Incremental 5K: Week 7

Every month I’m picking one skill to practice everyday for a month and updating my progress every Monday. I call it Project Incremental. Read up on how it all got started. 

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Last week there was daily stretching, regular workouts, and a fair bit of walking. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much in the way of running. At least, I’ve managed to establish a nice baseline of things to do whether I run or not. It’ll probably be a really solid routine if I ever swing a kettle bell into the mix. Maybe next year, which isn’t as far off as I’d like to think.

This morning I woke up, got dressed, and was out to the park before I could talk myself out of the whole thing. There were a few warm-up laps before I started the 5K app counting and then got down to business. I didn’t skip any of the prompts or cut out early. 15 laps later, I’d managed to cover 3 miles in 35 minutes which isn’t my best time but I’m happy with it all the same. It’s a good start.

Finished and back home, I was sweaty, thirsty, and just a tiny bit sore but I was happy I’d forced myself out for a run. Happiness and excitement is much better than the grumbly attitude I had waking up this morning. That joyful little boost is enough for me to look forward to Wednesday and even Friday. You should probably remind me of this Wednesday morning though so I’ll get my butt out the door.

Whirling Purple

Dear Spinning,

I’ve missed you. After I finished up that last skein of handspun, I had such grand plans. I was going to spin a soft, grey single of alpaca and wool. I picked out several bumps to practice fractal spinning. I was looking forward to spending more time with my turkish drop spindle. I was even contemplating pulling apart the silk hankies to what how they spun up. I fantasized about wheels. Unfortunately, transitional relocations, travel, knitting, and a number of other projects got in the way.  

The good news is that I’m finally back. The other day I pulled a batch of purple top out of the fiber stash, split it up, and paired it with one of my favorite spindles. The end goal is for a few hundred yards of fingering weight 2-ply. The first single is turning out riotously purple and a little bit hairy which is just fine with me. Won’t be long before I start the second single either. 

Totally enjoying the purple fluff,

April

The Denver Socks

Can I still call this pair ‘The Denver Socks’ even if I only knit on them for a few minutes in the hotel and waiting at the bus stops? When I cast on for these socks before leaving home, I thought I’d be knitting on the plane, at cute cafes, and generally killing time between awesome. Turns out, 6:15 AM flights are not conducive to knitting nor are large, flying sardine cans with no elbow room. Ended up just reading a book, The Night Circus, on the flight back. At least, I didn’t have any problems getting circular needles on a plane at either airport.

I’m not disappointed by the lack of sock knitting, or any kind of knitting, while I was on the trip. 4 days isn’t a much time as you would think and I was busy filling it up with walking, museums, shopping, food, an aquarium, and general explorations to notice much. I wanted to experience a new place and all the sights and sounds that entails. I could knit at home after all. Now that I am home and back to my usual routine, the socks are steadily growing. I’m keeping it simple with some 3x2 ribbing and a pair of afterthought heels. I’m still calling them ‘The Denver Socks’.  

Incremental 5K: Week 6

Every month I’m picking one skill to practice everyday for a month and updating my progress every Monday. I call it Project Incremental. Read up on how it all got started. 

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Last week the weather was cold, windy, cloudy, and occasionally wet. So, I slept in and morning runs just didn’t happen. Neither did afternoon runs despite my best intentions. I’m blaming the rain. Now that the excuses are out of the way, I can say that the week wasn’t a total waste of training since there’s more to running than just running. There’s also stretching.

Back during September and my walk everyday challenge, I got into the habit of regular, daily stretching. At first, I just worked over my thighs, hamstrings, calves, and ankles. Couldn’t walk or run if I pulled something after all. Over the past months, the routine has expanded to start with my neck, end with my ankles, and cover everything in between. My flexibility has increased dramatically and I’m more relaxed sitting in front of a computer or during long knitting sessions. Tense shoulders are detrimental to both of those activities and worth preventing. Half the time, the stretching turns into a mini-workout for my arms and abs even if I don’t make it the track. I’m not a total slacker.

