Tag Archive | dogs

Projects, Needles, and Yarn – oh my

Let’s start with the bad news first, so we can end on a good note. Grace went to the oncologist last week and the news was basically what I expected: it’s a very aggressive, fast-growing cancer and there’s no getting rid of it. IF it was contained to one spot and they did major surgery to remove it all, and followed it up with expensive weekly chemo treatments, she *might* make it to six months. However, there are indications it has spread to one lymph node and maybe the liver, so that seemed unlikely. We could try just chemo, which would give us maybe a 40% chance of getting her to 3-4 months. Or we could treat it palliatively and give her the best quality of life for the next month or two, which is what we decided to do. And after her doctor visit, we took her out for a good cheeseburger. And maybe a few fries.

We started her on Pepcid, Benadryl, and a high dose of prednisone, all of which could help control the symptoms and maybe even shrink the tumor a bit. And good news – it did! After a week on the meds, the tumor is noticeably smaller. It’s still an extremely large tumor, and this isn’t a sign of her being cured – it’s just going to improve her quality of life, which I’ll take. She is still in good spirits and doing well, so I’m going to appreciate that as long as it lasts.

Because the oncologist said she was stable in the short-term, the husband and I left the boy home with all the dogs and took a road trip to Alabama to visit the girl. We hadn’t seen her since August 2022! That is way too long, friends. Alabama might not be my favorite state, but we had a good time. Our day trip to Huntsville was a highlight. We found a wonderful used book store, a great yarn store, and spent the afternoon at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center – super fun, especially for the husband. I came home with a lot of new yarn and a lot of new books, and a completed pair of socks. Oh, and when I came home, I found my new needles had arrived! I splurged on a set of Signature DPNs for sock knitting and I can’t wait to cast on.

It’s been a rough few weeks for me – I’ve been in a super negative headspace – but the break helped a lot. I’m so glad I decided to go. The warm spring weather is helping too, I think. And the relief to come home and find out that Grace hasn’t gotten a lot worse! Happy Spring, friends.

Best Laid Plans

Aug18

Does anyone else lie in bed at night, and think about how they’re going to do better tomorrow? I’m always going to eat better, start exercising again, work on my half-written novel, walk the dog. I’m full of good intent at 10 pm. I just haven’t figured out how to make it last until the morning. If you do, let me know please?

My second sock got done last night. We started watching The Crown on Netflix recently and have become obsessed, so every night I have 2-3 episodes’ worth of good knitting time. Sadly, we’re on the second half of season three so soon I’ll be lost, waiting for the next season. I absolutely loved the first two seasons; season three is good but not quite as enthralling. Anyway, socks are done and now I just need to wear them and wash them.

And the most fun part is: I can work on other projects now! The temptation to cast on something new is great, but I also have another sock on the needles plus my Ripple Bralette that was put on hold. Not to mention the shawl that’s been forgotten for a few weeks. Still … new project! What should it be??

My darling dogs managed to tree a raccoon this morning. The tree is just beyond our fence, so the dumb thing could easily have climbed down and run away, but it sat up there for at least half an hour while my dogs whined and barked and ran around like idiots. It brought back strong memories of Where the Red Fern Grows and made me want to re-read to remember more about raccoon behavior. But then I remembered the end of the book and decided against it. I would have felt sorry for the raccoon, which looked maybe half-grown, except that I have had raccoons nest inside my house and it is a terrible thing, so if my dogs can keep it away from our house, more the better!

Happy Tuesday, friends.

An Answer for Jack

Aug11

The vet called yesterday and confirmed that yes, Jack has hypothyroidism. It’s been causing lethargy and weight gain mostly, but also some flaky/scaly ears and a few instances of unsteady walking. The gastrointestinal issues that prompted me to take him to the vet aren’t a typical symptom but the vet said she couldn’t rule out the possibility that they were related. He’ll be on a twice-daily pill for the rest of his life, but it’s small and relatively inexpensive. He’s already had two doses and is perking up quite a bit. It makes me feel bad, wondering how long he’s been dealing with this without us noticing. I just thought he was getting lazy as he got older. It’s a relief to have a clear answer, even if it does mean having two dogs with chronic conditions!

