Reading your post reminded me fondly of my now deceased mom - she was a talented knitter and crochet crafter as well. I regret not learning it myself - I'm left handed and she was right handed and she told it would be hard to teach me.

Have you thought about knitting a bunch of doggie jackets and set up a stand somewhere. You could even do baby sets as well. Thank you for sharing your love of knitting - I enjoyed reading it.