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.

3 FOs

I finally got around to charging the batteries in my camera, so here are some of my latest FOs:


Pattern: Liesel (found on Ravelry)
Yarn: Brown Sheep Nature Spun Worsted, 1 skein
Needles: Size 7
Discussion: This scarf is for Hayden's aide at school. She always wears pink and/or brown, so I think she's really like this. The pattern is great - not tough, but not "idiot" enough to do while watching something really important on TV, like A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila. (Finale is on next week!!! Go Dani!!!) I'd definitely use this pattern again. The yarn came out of my stash, and I had only 1 ball in this color. I had no idea how long of a scarf I was going to get with 1 ball, but I took a risk and went with it anyway. I blocked the hell out of it and got it to 54". Pretty perfect, I'd say.

(Wow, the boob not covered up by the scarf looks sooo small. Camis don't enhance anything, do they?)

(Hayden's becoming quite the photographer!)

Next up is Christmas gift #2:

(Why does my nose look so slope-y at this angle?)
Pattern: The Yarn Harlot's hat pattern. I think the name is the Unoriginal Hat. I found it on Ravelry as well.
Yarn: Malabrigo Merino Worsted (out of my stash again - yay for stashbusting!), double stranded
Needles: big plastic orange size 11 dpns (yuck)
Discussion: I've decided to make hats for Hayden's speech and occupational therapists since they're cute and they don't take much time. This is for his speech therapist. I love the pattern and I like the way it turned out (except I look like a major dork in it - hats don't work for me), but I HATE double stranding yarn. Everything gets all tangled up, then it gets extra tangled up on the needle, and soon you have a mess. Fortunately I didn't have to put up with it long because it took less than 4 hours from start to finish. This is another pattern I'd use again - with a single strand of bulkier yarn.

Finally, here's a shot of the baby gift that should've been given to Hayden's teacher at her surprise shower last Tuesday, but Hayden decided to be a Pukeasaurus Rex on Monday and we stayed home from school for 2 days:

Pattern: Candy Cane Hat from Handknit Holidays
Yarn: RYC Cashsoft DK
Needles: size 6
Discussion: I wanted to practice my stranding skills before tackling Eunny's Endpaper Mitts (no, I have not started them yet) so I thought this would be perfect. I'm okay at stranding, but once I had to switch to dpns, it got a little tricky. That worries me since the entire mitt is done on dpns. Maybe I need some more practice. Anyway, I think the hat turned out okay, but not totally cute. Maybe it was my choice of yarn. The color combination is awesome, but the hat seems very flimsy. The yarn came out of my stash. If I try it again I'll use some wool. I have some Mission Falls 1824 Wool in my stash (which is what the pattern calls for, I'm pretty sure) - just not in boy colors. I feel a hat for a cute niece coming on!

I have 3 more projects on the needles, all due before Christmas. Off to knit! (And I promise, a Tree Jacket picture is in the near future. It's cooling down around here.)

3 FOs, 2 PRs* and 1 growing list

I have no pictures of my recent FOs yet as I have been a lazy photographer. Hopefully those will come soon - maybe as early as tomorrow. But I do have 3 FOs to report on: a super-cool Tree Jacket (that, unfortunately, is too warm to wear right now - temps in the 70s in December is ridiculous), a really cute but maybe too big Candy Cane Hat, and a pretty but a tad short scarf. Pics and details to come later.

As for my 2 PRs:

1. Last weekend Mike and I ran the St. Jude Half Marathon in Memphis. I wanted to PR but at the same time not trash my legs for the next rumble with Pebbles (which was yesterday). I love to do math while I'm racing, so I kept setting goals for myself mid-race. My old PR was 1:47:27, which was an 8:13 pace. If I could get to mile 4 in 33 minutes or less, I'd still shoot for a PR. If not, I'd slow down and just enjoy the race. Time at mile 4 was 32:12. If I could get to mile 6 in 49 minutes, I'd keep on. Time at mile 6 was 48:24. And so on and so forth. At mile 12Mike said, "Come on - how much gas you got in the tank? Whatcha got left? Put it all out there!" I'm not the type of athlete who likes those little cliches, so I promptly told him to shut up and just go. We crossed the finish line in 1:46:13. Yippee! Our average pace was 8:07. It was tough, but not too tough. And my legs were tired, but not trashed. I've been taking Acid Zappers, and I think they have played a big part in my performances over the last 3 weeks. I was happy.

