Runner in Progress

Oh...hello, again!

I have no idea if this will last. I've been gone from the blogging world for quite a while and subsequently lost all of my followers…all 3 of them. This might be a good thing as I don't really intend to blog about knitting anymore (my previous obsession) mostly because I don't really knit too much nowadays. But I do run now, which I have never done before. And it struck me that it might be a good thing to have some kind of journal or log about my running adventures, if only for me so I can look back on it and enjoy what has happened. 

So...running. I was never, ever, ever a runner. I faked my way out of every gym class that involved running of any kind, generally using some kind of clichéd excuse that I'm sure Mr. Boger and COBO got really sick of by the end of the year. There isn't a doubt in my mind that I was not the only one to do this. In fact, I think there was a little gang of us rebellious types in high school that made it a point to not deal with gym. I also was quite the drama/choir nerd and had a pretty limited social life. I started developing some pretty unhealthy habits which lead, eventually, to me in my 30's, overweight (obese, really) and with a very bad back due to arthritis and excess weight. 

Numerous attempts at weight loss have failed in the past, and only in the past two years have I managed to lose weight healthily and successfully, using Weight Watchers. So far I've lost almost 50 pounds with 30 pounds to go. I had always known that exercise would help with weight loss, but never did it consistently. Just couldn't stand the sweating and the energy it took and it didn't help that I had convinced myself that anyone who saw me exercising would mock me endlessly for being so silly looking. Inspiration to run came from my cousin who successfully lost weight and who runs half marathons for fun, and from a blog (http://www.sherylyvette.com/) that just really struck me. It kind of felt like Sheryl was describing me in some of her early entries about exercise. Anyway, these people and of course my family influenced me to give it a shot. 

When I do something, I go all out. That's always been true. So when I decided to run, I researched lots of beginner programs (I settled on Couch to 5K), registered for a 5K immediately so I would have a goal to work on, and went out and bought a ton of running crap. The store must have salivated when they saw me coming..."Hello! Please make me a runner." I dropped a fortune there on the first day but I've actually used everything I bought...and used it a lot. This time, there would be no going nuts starting a hobby and then letting it all die off (*cough, cross-stitching, quilting, and yes...even knitting, a little bit). 

My first run was in March. The C25K program is great in how it eases you into running...you run/walk for short distances and gradually build up to running continuously. To be honest, I use run/walking now even though I have graduated from that program, because I do better that way. There is a school of thought that this is a more efficient way to run, and I actually tend to have faster times when I incorporate planned walk breaks. I think it's because I don't poop out as quickly, leaving something in the tank for the end. Right now I tend to use 2:1 ratios, meaning I run two minutes and walk BRISKLY (that briskly is the key…) one minute. My goal with the walk breaks is to catch my breath, and I keep an eye on my heart rate at the same time. I try to keep my heart rate in the same zone once it is up to my goal rate, and generally I can keep it there through the walk breaks. Now, I will sometimes walk for longer times if my heart rate is too high (I don’t like it to be in the 170s for too long right now…that may change as I become more heart healthy. My resting heart rate tends to be quite low now, around 55 compared to 80 before I lost weight).

At this point, November, I have been running steadily with the exception of two long periods (a planned surgery and an injury at a race). I’ve done four races from 5K to 5 miles, and am planning on doing half-marathons next year with an eye to a possible full marathon in 2013. I have also have developed an unhealthy running gear addiction that I need to get a handle on. Future blogs that I want to do include race recaps, gear reviews, and just my own observations…but all of this is predicated on whether I will keep this blog up. I’m really writing it for myself at this point though, so I’m the only one out there to disappoint if I don’t keep it up.

 

Upcoming Races:

Maryland Zoo Zoom 8K 11/20/2011

Celtic Solstice 5 Miler 12/17/2011

Disney World Half Marathon 1/7/2012

Yuengling Anthem Shamrock Half Marathon 3/18/2012

Hmm...I need a local race in February.

 

Hold on to your hats

Guess what I finished?

