Changes

The younger daughter graduated from high school in December and immediately went straight into college.

The first week of January, we moved her into an apartment.

My mother was still with us for another week and a half after that. Once she returned to her home in Louisiana, we were able to finally begin the process of decompressing and adjusting to an empty nest.

Well, as empty a nest can be with four adult dogs and a puppy!

The husband has a yellow Labrador, and I have a Rhodesian Ridgeback and a Havanese. These three make up the core of our pack. In December, we acquired a mini-Aussiedoodle puppy for the younger daughter (this one will be ready to join her at college in the fall). We are also hosting my mother's Rat Terrier mix while she travels to India later this month.

Fortunately, I really love dogs and find they add so much to the quality of my life. Also, our dogs are fairly well trained and relatively obedient. They all get along well. The pack as a whole has a very chill and laid back personality. This makes them a pleasure to be around.

Nevertheless, five dogs are work, especially keeping tabs on the rambunctious puppy.

Next month, the puppy and I begin an accelerated Kindergarten Puppy class, which combines classes I and II. Regular KP I and KP II are each six week classes. This one combines the two into a single six week class. I know she is up to the challenge, the question is whether I am! Ha!

I am actually looking forward to it. Two of the younger daughter's good friends also have new puppies and will be joining me in the classes.

This little Aussiedoodle is a special girl. She was originally the breeder's choice, and we had first pick; however, another female in the litter suffered a scratched cornea, which they anticipated would fully heal, but to ensure we received a first quality pup, they decided to keep her for themselves and offer their original selection to us. All that means is she received extra attention early on, as they were going to keep her for themselves.

This translates to a fearless and confident puppy, who is also sweet, loving, and incredibly intelligent.

I have trained two Standard Poodles and a Rhodesian Ridgeback, as well as helped to train a Cairn Terrier, a Golden Retriever, and a couple of Labradors. The Havanese is above training (or so he thinks).

While most of these dogs have been bright, particularly the poodles, I have never had one as bright or as willing to please as this little one. Her focus is intense. She catches on immediately, I usually only have to show her once what I want. I am completely blown away by her. She is the entire package of sweetness, intelligence, humor, and desire to please.

Needless to say, I have been spending an enormous amount of time with her and the rest of the dogs.

Thus, I have done next to nothing on the crafting front.

My looms have remained newly warped and idle for several weeks now.

I have a new needlepoint project, as well as a Mirabilia cross-stitch project that are languishing.

The spinning wheel has seen the most attention, but even that has been paltry.

However, I did come across a pattern that caught my eye:

This is Nightshift by Andrea Mowry. It uses six different skeins of worsted weight yarn.

As one does, I bought the pattern immediately. 

I rifled through my single skeins of worsted weight yarns and came up with something pleasing to me:

Clockwise, the yarns are Black Trillium Pebble Worsted "Bifrost," Madelinetosh Worsted "Byzantine," Malabrigo Rios "Sunset," Black Trillium Pebble Worsted "Decay," Malabrigo Rios "Coco," and Malabrigo Rios "Tealfeather" in the center.

After a quick break for lunch, I had this:

This is the first of ten sections, and I am completely smitten.

The designed uses I-cord on either side of the shawl, which I adore. The pattern is easy to execute and remember. Her recipe for the colors is clever, as well. I am impressed and delighted. 

And here I thought most of my knitting days were behind me...