July 4th

In most cities in the US, Independence Day, July 4th, is celebrated on July 4th with music and fireworks in the city park. Not so in the city where I live. I enjoyed music and fireworks last night, July 3rd. The City Park is about a mile from my home, so I hear the music and can see the fireworks that go above the trees. So today I might celebrate again in another city or two.

Now let me introduce you to another niece....Becky. A gardner, knitter, baker, cook, former school teacher, day care provider, sewer, wife, and a mother...where does she find the time. And if you want movie reviews, check out Becky's husband's blog.

To answer Katie's question about the Guiding Eyes dogs, the ones that are currently in this area for raising/training are Labs. I'm told occasionally a Golden is sent. And German Shepherds are rarely used any longer. The public see Shepherds as police or protection dogs and are afraid of them.

Puppies are named at birth and keep the name for life. And they are not neutered/spayed until they complete their training at the Center. This is so dogs with good temperment, etc. can be selected for broods or sires.

If the dog is not cut out for Guiding, another career may be in their future. A service dog for autistic, deaf or other needs, search & rescue, or bomb/drug finding. If they just are not able to make it, the original raiser is offered the chance to adopt. There is a dog in our group, she's 7 now, that would become so depressed when she couldn't complete a task that she was deemed not usable. She lives with her raiser now and comes out to classes to visit the puppies.

Here's a link to the May 09 graduates.

And please let me add, that I am not an expert about Guiding Eyes. I've asked lots of questions and read quite a bit. I'll share what I learn as I continue in this process.

A random picture because I haven't taken any in a while and what's a blog without pictures!


The Snow of Winter '09

June 2009

Many years ago, on some newsy type tv show, I saw a story about seeing eye dogs and the people who raise/train them. I added that to my list of things to do one day. Wasn't quite sure when that day would be. The last 20 years at Big Bank my job entailed to much traveling to join clubs, or organizations or even take a class at a university.

There was a break about 16 years before I retired, one year and three months to be exact, that I only left the city 3 or 4 day a month. So I bought my first house, signed up for dance lessons and brought Bailey home, and thought....this is what it feels like to stay still.

But that changed when Bank bought another Bank and became at Big Bank that in 15 years would be Really Big Bank. I was on the "transition team" which meant I had to be where the transitioning was going on. Check out Ravelry to see the states I visited/lived in during those years.

So Bailey adjusted to week days at Four Paws Inn, I adjusted to weekends at home and life went on.

When I retired, I thought about those seeing eye dogs, but Bailey was adjusted to being an only dog and really liked having me to himself.

In late May I called the local rep for
Guiding Eyes. She invited me to attend their mid-June training session for puppies.

I begin MY training to raise a puppy in August. I can't wait. Hope I pass.....

May 2009

May is
Maryland Sheep & Wool. I did watch my spending and came home with 5 skeins (1 lace wt cashmere, 4 lace wt wool) of yarn and 2 patterns. Not bad at all.

I was very excited about one of the patterns. A shape for a shawl that I had not knit. Started right away and found so so so many problems with the pattern. Designer posted corrections that made it even worse. I rewrote it. It works. It's the start for my next WallisKnits pattern.

The month of May was spent learning about life in Princess Anne County from 1636 to 1810 on the Plantation of the Frances Land family. Two of my friends were roped into "volunteering" for my first tour. It's been lots of fun. My "Jane Austen" costume hasn't arrived so I'm wearing a 1750 style.

The end of the month was a very happy time indeed. My niece Katie married her David in a beautiful ceremony on a beautiful day. Here's her Blog where she discusses her new life of a wife & step mom. Check out her chickens, her lovable dog Scooter, her new puppy Elmer, gardening and her felted items..check out her etsy store...

April 2009

The first weekend in April, the weekend Bailey was acting like a 5 year old, the Frances Land House (link on the right) held their annual "Gathering of the Guilds".

This is an event the Knitting Guild has participated in for many years. Smockers, quilters, sewers, basket makers, hand carvers, bee keepers, potters, spinners, blacks smiths and so many many more demonstrate their craft. I've attended this event since 2001, when I joined TKGV aka The Guild. So much to see that I never really stopped to talk to the "workers" at the House.

This weekend I commented to a "worker" on her dress (think Jane Austen). She replied "you can wear one too". I learned that the majority of the workers are volunteers. I signed up!

2009 The First 3 1/2 Months

January '09: My calendar says I was at Ewe Knit Kits quite a bit working and teaching.

February '09: In February there was the "Super Sale" on the 1st. You know the day of the big football game but you can't name your sale after it or you risk receiving a nasty letter from a lawyer representing a big corporation.

Bailey had his annual check up.

Melissa Leapman stopped by to teach 4 classes for
The Guild. Cables!

The Guild held our annual Charity Knit In. Lots of fun and blankets for St. Mary's Children's Home and Chesapeake Humane Society.

And I got my hair cut.

March '09: KnittaPalooza was fun. Not sure if it will be the final one. No word from Bobbie. I released the last 2 George Family Patterns, RosaBelle and Marguerite.


Nixon visited for a week. He and Bailey slept while I folded clothes.

And a group of 20 or so knitters got together to duck tape ourselves. T shirt, duck tape wrapped around the body several times, cut up the back...


Bobbie closed Ewe Knit Kits & Yarn brick & mortar store. (First time since I was 12 I do not have a job. Began with babysitting most weekends) Website is still open and has been updated. You can find all of my patterns there for PDF download.