 

It's true. I finished Kerry, finally. I sewed the buttons on last night. It's a true picture of my knitting progress....I started this cardigan in September of 2006 (and restarted it, twice) and my gauge has changed since then. I finished the body pretty much working continuously, in the process making one armhole a little wonky which became obvious in seaming. I started the sleeves after the body, then put them down for over a year. The right sleeve increases for the gusset were formed a little....differently but I sure couldn't figure it out and there was no way I was ripping. I finished the sleeves last week in a couple of days, and sewed them in with a lot of colorful talk and clips and easing. 

  

I didn't block too aggressively but I think when I do again (many moons from now) I will be able to fix some of that wackiness, and the wavy collar, etc. I might just leave everything the way it is though, because it is my first sweater and I love it no matter what. The buttons are really cute-they are from Windsor Button in Boston and I got them in October of 2006 when I was at the Head of the Charles. It's kind of fitting that I finished the sweater this past weekend...it was the date of the annual Head of the Charles! No Boston for me this year, unfortunately. But the next time I go, I'll have a very warm sweater to take with me.

 

Specs: 

Pattern: Kerry, from Black Water Abbey 

Yarn: Black Water Abbey 2-ply worsted weight, colorway quartz, about 8.5 skeins for a 48" chest.

Mods: No official ones, but plenty of unofficial "design elements."

Yay! Very exciting.

Still in love with lace

The Desert Sun has made her way to her rightful owner. I was working on this shawl when I was visiting my brother, sister in law, and nephew for Mother's Day last year. The visit coincided with the Stanford Pow-Wow where my mother in law, above (my brother's wife's mother) sells her beautiful jewelry (Her website is still under development, but you can see some of her amazing work). She commented on the shawl, and I knew right away that it was for her. It made me think of New Mexico, where she lives, and all of the colors of the sun, and it just seemed perfect. Looking at the pictures, wouldn't you agree?

I was so happy to send it.

There are many new lace pieces in the works: Lyra, by Herbert Neibling (that is lacefreak's website and Lyra); the anniversary mystery shawl by Renee Livingston; and two new mystery stoles (Secret of the Stole III and Mystery Stole 4). One of those will become a Christmas gift. There is yet another lace shawl in progress that is also a Christmas gift, but the giftee sometimes reads this blog so no more information about that. Pictures of swatches to come...

In other news, I've taken leave of my senses and will be starting at University of Maryland School of Nursing at the end of the month. I am working on a Master's in Nursing, with a focus on Clinical Research Management. Wish me luck, as this will be a real challenge of my somewhat useless organizational skills and time management.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer! I am ready for the fall, personally.

Blocking, revisited

First off, happy 4th of July to all who celebrate it....I am "celebrating" while at work, where I will be all weekend as well. The hospitals are usually somewhat empty around holidays, except for accidents, so it looks to be a quiet weekend (any nurse reading this will wince in anticipation of the giant come-down from the universe coming for using the Q word).

I was thinking over my completed Desert Sun, and feeling like I wasn't really satisfied with the blocking job I had done. I am not the most flexible person in the world, and with the cats helping as well it is challenging to crawl around on the floor pinning the shawl. So....I asked my father to build me a blocking frame (that link is a pdf), and he did! Daddy always builds me beautiful stuff, and this is no exception. It was a definite case of trial and error getting the shawl up onto the frame, and Jess and I learned a lot of good lessons for next time (somewhere, Jess is saying "THERE WON'T BE A NEXT TIME, CRAZY.).

This was the first attempt. We never took it completely off after this, instead persevering with what we had, but we realized that we were going to need a lot more string to tie it on. I also needed a few stiff drinks, but I held off. I misread the instructions which recommended three times the length OF EACH SIDE rather than three times the length of the whole piece. We also should have cut several lengths rather than one looooooong length. There were some serious knot issues. We overcame a lot of those problems and got here (and I also sprayed the shawl numerous times with a quirt bottle of water to keep it damp)...

....which is about where Jess had the brilliant idea of stringing up a bullseye to indicate the center of the frame and then she did some mathy things to figure out exactly how many inches I should stretch each point and then....

Perfection. We moved the frame to the porch door to get natural light the next day. It is amazing. Perfectly round, a perfect bullseye, and the lace loved it.

