HighFiber: April 2023

Monday, April 24, 2023

Changes and Projects

The arrangements for Sandy have changed a bit. This playpen has been his "room" when we weren't supervising his play time with Dusty. It still serves that function, with some adjustments.

The dogs have different food, and of course, each wants the other's kibble. Eventually they will both be on the same kibble, but for now, they have to eat separately. We've been keeping Sandy's "free feed" bowl in his green crate. Dusty won't go in there. In fact, we realized that he won't go into the playpen at all when the flaps are down, even when they aren't zippered. He doesn't use the dog door, either, so this is more of the same thing, I guess. Sandy, however, moves in and out of the playpen when the flaps aren't zippered shut. Since this photo was taken, we have removed the crate door. It won't be needed again until we take Sandy back to the vet...if he still fits!

We had been taking the green crate upstairs to our bedroom for Sandy to sleep in, but he had grown a lot. He also has a new friend who stays in the playpen with him or gets dragged out and around the house. This new friend sleeps with him, too. (More on the friend in a bit.)

Because the green crate was getting small, we cleaned and reassembled the big dog crates we already had. The brown one was Rocky's we put it into the bedroom for Sandy and his friend to sleep in. The blanket is to protect the inside from any lights that might shine into the bedroom and for additional warmth.

The mauve crate used to belong to Sunny. That one is now in the family room, so we can put Sandy in it in the evening when we're watching TV or otherwise can't watch him.

Sandy and Dusty play a lot during the day.

Sandy has learned how to participate in KP duty. He helps Dusty with the prewash when we've cooked dog-friendly food, like eggs or oatmeal. He quickly learned how to hold a pan down with his front paws.

We gave Sandy another bath on Tuesday. I love the crazy dance they do after they get toweled off.

We had an online get-together after Sandy was dry and partly brushed out. I held him in my lap to finish combing. It was clear he enjoyed it. It was like having a spa day.

He resists the brushes I use, but I've discovered he's OK with this comb once the preliminary brushing is done.

After our meeting was over, I wanted to get a photo while Sandy was still clean. (He doesn't stay that way long!) I got him to pose for me on the dog bed in front of the fireplace.

As I mentioned earlier, Sandy has a new friend. We have a pile of stuffed animals that used to belong to our daughter. I tried to get the kids to take them, but everyone already had enough suffies. Among the toys was a huge floppy cat. I offered it to Sandy, watching him to make sure he wasn't going to chew it up. We named the cat Snowball. I think Sandy has been sleeping better now that his friend sleeps with him, and sometimes he drags Snowball out of the playpen to join in the play on the floor in other rooms.

We've learned that Sandy sleeps better if we keep the last hour or so before bedtime quiet. He enjoys having me hold him in the rocking chair.

Between the breakdown of our pickup and tow vehicle, the delay returning home, having a cold and looking after Sandy, I got behind in making clothes for the grandkids' dolls. Zachary's Josh (A Girl for All Time Modern Boy Max) didn't get much in the way of a wardrobe so far, and Daphne's Nisha (still at our house for fittings) had nothing but the clothes she came in. Things changed this past week.

She comes in a nice dress and boots, but a girl needs an extra dress, a sweater, PJs, dress shoes, play clothes and a jacket. I started out by making her a simple dress. (I still need to press the fold out of the front of it before I send Nisha off.) I bought the pink tights and the dress shoes, and they were delivered while we were gone.

I had made this cardigan for one of my Happy Kidz dolls, but it turned out rather tight. I tried it on Pippa, but it was too big. I thought about shortening the sleeves but hadn't gotten to it. It's a pretty good fit for Nisha, so she gets to take it with her.

I made the pajama pants using the same pattern I used for Zachary's doll, but for a top, I cut and hemmed the cuff on a girl's lace sock, and added a ribbon and a button. You can hardly see the button in the photo, but it's a black shank button.

For play clothes, I purchased a turtleneck shirt and made some leggings. I've tried to find sandals to fit this doll but with no luck so far.

