Chloe

Chloe
Chlo-chlo
Chlo Girl
Chlozilla
Zilla
Dogzilla
Dingo
Fanga
Snorty McDingo
Chlo-belle
Chlotilde
Woolia
Bella
Princess



We lost Chloe January 31st. The cancer metastasized. She had fluid in her lungs and a tumor pressing against her heart. We made the decision and took her to the vet for euthanasia and stayed with her to the end, and it was the hardest thing I've ever done.



I know everyone thinks their dog is the best dog ever, in the whole world. I know Chloe was. The picture above pretty much sums up her and me. We found her at the Seattle Animal Shelter in June of 2004. We were in the process of buying a house, largely because we desperately wanted a dog. In the week before closing, when we had six million things we needed to be doing, we went to the shelter. I had spotted her there on a previous visit, but she didn't have any information because she had just been surrendered. I stalked petfinder.com waiting for info to appear, and when it did, we made that trip. Dogs bounced and jumped and barked, but Chloe sat at the front of her cage with her head tilted, and those big ears, and just smiled at me.

We took her to the shelter's little play area, and she rolled over and put her head in my lap, just like in that picture above. Trent was skeptical - her info said she was 6 (or maybe 8 - there were contradictions), and he thought she'd be boring and never play. Smart girl, when she got done nuzzling me, she bounced up, stuck her butt in the air, and pounced at Trent.

We took a couple of other dogs out to play, in the interest of fairness, but I was clearly a goner. We didn't have our house yet, and our apartment was definitely a no-dog zone, so I said we should wait until closing, come back Saturday, and if she was still there it was meant to be. Trent asked me how I'd feel if someone else adopted her. At that moment, some other woman was checking out the paperwork on her cage, and I felt murderous. We adopted Chloe on the spot, and she went off to our vet for a couple of days.

Don't wait when you fall in love.



And so it came to pass that Chloe was the very first thing that we moved into our house. She came to us with 10 or 15 pounds of extra fat, a bladder infection, and skanky fur. The vet, good food, and exercise had her bounding around the park chasing tennis balls and glowing in short order. Her previous owner has obviously trained her not to jump on the furniture, but we felt that a dog's place is on the couch where you can rub her tummy and stroke her big, pointy, silky ears.



When we adopted Chloe, Trent asked me if I was sure about getting and older dog. They die sooner. You don't have them as long. I argued that puppies can die suddenly too, and that it didn't matter. It didn't. She had a lot of health problems in the 5 and a half years we had her. She had ear infections, eye infections, abcessed teeth, mysterious skin growths, an injured knee, and increasingly painful arthritis. We took her to the vet, handed over money, and applied various pills and ointments. I took her to the doggy hot tub for swimming therapy. Eventually the tennis ball days were over. We walked the neighborhood and she made friends with everyone from little kids to homeless guys to biker types to the people with handicaps who exercise in the park. Friends came to our house and adored Chloe. Even a friend who actively dislikes dogs would pet Chloe.

When she was diagnosed with cancer my heart broke. I'm still heart-broken and grieving the loss. But I've never, ever, for one second been sorry that we adopted her (or that she adopted us).


Chloe showed me how to love completely, without reserve. She made the world better. She made my heart bigger. She loved the world, and it loved her right back. On sunny days, she rolled in the grass and the little daisies and snorted with joy. The sun came out for her.

Our household now has me, Trent, the dogs Kidd and Stella, and the cats Rudy and Callie. Very slowly over the last two months I've stopped feeling like there's a huge Chloe-shaped gap in the house, but we still miss her terribly.

Give everyone you love a hug,

Thanksgiving

My Chloe is still doing fabulously. She milks her 3-legged status for all it's worth, and is greatly spoiled and adored by all. It's been over 3 months since amputation. and about 6 since cancer diagnosis. It's bonus time, and I try hard to remember to appreciate every bit of it.

In other news, knitting!

Baby sweater for our friends James and Adria's forthcoming baby. I think it's hilariously like a little old man sweater. I even used the fake woven leather buttons.

