Cool Kool-aid yarn!

For my something new to do in September, I learned how to dye yarn with Kool-aid! It was fun, and I like how it turned out. The pink and green are about the shade I had wanted, but I was actually trying for brown instead of the dark purple; my test color showed up brown on the coffee filter I tested, but the wool liked it purple. You'll also notice some white flecks where the dye missed a spot. My green is sort of brownish in spots where that section accidentally got laid in the drippings of the purple, but the effect after the yarn was balled is pretty nice. The pink was Soarin' Strawberry Lemonade, the green was Switching Secrets, and the purplish part was a combination of Grape, Wild Watermelon Kiwi, and Black Cherry. And if you're wondering, yep, it does smell nice and fruity!

Here is a mini-swatch about 16 stitches wide on size 3 needles. I'm planning to make some 'Monkey' socks out of this yarn. That pattern is soooo cool, it should hide the flaws in the color. Plus, it should knit up way less stripey then, since it be over 60 stitches then instead of 16, which is great since I shooting for varigated! I'm fixing to post about it on the 'Do Something New KAL', so feel free to click on the button in my sidebar to check out more details about how I did it.

I have ahank of lace weight yarn that I want to dye a nice mossy green. Does anybody out there know how, exactly, to get that color with Kool-aid? I'm thinking of mixing two colors of green and maybe throw in a couple teabags??

Thursday

I thought this picture of the 2 week old puppies might just crack y'all up for Dogs on Thursday!! Their little noses blacken up a bit more each day, their eyes are open, and they weigh a whopping pound-and-a-half each! You can check out my Wonderland Kennels Puppy Page if you'd like to see more cute pictures of little Emaline, Elvis, Eva, and Einstein.

Thanks for all the nice comments on the puppies and dogs! And thanks to all who commented on and/or participated in the Meme from last week. Wasn't that fun! I found out that Crow Calling Woman is also learning to speak Cherokee. Hobbygasa said that after she tagged some of her Norwegian friends, it has really taken off over on her part of the globe! Cool!! Don't forget, she is the nice lady who gave me that awesome winebottle bag pattern she translated for me, which seems to be getting pretty popular here in the states, thanks to her!

Life is Good

The flu bug is finally trying to leave our house, finally, I think. The kids are still sniffling and coughing, but everyone's fever is gone and we are about to get back to normal around here. A person never realizes how great it feels to be 'okay' until after they have been sick, but right now, I'm appreciating it!
I finished my Pomatomus socks a couple days ago. I call them my Goldfish socks, due to the color, and that's what they remind me of. Knit Picks Palatte in Golden Heather is the yarn I used, and the pattern is from Knitty, written by one of the all time greatest sock designers, Cookie! Seriously, all of her patterns are AWESOME!!

I live in a rural area of Western Kentucky, and it is just really pretty here this time of year, even lately when it has been unseasonably hot. I love living out here in the country where I can go out without having neighbors that can see every move I make. There is nothing like going outside on nice night like this, looking up at the moon and listening to crickets and katydids, smelling the fresh air, and walking around barefoot to feel 'grounded'. It really makes a person appreciate the little things in life and feel their connection to nature.

Thursday

It was easy for me to figure out which pictures to post this week! Above is Miss Maizy with her four puppies. They are a week old now and have doubled in size, weighing just under a pound each. We keep them in our sitting room off the kitchen, right in the middle of our home. That way, they get used to all the every day sounds and smells, plus they are the constant center of attention for my family! The little boy lying on Maizy's back feet is already my pick for the biggest character, even with his little eyes still shut! The pups are are called Eva, Emaline, Elvis, and Einstein.

That is Daddy Capone relaxing by his favorite sunny window last week.

I've Been Tagged!

My friend Carol tagged me, so here are the rules:
1. Link to your tagger and post rules
2. Share 7 facts about yourself, some random and some weird
3. Tag 7 people at the end of post and list their names
4. Let them know they were tagged by a comment on their blog
Thanks Carol! This sounds like fun! Hmmm, to narrow it down to just 7 weird things about myself!

1. I'm a pesco vegetarian, which means I eat no meat or dairy, but occasionally will eat seafood.
2. I homeschool 2 of my kids, and the third is now in college.
3. I am a total dog fanatic! I own Wonderland Kennels, where I raise, train, show, and pamper my 10 very special pooches. I seldom go anywhere without one of them. I have literally been around dogs since I was born.
4. My dream in life is to be a published writer someday.
5. I'm also a Genealogy addict, a member of DAR, The Pilgrim society, and a descendant of Charlemagne.
6. I am learning to speak Cherokee.
7. I actually own goats and chickens, which I've turned into pets!

Now to tag 7 very unsuspecting people, Hmmmmm..... (Carol already tagged Pam and Pat or I would have named them, too.)

Hobbygasa

Amy

Crow Calling Woman

Crafting Casualty

Kristina

Shelley

Paula

PUPPIES!!