Since Josh is not here, Nisha has been my model for his clothes. I made him this shirt, and the pants were purchased. Josh can wear it with his brown lace-up shoes.

I made simple jackets for both dolls. This one is for Nisha.

With the hood up:

I had enough of some aqua blue fleece to make one for Josh from the same pattern.

It was fairly easy, once I got the pattern worked out. My pattern and instructions are here.

Finally, I'm finishing up this "pullover" for Josh. I'm making the button/buttonhole bands now and still have the neckband to knit. Then I have to sew the sleeves in and sew the buttons on.

We've been thinking of switching out our camping trailer for something smaller and more manageable. Someone posted this on Facebook, and I thought it would be perfect! (Assuming there's a little bathroom, a kitchen area and that the bookshelves fold down to provide a place to sleep.)

I got a surprise package this week from our daughter-in-law, who was sending me paint sample cards for the boys' rooms, so I can make quilts for them for their birthdays. The yarn came from Beyond Yarn in New Jersey, a Black-owned business that has been subjected to racist abuse. They sell online, if you don't live in New Jersey but want to patronize the shop. I'm going to have to figure out what to do with the yarn. Something fun! The fabrics will join other fabrics I have and end up in a quilt or two.

I have a lot of difficulty responding to comments to my blog posts because of technical issues beyond my control (my lack of understanding of how things work). Message me on Facebook, Ravelry or Spoutible if you need information.

If you have a few minutes and are willing, please go to Amazon and B&N and search for "Classic Tales Retold: Stories from The Doll's Storybook by Peggy Stuart" in Children's. Every click on the page for the book makes it more likely they will keep a good supply in their warehouse and stores. If you are outside the US, you may have a separate website for these retailers. If you have a copy of any of our books, including Emil and Mariah, please leave an honest review on the websites, especially if you bought from them.

Where's my blog: If you want to follow my blog, go here and sign up to follow.

What's on my needles: Still the Talvinen cardigan (no progress this week, but soon!) and the EmPower People Kerchief (hibernating). Finishing up the doll sweater.

What's on my sewing machine: Waiting for more quilt work.

What's in The Doll's Storybook: For a doll, life really begins when they are carefully removed from their boxes in their new homes. In Existing Outside the Box Mandy explains to the newly arrived Jolena what their purpose is as dolls and what a doll's life is all about. This was our second story, as I continue to take time off for "pawternity leave."

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Still listening to The Weaver's Daughter by Sarah E. Ladd. Not much progress this week.

What's in my wine glass: Colossal Reserva 2018, which is pretty good, from Lisbon (Portugal).

What's my tip of the week: I have a tiny bottle of Kookaburra Wool Wash I take with me when we go camping. It comes in handy if I need to wash out a few things but don't have enough clothes to go to the laundromat. I just soak the items in a dishpan with hot water and a small amount of the wool wash for 30 minutes or so, then squeeze them out, roll them in a towel, then put them somewhere to dry. I really like that it cleans without needing to rinse. I have a big bottle and a bottle of Euclan (similar product) at home for cleaning and blocking knitting projects.

Where are my books: The stories in each book first appeared in the blog and they are reproduced with a few changes.

Classic Tales Retold: Stories from The Doll's Storybook is available from BookBabyBookshop and other booksellers worldwide. The stories are Little Green Greatcoat, The Boy Doll Who Cried Wolf and Lost in the Woods.

Emil: Stories from The Doll's Storybook and Mariah: Stories from The Doll's Storybook are also still available from booksellers. The link for Book Baby is here. The three stories in Emil are Best Buds, Getting What You Want, and The Boys Cook Dinner.

The three stories in Mariah are Being Little, Besties, and Distraction.

If you don't get free shipping from Amazon or B&N, buy from the BookBabyBookshop, because 50% of the price goes to St. Jude. Other booksellers pay much less.

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 or dolls were harmed during the production of this blog post.

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Monday, April 17, 2023

A Life Full of Puppy!

It was not a quiet week at our place. Sandy kept us hopping and entertained! Tuesday he turned three months and Wednesday he hit 13 weeks.