I have my standard 6 billion other projects going, too. This year the Pacific Fabrics KAL is using Weekend Knitting by Melanie Falick, so I'm currently in the throes of both a brioche hat and the petticoat socks (Ravelry links), as well as some secret holiday knitting projects.

Also in the ongoing project kingdom, I'm working on the quilting on a queen size quilt I'm making for my mother. I'm so close to done, but I'm having trouble getting done. But it sure is pretty.

WonderDog

Chloe is amazing. Two weeks after amputation, she's getting herself up and down the stairs, greeting visitors with a wagging tail, and generally behaving like her old self. Awww.

Here's still life with dogs and spinning wheels.

She's slowly growing her hair back. We'll get there.

Garden update

It's a sunny Saturday in Seattle, the sort of day that makes everyone forget the cold dark dreariness of winter. I'm fully embracing the madness.

My garden is looking positively...garden-like. I have peas well up:

I have Chinese cabbage that might be actually preparing to make heads (or it might be preparing to bolt - one can never say):

The kale, collards, and broccoli are all thriving, and the scallions have recovered from the pounding they took in a recent rain storm.

I planted two cherry tomatoes (Red Fig and Cherry Roma) in an Earthbox, and they're currently being warmed up with a Wall of Water (each). I would have held off on putting them out, but the pets have a bad habit of grazing on plants in the house, and I didn't want to risk it.

Additionally, I have two golden zucchini out (one protected by a Wall o' Water, one by a dog e-cone). Today I planted carrots (Bolero) and bush beans (Roma II) as well.

In other news
Chloe has been diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), and is now eating gold-plated dog food. It's seriously expensive, as were all the vet bills leading up to the diagnosis. She's doing much better now, which is a relief. At some point we'll have to decide whether to stick with the Very Expensive Chow, or try some other food and risk upsetting her system again.

Meanwhile, I've been working working working. I still knit and sew, but I never get anything done.

New Year on the farm

I spent New Year's Eve dogsitting for our friends Lauren and Garth on Bainbridge. I took Stella with me since she's stayed there before. It's kind of fun to have 3 black and white spotty dogs. Note that the pictures are deceptive - they were rarely all this still.

Staying on the wee farm is lovely. This morning I trooped out to the chicken coop and collected two eggs. Then I ate them.


While I do have all those sweaters to finish, it was a tad impractical to tote a mostly-done sweater that requires thought for the next step. So I started a new project, the elegantly names "Scarf with edging 21 and insertion 25 from The Knitted Lace Pattern Book, Thompson Bros, Killmarnock, Scotland, 1850" in Victorian Lace Today. I'm using Malabrigo sock yarn in color they call eggplant. Starting a complicated lace thing while trying to sooth dogs made hysterical by fireworks may not have been the best idea I've ever had, but I persevered and have finished the first repeat of the border.


This morning's big adventure (other than the chicken coop expedition) has been trying to get a fire going. I was a Campfire girl. In theory I know how to start a damn fire in a fireplace. But it's not going well. I'm on my second round of "oh the kindling is burning merrily", but it looks like the logs have once again failed to really get going. Sigh.

Shawls and capes

I finally blocked two shawls that I finished knitting a long time ago, thanks to Peggy and Rebecca and their basement.


The melon shawl from Victorian Lace Today with a different border (I was running low on yarn). The yarn is handspun cormo/alpaca. I dyed it as roving and 2-plied. The color is washed out in these pictures - it's really a variety of soft greens.

Another spring lace scarf, from my own pattern. I started this one as an example when I was teaching a lace knitting class. The yarn is linen that I bought years ago at Stitches West. I have no idea who dyed it, but it sure is pretty. Now I just have to figure out how to soften it up without losing all the work we did blocking it.

Here's my first yarn from my new wheel. This is 4 oz of Reflections Farms roving, 3 plied. It's about 390 yards.

I also sewed a fairy cape for a friend's 3-year old daughter. I pressed the dogs into service modeling. Chloe was hiding at the time, perhaps wisely.



And finally, in the shameless self-promotion category: we're doing a series of "nifty gifty" classes at Bernina Northwest. If you sew at all, these are fun projects that make good gifts. You don't have to have a Bernina or even a sewing machine . Check out the details here.

