Tag Archives: language

Nov 18 2011
Aside

This dog understands english: He is part Labrador Retriever and part “big white dog”. He is 14 years old and has been with me since he was 3 months old.

These are his nouns; Moose (that’s his name), Treat, Kitchen, Supper, Toy, Ball, Stick, Bed,Penguin (a hand puppet not a real penguin), Car, also the names of around 5 people that he sees most often.

These are his verbs: Go, Walk, Wait, Stay, Sit, Lie Down, Car Ride, Get, Stop, Pee (as in urine), Dump (as in feces), Bring

You can combine different nouns and verbs and he will know what you are talking about, but he doesn’t really pay attention to adjectives, adverbs, or participles. It works best if you give the nouns or verbs excitement and character with the tone of your voice rather than additional words.

He speaks back with body language. He does not like to wear clothes.

Doggy Dictionary

Oct 12 2011

Generations of Human Socialization – For This?

generations of human socialization - for this?

Really, if my brain was switched on common sense would’ve told me that no baby was going to be the right shape for this sweater long before I sewed it together. I didn’t pay attention. This is what happens to the numbers when the observer just isn’t observing. You end up wasting time – making the dog wonder, all those generations of human socialization – for this? He’s a pretty smart dog, but he doesn’t do numbers.

The numbers don’t lie. If your gauge isn’t right the sweater won’t fit. But gauging gauge isn’t an exact science. It’s relative. If you knit when you’re angry the tension in your hands will change and that will make your gauge tighter. If you knit when you’re relaxed then the opposite happens. The numbers don’t lie, but that doesn’t mean that they’re always right either. When you knit you become part of a fluid dynamic between your hands, the yarn, the needle size, rows per inch, stitches per row, and your brain.