The Best Laid Plans (Redux)
The night before DH's 1/4-Ironman race, he had a spill on his race bike during a training ride. He got a nasty gash across his Achilles tendon (which probably could have used a stitch or two), but even worse, his bike was out of commission for the race (bent wheel). He was beyond disappointed. Months of training, anticipation, and driving across 4 states to get to this race -- poof! Gone in an instant.

For a brief moment, I know he wanted to turn tail and drive home the day of the race. Here's why I love this man: he stayed and cheered his teammates on, graciously putting his disappointment aside and helping provide the much-needed encouragement required to finish this grueling race. His teammates knew how bummed DH was, and most of them made a point of personally thanking Tom for his support.

Of the 7 athletes competing from our team, 5 did the full 1/2-Ironman distance: Swim 1.2 miles, Bike 56 miles, Run 13.1 miles. The conditions were brutal: no wind and temperatures over 100 degrees, with almost no humidity. The athletes had streaks of salt lining their faces and bodies. 2 teammates did the 1/4-Ironman (half the distances, but still an incredible test of strength).

The upside? Our team swept 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in the 1/2-Ironman, and another got first in her age-class in the 1/4-Ironman. Here's the 3 winners:



And here's me 'n DH, my all-time winner in any contest :-)



Happy Tuesday, everyone.

Short post today -- I'm halfway through Skein 8 of 12 on the Microspun Sof'Bankie; pictures to come. Is it getting hot in here, or what? Oh, it's just all those yards of microfiber :-)

Today is a very special day -- it's DH's birthday! Every time I think about it I smile -- today was the day he came into this world, and I'm luckier for it. I love you, sweetie. Happy Birthday.

No more posting for the rest of the week -- tomorrow afternoon we leave for St. George, Utah. DH is competing in a 1/4-Ironman Triathlon on Saturday. We drive back on Sunday. This is DH's biggest race yet. He's been training so hard for this. Wish him luck!

See you on Monday. Have a nice weekend, everyone.

Monday is Just One Day
... of the week. But it's definitely the hardest! DH dragged my poot butt out the door at 5:20 am for a swim workout. I'm glad he did, but man! it's hard getting up and out the door. Thanks sweetie, for getting me there :-)

The Microspun Sof'Bankie was out 'n about this weekend; most notably at the Chargers vs. NY Jets game on Sunday, where the Chargers almost clawed their way back from behind to win. Alas, it wasn't to be; the Jets won, 34-28. Remember cute little Doug Flutie? He's San Diego's 3rd quarterback. At age 42, has no right to be on an NFL field, except that he's kept himself in top shape and injury free, and by golly, still has the chops to be put into a game in the 4th quarter and score a touchdown (which he ran in himself) to nearly tie the game. Woo hoo!

Ch-ch-ch Changes
The digest-sized Knitting Digest has changed its name and look. Now called Creative Knitting magazine, it's expanded to full magazine size, and has a fairly decent selection of patterns. Here's two that I liked:

Cute little cardigan


A bit bulky for San Diego, but still cute


And I got this cute blankie pattern in the mail. It's Oat Couture's Auntie's Afghan:



Cute, huh? Have a great Monday, everyone.

Friday is for FUN!
The Microsoft Sof'Bankie is almost halfway done. Rather than bore you with endless pictures of the blanket-in-progress (hey! here's another 3 inches done!), I've decided to take pictures of the blanket in action.

Here, I've tried to get the blanket to earn its keep. I stationed it in my cubicle at work, at my keyboard. It didn't seem interested. It kept slumping over the keys (kinda like me at the end of the day).



I even tried to tempt it with a piece of Jolly Rancher candy, but no go:



So I turned it into Thespian Blankie. Here, I'm making like Mary Magdelene in a roadshow version of Jesus Christ Superstar:



But the blankie seems happiest in my lap, with Hubbs nestled underneath. Nevermind that I'm roasting under all that dog hair and microfiber.

School Daze
Fun article on that venerable (though no longer produced) icon of back-to-school supplies, the Pee Chee folder. Plus a few other school supplies of yesteryear you might remember (mucilage, anyone?)

