263. So, This Is What Happened on Saturday

I finished something which, as you can plainly now see, is not a Trekking sock. It is, however, a fun and wonderful Trekking mitten, and I started the second. (The colorway is 110, I believe.)  This in itself is cause for celebration; am I RIGHT?!

But I also bought some fabulously sensuous, yummy yarn and some little leather buttons.  Anyone have any ideas what I'm planning? 

AND THAT'S NOT ALL!  While I was waiting for Norton 360 to download onto the new laptop, something got into me.  I grabbed that ball of Berroco Denim Silk that's been sitting on my desk for -- cripes, what is it, two years???  -- and decided that's ENOUGH OF THAT.  I cast on 36 stitches and started knitting a scarf in Twin Rib.  Nobody will remember (I hardly even do) that this ill-fated yarn was knitted into a Ribby Shell (yes, I see that it was indeed over two years ago!), but I ran out of yarn and it's discontinued and et cetera, et the fuck cetera.  So it's been wound into cakes and has been displayed in a glass pitcher on my front hall table for lo these many months/years/whatever, except for this one cake of it that's been collecting dust on my desk.  It's about time it got knitted up. Good things come to those [yarn cakes] who wait, I guess. The denim silk scarf and the mittens should look good with the CPnoH that I WILL have done by Rhinebeck.  I will, I will, I will.  I will. 

I knitted almost alllll day.  Apparently I have caught the knitting bug again. 

WAIT, THERE'S MORE!  I cooked a meal fit for a queen and king -- 99.9% local, too.  Most of the vegetables were from my garden, of course.  And ohhhh, how delectable they were.  The buttercup squash grown in the compost bin was to die for, as was the vegetable melange of the day:  one perfect zucchini, a few broccoli florets, some Swiss chard, some red onions, and celery, all sauteed in butter.  (The celery was not from my garden, and not local, drat it. Neither was the butter -- it was Costco butter; shame on me.)  The chicken legs were cooked in garlic and ginger butter -- everything local except the ginger and the butter again.  Given how perfect the squash was, I'm down in the dumps that I've only got three more to eat, and they will be savored, every bite.  And given how wonderful the zucchini also was, it's a real shame that the zukes were so retarded in their growth and this one plant only took hold in the last few weeks when I rescued and transplanted it.  Dang. 

AND IF ALL THAT WASN'T ENOUGH:

And I was informed that I am....ahem....a grandmother. (Perish that thought......right now!)

Meet Mr. Jefferies, toy Yorkie, a little guy that I am sure to adore:

ETA:  OK, perhaps I got up on the wrong side of the bed, and I'm about to apologize for my attitude.  But NOT.  The old Harlot's thing about don't come into my living room and start being rude?  Remember it?

Please rest assured that I have harped at my daughter and her boyfriend for two years that they may NOT get a puppy in a pet store.  And they did NOT.  Ryan did the research and he got the puppy from a reputable breeder in New Jersey.  So let me put this to rest right now.  But I must ask the question:  Even if they had, it would be too late now, and why does anyone feel it is appropriate to come to my living room and lecture me about the issue, hm?  Friends or not.  It's even worse coming from friends, because you people should know me well enough to know it's not an issue. Let's just say I have some raw wounds from a recent encounter in my actual living room, so if this sounds like an overreaction, maybe it is, but I'm touchy.  Where have civility and manners gone? 

So shut the fuck up.  OK?  Done?  Cripes.

Comments

[Mel]

Just tell me they didn't get him from a pet store.

[Kathleen]

Beautiful mittens.

Gorgeous, though I suppose I should say Handsome, little dog!

[Kristen]

Toy yorkie?! Jeezus. I didn't realize that they came any smaller than their normal frighteningly small size. (I'm with Mel on this one.)

[Paula]

The pup is adorable no matter where he came from. Hi Mr. Jeffries!

In your current knitting frenzy, don't forget to knit the mate to that mitten. I already wore mine the other morning when it was frosty.

[naomi]

A buttoned cowl-thing? I love that color.

[Judy]

As usual, my summer squash came in a once, Not much but no spacing. Eat or freeze. My favorite way to eat them.. grilled.
That's a pretty cute grand dog.

[Manise]

Cute pup, but I have to second Mel's comment. Those are usually from puppy mills. It's easily Googled from the pups papers.

I'm thinking buttoned cowl for the lovely olive green Manos- I spied some at my LYS yesterday. And I really like the Trekking mitten. Nice colorway.

[Anne]

Wow! Honest-to-goodness knitting? I can't believe you've fallen off (or on, I suppose) the wagon again.

I'll guess a neckwarmer, cuz that's how I am.

[Jean E.]

I have a friend whose sister bred those. So very cute. Teeny tiny dogs with big hearts and lots of attitude. Nice looking mitten, too, but if you want people to remember the knitting, maybe you should avoid putting it in the same post with such a cute grand-puppy!!

[Carla]

Okay, I think you are going to make flip top mittens with the yarn and buttons!