All of the stitches evened out, and then I cut it down to weave in the ends, and the lace just....stayed perfect.

There are a lot more pictures over at Flickr, in a set. One other thing I learned...string the cotton through yarn overs if at all possible. This may seem like an obvious thing, but I strung the cotton through the knit stitches on the point because I thought it would make a prettier point. It was so hard to work knotted string through the damp shawl. When we had to add thread and catch some point on the frame, we went through the yarn overs at the point instead, and it's impossible to tell the difference.

I can't wait to use the frame again (thank you Daddy!)-I'll still block on the floor with wires for stoles and scarves but this is the way to go for large round, square or triangular shawls.

Again, a happy and safe holiday for all who celebrate it!

Contemplation

Isn't knitting supposed to be relaxing?

Jojoland Harmony, HC06

I started my new lace shawl, the Goddess Knits Anniversary Mystery Shawl. This is my first time doing one of these mystery things, in which you get clues every week (the clues being the actual pattern, divided into easy to digest parts). This is another pi construction circular shawl (inspired by a mandala, apparently. My previous experience with mandalas? A fiction book in which the mandala makes you a crazed, homicidal monster. I hope the outcome isn't the same here.) . I like these shawls because who doesn't like circular knitting? They also are very portable, and like all lace have an amazing payoff in the blocking. HOWEVER. They are next to impossible to start-for me, at least. With Desert Sun, I tried about 10 times to get the cast on (9 stitches on size 4 needles) right, and I finally thought I had it...until I blocked the final product. What I thought was a nice round hole in the center was really a sort of trefoil:

Ick. I actually don't mind it too much, but I wanted to make sure I did it RIGHT the next time. The Desert Sun was done on laceweight merino/silk, which is about 30 wpi and I used size 4 needles. The Harmony is a different beast altogether; a wispy, cobwebby beauty that claims to be 30 wpi but really clocks in at about 36 or so for me...and I am using size 3 needles. I cast on....oh, maybe 17 times? Maybe it wasn't that bad, but it felt like it. After the 16th or so time, I gathered my shattered wits about me and tried "just one more time" with 2 DPNs, knitting with the 3rd. I had been using 5 DPNs (I am stubborn. I have no desire to try magic loop or 2 circulars, and I never have problems with the actual cast on and joining...it's the first row that gets me. Needles slipping out, twisting rows, cat attacks, distraction by Season 2 of "The Wire"...etc., etc., etc.). I was finally successful and completed Clue 1.

Man, I had to work my tail off for it. Clue 2 should come Saturday, when I will be at the Baltimore Rowing Club's Charm City Sprints, cheering on friends. I have renewed my passing acquaintance with the gym and my personal trainer (who promises to "go easy on me"...that isn't going to help this booty though! Beach trip planned for early August...scary!) and it will be great to see my old rowing comrades. Maybe the rowing bug will bite me again? I had pulled away after two injuries and a change in the social feel of the place for me. It might be time to get over some old hurts.

Also in the knitting pipeline: a scarf. Not just any scarf though...this is a scarf with a purpose, a purpose which is admittedly a joke between a good friend and me, but still...it's double knitting, and the pattern being knitted into it? If someone (some manly someone, still undefined) can recognize it for what it is, it will ring my bell. Right now, one can't really tell what it is....

...but it is very pretty. If someone (NOT JESS!) can tell me what it is, maybe they will win a prize!

Summer solstice this weekend....not looking forward to the mugginess of the inner city at its peak.

How to bathe a cat without losing a limb

Well, it helps if you have a pretty sedate cat to begin with. Chloe has a slipped disc in her back, and hasn't been able to reach her lower back/tail area for a long time. We've been managing with wipes and dry shampoo, but eventually we got to a point where her fur felt dirty and greasy, and she seemed uncomfortable (twitching her back a lot, etc.).

She looks like a dust mop anyways, but it was getting a little out of hand on her spine. So, armed with baby shampoo and a reading of the About.com's web page about bathing cats, I drew a euthermic bath of a few inches and gingerly lowered her in. I was expecting complete annihilation of the bathroom, myself, and my part time roomie Jess, or at the very least severe blood loss, but she just stood in the water. Admittedly, she did try to climb me a couple times, but overall she was so good!

