Though it has taken over a year for this house to get built, I think it was worth the wait. The house is certainly very beautiful. Also, we have had plenty of time to get ready for the big move. Moving a household is never exactly a fun experience, but having more time to do it in takes a lot of the stress out of the situation.

When we moved into this house we knew that we would be moving again in a couple of years. So one thing we did to save a little green was to save all the boxes from the move into this house three years ago. We folded them up and stored them in the attic space over the garage. There’s plenty of space up there and all that cardboard was probably extra insulation, too.

About two years ago one of my husband’s co-workers made an across-town move. My husband went up into the attic and got the boxes down. His friend used them to move, and when he was done with them he gave them back to us. Back into the attic they went.

About a month ago the boxes came down yet again. We have had a couple of very serious packing sessions, with a few more leisurely ones in between. By now my house is about 85% boxed up, with only the essentials for living left out.

Free moving boxes aren’t necessarily very hard to find. People post them on Craig’s list as free giveaways, you can get lots from work, and from behind grocery stores. But all this does take some effort so if you have them on hand when you need them, that is very convenient.

We don’t have any plans to move again in the near future, but I think we’ll save the boxes just-in-case. There is plenty of space in the new attic to store them. Plus, every time we turn around it seems as if someone is moving, so we can lend them out again, too. Not to mention that there are always a million uses for cardboard boxes around a house. They make great solar cookers, too.

But then I remembered this homemade version of dishwasher detergent I had seen a long time ago on some website. It’s a simple recipe, so I always remembered it in the back of my mind, in case I needed it someday.

The recipe is: Mix 2 cups Borax and 2 cups Baking Soda. So I did that. I happened to have those two things on hand.

I used 2 TBS in my dishwasher because I always use 2 TBS. But I will try 1 TBS and see how that goes. I started the dishwasher right before I went to bed last night. When I got up this morning I opened up the dishwasher to take a coffee cup out for my morning cup of Joe. The dishes are really clean. They are super shiny and squeaky clean. They look better than when washed with commercial detergent.

Borax is all-natural, but it is not non-toxic (it is also a pretty efficient bug killer after all). But neither is commercial dishwashing detergent. As long as you don’t swallow it or breathe it in, and it gets rinsed off your dishes, it seems like it is very safe option (from what info I have read on the web). As I type this I am drinking coffee out of a mug washed in this homemade version, and my vision is clear and my thoughts are no hazier than usual. But you should do your own research and come to your own conclusions about this, as I am just a Texas housewife and not a chemist. But, boy, these dishes are SQUEAKY clean!

Solar cooker update: Yesterday I made chili in my solar cooker. I put it in very early, at about 8:30 am. Throughout the day, I was a bit apprehensive because the sky was a little cloudy. I attached the reflectors and forged ahead. Periodic checks of the thermometer reassured me that the temperature was a more-or-less constant 200 degrees, a great temp for long, slow cooking.

I finally took the chili out at around 7:00 pm. It was steaming hot inside the solar cooker still, even though the sun had gone down for all intents and solar-cooking purposes. The chili was great. Thunderstorms are expected today, so I am not planning any solar meals. How sad. I’m really getting into this solar cookery.

So when I do bake something it’s fun to share with other people who like a tasty treat once in a while, too. Since I just got my cool new solar cooker recently I decided to put it’s cake baking abilities to the test. The solar cooker passed with flying colors.

When my husband told his co-workers how I baked it, the news caused a minor sensation at his office. Some of the questions included: “Is this safe to eat?” “Does the cooker get hot enough?” “How does it work?” “How long does it take to cook things?”. Well, I agree, solar cooking does seem kind of weird, and these are definitely legitimate questions. So I thought I’d tell you all a little bit more about it, and lay your fears to rest. For more in-depth information I recommend this website (this is the organization where I got mine).

