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Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Top to Tail

SallyJo asked about the pattern for the blue/brown hat. I kinda made it up. The basic pattern is a pretty standard colorwork snowflake. I obviously didn't make that up. (I think I took it from a selection of a mitten book somewhere). I completely winged the small mostly brown section between that snowflake and the decreases, the little 'x's because I needed a little more length.



When it came time to do the decreases, I basically continued in the same pattern, using only that center box with the light blue points, and put decreases starting at the halfway point.



Those lined up perfectly with that center box, and gave that little star-like design you see from the top. Because I did a decrease on each side (directionally, so SSK on the right side, K2tog on the left) with one stitch of alternating brown or light blue between, it gives that double bar look.


I did ask for photos of the other hat I made, so hopefully I'll get those soon.

I also have a cute video of my goofball if I can get it to work right. One of the things Oscar and I are working on in doggy class is "heel". Ideally the dog should stay at your left side and look at you as you walk, then come to an immediate sitting position when the handler stops walking (this is for obedience, not agility or other dog sports). For some people it's hard to get their dog to stay close to them, rather than running ahead (which is doggy disrespect) or lagging behind. I do not have these problems. I have a dog who's too smart for our own good and loves me an awful lot. (I think I turned the volume down, but you may want to - it was windy/buzzy and you hear my mother trying to figure out the camera, nothing else soundwise happens. Do be proud of her for only taking two attempts yesterday and four today to push the right button though). This video was taken after a 2.5 mile walk, so he's not super hyper.


Please notice that he almost never looks at me at all. He doesn't have to look - he knows where I am because he's leaning on me (I don't actually walk with a limp unless there are 50 pounds of muscle and energy pushing against one of my legs). You may also notice at the end, when we come to the same spot in the parking lot that I stopped last time we attempted taping, a unique little dance. That's his "she's about to stop and I'm ready to sit whenever I'm supposed to" butt bounce. He's actually walking in a sit position. We first saw him do this in class, when, after watching several other dogs do the exercise one at a time, which involved stopping (and being told to sit) various times around a circle, Oscar figured out what was expected, and decided he didn't need to be told to sit.

Have I ever mentioned that "class clown" is a common description of a pit bull?

You may have also noticed the tail never stops wagging (literally, he's across the room asleep right now, and the tail is wagging). This is how he became victim of a condition known as "happy tail" - he wags until he whacks his tail so hard it bleeds... and then he keeps wagging. I have tiny blood spatters 18 inches up on all my walls, several pairs of jeans, and often on his own sides.

Vicious monster, my foot.

9 Comments:

Blogger KT said...

I could get the video to play, but it wasn't very clear, resolution-wise.

Yay for warm hats and animal stories!

3:30 PM  
Blogger Catherine said...

Yeah, the resolution wasn't good, but I could see the "butt bounce." that's hilarious!

5:33 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Sweet-cute!

5:52 PM  
Blogger Jody said...

Ha! That video was too funny!

Love the hat!

11:31 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

When a dog is smarter than a lot of humans, he's going to be labeled vicious monster. It's just jealousy.
(Me? Bad day at work?)
Thanks for the explanation.
Oh, and is he going to do this all the time at home? You're going to be walking awfully funny if you have 50 pounds leaning on you all the time.

5:45 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Love the butt bounce. What a sweetie pie! Nice hat design too. :)

6:54 PM  
Blogger Carol said...

Yeah, I have heard that the "vicious monsters" are actually very smart. I have always maintained tht it is owners that are problems, not dogs. And I saw the butt bounce and wondered at first. Then I realized what I was seeing and started to laugh!

11:11 PM  
Blogger Bess said...

well, we know who the real viscious monsers are, when it comes to dogs.

hugs to you - typing 7 fingered - will write more later.

7:31 AM  
Blogger calicokitty6 said...

He's a sweety. A friend of mine had a pit bull and the only thing she would do was lick you to death, never bite you. Her chow on the other hand would take your hand off if given a chance after smiling at you.

I've got the little fur balls, Pekengeses, here as well as the cats. Gotta love the doggies and kitties.

Love the hat.

10:09 AM  

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