That’s my new nickname. The husband has been saying it all day, "kibbles n bits, kibbles n bits".

I don’t think I’m too much of a drama queen, but it was all about the drama here this morning. Our neighbor’s dog got out of their yard somehow, and as I was leaving for work, I saw it in front of their yard. I pulled my car out our gate, and got out to close it behind me. I looked over to see if their gate was unlocked, so I could let him back in and saw that it wasn’t. I didn’t go near it, but stayed on our property, and he charge at me, growling, barking and snapping. I was screaming bloody murder, and he nipped me in the leg and grabbed and tore my sweater. I was trying to get back to my car, but he wouldn’t let me anywhere near it. From out of nowhere came a Highway Patrol, and she started screaming into her loudspeaker. That startled the dog a bit, and I was able to run to my car. She pulled her car in between my car and the dog. I don’t know what would have happened, if not for her!

She called every emergency service within twenty miles, I think, because within a few minutes there was a fire truck, a couple more highway patrol cars, the local sheriff and an ambulance in front of the house. So I was a shivering mass of nerves, and somehow ended up in an ambulance, headed for the city. They even made me lay on the gurney and strapped me in. So embarrassing. I spent a couple hours in the emergency room, getting the bite cleaned out and getting a tetunus shot and some antibiotics. I’ll spare you pictures of the bite, it’s just a bloody scrape, really and a little puncture wound. I didn’t need stitches, and it could have been so much worse. The worse thing is the emotional trauma. I love dogs, and dogs usually love me :o). I’ve never seen anything like that before and I’ve never been so terrified. Sadly, the dog is going to have to be put down. It killed a sheep a few months ago. I don’t think I could handle seeing it again, and felt myself tense up when we pulled in the driveway after getting back from the hospital. I know that animal control captured the dog, and I’m not sure if they’re going to observe him for a while to see if he has rabies or what. The neighbors are extremely sorry, and offering to pay for everything. They say he’s had his rabies shot, so hopefully I won’t have to get the rabies vaccine, which the nurse told me, no less than 15 times, is a series of 5 REALLY BIT SHOTS. 15 times she told me.

But hey, I got Friday off, so now I’m enjoying a 3-day weekend!

Favorite things this week:

The latest issue of Vogue Knitting. I couldn’t help myself last night, and started knitting the roses pillow:

I know, I know, enough with the pink already (speaking of pink, look at this! I love it!). Anyway, two roses down, 23 to go. I haven’t seen a lot of knitted flowers that I’m crazy about, crochet ones are usually so much nicer, but we all know about my crochet skills. These I like, though. They’re made with a clever little technique where you twist the left needle 360 degrees every six stitches. I’ve not seen anything like that before, but it makes them all fluffy and ruffle-y. I think I’m going to make the pillow itself in green. One complaint about the magazine this month, however. Why the big to-do about yet another Celebrity Scarves book? Whoopdy-do, you’re famous and you managed to knit a garter stitch scarf, how impressive. At least this one is for a good cause, but I’d rather just donate $20 to breast cancer research then waste it on this book. Okay, I’m moving on and not going to worry about it anymore.

I just finished reading this book. Why did it take me so long to get to it? Wow is all I can say, it’s one of the best books I’ve read this year. Go read it yourself.

Also on a reading note, I also read The Mermaid Chair, by Sue Monk Kidd. This one I didn’t like so much. I just can’t relate to a woman who has an affair because she is feeling some sort of un-fulfillment with her life. I loved her previous novel, The Secret Life of Bees so much, that it made my disappointment all the greater.

A new blog discovered this week: Plump Pudding. Adorable stuff, and I love the colors she uses.

And I’m listening to:

David Gray, who I’m actually not too familiar with, but I must prepare, because my lovely friend Naz invited me to go with her to his show tomorrow night.

All done! It’s soft and cuddly, and I’m excited to give it to the new baby next weekend. I’ll try to take a picture of her in it, but I think it may be too gigantic for that yet. I knitted the 12 month size, but it’s sort of coat-like, so she should be able to wear it for awhile once she’s not swimming in it.

I really like Debbie Bliss designs, but I still think the patterns are not very well edited. I checked the pattern revisions page again, and it looks as if all the mistakes I found in this sweater are corrected there. The explanation at the top of the page says (and I quote), "
These are the
corrections for books that,
due to printing errors,
have unfortunately given incorrect instructions." Printing errors? I don’t think it was a printing error when you didn’t include any instructions for finishing the pockets, or that one row where you forgot to mention doing the last cable. Humph. Just admit you made some mistakes and check stuff more carefully next time please. Okay, I’m done berating the knitting editors.

You know what I love? When you do a spell check, and there are no errors found.

You know what else I love? When people leave comments, even if they just say hi.

A few years ago, when I was just getting into bookbinding, I snatched this tiny letterpress off eBay. And then it sat on a shelf. I think it’s time to dust it off and see what I can do with it. It looks as if it came with just about everything I need to get started, except that the ink roller (I have no idea if that is the correct technical term) looks as if something has been gnawing on it. I’m finding some helpful resources on the internet, starting with Briar Press. My little press is just big enough to print business cards, although I think I could sneak a postcard-sized card in there as well.  Ooh the possibilities!
 

This week I like:

Rooibus Chai, with lots of half-n-half. Warm in the winter, over a big glass of crushed ice in the summer.

Download Bear Dog.MOV
My goofy, happy dog (and the fact that I learned how to upload movie files-Quicktime is needed to view). This dog is always like this, wagging his whole rear end from joy. He usually whacks himself in the face with his tail, he gets so excited. The reason for his happiness in this movie? I was looking at him and saying his name. That’s all it takes.

Autumn leaves and rainy days.

This is for you Yvonne! I hope it works. Yvonne sent me an e-mail asking for help with the kwtog stitch in the ruffles scarf. Essentially, that scarf is just a bunch of short-rows, so if you find yourself making something with short rows, here’s what you do.

Download knitting.MOV

I took some pictures, and I hope you can see what you need to pick up:

Picture #1: This is the stitch that you are going to kwtog (Knit wrap and wrapped stitch together)
Picture #2: Pick up the yarn wrapped around the the base of the stitch onto your right needle
Picture #3: Pick up the stitch itself, just as you normally would to knit, and wrap your yarn around your right needle, pulling it through the stitch and the loop (I usually have to use my thumb to help the wrap stitch up a bit)
Picture #4: The finished stitch, which looks like a K2tog.