The Only Good Place is in the House

This morning, walking on my street with Piccolo, her little feet started to freeze. She starts hopping, and then limping, and I have to carry her back in. She had my permission to poop in the house if she needed. I wish there was a way to protect her feet, but I haven't found anything practical. I did buy boots for her, but at the initial fitting she ran under the sofa to try to remove the one boot I put on her front paw. It's going to be even colder over the weekend, so excursions out will be very brief. Piccolo's wearing a favorite sweater of mine, body Lorna's Laces Bullfrogs and Butterflies, shade Ravenswood (sort of our neighborhood), bands in vintage Annabel Fox Aran, and tipped with Kimmet Croft fibers (from my other home state, Wisconsin) wool. I love a wool/mohair blend like Bullfrogs and Butterflies, Cape Cod Fibers Lobster Pot, or Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride for dog sweaters. They make a totally durable sweater that stays looking good for many years.

Don't Come Looking for Me

My address and phone number are unpublished. So, I was surprised to find a postcard from my high school demanding that I contact them. I was angry at being exposed--how did these people get my address? "Urgent!" was the message on the card. To be listed in an alumni directory. Does anyone still think this is a good idea? My only sense of urgency was to get myself out of that publication. I graduated 30+ years ago, and I've kept in contact with a grand total of 0 from my school, with the exception of family members, so I guess that makes 2. I kept contact with a high school friend up until a few years ago, but now I just get the occasional e-mail that also goes out to 50+ of her closest friends. I am so annoyed to have all those addresses in my Outlook Express program, just so I can know how popular this girl is. I never liked the idea of going to a reunion. Being a single person, I wanted to avoid the inappropriate questions of why I didn't have a Man, or kids. The same reasons why I avoided family weddings. I didn't want to be the one everybody felt sorry for. Even though I now have what I always called "male validation," I still don't care about high school or reunions. Now I would have to field questions about why the Man and I aren't married. I suppose I feel insecure about how my life has turned out so far. And, I left high school behind when I graduated those many years ago. I don't feel any desire to go down memory lane.

If you haven't figured it out, I guess you could call me an introvert. I need a lot of solitude to feel comfortable. The only exceptions are the Man and Piccolo. I really feel a void when they're not here, even though lots of times I want the Man to be sound asleep in the next room. I don't always feel comfortable in social situations. I guess I'm a lot like Piccolo. I mostly want to move about with some discretion and privacy. I think if I have too much people contact, I pretty much can melt down, which is one of the reasons why I'm steering clear of certain Tuesday meetings. I won't elaborate on the other reasons. My being introverted is probably why I'm usually cranky after a show.

That being said, I realize that I have very few real girl friends. So, I'm looking forward to meeting a lovely knitting friend for lunch this weekend.

The photo is from the pet blessing in Madrid. I think it sums up my feelings about being exposed.

A Chill

I'm sitting here in my heated apartment, with a long sleeved (!) sweater and a poncho on. My feet feel toasty in my heavyweight Socks That Rock. My fingers feel like they're going to snap off, and my knees hurt. It's bitterly cold outside, and I think the windows in this apartment are not sealed that tight. I'm considering gettting a sweater on Piccolo too, but it may signal to her that she's going outside. We're not. Only if need be, and then long enough to take care of business, then back inside.

I'm home from the Flealess Market. All I can say is I think Chicago people don't get it when it comes to protecting pets from cold. The people bundled up, but nothing for the pets. And, when someone outfits their pet with merchandise from Target, they're not going to be so interested in what I offer. More and more, I'm convinced that my customer is not here, and they certainly were not attending this event. Maybe they're in New York. Or Aspen. Or, Madrid. I should have stayed home today to work on schematics for the book. Not having the proper tools to do a decent one, I had lots of off figure photography done to make up for the lack of schematic. It turns out that the editor will accept a line drawing, which their art department will transform into something decent looking. I wish I had known before. It's a learning process for me, this book writing thing.

