Dog attack

I took Ned for his walk last evening. He only has two or three a week because of my feet problems.

We were nearly home when a large dog (probably a German Shepherd cross) charged down the driveway of his owner's house and grab Ned around the head/neck area. Well, Ned wasn't having any of that. He clamped his mouth on the other dog's front leg. The owners of the other dog came running out and told their dog to go around the back, which fortunately it did, with a limp. Their side gate was open because they had been out and had just returned home.

By this time, my heart felt like a lump of lead in my chest. I picked Ned up to see if he was OK and he appeared to be no worse for wear, just a bit moist around the neck from the other dog's mouth. I think collar and harness plus the two leads I had on him stop any damage from occuring.

Two nights previously, in the same street, another large, white dog charged out of owner's front yard and across the road to have a go at Ned. I had time to pick Ned up and held him so my back was to the dog and Ned couldn't see it. I didn't have time to pick Ned up last night.

This is the third time in the four years I've had Ned that a large dog as "gone" him. The first one was a German Shepherd. No wonder he doesn't like large dogs anymore. Ned is a Jack Russell cross, but more Jack Russell that anything else, I think.

A photograph of the squares I have finished so far for the Friendship Blanket appeal for Victorian bushfire victims. I have two more on needles.

Friendship blanket

I've finished six squares so far. One crocheted, the others knitted. I have two more on needles. I had a couple of castrophes with two and had to undo a few rows and reknit them. One of the partly completed squares - well I spilt ice coffee on it. Rinsed it out in hot water and it's OK. Of course, I had to start another while I am waiting for the wet one to dry.

To get back to some of my other projects, I may cut down the number of squares I do to one a week. I want to sew what I have done and am doing together as well.

Luncheon and accident

I went to lunch yesterday with some friends that were members, as I was, of a now defunct caravan club . We meet on the third Wednesday in each month. It was the usual good lunchtime meeting. I really enjoy getting together with old friends.

On the way home, I called into a shop to get a black ink refill for my printer. Left the shop and about 500m away I realised that I had left my clip-on sunglasses behind. Return to the shopping complex and parked the car. Then I check my purse one more time to make sure I didn't have the glasses tuck down in a corner somewhere. Next thing - bang. My car had rolled back and hit the bumper bar of the car behind me. I FORGOT TO PUT ON THE HANDBRAKE!!! How many years have I been driving? Only about fifty.

Naturally it had to be a BMW on the receiving end of my car. No damage to my car that a bit of car polish won't remove, but I put a small horizontal dent about 20cm long by 0.5cm wide in his back bumper bar. Of course, the whole bumper bar will be replaced. Wouldn't like to hazard a guess on the cost. Fortunately, I'm insured, but it still cost me $400 excess. So, it turned out to be an expensive day out. Feeling a bit depressed about it today.

On the Friendship Blankets - almost finished another square. I handed out some flyers yesterday. Most to those I had lunch with and one to the hotel that is also having a Bushfire appeal.

Friendship Blankets

This evening at the knitting group I'm in I receive my first square from one of the members. I'll take a pic. tomorrow and post it here.

I, also, passed out the flyers and I believe some will go to a local community centre and another to a Guild group. Fingers crossed I will received some more squares in the next few weeks.

I'm about 2/3 through my third square. I may have to take some time off tomorrow to do some h*******k.

We had a little bit of excitement tonight at the hotel where we meet. One chap knock out another person with just one punch to the face. The puncher took off with a mob of men after him. He jumped in his car and took off, but a number of people took his car number. It was so easy to remember, a place name plus one number. I'll sure he will get a visit from the police.

The person on the receiving end of the punch was out to it for several minutes. He was taken away in an ambulance, but by this time he had come around. Police were at the hotel for quite awhile. Taking statements, I suppose, and viewing security tape.

Then, blow me down, when I went to the local supermarket, a woman had had a fall and the ambulance was called to her, too.

Square 2 for Friendship Blankets

I finished the second square yesterday. The patterns top and bottom are supposed to look like boomerangs, but I think a good imagination would help. I made a mistake working out how many rows I had to do before and after the pattern. It was clear when doing the top pattern that it was going to be too long, so I undid some rows from the base of the square and re-knitted them.

Granddaughter's blanket

Today I'm adding the blanket I finished in time for it to be my granddaughter's 2008 Christmas present. It's the saffron cables pattern from an Interweave magazine with arms added.

It took 18 months to knit as it was too heavy and warm to have sitting on my lap over the warm months of the year.

