5 new puppy must-do's ...

As those of you who've visited me here before will know I share my life with a lovely little canine chap called Maximus - or Maxi for short. I did an earlier post about him here: Puppy Angel.

The Mighty Maxi Moser

He's a constant source of love, high jinx and laughs in our house. He's only been around since last September, but it feels as though we couldn't live without him. Somehow his fluffy little face seems to be in every photo I take, everyone always inquires about him and I'd hate to pass the day without his cheerful, up-for-everything presence hovering somewhere round my ankles.

For those of you who are thinking about committing to a new dog here's a short list of my 5 top tips to make the transition to becoming a doggy household as smooth as possible:

1. Toilet training

Have a clear idea on what's going to be your toilet-training strategy and don't confuse the message. Be clear and consistent once you start. There are many different ways of tackling this particular issue. I wavered at first between two strategies, and almost made the whole business more complicated than it had to be.

A very good friend, who is proud mother to a beautiful little whippet girl, advised me to go down the puppy pad route. 'Buy puppy pads, scent them with toilet training spray and leave them by the door,' she advised me. 'Then when you see the puppy looking like he's going to do his toilet business whisk him off and place him on the pad. When he performs, congratulate him like he's just taken gold at the Olympics'.

'Ello! 

It sounded simple. I bought the puppy pads and we gave it a whirl, but somehow back in the balmy days of September (it's a hazy, dazy memory, but we did have some nice weather way back then) it seemed more natural to take Maxi out onto the grass at regular (very regular at first) intervals and praise him to the high heavens when the 'payload hit the drop zone'. I rewarded him each time with a doggy biscuit. It turned out that little Maxi is strongly motivated by food, and learnt very quickly as a result.

I had to be really vigilant for those first few weeks, and I must say that this hyper attention to his toilet habits felt as though it was verging on the neurotic.  I'd keep giving unsolicited updates in conversation about his bowel movements. Sad, but true. At one point I was convinced that there was something wrong with his bladder because of the number of pee pees he was doing. My husband, a character who is also strongly motivated by food and hence well equipped to understand the dog's psychology, pointed out that this was more likely to be a Pavlovian-type response - along the lines of: if I just squeeze something - hell, anything- out she'll give me a biscuit.

Anyway I persevered sticking to my "let's go to the garden" routine, and within a couple of weeks he'd got the hang of it. He now prefers going on grass, which is really useful if we're in someone's shed. The shed floor does not have grass so he understands that it is not a socially acceptable toilet. Yeah heh, result!

2. No - absolutely no - negative re-enforcement ever

Just try a bit of empathy here: imagine what it must be like if you're a little puppy who's just been torn away from his mum and his litter-mates. You've got to feel pretty confused and more than a little bit nervous about what's going on. Maxi was one of the smaller chaps in his litter. The breeder told us that he'd been bullied  by one of his much bigger brothers who used to eat all their food, until she intervened and separated them. When he arrived with us it took him a week to find his bark. He's a miniature schnauzer, and I'd been expecting him to have quite a barky personality, but for a whole week he didn't say a single word, not a sausage.

Our Nervous New Arrival

Now imagine how it would feel for this little chap if someone started shouting at him - or worse - for doing his pee pees in the wrong place. It doesn't take a huge amount of imagination to realise that this is not the way to go.

Maxi is sooo sweet that I could never be angry with him, and he starts off wanting to please. So all it took was to praise him, reward him and fuss over him for getting things right, and before long he was getting everything right.

Guess who grew up to be an Alpha Dog?

3. The No titbits feeding regime

I know this sounds harsh, but it's really not a good idea to spoil your new puppy with treats from the table. My father is the world's worst in this regard. My parents' doggy is an over-weight pooch as a result of all the biscuit-sharing that goes on in their house. My Dad loves, loves, loves his dog, but in the long run this is not a good way to go. Our processed food is really not good for dogs. Plus once a dog gets used to being fed from the family table he becomes a total nuisance at meal times.

Chow time!

Another thing to bear in mind when you're doing heavy rewarding for toilet training is to deduct the amount of treats from the notional amount that they should get at meal times. It's very easy to over-feed during this early period.


4. Have a dogs-only doggy snuggle zone

From the very beginning Maxi has had his bed, his very own space where he can go for sanctuary. In fact he's got three beds - one in the kitchen where we seem to spend most of our time as a family, one in his doggy room and another in my study where he and I seem to spend most of our time alone together. But the golden rule is that these are his places, to which he can retreat if the world around him is getting a little bit too busy/ noisy.

Which part of 'king-size bed' did she not understand?

