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August 31, 2006
Slowly but Surely
Yes, I am actually making some progress on the Cambridge Jacket!
These are the two fronts of the sweater - I need to knit about four more inches on each before I reach the armholes. Despite my best efforts, I managed to make one longer than the other - which is exactly what I was trying to avoid by knitting them at the same time. Luckily at this point they're just ribby rectangles, so it was relatively painless to count the rows and figure out how many rows I needed to knit to match them up.
I worked on this last Sunday at the first Yarnaholics meeting of the fall. Everyone really liked the yarn and how the colors are turning out. I'm SOOO happy that there hasn't been any pooling so far! (knock on wood!)
(Speaking of my knitting group, if you're a Springfield, MO area knitter - we meet every other Sunday afternoon at 2pm at Panera on E. Sunshine. )
Work is still crazy, but I am looking forward to the long weekend. Luckily, a trial that I had scheduled for Sept. 5 got postponed. I've been working a "real job" for about two years now, and I've decided that being a grown-up is really tiring! I really don't know how you do it once kids come into the picture. I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.
Have a good day!
Posted by zarah at 7:31 AM | Comments (9)
August 28, 2006
FunkyBack
I'm bringin' funky back
Them other knittas don't know how to act
I think it's special... what's on your needles
So turn around and and I'll pick up the (spinning) wheel
Well, kids, what do you think? I don't want to show you the whole design, but I think this is a winner! I hope my pal will like it. (This seems like such a simple combination of yarns, gauge, pattern, etc.... but it took me about 18 tries to get one I liked.)
I finally mailed off my final Project Spectrum yarn... whew! Running a swap is a lot of work. I loved learning how to dye yarn, with all different types of dyes, Now I'm looking forward to making some skeins just for me. Just like Annie, I've been feeling the knee sock bug. But then there's that nagging feeling....
Won't they take forever?
What about Christmas knitting projects?
What about all those sweaters' worth of yarn sitting unused in the closet?
What about that half-knit sweater sitting in my living room?
Blech. I hate knitting guilt. It's always self-imposed, too! If I want to knit myself knee socks, then I should darn well just do it! It's not like I save money knitting Christmas gifts - and does anyone in my family really need more knitted stuff? (Yes, everyone needs more knitted stuff - they just don't alway appreciate it! But that's another story...)
I do have a few "knitting obligations" - I joined the Funky Scarf Swap, so that's a commitment to finish that project on time. And I am knitting a sweater that needs to be done by my husband's b-day in November. But other than that.... what the heck. Knee socks sound fun.
Posted by zarah at 9:54 PM | Comments (8)
August 25, 2006
Training Time Begins
The time is finally here - it's the start of my official training plan for the Route 66 Half-Marathon. I'm going to try to follow this plan as closely as I can, except I will do my long runs on Saturdays instead of Sundays.
I'm looking forward to having some structure and guidance for my training - it's hard for me to train without some kind of plan. That's probably why I am so motivated by signing up for races - they give me goals to shoot for.
Running this week was a little lax, although I did run a fabulous 8 miles last Saturday! Unfortunately, I made up for my good deed by only dragging myself out of bed two days this week for my 3 milers.
I noticed that the training plan incorporates some strength training, which I always neglect. I don't even have a good excuse - we bought a used weight bench a few years ago so I have access to weights a full 50 feet from my bedroom - no excuses! I could certainly use to gain some upper body strength, too. Every time I try to help my husband move something really heavy, I feel like I'm going to collapse.
I also wanted to thank everyone for the great running music selections! I almost have my Route 66 MIx completed!
Have a good weekend - happy running!
Photo credit to Infinite Ache via flickr
Posted by zarah at 6:31 AM | Comments (6)
August 23, 2006
That Not-So-Funky Feeling
So I joined this Funky Scarf Swap. I'm really excited about the person I'm knitting for, although I feel some extra pressure to do something really cool. That's a secret, though, so I'll stop talking about it!
There's a yarn shop in my town that's going out of business. (60% off!) I dragged my husband there last weekend and I found some great yarns for my pal's scarf, in colors I think she will love. Then I started thinking about a design. I decided that I wanted to make up something original.... but what? I have started and restarted this dang scarf about 17 times in the last two days. Erg. Very annoying.