A couple of things I would do differently, but I won't go into details here.

Friendship blankets for Vic. fire victims

I knew I wouldn't write much on this blog when I started it, but I didn't think it would be months.

For anyone who stumbles upon this blog, I would like invite those who can and wish to, to join many of us in making 30cm/12" squares to be made into blankets for the Victorian bushfire victims. The picture is of my first square.

Full information about this is found in Ravelry

http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/packages-down-under/518406/126-150#147 and in a Yahoo group

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FriendshipBlankets4VicFireVictims/

A blog has also been started to keep participants up-to-date with information about this project.

http://blanketsoffriendship.blogspot.com/

It has been asked that the squares be in 8 or 10 ply, machine washable wool preferably but synthetic will be accepted. As all the squares are not going to be exactly the same size, wool can be blocked to the size wanted. Knitted or crochet square would be great.

If quilters want to contributed, that's fine too. Just see the information in the above sites.

Now I have restarted, I will gradually post what work I have done over the last few months.

Try again

Today is a repeat of this time three weeks ago. Ned to the kennels this afternoon and pick my aunt up and bring her back to my home. Hopefully this time, my aunt and I will leave tomorrow for our delayed holiday to visit my sister.

It's raining today, which is going to be a nuisance trying to pack our luggage (and half my house) into the car. I always take too much, just in case:-) This comes from having a caravan and being able to take loads of stuff that doesn't matter whether it is not used.

I guess there will be no more posting to my blog until I return, in about two weeks.

In Between Socks

I've completed the first "In Between" sock. The first photo has the view as others would see it and the second view is how I see it looking down on it.

Ned has managed to get into the photo as well.

Blanket, socks and holiday.

I've recovered from my bout of viral meningitis. Feeling fine now. Plan to start the delayed holiday next Monday.

Managed to get quite a bit of the blanket-with-sleeves project done. Almost finished the main part and I've started one of the sleeves. It's getting on to weighing 2 kg.

I've also started another pair of socks. I'm calling them the "In between" socks because I am knitting them when the blanket's weight makes my thumbs ache. I've just started the second sock.

The start of sock 1.

The lace pattern is taken from the second pattern on page 72 of the Japanese book "Knitting Patterns Book 250". I think I will do this pattern again, but alter the last 12 rows so the whole pattern will look like a goblet, with a more defined stem. I plan to called the socks "Stacked Goblets".

I did a rough count of the socks I've knitted and these are, I think, pair no. 22. Seven pairs have been given away as presents. I started sock knitting 18 months ago, so I think I going quite well considering I have knitted other things as well in that time - and not small items.

No holiday

Well, I never left yesterday for my holiday with my aunt. I've put it off for three weeks. I woke about 4 am feeling dizzy and a bit "oomy".

Felt a bit worse by 7:30 am. Younger son came from work and took me to doc. I have a mild case of viral meningitis! Would you believe it? It's mainly a childhood complaint - just confirms I'm in my second childhood:-) Still, it could have been worse if I had taken ill today - 400 kms from home with a 94 year old aunt with me! I do hope she doesn't get it as I took her back to my place on Sunday afternoon and she stayed overnight so we could get a good start in the morning -haha. Her son came and took her back home. Of course, even worse, it could have been baterial meningitis and I would had to go straight to hospital and on to anti-biotics immediately. Boy, am I glad I didn't have that.

The sister I was supposed to be visiting arranged with my brother (who just arrived back yesterday from a 4 month UK trip) to give me an electric blanket and he brought it over this afternoon. Didn't come inside incase the v.m. is still catchy. I have thought occasionally about getting an elec. blanket, but I usually warm up after a bit when I go to bed, especially if I wear my handknitted woolly socks. So I've been spoilt. I've just put it on my bed. Will see how it goes tonight.

Holiday

Frantically spring cleaning. I like to come back from a holiday to a clean and tidy house, even though it is not that tidy most of the time. Hate housework.

I leave to visit my sister next week. It's a long drive and I am taking my aunt with me for company. Also she hasn't seen sis's house for about 8 years and a lot has been done around the place since then.

Ned goes to the kennels on Sunday afternoon and then I pick up my aunt. She will stay here until we leave.

I finally (sort of) got the hang of the sat. nav. device. I printed off some of the manual. This time it paid to follows directions and not try to work it out for myself.

Waiting, blanket

Seems I am always waiting for something. At the moment, I'm still waiting for the home cable of the nat. sav. device. Better though, I am waiting, impatiently, for my trip away to begin. I shouldn't wish my life away.

