Because of this:

I'm getting a lot of knitting done. Yes, it's a walking boot. Sexy, huh? I've been having ankle pain since Nov/Dec, and in March it finally got bad enough to make me stop running. (Should've done that earlier, but I'm an idiotic, over-achieving triathlete who was having way too much fun racing and setting PRs and winning trophies.) Thought it was just tendonitis, so I started seeing someone on a weekly basis at $85 a pop to work on it. I went for several test runs but with no success. Finally decided to see my ortho friend to make sure it wasn't a stress fracture. He xrayed it and nothing showed up, so he gave me a steroid shot and more steroids to take over the next 6 days. He said after 3 weeks I'd be better and if I wasn't, I needed to email him. 3 weeks later I emailed him with a detailed account of what I had and hadn't been doing and what the pain level was for each activity, so he brought me back in and put me in this boot. He said I'd wear the boot for 2-3 weeks and then it should be fine. We also scheduled an MRI just to make sure nothing funky was going on. This morning I had an appointment with him to discuss the MRI - a stress reaction is what I've been diagnosed as having. It's better than a stress fracture, he said, because it doesn't take as long to heal. He thinks that I probably had a stress fracture but I raced through the pain (which he said people can't normally do, but I must have a high pain threshold - yay me!). Once I stopped running and started wearing the boot, it started to heal and that's why it's a stress reaction. 3 more weeks in the boot, then probably another 1-2 months of no running. Basically, I have no triathlon season this summer, because it'll be August before I can run again. When I do start running I'll be really slow, so would it even be worth it to do a race? Guess I could always get DH to relay with me if I really wanted to. But that's still a couple of months down the road - I can't even ride a bike outside. (Yes, I did get a new time trial bike at Christmas. No, I haven't taken it out yet. Yes, it'll be a while before I can do that.) I'm becoming what I always said I hated - a gym rat. My main goal this year was to qualify for Nationals at the Chattanooga Waterfront Triathlon - oh well. Now my goal is to strength train and get in shape for American Gladiators tryouts, whenever those will be. (I'm so not kidding about this. I want to be a contender so badly that I get a little verklempt just watching the damn show. Wow - can't believe I just admitted that to what little blog audience I have.) I worked out with a trainer yesterday who made my triceps shake uncontrollably, so that's a start. I told him about my Gladiators goal, and he said he'll get me there once I'm healed.

Anyway, on to the knitting! When I got the summer IK, I saw the dress designed by a fellow Nashvillian and decided that I need to have it when DH and I go to Puerto Rico at the end of the month for our 10-year anniversary. (Yes, that will fall within the next 3 weeks, so yes, I'll still be wearing the boot. I can take it off while relaxing on the beach or by the pool, so at least I won't get a nerdy knee-high sock tan. DH said, "Guess we'll just have to find ways for you to stay off your foot, hee hee.") Not wanting to wait til my LYS opened 2 days later to buy my yarn, I ordered some CotLin from Knitpicks in a coffee color and paid $17 for the rush delivery. I'm moving along quite well on the skirt part of the dress, but it's getting boring.

Maybe I should drink some caffeine tonight and pull an all-nighter to get through the rest of it. I think I've got about 5 inches to go.

Before I started that, I was working on the Smocked Babydoll Top from Classic Elite Yarns' Make It Modern leaflet. There are several great patterns in that book! I'm using the recommended yarn, Cotton Bam Boo, and it's a DREAM to work with. It's so soft and smooth, and I'm totally in love with the color.

I'm about to the interesting part, but I'm not picking it back up until the dress is done. We leave on May 28th, so I've got about a week and a half to go.

I've also been buying yarn:

Sunshine Yarns does sock yarn in the most wonderful Harry Potter-inspired colorways, but they sell out as soon as she posts them, so when I saw this one with "1 in stock" next to it, I acted immediately. This is the Accio Firebolt colorway.


Last week Hayden and I went to Memphis to go to my old high school's production of "Beauty and the Beast", and while we were there, my mom and I were perusing Ravelry. My sister has 2 little girls, 4 1/2 and 17 months, so I showed her Emma's Unmentionables from Knitty. We then got to the adult version - Unmentionables - and she decided that I MUST KNIT THOSE FOR MYSELF. Even though most Ravelers aren't terribly pleased with theirs, I decided that I'd add the pattern to my queue. This Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece is for those. I really like the white the designer used, but I was afraid my butt would look huge in such a light color (especially since I won't be running for TWO FREAKIN' MONTHS). I'm not going to start them quite yet. My order of importance is as follows:
1. dress
2. babydoll top
3. Katharine Vest from Spring IK (bought the yarn several months ago)
4. Unmentionables
There are other things thrown in here and there, but those are my Big Projects List.

That's it for now. DH is in Fargo, ND to run a marathon tomorrow (something I won't be able to do for a long time - ugh), so Hayden and I are on our own. I think we'll be leaving for the sushi restaurant soon.