[sandy]

It's almost too much to bear in the morning. All that knitting? And a grandpup too? And more knitting being planned? And meals fit for royalty?
Sounds like a perfect Saturday!
xoxo

[Bonney]

Love your mittens; pattern, please? (manners enough?) Welcome to grandmothers of dogs club!

[Roxie]

What an adorable grandpup! My mom had a yorkie - the happiest little guy in the world, always thrilled to see people. If you walked down the driveway for the mail, he would throw a party when you got back. And if you went to the the store, he went into ecstasies of bliss at your reunion. But he hated it when those men came and stole our garbage once a week. He would sit in the window and curse them loudly every Friday at 5:30AM

Real knitting? Wayyy cool! Or warm, as the case may be. Maybe a helmet with a button neck since the hoodie is hoodless.

[Carrie]

Damn, my links are messed up - I thought this was Norma's blog.
OMG, if he were from a pet store you'd have to disassemble him and send the faulty parts back to China. /smartass
Seriously, he's a love. The mittens are great, and the Manos looks YUM.

[Cathy]

Awww...cute puppy! That said, I don't want a small dog--a dog would have to be at least bigger than my cats for me to see the point in it. But my two best friends--one has a couple of chihuahuas and the other has a dacshund (or however you spell it--a weiner dog) and I don't bug them about it--their home, their business.

[Teresa C]

Hmmmmm.....

Anyway, great mitten, I love that color of Trekking! Erin has socks out of it.

I only have a grandkitten, but she is the cutest thing. Cuter still when she leaves to go home. It is true what they say.

Friggin' Bloglines.

[Felicia]

Knitting? I thought I was at Norma's blog! Great job.....and of course my first thought was wow - those aren't socks! I'll echo the guess of a buttoned cowl. Go perfect with a non-hoodie.

Cute grand pup. I'm sure he's the perfect size for city/apartment dwellers.

[--Deb]

Look at that adorable face!! Welcome, grandpuppy!

[DebbieB]

I'm addicted to you, babe. It's official. I logged onto your blog before I fixed my coffee this morning. That's love. Or illness. Eh, semantics.

I've got that same Trekking, and knit it into a pair (ok, that's not true - a sock and a half) that I'm feeling 'meh' about. Perhaps it would better enjoy being a mitten? Ask your Trekking for me how it feels about clothing a hand instead of a foot - certainly it will be better seen than hiding in my shoe. Hmmmm...

Oh, and ear scritches for the wee little grandpuppy. Um... we don't have to knit for it, do we?

[Teyani]

cool mitten - I haven't gotten into knitting mittens yet, but they look like such fun.
I'll bet you're going to make a cowl with that gorgeous Manos.

congrats on the grandpup - yes, he's amazingly cute.

[Leslie]

Jeebus, Dr. Mel - LIGHTEN UP! It's Norma's damn blog and she had nothing, absolutely nothing, to do with Mr. Jefferies coming into her life.

Now that the rant's over, I think he's absolutely adorable and can't wait to see the little winter coat you're going to knit him (rolling my eyes) and the little bed. Oh yes, knitters! Norma will knit for her grand-dog - I'll bet a quarter on it :)

[(formerly) no-blog-rachel]

I feel exactly as you do about human grandchildren - I was thrilled when my son's long-time girlfriend told me recently that if they ever do decide to have kids it will be many years from now. But that little canine grandchild is adorable!

[Smith]

I about fell out of my chair! I finished mitten and more knitting to come? Yay!!
Love the grand-puppy!! How much fun is that going to be? When does Mr. Jefferies come calling?

[Kate]

Congrats on the grand-pup... I have a beagle-daschund-sibling that my parents got when I moved out and my parents and Dan's parents have a grand-cat. They love her.

That wee Mr. Jeffries might need a *ahem* sweater from Grandma for those rough NYC winters!

[Abigail]

#1) I love Roxie's comment...it almost made me cry

#2) For all of yous out there in blogland who didn't grow up with my mom...she's got a lot of spunk, that girl, but it's always out of love. She's my number #1 female hero.

#3) Though Ryan surprised me with precious Jefferies as an early anniversary present, we did months of research beforehand, and he was in constant contact with the breeder a month prior to his purchase. We're all tempted by those doggie's in the windows (ruff! ruff!) but I think the world is coming around, and the fact that so many of you out there are so aware of the puppy-mill problem is proof! Thank you for your concern.

Hmmm....no need for calcium supplements today, my comment seems to be cheesy enough...

[marianne]

Bloglines is messing with me. meh.
Awwww, would ya just look at that Big O'Pup! (I KNOW he's not 'big'), he's a Beauty, Congrats to you and the kids :^) As far as that 'other' issue (which we won't name) I've read enough here, it would never even occur to me that your daughter would go 'there'. meh. I sure as fuck wouldn't have questioned it anyway.
LOVE the mittn. My guess is a button cowl also. Gorgeous yarn! Happy knitting! The Royal Dinner sounded beyond delicious.

[sandy]

Why is Margene showing up as SMITH all around blogland? Wondering...
(Ab cracks me UP)
xo

[Ann Rose]

My goodness, Mr. Jefferies' name is bigger than he is! Doubtless, he'll grow into it, and it would appear he'll be getting all the love he can handle from his "parents" and from "Gramma Norma."