Maizy had these beautiful puppies early last Tuesday morning, the first one being born at 1:09 am and the 4th born at 2:44 am!! Mama Maizy and the puppies are all in wonderful health and doing great! Maizy loves being spoon-fed vanilla bean ice cream as a post-partum treat! Click on the picture above if you'd like to learn more about them and see more cute pictures!! It is amazing how much the babies grow everyday. They had their first visit with the vet yesterday, and they are all fat and sassy! They were born in our sitting room, which is where we keep them so they will be used to all the sounds that go on in our home.


Tuesday night I came down with the flu and have been a coughing, wheezy mess ever since, so that is why I haven't posted in a few days. Between taking care of the puppies and homeschooling the kids, my flu medicine has pretty much kept me knocked out. I'm sick but Happy! The husband came down with it first and his lasted just over a week, so I'm hoping to be better in no time.

Wine Bottle Bag / Cozy pattern

Here is the pattern for the wine bottle bag / cozy! I made a Booga Bag as my first felting project last month, then Tone (AKA Hobbygasa) translated this wonderful pattern into English from Norwegian for me! She is just so nice!! She said it was a free pattern that was very popular with knitters in Norway, and she thought it would be fun to get it started here in the States as well! I LOVE this pattern; it's fun, quick, and has endless possibilities, plus I think it would make a great gift idea.

Wine Bottle Bag / Cozy

Materials:
I used worsted weight wool yarn and used one whole 50-gram ball and just a teensy bit of a second one.
(Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Amber Heather)

Cast on 7 stitches on three US size #10-1/2 double pointed needles.

Increase every stitch in the first round (14 st total)

Then increase every third stitch, every other round, until you have 42 stitches.

In the next round, increase approximately every 8 stitches so you end with 46 stitches.

Knit approximately 75 rounds, so that the body of the bag measures about 13-1/2 inches, not including the bottom section in the measurement.

Then divide the stitches so that you have 23 stitches on each of two needles and now you're ready to knit the handle. Knit together the two first and two last stitches on the right side rows until you have 7 stitches left. [I did a SSK on the beginning of the round and K2tog at the end, to give the sides more of a slant.] Then knit about 15 more rounds. Do the same for the other side of the handle. Knit together the two sides using the 3 Needle Bind-off, or bind off and sew them together, whichever you prefer.

Felt it in the washing machine until it fits on a standard size wine bottle, then put a nice bottle of wine in it until it has dried completely. Hobbygasa said that sometimes you have to really squeeze it in to make it fit!

You can leave it as it is, or have fun decorating it any way you want!

Don't forget Grandparent's day!

I wanted to remind everyone that this Sunday, September 9th, is Grandparent's Day!! For my kids' grandparents and great-grandparents, they are going to whip up a batch of cupcakes, I'm going to take a picture of them wearing their aprons and cooking their little hearts out, then this weekend, we'll deliver each of them a plate full of chocolate cupcakes with pink icing and sprinkles AND a framed photo of them being made. That way even after the food is all eaten, they will have something nice to look at.

Here is an older picture of Ork. I had meant to snap a new one of him, but it was all rainy yesterday. He was born in Germany, trained in Pennsylvania with his first owners, then came to live with us four years ago. He is as sweet as he is beautiful! He is a Schutzhund II, which means he's highly trained in obedience, tracking, and protection; actually, he is quite amazing to watch! His absolute favorite way to pass time is playing fetch with his tennis balls! We love ya, Orkie!

Wine Bottle Bag is done!!

I just finished felting my cool new Wine Bottle bag and couldn't wait to post it! Thanks so much Hobbygasa for that great pattern!! It knit up pretty quickly and took barely over one

50 gram skein to make! I used Knit Picks Wool of the Andes worsted weight in Amber Heather. The picture above shows it all felted and holding a nice bottle of red wine; it was still damp, because, like I said, I just couldn't wait to post it!

The picture on the right shows how big it was before it went through the washer. I have that nice bottle of Pinot Gregio chillin' right now so I can try out the bag/cozy with it tonight!

I might have to whip up a couple of these for Xmas gifts! I think it looks good like it is, but it would be easy to decorate. I think it would look great sitting on a dining table with maybe a few strands of rafia tied around the middle.

Here is the link to the pattern, just
CLICK ME!

WIP and back to homeschool

I'm nearly done with the first Pomatomus sock. I really like the design and the way it's turning out. I did have to look up how to 'Purl through the back loop', but once I had that figured out and how to read Chart B, it's been going smoothly. I'm also about halfway through with a cool Wine Bottle Bag/Cozy, shown on the right. Hobbygasa was so nice, she translated the pattern for me from Norwegian to English! I can't wait to see how this knits up!

This is our first week back to Homeschool and things are getting off to a nice start. This year's subjects include English, Math, History, Science, Geography, Civics, Computers, The Arts, Languages, Lessons in Life. Math and algebra are always met by my kids with the least enthusiasm, and I think history is the most interesting.