When I was visiting in Colorado, of course I found a yarn shop in town. And, my sister M, who does not knit, came with me early in the morning to get the deepest discount. Yarn for a vest for her ended up coming home with me. It's Super Taj Mahal, a wool, silk and cashmere blend. M had pulled some sort of rust colored yarn, and said that someone she knew said this color would work on her. Not so much. I pulled out this blue/green stuff, and M's complexion just transformed. It's going to be a Ribby Shell. I've gotten quite a bit more knit on this since the photo. I liked the color so much, I wanted some for my own. When the yarn shop didn't yield enough for me as well, I went to Webs and found it. What are the chances of this happening--my order was from the same dye lot as what we got for M! So, if I run out of hers, we have back up, or alternatively, her left overs can be for me.

Animal Cruelty

Maybe it's because I am more aware of designs out there for dogs, but it seems to me that there's a lot of patterns and books out there. Some good, but a lot of really bad. Things that don't fit. Sweaters that look like something that would fit a human, and just slapped on the dog. Embellishments that would cause injury if the dog moved the wrong way. One book has samples that are obviously machine knit. I showed another new book to the Man, a non-knitter, who thought the designs were awful. I'm not going to be specific. I know how hard it is to put something out there, and I don't want to get any bad karma coming my way because I outed someone for a not so great design. But, I can't hold back on this one, that I found in my email this morning. Look at how unhappy this poor dog looks! It looks uncomfortable, and potentially dangerous with all that hanging and dragging stuff, (imagine how dirty it would be after one walk on a city street) even for a Halloween costume. On so many levels, it's just wrong.

Catch Lucky Penny stuff on WGN TV!

Tomorrow morning, sometime between 7-9 AM CST, WGN will be at Stay to do a feature on Sunday's Flealess Market benefiting Sit Stay Read. Lucky Penny merchandise will be featured along with other items for sale. I'm getting up early to catch it! WGN broadcasts outside of Chicago area as well, and can be found on the internet.

We're super busy here at the Lucky Penny household, with show preparation, more additions to the book, and another project looming on the horizon. Combine that with the day job, and Piccolo's mom needs a nap!

I sold one of the sweaters in the photo for the Whippet Tiger Lily's toy poodle sister. She's brown, and I think the colors of the sweater will be superb on her. It makes me feel good to have a customer like the product so much they come back!

Sweet Inspiration

Today, when opening up the internet, I found this lovely set of photos shot in Madrid, a pet blessing for the Feast of St. Anton. Not being a religious person myself, I had no idea there was more than one patron saint for the animals. I did take Gidget to a few pet blessings for the Feast of St. Francis. I thought that if any pet needed divine assistance, it was my little Gidget girl. I love that all the Madrid dogs are dressed. Perhaps its a gesture of respect since the pets are going to church, but it seems to me that the pet people of Madrid get it with regards to keeping a pet warm on a winter day. Plus, dressing your pet is part of the fun of the event! Looking at these images helps me to keep my eye on the prize, as it were, as I prepare to participate in another event. I love the red sweater on the white poodle, for the past few months, I've had red on my mind. It's a happy color for dogs. I also like that the dogs are wearing hats and hoods--it makes me think that the designs in my book may resonate with people. I'm working on my inventory and some personal stuff today, while the Man provides color commentary on the Bears vs. Saints game. I've got a few Bears colored wool kerchiefs to sell, so I have a vested interest in the Bears moving on to the Super Bowl!

Multidirectional Madness

At last, I've finished the Red Scarf for the Orphan Foundation. No, that's not it in the picture. The donated scarf didn't photograph well, and just looks like a big red blob. It's a mistake rib, knit from red Knit Picks Swish Superwash. I just need to finish the ends, wash the evidence of Piccolo out of it, and send it on its way. The red scarf was 60 inches of mind numbing boredom, that I thought would never be finished. Being a life long knitter, I should have an abundant scarf wardrobe. In truth, I do not. Mostly because I think scarves are horribly boring to knit. Or, if I find an interesting design, most times the piece is not reversible. The scarf in the photo was my distraction for the last few days, and for being about 72 inches long, didn't take long to knit at all. If you Google "multidirectional scarf" you will find the free pattern by Karen Baumer. Why she didn't write this up and sell it, mystifies me. It's a piece of genius. I love the effect with a self-striping yarn. This one is Noro's new Cashmere Island, color #2. With each triangle, a lot of surface area is covered, so in no time it's a substantial scarf. Now, I want multidirectional other things. More scarves. A multidirectional pillow. A multidirectional dog sweater?

