we got Laika a DNA test... yes, we are that geeky. We got it here, and after some hullabaloo involving a false poodle identification, we found out that Laika is a Border Collie! A Level 1 (more than 75%) Border Collie and Level 4 (10-19%) Weimaranar, to be precise... Anyway, that was very exciting because I'm a big fan of the breed after reading about Betsy in National Geographic:
-
...a border collie named Rico appeared on a German TV game show in 2001. Rico knew the names of some 200 toys and acquired the names of new ones with ease. ...To find more examples, the scientists read all the letters from hundreds of people claiming that their dogs had Rico's talent. In fact, only two—both border collies—had comparable skills. One of them—the researchers call her Betsy—has a vocabulary of more than 300 words. Name: "Betsy"
Species: Border Collie
Home: Vienna, Austria
Smarts: Retains an ever growing vocabulary that rivals a toddlers.
How much thought goes on behind those eyes? A lot, in this case. Six-year-old "Betsy" can put names to objects faster than a great ape, and her vocabulary is at 340 words and counting. Her smarts showed up early: At ten weeks she would sit on command and was soon picking up on names of items and rushing to retrieve them—ball, rope, paper, box, keys, and dozens more. She now knows at least 15 people by name, and in scientific tests she's proved skilled at linking photographs with the objects they represent. Says her owner, "She's a dog in a human [pack]. We're learning her language, and she's learning ours."
-
Read the whole article here. It's not just about dogs, and the whole thing is fascinating.

---
We had thought Laika was an Australian Shepard (that's what they suggested at the SPCA) mixed with some sort of racing breed, since she's so slim and fast. Fast like she gives the Whippet at the dog park a run for his $. The surgeon that set her broken leg thought so too... Plus, she's less that 35 pounds, so we figured something small, but I suppose it's always a crapshoot when you try to guess. Anyway, we didn't really care what she was, we were just curious... we'd love her if she was a poodle, too.
Laika Dot 1

Monday, July 21, 2008

Tahoe

...is pretty gorgeous, even when it's smoky.
Eagle Lake/Eagle Falls Trail
Eagle Lake/Eagle Falls Trail
Eagle Lake/Eagle Falls Trail
golden mantle ground squirrel
The Cabin
---
Pics from last weekend are here.
Don't mind my green face on the trails- I get altitude sickness.
Eeeeewwww... altitude.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Happy Anniversary!

...to us!
IMG_8327
One very sweaty day three years ago...

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

I'm hungry.

Can you tell?
---
Chocolate Doughnut
Chocolate Doughnut for Jamie
---
Strawberry Pincushion
Strawberry Pincushion for Etsy

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Sad Day for Bathing Costumes...

So, we didn't make it on our camping trip because of this: Alison's pic of The Lake
That's right, we're in California.
As in, that state that was mostly on fire.
---
So, poor Bathing Costume did not get to make her debut...
Bathing Costume 2
And neither did my new hat:
Blue Sky Hat close
Amy Butler's Blue Sky Hat, made with AB fabric as well.
---
Bumski.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

ain't no party like my nana's tea party

Heeeeeeey! Hooooo!
Flight of the Conchords, anyone? Anyone?
ain't no party like my nana's tea party
tea party detail
It's a tea cozy, in case you can't tell...
It's got quilted insulation and my first piping!

My grandmother doesn't even drink tea, actually.