1. “Is it safe?”: If you are not afraid to eat anything you make in your slow cooker/CrockPot, you needn’t be afraid of eating anything you make in your solar cooker. Just like a slow cooker, a solar cooker uses longer cooking times at lower temperatures to produce delicious, moist meals. Temperatures in some solar cookers can reach 500 degrees, though this model was engineered to not exceed 300 degrees to prevent scorching of foods.

2. “Does the cooker get hot enough?” “How Does It Work?”: Yep, it sure does get hot enough. Those pots are HOT when you take them out. Pot holders are a must. The included thermometer tells you that, too. It works because sunshine can get in the cooker, but the heat can’t get out. A solar cooker works like a roach motel, only for sunshine - rays check in, but they can’t check out. It’s the Greenhouse Effect, which we all know works everytime we get in our cars on a sunny day. If you feel you need a little extra heating “oomph” you can always attach the included reflectors. But this may make things too hot!

3. “How Long does it take to cook things?”: Just like in a slow cooker things take a long time to cook, maybe twice as long than in a regular oven. But since lower temperatures provide a more gentle cooking environment, even if you forget and leave something in the solar cooker for hours and hours, it won’t burn!

As I type this I’m using my solar cooker to make dinner - ground turkey meatloaf and steamed veggies. I put them in at about 2:00 and it is now 6:30. I probably could have taken them out an hour ago, but my husband isn’t home from work yet, so I thought I might as well keep things warm. I know my meatloaf will keep. (The picture on the left is the finished product. I cooked the meatloaf in my muffin tin for the first two hours, took it out and poured off the grease, then put the “meatcakes” back in the this covered pot to continue cooking. Both the “meatcakes” and the steamed veggies came out great).

Today there have been about eight little brown-outs, with the power going off for about thirty seconds each time. If I had to rely on my kitchen oven (which is electric) to cook dinner today, I would be a very frustrated housewife. But I’m cooking dinner with no worries - the electricity may go out, but not the Sun!

Also, let me just add that even though lots and lots of people have never heard of solar cooking, this technology has been around a long time. The first solar cooker was invented by a Swiss man about 250 years ago. The more modern “box” type cooker was invented by two American ladies about 30 years ago. Thousands and thousands of people around the world today rely on solar cookers to put food on the table. Plus, it’s just plain fun, and pretty amazing that it works so well. Solar cooking is a GREAT idea for frugal living!

Update: Well, Hubby FINALLY came home from work at about 7:30. I immediately served up the turkey meatloaf and veggies, and they were delicious. Everything was perfectly cooked, even after being in the solar cooker for at least five hours. It’s so good when it hits your lips! - no leftovers!

Here is a picture of my SOS Sport Solar Cooker in a sunny spot, warming up for cooking.

I have been wanting a solar cooker for years. However, I could never convince my husband that they actually worked and that the meals they produced were edible and safe to eat. Of course, as a Frugal my first inclination was to build one myself (or have my husband do it). This never happened, however.

I wore him down finally, Folks. After much gentle persuasion (nagging) I finally convinced my husband that solar cookers really work. Think slow cooker.

I ordered the SOS Sport from the Solar Oven Society. I looked at other options, but after much thought I finally decided on this model. Here’s why: for $173.00 (price has since increased to $191.00, shipping included) I received everything I need to get started right away. The kit includes a roomy solar cooker, thermometer, 2 cooking pots, water pasteurizer indicator, reflector, cookbook, and instruction manual. I couldn’t find another option that included all this for the price.

I also liked the fact that every purchase made here in the States helps fund the Solar Oven Society’s charitable endeavors in underdeveloped nations. SOS provides a way to make cooking a lot easier in countries where people (women) have to spend a lot of their lives looking for scarce wood to put meals on the table for their families. Each of these cookers is made from 68 recycled 2-liter soda bottles. Cool.

Solar cookers are great for people like me who really aren’t that crazy about cooking. It’s a lot of fun to make a meal in a solar cooker. I actually look forward to it.