Vest Fest

I've said it before. I'm all about reruns and leftovers. If I like something, chances are I'm going to knit it again. I'm making wardrobe, people. Think about it--how many of you make the same sock over and over? Yes, it's another Rosebud. Which makes is four, and I'm contemplating the fifth. I've been noticing vests all over the place. The Winter issues of Knitter's and KnitSimple are chock full of them. It's the first Knitter's I've purchased in years, and it contains some stuff I would actually consider knitting. I've seen lots of vests worn on television. The most memorable was on Giada DeLaurentis on her show "Everyday Italian." It was argyle, and worn with a crisp white shirt! I have yarn set aside for an argyle vest for myself, inspired by the Playboy sweater I knit last summer. I must get that project in rotation while the moment's still here. Back to the Rosebud. It's knit in Briar Rose Fibers Sonoma, and I made it a little longer this time, based on the amount of yarn I had left over from the last one. Briar Rose is having a sale until the end of the month. Leave some for me, will you? I'm thinking I can't resist another one. I've also posted about my vests on their knitalong blog. Check it out for some other lovely work.

Where to Stay

Yesterday, I was out running errands, and along the way found a post card announcing a new pet hotel in my neighborhood. With 24 hour staffing. Open Sundays. The location is Stay, a dog hotel and day care, at 4130 N. Rockwell. Near Irving Park Road and the Chicago River. There's lots of accomodations, a large play area, and a swimming pool like I've never seen. There's a basic overnight room, a deluxe with a view of the river, and a luxury with a web cam so you can check on your baby when you're away. I wanted to find better accomodations for Piccolo when we travel in summer, with a Sunday evening pick up so I can get her home right away when we return. I'm pretty certain she is miserable where we leave her now, but safe. I know that she stays in the back of her cage, and doesn't move, so people won't know she's there. I'm certain she has her sulking face on that we're all familiar with. I'm so excited to find a place that fits my requirements for Piccolo. I'm pretty certain I won't have her swimming, though, but the image of it makes me giggle.

When I was checking out the facility, I noticed a retail area, and asked if they would consider consignments. The staff told me about an upcoming event, the Flealess Market, on January 28th. One email later, and I'm in, baby! This is going to be an every other month event, featuring pet related merchandise, with a percentage of sales donated to a pet related charity. This time it benefits the organization Sit Stay Read, which utilizes therapy dogs to promote reading for underpriveledged second and third grade students. I'm all a twitter about the possiblity of having a regular venue to showcase my stuff. The complete vendor list will be announced soon, and I'll post that when it becomes available. Admission to the event will be free, and it looks like there will be plenty of street parking. I've got plenty of sweater inventory, but I'll be working on kercheifs for the show!

Not Far From the Tree

As it so happens, I've been knitting vests for a few decades, long before my declaration of the end of sleeves. My mom used to work in a dermatologist's office, and wore a lab coat to work. A sweater vest was a practical item to wear underneath. Over the years, she collected a lot of hand knit vests, all knit by me, as my mom does not knit herself. I posted this last month, the Tuscany Tank, but over the holidays snuck a model shot, when we were visiting family in Littleton, Colorado. The story of this vest is also posted on the Briar Rose Fibers Knitalong blog. I think the classic design of this piece can really span generations. It looks cute on my mom.

In other news, it looks like a piece of work is now moving out of acquisitions and into production. I'm on pins and needles.

Climate Change

Tonight the Man and I left the house for a short time so he could do a little repair job. It's kind of normal for us to be out late in the evening for this sort of thing. I actually met the Man when he came to my condo late one night for a repair. I looked at him, and it was like a brick was thrown at my head. I thought he was the cutest man I had ever seen. Twelve (!) years later, I still do. After all the shit that came down as a result of leaving that condo, I'm sorry I'm not still there. The climate is finally normal for January, and besides a sweater and scarf, I was wearing a wool coat and hat. It makes me all kinds of crazy that this time of year I see people all bundled up walking their dogs, and the poor dog just left to the elements. I was at Wigglyville the other day, and no sweaters had sold because of the warm weather. Hasn't anyone considered being prepared? Which makes me think about the coming show season. Next week an application is due for a fiber arts show that's run along with a traditional fine art show. In June. I would love to do it, but what are the chances, really, to sell a sweater in the summer? I may pass out a lot of business cards, that people would discard or misplace before 2007 sweater weather rolls along. I should save Lucky Penny funds for the One of a Kind next December. The sweaters pictured above were custom pieces I did last fall. The ends aren't woven in, in case I have to re-do something if the customer doesn't approve. Both in Cape Cod Fibers Lobster Post wool and mohair blend. I've forgotten the names for all the colors except the yellow. It's Drawn Butter. Yes. I want to lick that color, I love it so much. Personal sock knitting continues in the House of Penny, but I'm itching to start a dog sweater. It feels odd to not be working on any at the moment.