Dusty is enjoying having someone to play with. When it's nice, they play out in the back yard. Of course, there are dangers for a young puppy, so one of us has to be with them all the time. Dusty is fine, of course, but he doesn't always know when Sandy is likely to get into trouble. Having Dusty play with Sandy keeps the puppy out of trouble most of the time, though.

Sandy is very fast and agile. Chase is a favorite game, and he knows there are places he can go but Dusty can't.

We've started walking in the neighborhood again. Sandy is getting pretty good at staying out from under our feet and keeping up with Dusty.

It isn't a very long route, but it gives us some exercise and gets the pups out of the house and yard for a bit.

When we get home, we have to wipe the pups' paws with sanitizing wipe, putting each dog inside the door as we finish. Then we have to take off our shoes and clean the soles with a bleach solution. It's a bit tedious, but until Sandy has his full immunity, we have to be careful not to track Parvovirus into the house.

When Sandy goes out in the backyard (or anywhere) to potty, he almost always returns with a souvenir to commemorate his visit. We don't want him to chew them up, of course, so we take the souvenir away from him and ceremoniously deposit it on the mantel with the rest of his collection.

Saturday he found this "stick" behind the shed. Dusty knew that was too big for the house, so he tried to take it away. I had to intervene. Needless to say, this "stick" did not become part of Sandy's souvenir collection!

Sandy won't have his piranha teeth too long, but we're teaching him to let us brush his teeth. First he gets to sniff the brush (with a very tiny amount of doggie toothpaste on it). Then I hold his mouth closed, put the brush between the lips and the teeth and brush to the refrain to "How Much Is That Doggie in the Window" once through for the back, once for the front, and then repeat on the other side. After that, he gets to have his tongue brushed, because we have an idea where that tongue has been.

Sandy is a light sleeper. He usually wakes up if there is any change in the sound, light or air movement in the room. You can imagine that he woke up when a big truck started backing up right in front of our house at 5:30 AM. It picked up the dumpster. Then a little while later, it returned with a new dumpster. Sandy had been out twice during the night, so I didn't get much sleep that night. I try to nap during the day when Sandy is asleep. Some nights he sleeps all night.

The neighbors across the street are gone, and workers have removed most of the roof to the garage. That was what the dumpsters were for. We had been guessing about what they were doing to the house.

By Friday, it became clear. The neighbors are adding on an upstairs over the garage. The gables in the roof are currently just sky lights for the one-story home, so obviously, they will need to put in a staircase. I was guessing a new master suite, or maybe a playroom for the kids or bedrooms for them. I saw the owners on Sunday and asked. It's two bedrooms and a jack-and-jill bathroom.

I haven't managed to do too much knitting since Sandy joined us, but the Talvinen cardigan is coming along slowly. Just a few more inches on the second sleeve, and I'll be ready to start the colorwork section.

I made a loaf of gratuitous sourdough bread. We don't eat a lot of white bread, but you really can taste the sourdough better. Of course, I still use the starter to make my whole wheat sandwich bread.

The Oregon grands participated in a "fun run" to raise money for their school. Soren really enjoyed himself. He's a good runner, but I think he was in it for the fun.

Johan was all business and worked to get as much distance in as he could.

Zachary sent me a photo of Josh, his new A Girl for All Time Max doll, wearing the clothes I sent along. I made the pajama pants and purchased the T-shirt and shoes. A knitted cardigan and another T-shirt were also included.

For some additional cuteness, here's our sweet granddog, Louis, keeping the cats off of his mom's shawl while it blocks.

There's a lot more work to do that isn't getting done at our house. There will be time for all that when Sandy is older.

Where's my blog: If you want to follow my blog, go here and sign up to follow.

What's on my needles: Still the Talvinen cardigan and the EmPower People Kerchief (hibernating).

What's in The Doll's Storybook: Little Miss Crocker and the Spider, an edited version of our first story.

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Still listening to The Weaver's Daughter by Sarah E. Ladd.

What's in my wine glass: Hook or Crook Field Reserve 2018. Very nice.

