Surprises and RAKs

I don't like to whine a whole lot so not many people are aware of hard times at pug palace over here, but we sure have had our share lately. Only my Tractor girls really know what's what, and today one of them, MarySK, sent me such a wonderful RAK that I was speechless. Mary dear, you astonish me with your generous heart! This package arrived out of the blue to lift my spirits and I am showing off what I got from her: TWO skeins of Stroll from KnitPiks, one is Playtime and the other is Tea Party, also get this the ENTIRE set of harmony dpn's!!!!!! Now I'm all in a dither about what to cast on for socksies! Yay!
Also in the surprise category, thegirlpurls sent me a very sweet thank you for joining the bookworm swap in pincushions: three patterns! Yay! Thanks Lori!
I am working on my own prezzies too, including a set of crazy looking hootowls,
and trying to design a handknit Erik doll from Trueblood. Let me know if you like the idea of a squishy Erik doll to hold under your pillow, k?

Nick turns 11

We celebrated Nick's 11th birthday today. We went to see the movie 9, which was pretty neat. Very cyberpunk. We had him fooled into thinking we just got him a set of pads (see pic) but then we gave him his skateboard. He seems pretty pleased with it. Cake with homemade frosting after dinner, woot!

Welsh Sock Pirate Invades Whimmy Diddle Competition

I've never been to the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway before, so it was high time I dressed as a pirate, and dragged Ward and our visiting sock monkey to the Appalachian Heritage Weekend's 29th Annual World Gee Haw Whimmy Diddle Competition. I'm still not sure, but we think the event involves a stick of wood and spinning and noise. We DO know that the prizes include a moonpie and that is the important thing. I'm pretty sure that we intimidated the other people who apparently had no idea that it was National Talk Like a Pirate Day. I found a pitiful hand-knit sock similar to the one pictured here, with a price tag of $83.50. When I asked the snooty Guild woman -who made the typo?- she informed me that the sock (ie Christmas stocking) was handknit. I told her the socks I was wearing were also handknit. So therefore if I went home and whipped up some thick ribbed red n white socks I could sell 'em there for $83.50 EACH?! She looked at me and my monkey, in our pirate bandannas, and tried reallllly hard to come up with lots of vague snotty reasons why we could not possibly be in her Guild. AS IF!
We did have fun watching the sheep shearing, and Mary Mwinci rolled around in the roving just to make y'all jealous. She thought the Gee Haw people were a bit serious. So I'm off to furiously knit some thick red socks.

Bonsai Potatos! ARRRRRR!

Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day, me mateys! I have loot to report, spotted off the bow. Our dear friend 8ntfrogn, a wench of generous crafty spirit, sent the Jr pirate knitter a pair of handmade skull knitting needles. Also, cheers for the harddrive since our computers have recently been under attack by the fleet. In addition, my favorite Canadian Pirate Manitoba2ct, who is off invading a wedding with sock monkeys today, sent our crew a chest of magnificent plunder! Manitoba2ct, see if the sock monkeys can get SMMP's cheating boyfriend CHAD to walk the plank before he gets hitched. ARRRR!
Also, the pirate pugs are busy trying to attack our sock monkey visitor as she and nunderwoman stuff themselves with booty including gummy fangs and brains, gum eyeballs, and chocolate. Ahoy! yarn has been hidden and cards stuffed into jewelry box. We are all reading up on the Zen of Potatos. Much cranky piratical love to you and Don the Armadillo! Grrrrr Arrrrrrgh....PS: loving the pug soap!!!! XOXOX

Amazing Nickly

Time to brag. Yep. Here are a few pictures of my ten year old son, with the thingey that he knit. I.am.exlpoding.with.le.pride.
He decided to make it into a "sweater for mini purl". Shown here modeling of course.
The only other thing I can say: fruitcakes! Mwah ha ha!

Hawt Pink Skivvies

Ward is much better now, and pictured here being greeted by our latest houseguest- visiting Welsh sock monkey Miss Mary Mwinci. Mwinci means monkey in Welsch. I figure I might spell it correctly once out of two times, eh?
Since we are a house bursting at the seams with boys, I decided right off toknit Miss Mary some panties. I used this pattern and thought I'd be clever and make them bigger. As you can see from nunderwoman's fearless pose, the hawt pink britches are huge. Back to the drawing board.
It did give me an idea though- I could almost step into these me own self. Started wondering how cool would it be to get some cotton worsted weight in wonderwoman colors, knit up some boy shorts in my size. Then I thought of fru- cupcake panties! And Jollypyrate- black skivvies with a skully! The possibilities are endless. I think I can do up the pattern. What do y'all think: a pattern for plus sized knitted wonderwoman skivvies. Let me know.

Lame

Lots going on at Pug Palace. We have a new foster fellow, named, well he came in as BlindWillie only he's no longer blind due to helpful meds, and Eric calls him Oscar, but he told me his name was Phillip and Son #1 calls him Charlie. Its all good because he's deaf. Anyway, Saturday I called an ambulance for Eric, I thought he was having a heart attack. I mean five little boys were running through the house hollering, plus seven dogs. Then he complained of chest pain, got sweaty and threw up. Anyway it was his gall bladder and today was surgery day. Was supposed to be an outpatient thing so I brought a sock and a little cap I'm working on. Finished the sock, halfway done with the cap, still no word, the guy finally comes out and tells me the gall bladder was all icky. Ok, he showed me a totally gross picture. And he said gangrenous, not icky. So the hubby has to stay in hospital for a few days, and I'll be back n forth checking on pugs, little boys, hubby, and I swear when it's all done I will buy myself a pound of fudge and eat it all by myself.