Coffee, Cats n' Yarn

I Remember Them All

2012-05-28T00:00:00.000-04:00

It would be better to say we remember a Soldier, Sailor, Airmen, Marine, a person who served in the Coast Guard, the National Guard, a reservist, our CIA and FBI, our police officers, our teacher, our neighbors, our friends, my daughter, my son, husband, wife, mother and father, lover. Some Veterans, some not, but all sacrificed for you. I remember them all and honor them on this day.

Via: iMortuary.com

Bustin' Loose from May

2012-05-25T11:45:00.001-04:00

The month of May has been...not sure I have the right word for it or rather no single word to capture it; worrisome, sad, anxious, happy, relieved, exhausting. I am looking forward to this long weekend to just sit and do nothing much passed catching up on errands, the afghan workshop and groceries. Didn’t really want to stray far from home or do anything too engaging; just want to hang out with the naked kidz and chill.

As you know, Maus was diagnosed to have Feline Odontoclastic Resorptive Lesions, sometimes called neck lesions. This disease is the #1 cause of tooth loss in cats, destroying the tooth from the inside out. The disease causes painful eating and drinking and if left untreated complications from too much calcium in the blood can lead to kidney and liver failure and kill the cat. The only treatment for this is to remove the affected teeth. Since it had not been a year since having all of Jake’s teeth removed and the mishap of his jaw break during his last extraction, I was not looking forward to having another cat go through this and with Maus being so small, I was very worried.

She had her first set of extractions done on Wednesday, and she did very well. Her initial assessment was that she would need all of her teeth removed. The surgeon had not seen Maus prior and was going on the other Vet’s assessment of the damage. On a thorough inspection of her mouth and teeth we found that the disease process though correct was not as severe as was thought. Her kidney values being off were probably due to her not drinking as much due to the pain, but her pre-surgery lab work showed that her kidneys were fine.

She had all of the molars on her right side removed and will have the left side done in about 4 weeks. Though all of her molars were not diseased, the randomness would have left her with useless molars so we decided it best to take them all. None of her canine or incisors was affect and she will get to keep those for now. We will monitor her teeth closely, instead of an annual teeth cleaning we will go back to the every six months regiment we were on before. I’m just happy she is okay. She at present is a little puffy (swollen) and a bit grumpy (not wanting to be held right now which is understandable) but she is eating and drinking well.

In this month we lost a few icons, some from my youth and one from the present. Chuck Brown may only be known well in the Washington DC area, but he was a fixture in the music that is unique to DC, Go-Go music. Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers was a popular band nationwide in the 70’s R&B dance music, even scoring a top ten hit “Bustin Loose”. Go-Go music is little bit of Latin, little bit R&B soul, little African rhythms and tons of percussion and movement. Chuck Brown breached a generation of Washingtonians, from my pears to our grandchildren; he has always been part of the rhythm that is DC.

We loss Donna Summer and Robin Gibb, along with Chuck Brown they too made the soundtrack of my young adulthood. When I’m dressed to the nines I don’t think I can walk down the street and not think of strutting to Saturday Night Fever playing in my head and whenever I come home from a hard day’s work, “She worked Hard for the Money” also plays in my brain to this day.

I am this week especially saddened by the loss of friend and fellow blogger Parker. Perfectly Parker is a blog about one very happy and lucky cat named Parker (a girl cat) living her life with Rudy, Powder, Puff and Diamond Doggie, all kept together by “the rents” Helen and Scott who slavishly pay for the food and house. I met Parker’s mom, Helen during my first visit to BlogPaws were she got to hold Moshe Moshi. I had been reading an enjoying her observations on life ever since. Parker lived life well, even after her diagnosis with cancer last year which she fought bravely. We who are owned and loved by a pet knows the pain of having to say good-bye to a furry family member, often our best friends and I can imagine the sadness felt by not only her pet parents but all of us who enjoyed seeing Parker live life to its fullest. Many tears for you sweet Parker, I truly am going to miss you.

It is Memorial Day weekend her in the United States of America, so to all of our USA readers, remember those who gave their lives for you and this country, honor those who still fight for freedom. I know it’s a great weekend for shopping and sales, cookouts and the start of summer vacations and I don’t want to dampen that mood, but please take a moment to remember those who make what you do this weekend possible. To everyone everywhere, enjoy your weekend, congratulations to the graduating classes of 2012, see you later.

Floret Stitch Block

2012-05-24T09:18:00.000-04:00

Now that I see it on the blog, I wished I would have used different swatch yarn, but I sill think you can see the texture. When I we get into my color choice this will look better.

