As autumn approaches we can expand our walkies down the hill, the dogs enjoy going further afield and revisiting sites they probably dreamed about as they waited in the air-conditioned rooms for summer to pass. A tradesman I walked passed stopped me and asked if I hunted...literally, "Do you do guns?"...I laughed, and he confirmed he knew many setters were being abandoned as the popularity of hunting wanes in Japan with the ageing population. Beautiful, gifted dogs, he murmured, quiet and well-behaved, as Sherlock jumped on Nobu and knocked me in the jaw as I pulled him off...
Time to get out the knitwear, this is a cowl made to celebrate the 8 million users of the free knitting site, Ravelry. It's the Octo Million Throw designed by Mary Ann Byrd, and each color stripe represents the number of users joining over the twelve years of activity. I've been joining in a celebratory knit-along, it's fun!
Inspired by this beautiful picture of Scotland taken by Sven Riddell, and of course by my darling rescued English setters, Lady Claire, Nobunaga and Sherlock Holmes...I wanted to make some fingerless mitts in Scottish yarns to celebrate these darling doggies.
With the generous help of Japanese designer Takeko Tanabe, I made it happen! Knitted with Jamieson's Shetland Spindrift which I bought in Tokyo, I hope it makes a lot of people happy and raises awareness of the plight of abandoned birddogs, these beautiful creatures who make the best family pets!
So go to Ravelry and download the free pattern, Birddog Hunting Mitts and off you go knitting to spice up your winter wardrobe. And spare a moment for the doggies, and adopt, foster, or maybe just find out about and donate to your local birddog rescue!
