The official "I Am Sorry I Am Such A Lame Blogger, Please Still Be My Friend, I Miss You... Contest"

Yes, it does seem as if I dropped off the face of the earth.

There is no dramatic or scandalous reason I haven't blogged since August. Everybody is healthy and content here at ThreeDogKnits. Jackson got to go on vacation with me in November. Betty is fat and happy. Sasha didn't eat a single glass ornament this holiday season (a Christmas miracle!). Time just got away from me.

One of my resolutions (which I'm making up as I go along, as I am too disorganized to put them in a list) is to blog more. I have really enjoyed making blog friends this past year and don't want to let those connections fizzle because I am too busy (or lazy) to post! I have kept up with your blogs, even if I haven't commented as much as usual.

So, to kick the new year off right, I am having a contest. The reason for the contest is twofold: 1) because it is my blogiversary! and 2) to make up for being so lame. It is the most simple and elementary of blog contests; anyone who leaves me a comment between now and.... let's say next Wednesday, January 16th by noon EST, will have their names thrown into an imaginary hat, at which time I will randomly select one name. Possible comment topics include: your 2008 resolutions, what you think my 2008 resolutions should be, general greetings to me and my dogs, and lastly, whether I should buy a sewing machine, a Wii, or a vacuum cleaner that actually picks up dog hair with the money I am going to save from not buying a gajillion skeins of sock yarn this year (okay, there's another resolution).

The prize: one lucky winner will be the recipient of not one, but two skeins of Socks That Rock lightweight: Gingerbread Dude and Sugarplums (no longer available on Blue Moon's website).


Random items:

• Yesterday I bought Sufjan Steven's "Songs for Christmas", which I am listening to right now. I love it. I put it on and immediately got the urge to bake more Christmas cookies. Yes, I am still listening to Christmas music on January 9th. Therefore is it any surprise I don't have any New Year resolutions to share? By my calculations I don't have to have those done until next week.



• I am also totally digging The National "Boxer". Buy it. Listen to it. Listen to it again and enjoy it even more than the first time.



• Someone found my blog by googling "shuffleboard for dog". To this person I say, Wait! Come back!! I have two questions. Is this for real? And why don't I know about shuffleboard for dogs?

Season's Greetings from Three Dog Knits!

I know it's been way too long since I've posted anything. Posting will resume after New Years with a contest to start off the new year right.

In the meantime, Jackson, Betty, Sasha and I want to wish you and your family a very, Merry Christmas!

Peace,
Christine

Hey, brother!

Marigolds (a la Pam, but shuffleboard style)

When I first saw the photos of Pam's (Ms. FlintKnits) original Marigolds I knew I had to have them. I knew they had to be yellow just like Pam's. This may admitting to my complete lack of original thought when it comes to imagining her Marigolds in any color but yellow, but I don't care. I needed them in yellow! Needed them I tell you!! Now I have them and I love them!

Modifications? Heck, no. The pattern knits up quickly. It's easy to memorize but keeps your interest (I love the ruffles!). The yarn is Black Bunny Fiber, wool/silk fingerling yarn. The colorway is Trophy. I really enjoyed using this yarn; it's super soft and non-splitty. This is the second time I've used Black Bunny Fiber and both times I've had no problems with pooling or flashing.

My only issue with these socks is that for two weeks I've had that Rufus Wainwright song (Rebel Prince) in my head. Not the whole song, just the part where he sings "marigold, marigold, marigold" over and over and over. Grrrr!!

While I knit these I indulged in what will surely become an annual summer ritual: watching all three seasons of Arrested Development back to back. Honestly I watched a few episodes from Season 2 a few times because "Good Grief" and "Afternoon Delight" are my favorites; I think AD really hit its sweet spot in the middle of Season 2. God I miss that show. My brother gave me the dvd's for Christmas last year. Last week was the first time I broke open Season 3. And guess what?! There were two episodes I missed when they originally aired. That means I got to watch two new-to-me episodes! For someone who loves the show so much she has almost memorized every line that was a pretty amazing discovery.

I'm so lucky to have a brother who gives me AD dvd's and appreciates hand knit scarfs and socks (and ladies, he's a-vail-a-ble!). So, in honor of the best younger brother a sister could have, here's a compilation of that other younger brother, Buster Bluth, found on YouTube. Enjoy!

Stitch N' Pitch and a special shuffleboard night for knitters

I'm the one in the tie.

Stitch N' Pitch at Tropicana Field is this Saturday! I'm really looking forward to meeting tons of Florida knitters. To kick off Stitch N' Pitch weekend, a group of us are heading to St. Pete Shuffle this Friday for what I hope will be the first of many shuffle/knitting meetups. Some fellow Ravelers will be there; one all the way from the east coast. Sean is bringing people from our LYS, Needles N' Knobs. Tampa knitters, can I persuade you to represent? Orlando?


Think of the potential photo op for your blog: Florida knitters playing shuffleboard at the world's largest shuffleboard club. It doesn't get more Florida than that. Friday nights at the club are a blast. Cool music, diverse crowd, lots of fun. We're open from 7-11pm. Free to play and there are plenty of people (like me!) who can teach you the rules of the game. If there are enough people interested I'll give my official tour (I've got the flight attendant two-finger point down pat). If you have any questions, or need directions, just leave me a comment and I'll reply. Or check out St. Pete Shuffle. You'll easily spot me at the club because (hopefully) I'll be wearing one of those awesome Ravely buttons that Jess sent especially for us Florida knitters!