This is a simple texture pattern that provides a nice effect for stripes. With this pattern we will do both solids and striping. Our block is done with an H/4.5 hook and scrap yarn. This is our sample gauge block, not the colors we are going to use for our blanket. I encourage everyone to always do a gauge block so that you can get a better feel for the pattern and the block size.

Pattern is done in multiples of 2 + odd number. We are adding 3 extra chains to count as our 1st double crochet. To match our dimensions, ch 27.

Row 1: This will be the right side. Skip the first 3 ch (counts as one dc), dc in the next ch and each chain across, turn. (25 stitches)

Row 2: Ch 1, skip 1 st, *1 dc in the next st, sl st in the next st; rep from * ending with the top of the ch3 with a sl st, turn.

Row 3: ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), skip the first st, * 1 dc in the next dc, dc in the next sl st; rep from * to the end with last dc into tch, turn.

Rep rows 2 and 3 until piece makes desired size and shape.

Remember to maintain your stitch count. It is really easy to miss a stitch here. Some of my students tell me it is hard to see where to put the hook in the Slip stitches. If you maintain your count this will not be a problem.

ch= Chain st= Stitch dc= Double Crochet sl st= Slip Stitch

Wordless Wednesday, Maus

2012-05-23T21:14:00.000-04:00

We are not Lost

2012-05-22T10:13:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the delay in posting for the workshop. I've just been so consumed lately with home stuff that I've just not had the focus necessary to stick to a pattern.

I do have the blocks and patterns read to post and we will continue the workshop on Thursday, but for now all I can do is think of Maus.

She has her first set of extractions tomorrow. I am not staying for the surgery which is part of my anxiety. I usually sit for all of my cat's procedures; crocheting away in the waiting room or pacing the sidewalk. The one time I did not stay for a procedure Jake's jaw broke. Yes, it superstitious I am aware and I am not at all a superstitious person so my anxiousness has no foundation, but still can't shake the dread of it all. Just a mother's worry I guess.

I hope is that we can do this in two or three visits, that her bone loss is not so bad as to complicate the extractions and that she can eat well and do as well as Jake has done since his last extraction.

As soon as all of Maus' procedures are complete then Moshe Moshi will have his teeth clean and his eye surgery; Entropic lash on his left eye. Then we get to see an eye specialist to see if we can get his left eye to sit at a more normal position (left eye turns in).

Between them and me we are facing much this year and though all of this has me in knots and broke we are still very happy, still very lucky to be were we are, still blessed to have each other.

I'll be posting updates for Maus's surgery as I get them throughout the day. Think good thoughts for her.

Whisker Hump Wednesday

2012-05-16T08:54:00.000-04:00

We are all managing to capture the sun where we can. Maus first surgery will happen right after Memorial Day. Moshe Moshi had to have an adjustment in his meds; poor baba was whining a little bit every time he'd poop (must be something in the last type of Venison we tried that just didn't agree with him). Jake had some necrotic tissue removed from his mouth. The doctor didn't think it was anything recurring (thank goodness) but we'll need to keep an eye on his mouth.

As stoic as I can be (what people tell me) I have to admit I'm feeling a little bit more than overwhelmed. It's not a control thing, nothing that is happening with the cats or me was a lack of control of any process or failure to do something correctly. I guess the timing of all of this at once and my not being able to do more than I can reinforces the fact that every season is not bread and wine (sunshine, roses, pick you own metaphor), but we are hangin' in there. We take the moments as they come and enjoy what we have each day. Beside, how can I not look at those heads and smile.

10 Amazing Cat Facts

2012-05-15T09:22:00.000-04:00

I'm likin' this infographic type thingies...

[Source: Today I Found Out]

Best Friends Box - A Monthly idea for your Year-Around Pets

2012-05-14T11:03:00.002-04:00

You know here at Coffee, Cats n’ Yarn we love coffee, cats and all things fiber (duh!). Now that may seem a bit myopic and depending on how you look at it that could be true. I look at it a bit differently in that there is much variety in those three, certainly enough to keep me occupied and interested. Despite how much I rave about Starbucks if it didn’t have variety to it one can get bored fast. I especially like Kona coffees, Ethiopian and Sumatra coffees and I get blends of those in a coffee club. I belong to a couple of yarn clubs too, though given that I have to reduce my exposure to wool a bit I may have to adjust my membership to a different brand. No worries, what I cannot use I can always do a giveaway here on the blog (and those are coming up soon). I once belonged to a Wine of the Month club, but wasn’t liking much of what I was receiving (too much Merlot). My roommate had a Beer of the Month. I know craft clubs that send you a craft kit, clubs that send you gourmet food, hats, socks, cool things to cover any love you have.

