January 23 my darling St. Bernard Katie left me. She was 12 years, 7 months, and 17 days old. That is a long life for a St. Bernard.
Katie had a good life with lots of love and attention. She was an almost constant companion of mine. When we went to look at the puppies SHE chose me and we were best buds from then on. We traveled together whenever we could. She went to North Carolina with us when we went to visit Dean. She went to Virginia with us when Dale was working there. She went to town with me tons of times. She was well known in several stores around town. When we opened the pet bakery she went to work with me until she started having mobility issues.
For the past several months her mobility was progressively getting worse. By the end her hindquarters did not work at all. I had made a sling to lift her so we could go outside to potty. It was hard to lift her sometimes but I continued to do it, with Dale's help sometimes.
She was a very special pet. I have a vertigo problem and when Kate still came upstairs to sleep I woke more than once to find her laying across me so I couldn't get up. When I would wake I would be very dizzy. Katie knew. She would also keep me from standing when she sinced a vertigo bout coming on.
Pets are much smarter than a lot of people give them credit for.
Monday when I got home from the nursing home Kate was whimpering. She was laying flat on her side in the family room. She had phlegm all aroud her head and front legs. I called my son to come in. I cleaned her up as much as I could and talkec to her. I called Dale at work and he headed right home. I noticed that Katie was bloated and called the vet. The vet said she thought Katie had a twisted stomach. Surgery was the only way to fix it. I could not put Kate through that at her age since the vet said she only had about a 25% chance. It nearly killed me but I had to let her go.
She is gone but will not be forgotten. She will always be my baby.
Thank you for 12 1/2 wonderful years, my sweet Kate. Mommy loves you.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Friday, October 14, 2011
SnowDrop,,,the final chapter
SnowDrop is finally done. I just need to block it and it will be ready to wear. I hope to get it blocked sometime tomorrow. Soon as I do I'll get pics and post them.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
SnowDrop and other things.....
I am still plugging along on the Snowdrop Shawl. I have made it past the halfway mark for the border. I was thinking that I would have it done so I could wear it to Grand Commandery this coming weekend. Not sure it that will happen or not, but I am going to give it a good try. If I finish knitting it I will probably not have time to block it. Keeping fingers crossed that I get it all finished.
We had to put my Mom in rehab in a nursing home yesterday. That was a very hard thing to do. She can't walk and can't even support her weight on her feet now. There was just no way Dad and I could continue to take care of her at home. We are hoping that the rehab will get her back up on her feet so we can bring her back home. Prayers please.
I plied my first ever sock yarn and made a rookie mistake. I had spun the singles clockwise as I always do and then when I started to ply them I also plied them clockwise, instead of counter clockwise. I started plying them late at night when I was dog tired and didn't even realize what I had done. The yarn is really tightly spun so I am not sure if I can use it or not to make socks. I have it on the niddy-noddy right now and will leave it on there for a while and then check it out. If it is ruined I have more that I can try again.
I really need to get back to my sweater that I started last winter from my own hand spun. I have had to spin more yarn 3 times now. Hope I have enough now to finish the sweater. If not I still have some of the fiber so I can spin some more. Just as soon as I finish SnowDrop I am going to get the sweater out (Celtic Cardy) and finish it up. I should be a really warm sweater and I think this winter is going to be really cold so I will probably be wearing it a lot. I love my hand knit sweaters for winter. They are so much warmer that store bought ones.
Bye for now.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Monday
The SnowDrop is going slowly. I have pretty much laid it aside because I don't really like working on the border. I will get it done, just not right now.
I have a sweater that I started last year that I really need to finish up. It is languishing because it is made from my own spun yarn and I have had to spin more twice now and it looks as though I may still have to spin some more. I need to finish it so I can wear it this winter.
I finished my nephew's socks. Well, I still need to sew the round together at the top and then tuck in the ends and they will be done. So for all purposes, they are done.
I started on the Primrose socks from summer Knitty but I was having a heck of a time with the left twist. I just could not get the PTBL trying to do it on the second stitch. I know how to do it, I just could not get the yarn and needles to cooperate with me. So I frogged them for now. Maybe another yarn will work. Others have done it so I can too,
From August 10 until September 2 I worked ft/pt at a plastic injection molding plant down the road a ways from us that friends own. They needed some extra help so I pitched in. I really was harder work that I could do on a long term basis so I was glad to see Sept 2 come. I do thank them for the chance to do the work though. The 3 ladies that I worked with were all super nice.