Of course, it’s early days yet. So far this is what I have cooked - corn bread, shortcake, a chocolate cake from a box mix (oh my gosh, this was good! See the picture.), chicken, frozen veggies, and sweet potato “french fries”. Everything has come out great, except for the sweet potato fries. These came out very soggy, and could only be salvaged with a session in the regular oven. I was expecting this, however, so I wasn’t too surprised. So now I know that the solar cooker is best for foods you wouldn’t normally expect to come out of your regular oven in a “crispy” state (like fish sticks, french fries, and “fried” chicken). Tomorrow I’m going to try my world-famous meat loaf. I can hardly wait.

There are lots of solar cooker-specific recipes on the web, plus the included cookbook gets you started. But I can see that it won’t be too difficult to adapt my favorites to this new style of cooking.

If you would like to try this but don’t want to shell out $191.00, here are instructions for a very easy to make solar cooker. The required materials are pretty simple, too. What I especially like about this one is that the lid is made from a plastic turkey-roaster bag (I know I have one or two of those floating around from Thanksgivings past) rather than glass. The glass lid was always the biggest impediment (for me) to making my own. I don’t happen to have any old windows sitting around, plus I was always worried I would somehow have a bad accident with the glass.

I have seen pretty elaborate homemade versions made from plywood, metal, and glass, but this version features cardboard boxes, which are cheap. I don’t know how sturdy this is but as long as it doesn’t get wet it would probably last a good long time.

The solar cooker is the perfect size for cooking for two. If you have a big family, and/or like to make big meals, you would probably need more than one to meet your needs. So being able to make them yourself with inexpensive, readily available materials is a distinct advantage.

If I really get going with solar cooking, I someday aspire to this version. The Tulsi-Hybrid Solar Oven has an electric backup for unexpected cloudy days. It’s expensive, however, but it does come with all the accessories. In the meantime, my husband has been very impressed by how well the solar cooker works. He now says he would consider making one for me that will accommodate a roaster pan big enough to cook a turkey. I think I’ll challenge myself to cook this year’s entire Thanksgiving Dinner in my solar cookers (if I have two or more by that time). Of course, the day must be sunny. Cold weather is ok, but the sun has to be shining!

Though the particular model I chose is expensive, the more I use it the less expensive it will get. There are “panel” type solar cookers commercially available that are much less expensive. I thought the more expensive box solar cooker would be more practical for my needs. Also, making your own from materials you have on hand is extremely cost effective for such a useful appliance. My kitchen oven happens to be electric, so every time I use my solar version, that saves a bit. And believe me folks, all those little bits do add up. A solar cooker is a great idea for frugal living.

So stay tuned, Dear Readers. I’ll be keeping you up-to-date with my solar cooking adventures as I expand my horizons beyond Sun Tea.

The first home we purchased did indeed come fully equipped with widow coverings. In one particular room there were cheap 1″ metal blinds, and they also happened to be pink. Normally, I like pink but this particular shade verged on a somewhat disconcerting flesh color, that I found to be be, well, creepy. So of course those had to go as soon as possible. As this particular room was in the back of the house, I was able to get away with buying inexpensive sheer panels from Big Lots. The bad news, however, was that particular room was really a glorified patio, so it was basically all windows. Even these inexpensive panels ended up costing me a pretty penny, as I bought two for each window, and that room was large.

My next house came equipped throughout with nice-looking two-inch faux-wood white blinds, which I can’t complain about at all. However, this house also sported poofy eighties valences in Miami Vice approved colors of peach, sea-foam green, and teal. These were in remarkably good condition considering that they must have been installed early on in the house’s history. It was built in 1986, and on the outside looked exactly like the house in the movie “Poltergeist” (except for the color). All I had to do there was take down the poofy valances, and the windows looked great.