A Cat of the Month club…nawh, may be impractical, for the welfare of the cats as well as you. How about what could be the next best thing; a Treat of the Month club for your pet?

We at CCn’Y were invited by BestFriendBox.com, a monthly subscription service for pet owners to try out a sampling of their pet treat boxes. We received one for cats (naturally) and one for dogs. We have many friends that are owned by dogs too so we requested to sample both. How it works is that you choose your subscription (one, three or six months), choose whether you want cat or dog boxes and each month you’ll receive a box with different varieties of treats, toys, pet gear and grooming products to your door. Subscriptions start at $35.

We received our packages in the mail prompt and on time as promised. We opened out cat box first and found some nice items; a Play and Squeak toy (which they all seemed quite intrigued), another toy that looked just like one of those Moths Moshe Moshi chases around the apartment, Dehydrated shrimp (real shrimp, not a problem for my cats since they are not kosher anyway), pack of Pure Bites Chicken treats, some wet-wipe grooming pads (perfect for a quick wash of those naked toes after litter box, and the kicker was a tin of Sojos Catnip! Sojos is premo weed y’all and it came right on time since I was in the process of repacking some of Jake’s catnip toys.

Since we are a cat house we decided to take our dog box to the dog park where my friends GiGi and Penn talked with other doggie moms and dads to get comments about the service and the items.

The box was well received by people that looked at it. The dog cookie was usually called cute, although one person mentioned that having a dog eat a cookie in the shape of a dog was slightly odd. No one else, though, found it odd. A few people were not fans of the jerky stick (not that particular jerky stick, but just the jerky stick in general). The biggest winner of all was the all natural treats (Sojos) of the roughly 15 people that I talked with, only one didn’t like the treats (too small). Everyone else thought that they were the perfect training treats, and a number of them asked first if they had wheat in them, so being grain free was very positive.
Some specific comments:

E, owner of an Australian Shepherd – the cookie is cute, and the treats are exactly the right size for training because they are small enough so she doesn’t fill up on them. The dog was a big fan of the treats.

J, owner of a Pit Bull mix – his dog was the one dog that wasn’t interested that day in treats, but he ate half of the cookie quite quickly. J said that he’d rather see a bigger box of treats and no jerky stick, but that he’d send that to dog people.

C, owner of a Newfoundland – found the treats too small for his dog, but it is a HUGE dog. Recommends maybe having one gift box for small dogs and a different size gift box for larger dogs, since for big dogs even the jerky stick was a bit small. The cookie, though, was perfect.

J, owner of a Fox Terrier – the dog was very, very, very excited about the treats, and went through all of her tricks to get more (sitting, rolling over, laying down, and dropping the ball).

P, owner of a Pug Puppy – broke the treats into two pieces, and liked the design of the treat that allowed it. Thought the jerky stick was the perfect size, and liked the all natural contents. The owner asked in advance what was in the treats, as she wanted to avoid things with a lot of wheat and corn.

K, owner of a labradoodle – the dog kept jumping up to get the box, and liked the smell of the cookie a lot. K said she would definitely buy one to give to dogs for the holidays. Her dog not only liked the contents, but also wanted to play with the box, and got a mouthful of the packing materials and was running around with them.

M, owner of a Skye Terrier – the god, who is normally very quiet and sort of low key at the dog park actually jumped to try to get one of the treats. She wanted more, but the owner said no.

From Newton’s standpoint (GiGi and Penn’s dog), the cookie was the big hit. Once he was able to have a piece of it, he gobbled it right down. The jerky stick was gnawed on until he got it good and slobbery, and then buried it in our sofa. So great for him, not so great for the sofa. The treats were very well received, and we used them to reward him for good behavior. Nine-month old beagles are usually very stubborn, but we did get him to sit and stay for them, even though he wanted to go smell things.

We had also talked with some cat parents and others without pets and everyone seemed to like the idea, the quality of the products and the convenience of the service. We did have some feedback suggestions and some things our testers were not happy about so this is our synopsis:

Price: $35 a month was received as a bit pricy. Suggestions were a subscription starting price of $20-$25 or longer subscriptions having a lower rate (the more you buy the lower the monthly price).

Choice: If you have ever participated in any Product of the Month club, you know that the people who run the club pick the items. With the clubs I subscribe to I am not in love with everything I get, but it does give me an opportunity to share with others that may like what I do not and introduce a friend to something new. That being said some were uncomfortable with the idea of not having more choice with the product selection process. Some wanted only to receive treats and toys but not grooming or gear since those items can be specific to a pet’s needs. Some wanted boxes geared toward the size of the pet; Big, Medium, Small.