Now I am going to be helping to take care of my Mom. They were going to have to hire someone to come in and help Dad with her so I offered and Dad jumped on it. So I am back to work again for a time.
Have almost spun all of my Lapiz merino. I have about 8 more very small balls to spin and then I can start plying it. I am hoping to be able to make some 3 ply sock yarn. I love the color and the feel of the yarn. We will see.
I don't know why it is, but I cannot publish a post on here from my laptop. I can write it and save it but not publish it. I have to come out here to the office to publish it. That is such an irritant. Oh, well. I don't post very often anyway.
I'll try to get some pictures taken and post them here sometime in the next few months. LOL
Later.
I have a sweater that I started last year that I really need to finish up. It is languishing because it is made from my own spun yarn and I have had to spin more twice now and it looks as though I may still have to spin some more. I need to finish it so I can wear it this winter.
I finished my nephew's socks. Well, I still need to sew the round together at the top and then tuck in the ends and they will be done. So for all purposes, they are done.
I started on the Primrose socks from summer Knitty but I was having a heck of a time with the left twist. I just could not get the PTBL trying to do it on the second stitch. I know how to do it, I just could not get the yarn and needles to cooperate with me. So I frogged them for now. Maybe another yarn will work. Others have done it so I can too,
From August 10 until September 2 I worked ft/pt at a plastic injection molding plant down the road a ways from us that friends own. They needed some extra help so I pitched in. I really was harder work that I could do on a long term basis so I was glad to see Sept 2 come. I do thank them for the chance to do the work though. The 3 ladies that I worked with were all super nice.
Now I am going to be helping to take care of my Mom. They were going to have to hire someone to come in and help Dad with her so I offered and Dad jumped on it. So I am back to work again for a time.
Have almost spun all of my Lapiz merino. I have about 8 more very small balls to spin and then I can start plying it. I am hoping to be able to make some 3 ply sock yarn. I love the color and the feel of the yarn. We will see.
I don't know why it is, but I cannot publish a post on here from my laptop. I can write it and save it but not publish it. I have to come out here to the office to publish it. That is such an irritant. Oh, well. I don't post very often anyway.
I'll try to get some pictures taken and post them here sometime in the next few months. LOL
Later.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
SnowDrop update....
I have finished the body of the SnowDrop and have (barely) started on the edging. It has been put aside for a bit as I need to finish up a pair of socks for my nevvie and I also need to make a couple of pair of socks for me before winter.
Not much going on here. I'll try to get a new pic of the shawl sometime soon, but no promises.
Katie is doing pretty well. She is 12 years, almost 3 months. She is an OLD lady now but she is still my beautiful St. Bernard and a wonderful girl.
The other day when I had her out on the patio to get some cool fresh air she somehow managed to scoot and wriggle her way off of the patio across the narrow back yard and into the high weeds on the hill side. Luckily D has not had time to bushhog this summer so the weeds are really high and thick so they stopped her from going on down the hill.
She did manage to get both of her back feet into dog poop. That was fun trying to get it off of her feet. I finally took a quart size baggy and put water in it and slipped her foot in, held the top closed and massaged the water around her foot. They came clean, thank goodness.
Now I make sure to close the gateway with the bench whenever she is out on the patio. I never dreamed she would work her way off of it since she can't get up by herself anymore. I really thought she was safe. What I know!!
I had gone out on the deck to throw some dog hair out (if I had put it in the trash can it would just have floated back out where I have a ceiling fan on for her along with the AC. When I went out I could hear her woofing but I could not find her. I started to panic and began calling to her. Then I noticed the weeds moving each time she would woof. I hurried back into the house to get my boots on (they have a good grip sole on them which I need outside on the hillside to get Katie up without sliding down the hill myself) and go out and rescue her.
I got her up without any trouble and we made it up to the patio even though I did not have her sling/blanket with me. She was worn out so she lay down on the patio and I pulled the bench across the gateway opening.
Not much going on here. I'll try to get a new pic of the shawl sometime soon, but no promises.
Katie is doing pretty well. She is 12 years, almost 3 months. She is an OLD lady now but she is still my beautiful St. Bernard and a wonderful girl.
