But, really, the dog comes first
Bullwinkle
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Homepage: http://outofyarn.org
Posts by Bullwinkle
ICE!
Jan 19th
Last night Two nights ago, as Aurora and I stepped out of the house for our evening walk – there was a lovely tinkling noise all around as the frozen rain tapped the hard surfaces. Just delightful.
This Yesterday morning we awoke to a little frozen wonderland. Just magical – especially since we knew it would melt by afternoon.
It was especially gorgeous because I got to go into work late (and take pictures!) and drink more coffee before chipping away at the car.
I love ice.
52 Headless Dogs
Jan 17th
I had this (great) idea (2 weeks ago):
Instead of Project 365 or a Photo a Week, or some other lofty themed thing; I thought I’d give you 52 Headless Dogs:
That was 2 weeks ago.
Since then, the Delicate Flower (who rolled in dead (frozen) mole today) says that ground is too hard to dig.
ahem
I tried to tell her I was two weeks behind and she needs to do her part to keep the blog entertained.
O.k. then. At least someone was cooperating:
The Way of the Owl
Jan 16th
When Dude first arrived in my life, he was a bit …dismayed at the frequency of conversation on bodily functions of dogs.
(Now is a fine time to remind you that I just bought a year’s supply of pumpkin to keep the canine functioning.)
Imagine my sheer delight to find a book which adequately speaks to the issues at hand. Quote of the Day:
“…if it is on the ground, it’s poop. If it’s under your microscope, it’s scat. If it’s running down your neck, it’s shit.”
Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl, Stacey O’Brien, 2008
This is a charming little book about an injured owlet and the woman who saved him and gave him a home for the next 19 years. I loved it.
p.s. It is a quick read (4 hours for me) and suitable for young adults. I’ve been plodding away (literally for over a month), slowing and painstakingly with My Land and My People: the Autobiography of His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet and I was starting to wonder if I was losing the ability to read/concentrate/focus. So this book was a little reassurance that I’ve not lost my reading skills.
Five little squares
Jan 12th
These were sewn together, and washed and blocked:
And then left to dry. For days. (Despite dry indoor heated air, it took several days to completely dry.)
It makes the cutest little box.
I’m not sure I’d throw it into my bag and trust it to contain whatever was inside.
Bringing balance to my world
Jan 10th
Nutmeg Owl got me started (but there were others) with a count of knitted items in 2010.
I’m not one to keep track of these things. (It makes me feel bad – too much, too little, too easy, … whatever.)
But I was curious, so I scrolled back through the blog to see what I could find.
(I knew this was fraught with error because I’ve got a Pile O’stuff I haven’t blogged.) (Organized R Me.)
The Count for 2010 (trumpets please!)
17 hats ( Compulsive Cables, Binary Cable, Quincy, Mochi Plus Swirl Hat, Short Rows Wavy Hat, Straight Up Short Row Beanie, Vertigo Hat, Marsan Watch Cap, Squared Away Rib Watch Cap, Purl Beret and whatever is left was in basic beanies and caps.)
8 scarves (3 Baktus, Kusha Kusha, Boing!, Citron (does it count if I finished and then ripped it out?), Herbivore, and an alpaca cowl of my own design that went to my sister, before I got pix. (oopsie))
8 pairs of socks (5 of which you haven’t seen)
3 starts of socks (one ran out of yarn, Skew (doesn’t fit), and Perpendicular (didn’t like knitting, might be the yarn)
1 Giant Red Bag to be felted, of stockinette, but I got bored and never finished
3 Sweater STARTS – the 2009 Knitter’s Review Retreat New Beginnings Project that can’t seem to get consistent gauge, The Featherweight Cardigan that was overrun with indecision, and a Grey One that I started in Ireland and have not blogged.)
(I told you have a problem getting sweaters done.)
Here, let me bring some balance to my end of the Universe:
Reformation
Jan 9th
Gale got me started one morning with these upcycled mittens.
Before I knew it, I was rummaging through stash looking for one of three sweaters I’ve felted (for no apparent reason other than to have felted sweater on hand when the mood strikes.)
Ned assisted in the search for colorful sock yarn.
Then I was late for work. (I blame Ned.)
I started with this:
Carefully cut it into this:
Then I put the felted neck over Ned’s little head and watched Nicky chase him around the house.
For the mittens I traced my hand:
Aaaaand …
Then (here’s my fatal flaw) because I’ve never done this before, I thought I’d take some of the scraps, stuff them with catnip, and then sew them up.
Drug addicts they are.
At this point, I was exhausted (from fending off wee cagey felines) and took a nap. (Actually, I’ve come down with a horrid flu and I’m just lieing on the couch feeling sorry for myself.)
(I think … the yarn I’m using to sew them together needs to be a heavier weight (to be more decorative) and I need a blunter needle. Both of these require me to get off the couch. Not happening.)
p.s. Robot Season has begun. 6 weeks to build. 3 weeks of competition. It’s kind of like being a Football Widow.
Bag it
Jan 8th
Howdy,
Despite my best-laid plans and Girl Scout-worthy preparation; I had to cancel Friday’s events –> no Butterfly Mobius. (Isn’t that, like always how it works out? I prep and the world throws a curve ball?)
This is what I did instead:
Scrap sock yarn. This is now sewn up and soaking.
(Really? I knit this because I left my ‘real’ knitting at work. On Thursday. And short of going it to get it, I had to work on something.)
(Also: Really? I knit that knowing it had a zillion ends to weave in? Something must be messing with my brain.)
This is stash yarn from the Knitters Review Retreat. Tilli Tomas Salt and Pepper in the Lime colorway, I think.
I was trying to sort yarn (you know: organize.) I pulled this beaded skein out of a bin, couldn’t decided which bin it did belong in and decided the best thing to do was knit with it.
Experimentally of course.
It is one large garter stitch square rectangle. It will become an envelope evening purse. (Because I go sooo many evening places in grown-up attire.)
And I’ll have to learn to do a lining.
Which isn’t a bad thing.
p.s. It’s snowing!
10 on Tuesday: the Indispensable Edition
Jan 4th
10 Things that I can’t live without
( Carole specifically ruled that “people” are not “things”. I have, of course, expanded that to include “people nor pets” are “things”.)
(And, well – darn – I was, like, halfway to done if I got to put Dude first …)
Although I’m not allowed to put the critters on the list, I will assume that we are all o.k. In which case, I absolutely have to have Thing #1: Aurora’s insulin supplies.
Thing #2: my phone -> communication with those people not immediately nearby
Thing #3: my address book -> i.e to find those people not immediately nearby
Thing #4: my credit card – > shelter, food, clothing, transportation, blah blah blah. (Although, lately I just type in the numbers and stuff arrives at the house. No plastic card needed.)
Thing #5: my identification -> or how else would my credit card work?
thing one (and thing two) require Thing #6: electricity -> or how else would it work?
Since I have Thing #6, Thing # 7 is the cat water fountain -> without which, Ned would drive me insane.
At this point, I either wax philosophical or just say: even while in Peace Corps, in a remote Gabonese village, without running water (or sometimes electricity) there was a rotating stash of reading material and something to knit basket weave. Journals were harder to come by. Maybe there were no washers (or dishwashers) (and I do like my KitchenAide Mixer) – so life was different. But brownies over an open fire are doable.
So, I believe in the universe’s ability to provide – but there three next things I looked for were:
Thing #8: a creative outlet
Thing #9: something to read
Thing #10: journals -> except my address book is on a notebook and if I’m keeping that, and the electricity, then this last item is also covered.