Multiple Subscriptions: Our friends questioned were split over the Month to Month idea. Though the majority liked the idea (75%) the rest said they would not do this on a month to month basis. I believe most of that had to do with the price since most in that group were the ones who suggested a lower rate. This group would do seasonal subscriptions (like start a subscription during Fall months). Everyone said that they would certainly order these boxes to send to friends and family as holiday gifts, promotional gifts for events and blog giveaways. Being able to order multiple boxes in a two month period for several people is a service that they thought would better suit their needs.

We thank BestFriendBox.com for allowing us the opportunity to try their service and thanks to all of our friends for their help and comments. Conclusion: we like it.

Addendum: Just had an email conversation with the good folk at BestFriendBox.com. To clarify a point and to update some info I give the following : The dog boxes are size specific. We ask if your pooch is small, medium, or large, and fill with the appropriate items. I sent you a small dog box. Since your review, we have changed our plans. We've eliminated the 25$ and $50 boxes, and now only offer a mixed product $35 box. Thanks!

Sorry for the Missed Workshop Posting

2012-05-14T09:43:00.004-04:00

I had a bit of an emergency to attend to (not the naked kidz or family) with a friend for the past week and was unable to post. We will pick up again with the patterns this Thursday and Sunday.

What is a Latte'

2012-05-10T10:22:00.000-04:00

We will post the block pictures and patterns this evening. In the mean time, someone asked me the other day what was the difference between a Latte and a cappuccino. Because I tend to overwhelm people with long, detailed explanations, I offer this chart form Infographics to help you out...

Click to Enlarge
Via Xaluk.com
View Other Infographics

Mondays - Wordless Wednesdays

2012-05-09T08:33:00.002-04:00

To Be a Cat

2012-05-08T15:27:00.002-04:00

How the Army Taught me to Make a Better Afghan

2012-05-06T11:34:00.001-04:00

ARMY TANK Knitting Pattern
Originally uploaded by Easy Care Baby Knits, LLC

If you know me personally or you have read this blog for awhile (or at least my bio) I was a paramedic in the Army. Given the attention to Veterans these days I’m often asked about my time while in service and what I’ve learned. All I can really say about being in the military is that it was a transforming period in my life and the lessons I learned will stay with me for what time I have left in this world. One of the most enduring lessons is what I was taught about how to look at every assignment, every task given to me. For those of you who were in the Army, I’m talking about the 6 P’s.

The 6 P’s were actually taught to us in comic book form. I can remember my First Sergeant tossing a copy of the monthly at my head yelling, “G*d Damn it Coleman, don’t question it, just read it!” And as I flipped through the pages of corny script in a 1940’s artistic style, it planted into my brain a simple, grammatically incorrect sentence: Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. I can’t remember if the book actually said the word “Piss” but that was the idea and the word related to you by your Sergeants. If you really think about it you’ll find those words very useful. It wasn’t set up to suggest that things can’t go wrong, sometimes they do. Rather think of it as you doing your part to the best of your ability and more times than not your task will be successful.

How does this relate to afghan-making? Well, if you go back through all we have learned so far in this workshop you’ll see it’s all about the planning. The actual knitting or crocheting of an afghan takes no time at all; I’ve been known to make queen-sized Afghans in a couple of days with just 10 hours worth of crocheting time. It’s the planning of the piece that does and should take you longer. If you know the materials you are using, you know the amount you need, you know the color pattern you want and you can envision the end result, regardless of your skill level you can make a keepsake and avoid the dreaded ugly afghan.

For the next few weeks we are going to do a Crochet-A-Long (CAL) to make two baby-sized afghans. I have a couple of friends in need of new baby stuff and they have agreed to let me make their gifts my class projects. I have already picked the blocks we are going to do. If you want to participate you get to choose your own colorways for your blanket. The blocks are very easy to make; I will post the pattern for each so every skill level can participate. On Thursday I will post picks of the blocks we will use in gray-scale. You may want to right click to copy the image as we are going to print the blocks out at some point to play with positioning. I am going to use worsted weight acrylic and H/4.5 and I/5 hooks for these blocks. Make sure if you chose differently from what I am using you chose a hook that is right for the weight of yarn you chose.

The block picture used for this post is knitted and is not one of the blocks being used in our workshop, but Easy Care Baby Knits, LLC has some pretty cool knitted block patterns on Etsy and since most of my time as a paramedic was spent with tanks and helicopters I couldn’t resist posting this one.

