IT WORKED!!!!

My brilliant idea worked! Now to work it into a pattern for either a dress or a skirt...not sure which yet...I can't believe that no one has tried this yet

Here is a closeup of what I did...ruffles in knitting...what a concept :) Can't wait to get it into a pattern and block it too...too cheap with the yarn...already pulled it out and working on something else...then back to the ruffles :)

My socializers

My grandgirls came over today and of course they HAD to hold puppies....so I figured seeing as there are people who are getting puppies who read my blog ...they needed to see that there are children who play with the puppies :)
Here is Torrey holding the one I want to keep :)

Emma holding Jemmy..the only boy in this litter

Torrey again with greenie :) This litter is almost all red and AL boys :)

Red getting some loves

Lucy loving her babies...thot this was so cute...little red climbed on his mama's legs and fell asleep. She is such a good mama. Altho for some strange reason she took a puppy out of the crate and was going to take him somewhere...not sure where but we got him back in the crate and all was well

Project complete

Here is another project that I made :) It was the pilot project off of another pattern...made to fit the American Girl doll...the dress worked well....it is made out of cotton...which is my new love yarn

here is the neckline up close....different from the pattern but it worked

Finished the pantaloons today....sewed them up and tried them on...HA! they didn't fit...too small on the waist.....oh well....try try again :)

Mystery revealed

Here it is...the mystery revealed...it took me so long cuz I couldn't get the neckline like I wanted....so after many attempts I finally settled on doing what the hem was. This is my first attempt at designing a pattern. I had a basic pattern I was working with but really wanted to do it different...first of all wanted to do it in the round instead of sewing up seams which I detest...so the skirt is done in the round till almost to the waist...then I wanted a ribbon to go around so made ribbon loops as I went....the divided the front and the backs and worked them separately....the thing I wanted most was these puffy sleeves like I used to make with material...and with some short rows I got what I wanted...the sleeves actually don't match as one actually has one more short row in it...and that is the second one I did :)

This is the sleeve with the extra short row in it and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the puff...I took the dress without the sleeves attached and went to the local yarn store to learn how to sew seams...for years I have just attached them and they looked like c--p....so I figured if I was gonna do this I should probably learn the technique to do it right :) How things have evolved since I learned to knit umptine years ago

I probably should have done one more button hole but...next time

Here it is modeled on the American girl doll....oh I just LOVE those sleeves...have I said that already???

and the back...have done some wonderful design things with this to make it fit really well...now to write the pattern so I don't forget or can actually make another one :)

Maybe tomorrow I will finish the other one I made before this one...the pattern calls for making lace and I finally got the thinner cotton to do it...so that will be my "tonight" project

Early morning around here

Things were a hopping early this morning. Lucy had 5 pups as dawn was a crackin here. Here is Lucy not really wanting to show the world her new babies but being patient with the camera as I try and get a shot of her and some of her babies. They are all a wonderful shade of buff/apricot/red..time will tell how they actually turn out.

Hard to tell at this stage except for the one that is definitely lighter than the others. Don't notice any distinct differences in them yet as I am letting mom do her duty and be with her babies...will get a better look and maybe individual pictures later today or tomorrow

First day of spring

Well the weather man said it was supposed to get warm today...almost borderline HOT if you live in Washington...70+...however when I checked the compy for weather did it for Camano which was way different than Anacortes....it was overcast and a bit cold...or was that because I forgot to put on my jacket???

I love this bike trail....most of all cuz it is flat and short :)

we are at the temporary end...someone decided to set the bridge across the water on fire...ok...and my question is WHY????

Who thinks it is a fun thing to do to set a bridge on fire? What sick mind decides..."Oh today I am gonna set that walking/biking bridge on fire..that show those hikers and bikers" The most fun part of the trail is going across the water on this bridge..........gee whiz wierdos....comeon

Kids didn't seem effected by it at all...the enjoyed the stop and took the time to send rocks into the water...and do they ever throw like girls :)

Cousins sitting on the rocks

Madison hasn't perfected the "picture" smile yet....more like duh what?