Our current house, though less then two years old when we bought it, was already a foreclosure. It was in great shape and the price was certainly right. However, in lieu of curtains or blinds all the windows were covered with accordian-pleated paper. Every time I wanted a little sunshine and fresh air, I had to laboriously pleat the paper then clip it on the corners with clothes pins. Not very convenient, and sort of strange.

So, as you can see I’ve experienced all the pain that window coverings can dish out. When facing a window-covering crisis, most Frugals first instinct is to immediately consider the lowest-cost options first, and all these pretty much boil down to “make it yourself”. So here are some of the things I have done in this basically “curtainless” house to try to keep window-covering costs down.

Spare Bedroom 1: This spare bedroom happens to be at the front of the house, so was high on my curtain-making priority list. This home owner’s association has very limited rules on what can be showing out your front windows; to make it easy on myself I decided to stick with the white theme. However, I didn’t happen at the time to have any “free” white cloth on hand to make curtains.

Some Frugals recommend using sheets for curtains (RED ALERT: THE FOLLOWING IS FRUGAL HERESY) but I never want to do this because bed sheets as curtains look, to me, like bed sheets as curtains. So, naturally, I decided to turn my old duvet into curtains. This was pretty easy for a lazy seamstress like myself because all the seams and borders were already sewn. I only had to rip it apart and attach rod pockets in the back. I actually had sheer panels left over from my first house, so I put those up too (for the White Curtain Rule). Yay! One room done!

Spare Bedroom 2 (aka My Husband’s Office): This room looks out onto the side yard, so color is not important. This is not a floor-to-ceiling window like Spare Bedroom 1, so an easier problem to solve. Luckily I happened to actually have blue cloth curtains that I had from my first house. They were the perfect size for this window. Also, my husband likes his office to be on the dark side, so the dark blue of these coverings were perfect for his “decor” preference.

Kitchen Window: Here is a perfect example of how Lazy I am. This kitchen is painted brown. It’s not the worst color in the world, but I don’t like it much. Instead of painting it, though, (which would not be too expensive but would require lots of energetic endeavor) I decided to try to work whatever curtains I might end up with around this brown color.

This window took a lot of time to get covered because I could never find just the right thing at the magical right price. About a year into living in Texas, I made a visit to my family out in California. My sister took me to the downtown fabric district where every sort of fabric imaginable is available, and at very good prices too (you can even bargain, which I’m not too good at - but my sister is a wiz at it). I managed to find something that would coordinate with my brown kitchen, and still be pretty. This cloth was very wide, too.

I even made these with my sister’s help while I was out in CA; I packed them in my suitcase and hemmed them when I got home. These came out great - lined, very heavy, and the material is pretty, but still manages to complement my brown walls. The cloth has a pattern of small sunflowers with dark brown centers.

It was hard matching up the vertical lines of sunflowers, and working with such big pieces of heavy cloth, but my sister is an experienced seamstress, and she helped me a lot with that.

Of course, I have more than three windows in my house, but I can see that this post is getting long (as usual) so I thought I’d just relate the highlights. As usual, I found that the best approach to a money-spending situation is to take my time. If I’m not in a hurry things usually work themselves out in a Frugal manner. True, I did have to live for quite a while with strange paper curtains hanging on my windows, but it was worth it. My patience paid off in the end, and now all my windows are covered, and in a satisfactorily frugal manner.

Well, Dear Readers, have a great Frugal weekend. I’ll see you on Monday.

Anyhoo, it turns out that his hotel is only two miles from one of my favorite places to purchase spices on the web, the San Francisco Herb Co. The prices are great, but of course shipping is always hefty. I made a list of the things I needed, Mapquested directions from my husband’s motel, and told him “if he had time” maybe he wouldn’t mind making a little side trip.

I knew he had a tight schedule, though, so I wasn’t too hopeful. His days would be filled with important meetings. When he came back, I was more than a little surprised (and very happy!) to discover that he had, indeed, managed to get the spices on my list.

