Knititude

We interrupt our normal programming...

for this special bulletin.  My kind mailman just handed me ALL FOUR of Barbara Walker's Treasuries of Knitting Patterns, re-issued in paperback by Schoolhouse Press (www.schoolhousepress.com).  Thank you, Nancy of Knitter's Bookshelf (www.knittersbookshelf.com) for getting them to me so quickly.  Guess what I'll be doing for the rest of the day?   

The proper way to muzzle a cat

If you have never seen a muzzled cat, you are probably in the majority. Cats hate muzzles, so vets don't like to use a muzzle with a cat lover present.  (Vets love cats too, but they are not above protecting themselves when necessary).  As pictured, the muzzle is still upside-down, but I added this photo so that I can clearly show the importance of right-side-up vs. up-side-down.  Imagine that you have a three-eyed cat, aptly named Cerberus (three eyes--three heads; cat--dog; close enough), and then take a close look.  You will see that the little fellow's eyes are exposed.  Not only that, they're bugging out--clearly the poor thing is terrified. 

Now, if you take a look at this photo, you will see that Cerbie's bobbles--I mean eyes--are completely covered.  Yes!  The muzzle is applied correctly, which is good news for two reasons:  first, the little hole at the end of the muzzle is positioned so Cerbie can breathe, and second, the muzzle also acts as a blindfold.  Like birds that are quieted when their cage is covered, or horses that calm down when blindfolded, cats that can't see their surroundings immediately relax...okay, that last part is bullshit.  They just can't see their target anymore.  (Unless they're wrapped in a towel or zipped into a cat bag, they do still have claws, remember?)

  Anyway.  It's always a good idea to make sure the patient is okay after it's been wearing a muzzle for awhile; the experience can be very stressful.  Quiet, please...  ...  ...  ....  Phew!  Heart still not beating.

Okay, that poor sweater deserves a breather.  Here it is in all of its non-muzzled glory:  gorgeous, yes?  Just Debbie Bliss doing what she does best ("Aran Coat" from Classic Knits for Kids).  It's lovely from any angle (see "Finished!" for a mostly-unobstructed front view), but the back view really is the stunner.  The yarn is merino, very nice, although I have no idea what brand, as it sat, unlabeled, in my closet for about a decade.... 

"Secretary spread?" Or, the differences between knitting and vetting

First of all, "Secretary Spread" (SS) is not my term; grossly un-PC, it also seems hopelessly outdated.  I guess "executive assistant spread" just doesn't have that catchy alliteration.  If you've never heard of SS, it refers to the supposed spread (and concomitant increase in size and decrease in tone) of the posterior caused by long hours spent, well, sitting on it.  SS could just as easily be called "truck driver spread," or "telemarketer spread," or "clinically depressed spread", or "lazy piece of sh_t spread," or .... Anyway, I never worried about SS while I was a veterinarian, as the only time I spent sitting was when I was returning phone calls--usually while gobbling down my lunch.  Performing physical exams?  Standing.  Surgery?  Standing.  Taking x-rays?  Standing.  Placing a catheter, replacing a bandage, expressing anal glands (don't ask)?  Standing, standing, standing.  Or sometimes kneeling--but never sitting. 

Now, if I'm not sitting at my computer, I'm sitting and knitting; not good for the rear view.  (Which reminds me:  knitting is not yoga, contrary to what the folks at Health & Nutrition may think--see http://www.healthnnutrition.co.in/display_Standard.asp?section=fitness&subsection=yoga&xml=October2002_yoga_standard1   More on this in a future post).

Another difference between knitting and vetting:  if you are a knitter you have projects.  If you are a veterinarian you have patients.  Projects will not bite you.  (Stabbing yourself with your knitting needles doesn't count, nor does snagging a hangnail on your yarn.)  Hence, projects never need to wear muzzles.  Pictured:  the exception that proves the rule.  No, your cat probably didn't like wearing that muzzle, either.  (Click on photo for a larger view).  My gosh, I just realized I put the muzzle on upside-down!  Shame on me; I guess it really has been awhile....  Well, no time for another photo shoot right now; I'll have to post a pic of a correctly muzzled sweater later.

Next post:  More differences; a happier photo of sweater (yes, the first one I'd knit in years), sans muzzle.

Knitting and vetting

I don't mean "knitting and kvetching" (more commonly known as "stitching and bitching"); since leaving behind life as a practicing veterinarian, and then rediscovering knitting, I've simply had some time to think about the similarities and differences between a knitter and a veterinarian.  ("Differences?" you might ask.  "Aren't those pretty obvious?"  For the most part, yes....)

I'll start with similarities:  first, the sheer tactile pleasure of handling an animal's fur is much like the soothing feel of a soft wool between your fingers (assuming the animal doesn't have a lot of scabs, or mange, or fleas, or ticks...).  Second:  in both knitting and vetting, you can't do a good job without the proper tools, and in both cases, these include...needles!  Third:  one of my favorite parts of being a vet was performing surgery, and seeing how beautifully a well-sewn incision can heal; isn't it also amazing how seams in knit garments can virtually disappear?  Fourth:  I used to have an entire wall of books devoted to veterinary medicine, and now--you guessed it--that same space is filled with knitting books and magazines, and stash.  Fifth:  being a veterinarian is like being a knitter in that, when you tell people what you do, they almost always react in one of two ways:  warmth and enthusiasm, or else an awkward silence (during which it becomes clear that your new acquaintance thinks you are insane).  And sixth:  both as a knitter and as a veterinarian, your, shall we say, professional curiosity is regularly piqued.  In the former case, it might be that friend's cat who is at the water bowl every time you visit (diabetes?  kidney failure?), or perhaps the nearly bald dog walking down the street (Cushing's disease? hypothyroidism?), while in the latter, it's the sweater on the person next in line at the grocery store (that is the most amazing cable pattern I've ever seen!), or the hand-knit sweater in the corner boutique (how did the designer get the hem to curve like that??).

Next post:  some not-necessarily-obvious differences between knitting and vetting.  Plus, the first sweater I knit after picking up my long-idle knitting needles once again.