I lost a poor little goldfish yesterday. Only a young one. Maybe just too cold for it or maybe there are just too many in the pond and it was "natural selection" time for it. The pond seems to hold about a dozen fish comfortably. If I put any more than that in, the fish seem to die until I have about 12 again.

Nothing exciting has happened since the last entry. As usual. Weather cold and a bit damp. Suppose to be worse tomorrow. I'll have to see if I can get in a walk for the dog today.

Granddaughter's blanket with sleeve is slowly growing. Two and a half patterns done. A half a pattern to go and I can start the openings for the sleeves. There is a total of four patterns with moss stitch borders.

Nav. sat. device

Well, it working again. Today I discovered that I have the TomTom GO 910. The box says that it is supposed to be 710. I really think I have been given a demo model. I wonder if someone bought a 710 in an 910 box? Tandy rang today to says that they have tracked down a home cable and I should have it within a week. The device won't charge from the USB on the computer. It has to be connected to power, hence, I guess, home cable.

Just have to wait and see.

Sat. nav. again

Plugged the device into the cigarette lighter this morning to charge it enough to show the store that it's not working. B.h.! It is working now!! So I'm keeping it for now. There's a two year guarantee on it so if it plays up in that time I can return it. Missing power cord and adapter for UK to be order from Sydney today.

Still got to sort out the "over the 30 days for map update" message I received. Probably have to get in touch with their support team.

More about the sat. nav./GPS device

After returning from visiting the shop where I bought the sat. nav. and having lunch, I plug the thing back into the computer. It took an age to see if there were any updates - so long that I left it to it and went on with something else. Sometime later when I returned, the screen was blank.

"Hello," I thought. "Must need recharging."

Connected it to the car cigarette lighter and left it for 3/4 of an hour. Little green light showed that it was connected. Still couldn't get it to turn on. Screen still blank. It's as if all the info has been wiped and the computer can't find it. My phone, through bluetooth, can't connect either.

?(%&#!)>! Now what's wrong with it?!! It's going to be returned on Monday - definitely.

GPS

I bought a GPS device yesterday. Unpacked it. Linked to my phone (Bluetooth). I presume it install updates. It took so long I left it and came back later.

Then I check the bit and pieces that came with it and, with my usual luck, the cable to enable it to be charge from the power point is missing. I don't use the car enough to keep the thing fully charged and I'm not sure if I left it attached to the cigarette lighter in the car whether I would end up with a flat battery.

It is telling me also that I'm passed the 30 days that I can get a free up-to-date map. What! I only bought it yesterday.

I am also unable to access the menu so I can "buy" an updated map. Boy. I am one unhappy chappy. Now I know why it was $58 dollar cheaper that the original price!!

Today I called back into the shop where I bought the wretched thing from and they are going to order the power cable for me on Monday. It has to come from Sydney (to Adelaide). I have a fortnight to return the device if I find I don't want it. At the moment, there's a good chance of that.

Saffron cables blanket

I have now reached half way on granddaughter's blanket. The picture show the blanket at a few rows into the second pattern. There is a total of four patterns to knit for the blanket.

I bought the wool for it at a deceased estate sale and the whole blanket will cost not much over $20.

Nothing was done over summer, too hot, or autumn, too busy with other projects. At the rate I'm knitting it at the moment, it will take at least another couple of months.

Holiday

Next month my aunty and I are driving about 1200 kms (each way) to visit my sister and husband. Date chosen. Dog booked into boarding kennels for at least 12 days. Need to book car in for service. I was debating about getting cruise control but I've decided to get a GPS device instead. I hope my knee can survive the trip.

I've planted some white onions seedlings and some red and brown onion seeds. I hope I have better luck that I had with the last lot. A multitude came up and the birds demolished them all. I'd planted them too close to pine log edgings and the birds dug them up while trying to get to whatever they were after under the logs.

The assorted lettuces are going well - covered with bird netting. That keeps the little blighters off! Some beetroot up and I've planted more seed. Coloured silver beet seems to be going OK. The birds haven't attacked that as yet.

The potato plants are looking good, but I have to keep checking the dirt over the base of the plants as the birds - yes, them again - dig the dirt away and expose the potatoes. Consequently, if they are not recovered with dirt, they go green. I've put some scraps of shade cloth around some and straw around others. The little b.... will probably still removed the straw.

Planted a grapevine and prune the existing one. I have to attack the peach tree next.

Meanwhile, I have actually knitted half of granddaughter's blanket. Yeh!