I know you’re only reading this blog for this:
However, some other things happened this past week. I picked up Johan’s I-spy quilt. Here’s the front (there are a few fiber animals, but you have to look closely):
…and the back:
Just the binding to go, and I can send it off.
Common Threads met at Julie’s this week. Julie had completed a couple of cross-stich pieces. This is her Halloween Fairy.
This one is more for the current season.
She’s working on an afghan for her little place in southern Utah. It’s worked in strips. Here’s what she has done:
The pattern is from Building in Color by Michelle Hunter
Remember the animals from Little Cotton Rabbits several of us made? Julie has made a tree house for her granddaughters. They each can have a side for their animals to live in.
Susan showed us these towels she wove.
There were three, but she had already given one to a friend. She used the same warp for all three, but just changed the weft. It makes me want to get back to weaving.
The spinning for Tour de Fleece (TdF) is coming along, though. I’m working my way through the AlohaBlu Waimea Rooster merino and Tencel. With a new little one under foot, it’s going very slowly, but he does take naps, and occasionally one of those will allow me to spin (or knit, or take a shower). Here’s a look at my progress:
And I have made some progress on my “So-not-my-palette” Cardigan. Every strip is just a little different, with the colors rearranged slightly. It's fun.
In other fiber fun, a Ravelry friend sent this crocheted dress for Lauren the Habitat Girl, the doll to be in the silent auction for Habitat for Humanity Park City’s Overall Ball in October.
It was fun for her (the crocheter), I know, but also nice of her to donate her time and creativity to make Lauren a nice new outfit to add to the wardrobe for the auction.
So back to Mr. Adorable. Things are going well, since the incident a week ago, when the little dude apparently decided that eating a piece of mushroom would make him grow faster, à la Alice in Wonderland. Fortunately, I had been following him around, taking leaves, sticks and even rocks out of his mouth, so I immediately realized that he had tried to eat the mushroom. Part of it was missing. Most mushrooms are at least a little toxic to dogs, if not outright poisonous. We jumped in the car and raced down to Utah Veterinary Center (UVC), about 35-40 minutes away. They immediately induced vomiting, found there was indeed a small piece of mushroom in his stomach, then sent us home with some medication and special diet food for a couple of days, because even though they thought they got it in plenty of time, if any toxin had gone into his system, it could cause tummy problems. I needed a stiff drink when we got home, but it was only lunchtime. I wondered how the rest of the day would go.
The next day, Dusty had his regular puppy checkup with our new local vet, who had received a call with a full report from the UVC vet. The three parents (two-legged and four-legged) sat and waited for the results of the evaluation. He was pronounced healthy. No worms, of course, and an excellent bite (which we had already experienced)! He could start his heart worm medication when Rocky got his, and then shots on July 19th. After that, we could leave town if we want (we do).
Wednesday, I took the pups with me to the Farmers’ Market, where DH runs a voter-registration booth every summer. He had had minor surgery right before our trip to Nevada and wasn’t supposed to lift anything heavy with his left hand, so I needed to help him set up. Then I went with the pups to visit our groomer, so Dusty could get acquainted with her before he actually needs grooming. He is already used to being groomed, but she’s a new person to him. They got along great, of course.
Thursday I had Common Threads in the morning, an appointment for my annual check with my dermatologist followed by a trip to pick up Johan’s I-spy quilt from the quilt shop. Of course, Dusty couldn’t go along, so it was a guys’ bonding day. Everyone survived without me—a good sign.
Friday morning, Dusty decided he wanted to get up first at 3:20 AM, then again at 4:00. The first time he needed to potty, which he did nicely. The second time I’m not sure, but he did potty again and get a drink. Then he wanted to play. (Sigh!) As I finished my coffee, I noticed it was getting quiet. This is what I saw when I looked down.