Sure, it's a leaf, but...

...what ELSE does it look like?

Here's a shot of the other side. A little worse:

I think it'd be fun to do another one and trim it with black eyelash.

(BTW, I'm doing an afghan-along with some friends, and this is one of the squares of the week. We're using the book, 200 Knitted Blocks.)

I'm not a shawl person, but...

...I am IN LOVE with this:

Pattern: Swallowtail Shawl from IK (too lazy to get up and check issue)
Yarn: Blue Sky Alpaca Silk, 3.1 skeins*
Needles: Addi Turbo lace size 5
Modifications: bigger yarn than laceweight, nupps done as slip 3, p2tog, psso instead of the dreaded p5tog
Discussion: I got coerced into doing some charity knitting. "NO PRESSURE, but if you can do something for this auction I can get some letters of recommendation written on Hayden's behalf for Currey Ingram." (Yeah, this girl is not really someone I'd call a friend.) I figured something like a Swallowtail Shawl knit out of a very luxurious yarn in a very pretty, springy color would get top dollar, so I went to work. I chose something bigger than the laceweight the pattern called for so that I'd have a better chance of getting it done in time. And I tried, honestly I did. I wanted so badly to get it done - I do not like making promises that I have to break. But there was just no way. The San Antonio trip for that damn basketball game really cut into my knitting time, but I think even if I hadn't gone, I wouldn't have gotten it done. It turned out okay, though. I don't need the letters since we're not even applying for CI after all, and I really fell in love with this shawl. It was pretty before I blocked it, but then the detail came out:

(Man, I wish my camera skillz were as good as Jared's. I try for the artsy closeup and I end up with crap. But I tried.)

This was my second lace project, but definitely not my last. What shawl next? Hanami? Icarus? Kimono?

* - I say .1 because with 2 rows left before binding off, I ran out of yarn. Bummer! The shop I bought the yarn from didn't have any more left, but fortunately another shop in town had the same color. It was a different dye lot, but I was so close to the end that I didn't think it would matter.

Regifting a swap prezzie?!??

Okay, maybe I'm jumping to conclusions, but I just saw some pics of prezzies included in a package sent by the person I spoiled in a Ravelry swap. In this pic was something that was EXACTLY like something I had gifted to her! (Follow me here? Pics are of A's prezzies from B. I sent B her prezzies.) It's not something that seems like it'd be totally common, so I'm wondering about this...

But then again, maybe I'm jumping to conclusions. I am on steriods, after all. (Bum ankle.) And I've had an incredibly bad day/week/month.

Two years ago, I whined to y'all about Hayden not being accepted into Vanderbilt's TRIAD summer camp for autistic kids because he wasn't high functioning enough. Today at the end of his neuropsychological evaluation, I asked the doctor if, by the preliminary scores, whether he thought we should apply for Currey Ingram, a private school for kids with learning differences. He used to work for them, so he knows exactly why type of kids they accept. He, without sounding as mean as I'm about to sound, said no. Hayden's speech and language scores are so low that they bring down his total score below the level that Currey Ingram accepts. Twice in the last several weeks has the term "mentally retarded" been used in reference to him. ("I'm not saying he's mentally retarded...", "His previous IQ scores suggest he's mentally retarded, but we know that's not the case.")

Makes me feel like I'm giving my child more credit than he deserves. Are my glasses too rose-colored? (If you knew me in person, you'd definitely answer no to that question!)

Currey Ingram has been our goal for the past month. Now that's taken away, and I feel utterly hopeless. I have no idea what we'll do. Public school proved to be horrendous for him (won't go into details), and Currey Ingram is the only private school that we had a shot at. There are no other private schools in Nashville that would accept him. I've been homeschooling him for the last month, but I'm not cut out for this so we have to change. The preliminary plan is to up his therapy hours from 11 to 15 and bring in a tutor for up to 2 hours each day. We can afford that now, but when we reach 100 visits of therapy, our insurance cuts off and we'll have to pay full price. That'll be roughly $1500 each week, not including the tutor. That's a hell of a lot more than the $26,000/year price tag we were worried about at Currey Ingram. And I can't work a whole lot more than I am now - Hayden is with me during the day.

Sh!t.

F*ck.

Anyone have any drugs they want to send me???

Woot! New favorite sweater!!!

Pattern: Architectural Rib Pullover by Norah Gaughan - pattern in The Natural Knitter - I did the smallest size
Yarn: Rowan Felted Tweed, maybe 7 skeins but I lost track because I've become completely unorganized
Needles: Denise size 5 circs, Inox size 4 circs for sleeve ribbing and turtleneck
Discussion: OMG! I love this sweater!!! These pictures don't do it justice. I kept having Mike take more and more shots, but then I realized that the camera will never capture the full awesomeness of it so I settled. My mom bought me the book and the yarn for Christmas, and I cast on the day after. It took me a lot longer to finish this than it should because I kept getting interrupted by other projects (onset of knitting ADD*). I became somewhat monogamous with it again during the NCAA Tournament because I found that as long as I was sitting on the couch, wearing nasty sweatclothes and working on this sweater, my Tigers would win. (There - that's the reason they lost the championship. I was there rather than at home in my teal sweatpants from the 80s and my sorority sweatshirt that's 5 sizes too big for me. Totally my fault.)