This week’s goal is to keep up the stretching and get back to running again. The weather looks pretty decent so I won’t be able to use that as an excuse. Just need to find a really annoying alarm clock now.

Pattern: Slouchy Babe

Things started out simply enough. My mom was going to her niece’s baby shower and requested a cute baby hat. But only if I had one in stock. I didn’t and decided to remedy the situation promptly. So, I started perusing Ravelry with a few ideas in mind: simple, slouchy, eyelets, and baby sized. There was nothing quite like I wanted so out came the sketchbook, the calculator, the needles, and the yarn. After more swatching, ripping, and pages of notes than I’d like to admit, I had a simple, slouchy, baby sized hat with eyelets. Knit from the top-down too.

Mom headed off to the baby shower, hat in hand, a few days later and I kept knitting. Soon there was another baby hat, a toddler hat, a kid hat, and an adult sized hat because I wanted one too. I wore it to the breast cancer 5k, hiking in the woods, all around town, and even took it to Denver with me. It’s warm, it’s comfy, and it looks good. What’s not to love?

Slouchy Babe

Sizes: 0-6 mo (16”), 6-18 mo (18.5”), 18-4 yrs, 4 yrs & up (20”) 

Worsted Weight Yarn (60, 75, 100, 130 yds)

Shown in Berroco Vintage and Berroco Ultra Alpaca

Gauge: 21 sts = 4” in eyelet pattern

US 6 (4 mm) needles

download  |  @ravelry

Exploring Denver

It’s only been two days since the Bearded One and I flew out of Denver for more familiar turf and I’m already coming up with reasons to go back. One, the most I saw of the Rockies was driving into and out of the city. Must explore the mountains. Two, there are actual seasons. Three, Denver was such a fun, vibrant, and walkable city. Four, I just want to experience more of Colorado. 

On the first full day in city after breakfast, I just wandered around, walking from interesting building to interesting building. Eventually, I bought a sketchbook and a map so I could plan and record the trip. I carried it all over the city to tasty restaurants, on the bus, through the aquarium, and in search of yarn. I wrote down directions, bus schedules, souvenirs, and places to visit. It was my daily log that I updated in my hotel room and while sipping tea at the Tattered Cover Bookshop (awesome indie bookshop, by the way). That book is my trip in lists and I’m duplicating a few here.

• I can breath easily. Take that, altitude.
• The subprocesses of my brain related to Architecture and City Planning are now main processes. Must sketch everything. 
• I can order tea with almond milk? Yes, please.
• Did I really walk 10 miles today? Yep.
• At the aquarium, “Cool fish, big fish, pretty fish, colorful fish, TIGERS?!”
• Whoo! Local Yarn!
• Wish I could see more of the mountains from the city. 
• Just the Denver Art Museum alone is worth the trip. I could have spent days just exploring its treasures and the amazing Van Gogh exhibit. 
• I could live here.

The Colorado State Capital Building

An interesting building because it's surrounded by a parking lot in the middle of the city. Definitely not the norm.

Heran, I think, a Sumatran tiger at the Downtown Aquarium

Denver's streetlamps

Moon Jellyfish at the Downtown Aquarium

Incremental 5K: The Denver Edition

Last week was a great adventure. On Wednesday the Bearded One and I took a plane to Denver, CO and spent 4 days exploring the city. There was an aquarium, awesome buildings, shopping, tea, great bookshops, yarn (more on that later), and walking. So much walking. The first real day I had in the city, I covered 10 miles on foot. The next day, I figured out the bus schedule. All totaled in Google Maps, I walked about 20 miles wandering the city. My legs hated me at the time but now we’re back on friendly terms.

Now that I’m back on my home turf, it’s time to start 5K training again. My ankle feels great, my legs are cooperating, and I’m back to my normal oxygen levels. I could do without the ever present humidity though. Walking 20 miles around Denver, even if I was just shuffling down the sidewalk, let me know what just what I’m capable of and that my ankle is back in working order. Time to stop making excuses, feeling sorry for myself, and just starting running.

