Over the Top

Ever have an idea floating around in your head but you just can't quite get a hold on it? That's been me for the past couple of days. I want to make a hat for the January Spin-in and I knew that I wanted to do something different but I couldn't pin down exactly what .

It finally came to me a bit . I remembered my stash of freeform crochet and knitting that I had in the bag in the hall which I have been stumbling over for a couple of months. (If I had put it out of sight, I never would have remembered it.) Anyway, I pulled them out last night and played around with them but kept going back to the computer to play solitaire. That's what I do when the brain is puzzling over something and I need a break.

I was reaching the point of frustration this morning. This is where I become very grateful for artistic, brilliant friends. I popped over to Melody's house and in a couple of minutes she solved the problem I was having. Talk about a DUH moment. I was trying to put the pieces together to resemble a hat. Melody suggested I pull out a styrofoam head and pin the pieces onto that to see how they work. I had even forgotten that I had styrofoam heads--they were put away in the top of a closet. This is why I love my friends. They are artistic, smart, and can think outside the box and provide great practical advice when I need it.

So Samantha now has pins in her head and will sit for a while like that until I decide that the pieces are arranged the way I want. Life has improved considerably.

Some of the other freeform pieces may go toward a vest in the future.

On the dog training front, Conner only has two more classes and he will graduate from basic obedience class. The little stinker is wonderful on lead and comes like a shot as long as there are treats involved. He really seems to like the classes as he jumps like a Parson Russell Terrier when he realizes we are going in the car.

On the other side of the coin, Allie is going up for Shetlie sainthood. Last night I looked over and Conner had Allie by the tail and was pulling her across the living room floor. It's not the first time he has done it. Somehow he has gotten the idea that her (once) fluffy tail is his personal toy and he can grab it and hang on anytime he wants. Like I said, Allie is up for sainthood.