Who let the dogs out? Sunday AM ramblings of a sleep-deprived woman

Has anyone knitted the Malin sweater from Herself's _In the Hebrides_?
Gauge is given in non-stockinette, instead over something called "sand
stitch" which on the other side is merely (knit 1, seed stitch 1)
ribbing. I'm knitting a little more tightly than gauge so I'm making
the size up from the one I would have made for myself.

I'm almost 4" into the body and the sweater seems to be running small
on the needle. Yes, I should put it onto a string and measure it.
Howsomever with luck someone out there has made the sweater and can
comment on the sizing.

My make-up Kathmandu came in the mail a couple of days ago. I really
ought to finish *that* sweater. Perhaps I'll need to rip Malin, which
will give me an excuse to work on Kathmandu...

I'm still spinning froghair for 3-ply for the sweater. The sheep from
which this particular wool was shorn has died of heat stroke last week
(nine consecutive days over 100f, I'd die too in a 6" wool coat) so
what I have is all there is. That's a goodly sum, enough for at least
four or five sweaters, but I'll miss this wool when it's gone.

+++++++

Following is OT. Feel free to skip.

=======

We have new neighbors in the rental next door. This is a good thing
as I no longer need to do even minimal maintenance on the yard and the
owner isn't mooching my cleaning supplies any more while he does
make-ready.

The downside is that the new occupants have dogs. This normally
wouldn't be a problem, except the *other* dogs with yards bordering
the new dogs' yard charge the fence in the morning yapping their fool
heads off (bad enough, they're mostly spaniel-based mutts with
moderately inoffensive barks) when the "new" dogs are put out for
their morning constitutionals.

But.

The new neighbors have two Danes. Fabulous dogs, I've met them,
they'll lick a body to death before the thought of baring teeth enters
their heads.

But.

Danes have BIG BIG barks. And they tell off their neighbors much the
same way teen girls bicker.

So I'm awake at least two hours earlier than I'd like to be.

Eventually the dogs will all figure out the Danes belong there (make
it soon, please?) and there will be no more oh-dark-thirty property
line squabbles. In the meantime I'm feeling quite sleep-deprived.

School started last week, which compounds our scheduling issues. My
son hasn't *quite* got his wake-sleep pattern tweaked back to a
bedtime hour that's good for school, so he spent three days dragging
a$$. He's always had trouble sleeping, so the occupational therapist
recommended us to a Chinese herabalist, who concocted some
valerian-free, kava-free bugjuice we're to administer 30 minutes
before we'd like the child to be asleep.

Per the herbalist it may take a week to exhibit any effects, and we've
got a prescribed bedtime routine to follow as well. Funny how, if
necessary, I can swing my entire schedule to that of a third-shift
worker in about a week with no chemical or herbal aids, but I'm
willing to try most things until they prove themselves useless...

In other animal-related news, it appears as if my mysterious cat donor
is at it again. A boy cat that is the spitting image of a black cat
that adopted us several years ago has turned up four mornings running
on my back patio. He's skinny so I've started feeding him. He's a
bit skittish but has obviously been somebody's cat, so I'm working on
his trust issues with an eye to stuffing him in a carrier and taking
him to the cheap speuter clinic. I need more cats...

+++++++++++++

Reply to the list as I do not publish an email address to USENET.
This practice has cut my spam by more than 95%.
Of course, I did have to abandon a perfectly good email account...

Sorry, Wooly, I haven't done that.
Poor sheep! Is there any way of keeping the poor things cool during that
horrid weather? I can really appreciate how it felt, as I ended up in
emergency myself due to heat exhaustion a couple of weeks ago.

Higs,
Katherine

Wooly wrote:
Has anyone knitted the Malin sweater from Herself's _In the Hebrides_?
Gauge is given in non-stockinette, instead over something called "sand
stitch" which on the other side is merely (knit 1, seed stitch 1)
ribbing. I'm knitting a little more tightly than gauge so I'm making
the size up from the one I would have made for myself.

I'm almost 4" into the body and the sweater seems to be running small
on the needle. Yes, I should put it onto a string and measure it.
Howsomever with luck someone out there has made the sweater and can
comment on the sizing.