Parties and projects

First, a work/public service announcement:

Project Linus Blanket Party at Bernina Northwest:

Can you sew, serge, or cut (or are you willing to learn)? Using fleece fabric donated by Brewer Sewing Supply, we'll stitch and serge fleece blankets that will be donated to our local Project Linus chapter to comfort traumatized and seriously ill children.

Bernina Northwest will provide the sergers, sewing machines, and thread. We just need you to volunteer 1 hour (or more) on October 4th from 10am to 5pm. Call 206-523-4739 to sign up.

Bring your friends and let's make a difference!

And speaking of events...

I'm scheduled to teach a fair isle hat class at Pacific Fabrics Northgate store starting Sunday. We're using the Fiber Trends Swirls hat pattern. I don't have a picture of my (very cute) sample because it's at the store. Only two people are signed up right now, and the class won't go with less than three. So pleeeeeeease, if you or anyone you know wants to learn to do color work, sign up.

Project Pictures

I recently finished a baby quilt for a friend.


I've also been knitting up a storm of project samples for the KAL at Pacific Fabrics. Here's the December project, the garter stitch loop-through scarf. Because I am cruel and heartless, I forced the dogs to model.



The misery! The disapproval!

I've got yet more projects to show you, but I think the dogs are plotting against me, so I'd best wrap it up for today.

I should have more clever titles

But I don't.

I've been knitting, sewing, working, and dog walking, not necessarily in that order.

In knitting news, I finished knitting the Melon Patterned shawl from Victorian Lace Today. I was really sweating yarn quantities as I knit the border on. The yarn is hand-dyed and hand spun, and this was ALL of it. But in the end, the borders are finished.

And I had 5 grams of yarn left. Whyever was I so worried?

I've also been churning along on my Wensleydale sweater and a second sock for Trent. I'm trying to finish some things. Besides the melon shawl, I recently finished the pink shawl (still not blocked). Then I finished a scarf for a lace knitting class I'm teaching at Pacific Fabrics in June.

(Knit from Vickie Howell collection Craft yarn, which I love. The pattern will soon be available for purchase from Vickie, or you can come take the class with me.)

So, in this spate of finishing activity, I've made a deal with myself that I have to finish 2 more knitting projects (any size, provided it's already in progress) before I can start something new. It's killing me. I keep adding things to my Ravelry queue. I could knock off a couple of really old WIPs that are very close to done, or I could buckle down and finish the Wensleydale sweater. Project #2 is going to be those socks, or a nearly completed hat that's roaming around in my knitting bags.

Meanwhile, I've also been sewing up a storm. I've made 3 really cute skirts, flirty little cotton spring skirts. You know, for that gorgeous spring weather we're having.

I can't show you any of the skirts, because they're all off at Bernina or the Quilting Loft being shop samples, as is the newest blouse, lovingly titled Pintuck Madness. When I get it back I'll take pictures and you can see why.

I did, however, get a picture of myself modelling the dotty blouse from several posts back.


Anyway, in the midst of all this productive crafty activity, some of which is actually work, I'm having a great time. That seems to really surprise some folks. I was at my college teaching job (now only one day a week), and one of the faculty cornered me. He had just learned that I cut back to very-part-time, and wanted to know what I'm doing now. I told him I was working at a sewing machine dealer, selling sewing machines, and teaching sewing and sometimes knitting classes. He said, "You're kidding!" in a tone of incredulity that implied I had just told him I'd taking up the stroll on Aurora Avenue. I've perfected a really blissful smile for moments like that, when the person I'm talking to just isn't going to get it.

(That reminds me of my favorite student evaluation story. At Clemson, there's was a write-in question on "What were the teacher's strengths?" One of my survey of contemporary lit students wrote in: "Teacher is very enthusiastic about literature. I don't know why, but she is." I kind of think that's the reaction of my former faculty colleagues to my new career path.)

Finally, for those of you who might have wondered, there's still nowhere to sit at my house.

Quilting oops

I finally got around to resuming the mystery quilt, Carolina Crossroads, that I started last year. I have all the sub-units done, so now I'm just putting it together. I ran into a hitch with the 16 setting triangles. They're supposed to look like this:

15 of mine looked like this:

and one of them looks like this:

In my defense, the directions I was following did have a picture with the incorrect assembly. There was also a picture of the RIGHT way, but I managed to follow the wrong one. Sigh.

