FOs

It's taking some adjusting, getting used to not having a cat.  There's only been a span of about two-three months in the past 30 years (when I first moved into my apartment) that I didn't have a cat(s).  And Pumba was what I called "high maintenance" since he was diabetic and required insulin shots twice a day and also had megacolon, so he needed medicine every day in order to poop.  So now it's just the two dogs.

I think about three weeks prior to his death he had a stroke or something. He started drooling, not all the time, but it was unusual for him, I'd literally have to wipe his face down.  And he also seemed to lose some depth perception.  I had to wash his face after he ate because he drove his face into his canned food, so it was all up over his nose.  If I didn't wash it off he'd drink water and get the water all full of food residue.  Once this drooling and messy-face-ness started he declined quite quickly.  I had told the kids a few days prior to the 17th that I didn't think Pumba would be around much longer.  I went to work Thursday, and he was fine, but I think something happened to him, another stroke maybe, because he didn't come looking for his food that night, highly unusual for him.  So I went and got him and tried to feed him, but he wouldn't stand up.  He barely ate, so I skipped his insulin shot.  I half expected to find he passed through the night when I got up the next morning, but he didn't. He was laying in the kitchen on the floor in front of the fridge, and I left him there til I got the kids off to school.  I knew the night before what I was going to end up having to do the next day.  Once I took the kids to school I tried to get him to stand up, but he couldn't.  So I called the vet, and they said to bring him up at 11:40, the last appointment, so there wasn't anyone around.

We cuddled, I bawled, we cuddled some more.  At one point I had to put him in the hallway for a few minutes, and he peed on the floor and managed to drag himself somehow into my room to the spot he liked to lay. I put a blanket in the spot, and he laid there til it was time to go.  Maggie gave him a sniff and lick before we went, but Jewel wouldn't come near him.  They both pretty much avoided him like the plague all morning.  When I took him into the room at the vet, he laid on the table, and he never lifted his head off the table at all.  I really think had I not taken him the kids would have found him dead when they got home from school.  He had small veins, the vet got about half of the needle in him, but that's all it took, he was gone in less than 20 seconds.    I got a call last Tuesday that he was ready to come home.

Pumba on the left, Nala in the middle in an actual beach rock!, Simba on the right.  Strict rules that they and any other cremated pets are to be buried with us once we're both gone.  

There has been knitting.  I had a request to make a pair of slippers.  The yarn is Patons Classic Wool in commotion and orchid.  The pattern is Fiber Trends Felted Clogs.  Ravelry details here.

Same thing here, same yarn in bird of paradise with some leftover green.  These are a Christmas gift for a friend.  Details here.

I bought a couple of big balls of Bernat Handicrafter awhile back.  I knit the first skein up, I got nine Noni's Favorite Dishcloths out of it plus a small plain old dishcloth I kept for myself.  This color is psychedelic.  Details here.

And there are also a couple of pairs of socks.  The first are plain old 60st vanilla socks with mismatched stripes as the skein had three knots in the first sock and messed up the striping.  No knots in the second sock. The yarn is Herrschners Sock Yarn Stripes in twilight.  Details here.

Lastly is a pair of Broadripple socks knit in Mary Maxim Twinkle Toes in candy cane.  Details here.

Happy knitting!

Pumba aka Stinky Jim 1998-2014

Absolutely heartbroken, can't talk about it right now.  Love my baby boy, XOXOXO.

NHL All Stars Day!

A totally non-knitting post.  On September 30 there was an NHL All Stars game held at our local arena to help raise money for a local group trying to build a skatepark for the kids.  Last year was the first year we ever had one here, it was a Maple Leafs Alumni game.  (Basically, there's a team of former NHL players along with three or four local players who pay to play with them.  They take on a team of all local players, each who have paid to play as well.  It costs more to be on the NHL team, of course.)  This year there was an added bonus -- in the afternoon there was a hockey clinic for atom and peewee aged kids who were registered with our local minor hockey association.  It was limited to 25 kids, cost of $20 to cover the ice rental, so of course the Littlest One who starts his first year of peewee next week, got to go!

