Scarf Update

I have completed three scarves in a week. Two of them I did in one day each. I'm taking a break from crocheting. I have a couple of large posts in mind, but I'm not 100% up for writing a lot right now after working my fingers for so long!

Today on the news they were advertising a free spay and neteur clinic for feral cats in Scarborough. The aim of this campaign is for people to bring in stray cats roaming the GTA and help cut down the cat colony population. They stated many times during the promo that this clinic was NOT for anyone with a cat, but feral cats only. The operations were being provided for by donations and money from intrastructure.

It's a good start but it doesn't address the real problem with people not spaying or netuering their cats. The real reason behind the huge feral cat population in not only the GTA but every city in the world is that the cost for spaying an animal is way too expensive.

I know some people will say "If you can't afford to properly take care of the animal, including medical expenses, you are not responsible enough to own a pet" but people do anyways. Small animals like hamsters, rats and gerbils are cheap. You can pick them up for under 10 bucks. Why would anyone spend $100 for medication for these small animals when they get sick, when you can just get another animal for a cheaper price, especially when the life span of these animals is so short?

People will not justify paying $100 to alter small animals so they don't end up with accidental litters, which they then need to get rid of, or become over run with animals.

The fact is, pets are cheap. If you don't want to spend the money on a pedigree animals, you can pick up one cheap or for free on Kijiji or Craigslist. Anyone can pick up a kitten anywhere for free.

Back to the cat epidemic; there are way too many cats roaming the streets because people dump unwanted kittens after deciding it's way too expensive to spay Fluffy and she never goes outside anyways, so why spend the money, yet someone she escaped when someone left the door open too long. They dump them in the city, them dump them in the country. These cats then run around and breed, and it's a vicious cycle. Most of these cats in the country find homes at farms where they hunt for mice. Farmers are welcoming to have cats on the farm to protect the feed for their livestocks, but they aren't going to pay to get each one of those cats fixed. The barn cat population either naturally keeps itself in check, or it explodes. There are many reasons why the barn cat population can keep froming becoming an epidemic. There are many hazards for a barn cat. They are not vaccinated, they are not medicated when they get sick, they are prey to wild animals and they sometimes get kileld by farm equipment and machinery. If none of these factors are in place, then it can be over run by cats who will eventually starve unless they are humanely put down.

The news today reported that a spay or neteur can cost anywhere between $200 and $400. The cheapest I have heard for a spay is $95 which is slightly more reasonable than $200, but I still feel that even $95 is too much. I realize that vets need to make money, and that the drugs used in the surgery are part of the cost, but I think the price must be very inflated.

If Bob Barker wants us to take his advice, the vets need to lower the cost or else it's just going to continue, especially in this economy.

Scarf, Complete!

So I spend a couple hours watching tv to wind down in the evening, so I started a scarf to better my crochet. I used my crochetting book to help me figure out how to finish a project, read patterns and add decorations.

My first scarf was just a free handed pattern of double crochet, which I made very tightly. After I finished, I noticed it was wonky on the sides, which meant I was adding and subtracting stitches. Now that I know how to properly make turning chains and how to count stitches (and also cover up the wonkiness with a border), I decided to follow a simple scarf pattern in my book. When I finished, I decided to tear apart my original scarf and remake it.

I came into some free yarn, so I picked the biggest ball of yarn I had and began. I followed a pattern that was one row of trebles, one row of singles, one row of doubles, one row of singles, one row of half doubles and repeated until I got the desired length. The final measurements ended up being 56 inches approx in length, and 8 inches wide. I added four tassels to each end.

Crochetting

I'm going to another horse show this weekend, so I won't have time for some in depth posts. I want to write a little bit about my experience with Final Crisis and as a newbie in the comic world.

I am starting on my second scarf, using a real pattern this time! My goal is to make a finished scarf and if it looks decent, I'm going to make a few for the holiday season. Once I get scarf making down, I'll work on more difficult patterns.

New Comics!

I went to get my hair done, and stopped by my comic book store to pick up The Return of Bruce Wayne #4. I told one of the guys working there that I felt that I was missing part of the story when I first started reading #1. Why was Batman back in time? What was going on? What was this machine all about? He told me that Final Crisis was the series before RoBW. I decided for $20 I'd pick it up. So in the next few days, I think I'll review it.

To my surprise, they had The Last Unicorn #2 Cover A waiting there for me. Me being stupid, thought that the comic book store would have called me to notify I had comics in, but I remember the conversation we had awhile back that being on file meant they would save me a copy and I could come in at my leisure. However, while waiting for #1 of the series, I was told it was back ordered and I found out that #2 was sold out on IDW. When I talked to another guy who worked there, he said that there was a chance #2 was not ordered for me because I had not recieved the first issue. I asked today if I would get #3 and #4 and after causing much confusion to myself and frustration to him, it was determined that yes, they would be ordering #3 and #4 for me. Now, I've already placed my order for #3 and #4 from online, so I will have two copies of each. Maybe I will get a variant cover. Either way, I'm not too upset about it. Maybe I'll sell a copy if I get a double. If #3 and #4 comes to my local comic book shop just fine, I'll just get #5 and #6 from them instead of ordering online.