What's my tip of the week: Miniature poodles and some other breeds are prone to dental disease, but frequent brushing can minimize the need for cleanings and reduce tooth loss as they age. We found once or three times a week difficult to enforce. Our pups were very resistant to having their teeth brushed. However, when we began to brush their teeth every night before bedtime, it became part of their routine, and they started to enjoy it. It's even easier when you start it when the puppy is young and doesn't really need it. You just go through the motions at first to give them the idea. Gradually increase how much actual brushing you do until you're brushing all the teeth thoroughly by the time the permanent teeth come in.

Where are my books: The stories in each book first appeared in the blog and they are reproduced with a few changes.

The three stories in Mariah are Being Little, Besties, and Distraction.

If you don't get free shipping from Amazon or B&N, buy from the BookBabyBookshop, because 50% of the price goes to St. Jude. Other booksellers pay much less.

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Monday, April 10, 2023

New Life!

Sandy is fitting in nicely. For a few nights he was up every three hours to go out, but the last few nights he has been going out at midnight and then sleeping until I get up, about 6:30. I suspect he was having a growth spurt. Dusty has been keeping the puppy entertained. Sandy is growing like a weed. Here you can see their relative sizes. They should be close to the same size when Sandy is grown.

The breeder suggested we get a playpen like this. It's really useful when I can't watch the puppy. He can still play with his toys, but he can't get into trouble. It pretty much takes up the whole center of the living room.

I've found that if I keep the kibble inside the crate, Dusty won't raid it, even though he walks through the playpen when it's open. We have to keep Dusty's food put up when Sandy is loose, because it isn't age-appropriate.

They both get a spoonful of whole-milk Greek yoghurt every day and a NuVet Plus tablet, but that's all that's the same, so they have to stick to their own bowls. Dusty understood right away, because we had been feeding him with Rocky, but Sandy caught on quickly.

Each dog gets a treat after breakfast, but they have to do a trick for it. Sandy learned to "sit" by the third try, so now we're working on "shake hands." Accidents in the house are rare, because we take Sandy out regularly. He has learned to go to the back door when he needs to go. Now we need to learn to believe him.

On Saturday we decided it was time for a bath––Sandy's first in his new home. He cooperated pretty well, and we had the usual run-around-crazy routine after he was toweled off.

The Talvinen cardigan is coming along. The first sleeve is finished. The second one has about four inches done, but when I took this photo, I had just picked up the stitched for the sleeve.

I managed to get some clothes made or purchased for Zachary's new doll. Besides the PJs and new shoes, he has a tan cardigan. They should arrive on Tuesday.

Saturday was Zachary's birthday. Here's his reaction to his new doll.

The A Girl of All Time doll Max has been renamed Josh. He will be needing more clothes, but the late return from our "vacation" and my cold threw a monkey wrench into the planned sewing/knitting.

On Sunday I made more bread for sandwiches. Now that I know the starter can sit around in the fridge for a month, I'm just using one jar each week.

I'm still coughing, so I'm going to go lie down and rest up.

Where's my blog: If you want to follow my blog, go here and sign up to follow.

What's on my needles: Still the Talvinen cardigan and the EmPower People Kerchief (hibernating).

What's in The Doll's Storybook: Pawternity Leave! Mandy and Veronika explain to the other dolls that The Writer is going to take a break from writing the stories to spend some time raising the new puppy. It's called pawternity leave.

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Just finished listening to The Shape of Lies by Rachel Abbott. Now listening to The Weaver's Daughter by Sarah E. Ladd.

What's in my wine glass: Monte Planus Pinotage 2020. Spicy, in a nice way.

What's my tip of the week: Keeping a washable quilt on a couch or chair your dog is allowed on can save a lot of cleaning.

Where are my books: The stories in each book first appeared in the blog and they are reproduced with a few changes.

The three stories in Mariah are Being Little, Besties, and Distraction.

If you don't get free shipping from Amazon or B&N, buy from the BookBabyBookshop, because 50% of the price goes to St. Jude. Other booksellers pay much less.

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