(This is the "what did I do?" face). After she was all clean, I dried her off as much as I could and then I let her go out on the porch. I had already turned off the air conditioning, but it was 95 degrees outside so I knew she would be nice and warm. She marched right out and ate her Greenies (for being a good girl) and then commenced licking. Lick, lick, lick, lick. I expect a big gray hairball soon.

(Tootsie is trying to act concerned about Chloe, but she is really concerned about whether there are any Greenies for her.)

Oh my gosh....I couldn't resist the poor pink paw pads. SO CUTE AND PATHETIC. She was completely blase about the whole thing and was all over me much like her usual self almost immediately. I've been watching her closely since the bath and she seems much happier. Plus she smells pretty.

Knitting? Well, since I finished Desert Sun, I am getting ready to start a new project. The same designer is doing a new Mystery Shawl, and I joined that. I'm using Jojoland Harmony in HC06, which swatched on 3s to a small size, but the drape and feel are great. I'll add extra repeats to the last round if needed to get to a good size.

Cheers! Hope all is going well.

Delicious lace goodness!

Hi! I finished an object! I have an FO!

This is my first large lace project, and it was so much fun. The yarn, the pattern, everything. Some of you may know that I like my yarn colorways to speak to the pattern. In this case, I went searching for the yarn (called Campfire Songs) for the pattern (called Desert Sun).  The yarn just sang to me....so evocative of the desert and the sunrise or sunset, and all of the different colors....

This is a pi shawl, so as it got larger it started to feel like it was never going to end. And then, I started the edging. Goodness gracious....that took almost as long as the last motif.

I did have a lot of help with blocking. Chloe supervised everything. Isn't it amazing how this:

turns into this?

Specs:

Pattern: Desert Sun by Renee Leverington/Goddess Knits, available for purchase here.

Yarn: Yarn Chef  Crème Brûlée, 50%merino/50%silk laceweight. Colorway "Campfire Songs." This yarn is a dream. The dyer has an Etsy shop here. I will most definitely partake in this again.

Mods: I went down a needle size to US 4, as I am a loose knitter. I did 5 repeats of the last motif (you can do 4-8) before I got scared I would run out of yarn. As it is, I have a bit left over, but definitely not enough to have done another repeat. My gauge was 6 sts/inch rather than 5 sts/inch, and I liked that drape better. I ended up with a shawl about 52 inches in diameter.

My name is Suzanne, and I am addicted to lace.

(The following is for a swap I am doing on Ravelry. Feel free to comment at will.)

1.  What is your name? What is your quest?  What is your favorite color?

Suzanne, to win the internet, and pink or red.

> 2.  When is your birthdate (year optional)?

May 3, 1975.

> 3.  Do you have any special birthday traditions?

My parents often come to help me celebrate. For a few years we planted flowers in my flower boxes that died in a few weeks from a combination of overzealous watering for days followed by forgetting about them completely for days. We also go out to lunch and get yummy cream of crab soup. This past year, a new tradition may have started in that the MD Sheep and Wool festival is the same weekend as my birthday, and a horde of knitters descended upon me. It was awesome!

> 4.  What is your favorite birthday memory?

One of my favorites is the one right after I moved back to the East Coast from Colorado. A lot of my family was here at my new apartment and it was such a good feeling!

> 5.  Any allergies we should know about?

Pineapples.

> 6.  What crafts do you do - knit, crochet, spin, dye, bead, quilt,
> etc. etc. ?

Knit mostly. Some crochet and spinning....but right now it's all about the knitting.

> 7.  Any sorts of fibers you particularly love or hate or are dying to
> work with?

I am an equal opportunity fiber ho.

> 8.  What weight of yarn do you prefer?

Right now? Lace, lace, lace! Or maybe cobweb. Or gossamer. See a pattern?

> 9.  What are your favorite knitting accessories? (i.e.: stitch
> markers, row counters…)

I love cute and little stitch markers that match my current project.