Happy Friday, everyone.

A Special Tuesday Post!
Someone is having a birthday today! Go over and wish her a happy one!

Microspun Redux
Thanks for all the compliments on DH's Nap Blanket, or the Sof' Bankie, as I call it (sof' bankie being the name of my security blanket when I was little :-)

As yarn goes, Microspun is a strange animal. The colors are super-saturated and very rich. When I ordered the lavender shade online directly from Lion Brand, it appeared much more subtle onscreen. DH and I were a bit taken aback when we opened the package and saw this vibrant, rich, glowing lavender microfiber yarn. We've decided we like it, though. My only gripe would be the lack of neutrals and jewel tones available in the color range. The available color range swings widely from a nice pink-tinged mocha (which I used in the original Microspun Shawl), to vibrant tropical lime green and fuschia. Although I notice they did add a very nice Silver Grey to the color line this year.

Being loosely plied, Microspun is also very splitty to work with. I suggest using needles with a fairly sharp point, or ones that "scoop" the yarn (i.e., Bryspuns), to avoid splitting. I have gotten used to it and haven't had too much trouble, but I do see a few loose strands where a split occurred. No biggie. The resulting fabric is light, warm, and soft. Perfect for a nap blanket!

See ya tomorrow. Go say hi to the Birthday Girl.

Oops! I forgot to answer Mia's question in yesterday's comments about the stitch used in the Microspun Sof' Bankie. It's a basic Ripple Stitch, as follows for the original Shawl pattern (calls for 6 skeins of Microspun):

RIPPLE STITCH
(over a multiple of 18 stitches + 6 extra)
Cast on 132 stitches.
ROW 1: (right side) Knit
ROW 2: K3, purl to last 3 stitches, K3.
ROW 3: K3 *(k2tog) 3 times (yo, k1) 6 times, (k2tog) 3 times; repeat from * to last 3 stitches, k3.
ROW 4: Knit.
Repeat Rows 1-4 until piece measures 60" from beginning. Bind off all stitches. Weave in ends.

Happy Rippling!

Ay, chihuahua, another Monday. I've been working on another Lion Brand Microspun project. DH kept petting the Microspun shawl as I was working on it, and hinted that he'd like a throw made out of it. Since he rarely asks for anything for himself, I jumped at the chance. Basically, I doubled the width of the Microspun shawl from 18" to 36" inches, and kept the length the same (60"). He asked for lavendar, to match the amethyst stone in his wedding ring. Done, sweetie. Here's my progress so far:



Here's a closeup of the pattern:



Dream a Little Dream
My entire life, I've never had a dream compelling or interesting enough to regret the alarm's interruption. Until this morning! I was in the middle of a really detailed dream in which I was on the phone with Steven Spielberg. He was very interested in an idea I had for a movie. He was telling me, in detail, the proper procedure for submitting a screenplay draft to his office, and the damn alarm went off! Aargh!

Have a nice Monday, everyone.

I Really WAS Gonna Post, But ...
Ooh. New Knitty. Yum. Must go there now.

p.s. Hubbers thanks everyone for all the compliments. He already knows he's the baddest dog on the planet, but likes to hear it, anyway :-)

Mystery Guest, Please Sign In

Hey, everybody. Mom asked me to be Guest Blogger today, 'cuz she and Dad are still feeling a little low since that kid left a few weeks ago. So I said, sure! if there's some treats involved. Specifically, people food treats, 'cuz they're way better than any stupid old dog food, right? Right.

So my name is Hubbs. My fancy-schmancy AKC name is Hubbs von Kurtzbine, but you can call me Hubbs. Or Hubber T. Dog, which is short for "Hubber the Dog." Just don't call me late for dinner, OK? I'm a miniature dachshund, but don't you dare call me mini-anything, or I'll take your leg off at the ankle. I'm just as tough as any so-called "large breed," just concentrated in a smaller package.

I live a pretty nice life, all in all. Mom and Dad spoil me pretty darn good. I guess if I had one complaint it would be that I deserve people food all the time, not just for the occasional treat. 'Cuz people food is way better than any stupid old dog food, right? Oh, I already said that. Well, it's true! Mom and Dad say that people food upsets my stomach and I have little "accidents" when I eat it. Huh. They say. I think I handle it just fine, thank you very much.

