CONTEST WINNERS! HuggleHounds

Thank you to everyone who entered to win the HuggleHounds Long and Lovely Lions!

The winners have been selected by random number generator...

Here are your random integers: 2, 8

Timestamp: 2010-10-8

Congratulations to Chan & her fashionistas and Jen & her big boys! These lovely lions will soon be roaring on their way!

How Old in Dog Years?

Mama's Nosey Girls

You say it's your birthday... It's MY birthday too, yeah... They say it's your birthday... We're gonna have a good time!  (just don't ask me how many... especially in dog years)

It's an uber busy day around here, so excuse the picture heavy post for Dogs on Thursday.  I finally got some shots downloaded from the Nikon D90 and man do I love them.  The Lapdogs are always great subjects, but there's something to say for a high quality digital camera... by far one of my best investments ever!

Teutul...

 

Zeus...

 

Lola...

 

Sophie...

 

I just love this one of Sophie & Tut...



Mama's Hooey Hounds

 

CONTEST WINNER! Brave New Knits

Thank you to everyone who entered to win a copy of Brave New Knits!

The winner has been selected by random number generator...

Here are your random integers: 6
Timestamp: 2010-10-6

Congratulations to Cat! Please get in touch with your snail mail address so I can send this great book off to you!

Hey, Man!

Happy Wordless Wednesday!  I spotted this hayman in Ogunquit, Maine on Saturday...

10 Things to Love About Fall

This week's Ten on Tuesday topic seems to be tailor-made for me!  It's 10 Things to Love About Fall.  Seriously, what's not to love about fall?!?!?!

1. It's FALL - My favorite season of all!

  

2. October - My favorite month of all.  The weather is superb, there's a long weekend in the mix, Halloween is fun and my Mom, Teutul & I get to celebrate birthdays.

 

3. Foliage  - Nothing beats New England foliage. 

 

4. Pumpkins - They're a great decoration, but taste even better... coffee, ice cream, pie, roasted pumpkin seeds, pancakes, donuts....

 

5. Knitting - While I do knit year-round, fall gets me in the mood to get those needles clicking faster and wrap the ones I love in hand-knits...

6. Festivals/Farm Stands/Apple Orchards/Corn Mazes - What better way to spend a crisp fall day outside?

 

7. Socks - Fall is the official start of hand-knit sock weather! 

8. Football Season - I love football, especially my Patriots! 

9. Comfort Food - Soups, stews, roasts..... yum-o!  What better way to spend a rainy fall Sunday than inside watching football with the ones you love and something delish in the crock pot? 

10. Cuddly Dogs - Cooler temps definitely make for cuddlier lapdogs.  They love to cuddle while we're watching TV and if they fall in the right spot (or take over their Daddy's shoulder as the girls demonstrate below), I can usually get some knitting in as well. 

 

I could go on and on with more things to love about fall, but I'll stop at 10 and leave you with a couple of old Halloween photos...

Race Cars and Chili?

Monday already?  Just where did my weekend fly away too?


Welcome to ManchVegas

Yesterday we went to the 2010 World's Championship Chili Cookoff.  It was a perfect fall day for chili... cool and breezy, but warm in the sun.


Old Glory flying high above Veteran's Park

With the $5 admission we each got five competition sampling tickets and got to fight our way through the crowd wander around the competitor's tables trying to decide which ones to taste.  I'm not a spicy food fan, so while Matt went for the booths proclaiming hot & spicy, I tried to decide who was mild & tasty.  Surprisingly, most all were mild to moderate, although at least two that I tried were downright bland.  My favorite was #161, but sadly I can't recall where he was from.  My second favorite was from Hawaii... a little different, with just a touch of sweetness.   

There were also a wide variety of vendors and I was pleasantly surprised to run into Maydene and her Mrs. Beasley's Dog Treats (and I do believe you can still use the KCKELP coupon code to get 10% off during checkout).  After reviewing her wonderful dog treats, it was great to finally get to meet her in person!