Also in my travels today I picked up more yarn (most of it free!), a free copy of X-Men Curse of the Mutants, Previews August 2010, an audio book of Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett for my up coming trip to Nova Scotia where I will be driving 5 hours so I thought I'd get something to listen to that wasn't just the radio, a do-it-yourself crochet book to help me with my techniques and recommended by my expert crochetter Sharyl, amd Michael Crichton's Congo. I want to hold off on Congo so I can read it on the plane but I doubt I will. I'd like to read more Crichton. I've read Jurassic Park, and I want to read Timeline (I had it from the library but took out way too many books and not enough time to read), Pirate Latitutes, and Next.

I am also borrowing a couple movies from my friend that I may or may not review depending on how I feel, haha.

Up Coming Projects

Whether or not you believe in Astrology and Horoscopes, every once and awhile something from them will ring true. Some aspects of my personality are strongly aligned with the typical description for Aries.

For as long as I remember, I have problems finishing or sticking with things. I get an idea in my head of what I want to do, and I get some excited about it, that I have to get started as soon as possible. This has meant anything from running out and buying books and supplies as soon as I can (when these ideas come late at night, this becomes a damper), buying something online, or going through a closet, or down to the barn at a late night, searching for an item that is related to my new project idea. This has been a trait that I have read over and over and over and over again: Aries are great for starting projects, but fail to see them through.

I get started with the project, diving head first. But then one of two things happens; I either become bored or lose my drive, or I get another idea in my head which causes me to abandon my current project. It's a very hard habit to break.

I have a few projects going that I am going to try my best to stick with.

PROJECT
Crocheting and Knitting

My best friend is a very talented and crafty person. Not only can she crochet and knit, but she loves cooking, and crafting in general. Crafts, to me, were something that my brother and I would do after my mom dragged us to White Rose for whatever reason and we begged her to buy us hot glue guns and sticks, pompom sets, paints, ceramic figures to paint, whatever. We would rush home with the items, begin our session and exhaust out supplies. I have never really done anything with crafts since I was 12.

I finally decided to have her teach me how to crochet. I was convinced a year ago that I was going to learn to knit. This prompted me to buy a knitting book. I ended up reading a bit of it, but not being able to figure out how to knit. I finally broke down and had her teach me to crochet. In one week I made a scarf. It isn't exactly finished yet, but once I am done, I will atempt another scarf, and possibly a blanket. Once I've master that, maybe I will move on to other projects, or even knitting.





Here is my first scarf... It needs some finishing touches. It's also pretty wonky but not bad for a first try!




PROJECT
Learning French

As a Canadian, I have some understanding of French. I was taught French in public school for 10 years, except all the way to Grade 8, the teachers taught my class like we were 7. We learned nouns. We learned basic grammar. We had projects like decorating cut out frogs like a specific career. We sang songs about getting four hugs a day. French class was one of the most hated class amongst my fellow students. This is probably why I never had any drive to learn French well enough to speak and write it fluently. Now that I am older, I wish my parents had signed me up for French classes or French Immersions, as a lot of great jobs are out there for bilinguals. My challenge is to be able to speak and understand basic French in two months. I already have a lot of the ground work, but now I need to refresh myself. In stead of paying $300 for the first level of Rosetta Stone's French program, or a class at the community college, I opted to spend $70 to get a basic audio set for French basics, a French to English dictionary, and a work book, since I learn better with written exercises. If I can master that in two months, then I will move onto either level two or three in Rosetta.




PROJECT
Training Roxie

Roxie is my two year old Welsh Pony filly. She is a brat. It is my goal to getting some basic training on her before the winter. I do not expect to have her going under saddle well by then, but I am hoping that it will give me some ground work with ehr when she goes into full training next year at the age of three. I have already begun lounging her, and I have already saddled her. Unfortunately her training has gone on halt for now for two reasons. Her hooves are rather. The farrier won't be out until another week, and I don't want her to get hurt or trip. She was at a different stable for the spring, and her trimming schedule has been thrown off from ours. She didn't need her hooves done the last time he came out, but now they really need a trim and shaping. The other reason is that I am working on getting another pony, Emma, back into shape for an upcoming show on August 1st. Once the farrier comesout, I can start back up with my ground work with Roxie, and maybe get on her by the end of August.


Roxie in her gear.