Chat Back for November 8

Answering questions from comments and email.

First of all, I want to thank all of you who suggested AVG as a replacement virus protection. It was an easy install and it's now busy working away protecting my laptop with almost no fuss, bother, or system slowdown.

Sorry it took me so long to remember to mention this.

---

In response to the sweater I was wearing in Kimmy Turns 13:
Jean asked . . .

. . all I could think about is "I wonder if she knit the sweater she was wearing?"

and
Laurie asked . . .

Any more pics of the finished sweater??

It's been almost a year since I finished Autumn Song. Here are the links.

Autumn Song Finished
Autumn Song Modeled

---

Jean asked . . .

I have the (knitpicks) harmony circular knitting needles with the interchangeable cables and they keep coming undone while I am knitting with them - got any tips to eliminate this?

I have the metal Options, not the Harmony, but they're probably the same engineering.

When I put the little tightening pin through the hole and twist as snug as possible, I usually don't have a problem with the joins. When I'm lazy and think I can just twist and tighten without digging out the little pin, sometimes there's some loosening.

When one does come loose, I feel it right away because the little gap snags the yarn, so I've never had one come completely off. It's a bother and I wish I could say it never happens (that one starts to come undone), but I consider the sharp points worth the occasional tightening.

---

Lynn asked . . .

Have you ever knit a sweater for your dog? If he wasn't thrilled with his costume, does he prefer not to wear clothing? Or was it the fact it was a costume?

No, yes, and the headpiece annoyed him more than the body piece.

It's not practical to knit for my dogs. They don't enjoy "dressing". If and when dressing is required, it needs to be something that will stand up to country living.

Pappy has haircuts in the summer, but we let him grow out in the autumn for winter. An unclipped Pappy has thick fur all over, including his underside. Dressing for warmth is totally unnecessary and his straight, shiny hair quickly sheds snow, ice, and weed seeds.

Sunny has thin fur, a bare belly, and chest hair which functions as a snow/ice ball magnet.

She wears a fleece coat outside in the winter. She hates wearing it, but it's needed. Her coat is blue plaid, but in this picture it's coated with white snow.

I think a knit coat would be too fragile for her needs.

The dogs like to run in the fields and woods - through the briars and brambles and sticks and stalks.

Glory loves chasing rabbits, squirrels, whatever is around to chase. Sometimes that chasing involves jumping into the creek. Totally not appropriate for knitwear.

This is a close up of Glory's fur taken on a walk this morning. See what I mean?