5.01.2011

little updates...

i've been a little busy the past few weeks (try not to be so surprised!) so all that has cut into my crafting time. of course this made me crankier than normal... yeah, maybe that doesn't say much! hahahaaa anyway, the one item i was really focused on getting finished before the month is out is below. and yes, i made it before the deadline! 

weekly wrap-up/finished object(s) current projects:
on/off the needles
a finished project! yay. it's been a while.

yummy, yummy, yummy!

knitted doughnuts on double point needles. a quick, easygoing project that i could do in front of the tv or at my knitting group. i will admit, it was starting to drain me (most people only make 1 or 2... i made 7), as do most projects that take more than a month to complete, but once enough doughnuts were finished, i was happy with the results. adorable! the dark chocolate ones were my favorite, and i remember that each time i picked up the dark brown yarn, i had a craving for a chocolate cake doughnuts. funny how that works, right? :)

calorie free breakfast!

so now, i'm back to working on wip's that i put on a time out to finish doughnuts. that still sounds so funny :0)

these projects include getting started on one of two sweaters i swatched for a couple weeks back and my lovely chartreuse socks! and as i searched past posts to see if i actually shared images of the new swatches, i realized i didn't. totally space cadet. so i'll share now :) this is my brain on "busy" folks, any questions? i think my intention was to do a post on this... but you know the old saying about intentions... "the road to hell is paved with good intentions"... wait, that doesn't really work. actually i think the saying i'm looking for is regarding "best laid plans." ok, whatever.

swatch #1 = idlewood
idlewood sweater by cecily glowik macdonald of winged knits

swatch #2 = lauren
the "lauren" sweater by ann weaver

my gauge was SUPER off on both swatches (even after washing) and a knitting buddy taught me how to adjust the pattern to fit me and the gauge i preferred. i'm really excited to see how this all works out. and yes... i remember i still haven't finished the last sweater i was working on. i remember quite well. but you know what "they" say about variety... it's the spice of life! and i need some spice in my life! hahahaa :D and i get bored easily. i need a few projects going to keep me interested.

on/off the spinning wheel
i finished spinning the fat cat knits falkland in "abigail."

you remember this falkland right? the braid with amazing colors that was spinning up all muddy? well if not, here is a photo of the before and after to refresh that poor memory of yours. in the photo below, you can actually already see that pieces looked muddy to begin with. it's all good. it came out lovely anyway :)

FatCatKnits/Falkland in Abigail
before

fat cat knits falkland
after

i'm in couch mode (as in, totally not getting up from the couch right now) so you'll just have to trust me when i say that there are 2 finished bobbins of singles. so now it's time to get to plying. first to ply (and very well rested) is the sweetgeorgia fiber club silk/bfl.

FO: sweetgeorgia bfl+silk
i could use that coffee right about now!

odds & ends
over the past few weeks, the hubby and i have been working hard in the backyard, cleaning, organizing, weeding, planting, pruning, all the above, and because the weather has been so nice lately (clear skies, light, cool breeze, warm temperatures around 80F), we are finally able to enjoy the fruits of our labor. here are a few snapshots of things going on back there.

 
apparently we aren't the only ones enjoying the fruits of our labor *side eye*
no damage done yet, but the rabbit has already been put on notice by riley!

bottoms up!
*sigh* i have the craziest dogs ever! and they are so nosey. loves it!
later on a small tree was planted here in this hole.

speaking of crazy dogs... miss riley has allergies. i don't think i mentioned this before, so i'm mentioning it now.

she's been through several home remedies and lifestyle changes (probably all the same remedies that many people with dogs affected by allergies has tried), and a few medications (including otc antihistamines and benadryl), yet nothing has really worked and the one medication that she was using that worked well, as in instantly - temaril-p - is not considered safe for long time use. now she is on a new medication, and although it's not as effective as temaril-p (a steriod), it is a safe alternative that can be used for long time allergy management. it's either this, or we move to a new house. i'm still voting for the latter ;)


the only annoying thing i'm finding so far with the cyclosporine (aside from the fact that she does still itch, although it has been reduced significantly) is the way it is administered - through a syringe. the link i shared shows it in pill form, so i'm not sure why she has liquid form. maybe it's easier to administer, or maybe it's because of her weight? anyway... like the bottle shows, the meds must be given prior to eating or drinking water (one hour before) and 2 hours after eating. it's taken me a few days to remember all this, but i've finally gotten the hang of it, and riley is no longer eating her breakfast at late lunch hours :)

nonetheless, she is not amused.

my initial concern with this new medication was the issue of vomiting and/or diarrhea that many people who have used it on their dogs complained about. the general consensus was that the vomiting was absolutely worth it if it gave their pets a more comfortable life, and i feel the same way. honestly, it wouldn't be the first time she's thrown something up, and i'm sure it wouldn't be the last, because this little dog eats EVERYTHING. i just want her to be more comfortable and return to doing the things that she once enjoyed. the interesting thing is that riley has not had any issues with vomiting *phew* yay! i guess eating all that random stuff and having a cast iron stomach paid off!

after about an after she's taken her meds, she's able to do stuff like this again...

 hunt wabbitslizards that sneak into the garage around this time of the year!

and even more beneficial - cleaning up cobwebs!

so all in all, cyclosporin has allowed riley to regain her happy life back in many ways. as i mentioned earlier, it has not alleviated all itching - in fact, she still scratches, licks, and is still generally itchy all day, it's just not as magnified, and she is able to enjoy her usual activities like terrorizing all the critters in the backyard, play fetch, eat empty planting containers, play frisbee and chew on rawhides. she also still continues to have restless nights where she wakes me up at 3am because i'm assuming her meds are fully out of her system at that point and she's beginning to become uncomfortable again. it is what it is. i'm happy she's happier.

until next time!
enjoy your week :)

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