Cameron was a trooper...he had made up most of his mind that he wouldn't be able to do this...but he survived the entire trip :)

plethora of bikes

and the lunch at KFC/Taco Bell at the end of the ride....maybe it was just to warm back up after that ride we took....

Heart strings tugger

Last night I finished this book....Cowboy & Wills....what a heartstrings tugger.....For those of you who haven't had the fortune of knowing someone with autism this book would be a total eye opener. For those of you that do know someone with autism this book is touchingly sweet and a reminder of all that is good.
For those of you who don't know my grandson, Aaron, is autistic. He isn't as functioning as Wills was in the book and that is frustrating...but God is in control and I know that he has Aaron in his hands.
If you need a good read to help understand someone with high functioning autism this is a great read.

This is Aaron. He is a sweetheart!!! Unfortunately he isn't real verbal yet...hopefully someday he will be able to talk and explain what is going on with him. Autism affects everyone in a family and community of friends. Aaron is also a runner. Given the opportunity to escape...he will everytime. So far he has been able to be kept out of areas with child proof handles...however now he can open those and his home is no longer safe...or any room in the house that has been off limits to him is now fair game. He has escaped twice and hidden himself under a tarp in a neighbors boat...He wears a anklet that if needed Search and Rescue can be called to help find him.....something most parents don't have to deal with having "normal" children who don't find as much trouble to get into as Aaron can.

This is Pa and Aaron playing on the trampoline...like the lift they got while tickling...well Pa is tickling Aaron :)

cuz you asked :)

I can now put this up on my blog because my niece got the package of all the baby stuff my girls and I made for my new grand-nephew. Now that baby Griffin is born everyone else can see his new blanket...I wish I had taken a closer picture of the sock monkeys that are on the blanket cuz they were too cute...but alas didn't think of that before I sent the package off...

now on to the cuz you asked....
anytime you see knitted stuff off the needles you know that there is a problem :) this was my "mystery"project that didn't work....it was way too big so I needed to take if off the needles, unwind it and then start again.....darn it all...oh well..there is another one already made but haven't gotten pics of it yet cuz it isn't sewn up yet...but like the way it turned out so far...now to not muck it up in the sewing...which I HATE to do :)

another view of the project gone big :)

I'm walking on sunshine :)

Nellie taking advantage of the sunshine and getting in a good run while the grass was somewhat dry....Bailey following behind but not in the chase

Thing one and Thing Two as they are affectionately called around here....

Bailey getting away from her babies for a bit to enjoy the nice spring day

Cody looking so serious with his eyebrows that need a trim so you can see his eyes again :)

Gracie keeping track of her toy which she hasn't gotten quite the idea of returning after she has fetched

Lucy looking very pregnant and ready to deliver soon

Week old

Pups are a week old now...still not much action in the puppy arena..they should be opening their eyes here in the next week and when they do that they start wobbling around on 4 very unsteady legs. Very cute to watch....

Bailey is a great mom...gives her babies lots of attention and isn't too keen on people putting their hands on her babies....and ya know what that means??? Means that they get handled more not less :)

Thot this was cute...the boy snuggling up to his mama :)

Mystery project

I love when some blogs do mystery projects...this isn't really a hard one but there is so much more to go that this is just a teaser.....and kind of a time stamp to see how long this takes me :)

well here is a bit more of the teaser :)

Lovely surprise

Some times you can see something and not really see it :) I walked out to let the pups go potty and happened to glance to the side and saw that these pretty little tulips had come up...they weren't there a few hours ago...or at least I didn't see them a few hours ago. Last time I looked they were just tiny buds not even close to ready to show color....hum sounds like I need to make a trip to Roozengaarde , the local place to go and see tulips, soon

here is one nestled in the pansies that weren't there earlier either

I love when my dogs sleep close to one another....here is Cody trying to snuggle next to Lucy who was already asleep till he came up

soon both were settled and nicely napping

Bailey's pups

Bailey's pups came very early this morning...yawn.....two girls and one boy :) Although they look dark one for sure will be light when grown...not sure about the two chocolates..they may stay dark or they may not :)

Chocolate male--may sable

Sable female

chocolate female--may sable