And you know I couldn't leave her booth empty handed.  I picked up some K.C.'s Kelp Krunchies, Peanut Butter Oatmeal Carob bones and Maple Mollies for the Lapdogs.



Saturday was spent driving to Maine to pick up Matt's new Legends race car.  He's moving on from karting into the Legends series for 2011.  

The biggest question of the day... "Will it fit?" (in the trailer that is)  The answer...  "Just barely."

 

Last weekend was more than likely his last kart race for awhile and he took home 2nd place. I finally decided to wear my "Got Kart?" t-shirt... anyone seen a "Got Legends?" one that I can replace it with?

How was your weekend?  Did it involve any race cars or chili?  



Thank You Mommy... but next time can I go with you?

REVIEW: Knitted Nursery: Toys, Clothes and Furnishings for a Beautiful Baby's Room

Knitted Nursery: Toys, Clothes and Furnishings for a Beautiful Baby's Room  
by Nancy Atkinson & Sarah Jane Tavner
Paperback: 144 pages
Publisher: Guild of Master Craftsman Publications Ltd (September 7, 2010)

As knitters, we almost always know someone who's expecting and therefore, always have baby knits on the needles, right?  Well, it's time to forget all that you know about those baby knits... it's not only about hats, booties and blankies anymore!  Leave those ho-hum nursery items on the registry at Babies R Us to the uncreative and think - or rather, knit - outside of the box!  With over 20 patterns in Knitted Nursery: Toys, Clothes and Furnishings for a Beautiful Baby's Room, you'll have something new to cast on for every baby this year!

Published by our friends across the ocean in the UK, Knitted Nursery is not your typical baby pattern book.  You won't find any pastel pink or baby blue amongst the pages.  Instead, it's all about bright, bold color.  The photography throughout is beautiful and really shows off the strong, contemporary style.  Again, this is not your typical baby pattern book... and I love that!

The patterns are fresh and exciting - for both young eyes and old.  Knitted Nursery is suited for beginners, yet there are plenty of adorable toys and other fun patterns to keep advanced knitters interested as well.  Beginning with the simplest of patterns and progressing from there, Knitted Nursery allows beginners to learn as they knit and build their skills in a chronological order.  The first two patterns, a Snuggle Blanket and Snuggle Cushion Cover are made up of individual squares that are sewn together in the end.  Although I personally don't love sewing seams, these are great projects for beginners who want to see instant gratification with quickly finished squares.  From there the book takes you through decreases, increases and simple stripes. 

Although there are some clothing items in Knitted Nursery, the best patterns truly are the knit toys.  Some of my favorites from the book:

• Lazy Day Armchair ~ as seen on the cover, it would be a fabulous addition in any toddler's room
• Washing Line Wall Hanger ~ a group of adorable little knit tees that act as storage and look cute strung across a changing table or bookcase
• Draughty Dog ~ this knit "hot dog" (dachshund) is designed to be a door draft dodger, but triples as a cushion and cuddle toy
• Pompom Pixie Hat ~ think Dr. Seuss and Whoville.... adorable!
• Cosmic Cube ~ an interactive space-themed cube, each side features a different activity for baby to play with

Beginners will appreciate the great Getting Started section which includes information & illustrations on casting on & off, basic stitches, shaping, buttonholes, tension, sewing up and troubleshooting.

If you have an expecting friend who's expressed an interest in knitting, Knitted Nursery is the book for her!  If you find yourself knitting baby hats and booties time after time, perhaps you want to add Knitted Nursery to your own bookshelf... especially if you want to venture into knitted toys. 

About the Authors: Freelance writer/journalists, Nancy Atkinson and Sarah Jane Tavner both began knitting as children and became passionate designers. Nancy has written features and columns for many publications, including The Guardian, Vogue, Glamour and Marie Claire. Sarah is a freelance writer and programme maker for TV and radio at both the BBC and Discovery Channel. They both live in London.