How could you shoot a dog??

Short & sweet .... How could anyone shoot a dog that is NOT attacking - NOT maiming - NOT - mauling anything or anyone?

It this day and age - it happens. My heart would like to believe that stuff like this is isolated - my brain tells me 'not so much'.

Gage was a seemingly happy, carefree, well trained & socialized pit bull . Yes ... he slept with his family & YORKIE dog siblings. He wore Santa Hats & Christmas bows in his hair. He danced in splashes of water and snoozed in afternoon sunbeams. Ah ... such is a dog's life.

Then, why, may I ask will I be wearing this shirt in honor of his memory this coming Saturday??

Well, seems like Gage's neighbor didn't like him. Didn't care about his Christmas bows & Santa hats. Didn't care about his social skills or dances with the waves. He saw a FREAKIN' pit bull and decided it was time for target practice. SHAME ON YOU, Mr. Neighbor!

Please consider a donation to Gage's family as they are battling legal fees to get said neighbor's unfriendly, ok, murderous Gluteus maximus into prison where it belongs! Go HERE - to view how a pit bull is also a son & a brother!

Diesel would appreciate it. Yes - he has donned his share of silly clothes and silly poses ... but, as a dog who is half rottie, can I show you how much he hates thunder??

God Bless Sweet Gage & his family.

to knit or draw?

Some long time readers of this BloG remember that I am an 'artist' - at least I think of myself as one. Pastels are my medium when I long to put images on paper. I like to think that I am half way decent in this foray too. Like knitting & spinning - there is always room for improvement, and the more time one makes to develop a talent, the more talent they seem to have.

There in lies my problem: putting the time into drawing once again. I really, really, really want to draw - but, I am nervous. O Heck ... I am actually afraid. There, I said it ... I admitted to the world that I am afraid to draw! What if I lost *it*? What if I can't translate what I *see* on to paper??

This weekend, as I attempt to complete a pair of sox for Macuwita sni ... I will also attempt to draw.

I found this sketch from 18 YEARS ago:

This pastel was created about 5 years ago:

Sadly - there hasn't been to many paintings since .... sigh!

So, I ask you to send me 'creating vibes & calming energies!' This weekend, I wish to painting something ... wish me luck!

Socks

I haven't knit socks in a while - but I have had a skein of "Lakeberry" that I had purchased from Ray at Knitvity a while back.

I casted on Saturday ... and the with Celtics playing a LATE game once again tonight, I just might finish the first sock. I would be SO happy with that. After all, SSS (second sock syndrome) doesn't happen to me all that often, but I want to make sure it doesn't happen here since I am in the throes of using STASH. Yep - only 57 ounces to go .... YiPpEE!

Well, here is what I have completed thus far .... and "GO Boston Celtics!"

One mitten note: some readers have requested the pattern for the mittens I displayed in a previous BloG post .... Well, HERE it is!! Have fun .... WhEEEEE!

A Mitten Weekend

I am having a difficult digesting that we are in the middle of our first heat wave. YiKes!

My garden lettuce is wilting ... Diesel is wilting ... and I am just plain melting. Seriously, it is ONLY the second week in June and temps in the mid 90's makes this New Englander quite crabby! Sigh ....

I did manage to complete 3 pair of mittens for Macuwita sni over the weekend. Yes - it was quite warm to knit ... but mittens, like sox, are EZ PZ in the heat. They are small - they barely touch you - and while you are sweating off water weight - you know come December they will being warming the hands of someone who hands just might have been terribly cold last winter.

So ... here they are!! The trio was made from stash yarns. A truly nice way to reduce my mountain of yarn! WhEEEEEE!

Diesel Spins

Once again, busy, busy, busy!

It is all good and it makes me reflect on my time management skills or lack thereof. I feel like I haven't been that productive - although to look around the house & garden - I have accomplished a bit.

As always, there is still much to do.

I recently put a notion into my head that says: "You can't purchase any yarn or wool until you have knit and/or spun 5 pounds of stash!" Yep - 5 POUNDS!

This is going to prove difficult as there as SO much that I want. Yep - want - I don't need a thing. Sigh .....

So, by my calculations 80 oz of stash must leave the studio in some way, shape or form. Currently, I have 70.6 ounces left to go .... O Diesel ... can you help me??
Remember .... Inspire Art! Create Art! Buy Art! Be ART!! Comments, please!