The other good news is that I finished a sock yesterday. I’d already finished one green sock from my new sock yarn, but before I started the second I needed to make a quick purple sock. And it really was quick!

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Now I’m back to the green. And when I have one solid green pair and one solid purple pair, I want to do purple with green contrast bits!

Ripple Bralette, Take 2

Aug6

I was dreaming about shoes. Purple loafers, gray oxfords with hot pink laces, pink oxfords. They were cute shoes, and I was excited to be shoe shopping. But then the husband’s alarm went off at 6 am, and he wasn’t there to turn it off because he got up at 5:30 with Grace. I managed to make the noise stop, but then there was a dog pawing at my bedroom door, and then the alarm went off again, and that was it. At least I got to sleep until 6!

My Ripple Bralette did not work out. I tried it on yesterday and while I was able to get it on (barely), it stretched out more than I wanted and didn’t give the best coverage. Not surprising, given that I was using sport weight instead of DK, I didn’t check my gauge, and I chose the smaller of the two possible sizes. I’m not even made about it, because honestly, the body is totally my kind of knitting. I love to knit ribbing, and I love to knit in the round on 16″ circs. It feels like making a hat! So I frogged my precious fucsia Malabrigo and set it aside for a future project. The pattern suggested using worsted weight yarn if you want a denser fabric or more coverage, so I found a nice red merino, since I don’t wear red tops or accessories anymore. (Purple hair. Don’t like the two together!) Then I double checked the yardage requirements, put the red back in stash, and found two skeins of Malabrigo Rios. The color, Archangel, has more yellow/orange in it than I’d like, so using it for a bralette seems ideal.

Now, don’t freak out and yell at me, but I still didn’t do a gauge swatch. I chose the next size up in the pattern. For the cast-on, I went up one needle size than recommended for a little extra stretch, but for the band and body I’ll stick with the recommended sizes. I will try it on a little sooner this time, but honestly, I don’t even care if I have to frog and reknit again. What the heck, we’re in a pandemic. Knitting ribbing makes me happy.

I got an update on Jack yesterday too: the vet is thinking he might have an underactive thyroid, based on his bloodwork. It can pop up in middle-age dogs, as Jack is, though I had no idea it could affect dogs. They’re doing one more test to confirm it, but if it’s confirmed, he’ll be on a daily thyroid supplement for the rest of his life. For me, this is good news! No, I wish I didn’t have a second dog with a chronic condition, but I looked up the symptoms and it would explain several things that we’ve noticed in Jack over the last few months. If we could do a simple pill and he’d feel better, that would be fantastic. Also, I’ve had the same issue for several years, so I know that treating it is easy and inexpensive. And if nothing else, it would explain his recent weight gain and prove wrong the snarky vet tech who “playfully” shamed me the other day!

So I’m calling yesterday a win, and hoping for another one today. Happy Thursday, friends!

To the Yarn Store?

Feb17

Oh, you guys are all bad influences…and I love it! So many votes to go to the yarn store, haha! Alas, I did not go to the yarn store, but it wasn’t really a conscious choice on my part. I left the restaurant after lunch with my friend, and there was a loose dog in the parking lot, just barking her fool head off. One woman was trying to catch her, so I grabbed the bag of treats I keep in my car and went to help. My friend had a grumpy baby with her so she couldn’t stay, but let me borrow the leash she keeps in her car. (Side note: I really need to get one of those for my car.) This dog, though, man, she was skittish. She loved the bits of treat I tossed to her, but didn’t want to come close enough for me to touch her at all. I called animal control, but in that city they don’t come out unless the dog is aggressive. The first woman managed to contact a volunteer rescue group, and they said they’d send someone out to help trap, and I said I’d wait until they came.