Flying West

Hopefully, by the time you read this, by the magic of time zones, and if the SquareSpace servers hold out against Hurricane Sandy, my flight will be landing in Denver, Colorado. I cast on for a new pair of green ribbed socks just to keep me company on the plane. To keep the socks and their needles company in the bag, I printed out a sheet of paper from the TSA website that declares knitting needles permitted on aircraft. Otherwise, I’m going to be really sad I didn’t pick out a book to read on the plane. I’ll let you know how that goes.

If you’re on the East Coast, I wish you the best of luck in fending of Hurricane Sandy’s last hurrah.

Oh, and Happy Halloween.

Incremental 5K: Week 4

Every month I’m picking one skill to practice everyday for a month and updating my progress every Monday. I call it Project Incremental. Read up on how it all got started. 

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Another week, another post, and the routine continues unabated. Wish I could say the same thing about 5K training. Two weeks ago, I went for an impromptu run without enough of a warm up and now my ankle doesn’t like flexing. I tried ignoring it at first but decided that was a horrible idea. So, this past week, I didn’t try to run or even go for daily walks. Just the usual day to day jaunts, a hike through Bankhead National Forest, and lots and lots of stretching. 

My ankle is much better this week and I hope it’s ready to tromp all over the city of Denver. The 5K training is still on hiatus this week but I’m not giving up. When I asked for advice about running a few weeks ago, I heard “Don’t Wimp Out,” and from SillyLittleLady, “It might not always feel good during the run, but you’ll always feel good after it!” I’m taking those both to heart and, when my ankle feels like cooperating, I’ll be ready and willing to start from scratch.

IT'S A TRAP!

Totally couldn’t help myself. Plus, the whole “It’s a trap!” thing is an internet mandated requirement whenever Admiral Ackbar is involved. Also, go watch the Admiral Ackbar cereal skit. I’ll wait. 

Every so often, “Your tongues cannot repel flavor of that magnitude!” floats through my mind and I can’t stop laughing. Whose tongue would be able withstand a combination of marshmallows and imitation crab meat, after all? Silliness aside, it’s time to get down to the serious business of knitting a Star Wars alien admiral.

Pattern: Admiral Ackbar Sock Monkey by Carbonscoring

Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes - Persimmon Heather, Cloud, Coal, Silver, and Turmeric

Needles: US 4 (3.5mm) DPN’s

Dates: Oct 9 - 25, 2012

@Ravelry

Ackbar was knit as a gift and I really, really wanted to keep him for myself. He’s giant, floppy, cuddly, and has such a great face. I’m going to have to knit an Ackbar clone just for me once all that pesky holiday knitting is out of the way. He can guard my desk and warn me of traps. 

The pattern description says that the knitting will be a “cake walk” if you’ve ever knit socks before and it’s true. Since the pattern is adapted from a sock monkey, the head and mouth are sock toes and the the butt is a heel flap and gusset. The knitting was pretty easy and mostly stockinette. You just have to obsessively count the rows and be prepared to spend some time sewing up the face. You can find a full list of my mods on Ravelry.

Gotta love a Mon Calamarian man in uniform.

Adventure Socks

I started these socks last month to keep me occupied while The Bearded One and I drove around Atlanta. They came with me on a road trip to Mississippi. They hung out in my purse while I ran errands and wandered around town. They showed up at knit night. Now, in a great bit of timing, the pair is bound off and ready to be worn on my next big trip to Denver, CO. From henceforth, these socks shall be known as The Adventure Socks.  The Driving Atlanta title just isn’t cutting it anymore.

Adventure Socks

Yarn: Cascade Sassy Stripes - 714 (discontinued)

Needles: 2.25mm circulars

Dates: Aug 31 - October 23, 2012

@ravelry

These socks were such great company during my travels because the pattern was so simple: toe-up, 3x1 rib, a few calf increases, and an afterthought heel. As a true testament to the simplicity, I finished knitting the last rows on the second sock, bound off, put the heel stitches pack on the needles, cut open the heel, and started the decreases all while walking around the mall. It helped that the mall wasn’t crowded that day, but still, simplicity rocks. Self striping sock yarn is good stuff too and I’m glad I’ve got several more pairs worth in the stash.