My make-up Kathmandu came in the mail a couple of days ago. I really
ought to finish *that* sweater. Perhaps I'll need to rip Malin, which
will give me an excuse to work on Kathmandu...

I'm still spinning froghair for 3-ply for the sweater. The sheep from
which this particular wool was shorn has died of heat stroke last week
(nine consecutive days over 100f, I'd die too in a 6" wool coat) so
what I have is all there is. That's a goodly sum, enough for at least
four or five sweaters, but I'll miss this wool when it's gone.

+++++++

Following is OT. Feel free to skip.

=======

We have new neighbors in the rental next door. This is a good thing
as I no longer need to do even minimal maintenance on the yard and the
owner isn't mooching my cleaning supplies any more while he does
make-ready.

The downside is that the new occupants have dogs. This normally
wouldn't be a problem, except the *other* dogs with yards bordering
the new dogs' yard charge the fence in the morning yapping their fool
heads off (bad enough, they're mostly spaniel-based mutts with
moderately inoffensive barks) when the "new" dogs are put out for
their morning constitutionals.

But.

The new neighbors have two Danes. Fabulous dogs, I've met them,
they'll lick a body to death before the thought of baring teeth enters
their heads.

But.

Danes have BIG BIG barks. And they tell off their neighbors much the
same way teen girls bicker.

So I'm awake at least two hours earlier than I'd like to be.

Eventually the dogs will all figure out the Danes belong there (make
it soon, please?) and there will be no more oh-dark-thirty property
line squabbles. In the meantime I'm feeling quite sleep-deprived.

School started last week, which compounds our scheduling issues. My
son hasn't *quite* got his wake-sleep pattern tweaked back to a
bedtime hour that's good for school, so he spent three days dragging
a$$. He's always had trouble sleeping, so the occupational therapist
recommended us to a Chinese herabalist, who concocted some
valerian-free, kava-free bugjuice we're to administer 30 minutes
before we'd like the child to be asleep.

Per the herbalist it may take a week to exhibit any effects, and we've
got a prescribed bedtime routine to follow as well. Funny how, if
necessary, I can swing my entire schedule to that of a third-shift
worker in about a week with no chemical or herbal aids, but I'm
willing to try most things until they prove themselves useless...

In other animal-related news, it appears as if my mysterious cat donor
is at it again. A boy cat that is the spitting image of a black cat
that adopted us several years ago has turned up four mornings running
on my back patio. He's skinny so I've started feeding him. He's a
bit skittish but has obviously been somebody's cat, so I'm working on
his trust issues with an eye to stuffing him in a carrier and taking
him to the cheap speuter clinic. I need more cats...

+++++++++++++

Reply to the list as I do not publish an email address to USENET.
This practice has cut my spam by more than 95%.
Of course, I did have to abandon a perfectly good email account...

On Sun, 20 Aug 2006 11:13:49 -0300, Katherine spun a fine yarn
snipped
I can really appreciate how it felt, as I ended up in
emergency myself due to heat exhaustion a couple of weeks ago.

Higs,
Katherine

and we're just learning about this now!????!
Katherine, DO take care.... I just learned some interesting facts
about heat exhaustion / heat-stroke from Don's primary care that
astounded...
Hugs,
Noreen

--
I am not young enough to know everything.
http://www.lulu.com/content/292418
- - - - -
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Virus Database (VPS): 0633-4, 08/18/2006
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YarnWright wrote:
On Sun, 20 Aug 2006 11:13:49 -0300, Katherine spun a fine yarn
snipped
I can really appreciate how it felt, as I ended up in
emergency myself due to heat exhaustion a couple of weeks ago.

Higs,
Katherine

and we're just learning about this now!????!
Katherine, DO take care.... I just learned some interesting facts
about heat exhaustion / heat-stroke from Don's primary care that
astounded...

LOL Sorry for not saying anything, Noreen, but I think that I was a bit
"discombobulated". g In any case, I have learned the importance of air
conditioning, which I always considered completely unnecessary. Big cities
in Canada get bl**dy hot! And I am not used to it.

