collecting dog sweaters for local animal shelters

I started doing this a bit last year, but really didn't keep up with it, I think partially because I started too late in the year. But, this year, I think I'll need to start a bit earlier.

I've got three very local animal shelters, who would gladly take in knitted or crocheted dog sweaters - one that is local to me in Mississauga, and two others that are local to family members who live within Ontario but at least an hour's drive from me. I'd like to be able to collect @ least 20 sweaters per shelter - so a total of 60 at least. Although knitted or crocheted sweaters are prefered, any sort of dog sweaters would be greatly appreciated, as long as it's warm.

The sweaters must:
- wrap around the dog's front legs. No cape-style sweaters.
- made from a warm, machine washable yarn or fabric. If it’s not machine dryable, that’s ok, but at least machine washable. Many dogs are rescued in the winter and suffer from frostbite and hypothermia, so a warm fiber content would be needed for these dogs
- fit a 60lb dog or smaller. There's no minimum size, but anything that would fit up to a 60lb dog would be ideal.
- knitted or crocheted doesn't matter, but please nothing lacey or with big spaces in them. If you're making something with granny squares, make sure that it's a more 'closed' pattern. We're aiming more for warmth rather than pretty. 
-  All sweaters must be submitted to me by September 30, 2010.

To get my mailing address, please email me at purplespirit1 {at} hotmail {dot} com ... or via ravelry - I'm knitphomaniac there.

Some examples of this size dog (up to 60lbs) can be found here and here.

Thanks. :)  

trying, once again, to get published in knitty

Why is getting published in knitty, of all places, a slight obsession of mine? I've no idea. It's just something that a part of me feels I need to accomplish.

I haven't blogged about this all that much, if at all (I'm not prepared to reread my entire blog to look for this info) ... but I've submitted a number of patterns to them and have yet to get something published. Now, if I were able to design a pair of socks or a sweater or a shawl or something lacey, maybe that would get my foot in the door. But, I'm not a sock designer, nor do I have patience to knit lace (let alone design something) ... and designing a whole entire sweater is just arduous. Possible, but much too time consuming. And, truthfully, shawls are really not my style, plus they fall under the "Why I Don't Knit Lace" rational. (Ignore, of course, the latest {and only} shawl I've knit for myself ... that was done in exception, since I'm attending a wedding this summer, it would be appropriate to wear there.)

Besides, I love more instant gratification projects. I love scarves and hats and mittens. My affinity for scarves is the reason why I wanted to learn to knit in the first place. I know that knitty has published many non-sock, non-lace, non-sweater, non-shawl items. So, the question is, am I ever going to be able to create something knitty-worthy?

Well, I love cables. If you haven't noticed already, I knit cables into as many things as I possibly can. I wonder if I could put together a scarf or hat or wrist warmers with a fun and different cable pattern, that could get published?

I was inspired last night, while watching tv, to cast on another scarf onto my knitting needles. Despite it being May, despite the warm weather, I'm knitting ahead for the cool weather. Plus, the current deadline for the next issue is July 15th, for the October issue. Fingers crossed, I can come up with something that appeals to the knitty editors.

sock monkeys finished

How ironic is it to make sock monkeys not from socks? Weird, right? lol... But anyway. I knit a couple sock monkeys, as my Holiday-Headstart knitting begins. The dark grey one is for my nephew, and the light grey one will be for my neice.

I have a hard time sewing things evenly, which is why they look slightly different... but they are the same design. The pattern is from Patons, and each measure about 18" tall.

custom order completed

These are the front and back views of two custom order pillows that I was asked to knit via my etsy shop - I just finished both of them yesterday. Made both out of Lion Brand Thick & Quick, and heavily cabled too, which I think look fabulous. 

Love, love, love cables. On anything and everything. 

finished a vest for my dad

Made a vest for my dad:

I hope he likes it... I'm going to gift it with the shawl for my mom when they arrive for their vacation here next month. I used a basic vest pattern with pockets, and intergrated the cables in with it, because I love making cables. There's just something abundantly classic about making cables, they're so fun, and they're so nice to look at. Whenever I see cabled anything, I automatically think of those aran sweaters from Ireland or something. :)
Also, I finished a shawl for myself:

It's not the full picture, obviously, but the center of the shawl... so you get the idea. The pattern is called Gail (aka nightsongs) and I used a yarn called Schoppel-Wolle Crazy Zauberball, which is one I discovered @ my LYS that I thought had a really fun colourway to it.
As much as I hate knitting lace (hate it!) I must admit that I love the way it turns out. I think I need a good break from knitting lace for a while! ... I have a wedding that I'm attending in July, so that's where I plan on wearing this shawl. I just need to find the right dress to go with it!

spun another ball of yarn!

This took me forever, but I finally finished it.

Was:

WIP:

Is:

Yay!

I'll miss theanticraft's blog

A couple weeks ago, the folks over at theanticraft.com posted on their blog that the blog shall no longer be. Not entirely surprised, considering how rarely it had been updated since facebook, ravelry, and the publication of their book. But I'll still miss it. Their blog was one of the main reasons why I went online. I don't know why, but I always found their blog contributions very entertaining and informative.

Facebook updates are just not quite the same.

But I digress. Such is life, and such is the evolution of the internet. I suppose blogs are becoming less "cool" when you can do instant updates on facebook, twitter and other places.

I've been a bad blogger...

... I've been much too distracted doing pretty much anything else, so, sorry. But, catching up today is better late than never.

DH and I have started the ball rolling with getting the garage done this year. It's falling apart, and it's something we should've done last year. Again, better late than never. It's unfortunately going to cost a small fortune... but one of those necessary evils. Fingers crossed, it'll be up by the end of July at the very latest - but a part of me is hoping it'll be up by the end of June.

Also, my parents are planning on coming over for 3 weeks. They'll be here for the last week of June. There's a wedding happening during Canada Day weekend that we're all invited to, and I'm working on a shawl that I may wind up wearing to it. I'm just finishing up on the edging atm.

More knitting projects... I've been working on a few items for my etsy shop and am starting to refill it, since it's been virtually empty since xmas. I also - believe it or not - have started knitting for xmas 2010. Because I'm that neurotic. I know. Just a couple small gifts for my neice and nephew for now. But I really like getting those out of the way a.s.a.p. ... and pictures to follow once I get those finished.

another pattern published!

Just got my keelhauled scarf published @ theanticraft.com ... :) woo hooo!

two projects done

I've been a bad blogger, I know. Much too much time has passed since my last post. But, it's only because I've been busy knitting.

I've finished two projects lately.

Last night I knit up another owl coffee cup cozie, which I plan to gift my SIL @ xmas. I know that's a long way away, but I wanted to start doing a little care package of knit items for her, which I plan to wrap in a Tim Horton's timbit box, which I was able to snag one for free a while back. A few more items will be going in there. Also note that I've revised the pattern, because I now realize that making this in aran weight yarn is a teeny bit too loose, so I've decreased by a few stitches, which should make this a bit more snug. If using DK or worsted yarn, it should be fine as is.

I also made my mom this cathedral shawl (scroll down a bit for the pdf link to the pattern) which I made out of some Fleece Artist Ottawa yarn. It's hard to tell in the picture but it's actually a very beautiful shade of blue, which I know she'll love. I plan on gifting it to her when she comes here on vacation in July. I'm also working on designing a sweater vest for my dad, so they'll both get something. But for now, this one is what I have done.