Even better, he WALKED, and so saved taxi fare! I applaud this, because my husband is not a walker. Plus, he had to walk there in his dress shoes and business-casual attire. Double-plus, apparently this place is not in the best location, either, so my husband was treated to a view of the gritty underbelly of San Francisco. Talk about spicy!

If I’ve given you the impression before that my husband is not too much into the Frugal-thing, that’s because he isn’t. But once in a while he has these spurts of Frugal genius. He really surprises me sometimes. Imagine - walking four miles to save taxi fare and shipping on my spices! I was very impressed.

Oh, and he also brought back for me (as my souvenir, I guess) the world’s best cream puffs. Oh, my goodness they were delicious. Even now I can remember them - 2 coffee flavored, 2 vanilla, 2 chocolate, and 2 pumpkin. And being a Frugal, I of course didn’t let them go to waste. What a great trip!

It’s easy to get caught up in all the bad news, and feel like your own life is severely impacted by all the tough stuff you see on T.V. But try to keep things in perspective. A wise man once told me not to worry about the things you see on T.V. They probably won’t happen to you.

I’m not sure if I agree with that entirely, but I do understand that newspapers and media only exist to make money. Bad news=revenue. How much money could a media company make if today’s headline reads “Breaking News: Nothing Bad To Report Today”. That would be boring. Blood and Guts sell, Nice doesn’t.

I like to keep up with the news everyday. But there is no denying that this habit makes for some anxious moments. A daily newspaper habit is enough to convince any reasonably sane person that the world is going mad. But look at your own life. Is it really going mad? You still have your friends, your job, and your hobbies. You’re still living your life. Your life hasn’t come to a screeching halt just because some AP writer says it should. Maybe you’ve had to make adjustments because of higher gas and food prices, but you’re still you, and I’m still me.

So I wouldn’t blame you if you decide to cancel your newspaper subscription. By the way, have you noticed that newspapers prices have gone up too? Why? I thought newspapers made their revenue from advertising, and there sure seems as if there is enough ads on two pages of your average paper to pay the bills down in the newsroom. Canceling your subscription would be a great Idea for Frugal Living, not to mention it would probably go a long way towards improving your mental health. Besides, you can get the news online for free (I know, an Internet connection costs money, but you probably have one already. Make the most of it).

So today is Tough-It-Out-Tuesday. Things always get better. Don’t let all the bad news get you down.

It looks as if our new home will be closing in the next two weeks, so as you can imagine things are pretty frantic around here. I’ll do my best to keep up, but I’m afraid I can only promise sporadic posting over the next few weeks especially as we get closer to the actual move date. Uggghh! Moving is the worst, Dear Readers! It’s a good thing you get a nice, new house at the end of it because otherwise I can’t see why anyone would EVER bother doing it. Have a great week, everyone.

Yesterday my husband and I were out and about running errands. As we were driving along the freeway we saw a big billboard that proclaimed “Total Cremation Package, $895.00″. I turned to my husband and said, “That’s a great idea. When it’s my time to go, don’t waste money on a fancy funeral. Go ahead and do that.”

He looked at me and said, “OK, then I’ll take an old Folger’s coffee container, write “Tessie” on the front with a Sharpie, and put you in it (see “Best Friend with Benefits”)”. I can’t tell you how good I felt when he said this! Could it be I’m finally getting through to him with this frugal stuff after 13 years of marriage? Well, it remains to be seen.

My final resting place? A fitting tribute to my lifelong frugal endeavors.

Just don’t confuse me with the whole wheat flour!

The two-car detached garage at my parents’ house for many years had the strangest garage door. I can only assume that it was original to the home, which I believe was built in 1938. This wooden door was about four inches thick, and boy was it HEAVY. No garage-door opener in the history of those useful contraptions has ever been built that had enough horse-power to lift open that monster.

