Leftover Fleece? Make a Piggie Forest!

I wanted to replace the old plastic igloo with something that made my piggies feel safer. I noticed they have started chewing around the edges of the plastic opening. I don't mind them chewing on the wooden log tunnel thingie, but plastic... um no! I found Fleece Forest on the Guinea Pig Market web site and thought... hmmmmm... I have scraps... I have a rotary cutter... 

Callie immediately had to check it out and in a moment was tweeking and singing. I have a very happy piggie... Tara? She's too busy eating to notice. 

Callie checking it out...

Hidden Piggie!

Reusable Fleece Piggie Pads & Cuddle Sacks

I love my piggies... o yes I doooooooo.... I'm just not much of a fan of piggie poo! My piggies Callie and Tara bring such joy to my life. Billy and I would hold them while watching movies together and talk to them just like our little babies. I've tried all kinds of cage liners and materials. I was told to use newspaper... I did... for about two weeks... EWWWWW! Then I was told that was a no-no. I researched and found that fleece is the best liner for piggies. Piggie pee pee passes through the fleece and is absorbed in a liner (usually terrycloth) beneath. This system works great at keeping the piggies clean, comfy and dry.

We purchased a Ferretnation cage and modified it to be piggie friendly. I love this cage. I can clean it easily and even roll it out to the drive and scrub it down quite easily. Unfortunately, no one makes piggie friendly liners to fit. My cage lining system consisted of laying down a layer of towels and placing fleece cut to fit the floor of each level of the cage. This works ok, but... I wanted something better. Guinea Pig Market offers Fleece Flippers which look great, but would not work for my cage needs.

Fleece Flippers consist of a pillow case made of fleece, a liner made from UHaul furniture pads, and a sheet of Coroplast. My liners are missing the Coroplast... at this time. I went to Home Depot and the only Coroplast I could find was in the sign section which was not big enough for my needs. I could order it from Home Depot... ummm but the price was too big for my needs. Soooo I am forgoing the Coroplast at this time.

I ordered the furniture pads from UHaul at a great price and the fleece ON SALE! from Hancock Fabrics

One set completed... one to go!

Cuddle sacks

Reversable and the inside pulls out for easy laundering

The cover is basically a fleece pillow case. Washed and dried 3 times with very little detergent. 

Prewashed UHaul furniture pad

Fold the furniture pad and cut with a rotary cutter. 

Slip the liner inside like a pillow

Liner inside

Nice and soft and cushie for piggie feet

Sponge Bar

I have been scouring the internet on ways to change or replace the sponge bars on my Studio 322 and quite frankly... I was a bit intimidated. While looking for the "sponge" part, I found that I could replace the total bar for slightly more than just the sponge at the Knitting Closet.

I was impressed that my order was processed and delivered quickly. I was also impressed at how well my order was packed.

Huge difference between the old and new sponge bar

YUCK!

Meka isn't so much impressed... zzzzzzzzzzz

Great Grannie

It has been chilly and damp and I needed to bust some leftover stash yarns.... and do some thinking...

Bun Donut

Bun Donut for Eden

MY NOTES:

KP2

Open CO 30 needles

K 40 rows + 6 rows WY

Kitchener first and last rows

Roll and secure

$ Store Cheat Hat for Eden

The cold wet weather has brought a visitor to my house... a MOUSE!! I have not seen the actual mouse, but I have seen where the snarly little fella has been... IN MY PANTRY UGGGG!!! So I went to the local $ General store and purchased some traps that spin shut once the little intruder makes his way inside to dine on the delicious peanut butter bait that is placed inside. I sorta feel a twinge of guilt that the lil bugger's last meal is really not going to be said peanut butter because the bait cannot actually be reached once Snarly has entered the contraption.
Anywho, while I was there I saw some $1 hats and just couldn't pass them up.... Umhmmm I am an impulse buyer that $ Stores really love. I have never left with only what I went in to purchase initially. AND, I could not have made the hat for $1... soooo, I decided to see if I could do something with the hat to... ya know... do it up...

d-CON No View, No Touch Mouse Trap

Holy Cowl

I'm loving Paton's Lace Yarn... and I really love pink and browns...

MY NOTES:

KP2

OPEN CO - 80 needles

K 200 rows

K 8 rows WY

Kitchener CO row to last row knitted

Single crochet both edges (size H crochet hook)

Work popcorn cluster in EOS (every other chain space) (Popcorn cluster of 5 dc, ch 1) X 2 rows

Cowl-A-Bunga!

A few months ago Kat and I ended up at the Hobby Lobby in Cedar Hill on one of our outings. I rummaged through the clearance yarn and ended up with 2 skeins of Lion Brand Amazing - Rainforest for $2.87 (reg $7.99). There wasn't much to work with so I fancied making a cowl out of it. I just love the way this yarn knitted up.

The purl side is the "right" side

Knit side or "wrong" side

I only had 4 of the heart buttons... I hate just putting 4 buttons on anything!

My Notes:

KP2 - CO 80 - K 160 rows

Such a Pretty Face...

Phases... kids go through phases... I suppose we all go through phases no matter what our age is. It seems like every time I try to take a photo lately, all I get are goofy faces. So... I will treasure these special photos and use them as blackmail when the grandmonsters start to date... giggle... SNORT!

 I finished this poncho around 4:40 AM this morning. I had intended on adding it to my "To Sell" stash, but Eden claimed it before I could get it off the crochet hook.

Xander is so going to pay for this one!

Eden was not thrilled with this pic... she said, "O Goodie my hair is messed up and I can't find my smile."

Happy New Yarn!! or New Year!!

I ended 2012 and started 2013 the same way... surrounded by loved ones and fiddle'n with yarn! I went in to check on the grandmonsters at midnight and whisper a prayer of thanks for my many blessings. Eden was snoring and hugging the crocheted poncho and knitted earflap hat that I made for her. That made me giggle and feel good that she loves the things I make for her.
I really am trying not to feel sorry for myself while remembering what I was doing this time last year. Last New Year's was spent with my precious Billy and the grands. It is unbelievable that in less than a week, my Billy will have been gone for a year. I miss him so much and yet, I feel him with me all the time. No, I'm not foolish to think he is here. Heaven forbid! I know he is with Ya in Glory. He left so much of himself with us. Every day I find something to laugh about as I know how he would have reacted to or thought about events and situations that arise around us. 
I went to see the local doc a few months back to establish as a new patient with his practice. He was concerned that I might be experiencing depression due to Billy's death. I told him, no I was not depressed... I'm just grieving. There is a difference although at times they (depression and grief) may look the same. I do experience joy--real joy and great sadness too. I am learning to be patient with myself and let myself grieve. I do have problems leaving the house at times, but then I had problems leaving the house before Billy's death. This is something I have had to work on since I was very young.
I am so not a winter person, never have been. I am at my best during the warmer months and when the sun is shining. Winter makes me sleepy. I must have been a bear in a past life... JUST KIDDING MOM! I don't move as much as I should during the winter. Honestly I could sit and knit or crochet for hours on end... o.. wait... I do!
There is so much to be grateful for... O how I am blessed. My Charlie kissed me this morning and said, "Goodie I do love you so much baybee." My beautiful Kat is sewing in the kitchen. Steven stopped by to hug me and tell me that he loves me. 
I am loved and I have the privilege of loving some of the most precious people in the world.

My last and first project for 2012/2013... this chocolate brown and white makes me think of a Hostess cupcake!!

Kat's first "tube" quilting project... wouldn't ya know it would be purple!