My friend, the whippet mummy, got one of those folding crates for her dog so that she would feel totally comfortable when she had to go in it for travelling. This is a great idea if you've got somewhere to keep the crate in the house, and don't mind how it looks. I don't go the aesthetics of a crate myself, but each to his own, as they say.

5. Make sure you have 100% buy-in for Project Puppy

Our principal obstacle in buying a puppy was my husband, who was very, very reluctant. "What will we do with him when we go away?" he'd ask. It took a lot of persuading/ cajoling to convince him that there were ways and means of travelling with your pet or arranging for him to be looked after when you were away.

But when Maxi arrived my husband was over-the-moon in love with his dog, and it was little Emi, my son, who voiced concern that we might love the new addition more than him. This was a bit of a shocker for me. Admittedly I was suffering from a very pronounced case of puppy-love, but nothing - not even Maxi - could take little Emi's place in my heart.

The very best of friends ...

So I sat him down and explained that, whilst I loved Maxi very, very much, there was no one in the world who could ever knock him off his number one slot, and that we had bought Maxi for him. Over the course of the next few weeks I found as much to praise Emi for as I did Maxi. And you know what? Children are a lot like dogs: they respond best to positive re-enforcement as well.

I'll do whatever it takes to fit in around here ...

Anyway, whatever you do, please remember that a puppy is not just for now: a puppy is for life. It's a really big commitment.

Bonny x

Crochet Lavender Sachets ... and waiting for the delivery man ...

These days I seem to spend my life waiting for deliveries. The principal culprit in all of this is my lovely husband, who has a really bad internet shopping habit. Wild horses won't drag that man to a bricks-and-mortar shop, but boy does he know how to burn his plastic on-line! Most of what he buys is boring tech-stuff that I never even knew we needed, but someone has to be on duty when the precious consignment hits the doorstep. And today, that honour falls to Maxi and me. And we're more than just a little bit bored with how it's cramping our style.


The problem is we're here:

When we'd really like to be here:

Or here:

Of course, it helps that it's raining outside and blowing a gale (no surprise there, we're in London and it's February), but still we'd like to have the option of going on one of our 'Big Out-of-Doors Adventures'.

To pass the time, because I can't seem to settle my head for any proper work, I've been playing about with scraps of wool.


After my efforts the other day with the Skinny Heart Lavender Sachet I got to thinking that it might be nice to make some smaller lavender sachets to use with my woollen jumpers, which are always vulnerable to moth attacks.

What do you think?

It's a variation on the Skinny Heart that I wrote about before, but this one is smaller and not quite so skinny - more of a Sweetheart heart (of the fizzy sweets fame).

I added a rosette flower, which borrows more from the prize rosettes down at the pony club than anything Mother Nature ever conceived of. It's very quick and easy to make as I used treble stitch for speed. I'm aiming for a lot of sachets in as little time as possible.

If you'd like to have a go at my variation on a theme here's what you need, and how to go about it.

A: to  make the heart sachet

Materials

Small amounts of double knitting in main colour and contrast

3.5 mm crochet hook

Pattern

The number shown in brackets is the number of stitches that you should have in each row. I am using English terminology, so if you're on the other side of the pond you may have to make allowances for the lingo.
At the end of each row you should chain 3 to turn, which is not included in the instructions below.

First side

1. Chain 2
2. 2 Treble Crochet (TC)  into second chain. (2)
3. 2 TC in each stitch. (4)
4. 2 TC into first stitch. 2 TC. 2 TC into last stitch. (6)
5. 2 TC into first stitch. 4 TC. 2 TC into last stitch. (8)
6. 2 TC into first stitch. 6 TC. 2 TC into last stitch. (10)
7. 2 TC into first stitch. 8 TC. 2 TC into last stitch. (12)
8. 2 TC into first stitch. 10 TC. 2 TC into last stitch. (14)
9. TC entire row. (14)
10. TC entire row. (14)

Large lobe of heart

1. TC 7.
2. TC 7.
3. TC 2 together. TC 3. TC 2 together. (5)
4. TC 2 together. TC 1. TC 2 together. (3)
5. TC 2 together. TC 1. (2)
6. Cast off and work other lobe of heart. 

Small lobe of heart

1. TC 7, with the large lobe held to the right hand side.
2. TC 2 together.TC 3. TC 2 together. (5)
3. TC 2 together. TC1. TC 2 together. (3)
4. TC 2 together. TC 1. (2)
5. Cast off. 

Second Side

Rows 1 to 10 for main body of heart as above.

Small lobe of heart.