Higs,
Katherine

On Sun, 20 Aug 2006 13:15:03 -0300, Katherine spun a fine yarn

YarnWright wrote:
On Sun, 20 Aug 2006 11:13:49 -0300, Katherine spun a fine yarn
snipped
I can really appreciate how it felt, as I ended up in
emergency myself due to heat exhaustion a couple of weeks ago.

Higs,
Katherine

and we're just learning about this now!????!
Katherine, DO take care.... I just learned some interesting facts
about heat exhaustion / heat-stroke from Don's primary care that
astounded...

LOL Sorry for not saying anything, Noreen, but I think that I was a bit
"discombobulated". g In any case, I have learned the importance of air
conditioning, which I always considered completely unnecessary. Big cities
in Canada get bl**dy hot! And I am not used to it.

Higs,
Katherine

Katherine, YES, AC is important, but H2O is even MORE important, and
it takes two hours for it to 'work', so if you *wait* to drimk water,
that's not good. Also, by the time one *thinks* they are *thirsty*,
it's too LATE!
Also, everytime you are affected by heat exhaustion/ heat-stroke, your
intertal thermometer "breaks" and you're more SUCCEPTABLE (sp) after
each 'happening".
Don's down to tolerating so little now it's scarey, and the AC just
went out on the truck....
JM2C,
Noreen



--
I am not young enough to know everything.
http://www.lulu.com/content/292418
- - - - -
---
avast! AV: Outbound message clean.
Virus Database (VPS): 0633-4, 08/18/2006
Tested: 8/20/2006 11:19:15 AM
avast! - (c) 1988-2006
http://www.avast.com

On Sun, 20 Aug 2006 11:13:49 -0300, "Katherine"
spewed forth :

Sorry, Wooly, I haven't done that.
Poor sheep! Is there any way of keeping the poor things cool during that
horrid weather? I can really appreciate how it felt, as I ended up in
emergency myself due to heat exhaustion a couple of weeks ago.

The only real fix is shearing, quite honestly, and between the heat
and my (almost-not-quite-fixed) wrist I haven't been up to wrassling
with a sheep that weighs more than me. So in the final assessment the
sheep's demise is on me, but I can live with it. It's just a sheep
and it wasn't a family pet, heh.

I got seven gorgeous, huge fleeces off of him during the time I owned
him. One was stolen by a one-man "processing mill", I gave one away,
and I sent away five earlier this year for processing at Zeilinger's.
Hell, I've got enough of Hershey's wool for 10-12-15 sweaters if I
spin it finely enough. There'll be no lack of quicksilver sweaters
and socks over the years...

I'd have liked the hide as a rug - the sheep was that big - but by the
time my friend found him the buzzards had already been at work for a
while :PPPP

I've been avoiding heat stroke myself by camping in the pool, at least
I was until the neighborhood pools - including mine - started closing
for the season. Temps still in the 100s and we've got four municipal
pools open for nearly 2million people. I swabbed out what was
previously the dog wallow (toddler pool) and put it on the patio.
With my feet in the pool and a fan blowing at my back it's almost
tolerable. I relented and set up a sprinkler for the posse in the
back yard so instead of 6-8 sub-teens arguing house rules Monopoly in
my living room I have a various number of them wandering in and out of
the back yard in the evenings after dinner.

I gave serious consideration to buying a Kwik-Set Intex pool when they
went on sale at the "end of the season" but by the time I talked DH
into it the 10'x36" sizes were sold out. I'm not willing to take on a
15'x48" for liability reasons so maybe next year I'll be more on top
of it. They're moderately inexpensive pools with good filtration, and
as long as they're properly drained and stored they should be good for
at least three seasons.

I really don't know why I kvetch about lack of pools. Austin seems to
have more pools per capita than most other major cities in this USDA
zone despite being located in what is essentially low desert.

Ok, I'm being asked to produce more pancakes, then it's back to my
knitting.

My sweater is a lot bigger than it appears. I put it off on a string
and it is exactly the size I want it to be. Life is good, Kathmandu
is still on hold ;D

+++++++++++++

Reply to the list as I do not publish an email address to USENET.
This practice has cut my spam by more than 95%.
Of course, I did have to abandon a perfectly good email account...

