Purls and Pugs

It's a "Tee Party"!

The reason I have not written in a while is a good one. I am heading up a group at work that is putting together a golf outing fundraiser for a charity. For those of you in the Chicagoland area, and who golf, we are raising money for the Association for Individual Development. The Association for Individual Development (AID) is a private, community-based, nonprofit organization that serves over 2,500 individuals of all ages with developmental and/or physical disabilities or who are in need of behavioral health care. Our service area is primarily Kane, Kendall and DeKalb Counties, Hanover Township in Cook County, and the entire City of Aurora. Their mission is to enrich the lives of individuals with diverse disabilities by promoting individual achievement and community inclusion. Their vision is that individuals with disabilities will live, learn, work and socialize in the mainstream of community life.

The outing will be August 3 at Royal Hawk Golf Club in St. Charles, Illinois. The entry fee is $150 which includes lunch, 18 holes and cart, alcoholic beverages on the course, dinner, and fun! We will be taking teams of four pretty soon. For those of you who do not live in the Chicagoland area, you can always fly in! If that is not feasible, you can donate if you are so inclined. If anyone is interested, please click the email me link to the left and let me know. I'll have more information as the days go on.

In preparation, I have started taking golf lessons. Let me tell you that I can feel muscles that I have never felt before!!! It's fun when you get a hold of a ball and send it flying, but a little embarrassing when you accidentally hit the top of the ball and it bounces about 3 feet away.

Almost Cynthia

Back in August I started to work on Cynthia from Hot Knits. I finished the back rather quickly, and then almost finished the front. Then I realized that I didn't do the shaping increases. Oops! So, I just hid her away until I decided that I wouldn't feel so bad ripping back all the way.

While I was doing some Spring Cleaning, I found her again and decided that it was time to finish her. I ripped back to the ribbing (Why re-do that if I don't have to?) and then started again. I finished the front in about 3 days! What was I putting off?! Here she is almost complete. She is seamed and is getting a neck treatment. Then I sew in all those ends. Just in time for nice Spring weather!!

But what will I do to keep myself busy when I am done with Cynthia? Glad you asked because I have tons of projects in process and tons waiting in the wings. The goal is to cut down my stash. Not that it is huge (one big basket), but I have enough to make some more projects. I am trying to be so good, but Webs is having a good sale on some yarns I want. Need to knit faster!!!

Let's Go for a Walk!

Everyone with dogs will attest to the fact that sometimes you just don't have time to take them for a walks everyday- especially if the weather is pretty cold! Since the weather has warmed up, I have been taking Yoda on some walks around the neighborhood. She LOVES them. Since we don't have a fence, she really isn't allowed to run around too much, so the walks are really good exercise for her.

These daily walks take us by a park with a large field. While I don't let her off the leash, she is able to run around. I chase her, she chases me. I get good, FUN exercise. One benefit of these walks is that Yoda is worn out after them. I try to go as far as possible without having to carry her back. Since she is so worn out, she likes to be lazy. Here she is on our pillows. I had stripped the bed to wash the sheets, and she didn't care. Those pillows are still comfy!!

Yoda the Huntress

I don't know what it is about a ball the spits out treats that makes Yoda go crazy...Hmm, now that I think about it, it must be the treats. I found this ball, that can record your voice, at an after Christmas sale. I thought it would keep Yoda busy for a while. After I turned off the voice recording, I let her loose.

Man, I never thought Pugs were hunters. Well, meet Yoda the huntress. She will kick around that ball for hours, even if all the treats are gone from it. In her defense, she is not the brightest crayon in the box, so it's not her fault that she doesn't know there are no more treats. But it is really fun to watch her try to catch the ball and make them fall out.

I think I might be a little evil. Just a little.

March Showers bring April Flowers

Um, yeah, that is a different kind of title, but how else do I explain the Reverse Bloom Washcloths I have been making? I made one of these (not pictured here) when it was all the rage about 2 years ago. I also bought 5 skeins of Cotton Chenille to make more. It wasn't until recently that I actually made some more. I was feeling a little like I wasn't accomplishing anything with all the projects I have going. So, I needed a quick pick me up! What is cuter than some flowers? Dare I say nothing!

I also bought the Fad-Classic pattern Wendy is selling. Since I have a ton of green Knit Picks Shine leftover, I needed something to use it up. I think this vest will do the trick. I think Wendy needs to stop designing patterns. I just buy them all!!

Yoda is Spring Cleaning. She needs to find new places to store her hidden bones. She is just not happy with having them in between the old couch's cushions. I'm not sure where they finally ended up, but I am sure I'll find them one day while I am doing laundry or something....