1. TC 7.
2. TC 2 together. TC 3. TC 2 together. (5)
3. TC 2 together. TC1. TC 2 together. (3)
4. TC 2 together. TC 1. (2)
5. Cast off.

Large lobe of heart (made with small lobe on the right hand side)

1. TC 7, with the small lobe held to the right hand side.
2. TC 7. 
3. TC 2 together. TC 3. TC 2 together. (5)
4. TC 2 together. TC1. TC 2 together. (3)
5. TC 2 together. TC 1. (2)
6. Cast off and weave in the loose ends.

Join together with contrasting yarn using DC stitch.

Stuff partly with toy filling, and with dried lavender heads wrapped in kitchen muslin to keep them from spreading through the body of the sachet. You can see how I wrapped them up here: Skinny hearts

B: to make the rosette flower

Materials

Small amount of 4 ply wool for the centre
Small amount of double knitting for the petals
My plan in using different thicknesses of wool was to make the petals bunch chunky like on a rosette.
2 mm crochet hook.

Pattern

Chain 4 in centre colour (green in my case), and join with a Slip Stitch.
Chain 3 and make 11 TC into chain 4 loop.
Change to petal colour (pink double knitting wool in my case).
Slip Stitch to join. Chain 3, 1 double treble crochet (DTC), Chain 3 into the same stitch as the original slip stitch. *Slip stitch into next stitch, Chain 3, 1 DTC, Chain 3, all into same stitch*. Repeat from * to * all the way round to create 12 petals. Fasten off, weave in ends - or leave them loose and trim like the tail of a rosette - and attach to the crochet heart.

I have used English terminology here, but I think the following is an accurate translation of the terms into American terminology:

English Double Crochet = American Single Crochet
English Treble Crochet = American Double Crochet
English Double Treble Crochet = American Treble Crochet

Anyway fingers crossed for my delivery to arrive some time before I need to leave for the school run,

Bonny x

Chelsea Physic Garden and the Snowdrop Parade

Today I took a trip to the Chelsea Physic Garden, which is an old favourite of mine. I'm keen on using plants and natural remedies when I can, and so I find the history of this garden irresistible. It was founded way back in 1673 by the Society of Apothecaries so that their apprentices could learn how to cultivate and use medicinal plants. Back then it was surrounded by market gardens and orchards, taking advantage of the south facing aspect, the free-draining soil and the easy access via the river to the City of London.

They still have lots of useful medicinal plants, but this morning pride of place was being given to the Snowdrop Parade. Right now they have over 100 varieties of Galanthus (that's the la dee da botanical name for the snowdrop) blooming around the garden in drifts and clusters and pots. My very favourite of all has to be the Galanthus Grumpy, if only for sounding like it has an even worse case of Seasonal Affective Disorder than I do! Here it is, the Galanthus Grumpy, in the Snowdrop Theatre:

There's a lovely woodland walk along the embankment with snowdrops blossoming all around.

And this morning there were lots of other things in bloom as well: harbingers of better, brighter days to come. Check out old Sir Hans Sloane surrounded by a multitude of spring-time gorgeousness:

Want a close up of the great man's plinth?

Thought you might! Feast your eyes on all this multi-coloured loveliness: 

Now savour the intensity of blue in these dwarf irises: 

Lovely, eh?

And then there are the very pretty Hellebores. How I love the Hellebores at this time of the year!

And the humble catkin? Let's hear it for the lambs' tails!

And the flowering currant (I've given up on the la dee da botanical names - they just don't trip off my tongue):

And what do you know, before I came home the sun came out to make me really believe that spring might be just around the corner after all.

The Physic Garden will be open daily from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. for snowdrop viewing until 16th February.

Happy Monday Peeps!

Bonny x

All quiet on the Potomac, West London

Today the sun shone, and the sky was blue for just a little while. So Maxi and I dashed off to Gunnersbury Park, West London to make the best of it. It was dry, but even the snowdrops looked just a tad mud-spattered from all the rain. See what I mean:

Gunnersbury is one of my favourite places. It's big and majestic in its way, but with a faded splendour that hints at something amazing that used to be found here in its glory days.

Once upon a time this was where a branch of the de Rothschild family lived. Their magnificent old Palladian mansion stands over at the other side, near Pope's Lane.

It's all very grand up that end, but Maxi and I prefer the wilderness that is the Potomac Pond. That's right, you read correctly: we have our very own Potomac here in West London. Here it is:

Once upon a time our Potomac was a clay pit. It used to be called Cole's Hole, which you have to admit lacks a certain pizazz in the naming department. No one appears to know for certain why it came to be called the Potomac. There's a theory that it came to be named after a popular saying.  During the American Civil War, when there was a temporary cessation of hostilities, people in England would say "All quiet on the Potomac". And as our Potomac was always peaceful, it seemed as good a name as any.