I have a nice yard, which I guard very well. The daily delivery dorks -- the UPS dude, the Fedex guy, and the Mail dude, all fear my uber-guard skills. They don't even come into the yard anymore; they just leave packages at the gate or toss them over. Huh. Got them trained.

There's a bunch of weird, feathered animals that live in the house. They're called parrots. I don't bother them; they don't bother me. Mom and Dad seem to appreciate that I don't try to eat these parrot things. I guess most dogs would try; I don’t particularly care. They're funny little things -- always squawking and flapping these things called wings. A whole lotta fuss over nothing, I say. I'm so mellow around these parrot things that I can sit on Mom's lap while she has a parrot on her shoulder. The parrots seem OK with it, and Mom likes to be able to pet both of us at the same time. What a circus, huh?

OK, I gotta jam. Got a yard to guard, ya know. The delivery dorks oughta be showing up in a few hours, and I gotta catch a few winks and be ready to terrify them. Catch you later. Mom ought to be back later this week. She's doing a little better. I miss that kid that used to be here, too. He was good for a few people treats and pets now and then. Bye.

The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry."
"To a Mouse", Robert Burns

I'm checking in briefly to thank everyone who commented, emailed, or sent e-cards over the past week. Your outpouring of care and concern was like a healing balm on my and DH's hurts. I'll be fine; I always am. But I worry about DH. He'd been wanting RockStar to live with him for so long, and to have it end like this has been very painful. We've had one phone call (initiated by DH), and other than that, no communication. We hope RS is in school (he wasn't as of the end of last week, and school started August 11th); I hope his mother is making sure he takes his ADD meds; is making sure he gets to bed on time 'cuz he's such a night owl if left to his own devices ... just because the kid is gone doesn't mean the worry left with him.

I was so optimistic about this summer. I envisioned myself running and having a blast training with DH, I looked forward to RockStar heading east to visit his mom so we'd all get a much-needed break from each other, and I looked forward to his return and the start of his junior year. Well. Things haven't quite worked out the way I'd envisioned. The knees haven't held up for running. RockStar's decamped for the East Coast. I know there's lessons to be learned from all this, but I'll be damned if I've figured out what they are.

My sincere thanks and gratitude to all of you for your kind words and encouragement. I'll be back soon. I am knitting through this mess. Appropriately enough, I'm knitting a throw, 'cuz that's what I feeling like doing right now. Throwing something. See you soon.

Speechless
I'm taking a blog break this week. One week ago today, RockStar was due to come home to San Diego from his annual summer visit to his mother's in North Carolina. Instead, on the day he was due back, he called his father and announced that he wasn't coming back, and wanted to live with his mother again. A week of back-and-forth phone calls ensued. DH and I assured him that whatever was wrong, we'd work it out when he got home. The entire drama ended last Friday night, with a farewell email from RockStar. DH and I are stunned, to say the least. We're still picking up the emotional pieces. I need a few days to sort myself out. I'll be back in a week or so.

Another Day, Another Book
... another project I'll never have time for (sigh!). I guess I pre-ordered this from Amazon, 'cuz it showed up yesterday. I must have pre-ordered it months ago; I really don't recall ordering it at all. I like the cover jacket a lot:



And I like the Casual Cable Sweater, made of Rowan Magpie:



Got a few more inches done on the Microspun Mocha Shawl. Coincidentally, I was organizing my patterns a bit the other day and found another shawl pattern that's virtually identical to the Mocha Shawl. It's the Victoria Lace Shawl from St. Seraphina Knits.

The new KnitNet is up. I've been subscribing to KnitNet for at least a year, and have yet to make one of their patterns. I feel a bit like the March Hare from Alice in Wonderland ... always short of time! Someday (ha!), I'll get around to making one of their patterns.

Gotta go. No time! No time! Happy Wednesday, everyone.