Oh, yes, nice mitten, too! Will the sock yarn be warm enough for a Vermont winter?

[Rachael]

Such a cute pup! My daschund came from a breeder, and he's happy, healthy, and well-adjusted (well, aside from the peeing on the dining room floor. But it's a tile floor, so I just live with the embarassment and buy extra paper towels.) Good for them on doing their homework :-)

[KellyS]

Besides going back and reading the spider-post (itchy tichy!) I am in awwwwwwwwwww-so-cute mode! Grats!

[Cheryl S.]

1. Fab mittens - love those colors (of course).
2. A neckwarmer.
3. I wish my squash was better this year. It's mushy. Blech.
4. Adorable puppy!
5. Give 'em hell, sistah!

[ann]

Ya know, that pup is small enough that he'd probably fit right in that ol' mitten!

He sure is a cute one!

[Diane T]

I thought I didn't like little dogs until I met my sister's Shih Tzu. Now I understand the attraction: small like a cat but with a lot more charm. My cats love me when they want food. Her dog loves her all the time and just because.

I'm still wavering on which is worse: cleaning the litter box vs. picking up poop in the park. I guess it's all in the details. And at least you get exercise with the second option.

[Cookie]

Now I understand. *hugs*

You're going to be knitting that adorable puppy his own little hat to match his parents, so he will feel like part of the family and not get a complex about being "adopted" because he doesn't really look like his momma or daddy.

Btw, I want to see pics from puppy class. I'm guessing his leash will weigh more than he does.

[Sarah]

That squash sounds so wonderful. Ack! No more commenting time because I am hungry.

[Abigail]

omg!!!! Cookie's idea is the best ever!!!! if you knit him a white hat, he can have a photo board just like his parents!!!!

[janna]

I used to work for a woman who raised toy yorkies. Can you imagine walking into her office and being surrounded by what seemed to be dozens of them? Actually, I don't think there were ever more than about six there at a time -- it just seemed like more! They were adorable, though!

[gayle]

Gracious, you're suddenly a knitting dynamo! I love the Trekking -beautiful colors, beautiful mitten.
And that puppy is too cute for words- and will be the perfect size dog. I like a dog who can't sweep my coffee cup off the table with one swish of his tail...

[Cathy-Cate]

3 knitting projects mentioned in one post??? Besides all the yummy garden-fresh gourmet dinner description that makes me forget I ate not all that long ago? And this is the post that's NOT showing up on Bloglines!
Heavens to Betsy! (The bloglines thing must be a plot....)

And then you throw that adorably brainless little puppy face in at the end....
Awwwwww.

RE your ETA (which reminds me of the Allan Sherman song "Harvey & Sheila" somehow):
Ever hear the song from the musical Chicago (which was cut from the movie but was a special feature on the DVD): "Class"? Your expostulation had the sound of that, somehow. ; )
Unjustified assumptions are, perhaps not the root of all evil, but certainly the source of much friction. Grrr.

Rhinebeck! You said the magic word. because....
I'm coming to Rhinebeck! It's a fluke, and I don't know when & if it will happen again, but this year -- I'll be there! I hope to see you there -- maybe even your knitting mojo!

[Ann Thompson]

Mr. Jefferies = So.Cute! (My last dog was a Yorkie.) You made me hungry with all the vegetable talk, and no mean feat, as I'm sick. cough, cough

[Adelaide]

Seems to me that Mr. Jefferies is going to need some tiny knitted coats and sweaters to keep him warm on those cold New York mornings. How about it, Grandma!

[Carol]

Love the mittens and the yarn. Going for a cowl?

[Carole]

Okay, so the puppy is cute and all but I'm in love with that mitten!

[Nora]

I'm late as usual. Mr. Jeffries is my new boyfriend. And your mitten is divine - lovely colors. Happy to see the Norma Knitting Mojo return!

[Vicki]

Aw, isn't he a cutie!!

[Seanna Lea]

Oh glory, what a cute little pup! I keep looking at all of the puppies (and older dogs too) with a horrible dose of envy! I tell myself over and over that I can wait until I have a house, but seeing such a sweet bundle of cuteness makes the waiting super hard!

[Joan In Reno]

That is a CUTE puppy. I forsee some knitted coats in the future. And I think you are going to knit outer mittens to cover the trekking ones to protect your hands against the coming winter. I think I will have to do that,too.

[Julia]

I think that pup could fit into that mitten! So. Cute. And also, Dear Norma, I heart you for always being true to you. Mwah!

[Ruth]

That is just the cutest puppy EVER.

The mitten's nice, too.

[Knitnana]

What an adorable little grandpup! I LOVE that face, and I've looked into Toy Yorkies, too, but The Meezer would never speak to me again, I think! You're going to be so head-over-heels in love with that little sweetheart!

And now I want to make Trekking mittens.
(Hm...off to find Trekking to coordinate with Jared's Habitat hat, which I just cast on...)
((((hugs))))