Friday Dusty and I went to PetCo for a wire play yard, so I can sit out on the deck with the dogs and not have to worry about the little dude squeezing through the rail and falling to the ground, a drop of 8-12’ depending on where he went through. The last two puppies were born in August, and we picked them up in the late fall. By the time it was nice enough for us to use the deck, they were too big to fit under the rail and slide off or through the vertical posts and escape to danger. This is a new situation. We could have put chicken wire around the whole deck, but the wire "play yard" can go with us camping, too, and it was easier to set up.
We also stopped in at The Barking Cat, to get another bully stick for Rocky (Dusty will probably chew on it a bit, but the big guy will undoubtedly polish it off) and one long beef trachea for both dogs, which DH had to saw in two, cheaper than buying two. (While I’m vegetarian by choice, I don’t enforce that with my dogs. Unlike cats, dogs can thrive on a vegetarian diet, because they can utilize vegetable protein, but finding good dog food from totally vegetarian sources is difficult. At least things like leather chews, tracheas, bully sticks, etc., are byproducts of meat consumption. The animal isn’t being killed just to get its hide or its trachea. Meat is a major source of the impurities, chemicals, etc., we consume in our diets, though, so I make sure the dogs’ food and chew toys come from sources as pure as possible. Our dogs love their veggies (“carrot” works better for Rocky than “come”), but they do get meat in their dog food.
Our boys play well together, but Rocky is in charge and gets first dibs on any toy or chewy. He doesn’t hog everything, though. When he wants what Dusty has, he brings another toy he thinks is just as good and put it down in front of Dusty before he takes Dusty’s toy away. The little dude switches to the new toy and seems just as happy, or it becomes a competitive game with it, which is also fun. There's lots of snarling and snapping, but they both enjoy it, and no one gets hurt.
It's nice to have a huge fenced wilderness, even if we have to watch for mushrooms and other inedible things growing, living, possibly dying, in among the bushes. The pups enjoy running together up and down the little trail we have. (This is the best I could do. They usually move so fast, they're just a blur.)
The new play yard is nice, with the deck ceiling fan going full blast to keep the biting deer flies away. Here are my three guys relaxing on the deck together.
Saturday: One more puppy anecdote. I’ve been taking both dogs together out to potty after breakfast. On Saturday, Rocky lifted his leg and Dusty went to get a closer look. (It's all about the technique, you know.) Peed-on puppy was the result. On his head and clear down his back. Well, it was time for a bath anyway, because Dusty smelled…well, dusty. Into a dishpan with nice warm water and baby shampoo, a thorough rinse and then into the play yard in the sun for some solar drying. Drying took about 15 minutes. (Notice he had the option of playing in the sun or in the shade; dogs should always have access to shade.) He mostly chose the sun until he was dry.
What was left was a nice fluffy puppy (after brushing).
What's on my needles: Still hand-quilting the “Delectable Pathways” quilt. Back to working on the “So-not-my-palette Cardigan” with the car travel.
What's on my Featherweight: Binding for Johan’s I-spy quilt.
What's on my wheel: Still the Waimea Rooster Merino/Tencel from AlohaBlu, continuing to spin for the Tour de Fleece.
What's on my iPad/iPhone: Reading A Study in Sable by Mercedes Lackey from Audible. Still reading Remember This by Shae Buggs on the Kindle app on my iPad. Franklin Habit’s blog. Always worth reading, but especially good this week:
What's in my wine glass: Charles Shaw (Two-buck Chuck) Merlot. Replenished supply, thanks to our trip to Nevada, where it’s actually $2.99. (In California it’s $1.99, thus the name.)
What's my tip of the week: When you pack for a trip, be sure you have enough yarn and the right needles or an alternate project before you get on the plane. It’s a little embarrassing to have the flight attendant announce that you need a size 3.5mm 24” circular needle, and does anyone have one you can borrow. (Just ask me how I know!) You don’t want to be at 35,000’ on a transatlantic flight with no knitting (or alternative project).
Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals were harmed during the production of this blog post.
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