More Stuff (I Have No Time For)
This pretty book showed up in the mail this weekend:



It's a nice book, but doesn't do more than just scratch the surface of most lace techniques. But the glove pattern on the cover is worth the price of admission! Plus, there's a nice section on Irish Lace, which I've never really understood until now.

Post Race Reflections
The AFC Half Marathon & 5K was a lot of fun, and a very good first race for me. I was a bit intimidated by the rush of runners at the beginning, and stuck close to DH for most of the race. It's interesting, my whole running style has changed in the 2 sessions I've had at the San Diego Running Institute. I kept surging past DH, then I'd slow down and wait for him to catch up. Over and over again, for the entire 3.1 miles. If I'd cut loose and went for it, I'd have been at about a 4.5mph pace. DH was amazed. He's always wanted to run faster, so he's off to see Gina at SDRI soon. The post-race mingling was fun, too. The rest of our team met up and compared race experiences, while scarfing down the complimentary bananas, oranges, and bottled water provided. Me 'n DH were the only ones doing the 5K -- DH could have done the half-marathon, but being the sweetheart he is, accompanied me during my first race :-) The other members of our team did the half-marathon. All in all, a lot of fun.

Happy Monday, everyone!

Here's where I'll be at 6:00 am Sunday! Me 'n DH are doing the 5K. Wish us luck! Have a nice weekend, everyone.

I Don't Remember It Being This Hard
... when I was a kid. I'm talking about swimming. My smiling-but-sadistic Brazilian trainer had me swim over 1100 meters on Wednesday morning. Thursday morning, I can barely lift my arms to compose this entry. Ow. But I promised pictures of new stuff, so I dragged out the camera and snapped these goodies that arrived from Elann. First, some yummy 100% alpaca and Austermann "Caprice":



... to make this:



... and this:



Yum! And I've got about 36" of progress on the Microspun Mocha Shawl:



Rowan's Denim People showed up in the mail the other day. I especially like Brooklyn. It reminds me of the Adidas track suits I used to wear in high school:



I'm thinking some Den-M-Nit from Elann would work for this design. Has anyone tried subbing it for Rowan Denim?

OK, my arms are screaming for a break. Time for some ibuprofen and a walkabout in the office. See ya.

2 Much 2 Soon
Ay yi yi. Monday rolled around much too quickly. So much to show you! And no time to take pictures this morning. Rowan's Denim People showed up in Saturday's mail; got a bunch done on the Microspun Mocha Shawl, and, ta da! DH bought me a new mattress and a road bike and accessories! I'm feeling very spoiled right about now. Pictures of my bounty tomorrow Wednesday Thursday (arrgh!). Happy Monday, everyone :-)

Digging a Trench with a Teaspoon
That's how it feels sometimes when I view my project progress vs. future projects I want to undertake. I have so little spare time to indulge in my fiber pursuits that my finished-project-to-future-project ratio will always be hopeless skewed in the wrong direction. Ah well, I guess I never have to worry about having a project at hand, right?

I knit up about 5" on the Microspun Mocha Shawl, but since this sucker is about 80" long and I'm currently at about inch #24, I won't bore you with a picture.

Lace Me Up
I'm an old-fashioned girl at heart. Maybe it's the Lace Curtain Irish in me, but I love lace edgings on pillowcases, crocheted lace tableclothes on the dining room table, and crocheted lace bedspreads. So when these old McCalls's mags and an old Coats & Clarks booklet showed up in the mail from one of my favorite vendors, Vintage Knits, I was thrilled:



I think I may have to bite the bullet and choose a bedspread to work on. If I choose a design composed of individual squares, I can turn this into an ideal takealong project. Maybe someday, way off in the future, I'll accumulate enough squares for a bedspread or tablecloth. Ever hopeful, I am!

One Step Forward, Two Back
Update on the Running Thang -- I had an appointment with a Biomechanic Specialist(!) at the San Diego Running Institute earlier this week. Sounds pretty important and official, doesn't it? Well, the SDRI is actually a running shoe store owned by a chiropractor and managed by a very knowledgeable young woman named Gina, who is an expert in Kinesiology (body movement). The lowdown: my right leg is ... OK. Slightly knock-kneed, but not badly so. The left leg, however, is a strange animal: more severely knock-kneed, and rolling inward from heel to toe. Watching myself in a mirror as I ran on a treadmill was quite illuminating: my left knee crosses waaay over toward, and almost in front of, the right knee. No wonder it hurts!

