Showing posts with label dog fluff. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dog fluff. Show all posts

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Back Yard


I didn't get much knitting done yesterday. After picking up the house (and yes, it was heavy!) I cleaned up the back yard. Took a bunch of stuff to storage that has been here since we moved in thinking I might need or want it. After 18 months, I guess I won't need any of it that fast.

So our little patio is much bigger now with all that "stuff" gone. I swept it all off, and rearranged the patio furniture. Now we have a nice little area for morning coffee or a beer after work. The lemon and grapefruit trees provide a nice shade and keeps the temperature down somewhat. I imagine it'll be too hot to use during the day in the summer, and possibly in the evening. But it's nice for a cup of coffee, a bagel and a good book in the morning.

Then we decided to tackle the dog. I have a chow. They have fur. Tons of it. and at season change they loose a lot of the undercoat (the fluff I often collect and spin). We brushed and trimmed off hair mats, and used the trimmer on her. She looks pathetic now. We weren't clipping for show, just to get rid of the extra stuff. She's pretty ragged, but much of her "stuffin" is gone. Will work on it more and then give her a bath in the next week.


I worked on my Art School Sock last night. I decided to put in an afterthought heel using Dawn Brocco's technique. And perhaps the toe, too. I like afterthought heels, but they never really look good to me. And I like star/round toes so we'll see how these work out. I like the way the color is patterning in this sock, and if I used an afterthought heel, the pattern won't be interrupted by the change in the number of sts during the gusset decreases. IOW, I'll keep the same stitch count from cuff to the beginning of the toe, which should insure the color swirls stay the same. In theory.... It all really depends on the dye job staying consistent.

I did CO one of the mates to the two different muffatees I've got hanging around for Mittnz.

I watched The Invisible yesterday morning. Ho hum.... not that good, but not a total waste. A good reminder to think twice and not shoot at all. Don't spend money on it, but watch it if you need something to do while doing some easy knitting.

Friday, February 8, 2008

Squeeky Wheel....


After reading Amy's blog for a very long time, now, and admiring all the wonderful cards she makes for her family, I whined that I wanted one. I got one! And as usual with Amy's cards, this one is very much me. When I joined the Air Force way back in '74, I was stationed at Davis-Monthan AFB, Tucson, AZ. I'd never been to a desert in my life. Culture shock. In 1979, after being married, had a child, I got orders for Anchorage, AK. So my little family and I headed North to Alaska. Three years later we headed for Texas. That was really culture shock. I'd never lived in the south. I grew up as a damn Yankee. I didn't even know that half the population (or more) of the United States went to church regularly on Wednesday nights!

After 18 months in Texas, due to my dad's health, we got a humanitarian reassignment back to the desert in 1983. And have been here ever since. I so totally understand the coyote in Amy's card! Thank You, Amy! You've told the story of much of my adult life in that picture! (BTW, the colors are much brighter on the original!)

Yesterday was a spinning day. Finished another bump of the Rambouilette. Three more to go. This will be wound off the bobbin, washed and blocked today.

We brushed the dog yesterday, my Youngest Son and I. Soooo much fluff. YS asked if I was going to save it and spin it. Which reminded me of the huge ball of spun dog I already had! The answer to him, btw, was, "No." I have enough to spin, and I don't anticipate the source of dog fluff to disappear any time soon.

Well, while reading blogs today, I read with joy, Allison's SpinDyeKnit blog. Allison's blog is so restful and comfortable to read. Like a cup of tea and a deep breath. She has a few free patterns on her blog, all with a story of how the design came about. I saw the Rabbit Tracks scarf and immediately thought of the spun dog fluff I have.... What a great long term project..... So, I may just have a new project to CO. It'll definitely be long term as lace and I are not very good friends and I can only take it in short doses. This is a very easy pattern so perhaps...



This is just way too cool. Each panel of animation is knitted and there are over 700 of them. Watch to the very end, and you can see the numbers in the bottom center of the panel. The group is Tricot Machine. (F, turn the sound off and just watch the pictures. It's in French.)