This is a great pattern. It's such an unusual design - you knit the big ribbed, cable-y part from the bottom front up, put a neckhole in, go down (hee hee) the other side, then pick up stitches along the sides and knit outwards to the sleeves. It was so fun, and very easy to follow. And I think Felted Tweed is a perfect yarn for this project. Just the right amount of tweed, and it's lightweight enough so that you don't swelter in the high turtleneck.

Speaking of the turtleneck, that's the ONLY thing I'd change in my sweater. See that little bump right under the back of my neck? I think if the turtleneck weren't so high, that would lie down flat. I like the look of the high neck, but I'd also like the sweater to lie down in the back. But I'm fine with it.

Norah - if you're reading my blog, thank you so much for such a great sweater. YOU RULE when it comes to interesting design!!! I can't wait to do something out of Knitting Nature. I think my first project is going to be the skirt on the front.

Before I do that, though, I have other things to finish. I am making a promise to myself to finish this list of things before casting on for anything else (exception to this rule is below):

1. Swallowtail Shawl - I told someone (notice I didn't say "friend") that I'd make this for a silent auction because she said if I did, she could get some letters of recommendation written by some very influential people to help me get Hayden into this private school we're hoping he'll go to in the fall. I tried my hardest, but it just didn't happen. I could've finished it today, but I've run out of yarn. Yes, I am 2 rows away from binding off, and I've run out of yarn. And the shop I bought it from doesn't have any more of that color. M-f'er. I'm not totally concerned about the dye lot - after all, I am insanely close to being done. I'm going to go to another LYS in town to see if they have it. If not, I found that color on Jimmy Beans Wool's website, so I'll order it. One f-ing skein for 3 f-ing rows.
2. sleeves for a friend - those got put aside when the urgency of the shawl popped up, but now they're resurfacing
3. Baby Surprise Jacket - I started this for that auction as well - 2 knitted things would get me more letters of recommendation, right? I'm not even 1/3 of the way done. Oh well. I'm using Blue Sky Organic Cotton in gender neutral colors, so whatever size it turns out to be will determine who the lucky recipient is out of the pregnant people I know.

The exception to this rule is/are afghan squares. My LYS is doing a afghan KAL, and I'm a sucker for a KAL! I wasn't going to do it because I know I have too much stuff going on, but I caved. I've got 5 great colors of Cascade 220 to work with, so I'm looking forward to this. The shop owner will tell everyone in the KAL what 2 squares to add every Friday. I figure these squares will be my portable projects - every knitter needs one of those.

I've got lots of things waiting in the wings to be cast on for, so I better get to knitting!

(* - Funny ADD story: Hayden's occupational therapist is working on his cursive with him. They've mastered a, c, d, g, e, and l. Last week they started working on putting letters together to form words, and she gave me a sheet for him to practice at home. One of them was "add". I looked at her and asked why she was having him write ADD. Wow - do I live in the land of disorders or what?)

My team played in the National Championship game, and all I got were these pictures.*

Let's not even talk about the game. That ending has haunted my nightmares since Monday night. But it was an incredible experience, being there, and I did get some pictures of me with very tall black men (tall and black are both plusses in my book, yet somehow I married the whitest man in America - at least he's tall):



These 2 guys, Chris Douglas-Roberts and Derrick Rose (Derrick is the one on the phone) are going to be NBA stars next year, and you can say you read the blog of someone who has met them!


If you watched any Memphis basketball this past season, you'll know that this man, Joey Dorsey, has the nicest shoulders of anyone on the planet! I met 2 of his childhood friends before the game, and they said he was cut up like that when we was 15. Dang!!!


The little woman beside Sean Taggart is his grandmother. She is about the size of one of his legs. He was so cute with her. Towards the end of the season I found him incredibly sexy with his pointy, evil-looking goatee, but all bad boy images of him I had were wiped away seeing him with itty bitty Grandma. Awwww!


Pierre Niles looks really fat on TV, but in person he's not fat, just thick. Guess he's a prime example of how the camera adds 10 pounds.


Ahhh, Cedric Henderson - what to say about him? I've known him for about 14 years and have had a crush on him for that long. He played for Memphis in the mid 90s then went pro for a while with the Cleveland Cavaliers. That didn't work out too well, so now he plays overseas in Greece. I hadn't seen him since 1996, when I saw my beloved Tigers lose in the first round of the tournament to Drexel in Albequerque, but he remembered who I was. It was fun to take a picture with him, 12 years later.