In Search of a Mate

The Lucky Penny studio is home to single socks seeking a mate. Right now the count is five singles. The oldest sock is about two years old. I was reluctant to cast on for the mate because I really didn't like knitting the stitch pattern, even though I liked the way it looked. I had even considered making the socks really fraternal, and using a different stitch pattern. Last night, finally, I began work on the mate. Today, I couldn't find the original. It was caught up in the frenzy that was in the process of re-organizing the studio room. The sock was found this afternoon. Today, I bought yarn for another pair of socks, can you believe the madness? Arcadia Knitting is about a mile from my home, and on the way when I go to work, or run errands. I find myself using it as my 7-Eleven. Instead of a gallon of milk or some eggs, I end up purchasing needles, or magazines, or whatever may be my current obsession of the moment. Right now, one of the obsessions is knitting socks on two circulars. I've been a double point devotee for many years, but lately have found two circs to be a little more travel friendly. So, while picking up a pattern that they had ordered for me, more needles and yarn found its way into my shopping bag. The sock pictured is Mountain Colors Weavers Wool Quarters, color unknown, likely purchased at Arcadia. Isn't the blue color luscious? The pattern is the Embossed Rib Bootee from Three Trails Handknit Designs (my favorite for this yarn). It's finished since this picture, and I cast on for the mate tonight.

Socks in Progress

The dress code for work is pretty casual, and I have the good fortune of wearing my hand knit socks every day. My favorite sock yarn is of the heavier variety. They wear a little better for me, and I can finish them faster, and therefore, have more socks. I like the 6 stitches/inch type yarn and design. I was on a waiting list to get this hand spun sock yarn, Sock Hop form Crown Mountain Farms. I love the lumpy thick and thin look of this yarn. I followed Theresa's advice and washed the yarn before knitting with it, so the yarn bloomed a bit. Theresa is a great resource when it comes to fiber and how it will perform in a knitted garment. I can't see working this on smaller than a size 2 needle. The pattern is Diagablocks from Three Trails Handknit Designs, and the color is Love Me Tender. I'm about one third of the way knitting its mate.

Today we took an abbreviated trip to Wisconsin. The funniest part was Piccolo devouring the Man's left over ham and egg sandwich while we were at the Wisconsin rest stop.

The Harsh Reality

Clearly it's going to take more than two days to get the back half of the Lucky Penny household in order. One of the problems is malaise, which I seemed to experience around this time last year. The other problem is just the sheer enormity of the problem, which is daunting. I would like to be able to walk in my little studio, and even open the closet door without difficulty. I want my studio to be fun and inspiring. I want easy access to my yarn, books, and accessories. I want to see my happy little Steiff collection. Right now, it's a real drag with all this debris. It's a miracle I got anything done last year. A few things discovered today:

1. For someone who promotes bright colors for dog sweaters, I sure have a lot of drab and neutral colors in the Lucky Penny stash.

2. I have a lovely selection of sock yarn, and I'm super excited to tear into it. I forgot how much Cherry Tree Hill Superglitz and Mountain Colors Weavers Wool Quarters (my favorite for socks!) I actually had.

3. I am still in love with most of my yarn. There's only two projects worth that come to mind that could find new homes, and one could probably be absorbed into the Lucky Penny stash.

4. There's more than a few forgotten projects, that could be frogged. One from last year, an unfinished garter stitch pullover, could be a lovely Ariann.

5. I still want to make that felted Touch Me pullover in Sally Melville's The Purl Stitch, and I have Silk City's version of Touch Me on cones, that I purchased over two years ago.

