The weekend is brighter!

With the weather having changed everything else seems better, too. Here are a few pictures:

The sweater parts, then the lavender socks on wich I was knitting a bit this week:


I love them but I just don't get the pattern memorized in my head, need to look back to the chart for each needle!

The start of a little zigzag scarf with some leftover sock yarn (a tangled mass because Bisou had stolen it from the coffee table - need to think of that and not let any knitting anywhere!!! to not even tempt here).

And the girls playing right on my feet while I was taking the knitting pictures this morning.

Thanks for coming over again

Tina

The end of a grey week

Just as sunny and bright the last weekend was - as grey and dull the week got. Mentally and physically... the weather was awful. Cold, rain, grey skies, not friendly at all and then this:

First I found out that I can't order any more of the yarn I need for the white sweater. I used a "standard yarn" of a big German company, at least that's what I thought. So I had no worries of starting though I had 500 gramms at home and new that I would most likely need more and would have to reorder. Not. Possible - the yarn is discontinued and this colour is sold out yet. They have a forum for knitters with their website where I posted - without success. But on Ravelry I found the yarn stashed once and Alexandra was so kind to send me the 50 gramms + a few yards she still had. Thank you so much again. Vielen lieben Dank! I will see how far that will take me. But that incident had so much stopped my fun in knitting the sweater...

Next there was the visit to the vets with Bisou on Monday night... No worries, everything is fine but there came a turn in a direction I hadn't on my mind yet. Wednesday before I was at the clinic with her and the vet who then saw her told me, now that the bandages had been off for a week, and though the wound wasn't completely closed yet, that she could start physiotherapy with underwatertreadmill to strenghen her muscles without putting too much weight and pressure on the joint.
BUT those two spots that hadn't healed yet were worrying me so much over the next two days as they got worse, that I thought it might not be too good to let her soak in warm water for a quarter of an hour or so... The two spots were usually closed in the morning, Bisou wearing her Procollar 24/7 exept for walking, eating and cuddling up on the couch with me or with Sweetheart, just had to leave it alone, but after the first, short walk in the morning, it was bleeding again, well not blood really but that clear stuff. Went back to the clinic on Saturday without appointment but I was just too worried. Another vet then the time before... and the first question he asked me was if I had started physio under water. I said no and why not and his answer was "GOOD". Bisou got back on antibiotics and antiinflammation meds and he wanted me to see the his collegue who had done the surgery and having her xrayed right now (that was scheduled in about two weeks) because when she stands on the leg it bends a lot, and he just wanted to make sure everything is ok with the joint as the fracture was pretty close to the joint.
Ok, me wondering about the different opinions of different vets in one clinic, was getting back there on monday night. After seeing the xray and her standing the way she does, the vet immediately said that he wanted to take out all the metal again as soon as possible. The two pins fixing the ulna are what makes the wound not heal, there is a reaction against them and that's what is showing on the surface (so it is kind of ok that what is built in there comes out...). And the plate being that close to the joint and all that is going on inside together with the leg so long not in use is what gives so much pressure on the joint.
SOOOO, in four to six weeks another x-ray to control the build up of bone tissue and then another surgery to take pins and plate out... And he said that in such an easy way, just as if he was asking to go for a nice walk with Bisou... I know tha's what it is for him - just routine and I know it is what has to be done as it is the best for healing properly but I am so scared every time one of my dogs or Sweetheart! :-) has to have surgery... And then there is the fear in the back of my head that there won't be built enough strong bone and there'll remain the "non-union", which would be no problem if the plate could stay in but not without. And it is so hard to see this little dog, a package of energy, pure muscles, wanting to RUN.
I just decided to not think about that too much and wait for the next xrays! Easier said and written than done...

And then there is the last grey spot of the week: I was so proud of my last week's/month's running efforts and got so nice comments - but when I went out running on Tuesday my leg started to hurt really bad after a few steps of running. Felt nothing when walking, but as soon as I ran again it was there again, getting worse and worse within a few steps until I I really could't put any weight on that leg. Walking-better-going away, running- being there again. Weird! And a really bad pain! On the outside and above the knee. Googled it of course. Found something about runner's knee that really scared me. Decided to really give myself a rest, and not try again to run all week. I can be hard to myself and ignore a little pain but this might be something that should need rest. This disappointed me so much as I am so determined to do those runs and reach my goals. But I have to give in... and I never had the impression or the feeling that I overdid it, had so much fun last weekend while running with Myrtille...

We'll see! Thank you everybody who got reading to this point! I know it got a bit long but it had to come out...

Thanks for coming over!
Tina

February Garden

Until I get to take and upload a better picture here you go. This one was taken through the window as I just thought about it when I had my hair washed and didn't want to go into the windy morning.

Thanks for coming over!

Tina

Running in January 2011

01/15 1.86 km 15 min 8:04 min/km
01/16 1.86 km 15 min 8:04 min/km
01/20 3.48 km 30 min 8:37 min/km
01/29 4.87 km 36 min 7:23 min/km
01/30 4.85 km 32 min 6:35 min/km

A beginning...

I will run a 5 km race on March 05. and a 10 km race on April 09.

Thanks for coming over!
Tina

Knitty Winter 2011

Just found out that the new Knitty is online, have to get back there to check the designs out. More to add to my to do list?

Sunny January Sunday

Back from an early afternoon walk under the bluest sky in the brightest sunshine. Had the camera with me but it is hard to take nice pictures when you are out alone with one doggie on the leash and the others exploring mice tracks or rubbish lying around in three different directions. But we had fun!

So beautiful in profile, too. Look at her shadow!

When I wanted to take a pack-picture not everydoggy was cooperative

but there was at least one picture that is half way ok:

Thanks for coming over!

Tina

The Couch Corner

What was looking promising before felting and in my imagination could have been perfect came out way too small after felting. I think I will keep it as it is, but for another place, not for the corner of the sofa because only when Flavie is curled up she fits on it completely - and that only when the edge is down half way.

I had fun knitting it, like how the colours match the cherry blossom photo-wallpaper behind our sofa, but remembered now why I had not wanted to try out felting when I first read about it years ago - over here top loading washing machines aren't common, where you can check on the size in mid-cycle. So it was a nice try but not to be repeated.

Thanks for coming over!

Tina

Bisou healing update

Finally the last open part of Bisou's op-wound starts to close. There was a bit of thread from the tissue down under sticking out there and the vet could easily pull it out. I hope that was the last bit that had stopped that spot from healing properly.
The plate holds the bones greatly in place and she only needs a bandage "light" now, just to protect the wound, without splint any more. Her shoulder looks so nasty because of the leftovers from trying to stick the bandage up there last time. Nice try and it was partly a success as the skin on her upper "arm" could recover enough that we can stick it again there, partly it was not successful as it didn't stick in most places and glided way down. But I have to go to change bandages every other day anyways...
She uses her leg nicely when standing or walking slowly while sniffing around and I need to go with her alone on short slooooow walks and show her that it is great to use that leg again - great for clicker training. But as soon as she needs to get somewhere quickly it is her perfected 3-legged hopping.
It is so fun to watch the "sisters" cuddling, squeezed in the same bed or even when there would be enough space to lay looser together. And it is nice that it isn't a one way relationship as each of them searches the other one to sleep close to. And then a big sister is good to support that d**n bandaged leg a bit, too :-)

Thanks for coming over!
Tina