Hello Ms. Purl

Last night, after 2 failed attempts to complete a couple more squares, I decided to REALLY frustrate myself and try knitting again. Funny, I am actually doing pretty well. I tried stockinette stitch again, and this time, I did it! I am using a fuzzy boucle yarn in Fawn (the color I want to make the shrug out of) and I have decided that I am going to make a nice scarf for myself...with no fringe.

Baloo is taking his medication with food very well, I'm so proud of my baby. He's been downstairs ever since his last "accident" and I'm a little leery about letting him back upstairs for fear he will return to the scene of the crime and become a repeat offender. Although, I am a little more optomistic about having to find him a new home. I think he really LOVES it downstairs! Especially since I organized the closet below the stairs and put a nice cushion at the very very far end behind some boxes. He took right to it and loves going back there. I make it a point to go down and watch a movie with him each day, he'll climb up into my lap and I'll talk to him and pet him. I think we're still alright with each other. I know he misses going upstairs and I'm hoping we can work that out soon. He has only one pill left, I need to call the vet and get the last replacement pill. He has not done any inappropriate peeing downstairs, I will replace the cushions from the first accident and see if he does this again. If not, I think we're in good shape and the emotional healing can begin.

More Squares for the swap

I found about 7 deep cranberry colored squares that I worked up at least a couple of years ago. I remember wanting to make a sweater and started making squares, but then changed my mind or either just got distracted and started on another project. This puts my total squares at about 18 squares completed. I made # 19 last night, but it is a little too big, so I gave up on the squares and actually picked up my knitting needles. Here are some photos of the squares.

Happy Birthday Zuri !

Isn't she lovely?  Zuri (my Goddaughter) celebrated her 3rd birthday.  Since she lives in Florida, I could only imagine how the day went....but judging from the photo, she settled for nothing less that being treated like Queen for the day.  Sort of reminiscent of that scene from Alice in Wonderland, everyone having to respond by saying....YYYYYYESS, Your Majesty!....YOUR way.... always it's MY way!!!! 

First Four Squares

Here are the first 4 squares for the Random Squares Swap.

I'm so glad tomorrow is Friday, in spite of the fact that I know I have to work late tomorrow. Hopefully my new Rosalia de Souza cd will come in and I can listen to it all day, I'm sure it'll put me in a much better mood about working late on a Friday.

It seems that just about everything I try to crochet isn't working out for me. I have some really nice boucle yarn in a color called Fawn, which is sort of like a cornmeal/dijon type of color, and I thought, maybe design a nice scarf with it. I frogged it 3 times using 3 different stitch patterns. I gave up, I couldn't take anymore frustration...crocheting usually has a relaxing affect on my, not usually frustration. I think the yarn really wants to be a long sleeved bolero for fall...maybe with a collar?

I signed up for the Random Squares Swap on Crochetville. When I got home today I watched one of the dvds from the Unsolved Mysteries - Ghosts box set I got. I got 4 squares dones in boucle yarns. Baloo came and sat in my lap for a while. I think he still loves me. He has been taking his medication in his food wonderfully for 3 days straight! I'm so glad, I know at least he is getting better. I've left the cushion one of the seats downstairs and the last time I checked, he was curled up in it. I don't think he'll pee on it. I'm going to treat the cushion for the loveseat in that odor remover recipe I tried. It worked wonders for the upstairs....completed eliminated the smell. If he doesn't pee on it, I will see how he does upstairs some over the weekend. But in the meantime....I organized the closet beneath the stairs that I store my art supplies, Xmas stuff, etc. so he would have a huge closet to hide in. He usually likes mine, so I decided to make that one another great hiding place for him. I put a cushion in the very back in case he wanted to take a nap in there.

Rocky Road so far...

The road to recovery has been a rocky one so far. When I got home today, the futon was dry. Then after only about a half hour, I heard rustling (newspaper I left on the futon to deter Baloo)...I caught him in the act. I clapped my hands and said "No, Baloo!" and he scampered away. I ended up putting him back downstairs. At least this time I am fairly certain he knows why he's down there.