2. Yesterday was another Tennessee State Parks Running Tour race, the Forrest's Johnsonville Charge 5 miler. I got there a little later than I had planned on, but everything was fine. And yes, Pebbles was there. I was afraid that it'd be harder to beat her again since she now knew who I was and might possibly run a little faster to make sure she beat me. I lined up behind her just like last time and tried to stay there, but in the first half mile, I passed her. I expected her to pass me right back, but she didn't. The course was straight out and back, so I got to see her after I went through the turn around. She didn't seem too far behind me, but I ended up beating her by 51 seconds. Woot! I wanted to keep a 7:30 pace and finish in 37:30, but I was a little off and crossed the line in 38:04. Oh well. Still fast for me. I'm pretty sure this was a PR for a 5 mile race. In 2004 I ran the local Thanksgiving race, another 5 miler, in about the same time. I'm also pretty sure Pebbles was/is infuriated that I got 1st in our age group and she got 2nd. Whatev. There's nothing wrong with a little competition. (Notice I didn't throw in the word "friendly.")

And finally the growing list - a list of things I need/want to knit. Ravelry is partly to blame for this!

4 Christmas gifts
Sweater for Hayden out of some Rowan Handknit DK Cotton that I've had in my stash for something like 4 years
Monkey socks for me
More socks for Hayden
Gathered Pullover for me
Architectural Rib Pullover from The Natural Knitter for me

Come December 25th, whatever is on the needles will be taking a back seat to the last item on the list. I am getting that book and the yarn for Christmas and plan on casting on that day. That is the most phenomenal sweater I have seen in ages. Norah Gaughan is amazing!


* - For those of you who don't know, PR stands for "personal record." Some call it a PB - personal best - but that just makes me think of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

It's on like Donkey Kong!

Yesterday I did one of the Tennessee State Parks Running Tour races, the Plateau Gobbler Gallop 11K. It took place in Cumberland Mountain State Park in Crossville. Any park with the word "Mountain" in its name has got to be hilly. I read the night before that this race was the third toughest race in the Tour series. Ugh.

Since I am doing the St. Jude Half Marathon in Memphis next weekend, I wanted to shoot for 8:15-8:30 miles at the Gobbler Gallop, then do 8:10-8:15 miles in Memphis. That all changed, however, when I saw Pebbles at the race. (Pebbles is not her real name, but I'm going to call her that because that's what she looks like sometimes when she ties her bangs up in a silly ponytail.) Pebbles is not really a nemesis of mine because she doesn't do triathlons, but she and her god-awful lispy high-pitched Southern drawl has annoyed me for several years. I decided that beating Pebbles was my goal, no matter what the pace needed to be.

I started a little bit behind her. My strategy was to stay right behind her for most of the way, then pass her at the end. However, I passed her going up the first hill. That must've pissed her off, because she passed me right back. I tried to hold back so that it wouldn't turn into a game of leapfrog for the entire 6.8 miles, but I passed her again going up the next hill. (I have really muscular legs, too muscular for skinny jeans.) This hill was long enough for me to distance myself from her a good bit. I got excited, then realized about mile 1 that not only was I ahead of her, I was ahead of every other female! First female overall! I've never been in that position before, and I must say, it wasn't very fun. Every time I heard footsteps I worried about it being another girl. I wanted to run fast enough to stay in the front position but not too fast to blow myself up. I ended up getting passed by one girl about halfway into the race, then another one with about a mile left. I finished third overall female, first in my age group, and about 2 minutes ahead of Pebbles. Woot! My time on a hilly 6.8 mile course was 53:56, over 5 minutes faster than my original goal time. I was proud of myself, especially since I hadn't done any racing in a while. AND because I beat Pebbles.