This wasn’t much of a problem, however, because my parents had a flock of two-legged garage-door openers. When we were kids, my parents would pull up to the garage in their 1973 Chevy Kingswood station wagon, one of us would hop out, and up the door would go.

I had my own special method of dealing with the behemoth. First, I would lift the door by the handle just enough to get my foot under it. Then I would put my two hands in the crack I was holding open with my foot. Next I would lift the door with my two hands enough to rest it on my thigh. From this point I would then be able to more-or-less toss the door up and open using my two arms and kicked-up leg. I was really good at this and could of course do it in less time than it takes to tell you about it. Everyone was used to opening that crazy door, and it really wasn’t such a big deal.

But of course, time marches on and before you know it all four of us were grown and out of the house. My parents still had that Kingswood, but now there were none of us at home to help get it in the garage. Even so it wasn’t much of an issue for my parents, other than the fact that they now had to get out of the car, open the garage, and then get back in the car and drive it into the garage.

But when a great tightwad opportunity comes knocking at Dad’s door, he’s ready to answer it. This opportunity presented itself about five years back when my sister decided she wanted to upgrade her own garage door. She was having her whole house painted, and so she thought it would be a good time to replace the door. The old one worked and looked fine, but she really wanted a roll-up door (with windows) that would look great with her freshly painted home (and take it from me, it does look great).

So after the new door was installed, Dad drove his big old Ford truck over to my sister’s house. He carefully tied that huge piece of square metal to the rack of his truck. Of course, he didn’t forget the old garage door opener either. He cautiously drove it home and then set about finally replacing the old monster door.

When he went to install the “new” door, however he found that it was too wide for his 1930’s era two-car garage. Not a problem for Dad. He simply cut the door to the width he needed. I don’t know if he used the old hardware from my sister’s garage or not, but I would be surprised if he didn’t. Anyway, in not too much time my Dad and brother installed his “new” easy-to-manage automatic garage door and garage door opener.

I often point out that patience is a hallmark of the Frugal lifestyle. Here is a perfect example. My Dad waited forty years before he found the best deal on an automatic garage door that he could possibly find. Until he found that deal, he would just make do with the door he had. I don’t think I would have the frugal-backbone myself to wait forty years for a good deal, but I can’t help but admire people who do.

Now I don’t really recommend installing your own garage door. This is probably a dangerous task unless you know what you’re doing. But it’s the idea behind this little anecdote that is so powerful. Just see what you can do and SAVE if you are willing to wait for things, even things that might be regarded as downright necessities by some. Dad could have very easily gone out and bought, and have installed, a brand new door. But as a true Tightwad, he would much rather re-use a perfectly good “old” door and opener that would have just ended up in a landfill trash heap, doing nobody any good. Stretch yourself a little, and you might be surprised at what you can do.

Some of my favorite things to knit are dog sweaters. I like to take my little pooches for walks in the wintertime and sometimes they need a little extra protection against the elements. Knitting dog sweaters for my smaller pooches is pretty cost effective, too, so this fun craft can be a good idea for frugal living. It only takes one skein of yarn to make a sweater that will fit all three of my smaller pooches because they are all pretty close in size. I also have a significant yarn stash, so I don’t even need to buy any yarn at all. A lot of my yarn was free - my sister picked up tons of it very cheaply at yard sales and just gave it to me.

But if I do want to buy something a little different, I can use a 40%-off coupon for Michaels or Hobby Lobby (they always have one in the Sunday paper), or take advantage of a great sale. So I can knit a dog sweater for a cost of $0.00-$2.00 (if I really want to splurge, and not counting my time, of course). These sweaters come out great and are of a much better quality than the cheap-looking $9.95 versions I have seen at Target (ok, I admit I bought this $9.95 sweater. And it is a cheapie, all right).

I truly enjoy knitting, but as a card-carrying Lazy person, I am honor-bound to seek out ways to accomplish tasks with the least amount of effort possible. And I’ve managed to do that in this case as well. My method still takes some effort, but with it I’m able to produce a doggy sweater in a few hours rather than the few days it normally takes me to knit a sweater.