He won't eat the food or yogurt with antibiotics. I left some soft food and crushed the hell out of that pill and mixed it in good last night. When I got home from work it was untouched. He hasn't eaten all day. I mixed another pill in with some yogurt, I don't think he's buying that either. He can't get better if he won't take the medicine. I'm hoping he'll eat tonight. I'm at my wits end and I'm feeling depressed about it. Now he's downstairs all alone and I feel like I'm being punished too with all this guilt and worrying. I need a "drank" or sumthin' . I'm going to try not to worry too much about it and try to think positive. I think he needs to stay downstairs until he's completed with the antibiotics...or at the very least, has a few days of it.

9:49
I went downstairs...poor Baloo is just sitting down there in the same spot. But at least he ate a little food, so I know he's getting at least a little antibiotics. I picked him up and held him for a little while. The yogurt is still there. I brought his bed downstairs so he'll at least have a nice cushy place to sleep tonight....if, of course, he doesn't pee on it!

Road to Recovery

I got the results from the sample I dropped off at the vet, and poor Baloo has an UTI. That sweet kitty was only trying to let me know he wasn't feeling good. It's funny, I let him out from "lockdown" yesterday afternoon and just kept sort of watching him everytime he approached the scene of the crimes and kept sort of snapping and saying "No Baloo". I think he understands why he was basement bound over the weekend. It really broke my heart to have him to sleep down there and not be able to come upstairs and look out the windows, and hearing his little "Meow" at the bottom of the door. At least now I have an explanation of why he suddenly began behaving this way. I picked up his antibiotics and crushed one and put it in some soft cat food. He will have 10 days of antibiotics. I worked late tonight and wondered if I would find another surprise when I got home. Nothing. I know he doesn't want to go back downstairs and I just want him to feel better and be healthy. It's somewhat of a relief...but I just feel bad for him if he's uncomfortable. The vet said he should be feeling better in just a couple of days though. Thanks for all your support and advice.

Sophia Shrug

Productive day today... I got up and took Baloo's sample to the vet. I thought they would call me today with the results, but I didn't get a call. I chilled downstairs with Baloo today in the basement den. He laid across my lap most of the time that I was crocheting this shrug. It worked up pretty quickly. I was watching Knitty Gritty recently and they had a fur collared shrug on there and I loved the simple pattern, so I adapted it to crochet.

FUTON HIT !!!

Just when I was feeling a little better about the situation, Baloo had a good night, when I woke up, nothing was "hit".... all was dry. I went on Ebay last night searching for "OUT" and came up with someone selling a formula, I decided to try it. It's still soaked right now and my fingers are crossed, I hope that stuff works. When I got home, I noticed Baloo was acting....a bit strange. I can't put my finger on it, but something like he knew he'd done something and was waiting on my reaction or something. That sounds really weird to me, but I sort of sensed it from him while I was treating the red chair. I sort of thought he was just curious about what was going on in there, but now I think he was waiting on me to discover his 3rd upstairs location. I am DEVASTATED. I don't understand why this behavior. Believe me, I love Baloo and he is doted on, I can't imagine it being a behaviorial thing, he is the sweetest cat. It's about 10:15 now and I've relocated to the bedroom for the night. I'll sit up and watch t.v. for a while since William is working tonight.

On the positive side, I went downstairs to pet on Baloo a little, I feel so bad about casting out my baby and banishing him to the basement, and the fact that I took the cushions out of the seats, so I'm sure he feels a little unwelcomed down there...I also put some slightly crumbled newspaper on them to keep him off. He does have a top of the line cat condo down there which he loves. Wait.....I've gotten off track, this is supposed to be "on the positive side". I GOT A URINE SAMPLE! He used the disposable little box with the scattering of clay litter, so I got a clean catch. I'm taking it to the vet first thing in the morning. I am hoping if it's anything physical, we can begin treatment and healing (of the cat and our bond...I feel like the "you crossed the line...I feel like I don't even know you" feeling is mutual).