April '09:




On April 8th, Bailey's kidneys failed and I had to make the decision to euthanize. He died 15 years to the week he had come to live with me as a 12 week old puppy. The Friday before he wasn't well. His regular vet wasn't available and his partner diagnosed arthritis and gave him an injection for pain. Bailey a new dog. We walked for 2 days like we hadn't in the last few years. 2 miles plus each day. But by Monday he was showing signs of distress so back to the vets office. Wednesday the results of Monday' tests were in and I made the decision.

They say when one door closes others open....and they did.

An update

It's been just over a year since I blogged. An update on the highlights from my calendar:


July '08: Celebrated my birthday. Had my annual checkup.

August '08: Had my hair cut and car inspected.

September '08: Coco flew in from Atlanta for a mutual friends 70th birthday celebration weekend. We all worked at Big Bank together. Caught up on all of the Big Bank gossip...nothing changed. And we celebrated Coco's birthday. Knitting Pure & Simple knit in Plymouth Baby Grande Alpaca.


Bailey guarding Coco's Birthday Gift

Later in the month I helped "man the booth" at the Chesapeake Heritage Fiber Arts festival for Tidewater Knitting Guild of Virginia. A last minute decision to enter my knitting resulted in Best In Show cup, First Place and 2 Second Place ribbons.

. AND an alpaca vendor asked me to knit a few display pieces for her in exchange for yarn after seeing these.

October '08: Fall Fiber Festival at Montpelier was fun. Purchased 1 skein of yarn..alpaca, black, 600 yds.

Stepped down as President of the Guild, 3 years is looong time. I'll work on the Community Committee...a committee of one.

Took a Tatting class...don't ask. I made lots of knots.

Began training to work as an Election Official in November.

Clara Parks, Knitters Review & The Knitters Book of Yarn presented a fantastic talk on fiber. It was fun catching up with her.

Had my teeth cleaned. No cavities.

November '08:

Worked the elections. Very long day.

Started a knit-a-long at Ewe Knit Kits for a top down sweater with a different stitch pattern every few inches. Still have a sleeve and the button bands to finish.

J, K and I went to KnitXperience at Graves Mtn. Fun weekend meeting new knitters. And of course Graves Mountain Lodge is always fun.

And I was re-elected to BOD of my homeowners association. Not a big deal...no one else voluneered. It'll be my second time. I took a year off.

December '08: Quiet month. Christmas Day with my mother. Working at Ewe Knits.

So that was the last few months of 2008....

5 sweaters, 7 knitters & 1 heat pump

May here in the Tidewater of Virginia was very mild. Actually cool some days. Ususally we've turned on the air conditioning a few times before June's heat and humidity comes rolling in. But not this year. So as the first day of real heat hit us I flipped the little switch to turn on my air. Nothing. So a call to John's Brothers on Monday morning had them coming out on Tuesday morning to tell me...we can fix what's broken for eightyeleven dollars and something else will break because your system is old old old. So, bright and early last Thursday morning when it was already 95 degrees 5 Men & their trucks pulled up to my house



and by the end of the day cool air was pouring through the vents from a brand spanking new heating and air conditioning machine that cost caused my checkbook to say "we didn't for plan this, what about that new roof we wanted!".

That night, Bailey enjoyed moving from favorite place to favorite place finding the cool spots. No picture, but imagine a long haired black dog in 100 degrees panting really really hard finally finding cool.

Friday, the Men in Trucks, showed up to hook up the heat side of the new machine.

A week later cool air is still blowing out the vents and we've had a nice break in the 101 heat. A nice balmy 85 with low humidity today.

In knitting news.....

Andrea redecorated Ewe Knit Kits to include a "Wall of WallisKnits" patterns.


Thank you Andrea!

And let me introduce you to the "Morning Knitting Group at Ewe Knit Kits".



Almost any morning of the week, you can stop by and find them knitting away, discussing the lastest pattern, yarn, their families or where to go for lunch. Stop by and join them some morning!

I've been busy knitting sweaters and shrugs.

All are Knitting Pure & Simple patterns.

A black (looks charcoal but it's very dark black) cardigan in Rowan's Calmer



And a great way to use up all of that novelty yarn we purchased 2 years ago that's still sitting in your stash A red cardigan in Berroco's Love It and Trendsetter Charm.



And 2 new patterns from KP&S that knit really fast. The Woman's Bulky Shrug
that probably took 4 hours of straight knitting to finish. I used Plymouth's Baby Grande Alpaca 2 1/2 skeins for the size 40. Didn't quite get gauge so I went up a size.

The note pinned to the front says "2 KnitIn's will be held for this shrug". I'll be holding a 5 hour "class" where we'll knit this shrug. Wed July 9th or Sat July 26th.

And look at this little tiny shrug! I'm knitting the 18mo size in Kertzer Butterfly. And I used the optional lace bottom.



The lace wt Morehouse Merino sweater is still on the needles. Very slow going there and I'm enjoying the portability.

In Ewe Knit Kits news: Bobbie just returned from TNNA. She said she shopped til she dropped and shopped some more. So in addition to the Universal and Berroco yarns we've already received, we should be getting in lots more over the summer. Mountain Colors order was big. Namaste Bags are coming in. Lots of patterns. Trendsetter had good deals.

This Saturday, June 14th, is World Wide Knit in Public Day. Ewe Knit Kits will hold our annual "Sit and Knit" so bring a chair and join us. I'll be there. And Bobbie will be sending out the email to talk about the days events (and by events I mean what's on sale) soon. I'll update the Ewe Knits Group on Ravelry when she does...because you know she doesn't tell us in advance.

And Happy 90th Birthday to my Aunt Trony! THE Aunt Trony that the "Trony" shawl is named after.