I took knitting with me on this trip, but not a lot got done. On the way there I had every intention of working on my Swallowtail Shawl, but when the guy sitting next to me starting buying me beers, I decided to put the yarn away. Lace and beer don't mix. (BTW, this guy wasn't a stranger. He's our old realtor's ex-husband and he was headed to the game as well.) On the way home I didn't even try to knit. I had been up for over 24 hours at that point, so I needed to take a little nap. Lace and lack of sleep don't mix, either. Oh well.


*Did you notice how my beads were wrapped around one boob in every picture? It's not I'm that well-endowed so how they managed to stay in place so long is beyond me.

Bad ribs, good prezzies

Gah.

Remember in my last post how excited I was about doing such a great job with the ginormous pull set at swim practice 2 weeks ago? Well, ever since then, I've been f*cked up - the left side of my upper body, that is. Long story short: I have 2 subluxed (partially dislocated) ribs. I have been in constant pain for almost 2 weeks now. Even sleeping hurts. The chiropractor/ART guy I saw last Thursday worked on me for an hour, but one rib is being completely stubborn and won't go back to where it came from. Last week I ran, taught Spin and somewhat taught abs, and all of that hurt. This week I haven't done anything except for teaching 2 Spin classes (and knit, of course). The first class caused me excruciating pain for several hours afterwards; the second class was better because it was the morning after my doctor's appointment. Hopefully I can get in to see him again this week and he can fix me 100%, because then I can get back at it - running, Spinning pain-free, core work, and climbing. Not quite sure about the swimming yet because I really believe that's what caused this, but I'll ease back into it eventually. I have to - I'm a triathlete!

There are some other things that are frustrating to me right now, but if I talk about them, this post will turn into a novel and I'll lose what little readership I have. So I'll keep them to myself and hope they go away.

On a happier note, I got home from a hard afternoon with Hayden (bad experience at the symphony, aggravating trip to REI, embarrassing stop at the yarn store) to find 2 packages: my Yarn Smackdown hat and a box of prezzies from my climbing swap spoiler! (I'm being lazy and not linking to these things. Yarn Smackdown is a game on Ravelry, and the climbing swap is being played with a group of climbing knitters, also on Ravelry.)

This is the hat that has knocked me out of the first round of play in Yarn Smackdown. Kate and I mailed our hats to eachother on the same day, almost at the same time, so it was a race to see who's postman was quicker. I guess we Southerners just like to do things slowly. It's a great hat, though, so I'm not upset!

The other package was from Lia, my spoiler in the Knitters On Belay swap I participated in on Ravelry. She sent me some great things: Climb On! balm (which I almost bought for my spoilee), a new carabiner (which is the exact biner my climbing partner has - I'm super-excited about that because I have coveted his for so long), labels for me to put in my knitted garments, some beautiful Araucania Ranco Multi yarn (I smell a pair of Monkey or Pomatomus socks in my future!), a toy for Hayden, and some treats for Rudy and Gracie. I love swaps!

Another happier note: I finally finished my Gathered Pullover!

Pattern: Gathered Pullover from Winter 2007 IK
Yarn: Rowan Kid Classic, somewhere around 6 skeins
Needles: size 8 Denise circs and Clover dpns
Discussion: The verdict is out on the happiness level with this sweater. From the moment I saw the pattern in the mag, I wanted to make it. Then I saw one on Ravelry that someone did in Kid Classic (one of my Desert Island yarns) with short sleeves, and the urge to knit it grew even stronger. However, now that it's done, I'm meh about it. I'm not totally in love with the neckline - it's kinda wide and my cami straps want to peek out, and the notch in the middle of the girls is a bit wonky for some reason - and I wish it would be a little more form-fitting. I've toyed with the idea of throwing it in the washing machine and felting it a tad, but I'm scared. I do have another sweater out of Kid Classic that I no longer wear due to the WIIIIIDE neckline (the Greek Pullover from 2006 - although I love the sweater, I inadvertently flash anyone in front of me every time I bend over). I could experiment with that and see what happens, or I can wear the Gathered Pullover as is for a while and see how I feel about it. Here's a closeup of the chest detail - the only thing that kept this sweater from being a complete yawn:


Next up is the completion of my Architectural Rib Pullover. I picked it up again yesterday for the first time in about a month and am working on the neckline. After that's done, I need to do one side and seam it up. I've got a couple of spring projects waiting in the wings, which make more sense to work on right now since the temps are climbing, but I REALLY want to be faithful to one sweater for a while. Maybe once it's done, we'll have a 1-day cold snap and I'll be able to wear it before packing it up until October.

Kool(ha)as (sh!t) Hat

For those of you who aren't knitters, the Koolhaas Hat is the creation of the ever-popular Jared. This is my second Koolhaas, and I don't think it'll be my last. I want to make one that'll fit me, not make me look like Mushmouth from Fat Albert.