Now that these socks are going to be on my feet and off the needles, I need some new travel knitting. Another pair of simple socks might be just the thing. Also, anyone have recommendations for fun stuff to do in Denver?

Incremental 5K: Week 3

Last week was full of the usual routines - walking, trying to run, knit night, wasting time on the internet, etc - and one brand new thing. Bright and early on Saturday morning, I headed into Birmingham for the Komen Race for the Cure 5K.

I joined Team Boobapalooza with a few friends from knit night and it was the first time I’ve walked in any kind of organized 5K. Wasn’t really sure what to expect but the place was packed and covered in pink. I arrived early enough to find a parking space which meant I spent a lot of time waiting for the walk to start. Thankfully, Team Boobapalooza was pleasant company.

To be honest, I’ve never really understood the whole “let’s walk in a big circle to support X” concept until now. How is my walking going to cure breast cancer, or stop ALS, or fund a library? It wasn’t until  I was walking down 20th and saw the thousands of people ahead of me and the thousands behind me that I began to understand. There is strength in numbers and power in a common cause. Walking isn’t medical research or the cure for breast cancer but it shows strength, camaraderie, and influence.  It is a celebration of the people who are still with us and a remembrance of those that we’ve lost. When people join together there is hope and movement towards a better future where people don’t die from cancer.

Afterthought Heels the Cat Bordhi Way

It’s only been a month and a half since I cast on for these socks in Atlanta and the pair is almost finished. The first sock, in all its toe-up, self-striping, 3x1 rib glory, is bound off. The second sock is not. The first sock has a heel. The second sock does not but soon will thanks to an awesome technique called the Afterthought Heel.

When it comes to socks, I’m usually a big fan of the gusset and heel flap since the combo fits my feet really well; however, the socks I’ve made from Cat Bordhi’s Personal Footprints for Insouciant Sock Knitters have shown me that I don’t need a gusset to have a well fitting sock. So, when I started the socks and wanted even stripes all the way up, I decided to try an afterthought heel with 3x1 ribbing on the instep to help the fit. The rows would stay the same width, and I wouldn’t have to worry about where to start the gusset increases or measure the sock every 5 minutes while stuck in Atlanta traffic. I could just knit and put my mind on other things. 

Most afterthought heels call for knitting in a half row of waste yarn where the heel should go which leaves a gap in each of the corners. In Personal Footprints, Bordhi has a great alternative that prevent gaps and is very easy to knit from. You just can’t be afraid to cut your knitting. Honestly, it’s not as scary as it sounds.

When you reach the spot for the heel (Most patterns mark this as 2” or 2.5” less than the total length but I only needed an 1.5”. My sock came out .5” short but still fits well so the measurements are forgiving.) or come back to it after a few more inches of knitting, thread a lifeline through through the sole stitches on one row of the sock and the sole stitches two rows up.

Come back and slip your needles back into stitches on the lifeline. Pull out the lifeline.

Pick a stitch in the middle of the middle row and snip.

Unravel the remaining middle stitches but leave the last 2 at each corner. They prevent those annoying gaps. You’ll knit the corner stitches just like normal stitches.

With new yarn, start knitting a toe. I went for a standard wedge toe and to help the “toe” fit better I decreased on the last 2 rows to round out the shape. Then, I grafted the remaining stitches. Feel free to drop in any toe you like. 

Cat Bordhi has a great video demonstrating this technique on a pair of Houdini Socks (Afterthought Legs!) that I highly recommend.

Sock one is all finished and I am in love. The stripes are even, the heel looks great, and the fit is wonderful. Now I just need to finish up sock number two before the weather turns much colder.