On Saturday there might be an impromptu, totally laid back yarn crawl. If you're from out of town and want a list of LYSs I'll be glad to provide. Rumor has it that Needles N' Knobs has 15 bins of 30% off yarn this week.


On Saturday evening there will be a parade of shuffle/knitters on Central Ave. making their way to Tropicana Field. Okay, I kid. I'm sure one day we'll have our own float. But for now you're on your own getting to the baseball game. Tropicana Field is that big white dome in downtown St. Pete. Can't miss it.

If you haven't bought tickets for Stitch N' Pitch you can still get them from Needles N' Knobs. Remember: Gate 6 is the gate to get into Tropicana Field with your needles!

See you there! I'm in Section 353, row B, seats 6-4. Come say hello!

My Sockapalooza socks crossed the pond

If you happened to be passing my house on Monday afternoon (noonish), you may have seen me rip open a package and squeal with delight. Then you may have seen me breathlessly running down my street, a sock clutched in each hand, shouting, "People, there are beads on the socks! Beads. On. The. Socks!" Okay, maybe I didn't do that last part, but I wanted to.

The socks are from Liz. She also sent me a postcard of her area in the U.K. and a gorgeous felted rose brooch. Oooh, I've got just the jacket for the brooch.


The socks are beautiful; the pattern, the color, the fit, the beads... everything. The main pattern is Kew (from Knitty); the turned down cuff is Liz's brilliant addition. As are the beads. Can you see the beads around the cuff in my photos? On her blog (which has a fabulous photo of the socks) she mentions she added the beads to look like raindrops on leaves; like a summer rain in England. How brilliant is that?

The yarn is Fyberspates from Wales. I like that this new-to-me yarn was made closer to her than me. Aren't the colors gorgeous? I took at look at their website; they have some great colorways.

I thought these socks deserved more than my standard "socks on ottoman on front porch" photo. I enlisted the help of my stepmother. It was her first time photographing socks (she kept instructing my feet to "work the camera, girls").

First I took them to the park:


Then I took them to see downtown St. Petersburg. They especially enjoyed the waterfront and the view of the marina:



I hope they feel right at home here. I am one lucky gal. Thank you, Liz!

Weekend

Sockapalooza 4 socks are finished! These are Poseiden socks knit with J. Knits in Newburyport. I hope she likes these. I'm slightly self-conscious about my – ummm – less than perfect short row heels. When I ordered the yarn I didn't expect the color to be so bright. She said she likes pink and purple and she's gettin' it! I haven't seen too many bloggers talk about J. Knits. I lurve. The colors are gorgeous. The two pairs of socks I've made with it are so soft and comfortable. I'm definitely ordering more.


While the socks dry from their bath (I assume she doesn't want dog hair on her new socks so I gave them a thorough washing) I compiled a little package to send with them. I made a little sock band to wrap around the socks which I'm quite proud of if I do say so myself.

I knew I'd be even later than I already am with Sockapalooza if I let myself start reading THE BOOK. Yesterday I finally let myself take THE BOOK out of the Amazon box. Yep, I didn't even trust myself to open the box. So two weeks later I'm ready to join the party (it's cool to be late to parties):


You know I'm kidding about sitting on my front porch in August wearing wool socks, right? This is just for show. I finished these socks a few weeks ago. It's hot enough outside to make grown men weep. I sat inside with the A/C and with as little light as possible. It is stinkin' hot here. This is what my Sunday looked like:


Sasha on my right, admiring the beginnings of some Horcrux socks.


Betty on my left, cooling her belly (there is a fan above her).

Jackson doesn't "cuddle" in the summer. He spent the day under an A/C vent in another part of the house.

Sockapalooza, samosas and shuffleboard

I'm almost finished with my Sockapalooza 4 socks. I'm making Poseiden socks with J. Knits in Newburyport. Have I mentioned how much I love J. Knits yet? I've knit two pairs with it and each one feels as comfortable as my favorite pair of jeans.

I'm much farther along than the photo below shows. All that's left is one more pattern repeat and the ribbing. I'm still having problems with my short row heels. I can make them mostly without holes now but for one rather large hole where heel meets ankle. I've tried every trick I've read about but still haven't been able to master it to my satisfaction. Oh, short row heels... you are my white whale!


This is a crappy photo. It has been raining for three days straight here. So, yay! for my lawn but boo! for outdoor photos.

Fortunately the weather was perfect at the St. Pete Shuffle last Friday. The Shuffleboard Club teamed up with SPIFFS (St. Petersburg International Folk Festival) and VICAS (Volunteers of Indian Culture & Art Society) and hosted India Night. About 250 people came out to shop for crafts, eat Indian food, watch traditional dance and yoga, and play shuffleboard while watching Bollywood movies. It was a perfect activity for a hot summer night in Florida.




A group of Florida crafters set up a craft show inside the clubhouse. Many of the crafters are members of the Florida Etsy Street Team.


There was a screen set up to watch Bollywood movies.


Our courts were full! We ran out of shuffleboard discs (which is saying something because it is the largest shuffleboard club in the world. For reals!).


My attempt at Georgia O'Keefe-esque photo of the roof of the club sans tripod.