I ran for 10 minutes on the treadmill in my current shoes (a pair of Brooks) while Gina carefully watched and made copious notes. She also spent a lot of time measuring my back, legs, feet, and hips. Based on the above, she determined that my current shoes were the wrong size, didn't help my feet track "straight" and didn't have enough arch support or room in the toe box. She chose a pair of Asics shoes and a pair of orthotic inserts for me to try. I strapped on the new shoes (which happened to also be a lovely girly-girl shade of silver with pink stripes!), and ran another 10 minutes on the treadmill. What a difference! My left knee straightened out dramatically and tracked nearly straight in front. My biomechanics still ain't perfect, but they're a lot better.

I ran another 10 minutes in which we worked on "gait training" to help my body memorize proper running form. My base form isn't too bad, but I was running at much too short a stride. If I lengthen my stride, I spend more time "in the air" and strike the ground at significantly fewer strokes per minute, thus lessening the amount of impact on my body. Makes sense, huh? I was also overusing my arms, almost in a cross-country skiing motion, which further expends unnecessary energy. The point is, if I get tired too quickly, I won't be able to maintain good form, which will lead to further injury. All in all, this was money well spent.

Why am I spending so much time and thought (not to mention $$) to pursue an activity that may not pan out? Because on the ride home from SDRI, I had a goofy grin plastered on my face from my accomplishments and the pure joy of running again. And I'm willing to fight for that. It's that simple.

I have 2 more appointments with Gina to further reinforce the gait training and learn some leg strengthening exercises. I've got my fingers crossed! I may never be a long distance runner, but if I can get myself to the point where I can safely run 3 days a week, I'll be happy. The swimming and bike riding will fill the other days.

Where is this all going? Who knows. I had a swimming lesson last night with DH's triathlon coach, who is also an internationally ranked triathlete. I told him what Gina said about my probably not being an ideal candidate for long distance running, and he slyly said, "Sprint Triathlons. Short running distance. 3.2 miles. No problem." Damn it. They're still trying to pull me into their crazy group. Pray for me, people. We're buying a road bike for me this weekend. The road to hell is paved with Asics running shoes and a Lance Armstrong bracelet:



Happy Friday, everyone.

Wednesday, Schmensday
So what if it's Wednesday? Hump Day? The middle of the week? Pah! I got this in the mail last night:

Reel me in, I'm hooked!


That's right! Three skeins of Twilleys Silky in black, and an entire Boye steel crochet hook set! Don't you wish you were me? I know I do.

All this fabulous loot came from JKL Needles, a great vendor to work with. The Silky thread is a 2-ply, 100% viscose, #5 crochet thread that I really look forward to trying. I'll be making the scarf pictured above. Much as I love the Shades of Roses Painted Scarf, the tiny threads are just a bit much for me right now. So this Black Beauty Scarf will feed my ongoing crochet jones without further taxing my poor over-40's eyesight.

Look for me in the corner. I'll be the gal tangled in black thread with an idiotic grin on her face. Happy Wednesday, everyone.

Post Vacation Haze
What is it about the first Monday morning after a vacation? It seems like the previous week is already a distant haze! Even if you have a great job to return to (which I do), it's hard to get back into the swing of things. But I endeavor to persevere!

Thanks for all the nice comments wishing me a happy vacation. It certainly was, even if it went by all too quickly. We arrived in the Pacific Northwest on Friday evening to catch the tail-end of a heat wave (103 degrees in Portland upon landing). We spent one night in Portland at a hotel -- my mother was entertaining cousins from Sweden and couldn't fit us in! The next morning (Saturday), we headed off for British Columbia. A nice if uneventful drive, ending with a loooong 2-hour wait at the border at Blaine, Washington.