• First, the Hard Way:
• I knit up the Basic Knitted Dog Sweater from the pattern in Dogs in Knits 17 Projects for Our Best Friends by Judith L. Swartz. This is a great book. It has something for just about every skill-level. I’ve made five sweaters with this pattern. The first one didn’t come out so great, but it’s still wearable (and the pooches don’t care what it looks like). After a little practice, I can now whip these sweaters up like nobody’s business in about seven nightly sessions of watching-TV knitting.

• Now for the Easy Way:
• I made a pattern out of brown butcher paper based on the pattern for the Basic Knitted Dog Sweater from Dogs in Knits 17 Projects for Our Best Friends by Judith L. Swartz. Then I used this pattern to cut out pieces from an old sweater I had that I no longer wear. I like this sweater a lot, but I haven’t worn it in a long time, so I didn’t mind using it to make a sweater for my pooches.

I wasn’t sure if it would work - I didn’t know if the pieces would unravel the moment I cut them out. This sweater happened to be tightly knit, so I decided to go ahead. I pinned the pattern to the sweater, cut out the pieces, then I blanket- stitched all the way around each piece with some coordinating orange yarn (as a little extra no-unravel insurance). I used a big plastic weaving needle to do this. Next, I sewed the pieces together (with the same orange yarn and big weaving needle), “matching length of under panel to straight edge of back,” leaving openings for armholes at the top (and of course a neckhole and the bottom part open). The skinny “triangular” piece is the under panel.

Then I used double pointed needles to pick up 64 stitches around the neck hole, working about an inch in k1p1 rib. Next I picked up 28 sts with my dpn for each leg hole, working 5 rounds in a k1p1 rib. Lastly I picked up 110 sts around the bottom edge and worked 5 rounds in a k1p1 rib.

Since I only used the back and one arm to make this sweater, I still have enough remnants to make another sweater - the other arm and the front. That makes good use of an old sweater that was pretty dated, and also wasn’t doing anybody any good just taking up space in my drawers.

If your dog has a fairly deep chest, then you’ll need to make the under-panel wider (in the knitted version it’s made with a “stretchy” k1p1 rib). Farley has a skinny chest, so I decided to go medium with this pattern all the way.

I made this sweater this past winter, and it got used quite a bit. I’ve washed it many times and so far it has not come unraveled. I simply wash it in cold with all the other colors, and line dry. I don’t think this idea would work very well with loosely knit sweaters, but I’m surprised that it worked at all.

• Here is Farley in his “Barely Knitted” Knit Sweater:
• He looks like a roll of Life-Savers, doesn’t he? Come to think of it, I looked like three rolls of Life-Savers when I wore this sweater (my two arms and my torso). If Farley escapes again, and he happens to be wearing this sweater, drivers will be able to spot him a mile away.
• If you want to try this, it can probably be adapted to your favorite knit doggy sweater pattern. You can buy Dogs in Knits 17 Projects for Our Best Friends by Judith L. Swartz from amazon.com (I’m not getting paid for this plug, just trying to make it easy on you) or check it out from the library if you need the measurements for different sizes (I’ve seen it at my library).

Come to think of it, you might even be able to use this idea for almost any item knit from a pattern - convert the knitting pattern into a paper pattern, and use on an old item of knitted clothing. Another big advantage of this method (besides the time-saving factor) is that you don’t have to check your gauge, which all Lazy knitters hate to do. Plus, you can make use of an old item of clothing you might otherwise throw out.

I’m not planning on abandoning knitting for this new way of doing things; in fact I’m working on a black sweater for Farley right now (he’s going through a Johnny Cash phase). But if I ever do this with anything other than doggy sweaters, I’ll let you know. It is kind of cheating, but I won’t tell if you won’t!