Verb: pootle
poo-t(u)l To move in a leisurely unhurried way,
with no real purpose


Monday 11 August 2014

Teething problems !

 
So ... further to last weeks post I can now say quite definitely that puppies and crochet do not mix.
I'm not sure if it's that the blanket I'm working on is Weimeraner colour and that Otto therefore thinks its a mass of puppies waiting for a giant bundle - but that certainly seems to me to be his thought process as he just kind of leaps at me whenever I try and sneak on to the sofa,
 blanket and hook in hand.
There then follows quite a bit of tussling with me hanging on dearly to the last stitch so as not to see my work unravelling before my eyes whilst a fair amount of yelling follows to attract the attention of anyone near enough to unlock one small puppy jaw from the wool
- so much easier said than done !
 
 
I am tantalisingly close to finishing it now so it's all a little frustrating really.
I have to admit to having sneaked upstairs a couple of times this weekend when no one was looking, taking my crochet with me, and very quietly closing the bedroom door behind me.
 
 
I even have the wool for the border all ready and waiting.
I decided to go with Sirdar's Snuggly Baby Bamboo, as I think this will add a good contrast in
 texture to the slightly fluffy grey wool.
Its a really lovely yarn, smooth to work with and giving a very slight sheen to the end product.
I have linked the wool to Blacksheep Wools as that is where I bought it from with a very lovely £25.00 voucher sent to me for being their July Blogger of The Month !
 
 
I was so happy to have been chosen - a bit of a squeal moment really.
If you get a chance pop over and take a peek.
In light of the fact that  sitting down activities have pretty much gone out of the window for
 the time being I have had no excuse but to get some much needed jobs done instead.
 
 
I'm sure I'm not alone in this ... but we have soooo many apples this year !
And as the birds have been merrily knocking them off the tree and pecking away
 at them it would seem they are ripe and good to pick already.
 
 
We don't have many trees,
just a sort of trellis of 2 or 3 outside our back door, but the boughs are full to bursting,
so Saturday morning was spent peeling, chopping and slicing.
 
 
I decided to freeze the slices uncooked as I figured this way I can still use them for
lots of different things.
I read a top tip about spreading them on a tray and freezing the slices for a couple of
 hours before putting them in bags as this allows the slices to all stay separate and
 not clump together in a great big solid mass.


 
Needless to say not all of the apples made it to the freezer - as having had the help of my
other half in all of the peeling, chopping and slicing work a very nasty crime may
have been committed had I not delivered an apple crumble at the end of the day.
 
Obviously it has been quite essential that in between all boring jobs lots of time is spent puppy hugging, and as this little spot outside the kitchen seems to be one of his favourite places a fair amount of time has been spent here.
 
 
 
Its certainly been very interesting to see the house from lots of down on the floor angles,
and I have to say I'm really quite liking my kitchen from here !

 

 
 
I'm thinking that my next little crafty make might just be a crate cover.
Lilou absolutely loved her crate when she was little and seemed to love it being
enclosed and a bit hidden away.
We are working with Otto to get him to love his crate as much ( least said on that the better ! )
and as his is a little open and exposed maybe a cover is just what's needed.

 

I made this one for Megs dog Minky a few months ago,
and now I'm wishing I'd taken the trouble to write down what I did !
Oh well, I shall just have to go and sit and think about it for a bit ...
 

 
... whilst puppy cuddling at the same time of course !
 
 

21 comments:

  1. Ooooh Otto is just so terribly adorable !!!
    Take lots of cuddling time.... Puppies grow up so quickly...
    Love it how he tries to interfere when you're crocheting :-)))... Probably his way of asking for attention...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think he's already doubled in size Ingrid, and we've only had him for 2 weeks ! K x

      Delete
  2. Gosh, he is so cute. I would want to hug him all day! I remember when I was a kid, we had a puppy who chewed a crocheted afghan and used to leave his baby teeth in it! We'd find them in the blanket's stitches. Poor thing, he just needed to chew.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's really funny you should say that Jennifer because I have given him one of Lilou's old crochet blankets and he absolutely loves to just chew and chew on it - usually before he falls fast asleep ! K x