The other day when I had her out on the patio to get some cool fresh air she somehow managed to scoot and wriggle her way off of the patio across the narrow back yard and into the high weeds on the hill side. Luckily D has not had time to bushhog this summer so the weeds are really high and thick so they stopped her from going on down the hill.
She did manage to get both of her back feet into dog poop. That was fun trying to get it off of her feet. I finally took a quart size baggy and put water in it and slipped her foot in, held the top closed and massaged the water around her foot. They came clean, thank goodness.
Now I make sure to close the gateway with the bench whenever she is out on the patio. I never dreamed she would work her way off of it since she can't get up by herself anymore. I really thought she was safe. What I know!!
I had gone out on the deck to throw some dog hair out (if I had put it in the trash can it would just have floated back out where I have a ceiling fan on for her along with the AC. When I went out I could hear her woofing but I could not find her. I started to panic and began calling to her. Then I noticed the weeds moving each time she would woof. I hurried back into the house to get my boots on (they have a good grip sole on them which I need outside on the hillside to get Katie up without sliding down the hill myself) and go out and rescue her.
I got her up without any trouble and we made it up to the patio even though I did not have her sling/blanket with me. She was worn out so she lay down on the patio and I pulled the bench across the gateway opening.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
SnowDrop update
I have gotten back to row 61 so I am only 4 rows from where I was when I frogged it last evening. It really seems to be going faster now that I went down two needles sizes. I also am much more pleased with the look of it.
These are really crap pictures. It is raining outside so I had to attempt this inside. Maybe it will be pretty tomorrow or later today and I can get a pic outside.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
The Tracy Shawl....
Well that was really smart. I posted this post with just a title. Guess it saves on the typing.
Went to Columbus today with DH for a meeting. Afterwards he took me to Knitters Mercantile so I could get some yarn for the Tracy Shawl. I got Jojoland Melody Superwash in colorway MS20. Evidently they do not put word colors on their yarn. It is 100% wool and feels very nice. The colors are a mix of burgundies and blues. I am hoping it turns out ok. I really like the colors so it should be fine to me.
I'll take some pics when I start the shawl which won't be for a while yet as I am working on the SnowDrop Shawl. I am on row 63 and I think I am going to have to frog it and start again. I am using lace weight yarn and Stephanie said to use a size 4mm needle which I am doing, but it is just turning out to open looking. So I think I will frog and go down a couple of sizes. I know it sounds like a lot of work is going to be torn out but you start with just one stitch so it isn't as bad as all that. Besides, I will probably never be happy with it as it is so if I am going to put all that work in I had better be sure I like the look.
I had my Omelet Shawl with me and the ladies in the store really loved it. One was very impressed and asked if it was hard to knit. Really it isn't, it is just that the pattern is so involved that you can't really memorize it. Or at least I couldn't.
Katie and I are sitting outside. It is cool enough that she can stand it, probably in the high to mid 60's. She gets to stay outside so little now that summer is here. Whenever it is cool enough I like to bring her out. She does love the outdoors....when it is cool. LOL I would love it more if the bugs would quit eating my ankles.
Went to Columbus today with DH for a meeting. Afterwards he took me to Knitters Mercantile so I could get some yarn for the Tracy Shawl. I got Jojoland Melody Superwash in colorway MS20. Evidently they do not put word colors on their yarn. It is 100% wool and feels very nice. The colors are a mix of burgundies and blues. I am hoping it turns out ok. I really like the colors so it should be fine to me.
I'll take some pics when I start the shawl which won't be for a while yet as I am working on the SnowDrop Shawl. I am on row 63 and I think I am going to have to frog it and start again. I am using lace weight yarn and Stephanie said to use a size 4mm needle which I am doing, but it is just turning out to open looking. So I think I will frog and go down a couple of sizes. I know it sounds like a lot of work is going to be torn out but you start with just one stitch so it isn't as bad as all that. Besides, I will probably never be happy with it as it is so if I am going to put all that work in I had better be sure I like the look.
I had my Omelet Shawl with me and the ladies in the store really loved it. One was very impressed and asked if it was hard to knit. Really it isn't, it is just that the pattern is so involved that you can't really memorize it. Or at least I couldn't.
Katie and I are sitting outside. It is cool enough that she can stand it, probably in the high to mid 60's. She gets to stay outside so little now that summer is here. Whenever it is cool enough I like to bring her out. She does love the outdoors....when it is cool. LOL I would love it more if the bugs would quit eating my ankles.
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