AlexiaBautista.com » dog

New sweater: “WOOF”!

Lex — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:34:52 +0000

Just added another fun sweater to my Etsy shop, Knit Purl Geek Girl. It’s a bit big for our Bella, but it’ll definitely be a great sweater for a dog of a larger breed or maybe just a little pudgy. :) … continued...

New sweater: “Belly Bones”

Lex — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 20:03:34 +0000

Just added this little sweater to Knit Purl Geek Girl. It’s pretty simple, with just a repeating bone motif around the sweater, but still fun and cozy nonetheless. :)
Next up: I started a medium blue sweater last night, doubled up on a lightweight yarn. I haven’t decided on what pattern or motif to do on it yet. I was thinking of perhaps doing a large snowflake or maybe a few small ones. Or maybe something else altogether like a small flock of white birds flying away. Hmm.… continued...

Etsy Alert: My New Desktop Widget

Lex — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 22:05:49 +0000

A huge thanks to Terry over at One True Tree, for making me this awesome new desktop widget! This handy little goody will keep you up-to date on the latest handmade products added to my shop, Knit Purl Geek Girl. (Requires Mac OS 10.4.x-10.6.x.)

Download the widget:
Knit-Purl-Geek-Girl-v1.0… continued...

Take Your Yarn and Shove It

Lex — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 20:23:05 +0000

Okay, so it’s not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but right now, I’m kinda irked at the local yarn shop, The Purple Purl.

The short version of my problem with them is that they wouldn’t let me bring my dog in the store or even let me carry her because they are now considered a “cafe”. Wow. Apparently, a coffee maker you bought in Wal-Mart, tucked in the corner of your shop makes you a cafe. My beef with them is that not only did no one stop me when I first walked into the store and peruse for a good 3-4 minutes (it’s not a big shop, by any means), there was also no indication anywhere on their door or front window that pets are not allowed, you know, like how other REAL businesses have them up. Also, there’s no indication on their web site either, which would’ve been nice, but granted, that’s not something you’d normally see on a website anyway.

Living in the downtown core now, finding yarn places is a bit of a bitch and without a car, it’s even more of a hassle. And without a Metropass, wasting round-trip cash (and time!) when you’re already low on funds just adds more fuel to the fire. I purposely didn’t go to The Knit Cafe (which is technically a shorter streetcar ride) because I know pets are not allowed in any store that has food. Had I known pets weren’t allowed in The Purple Purl, I would’ve left Bella at home, no hesitation, no big whoop. I only brought her because I thought she’d enjoy an outing. I could’ve left her outside for a few minutes, but it had also rained during the day and it was fairly gross and chilly to leave her there. And frankly, I would’ve done it, regardless of Bella’s whimpering, but I chose not to, just to spite them.

I was planning to spend a good chunk of money on pricier wool yarns because I got a customer request for a specific kind of doggie sweater, but I’m taking my business elsewhere.

Knit Purl Geek Girl: My new Etsy shop

Lex — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 18:31:07 +0000

A few weeks ago, as the temperature outside was starting to dip, I decided to try knitting Bella a little sweater, following a pattern I found in one of my knitting books, Stitch ‘n Bitch Nation. It turned out pretty nicely, but I wanted to see what other patterns were out there. Although that pattern wasn’t overly difficult, it was a bit slow-going, so I looked online for free patterns, looking for something a little simpler. By the end of 3 or 4 days, I somehow had three different sweaters completed, each with their one unique little touches. I even attempted a couple of intarsia motifs for the first time and they turned out pretty nicely, too. For the curious, one was a snowflake and another sweater had a skull & crossbones. :)

One thing lead to another and I started looking into how Etsy.com works and just a little over a week ago, I opened my shop, Knick Knack Pack.

I wish I had thought of it sooner because within just four days of opening the store, I had three sales under my belt, two of which were custom requests (the skull & crossbones seems to be a popular look). I didn’t make that much off the first couple of sales because I hadn’t quite figured out the best ratio of sale price vs. fees vs. shipping/packing costs. Can you believe it actually costs MORE for me to ship within Canada than to ship an identical item to the U.S.? What the …?!

Anyway, I think I’ve balanced out the numbers better now for future potential sales (one of which just happened again today!). I have to admit that although it’s still in its humble beginnings, this is kind of exciting and empowering. :)

our new dog, Bella

Lex — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 19:26:15 +0000

Just last Thursday, we finalized our adoption of 2-yr-old “Bella”, a sweet little chihuahua mix. We had tried to find a suitable small dog at the Toronto Humane Society, but to no success. Frankly, each time we visited, the more and more disappointed I became with the way they run things there. But that’s another story.

This story is about Bella and the great ladies who are part of the Canadian Chihuahua Rescue & Transport (Thanks Terry, Joy and Patricia!). They made the whole process effortless and a great pleasure to experience. And since bringing her home last Thursday, Bella has been nothing but an amazingly charming and sweet addition to our home.

Today, on day 5, with an anxious heart, I decided to try leaving her home alone for the first time today, just long enough to go down the street to get some much-needed groceries. Out of uncertainty (and curiosity), I set up my MacBook Pro to take some time-lapsed video while I was away. After about an hour of pretending I wasn’t going anywhere, I finally made it out the door. Very slowly and wrought with guilt. I heard her whimpering behind the door and was only able to stay there in the hall for a few seconds, before I bit the bullet and headed to the stairwell. As I spiraled down to the street exit, I couldn’t believe how sad it made me feel to leave her. But it’s something that we’re going to have to get her used to and the sooner, the better… for all of us.

When I got home about a half-hour later, I carefully opened the door, half-expecting to see her right by the door, but there she was, all tucked away in her little cubby bed. She did just great! I watched the video and was glad to see she only waited by the door for about 3 minutes, roamed around the apartment for a little while, and finally nestled into her comfy, cozy bed a few minutes later.

It hasn’t been a full week yet, but I’m already madly in love with her. :)