SpaceTricot

I have always wanted a dog...
A small dog of my berry own.

I rescued a dog last Thursday.
He is a one year old Pug.

Here is my Gus!

I rescued him from Tails-of-hope.org

We traveled out to Boonsboro, Maryland where his foster lives, and for me it was puglove at first site.
We took Ox with us to make sure he gets along well with him, and they ran off together.
We rounded them up, I signed a contract, wrote a check and we took him home.
The girls told me it was "like a dream" that we were getting him.

He rode really well in the car. Very alert, and it was an easy trip.

We settled in for the weekend, and he stayed glued to my side.
It is fabulous.

Then I go Ow! What was that?? oh my g-d. a flea.
Immediately M and I speed into action. We've had him for almost 24 hours.
We're thinking the same thing
INFESTATION of EPIC PROPORTIONS.
We start scratching and feeling oogy.
He gets his first bath and I pick most if not all the fleas from him.
I scratch, he scratches, m scratches... oogy all around.

He gets frontline.
We go online and buy 200 dollars worth of frontline on the internet.
For the cats, for Ox and more for Gus.
I spray the carpets, I vacuum the couch.
oogy.

We decide until he has proven himself he will be crated at night.
This is how he would prefer to sleep...

I'm so happy.
He fetches, he's quiet, he's as in love with me as I am with him...
He plays tug of war with Ox who is very gentle!
The cats have already shown him they rule the roost...one hiss and he was like OKAY!!
He's learning to Sit and Come and the command Leave it.
He likes tiny carrot pieces for treats...

He's got a little ways to go to be completely housetrained and on a schedule...but he's awesome!

I am knitting.

this is due to the people I know procreating at an alarming rate.
None of them want to know what they are having.
This is really an ordeal for a knitter.
I dont really like to knit creme colored things.
So I am using what I have.
boring yellow.
in the creme family.
YAWN.

I have 3 baby things to knit.

I am knitting a sweater.

I have to knit a hat and baby socks.

I want to knit a blankie. (ha!)

I lost my mojo for knitting with all of the fabulous stuff going on...
I thought I would take you on a tour of my baby knits of olde.

All two of them
Vintage H Knitting

Hat and Socks

Hand Dyed Woolerina yarn

Baby Trellis Sweater
This was a labor of love as I gave it to an old friend for her first baby.
This was the only knit she got from me.
Enough effort for 3 babies went into this sweater.

The Front

The Back...

People will be getting shortchanged this year. Simple and from the stash!

GUS

I love my baby Gustopher.
M calls him FishHead or DisGUSturd...these names mean Gus is pugging his way into M's heart, slowly but surely.

He got stabbed in the eye by the stupid cat on tuesday.
Punctured Iris. O.M.G.
One of the only parts of the eye that bleeds.
Within 2 hours, he was at the vet. Probably saved his eye.

Gus and I will be going to his follow up Vet appt. today...
I hope he is healing nicely.
Man, it takes the patience of Lord Buddha himself to get drops into his eye.
He got wise to me dropping it in with a treat.
I thought I was slick.
One time was all it took.
Little white bottle = Gus' audition for Cirque du Soleil...the Pug Contortionist.

The cat is lucky that there would have been witnesses to retribution - that is all I am saying.
M and I are deciding if declawing or outside is best for Carrot if there is more disturbance in the Force at Casa K.

I can't have Carrot turning into Darth Maul every time Gus is around.
My light saber is bigger.

Just because I love him so...
here is what I look like without my knitting on the couch lately...

Couldn't you just eat him up?
PugDelish!

I love MY dog. Like a love I have never experienced before.

The love of a dog is different than a love of a child, husband or friend.
It's adoration. plain and simple.
I'm his human.

He is always around me. at my feet, looking at me, if I go outside, he is upset that he can't come and will attempt by any means possible to come with me. In the morning, he stands by the door expecting me to take him along for a ride. He prefers me. I love this!

Wherever I am...he is.

he plays fetch. FETCH!! love it!
Outside in the backyard...he chases me and I'm always IT.

He's not perfect, he pulls so hard on the leash that I feel like his little chest will cave in.
Pugs have to have harnesses because of their delicate necks.
He is obsessed with cars. he is DYING to chase them.
We have a no pull harness to try this week.
I hope it works.

Things Gus likes to eat...
food of all kinds - Veggies too
cat hair (gross)
cat food
cat poops (gross)
cigarette butts on the side of the road - (attempted. I have gotten them all out of his mouth)
sticks
mowed grass clippings
hairties (he carries these to me)
underpants
socks (he carries these to me)
one eyeball from a stuffie

The list grows.

One of my favorite times is at about 8:30pm...and he climbs up - spins around twice and flops down...then lets out this large nasal grunt and closes his eyes - feet tucked into my side and falls asleep. We cover up, and settle in.

When there is a lap that needs filling...
He'll be there.

When there are cold feet to be warmed...
He'll be there.

When there are crumbs to be sniffled out...
He'll be there.

if if not...there is always homemade apple pie.

Gus for halloween...