Pattern: Koolhaas hat, from 2007 Holiday issue of IK
Yarn: Cascade 220 superwash
Needles: size 7 (ribbing) and 8 (body)
Discussion: This hat pattern ROCKS. Not only is it really fun to do, it's a cool hat. I made one for my rock climbing partner, Robert, after he started teasing me nonstop about being a personal trainer and a triathlete and a knitter. He said knitting didn't seem to go with my other hobbies, and knitting was nerdy. (Notice I said "was" and not "is". He changed his mind after I gave him his Koolhaas.) I chose a beautiful heathered mustard color of Cascade 220 superwash to go with the pretty shade of his black skin. It looked great on him, but his tiny fro made it stand up a little too high. I blocked the hell out of it, and now it fits better. His roommate, Aaron, said, "Hey - I want one too! Can you make me one? Be sure it covers my ears."

He's got red hair, hence my decision on the green Cascade 220. You can't see his hair underneath the hat, but trust me - they go very well together. There's another guy who kinda has been hinting at one, but he'll just have to wait. I want to make one for myself first, and I've got some other things going on: sleeves for my Gathered Pullover, sleeves for 2 sweaters for a friend who is crocheting a dress for me (sounds like I'll be stranded on Sleeve Island for a while!), and one side of my Architectural Rib Pullover. Maybe I'll bargain with him: I'll knit him a Koolhaas hat if he promises never to take his climbing shoes off around me ever again. In the words of the Blackeyed Peas: STANKY, STANKY, STANKY!

(Speaking of climbing, I've been doing that about 2-3 times a week for a while now, and I noticed it paying off in the pool today. During a 600 meter pull in swim practice, I was totally running up the a$$es of the people in front of me. NEVER have I been a good puller, and today I was up the butt of a GUY. We had 2 more 600 pulls to do, so we rearranged the order of our lane, and I LED. Huzzah for strong shoulders created by climbing rocks!)

I'm also in the Travelling Scarves group on Ravelry, so every once in a while, I receive an unfinished scarf in the mail. I have to go through my stash, pick something to continue the scarf with, and knit 4-6 inches before sending it off to the next person in line. After the scarf I started gets added to by 11 other people, I'll have a great new scarf! Cool idea, huh? And everyone who is playing this game also is supposed to send a little somethin-somethin along with the scarf, so when I get my scarf back, I'll also get 11 little prezzies. I'm thinking that Goo-Goo clusters will be my gift - something you can only get here in Nashvegas.

I was planning on blogging a bit more about what's been going on around here - believe me, there's a TON of new info! - but I just got a call from a personal trainer I work with to see if I could take his 6am client that he forgot to reschedule while he's out in California. So now I have to finish up what I'm doing, figure out how I'm rearranging my schedule tomorrow morning to accommodate this guy, and go to bed early. I need to anyway after the reverse triathlon I did today - ran 7 miles, taught an hour Spin class, then went to swim practice from 230-4pm. (No, I'm not training for anything right now. I'm just crazy.) This follows a day of doing a 2 1/2 hour indoor cycling workout and a 3-hour stint at the climbing gym. Whew!

It's Ravelry's fault

Sorry I've been MIA for the past month. I have a lot of things to blog about, but whenever I get on my computer I get sucked into Ravelry. I think that happens to a lot of us.

So - where do I start?

1. Hayden has joined the Special Olympics swim team. In his little black and purple jammers he looks just like a mini-Michael Phelps! He's a great swimmer but he won't wear goggles so he mainly backstrokes to keep his eyes out of the water.

We think swimming will be a big thing for him. He competed in his first meet back in January.

After the initial shock of the noise and crowds wore off, he did GREAT. We came home with 2 second place ribbons and 1 third place.

He should've gotten first in his first event (25 meter freestyle) but when he gets close to the wall he likes to coast in so he can hit his head lightly against it.

(That's him in the far left lane. He lost his lead right at the end. Bummer!)

Anyway, we were (and still are) very proud of him - even when he looks like this:


2. The rivalry between Pebbles and myself has kinda fizzled - she's totally not a threat to me any more. Yay for ass-kicking!!! I beat her by 5 minutes in a half marathon this past Saturday. There's one more race in the State Parks series - a 15K in 2 weeks - then we probably won't be racing against eachother for a while. Triathlon season is about to kick into high gear, so I'll be too busy with that to run road races. It's been a fun way to run fast throughout the winter, though. Next year I'd like to do more of this series.

3. Like I just said, triathlon season is about to kick into high gear, but I can't seem to get my butt out of the climbing gym. When I swim, I think about how I don't want to swim too hard because I don't want to tire my arms out for climbing. My hands stay torn up nowadays and it's not unusual for me to walk into a gas station with chalk all over my pants, but I love it. I had bought a 3-month membership that is supposed to expire on March 3rd, thinking that that'd be perfect timing. What a great off-season hobby to take up, and when my membership expires, it'll be time for me to get back into triathlon training. Didn't work that way. Mike has bought me a year membership to tack on at the end of the 3-month membership so I can climb for 12 more months! Thank God I don't plan on doing any long races this summer! Less triathlon training time = more climbing time!!!