> 10.  Do you subscribe to any crafty magazines?

IK, VK, Spin Off.

> 11.  What do collect aside from fiber-related things?

Fans (my Aunt Barbara started me on them when I was very young. They are all over my walls).

> 12.  Favorite candy, chocolate (dark, white, or milk), tea, coffee,
> other treats?

I am an equal opportunity food and drink ho.

> 13.  Do you enjoy handmade soap and body products?

Yes, indeed!

> 14.  Are there any scents you love or hate?

I don't like very strong florals or heavy musks. I like clean, natural scents right now.

> 15.  What is your favorite: flavor, flower, letter, number, film, artist?

Chocolate, carnation, no idea, 17, three way tie between "A Princess Bride", "Top Gun", and "Dirty Dancing", and I love impressionism.

> 16.  Anything we should *not* get for you?

A large crate of pineapples.

> 17.  Do you have a blog and or wishlist that are not linked on Ravery
> or listed in the GoogleDoc?

nope!

> 18.  Anything special you would like your partner to know?

Have fun!

Tootsie says

*cough hack gag* ackkk (doesn't she kind of look like Bill the Cat there?)

Yay birthday goodness!

Two weekends ago, Maryland Sheep and Wool happened. As usual, it fell on my birthday weekend. This year, Ravelry helped me make my plans. My fellow helpers and I decided to have a slumber party and 10 people total ended up staying in my (ONE BATHROOM) apartment. It was so much fun! I have lots of picture goodness but they are not on this computer....so hopefully more posts to come.

(photo by Mary-Heather)

It was enough for me that so many of my friends came to stay with me, but then they got all sneaky on me and made me a blankie. Everyone made squares and it is being seamed by Jess and I love it so much.

It really hit me hard-I got very emotional and it was a wonderful feeling. Later on at the Ravelry party people kept bringing me gin and tonics so that didn't hurt the wonderful feeling. Then everyone including Jess and Casey and Mary-Heather sang me Happy Birthday and I cried again. Oof! Quell embarrassing.

(picture by Mary-Heather). That's Aimee head-butting me, much like Brynn head-butts me. My girls GET me, you know? I love them like they love me.

Even my brother wants to know why I haven't blogged

....and he has a kid and everything. I have no such excuse, other than the R word, which continues to suck my time continually but in A Good Way, and really I don't have any other excuses. I can't even say that I have kept up with other blogs because...I haven't...so I expect my subscriber list is rather skimpy right now. I'm flying out to California to see my nephew (and my brother and sister-in-law) soon and I think I will archive all of the blogs I am behind on so I can read them on the plane. I have many big plans.

So, knitting! I did finish all of my Christmas knitting, which was amazing. My sister-in-law loves bright colors, so I made her Haruha in a bright J.Knits sock yarn in colorway Kansas:

This is blocking. It is pretty wild, but I am very happy with it. It pooled in an interesting way, almost stripy. The knit itself was fast and fun.

For Mom, I finally, finally made her something out of the brown-gold mohair that she has been coveting. This is a simple wrap, which I think needs a little more length, but for now is working out well. The yarn is Misty Mountain Farm Brushed Mohair, in an unknown colorway, which has been marinating since MD S&W 2006.

I'm certainly glad I managed to take a great picture of the one BIG mistake, which is the double row of garter stitch from when I put the wrap down in a fit of "can't take anymore" and picked it back up weeks later.

Since Christmas, I've been casting on innumerable projects and have developed severe second sock syndrome. I think I have 8 single socks hanging about. I also have a bit of a lace fetish going, which is keeping me hopping until my sock mojo comes back. The Ravelry Helpers are doing a KAL, for Tiger Eyes (that is a .pdf!), and here is mine (well, now it has about 5 more repeats. But I don't have a more current picture):

This is Mountain Colors Bearfoot in Sierra. It is tasty. I love the slight halo the mohair gives it. The pattern is a lot of fun, but I am always a little thrown off by the row in which you create the eyes, since you end up knitting and purling into the same giant yo four times, and it's kind of tricksy (for me). But fun nonetheless and currently marinating.  PS-I love my new camera. I "lost" ("lost"= intoxicated at New Years Eve ball and left it on the table when finding cab-hi Mom!) my other one. I lurve this one. It has image stabilizer. Good for the trembling hands.

