Baby Shower Selections

I've finally made my "official" baby shower selections. I had been going back and forth between a few options, but I was forced to buckle down and make a decision. After all, the shower is on January 10th. I chose the Lace Panelled Baby Blanket ("Panelled" looked kind of weird to me, so I looked it up. Apparently panelled is the British spelling of paneled.) and a simple raglan baby cardigan for which I cannot provide a link since it's only available on Ravelry. Kai is taking me to AC Moore today to buy the necessary yarn (and possibly a long circular needle). I haven't done anything "baby" for a while, so I'm kind of excited. I'm lucky enough to know the sex of the baby, so my color selection won't be limited (It's a boy.) The blanket pattern I chose is a bit lacy, but I intend to add a masculine border. I need something that will keep my interest.

In other news, I completed all of Bristow's pieces. I was going to block them on Sunday, but my apartment lost heat last week and plunged into the 40's. Needless to say, I wasn't keen on playing with water. The heat has since been fixed, so I'm thinking the blessed event will take place this coming weekend. I also started the Chevron Lace Cardigan. I'll spare you the gruesome details and just tell you that it is nearing completion. It's about waist length now with cap sleeves. I'd like it to be hip length with 3/4 sleeves, but that's just wishful thinking. I probably won't have enough yarn for the sleeves.

Ebay has become my friend over the past week or so. I've been scouring the auction giant for cheap buttons. I can't bring myself to spend $4-$8 on a card of buttons. Due to my amazing bidding prowess, I am now the proud owner of 3 lbs of "decorative" buttons and 200 Waterbury metal buttons. (Decorative - That's what the seller called them. I'll call them a smattering of different shaped, sized, and colored buttons.) I also won 3 lots of 50 buttons each. (They're baby buttons.) And I'm bidding on about 5 more 50 button lots of baby buttons. (Buttons, buttons, buttons.) When all is said and done, I'll be set for life! All I need now is a big jar. The buttons are currently residing in a mini cooler, 'cause that's how I roll.

In my queue I have a hat and a pair of gloves that need to be completed by Christmas day. I also have a dishcloth that I'd like to make, but we'll see. I'll probably start the baby stuff this week (maybe tonight!), because I can't stay focused. Oh, and I need to find pretty boxes and wrapping paper for all of this stuff. I think I might end up wrapping at my parents' house...if my mom lets me.

Prozac

Well, it's official. A couple of days ago I decided to take Darby off Prozac. She went on it shortly after I adopted her, because she was so painfully timid that she couldn't function. Within three days of taking Prozac, Darby began to "socialize" with us. Over time her personality began to show, and she started eating and playing regularly. I didn't want her to stay on Prozac forever, which is why I've come to the decision to stop medicating her now. I think that at this point, she's the best she's ever going to be. She is still wary of strangers (which I don't particularly mind) and runs like the sky is falling whenever she hears a noise, but most of the time she acts like a normal dog. I think that from here on out, Xerxes is all the medicine she's ever going to need.

Xerxes is another story. He's still on the Prozac, and he's staying on it for a while. He hasn't mastered the art of juggling his bladder and emotions just yet, so he squirts quite frequently. In fact, he squirted on the couch last night while I was petting him. He also continues to get incredibly upset when I go to work. We now have to crate him in the bathroom, instead of letting him have free range of the bathroom, because he tore up the wall and door frame.

Do not, however, think for a second that Darby is without flaws. She decided to catch up on some after school reading yesterday while Kai and Xerxes picked me up from the train station.

She was so pleased with herself that her head began to recede into her neck.

I'll give her this, though. She is not nearly as destructive as her brother.

I can't post a picture of just one of them, because that would be unfair. Here's Xerxes looking innocent:

What a cute little boy!

Anyway, I haven't posted any Bristow Cardigan pictures lately. I took a picture of the completed left sleeve last night. Here it is:

I started the right sleeve last night, and I'm hoping to get pretty far on it this weekend. Fingers crossed! I'm nervous about doing the button band. I've never picked up stitches before. Yikes!

It's Been a While...

It's been a while since I've blogged. I think I'll blame it on being busy with work, a new puppy, and mounds of Christmas knitting. Below is a picture of my new puppy Xerxes (left) sleeping with his "sister" Darby. He's a boxer/lab mix, which I believe they call a boxador. He's quite a handful. He came to us with numerous problems including severe separation anxiety and infantile bladder control. We've been working with him slowly, and he was prescribed prozac a few weeks ago to help the process along. Darby is also on prozac, but for entirely different reasons. We believe she was abused, and as a result she would hide and/or freeze in fear when approached. It got to the point that she wouldn't eat, walk, or move. She was terrified of feet and doors. Whatever the case, both have made great progress with the help of prozac.




I finished the Boogie Vest I was blogging about earlier. My gracious boyfriend agreed to model the vest. To be honest, it looks a lot better on him than it does on me. It's a tad big when I wear it. I'm pleased with my first attempt at cabling.



Since I was successful in completing the Boogie Vest, I decided to move on to some complicated Christmas projects I had planned. I have begun knitting the Bristow Cardigan for my mother.



Here is the back piece being wet blocked (the wetness caused blotchiness that cleared up when dry). After looking at pictures of other peoples' Bristows blocking, I can see that I didn't stretch mine into the "correct" shape. The waist should be curvier, and it is, but I didn't stretch and pin mine at those parts. Oh well.


This is the beginning of the left front panel. Since this picture was taken, I've made more progress on this piece. The extra couple inches didn't warrant another photo session, so you're stuck looking at this. I omitted the eyelets that the pattern calls for on the sides of the cables per my mother's request.

That's all for now folks!