So a lot of the players ended up getting here late, their flights were delayed.  So the kids started out on the ice with Gary Leeman (on the left) and Dennis Maruk (on the right).  In the middle behind the net with the Calgary Flames jersey is the Littlest One.  (Though I should call him the Youngest One cuz he ain't so little!)

And I can honestly say that these two men are two of the nicest people I've ever met.  Great guys, Dennis came in the locker room after the clinic and signed a picture for each kid there.  About halfway through the clinic Al Iafrate arrived.  He's in a conversation here with TLO, apparently he asked Al to show them his slapshot.  (He held the hardest slapshot record for 16 years, his was clocked at 105.2mph.  In 2009 it was beaten by a measly .2 mph.)  He didn't, of course, if a shot like that hit one of the kid it'd be game over.

The other NHLer who helped with the clinic was Mike Krushelnyski.



Posing at the end of the clinic with the kids.  My new boyfriend, Mike K (ahem!), has his arm around TLO on the back row.

So after the clinic when Dennis came into the locker room TLO took of his stinky, sweaty Calgary jersey and got him to sign it.  He wanted the others to sign it, too, but I told him he couldn't barge into their locker room, so he said he would knock, lol.  However, the organizer of this fine event gave him an all access pass, so upstairs he went in his stinky, sweaty gear, to get more autographs.  I didn't have a pass, so I was waiting outside the room for him when a lady came to the door and told me to come in.  Bonus for Mama, she got to meet the others, too!

Dennis Maruk

Gary Leeman and Stephane Richer



Rick Middleton and Ray Bourque



Bob Sweeny and Mike Krushelnyski

Al Iafrate

So now the Calgary Flames jersey gets retired because of all of the autographs on it.  The guys were all super nice.  Ray was a little on the quiet side, but I guess he wasn't feeling the greatest, he had a bad cold.

After supper was game time.  This was just before they started.

The only one I didn't get to meet was Ron Duguay - -his plane was so late that he got to the arena just as they were announcing the players.  He got out of the limo and into his gear and right onto the ice, lol.  But since TLO had an all access pass he got to go to the locker room between periods and got his autograph on the Calgary jersey as well.

The coolest part of the whole game to me was between the first and second periods, the all stars play the local novice team.  It was just too cute!

Final score of the game, the local players 2, all stars 7.



It was a good day!!

Happy knitting!

Can You Believe It?!

But I made hats!!!  First up is a Space Invaders hat for the Oldest One, the vintage video game freak that he is.  The pattern is called Invading Your Earspace.  I used black Patons Decor and leapfrog Patons Canadiana.  I upped the size to 4.5mm needles. Cast on 90sts, dec one stitch after ribbing, I cut 22sts from the pattern. (Design section A 2 times, B one time, A one time.) If I did it again I’d do less ribbing, maybe 15 rows only. I also omitted the knit round between decrease rounds when I got down to the last four or five decrease rounds. I just decreased every round for like the last 4-5 rounds.  Ravelry details here.  

Next up is Open Studio.  I have knit this one before.  I added one pattern repeat to this one, the yarn is Briggs & Little Regal in lilac.  Other than adding one pattern repeat the pattern was knit exactly as it was written.  Ravelry details here.

The last hat was knit for a friend of mine.  It is for her five year old daughter, so I downsized the needles to 4mm.  The yarn is Patons Canadiana in leapfrog and rainbow.  I did the pattern exactly as written, only changing the needle size.  I wish I would have had larger, solid white buttons for the eyes, but alas, no, so it is what it is.  I must say I find it pretty darned cool.  Ravelry details here.

I also cast on a baby blanket.  At first there was no plan for it, I just wanted to knit a baby blanket.  I have a friend now who is pregnant.  It might go to her baby.  She is at about the halfway point, same as the blanket, lol.  The yarn is really nice for being mostly acrylic.  Mary Maxim Woodlands, 90% acrylic, 10% alpaca, machine washable.  The color is denim.  I really wanted the plum, but it was out of stock at the time I ordered it.  The pattern is Sunny Baby Blanket.  Ravelry details here.

I did break down and cast on a pair of socks.  I also have two pairs of slippers to make by request.  A friend wants a Space Invaders hat knit for her grandson, I have another friend waiting for socks... if only I had more time!!

Happy knitting!