Fitness Friday

So, if you follow me on Facebook or Plurk you know that along with knitting, I have a few other hobbies. I am preparing for a number of charity events, all of which involve running riding or walking. I have started looking at Fitness in a different way recently. It's amazing how many opinions there are in the world of biking, running, and even walking. . . okay, you are in the knitting world, of COURSE you know this.

So, I got a bike. her name is Elphy. Elphy and I have been getting along great. She is awesome.

Okay, why did I name her Elphy. I a the theatre knitter, she is Green, and if you look closely you can see the logo for my LBS (Local Bike Shop) is a witch on a bike. soooo Elphaba it is.

So, After my first long training ride, I decided to give "clip less" pedals a try. If you have read the Yarn Harlots new book, her entire first chapter is about learning how to ride this way. It is not easy, it is NOTHING like riding a bike. It is totally different. I spent 3 weeks trying to learn how to use these "superior" pedals.

Well, I decided to say screw it. I put my real pedals back on my bike, and now life is great. What made me change my mind? I got ahold of this book. Just Ride: A Radically Practical Guide to Riding your Bike.  This book is brilliant. It takes all of the crap out of riding. There is one thing he says is the best. it's not about distance, it's about the time. so today, i spent 30 minutes on my bike. i didn't ride 10 miles, i didn't ride 20 miles. i rode for 30 minutes. i focused on which gear i was in. I focused on looking where I was turning so that i could see my destination. I focused on enjoying my ride for the 30 minutes that i rode my bike.

I plan to think the same way about running. I REALLY hate running. But I know it's good exercise. So every day this week, I will run for 10 minutes. thats it, just 10 minutes.

Elphy and I had a great ride today, and that is all that mattered.

OH, i'll bet you want to know what I am riding for !!!

I am riding the Best Buddies Challenge. Currently, my goal is to ride the 50 mile ride. Feel free to donate, I can certainly use all of the help that I can get.

Weekend WIP

I had to put one project in hibernation, really for two reasons. 1. I totally screwed it up and started knitting in the wrong direction, and 2…. I bought a new dress so then I had to find a new project.

I have 2 projects on the needles right now… WEll, lets be honest. I have 2 projects on the needles that I am willing to make public.

First project is my new favorite hat pattern. I LOVE this pattern!!!

Butterfly hat pattern by Sofiya Cremin. I LOVE this pattern. It is versatile, it is pleasant to knit, and it is super simple. I have made 3 of them. A friend from choir asked if I could make a hat for her new niece, and I couldn't resist.

So, this is how I spent my Friday night. Who could disagree with THAT night. 

Since I bought a new dress for the cousins wedding, I had to find something new to make to go with it. The original plan was peach and grey, and I was going to knit Chevrette. I was having trouble with the pattern. I decided to look for something else. 

I decided to cast on Clara Park's One skein Shawl  . I decided to use some yarn that has been in my stash for 7 years. The yarn was given to me as a gift from Nutmegknitter , probably after her baby shower? 

I love the simplicity of this pattern, and it is flying off the needles. It will be done in plenty of time for the wedding and it will be a GREAT color for the dress. 

Throwback Thursday - when was the last time YOU knit a Clapotis

I was looking through my project page, and it was sort of neat to remember those past projects. So I've decided to start "Throwback Thursday" project style.

Who remembers the Clapotis ? I've knit it twice, and probably cast it on about 4 or 5 more times.

I really loved knitting this project. I remember the fear of dropping the stitches for the first time. I was Terrified that the entire project would completely unravel. Who drops stitches on Purpose!!!!!!!

I also love who received these projects. I gave my first Clapotis to my aunt Christine. My aunt Christine is the other knitter in the family. I remember watching her knit a Beautiful fisherman's sweater while we took a ferry over the Prince Edward Island, Canada.

I knit this project out of Bamboo cotton.

The next one I knit was for my sister Rebecca for her baby shower. For some reason, I do not have a picture of that shawl in my projects (WHAT!!!) But it is really beautiful. I'll find a pic sometimes for you. 

So, what are your #throwbackthursday projects? Why did you love working on it? 

Weekend WIP

The other day I was wandering around in Salem, and I saw some dresses hanging outside a Boutique. Normally I wouldn't have wandered in, but a dress stood out to me, AND it was on sale!!!!!!!

I grabbed the dress to wear to my cousins wedding in June. So of COURSE I need to knit something to wear with it.

I chose the grey yarn and the peach. The Peach is Ella Rae Rimini I got this in one of the Webs Grab bags recently (FYI, treat yourself to one of these sometime, it's TOTALLY work it) 

The grey goes back into blogger/podcast lore….. who remembers Lime and Violet? ? ? The Grey yarn is from their Intentions collection. I'm fairly confident that this is Friendship  .

So, now to find the perfect pattern. I came across this simple chevron shawl called Chevrolette, and so far so good. It moves quickly, and it's working well with both colors. I started working on it over drinks, appetizers, and cocktails with Nutmegknitter 

Start-itis with a side of lack of interest

So, I pose this question.... How do you handle a case of start itis? Do you give in and cast on? Do you make a list of the projects that you want to do so that you finish the project that you are on? 

What about a case of lack of interest? Or frustration? Lately it seems that the projects that have always treated me so well in the last are just failing me. 

Let's take baby surprise jacket. I love this pattern, I've made 3. It's perfect. However, I can't seem to make it work this time. I keep messing it up. It bothers me more that I actually have to make this for an auction. 

Then there is the circus tent hat from hope spinners. I've had this pattern for ages, it's super fun. Yup, can't seem to figure out the simple color work.

Have I spent too much time on my garter stitch Yvonne from cocoknits that my knitting brain can only handle the monotony of knit one row, purl the next, and increase at the marker every four rows? 

Links to come later, I'm on my phone right now. 

But seriously, how do you treat start-itis with a case of lack of interest .... (Oh, we won't discuss the issues with the wheel and spindle. Right now, that relationship is not going well at all) 

Crazy idea

Okay okay, let's get past the I don't blog enough, blah, blah, blah... I'll fill you all in on what I'm doing in a couple of days, I'm actually keeping up with three blogs and multiple Facebook pages...

Okay, the crazy idea... It's really a social experiment.

Leave a basket of yarn, needles, and crochet hooks (all different sizes and colors) in a public place (a mall, doctors office, library, coffee shop). Maybe leave a sign on the basket that says "public yarn" and see what people do with it.

I would love to see if people pick up the yarn, maybe ask the people who did pick it up why they did so.

I know, I told you it was weird.

(This has not been spell checked, it was posted from my phone.. Bear with the typos. )

Wingspan....again

So you all know by now that when I like a pattern I make it, a lot.... So here is my newest repeat of wingspan.

I totally got lucky with this. A friend from church have me the yarn, she had it from a trip to Arizona and she wanted me to make her something.

Well, here it is. I really didn't adjust the pattern at all, it just made a larger wrap.