Ragweed!

Sadly, dry and hot conditions did not jeopardize it's ability to reek havoc on one little Chi doggie.  Sofee is miserable, and I finally caved and gave her prednizone.  She was scratching at her eyes so badly that I feared she would hurt herself.  Sweaters do not help in this situation.  Hopefully I can get it calmed down for her, and then we'll get back to less severe treatments.  I hate giving her steroids!

 

I received an E-mail from her vet.  Apparently now that she is 7 yrs old, she is officially a "senior", and in need of additional health care appointments.  Hmm - I wonder if she is eligible for a senior discount at the petfood store?  Perhaps I will ask.  All kidding aside, it does sadden me to think of her as getting older.  Her coloring has changed drastically (notice coloration in the header of my blogpage).  The vet told me several years ago that dogs will lighten in color as they age, and not to think of it as "going grey" as humans do.  Speaking of which, I stopped coloring my hair almost 2 yrs ago, and I am finally getting to the all salt and pepper stage.  It takes a long time when your hair is longer.  Anyway,  Sofee's dad was buff and white in color, and her mom was the black,tan,white.  So...she does have a lot of lighter color in her genetic pool. I choose to think of her reverting to ancestral coloration rather and aging...... 

I am making progress, albiet slow progress, on Dark and Stormy.
 

 

I frogged the bottom ribbing once, and reknit on a smaller size needle, and then after knitting the front band and collar on the smaller size, I frogged that and knit it on a larger size.  Sigh..... I think my concern over the fit of this is weighing on me!  I have spent two days trying to decide on the proper technique for buttonholes.  I have never been very pleased with how I have made them in the past.  Paula from the Knitting Pipeline podcast recently discussed EZ's technique.  So when I got home from my walk I dug up my copy.....

 

On page 80, there is a great button hole instruction given.  The best I have found, after trolling the internet and my books for the last 2 days.  With any luck, I will figure out button placement and get this sweater finished in the next few days.  The sleeves should really be a quick knit.

After completing the last book I had posted, the British "How It All Began" (which was quite entertaining, actually), I started

 

It's a pretty frivolous book.  Summer reading, I guess.  Chick Lit?  I'm almost finished, and will start another British novel soon.  I have a hold on the 3rd in a series.  Hubbs and I need to run to the library later today and I'll pick it up then.  A bit of a mystery if I remember right.  I just remember that I enjoyed book 1 and 2.

It was 52 degrees this morning when I went for my morning walk.  Crazy!  In August!  But no complaining.  We have actually had a bit of rain the last couple of weeks.  Obviously, not enough to help with gardens or farms, but the lawns are not quite as crispy as they were. 


Enjoy what's left of your summer.  BG and I did a final visit to the zoo yesterday.  Nice, as most schools are now in session so the crowds were minimal, while the animals were active on a cool (??) August morning. 

Off to the library for the book pick up, and then need to get to those buttonholes......