Whatever the way of it, the clay pit became a boating pond. Someone introduced some carp, but no one ever remembered exactly how deep it was. There's a rumour that it's very, very deep and that down there in its murky depths lurks a giant carp: a monster of its kind... .

Once upon a time when Cole's Hole was still a clay pit, there was a kiln that used to stand on the edge of the abyss, because it was certainly a very deep clay pit. But a kiln was an ugly thing that didn't fit in well with the landscaping. And so it was given a make-over.

It became a folly, a wonderful, gothic folly, with a central staircase that led up to a glorious room with large glass windows that afforded the most splendid views across the Potomac and over the rolling parkland beyond.

You see it really was a great success. Jolly boating parties paused to take tea on its upper terrace. On rainy days ladies in crinolines sought sanctuary in the lovely room with the arched windows, and on lazy summer evenings chaps would sit out on top, smoke their tobacco, and put the world to rights. 

But now the tide has turned for the little tower. It sits alone and abandoned on the bank of the overgrown Potomac Pond. An air of neglect hangs over everything. No one ever goes there for tea any more. You're not allowed to go inside to admire the lovely views from the arched windows.  It's a bit of a tumble-down wreck if we tell the story straight, and unless we do something soon it's liable to be lost forever.  And that makes me sad. Even during a happy interlude when the clouds part and the sun shines down I feel sorry for the little tower. 

Bonny x

Knitted, heart-shaped lavender sachet

Today I'm making a lavender sachet as a gift for a friend who won't be feeling very happy this Valentine's Day. I won't talk about her private grief other than to say that I think she's being a real star, handling a very tricky situation with great dignity and lots of courage.

Anyway, what do you think? Any chance it might raise a smile?

 I'm loving all the pinky, flowery, girliness of it, and I'm not normally a very girly kind of girl.

If you would like to make one of your own, you can find the pattern here Skinny heart pattern on "Lulu loves" website. It's very clearly, and accurately written, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to you.

I filled mine in part with the suggested toy-filler, but in the very middle I placed a couple of sachets of dried lavender seeds, tied up in some kitchen muslin so that they don't come out. As a result my room is smelling like summer, and that is making me very happy whilst the wind whistles down the chimney and the rain batters against my windowpanes.

And then I embellished it with some knitted lavender stems for luck.

If you'd like to have a go at knitting your own lavender, here's what you need and here's how to go about it: 

Materials:

Small amounts of 4 ply wool in lavender and green colours. I used Sublime extra fine merino wool in 4 ply.
1 set of 2 mm needles. I used a 4-needle set that I have for making socks, and I found having a spare needle to do the double-back-and-make-petals bits quite handy.

 Pattern: 

Cast on 3 stitches

Row 1: knit (3 stitches on needle - all numbers in brackets shown below are the number of stitches you ought to have on your needle at the end of the row.)

Row 2: purl (3)

Row 3: knit (3)

Row 4: purl (3)

Row 5: knit into the front and back of each of the first two stitches, knit 1. (5)

Row 6: purl (5)

Row 7: *knit 1, cast on 5 stitches by rolling the wool in front of the needle to create two loops and drawing the first loop through the second one to create a stitch. Cast off the 5 stitches that have just been created by knitting back across the new five stitches and casting them off one by one*. I found it useful to use one of the other sock needles to knit back in the opposite direction and cast these stitches off. Repeat from * to * across the row, ending with knit 1. (5)

Row 8: purl (5)

Row 9: knit (5)

Row 10: purl (5)

Row 11: knit into the front and the back of each of the first 4 stitches. Knit 1. (9)

Row 12: purl (9)

Row 13: knit 1, cast on 5 as in row 7, and cast them off again. *Knit 2, cast on 5 as in row 7, and cast them off again*. Repeat from * to * across the row, ending with Knit 2. (9)

Row 14: purl (9)

Row 15: *slip 2, knit 1, cast off the first 2 slipped stitches by drawing over the first knit stitch*. Repeat from * to * across the row. (3)

Row 16: Change colour to green to knit the stem: purl (3)

Row 17: knit (3)

Repeat rows 16 and 17 until the stem is as long as you want it to be.

Cast off.

Sew in your ends, and sew up the back of the lavender head and stem.

Ta-dah: you've just made a lavender flower.

 Enjoy!

Bonny x