Since yesterday's race, I've been told that Pebbles is very competitive and will be gunning for me the next time we toe the line together. Am I scared? NO WAY!!! Bring it on, silly girl! It's on like Donkey Kong! I was planning on doing only 4 or 5 of these State Parks Tour races, but now I think I'm going to try for 8. They have a Grand Prix series in which they take your 8 best times and assign points for what place you finish. Right now she's in first place for the women, but she's already done 6. Hopefully I can turn in some good performances and beat her. The finale is March 1st at the Fall Creek Thaw 15K.

I've also been somewhat of a speedy knitter. I started my Tree Jacket last Wednesday, and I have only 3 inches to go on the body, plus the sleeves. I'm loving it so far. DH is busy trying to install a wall mount for our new TV, so I took a progress shot myself:

Then I asked Hayden to be my photographer. He did a pretty good job:

My question is this: why is the lace section swirling? The picture on the Zephyr website shows their lace section straight. I'm not the only one and I really don't mind the look, but I'm just curious. If I tried to block the swirling out, wouldn't it make the entire sweater go lopsided? (BTW, my yarn is Rowan Kid Classic. The color is the darkest shade of eggplant known to man. I lurve it.)

I also got Hayden to take a picture of my latest FO:

Pattern: Fetching
Yarn: Jade Sapphire Mongolian Cashmere, 1 skein
Needles: size 5 dpns
Modifications: Added more length to the middle section (5 rounds), added one extra round of cables at the top, did a regular bind off rather than picot.
Discussion: I really like these gloves. The cashmere is super soft (duh) and the pattern was easy to follow. It was a quick knit - about 2 days. I might make some more for gifts, but not in cashmere. Maybe some Rowan Cashsoft.

The Embarrassing Picture

There it is, that stupid hole I talked about last post. That's the worst sock hole I've ever created. How do you stop from doing that?

Other than the hole, Hayden's Vandy socks turned out fine:

(Oops - my finger in the corner between his legs looks a bit like a pinga, if pingas had nails. I was having to hold his legs down because he kept wanting to go crazy with them, and I didn't notice my finger placement.)

The yarn is Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport in the Bee Stripe colorway. I just did my usual cuff down, 2x2 rib, stockinette stitch, kitchenered toe sock. I think I'm ready to try some new sock techniques. Not that I'm going to turn into a knitter who wants to knit socks 24/7, but I do like Hayden's feet looking stylish when he goes to school in his Standard School Attire. Here's proof that I'm not a sock snob:

This is #1 of a pair. The left one will be started later today. The pattern is Fetching from Knitty, and yarn is mongolian cashmere. I modified the pattern by a) doing 23 rounds of 4x1 rib instead of 18, b) did 2 cable repeats at the top instead of 1, and c) did a regular bind off instead of the picot. I did the picot at first and didn't like the way it looked at all. These fingerless gloves are very cute and very soft - just in time for the weather to get warm this week. Of course.

When I turned the camera on to take a picture of Hayden's socks, he started saying, "Cheese!" He didn't understand that I couldn't take a full-body shot since he didn't (and still doesn't) have pants on. So, after the feet shot, I took a face shot:

My little man is growing up. He went to his first sleepover party this past Friday night. Five 7-year old boys + 1 single mom = trashed house! But they had a blast and Hayden won a game of Twister. I'm very proud of him for coming this far. The birthday boy's mom told me that he got to invite just 4 friends to spend the night, and Hayden was on that list. To think that some kid would pick Hayden out of all the other boys to spend the night makes me feel so good. Is this the same kid who couldn't handle play dates 5 years ago? I think not. Way to go, Hayden!

No exciting Twists here

It was a somewhat boring pattern (thank God for the k1tbls and the p1tbls, or it would've been totally boring), but the end product is nice!