I haven't felt much like crocheting for the last couple of days, I am feeling a little down about this situation and what to do to about it. I am really feeling relieved that I got the sample though...I never thought I'd get excited about getting a urine sample from a cat, I guess I never really thought about it at all.

PAROLE FOR BALOO

I felt horrible for keeping Baloo downstairs all day, but what could I do?  He seemed a little upset with me when I came home.  I got a disposable litter box and put a little clay litter in it as the vet told me, I'm going to try to get a urine sample and drop it off in the morning.  I did sweet talk Baloo and pick him up and cuddle with him for a while and went upstairs and called him.  He eventually came upstairs.  I sprayed down the furniture with some cat repel stuff....it also repels me, I guess that's the price I'll have to pay for now, it's still better than the repugnant cat piss smell.  I also ordered something on Ebay that is supposed to completely eliminate that smell...I have some stuff here, and it's alright, maybe I'm a bit anal, but I can still faintly smell it, so I'll try anything guaranteed to completely take it out.

Baloo eventually decided to stop giving me the cold shoulder and joined me on the bed and seemed to really relax finally.  Does he still look mad to you?

Why Baloo...WHY ?!?!?

I am fretting! Baloo has starting "tinkling" upstairs now and I don't know why. Don't I dote on him enough? Is the fact that he is spoiled rotten a factor?

We had a bad storm yesterday and my satellite signal died on the tv so I went into my guest room to turn on the tv with the rabbit ears and see if I needed to take cover. I kept smelling something and found that Baloo took a leak on the pillow, it was still wet. I was furious! But I know you are not supposed to try to discipline a cat in the same way you would a dog, so I had to let it go. I threw out the pillow and sprayed down the sham and washed it. I can still faintly smell it, and I'll try to wash it once more.

Anyhoo....I closed the door to that room so he no longer has access to it. This morning before heading out to work, I just happened to check my office/upstairs den to make sure he hadn't tinkled on the futon. Nothing there. But when I checked the cool red elephant print arm chair, that's where I discovered his new location. It was wet too! I sprayed it down and decided I needed to banish him to the basement den. I am hoping he doesn't use it on one of the two chairs down there. I have already removed the cushions from a little loveseat I had down there when I discovered his first mistake over the weekend.

What am I going to do with this cat. I can't have him urinating all over the house. I'm going to try to get a urine sample tonight and take it to the vet tomorrow to make sure he doesn't have an infection or something....otherwise, I'm afraid I might have to get rid of my baby.

Million Dollar Baby

Well, maybe not a million dollars, but more than I've ever sold an item for before, and it's my original pattern!  This is my Bianca pattern and I worked it in a boucle yarn in neutral tones.  She loved it and INSISTED on paying me $125.

LOVE THE SPIRAL SCARF!!!

Ever since I was reading the threads and came across a fabulous photo of the spiral scarf, I knew I had to make one. I changed the pattern a little on the Magenta (Red Hear Symphony) yarn and did 3 dcs in each stitch rather than two. I came our really curly, much fuller than the original pattern (Bernat Galaxy). I still think I will add fur trim to both.

Happy Birthday Baloo !

Baloo turned 3 this past weekend!  I've only had him about 1 1/2 years and he has really grown on me and transformed this lifetime dog person into a CAT PERSON!  He is so loveable and sweet tempered. 

BIANCA SHRUG & CARDIGAN

It has been a productive weekend for me.  Me and William spent the whole weekend hanging out.  He had a test to study for, so I took the opportunity to do some crocheting and writing out my pattern for Ebay.  I hope this one does well also.  I really like this pattern, it was quick to work up and is very versatile.  I liked using different textures for the striped one, it has 5 different yarns, and it is so soft and light.  I am debating on keeping this one.