Breakfast Surprise

Pug sillies began last night as Easter helped me to put together the sock monkey blanket for Sophia. We forgot to cook chicken for Mini Purl's breakfast, so I was up early this morning to make it as she did her teeny happy dance in the kitchen. She got SO excited that she left us two small gifts on the kitchen floor. While the chicken cooled, the sock monkeys and my pink bear girl all had pug rides on the couch for fun. Silly pugs and sock monkeys. I think we should enjoy it while it lasts, because as soon as I read that the swine flu has reached North Carolina I'm yanking the boys out of school and my days will be full of home schooling and squabbling. Woot...

Goodies!

Today has been both relaxing and happy here at the Pug Palace. First of all, Brenda called with the wonderful news that dear little baby Sophia has finally decided to be born. Mazel Tov to Bronwen and Jeff!
I finished reading Eat, Love, Pray and just in time to send to Brenda with her sock monkey blanket which I will get to work on tonight. I can't recommend this book enough- it is truly a gift.
Kathy sent me the rest of the sock monkey faces and squares for the blanket, along with a HUGE box of goodies- yummy chocolates, gummy candies for the horde, a book from my Amazon wishlist, fabulous yarn, a monkey bookmark, nun bowling game (hahahaha) and the best card! Thank you Kathy! Is this my secret swap package? It must be! I love it!
Grandpa sent a welcome package for Mini Purl, some biscuits that she is delightedly gumming, and the cutest hotdog outfit ever. Seriously. Look! We love you, Grandpa!

Posy Pillow

Mixed review of Stitches South here. I think SAFF has spoiled me. SAFF is here in Asheville, at the Agricultural Center, and there are sheep. And lots of deals, unique yarns, little farm stalls, tons of Ravelers. Stitches South was at the Galleria in Atlanta and it was fine I guess, very organized. There were booths representing many of the major yarn brands but they weren't selling yarn just had samples. The LYS's from GA were there, and some others, but I kind of prefer the crowded noisy stuffed to the rafters SAFF environment.
I DID get to see Turtlegirl76, and she was wearing the perfect sweater to match Guy Monkey. I scored some gorgeous sock yarn and Guy got to pose with the famous Miss Babs, shown here with my secret pal's lime sock yarn whichMissBabs hand dyed herself.

When I got home, after the pug attack, I finished the cute Posy Pillow from AnnieAmelia, and petted my sock yarn. A LOT. And no, Sillyfru, you can't haz it. I think I might try Jillwalkers!

Fo's and Mini Purl Update

I finally got tired of all of my wip's and finished off a few things that have been gathering dust, including this fish scales scarf made of Taos Silk. Slippery thing.
Also, as you can see, Mini Purl is feeling right at home. I took the pics with her little bodygaurd, the Mighty Bean, so you can see how tiny she really is. I love the one pic where he's looking at the camera like "WTF?!"

Guy the Ska Monkey Rides for BlueRidge Pride

For those of you just tuning in, I am part of a craft group online that shares a mission to send our Sock Monkeys all over the world. Each sock monkey visitor stays a month in each location and there is a lot of photo journaling, blogging, and adventurous silliness. Right now I am hosting Guy Fox, the Ska Monkey. Yesterday as we were driving downtown, he flung himself out of the van to investigate a herd of pink flamingos. He talked to their leader, a Miss PinkPants, who explained that they were involved in a lovely fundraiser for BlueRidge Pride. They even let Guy pose for a photo! Apparently, for a small donation, you can arrange to have this entire herd of lovely flamingos land in the unsuspecting yard of your choice. Mwah ha ha!!!!!!!!!! Guy is trying to talk me into flocking the UU church.
Of course, we can't WAIT for next month's visitor, a transgender sock monkey with a huge heart and loads of personality. We are hoping to make some friends in the Asheville Community that will welcome ValenTina in style.

From Stinky to Fabulous

My friend Manitoba2ct is the best. After a really harsh few days, I popped into Ravelry to see what my friends have been up to. B knew what has been going on over here and she did the only thing she knew might cheer me up, she took Sister Mary Monkeypants to Knit Night and was courageous enough to approach a REAL LIVE NUN. Meet Sister Judith. A good sport. I love you to bits, B!

The New Kid

Well, these sweet ladies rescued this little girl from a kill shelter and brought her to me today. They were calling her Lilly, but I hope they won't mind us changing her one-day name to Minnie Pearl. You can't really tell from her pics but she's a teeny little thing! Nine years old. Very smart. Jolly is just, omg, beside himself in love with her. She's fostered through Mid-Atlantic pug rescue. They are terrific.
In that picture, Pearl is sleeping on the couch and Jolly is protectively snoozing with one paw on her. Awwwwww!

Headless Sock Monkey

Yeah, I can't sew worth a damn but this page makes it so easy a cavegirl could do it.

Gramma sent me this hilarious wig, which I can't decide if I look more like a roller derby queen or a cartoon girl from the Flintstones. Either way I wish I was a man because this wig would be drag queen-a-licious!! Also, some generous lovely Meowing person mailed me a crap-ton of Easter goodies, pictured here with the half-sewn sock monkey. I love my overseas candy fairies! XOX

PS: Tomorrow we are getting a new foster pug, a little black girl pug, dumped at a kill shelter because "she's old". Stay tuned!

Call me Crazy

But I cast on for another wallaby. Also finished Pickle's Group 30 scarf, and spent the morning cleaning. After a power nap I found several strange things had occurred: computer parts had exploded on the dining room table, and a scary action figure, previously buried in the boys' room, was unearthed and had made advances on one of the racing nuns. What to do. I want to make Easter (the doglet) a pink cuppycake for her birthday. I assume that her birthday is today. Time for tea!

