Oh, puppies. Lark is out of the play-play-play-SLEEP-play-play phase, but we’re up visiting my parents and their four-month-old Labrador. Sonnet was a little shy of Lark at first, but by the middle of the next day she’d worked up her confidence and it was full-force Bear Pit Wrestlemania under the table, in the kitchen, around the central chimney… all day and late into the evening.

Then some friends came over for dinner yesterday and we added Karuna to the doggie mayhem. Karuna and Lark were cut from the same cloth, only Karuna’s piece was bigger. They took a liking to each other immediately and wore a racetrack around the fringe of the lawn while Sonnet watched cautiously. Karuna understands that it’s fun to play tug-o’-war with a toy, and not just jump on each other’s heads. (Sonnet seems to realize that she’s quickly going to weigh twice as much as Lark and is already practicing using her bulk to squash the foe.)

We are wild scraggly dogs who will roam free over the earth
when you humans and your pudgy Labradors are gone.

But at least Lark is willing to distract Sonnet while I knit. She bites the needles and I had to pull the end of my contrast color out of her gullet while I was swatching for Mom’s new sweater.

So innocent.

A selection of Cascade Rustic + Eco Wool for the background.

I had almost forgotten how odious it is to knit a flat colorwork swatch, especially on big needles. This cardigan/jacket will have to be steeked for sure. At first I was thinking maybe the blue was too bright, but then I decided the sweater might be boring if it was all dull earth tones, and the blue is a streak of merriment to brighten it up. Plus Mom is blue eyed and fair, so it will suit her coloring better if it’s not too drab.

The sun is finally out just a bit, as you can see. Time to take the Wild Bears for a little hike. I think I’ll drag out Dad’s giant camera lens and see what there is to shoot at the top of Mt. Young. Maybe this will be a two-fer day at the blog!