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So, this is me, sitting in the parking lot, where I stayed for at least 45 minutes, trying to coax her to come to me. Eventually she started to wander off back toward the busy street so I had to circle around and herd her back to the parking lot. We ended up in a big grassy area, and the volunteer showed up to help, armed with hot dogs. The dog loved those but still wouldn’t let either of us get a leash around her neck. After another hour, the dog got full and started walking down the street. The volunteer followed her and found out she lives about a block away from the busy intersection. The owner knew she’d gotten out of her yard, knew she had no collar on, thought she “might be chipped”, and wasn’t worried because “she always comes home.” GAH. I hate some people. I was glad she made it home safely but hate that she might not be so lucky next time. At least the volunteer is aware of it, and said if the dog got loose again, she’d report the owner to animal control. Of course, all that will happen then is the owner will get cited, but it’s a start. It sucks to feel so helpless.

After that, my pants were wet, muddy, and cold, and I had no desire to go anywhere but home. I put on clean, warm pajamas and snuggled up with my own happy, safe dogs and cast on a new project with pretty yarn from my stash.

This might look familiar: it’s Manos del Uruguay’s color Locura Fluo, which I’m going to use for a sweater. This is one skein of Alegria Grande, which I accidentally ordered instead of Alegria one time. It was the most colorful larger-weight yarn in my stash, so on my needles it went. This the Oats cowl pattern from Tin Can Knits, something really simple to let the yarn be the star of the show.

I’m still slightly tempted to go to a yarn store today, since I’m off work for Presidents’ Day, but I’m also tempted by this gorgeous and fun yarn I found on Instagram: it’s called A Bonny Lass!!! How can I not order that? I think I need to make a big, gorgeous shawl and it needs to have some kind of Celtic cable design on it even though I don’t like making cables. So, we’ll see. I might just stay home with my pajamas and dogs today, or I might venture out. Either way, it’s a pretty happy day!

Pupdate

Jan17

Duncan had his two-week checkup yesterday and it was all good news. The vet was delighted with his incision and how he’s progressing. He was given permission to have a little more walking time, just a few minutes at a time when we go outside, but it’s a start. She said we could stop using the cone but if he started licking it, we’d have to go back to using it. Well, I got all excited thinking I’d be able to sleep in my own bed.

Alas, it was not meant to be. We all noticed him trying to lick the incision several times during the evening, so I stayed downstairs with him again last night. Sure, I could put the cone on him and sleep upstairs, but I don’t want to do that to him. I can’t imagine trying to sleep wearing that huge plastic cone. But hopefully just a few more days and he’ll be more trustworthy, and tonight I’ll switch off with the husband and take a turn sleeping in a real bed again.

Grace vomited again yesterday, after her first bout two weeks ago. She’s in good spirits otherwise, still has an appetite, so I’m not sure what’s going on. I’ve reduced the food I’m giving her and I’m keeping an eye on her, so cross your fingers that it’s nothing big and just passes on its own.

There’s not much knitting going on right now. I’m working through lunches at work so I’ve got a little flexibility to be home. And since I’m not sleeping well, I’m so tired in the evenings that I don’t have a lot of creative energy. But I have a three day weekend ahead of me, so look for knitting progress soon!

Happy Friday, friends!

A Dog Leg Warmer

Jan12

Duncan had a shaved spot on one of his front legs, where they had the IV during his surgery, and when he came home, he kept licking that spot. Originally I took a t-shirt and trimmed it so it covered that leg, and it was pretty cute.

But, well, I’m a knitter, and I kept thinking I could do better than a t-shirt, especially as that t-shirt got grungier. So last night I whipped up a little doggy leg warmer and by some miracle, it fit!

Sadly, it’s really only good when he’s lying down. When he’s up and moving around, it slides down and eventually works itself off. Oh, well, it was a nice idea at least. Tomorrow I’m back to work so he’ll be in the cone and confined in the kitchen, so he won’t be able to lick anything anyway. And Thursday we’ll go back to the vet to hopefully get the stitches out and maybe even get permission to ditch the cone!

Take your meds, kids

Jan9

Pro tip: when you’re dealing with a stressful situation and all your routines are out of whack, it’s best not to forget to take your anti-depressants for several days. OOF yes that was me. I remembered last night, and honestly, I wasn’t doing too bad without it but jumping back in is making today a little rough. Or maybe today just isn’t a great day. I could feel my nerves on edge so I took the time to set up a new gate this morning.