To Adventure

Last weekend was filled with adventure. On Friday, I took a trip up to Springville, AL for the Homestead Hollow Harvest Festival. I indulged in meat on stick (which is always a good decision) and funnel cake. I bought some awesome soap from Earthstone Soap Company which I can’t wait to try out. I fell prey to adorable pottery and took some home. I heard about spinning demonstrations but saw none. Made me wish I’d brought my spindle and acted as an unofficial, walking demonstration.

On Saturday I headed over to Atlanta for food, fun, and general goodness but not before stopping by the fiber guild meeting. The fiber guild cannot be denied, after all, and October’s program was all about rug hooking. The first thing that came to mind when I heard “rug hooking” at last month’s meeting were those fuzzy latch hook kits I’ve seen in craft stores and usually with kittens, or lighthouses, or Homer Simpson (not that I don’t love The Simpsons) on the box. Turns out, latch hooking and rug hooking are not the same thing. When I saw some of the amazing rugs the teacher had made, I signed up for the class.

When I arrived on Saturday with an embroidery hoop, I got a cute, little kit to make a pumpkin coaster. The teacher showed us how to move our hands, start the loops, turn corners, and follow curves. Then she set us loose with strips of wool and hooks. I managed to finish the pumpkin’s outline before I left and added a bit more over the weekend. Eventually, I’ll fill in the pumpkin, surround it with black loops and turn the whole thing into a coaster.

Even after years of knitting, months of spinning, and a burgeoning crush on cross-stitch, I am still amazed at the possibilities created by yarn, fabric, needles, hooks, thread, and a little bit of patience. I want to try out and learn about as many of these “possibilities” - like rug hooking - as I can, even if just for a few minutes each. I’ve got to expand my post-apocalyptic skill-set, you know. Seriously, it’s easy to joke about but this urge I have to learn and make stuff is hard describe. What I can say is that I never want to lose it. So, I wish you all the best while you learn, and experiment, and adventure and make stuff, and try new things.  

Incremental 5K: Week 2

​Every month I’m picking one skill to practice everyday for a month and updating my progress every Monday. I call it Project Incremental. Read up on how it all got started. 

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Last week I was all gung-ho about starting training for some far off 5K. Then I got sick and just standing up made me tired and wobbly. So, walking was out and tiny amounts of running was definitely out. So, the goodness that is 5K training starts this week instead.

I might be even more psyched out to start running this week than I was last week because I really wanted to start last Monday. I have a new pair of toe shoes and a Couch to 5K app on my iPod. Plus, once I was feeling better, I went to a festival and indulged my love of meat on a stick and funnel cake. I’m ready to get moving. 

Anyone have any tips about what you would have loved to know when you first started running?

Relaunch!

Over the past two months and especially during the last couple of weeks, I’ve been doing a lot of work on something not strictly related to yarn - this site, studiostrategos.com. The name and the address will stay the same but there’s a whole new look and layout. I could not be more thrilled and I’m excited to finally be able to share this with you. Please take a look around and let me know what you think.

Along with the site’s brand new look is a brand new RSS feed (though it looks like the old one will still work)- click here for the link. The link, along with a few other ways to stay connected, are also located in the “Follow” tab up top.

​Oh, and just because today is “I Love Yarn Day,” here’s some cushy yarn goodness. I’ll be back next week with talk of 5K training, knitting, and lots more yarn.

​Araucania Coliumo Multy - 23

From Fiber to Yarn

I’m still fighting the good fight against the first and, hopefully, last cold of the season. So much for going for a run or even standing up for long periods of time. Thankfully, handspun yarn doesn’t need me to stand vigil while it dries or my latest skein would still be wet. Since it’s all new, fresh, and pretty, it gets to do the talking today. Take it from the top...

4 oz of Gale’s Art Polworth 85/Silk 15 (Indian Corn)

Split into quarters

Spun into 2 long singles

Wound into a plying ball

Plied on a drop spindle

In the bath

Almost dry

Glamour Shots!