4. I have joined forces this year with another triathlon coach in town, Stephen Taylor and we're providing some kick-ass, super-fun group training for newbies and seasoned athletes! We're in the middle of a 5-week Triathlon Prep course right now, and March 11th starts the real stuff. I think working with him will be good for both of us - what is a strength for one of us is the other's weakness, and I've gotten a good energy vibe being with him in the classes we've had so far. I'm really looking forward to this summer.

5. Because I am working with Stephen, I have to become a Certified Triathlon Coach through USAT, the governing body of triathlon. This Wednesday I am going to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs to attend a 3-day certification clinic. I am staying after that clinic is done to attend a CEU clinic on Weight Loss for Endurance Athletes. I'm super-excited about this opportunity! Not only do I get to learn how to become a better triathlon coach, I get to stay at the OTC! Rock on!!! (And of course I've already scouted out where the nearest climbing gym is - less than 2 miles away. Climbing gear will be crammed into my suitcase!)

6. Knitting: doing a lot of it. OTN right now -
Gathered Pullover

(missing sleeves and neckline - shot was taken from the neck down because cycling + swimming + climbing + no shower = horrible hair!)

Architectural Rib Pullover

(missing one side and neck)

and my 4th pair of Fetchings (for my sister, whose hands stay cold at work). Waiting in the wings is my 2nd Koolhaas hat for a climbing friend (I made one for his roommate, another climbing friend of mine, and he's requested one). I also have some sleeves to do for a friend who I've worked a trade out with. She's crocheting me the Tuscany Tank Dress (free pattern on Knitting Daily) and I'm doing sleeves for her on 2 sweaters plus starting a sweater for her husband. And of course there are the projects I want to do from the Spring IK:

Banded Peasant Blouse
Chameleon Scarf
Katharine Vest
Drawstring Chemise

I originally had the Auburn Camp Shirt on that list too, but after looking at the Spring Gallery shots (they put the sweater on several different ladies with different body types so you can see what it looks like on someone who's not a model), I'm not as crazy about it. But, because of that same Gallery, the Sylph Cardigan may make its way on this list. (Edited to add a day after I originally posted: I took the link to the Sylph Cardigan out. For some reason, that was directing me to some lingerie website. Oops! It's really cute cardi with a little ruffle on the bottom and 3/4-length sleeves.)
That's it for my long update. I'll report back once I'm home from Colorado.

What girth!

Wow - I never realized how BIG size 17 needles were! My mother requested that I knit my nieces (ages 4 and 15 months) some hats because it's actually cold in Memphis, so I decided that the Elf Hats from Handknit Holidays would be a speedy project. Yup - 2 hats in about 4 hours. Whoever said that size doesn't matter was full of sh!t - big needles crank out cute hats in no time flat.


(Hayden is such a gracious model, huh? Even saying "cheese" from the side!)

Pattern: Elf Caps from Handknit Holidays
Yarn: Cascade Lana Grande
Needles: Size 17 (ugh) Denise interchangeables AND dpns
Discussion: These are adorable and SUPER QUICK. I hate working on needles bigger than 9s, but it took so little time that it was over and done with before I really got a chance to bitch. (I'm talking about knitting - nothing else.) Unfortunately I can't send them until Tuesday since Monday is MLK Day and it would cost an arm and a leg (which is about the same size as the needles I used) to FedEx/UPS them over the weekend. The weather is so weird in Tennessee that by the time the hats make it to their recipients, it'll probably be in the 80s.

Here's another quick knit:

(I suck at taking self portraits. I always end up looking like such a dork.)


Pattern: Caliometry from Knitty
Yarn: Filatura di Crosa 127 Print
Needles: Size 8 circular
Discussion: Since the forecast called for cold temps this week and I was running on Tuesday morning, I decided to put my Architectural Rib Pullover down for an afternoon and whip out a cute running headband. I made the same mod that a lot of Ravelers did - cast on fewer stitches (88, to be exact). Other than that, I followed the pattern exactly as written. I. LOVE. THIS. HEADBAND! Up until tonight, I thought it was the fastest and most useful thing I have ever knit. It's adorable. (And to think that I look cute in it is unreal. Never did I think my hair would be long enough to look cute in something like this.) I've even taken it to the gym with me and shown it to people who really couldn't give a crap about it. I foresee many Caliometries in my future. Maybe next year all of the kids in my gift-receiving circle will get Elf Caps and all of the women will get Caliometries.

Rackin' them up!