Pattern: Jillian Moreno's Twist from Fall 2007 IK (also found in the "No Sheep for You" book), 3rd size
Yarn: Jo Sharp Aran Tweed, 7.5 skeins
Needles: Denise interchangeables 6 (border) and 7
Started: August or September 2007
Finished: November 12, 2007
Discussion: I wanted to make Mike something new for this year and a vest seemed like a great idea since it doesn't get terribly cold here. This pattern was somewhat of an "idiot project" for me (so simple I really didn't have to think about it), and I think because of that, it took a little longer than it should. I kept putting it down for more interesting things (Juliet) or quick-knit projects (Mason Dixon Baby Kimono). Although I've never worked with a yarn this dark before, I really liked it. The little flecks of color made up for the navy that I'm not much of a fan of.

I think this vest will see a lot of wear this winter.

I've also finished Hayden's Vanderbilt socks but haven't gotten around to taking a picture yet. They turned out fine (just plain ol' stockinette stitch socks with a k2p2 ribbing at the top), but the place where I picked up stitches on one sock's gusset has a gaping hole. It's not a dropped stitch or anything like that, it's just where my technique for doing that part of a sock sucks. It happens on just about every sock I do, some worse than others (like this one). Question for you sock knitters: how do you keep that from happening? If you don't know exactly what I'm talking about, check my next post. I'll embarrassingly put a picture of it up. Other than that, the socks turned out cute.

Up next: Tree Jacket out of Rowan Kid Classic and Fetching out of 100% cashmere. Both are for me - who the heck would give away a pair of cashmere fingerless gloves?!??

Who knits in Vegas?

I do.

Mike had a conference to go to, so I went with him. It was awesome. We have been a couple of times before, but it had been 5 years. I was excited about hearing some of the slot machine clink-clink-clinking that I'm addicted to. (I'm not much of a gambler, but I do love that noise! It's like crack!) We stayed at the Venetian - yeah, baby! The thing that I loved the most about staying there was the Canyon Ranch Spa on the 4th floor. Spa services are not really my thing, but exercising is. They had all sorts of classes, all sorts of cardio equipment, strength training machines, and bottled water in every nook and cranny. I worked out twice a day for at least an hour each time. What a way to justify all of the wine, blueberry-infused sake, pumpkin cheesecake, gelato, and $140 dinners! In between my trips to the spa, I knitted. I worked on a sock for Hayden:

And Mike's vest (Twist from the Fall IK):

I have to kitchener stitch the toe of Sock #1 and start the other. These are his socks to wear to the Vandy basketball games he'll go to with Mike. (I will be sitting home, knitting. Yay for basketball season!) On Twist, I have 6 more rows to do on the front so it can match the back, sew together, do the armhole and neck edging, and block. I'd say Vegas was a good knitting trip for me.

Another thing we did in Vegas was shop. We are not shoppers by any means, but we were able to let loose in Niketown in the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace. I got some new supercool rockstar sunglasses:

with supercool rockstar detail on the side:

I also scored the new Nike Amp+, which is the shit for runners:

It's basically a remote control watch for your iPod. I have a Nike+ sensor that is on my shoe and interacts with my iPod. On my iPod screen, I can see the details of my run: time, distance, average pace, and calories burned. But it's a pain in the butt to pull your iPod out of your pocket or armband (or ass) to look at your stats mid-stride. The Amp+ allows me to just hit a button on this watch-looking thingy and hear a guy tell me my stats. (And, of course, it's a remote control for your music. If you get to a song that's not motivating at that time, just hit the fast forward button on your wrist!) How cool is that??? I did my long run with it this morning and loved it.

We also saw a couple of shows: Phantom of the Opera on Saturday night and Zumanity, the new Cirque du Soleil show, on Sunday. Phantom was incredible, Zumanity not so much. It's advertised as the sensual side of Cirque du Soleil, so I figured it'd put us in the mood to rush back to the hotel room and get our groove on. Instead, we just climbed into bed and fell asleep. There's nothing exciting about topless Cirque performers, especially when their boobs are so small due to their amazing athletic prowess.