      Delete
  3. He's utterly adorable. Of course, it's not my beautiful crochet blanket he's chewing... It's lovely to fill the freezer with fruit ready for winter isn't it. You have apple crumble to look forward to in the darkest months, wonderful. CJ xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're right CJ , there's something deeply satisfying about filling the freezer isn't there ?
      Have a good week , K x

      Delete
  4. Hi Kate, just back from hols and catching up with cute puppy posts! He's adorable! Love the bed swapping! J x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Juanita, Hope you had a fab time away. K x

      Delete
  5. What a lovely puppy and I love the name Otto too. The blanket will be beautiful with the cream edging, really striking. Well done on blogger of the month! I will pop over and have a wee peek now.
    Marianne x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Marianne, I'm desperate to get on and get the border started ! Kx

      Delete
  6. He is a cutie !! Maisie liked my wool, I had to make sure it was completely out of site or she would get it. She just wanted to carry it around like it was a little puppy, Farley wanted to play ball. They are better now, but I still make sure its out of reach! Your blanket looks very nice, and I would love an apple tree in the garden, great for the freezer!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. HI Gail - oh good - I'm glad the puppy/wool issue doesn't go on forever ! Kx

      Delete
  7. Otto is just gorgeous!! I am sure that you are spending lots of time enjoying the cuddles aren't you. They are the most important thing to a new puppy it seems! I hope that you enjoy the apples. xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Trouble is Amy, not a lot is getting done ! K x

      Delete
  8. Oh Kate I'm so glad you're having so much fun with Otto but I did have a little chuckle to myself when I read your post about him thinking your crochet was a good game of tug and war. We've only had one nibbler in the pack and that is Rufus but he's been with for 6 months he seems to be settling in with the pack and if anything it is Romeo you have to watch as he is a bit of sneak thief if you leave anything edible around unattended. It was a custard tart he took a fancy to last week for which he was forgiven although I might no of been so forgiving if it had been chocolate.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Such a sweet puppy....and lovely to spend lots of time cuddling him! Cuddling is what puppies love most isn't it... besides chewing! Your blanket is gorgeous and the border with the cream contrasting yarn will be lovely. Well done on being blogger of the month...I will go over and have a look!
    Helen xox

    ReplyDelete
  10. The apples look lovely. It's so much work getting a glut of fruit/veg ready for the freezer but so worth it when you're reaping the benefits in the depths of winter (we did it recently with our cherries). I love the crate cover you made for Minky, maybe when you start measuring up how you made it will come back to you. I'm sure Otto will appreciate it, he looks such a sweetie :o) Your grey blanket is going to be lovely with the cream border - congratulations on Blogger of the Month! Enjoy the rest of the week.
    Jane x

    ReplyDelete
  11. How gorgeous is Otto!....I can't think of a better way to spend the time than sitting and giving him a cuddle..I would definitely not get any work done :-)
    Your crochet blanket is looking lovely and the cream border will be a perfect finishing touch.
    Happy belated birthday wishes to you too Kate....I've just been catching up on your birthday surprise from your lovely girls...everything looked so beautiful and summery!
    Congratulations too on being Blogger of the Month...very well deserved x
    Hope you have a great new week,
    Susan x

    ReplyDelete
  12. Blanket and puppy both look super cuddly. And big! Otto looks almost whippet sized already!! Give him a hug from me x

    ReplyDelete
  13. OH MY WORD, how gorgeous is Otto! Such a cutie. I hope he starts to like his crate more. I love the idea of covering it and making it more cosy, like a den for him. Gosh, I wouldn't be able to get any work done, I'd just be cuddling him all the time!

    Have a super week!

    Vanessa xxx

    ReplyDelete
  14. I think a crate cover is an excellent idea. And I love that grey blanket, it's going to be so lovely. x

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for dropping by - I LOVE receiving your comments and get really excited when I see a new one has been added. I read every single one and try to send a reply whenever I can. ♥