Posted by zarah at 7:21 AM | Comments (5)
August 18, 2006
Music & Running
For each half-marathon that I run, I like to make a mix of songs to train with. I was lucky enough to inherit my husband's ipod nano whenever he just HAD to have a new video ipod, so its really easy to run with music now. (My old ipod was a first generation one, much larger and heavier than the new ones. Plus it skipped when I ran. Very annoying.) So anyway, back to my running music. I've started compiling a Route 66 Mix for the Route 66 Half-Marathon that I'll be running in November. So far, it mostly consists of fast songs that I've downloaded each week from iTunes' Free Downloads section. (This is a great way to get new music that you wouldn't otherwise pay for, fyi). I've got a pretty good mix going, but if it's going to last me an entire half marathon, I need over two hours of music. I was hoping some of you other knitter/exercisers might have some suggestions of favorite workout songs for me. Any ideas? I like all kinds of music - pretty much my only requirement is that it have a fairly fast tempo to keep me moving. My all-time favorite running song is Tainted Love.
Weekly workout update: I must admit, I have been a slacker again this week. But I think Vegas recuperation is a perfectly legitimate excuse for sleeping in.
I ran about a mile and a half on Thursday and I will probably go to the gym and run 3 miles after work tonight. (I ran outside yesterday and it is WAY to hot to be doing that at 6:00 pm.)
I'm meeting some friends to run Saturday morning - they're planning to run 8 miles.... I should be able to run that distance with them. They usually follow the Jeff Galloway run/walk approach to marathon training. That's the "run X minutes, then walk a minute" routine that makes it SO much easier to run longer distances. It's hard to do at first, when you're feeling good at the beginning of a run, but I feel like I have much more energy at the end of the run if I stick to the run/walk schedule.
Posted by zarah at 6:44 AM | Comments (9)
August 17, 2006
GO MIZZOU!
I think I owe you guys a knitting post, eh?
I finished my first Jaywalker Mizzou sock... isn't it cute? I moved up to Size 2 needles and it went SO much faster! This pair is for me, so I did some shortcuts, like changing to a star toe and three needle bind-off for the toe.
What do you think of the pooling? Normally I hate it, but in this case, it seems okay. Kind of like a tiger stripe? (Lorna's Laces thinks its a "bee stripe," but they're wrong!)
I also cast on for the next section of the Cambridge Jacket - the left front and right front. I like to knit the two sides at the same time so they're the same length when I'm done. Also, did you notice my fancy yarn ball holders? Yes, you're seeing right - knee highs! It really helps to keep the extra bits of yarn from tangling in when I already have so many things going on.
What knitting hacks have you discovered?
Posted by zarah at 9:25 PM | Comments (5)
August 16, 2006
How to Travel the World in 2 Days
Last weekend, I went to Venice, Paris, New York, Rome, and...um..... Treasure Island? Okay, so I really went to Las Vegas. I had never been before and it was a great time.
I went with four other girls, just for fun. We got cheap flights and split one room at the Venetian, so we got to have the luxury of Vegas without breaking the bank. I'm not a big gambler, so we spent our one day shopping and both nights going out dancing.
I won't give you a minute by minute account of the trip (what happens in Vegas....!) but the highlights for me were:
- Petting the designer purses in the Forum Shops at Caesar's
- The fountains at the Bellagio - I know it sounds dorky but those fountains are really cool
- All of us girls getting out make-up done at Sephora before going out Saturday night (only one ended up looking like a drag queen, luckily not me!)
- Trucker arms! (sorry, had to throw in at least one inside joke)
- Dining with the beautiful people at Tao and then hanging out at Barbary Coast
- Dancing at Coyote Ugly
It was a crazy weekend that did not involve much sleep (flew in Friday night, left Sunday morning) but it was fun and I think I've finally recuperated.
Posted by zarah at 6:53 AM | Comments (7)
August 15, 2006
It's Time to Get Funky
I'm back from Vegas, recuperating nicely from very little sleep and too much of everything else... I had some problems with flickr but I should have pictures in a couple days.
In the meantime.... here's my Funky Scarf Swap info!
Are you allergic to any fibers? No.
Do you prefer any fibers over others? Not really, just so long as it isn't scratchy it's good for me!
Thinking back to Scout’s post about what funky means to you, post an image of something that you think is funky! I'll have to come back and add that later - watch this post!