Wonderful Wallaby!

I can't decide if I feel like smoking a cigarette or dancing a jig or what. I'm definately making this again.

Stop the World:

The Annual UUCA Book Sale is this weekend, Apr. 10-11 from 9am-4pm in Sandburg Hall.

I'll be there at 9am this morning. See Ya!

Update: The entire set of Horation Hornblower for the boys, five Robert Heinleins, Three Anita Shreve, Bel Canto, The Kite Runner, Three knitting books, Two Cornelia Funks for son #3, A vampire book for son #1, math puzzles for son #2, a copy of Bottoms Up, and I only spent $27 bucks.
Also, instead of boring book pics, look at my little girl, ready to mail herself to Brooklyn to visit her boyfriend Grandpa Pug.

Monkey Day

Today started out as a regular knitty Thursday, with Lizabee meeting me at World Cafe. We knit, and gab, and knit. But then we went thrifting, and I found a sweater (for a sock Monkey) and some cloth for a Tractor Swap, and when I got home there was mail! Along with a copy of "Eat Pray Love" which my tractor girls are swearing that I must read right now, there was a sock monkey dishcloth from sweet ABitKnottie, SO cute! Also, ILoveSockMonkeys' sock monkey faces came in for Brenda's blanket and they are PERFECT! WOOHOO!
Yeah the only weird thing I bought was this teeny skirt that is all pink and sparkly and might fit my ankle if I hold my breath. I don't know what came over me, I have three huge boys. I'm hoping it fits Shoshana's little doll girl. Either that or I am now buying pink clothes for imaginary little girls. Cause it's too big for a sock monkeh.

OW!

Scrambled Tuesday: it's snowing. I love it. Jolly modeled Shebear29's crochet scarf for me, looking all cute, then ran under the table and jerked the laptop down RIGHT onto meh foot. Meanwhile, Amandaleigh had me all faklempt with this description of my Tractor group:

just remember a couple of things…

• we love each other unconditionally
• we love sock monkehs
• we don’t bite (unless you ask Gretta real nice like)
• we love to share
• we will do whatever we can to help each other out, no matter what
• there is no better place anywhere for support no matter what’s going on in your world.

ETA

• cheetos and buttercream frosting should ONLY be used for medicinal purposes, never recreational!!

Also I am fascinated by peeps all of a sudden. So funny. And is it bad that I'm crushing on Adam Lambert? Wow I loved his song tonight, who cares how gay he is.
And, I am NOT into guns. Just, you know, fyi.
And Brenda called me, yay!
Right now, in order to scrub the images of Courtney Love from my brain, I am collecting pictures of cupcakes on photobucket.

And Now for Something Completely Different

Candybritches posted this in my group the other day, and I just can't get over it. I mean, a merkin is silly enough, but a MONKEY MERKIN?! Also, I'm intrigued by how easy it looks to actually make one. There's also the very awesome and hilarious cthulhu menstrual cup available from this creative knitter.

How to celebrate Spring with heathen boys

We stuffed the plastic eggs with dollar bills, candy, and chores. Then we put all the black licorice jellybeans into the golden egg. I made them swear that whatever they got in their eggs they had to keep. Mwah ha ha...
Of course Ruby helped hide the eggs. It's her last day, she's being put down tomorrow which is why we went ahead and had the egg hunt today.
Try chasing four boys with two pugs on leashes and a wild Sock Monkey while taking pictures. The sock monkey found three eggs all by himself. He got some jellybeans and has to clean out Ward's car. The pugs are exhausted. Everyone is smeared with melted chocolate and there are plastic eggs on the floor.
We got some great pictures of Ruby in the purple flowers that are growing all over the yard. It's a good day. Sunny, happy to be here with these messy boys and my pugs and the flowers and Ruby looking out at the woods.

Asheville Sidewalk Astronomy

I read about this cool free event here and since son #3 just finished studying this stuff in school we took Guy the Ska Monkey and headed to Pack Square. It was really nice, downtown Asheville on a Saturday night is so pretty and friendly. We heard street musicians and we got to see Saturn. It looked exactly like a glow in the dark sticker. I wonder if Guy was the first sock monkey to see Saturn. We stopped in at Marble Slab and got ice cream afterwards. Guy wanted pistachio but he settled for sharing son #3's peanut butter oreo cone.

Socks Class!

Are You Addicted to Knitting?

If so, you might want to come to my first knitting class! I am going to teach Silver's Socks class at Purl's! Only $45.oo and it will run once a week for four weeks from 10:30-12 noon starting April 23rd. Tell your friends!

Seriously I'm really psyched. Silver's is such a great way to get introduced to a skill that has intimidated many knitters. She breaks it up so well that you turn the heel without even realizing it.

10 Foster Pugs Mwah ha haaaaaaa!!!!

Last year I had the boys convinced that we were shipping them off to military school for April Fools' Day. Son #1 actually cried. So this year the hub and I took son #2's bed and moved it into the other boys' room. Then I put all the dog crates and dog toys into Son #2's room and papered the floor in newspaper. I told them that they all have to share a room because Mom is getting ten foster pugs from MidAtlantic Pug Rescue. This was all Easter's idea, with help from Stripey the Sock monklet.

Update: Damn kids. The military college stunt ruined them for life. All three of them pretended to be thrilled with the ten extra puglets. Blast.