The 5th of May in Drag

2012-05-05T06:00:00.000-04:00

CINCO DE MAYO

Cinco de Mayo—or the fifth of May—commemorates the Mexican army's 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867). A relatively minor holiday in Mexico, in the United States Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with large Mexican-American populations. Cinco de Mayo traditions include parades, mariachi music performances and street festivals in cities and towns across Mexico and the United States.

In short, it's a good excuse to get drunk and be total Drag Queens. Happy Cinco de Mayo!

May the Fourth (and your yarn bag) Be With You

2012-05-04T06:00:00.000-04:00

No Poem today

May the Fourth be with you...always.

Given that my focus is on Maus and the rest of the naked kidz we are going to skip Maryland Sheep & Wool this year. Yes, I'm disappointed too, but we have to keep our priorities straight and right now that is with Maus. To all my local friends it looks like it's going to be a decent weekend for it so have a good time and have a corn dog for me (I only eat them once a year and only during MSW). I'll miss seeing you all but we will catch up some other time, I hope to make it up at Rhinebeck in October.

The Picot Edge

2012-05-03T11:36:00.000-04:00

One of the most versatile an well used edging used in both knitting and crochet: this simple and easy stitch can be done big and small, works with almost any yarn and can turn the most plan piece into something quite elegant.

This neck scarf I did last year was just a V stitch in the round. As you can see the picot edge really gave it style.

Picot in crochet is usually done with 3 to 5 chain stitches. More than that and your edge will look floppy.

FORL - Words for Wednesday

2012-05-02T00:00:00.000-04:00

I don’t know how I knew something was going wrong, but I just knew. Now I could just put it up to a lucky guess. It was a 50/50 chance that I was right or wrong. Jake’s jaw fracture was still very fresh in my mind and the fact that dealing with both Jake and Moshe Moshi’s illnesses over the past two years had me delay or put off some things with Maus and I was already feeling guilty about that which was why I decided to have her teeth cleaned first. Never in my best nightmare would this happen.

Feline Odontoclastic Resorptive Lesions

Of course I’ve never heard of it until it tagged my cat. From the DVM360.com website;

Tooth resorption is the most common dental problem in cats, with studies worldwide showing a prevalence rate (in cats presented for dental problems) of up to 75%. Many species of animals as well as people experience various types of tooth resorption, but no other species experiences the prevalence of this condition that cats do. Resorptions of permanent teeth in cats have commonly been referred to as feline odontoclastic resorptive lesions (FORLs). They have also been called neck lesions, cervical line erosions, and feline caries.

By the time we can clinically detect small lesions by visual inspection or by probing, we are encountering an advanced lesion. Our understanding of FORLs has been enlightened by the use of dental radiography and by histologic studies. It appears that the lesions originate in the cementum, invade into dentin, and, from there, can progress apically (down the root), coronally (toward the crown), or both ways. Enamel often flakes off if its underlying dentin is involved. Enamel may also be resorbed (but from the inside out) once the lesion has progressed coronally into the tooth crown. The bottom line is that by the time we can clinically detect even small lesions by visual inspection or by probing or exploring, we are encountering an end-stage lesion. The cause of FORLs is unknown but is under investigation. All tooth-saving treatments have been shown to have poor results.

So what does that mean? In short a disease process is breaking down the tooth from inside out. Bone is broken down and calcium is released into the blood stream. Too much calcium in the blood stream can lead to Kidney failure and death. In a nutshell; Maus is about to have all her teeth pulled out.

Maus’s kidney values were off and though they don’t think she has sustained major damage to her kidneys, she will be put on a diet higher in fats and we will have to pay close attention of kidney failure signs and symptoms. Kibble will be kept to a minimum, nothing grain filled what so ever.

So I get one more toothless cat, no big deal, it's yogurt and ice cream forever. The real worry about this of course along with Maus’s general health is how we will proceed in taking her teeth out. I am still thinking about how fortunate I was that Jake’s fracture split at a good spot. Maus is so much smaller than Jake and since her teeth aren’t actually falling out…you can see where I’m going with this.

I was told by her Vet this is the most common type of mouth disease in cats. She assured me there was nothing I did or didn’t do that would have prevented this. It was just it what it is and what we need to focus on is Maus’s current health. Before I left the office to go to the Vet, I told my friend GiGi (who took care of the naked kidz when I was having the apartment cleaned). GiGi told me that it was fate that all of my kidz ended up living with me, that other people would not put as much of what I’m doing into caring for them as bad off as they were when I brought them home. I wish I could just pat myself on the back and embrace the complement. It’s not the money or the guilt. I just hate felling so powerless to make this better. I just look at her and cry, I love that little curly kitten so much and I can’t get anything out of my mouth passed saying “I love you and I am so sorry”.