All finished, the yarn weighs in at 396 yards and about 11 wraps per inch. It’s also wonderfully soft and bouncy. The colors are amazing and didn’t spin up anything like I thought they would. When I split the fiber lengthwise, the color repeats seemed really short so I expected to see short bursts of color. I was so wrong and could not be happier about it. The yarn has long dark, muted sections and long, bright, perky sections. I can’t wait to see what how it knits up. 

While I was spinning this, the plan was to knit the finished yarn into a hat for a christmas present but 400 yards is a bit of overkill for a hat. Even for a giant, extra long stocking cap. Any suggestions for 400 yds of 2-ply goodness? 

Incremental 5K: Week 1

Every month I’m picking one skill to practice everyday for a month and updating my progress every Monday. I call it Project Incremental. Read up on how it all got started. 

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Ever since I decided I wanted to able to run a 5K, it seems like races have been popping up out of no where. Just this weekend I saw posters for three different races scheduled during the next few weeks. Not that I’m going to participate but I still think it’s funny that I’m hearing about all of them now. The logical answer to this phenomenon is that I’ve started looking for races instead of just skimming over the news boards. It’s probably not all that different from my ability to pick out yarn shops from 30 paces once I started knitting.

As for the actual running and training part of Couch to 5K, that didn’t really happen last week. I only managed to walk on 2 days due to a perfect storm of timing and laziness. Mostly it was the laziness but Sunday’s walk through 50° temps re-motivated me for some strange reason. Let the training begin in earnest!...just as soon I get over this cold.

Surprise Shawl

Nothing says “Why don’t you wind some yarn and cast on for that shawl you’ve been dreaming about for months,” like hearing about a surprise road trip first thing in the morning. So, I wound 2 skeins of yarns, printed the pattern, got presentable, and hit the road. 

The shawl in question is the Stripe Study Shawl which Ravelry tells me has been in my queue since February 19, 2011. It took me ages to finish other shawls I had on the needles and then pick the yarn. The blue is Plucky Knitter Primo Fingering (Tavern on the Blue) which waited patiently for me to decide on Madelinetosh Merino Light (Antler) as it’s partner. I love how the two look together and how much the cream is starting to pop against the ever widening blue stripes. 

For the next few months, this shawl is going to be selfish knitting, pure and simple, since the birthdays and holidays coming in full force. A few short rows here and some stripes there should take the edge off.   

On Stash and Storage

I was updating my Ravelry stash page yesterday and was feeling rather pleased with myself that I hadn’t acquired much yarn in the last few months. Cold sheeping, and all that. Then I realized that I had switched from yarn to spinning fiber as my acquisition of choice. Oh well. I’m not going to feel guilty about it since I’m buying things that I like, that I’ll use, and that support people I like. As much as I toy with the idea of only buying fiber/yarn when I have a project in mind, I like having a fiber stash to inspire me and pull from when the muse strikes. Plus, it’s nice to bury my head in all that lovely fiber when I need to hide from the day. 

The latest addition to the collection is 4 oz. of Blue Faced Leicester from The Copper Corgi. I’m rather smitten with all those blues and especially the bright green. I have visions of bright green popping out from a swath of dark blue. Maybe 2-ply or maybe 3. I haven’t gotten that far yet. I’m still in the middle of spinning a polworth/silk blend which means the blue/green vision will have to wait in storage. 

Fiber storage here at Chez Strategos is both digital and physical. Digital storage is means that the fiber(or yarn) is photographed and said photographs are uploaded to the fiber’s very own Ravelry page. All pertinent information - breed, weight, color, dyer, price, etc - is included. Before I pull every bin and bag out, I like to peruse the stash through photos and choose my options. The physical side of storage is a giant bag left over from buying a bedding set. It’s see through, zips closed, and  has a very convenient handle. For the moment, it’s just the right size for all of my fiber so long as I keep spinning.

I’m really curious how you store/organize your fiber stash. Is it photographed and up on Ravelry? Does it have it’s own trunk? Or does it roam your home like a lion on the savannah? Any tips or tricks?