I did also start the Kitri Mantilla, which is a kit I picked up in Rhinebeck last year. I got it with the Kitri sock pattern, but the mantilla has been calling me. This is truly my first large and real lace project, real in the sense that this is the smallest yarn I have ever worked with (unless I count crocheting doilies on size 20 yarn, which isn't that small really). It was agonizing the first two rows, and now I am getting a bit of a rhythm. I think I am going to wear this undraped, that is without the gathered area at the bottom, because really. I don't need to accentuate my booty that much. My booty is a little smaller since dropping 30 pounds, but let's face it. It's still there. The mantilla will still be gorgeous and as I am a fan collector, this really makes sense to me. Here's a pathetic cell phone blurry shot, with Bob as accent.

Let's see....I'm sure I have something else new on needles....oh! I started my first double knitting project. This was a wee challenging to me at first, but now it is humming right along.

I kind of love it. I love the bright colors. This is Uncle Argyle's Scarf from "Son of Stitch and Bitch" and the designer is Lindsey Hendricks, who I KNOW in REAL LIFE and who autographed my book. Sweet! Notice how I was able to cover up my mistakes with rotten duplicate stitching. Well, hopefully you can't notice it. Because otherwise what would be the point?

Tootsie is not impressed.

Hope to see you soon!

Long time no see

Hi! Wow, it has been a long time since I've blogged. I've been concentrating on my health (joined a gym and got a personal trainer and nutritionist) and that has taken up what little time is left over from the time suck of Ravelry. I'm a Helper there, along with a bunch of other wonderful women,  to help take the burden off the lone coder who is developing the site. The site is growing by leaps and bounds every day and it's amazing to watch. The organization of my stash alone has been great. The site developers are planning an Open House in January, since the site won't be out of beta for a while. It will be a chance for some of you to see what I've been yakking about for months (hi Mom!).

Needles-wise, I am slogging through Christmas knitting, and have one more gift to complete. It shouldn't be a problem, and I'll post those projects after Christmas. As soon as I finish Christmas stuff, I can get back to Jeanie from the most recent Knitty, which is entrancing. I'm using this gorgeous stuff:

which is Dream in Color Smooshy Sock in Black Parade, and I lurve it. I love the depth of this colorway. It is a little challenging to knit at night though! I need brighter light bulbs, I think.

My other WIP that is on hold till Christmas knitting is over is my first Clapotis, which I started to stave off my longing for Jeanie.

Lorna's Laces Lion and Lamb in Gold Hill. Mmmmmm soft.

The kitties are doing well....and here is Tootsie, snoring on the scraps from one of my Christmas gifts.

She is so loud....wakes me up sometimes. Chloe has arthritis, so she is on a multivitamin with glucosamine. She is not very enthusiastic about her chewable tablets. I have to hide them in her food and bribe her with Greenies, and she still eats her way around the pieces. She is as active as ever, so she can't be in too much pain.

I did make it to Rhinebeck, and it was amazing. I drove up with two good friends from Ravelry, (bunnysquirrel and booksherpa) and we had a blast.

It was beautiful, and we met Casey and Jess from Ravelry, a whole lot of other Ravelers, and the party was so much fun. Bob guarded our car, along with bunnysquirrel Jess's animals.

We were sorry to come home.

I'm gonna try hard to blog more...a friend suggested following WIP Wednesday and Yarn Pr0n Fridays and I may try that. I also have been spinning on Katarina off and on (more off while trying to get through the Xmas stuff) and want to blog that too, as I am spinning stuff that looks less like garbage and more like string.

I am so far behind on my blogs that Google Reader refuses to count above 1000. I am a little (a lot) ashamed about it and need to remember to do the thing where you can save up a bunch of posts to read off line while I am in PA for Christmas. That will help me catch up though I won't be able to comment. But know that I am thinking of all of my friends and hoping you are having a safe and blessed holiday season.