Fortunately, we had a lovely destination -- Bowen Island, a short ferry ride from Vancouver, and the home of a good friend and business associate. A lovely night was spent there recovering from the 9-hour drive and border wait. Then one day (Sunday) in Vancouver visiting friends. DH had a golf/business meeting, and I hung out with a friend and caught The Bourne Supremacy in a lovely air-conditioned theater (good movie, quite different in pace from the first Bourne movie).

The next morning (Monday), off on a ferry to Victoria, BC! The Empress Hotel in Victoria was quaint, with no air-conditioning! We spent the day walking around downtown Victoria, peeking in the shops. I had given up hope of finding the famous Beehive Wools, when we stumbled across it while trying to find Chinatown. A huge shop, crammed floor to ceiling with lots of lovely yarn. Again, no air conditioning! It was a bit stuffy, to say the least. DH stayed outside. I braved the humid cocoon-like interior, and came out with this:

12 Skeins of Lett Lopi, for another Aran Poncho


Jeanette Crew's "Beautifully Wrapped" Book


Early Tuesday morning, we caught the ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles, WA. It was a much smaller ferry than the one we took from Vancouver to Victoria, and I got seasick on the passage. I felt much better once back on dry land! Then we drove the Olympic Peninsula from Port Angeles to Olympia -- a very lovely drive. From Olympia, we hopped on Interstate 5 & 205 back to Portland.

Once back in Portland, we spent the next 5 days chillin' at my mom's house. I wish I could say it was a blissful visit, but there's some stressful family stuff going on (finances and an impending divorce) that cast a worrisome shadow over the visit. Lots of praying going on in the family over various situations.

Saturday we flew back to San Diego, to an empty house. RockStar is visiting his mom in North Carolina for 3 weeks, and the cat, dog, and birds were all boarded at various facilities. Sunday we rounded up all the animals, and the ark was full again!

Of course I took a Road Project with me -- something easy and mindless that I could quickly stuff into a bag as needed. This free shawl pattern on the Lion Brand Microspun label fit the bill perfectly!

6 Skeins of Microspun makes this:


Two skeins worth of shawl, with a third skein just attached:


Close-up of the 4-row Ripple Pattern:


Gotta scoot! Works calls, and since I didn't win the lottery in my absence, I'm obligated to show up and see how much spam has accumulated in my email box :-)

Happy Monday, everyone!

See Ya Later, Alligator!
On a badly needed vacation. No rest for the weary; this is a working vacation -- visiting family and business associates/friends. Bringing the running shoes, but am only walking these days 'cuz the knee is still acting up (grrr). Destination: Vancouver, British Columbia for 2 days, Victoria, BC for 1 day (staying at the oh-so-elegant Empress Hotel), then on to Portland, Oregon for 4 days. We're flying from San Diego to Portland this afternoon. Then it's a Road Trip all around the Pacific Northwest, baby!

See ya in a week. Don't knit anything I wouldn't.

Something to Cro(chet) About
If you ain't into being a hooker, move on, 'cuz I'm about to show you my latest score from Awesome Ewe:

Twilley's # 396 -- "Sheer Sophistication"


Sheer Sophistication Projects


Twilley's #391 -- "Ladies Fashion"


Ladies Fashion Projects


My favorite is the scarf on the far right from Sheer Sophistication. It's made from 3 balls of Twilleys Silky, a 100% rayon thread. I ordered 3 balls of Black from JKL Needles. I also splurged on a Boye Steel Crochet Hook Set. Hookin' fun coming up!

Radio Ruminations
So I'm driving along, and Stevie Wonder's "Part-Time Lovers" comes on the radio. Assuming that the song is somewhat autobiographical, I begin to wonder exactly how a blind person conducts an affair. In the song, he talks about sneaking around, talking on the phone, etc. How does a blind person accomplish this? For instance, if he's on the phone setting up an assignation with his amore, how does he know he's alone? Maybe his wife's right across the room. How would he know? And how does he get there? Automatically another person is involved, to at least drive Stevie to his offsite passion pit. Can you imagine if you were Stevie's wife and walked into the living room and found him whispering on the phone to another woman? "Damn you, Stevie! I told you to quit sneakin' around on me!" Sorry. It's just the way my mind works. I gotta wonder about the logistics of these things.

Happy Wednesday Thursday, everyone.