But we will do what we believe is best. We will weigh our options and do what is necessary. And we will say “screw my allergies” and kiss her every day. We will get it done.

Sqeaks, Pity and Food

2012-05-01T10:00:00.000-04:00

Instead of her usual grunts and barks she was letting out these pitiful squeaks and flashing the pity face. As usual she was working the staff for pity and mercy.....and food! (Roommate DJ as he dropped her off at the Vet)

It’s a wet and sunless morning. I hate starting my mornings out with rain, even when we really need it. I like rain, especially when it is hot and it is good for the ground (we truly needed to have some rain for the plants and reservoir) but today I need sunshine and smooth weather.

Maus is going to the Vet this morning (roommate is dropping her off). With all of the health issues of the other two cats; Moshe Moshi’s allergies and Jake’s periodontal disease, her healthcare needs got pushed back a bit. She went for her annual visits and kept up with shots, but it has always been my habit to schedule regular dental cleanings for all the cats. Jake’s extractions over 18 months had taken up monies I budgeted for that. Then his jaw broke on the last extraction so more delays. Moshe Moshi was also going through test after test to find answers for his poopies, that took up any extra funds and time that I had. Maus always seemingly healthy just got pushed to the side. Given what happened to Jake the last time we were at the Vet, I guess I’m just a little gun shy. No reason to think anything will go wrong with her cleaning today; I just need some sunshine to bring up my mood.

I’m catching up on everything.

Maus gets her teeth cleaned today. In two weeks everyone gets their vaccinations. Moshe Moshi has his teeth cleaned at the beginning of June. I get my teeth cleaned that same week. Then I cry about how broke I am. Then I look at those smiling naked kidz as they kiss my face and give me some weird allergic reaction…and then all will be right with the world. Everyone think good thoughts of Maus today.

Color Part 3 - Variegated Colors

2012-04-29T14:14:00.000-04:00

Variegation is an expansion of the word variety. Variegation means to give interest by means of variety; to diversify in external appearance especially with different colors (Merriam/Webster). It is very much indicative of yarn as it is in nature. Whether the colorway is random or set out in intervals to create striping, variegation has given us a way to mimic nature. Problem is the colors that are variegated are not always combinations that we see in nature or more likely, we will use a variegated yarn in a really bad way, present company included.

I am one to create my variegation rather than buy a colorway that already has it, unless the colors used actually represents natural occurrences in nature that I am aware of or have seen. Most ugly afghan using these colorways are often guilty of improperly matching colorways or not using the variegation in a more pleasing proportion.

Last Sunday, we talked a bit about using the Color Scheme Design site. I used a picture of some flowers and used the site to show me why that color combo appealed to me. So let’s say I wanted to represent those colors in a block.

I crocheted this Ship’s Wheel block in white and grey intentionally to play with color a bit. I painted the block and considered using this combo of colors.

Now this is just a representation of what could be. I think I will make the purple deeper and keep the white to connect the blocks, although since there are pinks in this I might find a subtle pink along with white and do alternating color. This is one way of representing variegation.

This was a block I did using only two coloways. As you can see it gives an illusion of mixed color, even creating the illusion of there being more than just two colors.

This is what we most associate with variegating color in yarn (on yarn charts the size of the tool you are to use to match the effect of either the striping or pattern color is almost always in knitting needle sizes, which for crocheters, even if you adjust two sizes lower to match the amount of yarn used in each stitch, will probably not get the same effect so keep that in mind when you want to use this type of coloway). This particular simple single crochet block has several subtle colors with on color showing more than the rest. We mix this with a solid to either highlight a color or to even out the pallet. In this case the creator chose to bring out the gold. I personally think that one row of single crochet in gold and using the reddish color to join the blocks would look more balanced, but to each there own.

This block is what goes horribly wrong with using variegation. Awful balance and proportions, really bad color selection, pattering…just all wrong (if this is your block, I am not trying to spare your feelings on this one; next time just say no).

This book “Variegated Afghans” gives great examples (not in taste and style, far too grandma for me) for balance of solids and variegated colorway.

Let’s have your opinion about this next one. I am going to make this pattern piece based on my delicious apple. What color in what combo should I use?

Next Sunday’s post: The Army Made Me a Better Crocheter – The 6 Ps. I initially thought I could do this in three posts, but I think I will add more to it. These next set of post are taking all that we’ve learned in our previous post and putting it to use; planning/designing an afghan, blocking and construction. The latter two we have not talked about but we will learn as we do it. So let’s plan on since this is the 6 P’s we will do six post.

See you Sunday!