Crate training has been stressful for both me and Duncan; he doesn’t want to go in it, and was starting to avoid going into the dining room because that’s where the crate is. I don’t want to have to fight with him every morning when I have to go back to work, so I’m trying Plan B. We have a small nook in our kitchen, which is where he used to sleep anyway, so I put a bed back there and gated it, and I’m hoping that will be a good crate alternative. When I’m not around, I’ll put the cone back on him and close the other kitchen gates too, as a precaution.

This way I have a safe place to put him when I need a break or want to make lunch. It really is just like having a newborn again, and how sometimes you need to just put the baby in the crib and walk away for a few minutes, knowing they’re safe.

That’s all I got, guys. I’m off to play with yarn and drink tea.

Sock It To Me Monday

Jan6

With much of my weekend spent lounging on a mattress with Duncan, I have a finished sock to share today! This is my Yarn Geek sock, with accents from leftovers.

The next one will have the accents reversed, just for fun! And to spice things up, I switched the rib pattern to 7×1. Wild, right?? This yarn isn’t silky soft, but it feels thick and durable, and I’m guessing they’ll wear really well. I cast on the second sock last night and I’m looking forward to having a new pair of socks…partly because all my handknit socks are dirty and I haven’t had a chance to wash them! I might have to make an exception and put them in the washer this time.

Yesterday I got a break from dog-sitting and took the boy to Half Price Books, where I found Amy Herzog’s Ultimate Sweater Book. It says it’s a guide for “adventurous knitters”, and I don’t think I’m there yet but I aspire to be! And after that, the husband was still happy to chill with Duncan, so I got time to wash and block my lastest FOs.

The break was lovely because now I’m back on the mattress. The husband and the girl are at work and the boy is hoping to go visit the girlfriend, so it’s all me today. Don’t worry, I’ll make the boy give me a break before he leaves! And I did manage to get Duncan in the crate this morning while I had breakfast, just to get him used to it. He looked sad and pathetic but was very calm and resigned. He didn’t whine or paw at the door or bark. So I’m cautiously optimistic, and my next step will be to put him in there and then go upstairs for a while and see how he does without a person around. Overall, managing his recovery has gone more smoothly than I was expecting. Here’s hoping it stays that way even after I have to go back to work!

Knitting with a Dog

Jan5

Today is Duncan’s second full day at home after his knee surgery, and he’s doing really well. He’s touching the leg to the ground at times, even putting some weight on it, which is better than I expected. The hardest part is going to be keeping him calm while everything heals. I think the first couple of weeks will be the most critical, and after that we can start slowly building in a little more activity. Actually, the hardest part are the nights. He hates the cone, not surprisingly, so we’ve been sitting with him 24/7 and keeping him on a leash to restrict movement and prevent him from licking the incision. The husband and I took turns sleeping downstairs with him the last two nights, and it’s not very restful, but at least Duncan gets some sleep that way. We can manage this for a couple of weeks, right?

ee16171f-a91d-467f-9e8d-cbab1b57c5ee Also not surprisingly, I’ve had some knitting time while sitting with Duncan, and I’ve finished two projects! The first is the Botta Stole, which I don’t think I’ve mentioned before. It’s basically a scarf, and I chose it for a special skein of Aspen, a blend of merino/silk/cashmere from Baah Yarns. Unfortunately, I didn’t pay attention to yardage and I didn’t have as much as the pattern called for, so mine will be a bit short. I’m hoping it will block out long enough to wear with a shawl pin or ring.

db945b6d-a29d-49dc-a58c-b2d2a6e55def That is a terrible photo and I do apologize, but my opportunities to take photos in good light are a bit limited right now. I promise I’ll get a better one after it’s done blocking! My other finished item is a sock, so I’ll save that for tomorrow’s post. And two finished items means I get to cast on two new items, so that’s what I’ll be doing while Duncan and I watch the Golden Globes tonight!