Would you prefer funky yarn or a funky pattern? Either one - but go easy on the fluffy yarn
What are your favorite colors? Red, purple, green, orange (but not neon orange)
What is your favorite piece of art? Parque Guell by Gaudi
What colors would you never have up close to your pretty face? Pastel/baby colors, white
Would you prefer an actual scarf or a cowl? Scarf
When you wear a scarf do you prefer a wider/shorter scarf or a thin/long scarf? How about medium width, medium length?
What is the climate like where you live? H.O.T. in the summer, cold in winter
Would you prefer a functional scarf (to keep you warm) or one just to funk-up your wardrobe? Functional
What else would you like your partner to know about you? I normally wear basic/classic clothes, but I like to use colorful and interesting accessories to jazz things up a bit - have fun! Email me if you have any questions.
Posted by zarah at 6:48 AM | Comments (2)
August 11, 2006
Much better!
Hey hey! I'm back and I'm bad.... I ran 2-3 miles EVERY DAY this week! And last Saturday I ran 6 1/2 miles with my running buddies who are training for a marathon. (Of course, I dropped off early from their run, but they convinced me to go just a little farther.)
I have to say, I don't know if I'm getting used to the early wake-up, or those new vitamins I'm taking are really great, or maybe it's just all this running... but I feel great! It's been a long time since I've exercised on such a regular basis and it just makes you feel so healthy!
Enough with the lovefest already. Some of you have asked why I'm running a half-marathon: isn't that like 13 miles or something? Yes, it is. But don't worry, this isn't my first race ever. I'm not going to kill myself. This will be my 6th half-marathon. I started running them during law school, I guess just to have a goal that didn't require reading or thinking. My best time ever is 2 hours 11 minutes at the Spirit of St. Louis Half-Marathon last year, but this year's time was quite a bit slower because I was not in good as well as the year before and I was running with a friend in her first half-marathon. We had trained together, but we ran out of time and never did above a 10 mile run before the race. She had a rough last couple of miles during the race and I was afraid she would enver run with me again. But after we rested for a while, we started talking about our next one! So that brings us to the Route 66 Half-Marathon this fall.
Probably no running this weekend - I'm going to Vegas! I'll tell you all about it when I get back.
Photo credit to seanfraga and The Cat's Jungle via flickr
Posted by zarah at 6:01 AM | Comments (10)
August 10, 2006
Cambridge is Back!
Just a quick post today - no, it hasn't just been all-socks, all-the-time around here, I actually finished something else! (It's the back of the Cambridge Jacket - just two sleeves and two fronts to go.)
(Okay, well I haven't actually finished anything. But this sweater is so large I think I'm going to have to treat each piece as a separate project or I'll lose all motivation.)
I like how the colors came out - no major pooling but not too "patterned" either - I hope the other parts of the sweater look similar!
I'm doing good on my running this week, too - tune in tomorrow to find out more!
Posted by zarah at 6:11 AM | Comments (9)
August 8, 2006
New socks - yippee!
I just HAD to start a new sock project... always gotta have a pair of socks on the needles. I was at Simply Fibers last Saturday dropping off some BEAUTIFUL new yarn I dyed (hint to Springfieldians!) and I saw the new shipment of Lorna's Laces! This colorway is technically called "Bee Stripes," but I saw it and immediately thought: MIZZOU
For those of you who aren't from the Midwest... that's the nickname for the Missouri Tigers (Univ. of Mo.), my alma mater.
I usually go to the games and tailgate with my family a couple times each football season, and people go all out with black and gold everything - from their clothes to their cars. I just think the idea of stripey socks - tacky as they are - is perfect for that atmosphere!
(You might have noticed this is my second attempt at the Jaywalkers. I think they're fitting better this time... but I really won't know until I get to the heel.)
Posted by zarah at 6:39 AM | Comments (5)
August 7, 2006
FO: Trekking
Let's start the week off right - a finished project!
I have decided what my true knitting style is - I'm a stress knitter. I've been working on these same socks off and on for months now. But hosting a dinner party this Saturday - I cranked out the last half of the second sock in no time flat. All the planning, cleaning, cooking, shopping, details.... it makes me crazy. So I knit like crazy.
I finished the toe Sunday morning before church. Here's the skinny:
Pattern: K4, P4 rib, based on the Universal Sock Pattern.
Yarn: Trekking XXL, color unknown (but obviously, the one with all the different colors of blue! This was originally my June Project Spectrum project) One skein with lots left over.