On the knitting horizon: the Gathered Pullover from the Winter IK. My goal is to wear it to my triathlon club's holiday party on December 8th. Can I do it?

Woot!

I got my new IK today -- did you? LOVE LOVE LOVE the Gathered Pullover! I think that'll be what my birthday yarn - Frog Tree Alpaca Sport - grows up to be! But when??? Must finish Mike's vest. Must finish Hayden's Vandy socks that I just started today. Must make a couple of Christmas gifts. Ack!

In non-knitting news, I with my new-found upper body strength (thanks to the Chains hell I put myself through for a month) have developed a passion for rock climbing. A friend of mine and I went to the local climbing gym this past Tuesday night, and I had a blast. I was able to do the climbs that had overhangs, something I hadn't been able to do in the past. Huzzah for Chains!!! If I can talk Mike into it (actually, no talking is needed - just performing my wifely duty a little bit more than usual is all that it takes) I'm going to get a membership for the off-season. 6 months of climbing, killer abs classes, access to the Chains stations, and a plethora of cute shirtless climbing boys! What more could I ask for?

Gotta love him!

Now that the cooler weather is FINALLY here, we have to dress a little warmer. Hayden refuses to wear a jacket but is okay with a sweater. The return of McTavish!

What a great son - he cheerfully wears Mommy's creations!

In other knitting news, I FINALLY finished the garter stitch scarf I started on our trip to Lake Placid.

Yes, I started a simple garter stitch scarf in July and didn't finish it in October.

(Like my shirt, at least what you can see of it? It's the naked mudflap girl knitting! Awesome, huh?) It turned out pretty, but not like Jared's. Why not? Just cast on 17 stitches on size 11 needles and do garter stitch until you run out of 2 skeins of Noro Kureyon. Must be like how your cottage cheese and tomato sandwiches aren't quite as good as the ones Mama made for you.

I am knitting away on Mike's vest, but that'll be put on hold this weekend for a pair of socks for Hayden. I bought 2 skeins of Lorna's Laces in the Bee Stripe colorway because I thought they'd make the perfect accessory as he and Mike go to Vanderbilt basketball games this season. Mike and I are leaving for Las Vegas on Saturday, so I figured socks would be a better plane choice than the front of a man's sweater. Hopefully pictures of both of these items will be coming soon.

FO: Juliet

Pattern: Zephyr's Juliet
Size: small
Yarn: Lang Yarns Eve, 5+ skeins (I think)
Needles: Denise interchangeables size 9
Discussion: I love it!!! This was my first Zephyr pattern, and I'm very happy. Like I said in an earlier post, this yarn was in my stash. The gauge is a bit smaller than the pattern called for, so I went with the small (I would've gone with the extra-small otherwise) and it turned out great. I've been wearing it all day. My thought was to wear it without buttons until I got a chance to go to the store for buttons, but the more I wear it, the more I like it without buttons. Unless someone has a strong pro-button argument, I'll leave it this way.

I was a little worried about the "poofiness" that other knitters have complained about, but I'm fine with the poof. In fact, I think the poof is quite cute and a bit girly, if I say so myself.

I said "I think" about the use of a little over 5 skeins because I didn't really keep track. I just kept going stash-diving for another skein when I needed it. I don't remember how many skeins of this yarn I bought originally and I don't really know how much I have left (my yarn closet is in TOTAL disarray right now, to the point of major embarrassment), so I'm guesstimating 5+.

Next up: to finish the Noro Kureyon garter stitch scarf started back in July (you didn't know a garter stitch scarf done on size 11 needles could take this long, huh?) and the vest in progress for DH. The back is basically done, thanks to our latest Disneyworld trip, and the seed stitch bottom border for the front has been started. I really want to dive into another Zephyr pattern (Tree Jacket for sure, and maybe Wicked with some Frog Tree Alpaca Sport that was a birthday gift back in September), but I'm promising myself that I'll finish the vest first. It's FINALLY cooling off here in Nashvegas, so maybe it'll be done at the perfect time.