Wooly wrote:

So I'm awake at least two hours earlier than I'd like to be.

Eventually the dogs will all figure out the Danes belong there (make
it soon, please?) and there will be no more oh-dark-thirty property
line squabbles. In the meantime I'm feeling quite sleep-deprived.

I'm also feeling sleep deprived, but it's because of my own dogs. There
is an abundance of rabbits in the neighborhood this year. The local
paper had an article about that. So when we let the dogs out in the
morning, instead of doing their business and coming back in, they get on
the scent of rabbits. The dogs are beagles. Beagles are going to bark
at rabbits. We just try to get them back in as quickly as possible, but
I know Hilda (neighbor) must be having fits. But then Hilda complained
when she heard piano noises, or music, etc etc. coming from the house,
so I don't feel too bad about it.

BB

I gave serious consideration to buying a Kwik-Set Intex pool when they
went on sale at the "end of the season" but by the time I talked DH
into it the 10'x36" sizes were sold out. I'm not willing to take on a
15'x48" for liability reasons so maybe next year I'll be more on top
of it. They're moderately inexpensive pools with good filtration, and
as long as they're properly drained and stored they should be good for
at least three seasons.


Too bad you were not here in TN last week. I just got rid of the 18 foot
model, only used for 2 months.
You are right, they are great pools however unless you have an absolutly
level piece of ground to set it on, you will be doing a lot of ground
excavation. This is why we no longer have the pool. The ground LOOKED level
but was not and caused the entire pool to shift. Since the SO and I both
have lower back problems, digging and hauling sand to level it was out of
the question.


Cindy

On Sun, 20 Aug 2006 13:55:03 -0400, "Cindy" spewed
forth :

Too bad you were not here in TN last week. I just got rid of the 18 foot
model, only used for 2 months.
You are right, they are great pools however unless you have an absolutly
level piece of ground to set it on, you will be doing a lot of ground
excavation. This is why we no longer have the pool. The ground LOOKED level
but was not and caused the entire pool to shift. Since the SO and I both
have lower back problems, digging and hauling sand to level it was out of
the question.


I considered that as well. Three of the "posse" have older brothers
who could be persuaded to do gruntwork in exchange for use the pool
with perhaps a little Danegelt thrown in to sweeten things up. I
certainly wouldn't set up a pool of that size without prepping the
site first.

+++++++++++++

Reply to the list as I do not publish an email address to USENET.
This practice has cut my spam by more than 95%.
Of course, I did have to abandon a perfectly good email account...

YarnWright wrote:
On Sun, 20 Aug 2006 13:15:03 -0300, Katherine spun a fine yarn

YarnWright wrote:
On Sun, 20 Aug 2006 11:13:49 -0300, Katherine spun a fine yarn
snipped
I can really appreciate how it felt, as I ended up in
emergency myself due to heat exhaustion a couple of weeks ago.

Higs,
Katherine

and we're just learning about this now!????!
Katherine, DO take care.... I just learned some interesting facts
about heat exhaustion / heat-stroke from Don's primary care that
astounded...

LOL Sorry for not saying anything, Noreen, but I think that I was a
bit "discombobulated". g In any case, I have learned the
importance of air conditioning, which I always considered completely
unnecessary. Big cities in Canada get bl**dy hot! And I am not used
to it.

Higs,
Katherine

Katherine, YES, AC is important, but H2O is even MORE important, and
it takes two hours for it to 'work', so if you *wait* to drimk water,
that's not good. Also, by the time one *thinks* they are *thirsty*,
it's too LATE!
Also, everytime you are affected by heat exhaustion/ heat-stroke, your
intertal thermometer "breaks" and you're more SUCCEPTABLE (sp) after
each 'happening".
Don's down to tolerating so little now it's scarey, and the AC just
went out on the truck....
JM2C,

Thanks, luvvie. I was drinking and drinking, but it really didn't help much.
I actually developed hives all over my torso because of the heat, so I had
to take steroids for a few days as well. Luckily, the affected areas were
covered! g

Higs,
Katherine