Needle Size: Size 2 metal DPNS
Skills needed: cast on, knit, purl, pick up stitches, circular knitting
Pattern Modifications: I pretty much made up the pattern, so no modifications really. Mostly I just use the Universal Sock Pattern to make sure I case on the right number of stitches and turn the heel right!
Time to knit: June 1-August 6
So... what was that dinner party all about? It was our annual Paella Fiesta - we have a huge paella pan that I bought when I lived in Spain, so we have to have lots of people over so they can eat it all! It is saffron-flavored rice with chicken, shrimp, calamari, scallops (we usually do mussels but we couldn't find any), and veggies. Yum yum!
Posted by zarah at 6:17 AM | Comments (7)
August 4, 2006
The road is paved with good intentions...
Yes indeedy. I would say this picture pretty much sums up my week, fitness-wise. Fun, but not so good for me!
I didn't run on Tuesday with my running group, because I was lazy. Then I had to be at work early on Wednesday... I did actually drag myself out of bed yesterday to run 3 miles. Then I had big plans for getting up today and running by myself, but the snooze bar won.
I don't really have a problem getting up early to run, as long as I am consistent. When I start skipping runs, I stay up later because I'm not tired from getting up early the morning before, and it just spirals down from there.
My running group is meeting on Saturday morning for our long run of the week. I'm definitely going - PROMISE - but I haven't decided how far I'm going to run yet. Let's say... 3-5 miles.
Have a good weekend, everyone!
Posted by zarah at 6:31 AM | Comments (4)
August 2, 2006
Wheee!!!
It's time for the fair!
I went to the fair Tuesday night with my husband and a couple of friends. It was nice to go on a weeknight because it wasn't too crowded but still all the same fun stuff. We watched a little bit of the "Pork Chop Revue" - that's singing pigs, people! Then we stopped for ice cream (mmmm.... blackberry!) and went inside the E-plex to check out all the crafts, veggies, photography, etc. that people had entered in the fair.
Here's some of the prize-winning produce I saw! There weren't too many of the huge vegetables that I expected to see, and unfortunately most of the veggies were started to wilt from the heat. But I still love a good looking tomato, I tell you what! (Props to Hank Hill.)
I was trying to conserve my camera batteries for the ferris wheel ride, so I didn't get any pictures of the knitting entries, but I have to say... I think I could definitely win a blue ribbon! I need to remember so I can enter next year!
And I'll leave you with a lovely view from the top of the ferris wheel!
And a teaser: I finished the back of the Cambridge Jacket AND I turned the heel on my second Trekking sock! Yippee! I'm that much closer to the end of the all-ribbing-all-the-time death march. Thank goodness!
Posted by zarah at 10:10 PM | Comments (9)
August 1, 2006
Gift knitting
Non-knitters are an interesting group. Some of them think the whole playing with sticks and string thing is just wierd so they try to ignore it. My some of them actually seem want to understand .... why? Why all the yarn? What is the motivation for a perfectly intelligent girl to spend so much of her free time looping yarn around needles, writing about it, photographing it, etc.
My friend Steve knew I was knitting a sweater for my husband, and he had read my post complaining about how boring that particular project it was to knit. He asked me why I knit a project - do I pick something I want to have, or do I knit it for the enjoyment of knitting. I'm sure he was asking because it didn't seem like I was enjoying knitting the Cambridge Jacket very much - but he really hit on the ultimate knitting question: project or process?
Margene's entire blog is devoted to celebration of the process, groups have been formed in defense of the more mundane part of the process (stockinette avengers, anyone?), so should any "real" knitter be allowed to gripe that the process is boring? Could I be - gasp! - a project knitter?
Well, the answer is "not usually." I love the challenge of trying new stitches and knitting techniques. I also knit for relaxation, just enjoying the repetition of a long stretch of stockinette. I've even abandoned perfectly good projects simply because I wasn't enjoying knitting them.
When is comes to knitting gifts, though, my enjoyment of the process isn't my first concern. I've been knitting like a maniac for about 2 years. I think my husband's been very patient putting up with all the yarn and knitting books, tools, etc. all over the house - the guy deserves a sweater! I tried to make one last year, but it ended in disaster. This year I am determined to succeed! So, of course I had to pick a pattern that he liked, even if it is a bit boring to knit.
ps - I got up to the armholes so at least I have some decreases to keep me from falling asleep!
Posted by zarah at 6:40 AM | Comments (8)