Top 10 Most Expensive Pets

2012-04-28T00:00:00.000-04:00

We've enjoyed our brief and fleeting moment with national fame; Moshe Moshi and I dong the Associated Press story about Pets with Allergies. It has been fun seeing how many news organizations picked up the story and how many people contacted us with questions about their pets. I'm trying to work out the specifics involved in doing a blog about allergies and better living, it's looking more and more like I will do that (fun fun). Other than all the questions I received from the public, a series of perceptions is what really prompted me to develop an allergy blog.

An interesting occurrence in seeing where the story went was reading the titles given to the story. The original title was "Allergies in Pets: Airborne, fleas, food, contact". Then when the story went out to different news organizations they came up with titles like "Pets suffer with Allergies too" and "Achoo said Fido". But probably the most telling of how the story was received were the titles; "Costly Kitty" and Big Bucks for Pet Allergies".

Yes, I pay big bucks to maintain Moshe Moshi's health, as I do for all my kidz. Annually I have to take him back to check his blood values, make sure he is being nourished well which is a few hundred in lab work every year for the rest of his life. Of course his meds and the cost of his food; 30% more expensive than for Jake and Maus (I hunts for them bargains and sales). He is well worth the effort, but I must admit this process has really made me glad about purchasing health insurance for all the naked kidz.

Killer Infographics sent me this really cool but very telling graphic. With information complied by petinsurancecomparison.net it shows by way of breed which pets tend to cost their owners more in medical cost. All of these make fine pets so don't let the graphic disway you from adopting a big or fluffy kidz for your family. Like with all pets whether pedigree or multi-bred some breeds are more likely to have certain ailments. Talk with your Vet to find out more information. If you'd like to see this bigger, go to link Top 10 Most Expensive Pets.

Healthcare can be expensive. Consider health insurance for the ones you love...and drool...and bark...meow...squeak...aaaooooooohhh!

Big Crash - Hair Ball Awareness

2012-04-27T11:10:00.002-04:00

We had a bit of a crash the other day which is why the block and Poem did not go up. The system is a bit whacked at the moment, video card is not working correctly, so I can put up images form my computer and all of the stuff I need is on that computer. No worries; we will have our poem again next Friday and the block will show on Sunday's post in the third installment explaining color: Variegated coloways.

See Yah!

By the way, today is Hair Ball Awareness Day. Though I know I have lots of friends with hairy cats, it just seemed silly for US to talk about hair balls, so Please so t0 our friends at Covered in Cat Hair and read about this important issue.

Big Sis & Lil' Brother - Wednesdays of Wonder

2012-04-25T09:23:00.000-04:00

Maus and Moshe Moshi say you don't have to come from the same parents to love someone like a sister or brother.

and yes, they are all still complaining about being cold...

Complaints About the Cold

2012-04-24T10:21:00.000-04:00

They were really cross with me this morning.

I am trying to get them to sleep elsewhere together and not in my bed. It was working well. Though they are still in the bedroom, they are sleeping in their bed. I'm hopeful that I can transition them to the living room area as soon as I start to purchase new bedding and furniture for them. But if the whether keeps up like this...that will be impossible.

They do well away from me when it is warm. They like me want to sleep in cool comfort and not sweltering heat. It is cooler in the living room than in my bedroom which catches the morning sun. It was 80○ degrees just the other day and last night it was 35○ and sleeting. No wonder they didn't wake me this morning, preferring that they receive their morning meal in the warm bedroom. A little warmed milk and some loving did finally get them off of me, but they were back under the covers as I left for work this morning.

Maybe I should get them a small heater so they can stand in front of it like Meercats.

Color Part 2 - Contrast and Complement

2012-04-22T11:47:00.000-04:00

A few years ago I use to be involved with the process of making websites. My primary job was assisting designers in choosing color and font schemes that were assessable to people with visual impairments. Some color combinations make it difficult for people to see certain font’s styles or if one was color blind, impossible to see text on a particular color background. We used a tool that worked like the Color Scheme Designer. We could see how our choices affected the design. After I left that field of work I still find looking at color design templates helpful in determining which colors I will use for an afghan or any project where I am mixing colorways.

Unlike when I was doing web work, computer screens today can represent a huge array of color variances. Computer screens can only represent 257 colors. Pixilation provides the shade difference to create the illusion of more colors. The difference with screens and color today is that with digital high definition screens the speed and amount of pixels or dots per square centimeter is astounding, giving the viewer more deep, rich color variations.

