Jan 3 Picture

Chris & bem in Nenagh

bem & Chris left to go home on January 3rd as Chris has to be back in work on Monday. I enjoyed having most of my little family here, even if only for a short while, but now comes the task of discovering what they left behind & where everything ended up.

They did leave both puppies, all the dogs & cats behind, but our stray & the pups’ father has disappeared. I think the Spaniels took him out & lost him

 

January 2 Photo

I wrote this entry, previewed it & posted it last night, then this morning most of it had disappeared . Here goes again:

bem & Chut'Chut'

Chut’Chut doesn’t like being picked up, but he loves the cuddles & attention he gets when he has a lap to sit on. He became the favourite after his brother was sold. bem is a medical student & lives in a city, so in would be impractical for her to take him home, though I think they were tempted!

Chris was very fond of this pup, too:
If you’re wondering why he’s Chut’Chut’, Чуть-Чуть is Russian for “a little bit” & he has a little bit of white on him & was the shyest & smallest of Piri’s puppies. If I name my animals, they end up with strange names, but if they come named or Annon names them, then they have more normal names! Pups are given identifiers rather than names, so they can be renamed on being sold: this litter contained Girly, ‘Splorer, White Tip & Chut’Chut’

Chris & Chut’Chut’

 

A Picture a Day? January 1

I would like to have posted a picture a day this year as far as I can with connection problems & the odd time away from my home.

I shall try to catch up & post 1 (or so) a day from now on~ vodafone modem permitting ~ this is more to try to get me to take a picture (at least) a day, so I have plenty to choose from when the time comes to arrange next year’s calendar from this year’s photos.

bem, Chris & Annon, KilliKer

These are my elder daughter, son in law & younger daughter as the Year turned.  For the first time since Annon & I moved into this house, we could use the sitting room as it should be used.  That post behind the sofa is holding part of the floor to my bedroom up.  Eventually, there will be a staircase in this room to go up to my loft bedroom & 1 of the newel posts will extend upwards to take the weight of the corner of the floor as that part does not extend into the wall.

bem & 'Splorer with the Happy New Year 'Splorer hat she adjusted

bem spent quite a bit of her time with us with a puppy in her arms.  This one is ‘Splorer (the first in the litter to start exploring ) who was sold later this day, much to hers & Annon’s disappointment.  ‘Splorer now lives not far away with his sister (they’re going to be neutered as soon as they’re old enough) & is called Oaty, sister being called Cornflake…

bem is a medical student, living & studying in a city, & her husband is allergic to fur.  He was surprised that these pups didn’t start off his severe allergic reactions ~ we think that they may have their mother’s hair type, even if they look & feel nothing like my “ursa minor” Bedlington Terrier (ursa major being the Wolfie).  Beddies are a breed suitable for those for whom ordinary dogs cause reaction problems ~ Yorkies are another breed & my parents have those.

 

Wrist Warmers ~ version for bem

Materials
1 set 5mm sock needles
1 ball Sirdar Peru Alpaca 50g (98 yds/90m)

Abbreviations
K = Knit
P = Purl
st = stitches

Directions
Cast 10 st onto 1st needle, 10 st onto 2nd needle, 8 st onto 3rd needle (28 st).
Work 12 rows in K1P1 rib, marking ends of rows (I have a piece of thin contrasting yarn with a long tail & slip knot that I place after last stitch & slip on top the needle at the end of every row ~ do NOT work this extra “stitch” into the work! I move yarn in front of marker on odd rows & behind on even to make it easier to count rows)

At the end of the 12th row, turn & work 4 rows K1P1 rib back & forth to make the thumb hole.

At the end of the 4th row continue ribbing as a tube, marking that join as the 1st row of the next counting.
Work 48 rows.
Cast off ribwise.

Thumb (I’m not happy with the way these turned out & may remove them)
1st needle : pick up & K strand between 1st & last st on last joined row before the thumb hole, pick up & K 4 st up thumbhole
2nd needle : pick up & K strand between 1st & last st on next joined row, pick up & K 4 st down thumbhole (10 st)
Work 10 rows K1P1 rib.
Cast off ribwise.
Sew in all ends.

Repeat to make 2nd wrist warmer