Meanwhile, Kidd the terrier continues to make himself right at home.

And Callie has colonized the plastic box I keep by my sewing machine for scraps.

Annual knitting retreat

I spent the weekend in Portland (well, Troutdale, really) for my annual knitting retreat. I'm in an internet-based group that's been together for almost 6 years. We try to get together in person once a year, and this time we met up at the McMenamins Edgefield. It was, as ever, delightful. I totally forgot to pack a camera (as ever). We spent most the weekend camped out in one of the public areas of the Edgefield, the library. As groups of people walked by, we'd often hear a whispered "Knitters!", as if they'd just spotted a rare species in the wild.

I meant to diligently work on projects. My chosen big project was this sweater, which has been in cold storage for about a year and a half:


The back and 1.6 of the fronts are done. I made some good progress on that second front this weekend, until we all went out shopping on Saturday. We hit Knit/Purl in downtown Portland. Nice store, really nice staff. I was seduced by some blue yarn. Blue, people - not red or pink. Be amazed. There was only one skein of the blue I really loved, so I bought it a couple of coordinating little friends. Anyway, despite my good intentions to work on the sweater, I ended up casting on the blue.

I'm making a stole knit lengthwise in feather and fan. I quickly discovered that it's a really easy stitch pattern to screw up, and now there are markers between every one of the 20 pattern repeats.

In my absence, Kidd the terrier scaled the gate to come upstairs and get closer to his kitty friends. He also managed to wiggle under the bed in an effort to make friends with Callie. She was not amused.

I survived

But it was a close call. The schedule for Sew Expo sucked exactly as much as I thought it would. On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday the carpool left at 6:30 (instead of 6) so I got a whopping 1/2 hour of extra sleep, but we also got home later on all of those nights. I did reasonably well for myself there, and spread the Bernina love to new people. Sunday night, we had to tear down the booth and load up all the stuff. I got home sometime around 8:30 or 8:45, then I graded until 11:30, fell into bed, got back up at 6, and finished grading at 11, an hour late. Overcooked pasta looks lively in comparison to me at this point.

For your entertainment, I started taking a series of self-portraits on Friday morning. I present: Melinda at 6:00 AM. (I think the Sunday hair looks pretty good, but dude, check out those dark circles.)




Meanwhile, back at the dog ranch
Kidd isn't going anywhere. He's sweet, he's a calming influence on Stella, and he and Trent are in loooooove.


So now we have 3 dogs, and nowhere to sit.

The dog came over the mountain

Meet Kidd
We have a new foster dog. This is Kidd, who arrived today from the Wenatchee shelter. (We don't love the name. The shelter was apparently naming all their dogs after pirates for awhile.)

We don't know a lot about him or his background. So far, he's been an absolute doll. He rode home on Trent's lap. He seems to only want to be petted and adored. When we brought him home, there was a great deal of sniffing among dogs, and then everyone settled right in. Kidd loves to have his head scratched and his belly rubbed, and it's also pretty obvious from his layer of pudge that he loves his chow. We'll work on that.

Kidd is available for adoption through Rescue Every Dog. Right now, a lot of the dogs that R.E.D. is taking in are from eastern Washington. They're buried under snow over there, and dogs continue to come into the shelters even if people who want dogs aren't. A couple who work with Seattle Purebred Rescue made a trip in order to bring over a batch of Siberian Huskies who had been seized from a (fortunately no longer in business) breeder, and they brought a few dogs for R.E.D., including our Kidd. Animal rescue people are good folks.

He's pretty darn adorable and well-behaved, so I'm betting it won't take too long for him to be adopted.

Meanwhile
I think I'm going to live. According to the doctor, I had (have?) really bad bronchitis, not flu. He said I'd feel worse if I had the flu, which I find difficult to imagine. I spent the entire week at home, not venturing out except to the doctor until Saturday. I'm still feeling seriously wheezy and full of phlegm, but I'm no longer having the all over body aches, so I guess I'm mending.