So how does using a color scheme chart help? Well. Other than the obvious for seeing color you can get a clear idea of how your piece is going to be perceived, which colors will dominate, what contrasts, what does not do that well. You do not have to use this specific tool, you can accomplish the same fairly effectively by using a number of different tools; construction paper squares, keeping your yarn scraps for swatches, creating your swatch sample and rendering it grey-scale in a Photoshop type software (suggestions: Photoshop Elements, Pixlr onlline) then using the color pain to shade different parts. Many an afghan maker just made there throws and blanket by just winging it and I’m not out to discourage that as much as I am encouraging you to consider new tools to help you do better.

Contrasting/Complementary Color

When I was in design school, the concept of color was overwhelming. I think that was more due to how dry my instructor taught it, but in a nutshell when we look at a color chart the best contrasting color was the color on the exact opposite side of the chart. Complementary color could be argued to be the contrast opposite, but the color chosen for a complementary shade is more esoteric, meaning which ever color brought our the valves you wanted to highlight. Consider these definitions:

Contrast - opposition or juxtaposition of different forms, lines, or colors in a work of art to intensify each element's properties and produce a more dynamic expressiveness.

Complementary - relating to or constituting one of a pair of contrasting colors that produce a neutral color when combined in suitable proportions, serving to fill out or complete. The colors mutually supplying each others lack.

See what I mean. So let me try to simplify the meaning.

Contrast color is the most extreme opposite of any given color; example Black being the exact opposite of white (black and white are not actually considered colors, but for the sake of this explanation and to prevent us for going off on a science tangent let’s treat it like color). A complementary color is that which brings out the shade or perception of any given color; black would make white look stark. Blue hues give a cool tone to white which some would argue makes it look whiter. Red hues would give a warmer tone to the white, softer.

So how to you use that in making an afghan? Well, think of it this way; you want to make a green afghan. How green do you want it? You want it loud, soft, cool greens, warm greens? Which would go better Kelly or Lime with Olive green? All of this would have to be decided BEFORE you start your afghan and most of those ugly afghans out there are representative of not thinking through that decision before you start.

Color Combinations

The color chart did not pick these colors opposites arbitrarily. There is science and math behind it and that has to do with how the eye perceives color. We are not going there. Rather, think of it more in terms of best color combos are what is natural in nature. Color is complementary in nature because nature has a specific mission in having a specific color combination; it wants to draw or repel thus it produces what is most sufficient to survive. It is safe bets that if you want better color for your projects, pick color combinations you see in nature. Color combos that are exact contrast or not seen in nature can certainly be trendy, but they will not last and your afghan will be designated to ugly status as soon as next year’s trendy color combo comes out and we do not want that to happen to your masterpiece.

I took this picture of some flowers outside my apartment. It appealed to me and I thought I would use it later for either a drawing or wall art, but it can also be the inspiration for an afghan project.

So I picked up some colors from it

And wanted to add some secondary colors

The software suggested these colors and sure enough these are the colors that appear in this photo, so I only have to decide the pattern, and consider which colors will dominate.

Now this will not always work this well and which ever method you use you have to allow yourself the time to play with color. Just remember that which ever color you chose is what ever you like or what your intended receiver likes is not incorrect, you like what you like regardless of nature. Remember this is about what makes good design last and nature will win out in the end.

Next post will be about variegated coloring. I will post a block on Thursday that we will use in our Sunday post about variegated colorways and how best to interpret it for use in afghans.

Earth Day - Poetry on Fridays

2012-04-22T00:00:00.000-04:00

Since Earth Day is Sunday and my workshop post show on that day, I thought I would give Friday's poem to that event.

I know for some this is a big political issue and I'll admit I on the left of this issue. But I think no matter which side of this you fall all can agree that we only have this one Earth (so far) and to care for it better means to care for each other and ourselves better. If wast is bad in your government, it's bad in your home. Why over use or toss away if you don't have to? Some thing you just can or won't compromise on, me included, but we can all do small things with big impact in our personal environment today to make this earth better. So take a moment to chose what you will do and act one it.

I recycle when I can, reuse when it is practical and reduce my consumption and hopefully my impact (although I wish I could reduce my backside more). It's a small effort, but a grand choice. Happy Earth day.

Want more information on Earth Day events in your area? Follow this link to EarthDay.org.

Earth Day

By Jane Yolen

I am the Earth

And the Earth is me.

Each blade of grass,

Each honey tree,

Each bit of mud,

And stick and stone

Is blood and muscle,

Skin and bone.

And just as I

Need every bit

Of me to make

My body fit,

So Earth needs

Grass and stone and tree

And things that grow here

Naturally.

That’s why we

Celebrate this day.

That’s why across

The world we say:

As long as life,

As dear, as free,

I am the Earth

And the Earth is me.