I'm racking a lot of things up these days:

1. Knitting projects in progress. First up I have my Architectural Rib Pullover from The Natural Knitter.

I'm OBSESSED with this sweater. I love the pattern, I love the yarn - hopefully I'll love the outcome! I'm finished with the big fat cabled sandwich board part - now on to picking up stitches on the sides to complete the sweater, including the sleeves.

(My husband liked it better when I was modeling my progress for him before I put the cami on. Sorry - only he has naked boobie privileges.)

Next up is the Gathered Pullover from the Winter issue of IK that I'm finally getting around to:

Yarn looks familiar? That's because it's Rowan Kid Classic, which I recently used for my Tree Jacket. This is a really pretty light brown color, almost like brown sugar. I bought it from a fellow Raveler. The idea to use it for this pattern came from seeing another Raveler's finished sweater. She shortened the sleeves to just above the elbow, which I'm also going to copy. Like I said in an earlier post, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right? Obviously I haven't done much on this sweater. I just cast on Friday night and have 3 measly rounds done.

Finally, I present to you another pair of Fetchings:

I'm using Cascade 220 superwash in a charcoal grey color. These are for a triathlete friend, who saw my green cashmere ones and requested a pair for himself. Yes, I said himself. "But shouldn't you be making some Dashings for him, Nakedie?" Yes, I probably should - but he didn't see those, and he knows nothing about knitting. He tried my Fetchings on and they fit pretty well, so I've just lengthened the ribbed part in the middle and done 3 cable rounds at the top instead of one. I'm also going to do more rounds for the thumbs and a regular bind off instead of the picot. Hopefully they won't look too girly. And hopefully the curling that's happening at the bottom will uncurl with a good blocking. If I could ever pry myself away from my Architectural Rib Pullover, I could get these done and out the door. We've worked out a trade - these for some Desoto (my favorite brand of triathlon wear, which also happens to be one of his sponsors) schwag.

2. Knitting works in the planning stages:

The top left skein of Filatura di Crosa 127 Print is for a Caliometry from Knitty for me. I want a cool headband to wear while running - like I have so much hair to control. But my hair has gotten long enough to look cute in a do-rag these days, so I figured what the hell. I've seen some cute ones on Ravelry, so I want one for my very own.
The bottom left skein of Rowan Felted Tweed is for a pair of Knucks, also from Knitty. (Ravelry is really bad for making me add more projects to my queue!) I've already picked out what I'm going to embroider on them: IRON CHIK. How great will that be, whenever I get around to them?
The middle 4 skeins were a) bought at Michael's (I typically don't do that) because b) they're for making a couple of Snuggles. Snuggles are little blankets to put in kennels at animal shelters. I figure the four-legged recipients will not be yarn snobs, so cheap stuff will be best. Plus, they'll need to be washable to clean the poop, pee and hair off of them frequently.
The last skein of MamaE's sock yarn is for another pair of socks for Hayden. I was fortunate enough to meet MamaE herself at the Maryland Sheep & Wool festival I went to with Eunny in 2005 (y'know, before Eunny gained celebrity status with her new IK editor position). She's a really cool woman with a really cool job (autism therapist) and a super cute son. I found her sock yarn sold at a local LYS, so I bought some for my mom for Christmas and some for myself. Hayden loves handknit socks - better for sliding across our hardwood floors.

3. Running hardwear! In earlier posts, I talked about racing against Pebbles. So far I've beaten her in 4 races. I've heard that it's really been upsetting her, so that makes it all the more fun! Yesterday we did the Chickasaw Chase 10 miler in Henderson, TN. It was hilly and tough. Because I had been told that she's been wondering about me - who I am, what my motives are for doing these races, yada yada - I decided to mess with her a bit and run right behind her for the first mile. Yup - bitchy move on my part, but it worked - she turned around and looked at me 4 or 5 times. I then proceeded to blow by her uphill. Hee hee! I did a 1:18:47 - good enough for 1st place in my age group. 2nd went to Pebbles herself for 1:19:40-something. Last weekend we were in Memphis at the Hill & Dale 8-miler. Rain, wind, and some nasty hills slowed me down some, but I ended up with a 3rd place time of 1:04:41. She ran a 1:05:51 - 5th place, which didn't get an award. I've also beaten her at 2 other races and received 1st place honors. So I have 2 trophies, a medal, a pair of gloves, and a framed picture to put on my shelf. Not bad, huh? These races are low-key and they've been a lot of fun. I'm going to do 2 more in this series - a half marathon on Feb 16th and a 15K on March 1st. She'll be at both of those - wish me luck!

One more thing: my silly little Hayden turned 8 last Sunday. I have an 8-year old - ack!!!

Happy birthday, baby! Today is your special day. A day filled with fun and surprises.
Gotta love him, even if he does stick his hand down his pants right before I take a picture.

Gift knitting and giving underway

Okay, there are 2 days left til Christmas. Am I done with my shopping? No. Did I participate in decorating our tree? No. Have I wrapped any presents? No. But I have been doing some great gift knitting!