6. I found some missing Lucky Penny inventory, and some lovely yarn for Lucky Penny sweaters, that had been forgotten.

Should I impose a yarn diet on myself? Perhaps a short one, so I can get my stash under control. Don't hold me to it, though.

So, the goal for tonight is to clear out a corner that I can shove a filing cabinet into.

Piccolo's wearing a Penny sweater (vest), knit in 2003 using Lorna's Laces Angel, in shade Tuscany, one of my favorite colorways.

Chili's on for dinner tonight.

It Needs a Crisp White Shirt

I would love to wear this with a white shirt, starched to death, with shirttails hanging out. Wouldn't that look really fresh? This is Bonne Marie's Ribby Shell, done with a few modifications, in Noro Kureyon #116, with some vintage Annabel Fox Aran for the ribbed bands. The bands are the modification to the design. I used directions for a smaller size, as I knit the Kureyon to a gauge of 18 sts/4 inches. I originally thought I would try to match the stripes in front, but in the end, I decided that the random thing would give the sweater a nice hand made detail. I think because of the v-shape of the neck, the off-kilter stripes don't appear to be a mistake. I started at the end of November, and finished yesterday. Tonight I wore it to KIP for the designer, who posted it this morning on her blog, which may have brought you here. Would I make this again? You betcha. There's one on the needles now, which is my sister's gift.

Now I Want One in Every Color

My first vest of the next year of the vest. The One Cable from Blue Sky Alpacas, knit in Blue Sky Worsted. I cast on for this last month, I think. I used six hanks of the yarn instead of the five specified in the pattern, because I made it longer. That's the only modification to the design. This yarn is some kind of yummy. I do a total immersion blocking. A lot of dye came off, to the point where the woolwash bath looked like ink. The color ended up having more dimension, and the wool/alpaca blend took on a lovely halo. I wore the vest yesterday, and it's so comfortable. Here's a close up of the lovely cable detail. You know I'm not kidding when I say I want one in every color.

It's a Vest, Too

This is the Penny sweater, knit by Maureen J., for her dog, Jack. I've written about the pattern and it's issues before, so e-mail me if you want a corrected copy. The sweater accommodates a lot of dog body shapes due to all the ribbing, but has a garter stitch front panel. Knit flat, and seamed in front to finish. It's sleeveless, so qualifies as a vest for dogs! One thing I've found with sleeveless dog garments--it's harder for them to wiggle out of. Sleeveless is also a good idea for a short legged dog, like a Dachshund or Corgi--they would be stepping on a sweater sleeve. The way this photo is posed cracks me up. Maureen says this is where the best light was. Thanks for the photo!

Future Planning

Happy New Year to anyone who finds this little blog. If you want to review my actvities and projects of the last year, the archives might be interesting reading. January, blissfully a five week month, is stretching itself before me. No show committments. I'll be able to accomplish my day job work obligations without much stress. The goal for January, is to get things in order. My plan is to be home on Thursday and Friday, and work on a clean up of the back half of the Lucky Penny household. The kitchen, and my studio. Both a disgrace right now. I have lots of finished, but not, personal projects that need to be assembled, like a Ribby Cardi knit many months ago, and a Debbie Bliss sweater that needs its band redone. There's a sweater from five years ago that needs its neckband re-knit, and a cable sweater, worn only once, that needs sleeve and body band alterations. My thought is to finish one UFO each time before I cast on for a new project. The exceptions are one vest for my sister (I'm omitting the in-law part moving forward, because she's the only sister I have, and I don't care about the circumstances that made her so), socks, and little accessory projects, including items for Piccolo. I have two more vests that will probably make it into my closet this week, can you believe it? This month I need to get my stuff together for having my taxes done, and need to get my continuing education in place to keep my professional credential.

On the Lucky Penny side, I want to get started on some new designs for kits or downloadable files. I'll also be having a discussion with another independent designer in the pet industry for a possible exclusive line. Our design aesthetic is very similar, and my sweaters would be a compliment for what she does now. I'm seriously thinking about another try at the One of a Kind show next December. Hopefully, I'll have books to sell, as well. Because my book is supposed to be published this year. The title is yet to be determined--a book with my original title came out last summer. It's too bad for me. I didn't pick my book's title, but I grew fond of it.

The hat is one of the designs added to the book, modeled by Piccolo, who wasn't too happy about it.