Wanna know what happened to ' knitting travelog'?

Well, this is what happened.

Wolfi.

And he has absolutely no interest in knitting, travelogs, blogging or the like.

A production pause is indicated.

A brief one.

Schnauzi said we could get another puppy...

...and here he is!

Meet 'Wolfi', an 11-week old miniature schnauzer. He is a happy, bright, and very loving little creature.

He eats three puppy meals a day, 'goes' outside (or not), plays wildly and loves his carrier where he sleeps through the night.

But man, are those little teeth sharp! Every time we tell him, "No biting!", he thinks he is being praised. Perhaps I'll try his native language, "Nicht beissen!" Nope. That doesn't work either. Oh well.

I'm not very good at photographing him yet. He is an incredibly wiggly 11-week old.

What's happened to the 'knitting revolution'?

Looking back at my knitting post, I simply can not believe how much time has passed since I started my little knitting experiment I talked about. You simply won't believe where that cheap yarn has been in the meantime! Shortly after sunrise tomorrow morning I shall reveal some of the places where this pale green fiber has spent the last few weeks. "Pale Green", as it is called now, has had to share the knitting bag with some unexpected cohorts as everyone was swept away to a European adventure and a domestic one as well.

(Note the balancing knitting bag with its precious cargo!)

Revolution in my knitting world

As a child in Germany, I was taught in school to knit, crochet, embroider, hand-sew and, I'm sure,much more. However, I never laid eyes on any pattern, I never learned to decipher any, so I have been on a warpath with all of them. American patterns, German patterns, French, Spanish, Russian, it's a major international conspiracy! Although I have been able to figure out a simple project with a hands-on technique, as you can see above, (Knitting for Super Dummies), and a slightly more difficult one, (the beginning was entirely unnatural and counter intuitive), I decided yesterday I was not going to be confined by instructions of any kind. And I don't care which language tries to seduce me into a pattern I simply cannot wrap my yarn around. ( Pun intended.)

So I decided to revolutionize my limited knitting world by designing my own pattern for an afghan. Using an idea and very cheap yarn, I cast on 140 stitches.




I knitted the first row, then proceeded with 2k, 2p the first two rows. I then reversed the order to 2p, 2k for the next two rows. As my excitement grew and my heart beat faster, I closed my eyes and gave my hands free reign....

And, a little later, I found this in my lap :



But in my meditative knitting state I must have also created this:



Oh my gosh, it looks like a.....PATTERN! Well, I certainly won't be able to read it.

Never too old

I have always loved the water and considered myself a really good swimmer.  There was just one thing lacking - the crawl (freestyle).  When I learned to swim in Germany, that stroke was not taught and over the years I've tried to teach myself.  I am fortunate to report that I didn't drown trying.  Never could get the breathing down.  So when I saw a sign at my pool that said:  "Do you want to perfect a stroke or refresh your skills?", I jumped at the opportunity.  The very young man teaching the class is a saint.  His face remained kind and interested when I approached him the first day of class.  You see, he had seen me in the arthritis pool, but his demeanor betrayed no skepticism.  First, I wanted to show him my two perfect strokes - the back stroke and the breast stroke. I needed to establish right away that he was not dealing with a novice.  "Very nice!" he said and proceeded to gently point out some major errors.  Heartbroken, I'm 65, you know, I proceeded to relearn those strokes until the saint was satisfied.  Then came the BIG day.  "Ready to learn the crawl?" the saint asked yesterday.  With my heart beating wildly, I whispered, "Not sure."  But the acoustics being what they are in a big pool, he understood "Yes, of course I am!!"  So, long story short, I learned that elusive stroke yesterday, with breathing!  So on Thursday, I'll dazzle the young swimming saint with absolute perfection.  I can see it now.  The crowd roaring, "There she goes!  She has beaten her own time!"

Where do I apply for olympic try-outs? 

The last photo

Schnauzi in her last rays of sunshine - May 23, 2009

The lavender delphinium is about to bloom on Schnauzi's grave

The young pear tree will provide cool shade.

My little granddaughter Julia said she will bring many 

flowers tomorrow.  And I am filled with gratitude for

having had this sweet dog in my life for 14 years.

Hardest decision ever

Schnauzi - August 15, 1995 - May 23, 2009


For 14 years, my Schnauzi (miniature Schnauzer) has been my companion, dearest friend, my baby.  Today Schnauzi will take her last breath.  She hasn't eaten in five days, her kidneys and liver aren't functioning well, and her little system is shutting down.  This has been going on for several weeks, and although she doesn't seem to be in pain, the vet said that she is in a deep malaise.  She still purrs like a cat when I'm holding her, and she tries to be close to me at all times.  They say one can't prepare for the inevitable.  It is true.  I have known for a while now that I have to let her go, but that doesn't mean anything today.  At 3 pm today my husband is going to put her in my lap, and we are going to a very caring vet.  When we come back home, she'll be buried under the little pear tree, and I'll plant a young lavender delphinium.  My tears haven't stopped since yesterday.  My heart is breaking.