I got to present my SO with his gift this morning after our trail run:

Pattern: Log Cabin Socks from Handknit Holidays
Yarn: Cascade Pastaza, 2.5 skeins
Needles: bamboo size 6 dpns
Discussion: I loved every minute of making these socks (except for when I messed up the start of the second sock and didn't notice it until 25 rows into it - yes, I ripped it out and corrected my mistake). I think I need a pair of them myself. The pattern was so fun, the yarn was awesome, and making socks on size 6 needles is so speedy! (Bonus: Somehow, I did not end up with a hole when doing the gusset! Woot! First time for that!) These were great. I was so excited to give them to him this morning. To find out what size to make them, I ended up calling Road Runner Sports. I knew that he had ordered shoes from them recently, so I just told the customer service rep that I was knitting him a pair of socks and needed to know his shoe size. How often do they get a phone call like that? Anyway, they fit great and I really hope that he'll enjoy wearing them while lounging around at home, watching "Don't Forget the Lyrics" or reading a book.

For those of you who have not knit these socks yet, get crackin!

Next up is a gift I haven't delivered yet but the recipient doesn't read my blog so I can write about it:

Pattern: Candy Stripes Kerchief from Interweave Knits Holiday Gifts 2007 issue
Yarn: Cascade Baby Alpaca Chunky
Needles: Clover size 9 circulars
Discussion: I wasn't impressed by this when I saw it in the mag, but then I saw one at a yarn shop nearby and liked it a whole lot more. They made mods for the bulkier yarn, so I got a copy of those when I bought the yarn. The increases were done at a different frequency and the stitch count was lower. This yarn is to die for - so soft. And I like the color combination. I tried to put 2 other colors together so I wouldn't be copying the shop model completely, but I just like the pink and red the best. What the hell - imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right?

I'm going to call my friend and see if she'd like to get together for dinner with Hayden and me tonight (Mike is going to a football game), and I can give it to her then. I wanted to give it to her earlier because she's been a little sad lately (boy issues), but I didn't get it done in time.

I've got 1 gift left on the needles and one I'm thinking about doing for my grandmother. She's been having some health problems lately and the Walgreens gift card I bought her last night (inspired by the suggestion from my mother) doesn't feel like enough. I'm thinking I have yarn in my stash that'll make a good Huckleberry Ascot, again from the IK Holiday Gifts issue. We'll see. I still have 2 days and some car time on Christmas day left, right?

Oh sh!t

The new Magknits is up. (Maybe it's been up for a while, but I just noticed it. I've been on Ravelry too much to notice what's going on on any other sites lately.) And I think Rosy would make a perfect Christmas gift for someone. Can I do it? Rosy, Ice Queen, Candy Stripes Kerchief (although that should be finished this afternoon), and another gift to be blogged about at a later date???

Tree Jacket (and another hat, and another gift)

Finally, Tree Jacket pictures:

Pattern: Tree Jacket by the Zephyr girls, smallest size
Yarn: Rowan Kid Classic, 6 skeins (I think)
Needles: Denise interchangeable size 7 for garter stitch, 8 for stockinette
Discussion: Another winner from the Zephyr girls! I love this sweater. It was so easy and quick and incredibly cute. I've worn it 4 times since last weekend. And of course the yarn is to die for. I think if someone told me that I had to choose one yarn to knit with from here on out, it'd be Kid Classic. I did my Greek Pullover last year out of this (although I don't wear that much because I was told I flash everyone when I bend over). Someone on Ravelry did their Gathered Pullover out of it, and I'm seriously thinking of copying (unless I get the yarn I put on my Christmas list, Knitpicks Swish DK). It's the best yarn EVER.


Next up is another hat for another therapist:

Pattern: You Don't Know Our Women hat, found on Ravelry
Yarn: something out of my stash, definitely Rowan, maybe Rowanspun Bulky
Needles: Inox circulars (and dpns) size 10.5
Discussion: I like the final product, but I didn't like the making of this hat as much as I did the first one. The cables felt really tight. I omitted the last 7 rows the pattern called for before starting the decreases because I felt like it was getting too big. Good thing - it fits perfectly now. It would've been a Mushmouth hat if I had done those last 7 rows. I surprisingly like the way it looks on me.


I usually don't like myself in hats, but I think since my hair is a bit longer now, it works better. But it's not for me, so if I want one, I'll have to do this pattern again. Not a big deal - it was over and done before I knew it.

I have 2 gifts still on the needles, one I hope to finish tonight. Unfortunately, I've added yet another gift to the list. I didn't know the new Knitty was up until 2 days ago, and I fell in love with the Ice Queen. I bought a skein of Rowan Kidsilk Shimmer yesterday and hope to start it week - actually, I MUST start it this week since Christmas is 10 days away! After that, hopefully I'll be satisfied with all of handmade gift efforts and stop the insanity.