When I put the hat on him...he refused to get in the car. He hates the hat.
Can you tell?
It's not a manly hat.
he was offended.
He came to work with me for our halloween party. I was the beekeeper.

Keepin' Watch for lunchtime passersby...

he manages to keep his Joe Cool mojo rockin...

Gus Looking for crumbs..

Snoozing Smushface Style...

Gus says...keep it real...and only wear your hat when Mum makes you wear it!

G-man out.

let me tell you about my latest obsession... National Parks. (thanks Ken Burns!)
I saw that week long documentary...and wow.
Somehow after thirty hours of watching it on the telly, I got national park fever and we went to Harpers Ferry
Something about aquiring/stamping the park passport and watching it fill up...it GETS me! stamp stamp stamp!

The girls clambered on rocks and trees.

We only ended up with one wet foot. M and I were white knuckling it while they were up on the tree...
Someone may have inherited my apprehension of heights and falling into cold water.
I like the direction provided to the faint of heart...lets just go up that way...
skootching on yer butt up a log...ugh. Scary!

But, closer to the bank, courage returned!

They apparently make leaves bigger in Harpers Ferry. This one was particularly Blog Worthy

Yikes!
I was expecting to find some sort of tree nut the size of an ostrich egg with a leaf that big.
This was my view for most of the trip...I guess I am slow

A sign that echoed what I had been saying all day.
Tweens are notoriously clumsy...especially when they are eating, walking, bickering, looking about, and not listening to their parental unit.
I made this one pose with the sign so I could say...
See I told you! Now eyes in front of you!

Here is M - probably herding us toward the exhibits. Tweens love to dwindle and dwaddle.

I'm getting good at these! My freakishly long limbs do come in handy!

happy newlyweds...
Next excursion...we are going to DC... there are 4 stamps to be had in the district and I am going to get them.

This past weekend I went to Georgetown with these fine ladies...

Tanya, Donna, and Ei

What would we do without our PDAs?

I think it went like this...
Synchronize iphones/Blackberries!
Right, where are we now?
Ooh I got a text!

My favorite text was the "what are you wearing" sent by tanya at many given points during the weekend.

We had a fine old time!
There was yarn shopping, regular shopping, SWISH dinners, and cupcakes...

There *may* have been a small mishap with my lovely cupcakes...but they tasted FABULOUS just the same.

We stayed at the Fairmont Hotel in DC...and it was a lovely place to rest and recouperate.

Even with all this cavorting about...I've managed to get 2 items knitted and off the needles.

I finished the 2nd pair of the fingerless mitts - with plenty of yarn to spare!

and I knitted a sweater for my GUS.

This is the Cowl and Howl pattern from Stitch and Bitch...I took a little cowl off the howl. . I also added a hole for his harness for when he takes me for a drag. He has so much energy!!
PS that coke can is empty...but he is always looking at me (see below) and I had M distract him with something that smells tasty.

here he is in his favorite spot..curled up anywhere he can find on me.

Although this morning, he elected to stay in bed with M. When no one is looking, they are best buds.

This last weekend I got to go to my first Bar Mitzvah.
Hubby and I got to get all gussied up!

As I had RSVP'd and knew it was cocktail dress.

I have decided as one of my resolutions this year
I will change out my wardrobe with Classic Elements.
Having a Little Black Dress became my obsession, and this was my first occasion to wear it.

I found this Vintage 1960s Black Velvet LBR on EBAY.
I won it for $6.91
It is in PERFECT condition.

I even got to use my velvet jacket

Hubby got into a suit...

and off we went...
he even disco danced with me.
HEAVEN!

Twas the night before Valentines Day... it was perfect.

This last couple of weeks have been snow covered... this did not deter my little family in getting in DC and going to see the Terracotta Warriors Exhibit on display.

I love living where I can see this great stuff.
I've seen exhibitions of King Tut, Cleopatra, and now the Terracotta Warriors.

National Geographic Museum in Washington DC.

We took the metro down and enjoyed the National Mall in the slushy snow.

Washington Monument

The Capitol Building

I got a little cheeky with a warrior...
I like older men (2200 year old ones...)

It was a grand day...
Look at my little pixie.

I knitted those hats, btw.
Gull Lace beret
160 yards.

Poor Gus...

"Mom wont let me take the Metro... but howsabout a COOKIE?"

" hey mom...have stogie, will travel"

Spring has sprung in Boring, Maryland...

The GusMan is out and about among the bees and the buds...

"Beez? Did you say Beez, Mom? Wherez?"

I've been knitting socks socks socks lately. Three pair in about 3 months. Not too Shabby.
These were knitted for my grandma...
Summer and winter socks for her!

All superwash. Super easy. Super Special for my Gma.

Here are my latest...
Knitting at the airport...

Completed!!

Colinette jitterbug...
Made for this lovely bestie of mine, my darling Ange.

modelled by her...

My little girl who isn't so little anymore...
Shiny faces for Springtimes

Hubby likes to pick me fleurs...

"beez? wherez are the beez?"

Tuckered out...

Happy Spring!

I love these. I can knit these with leftovers.

I love them so.

Someone else is not as impressed.

"all knitting does, is take up Mom's lap"