Race! Snoqualmie Railroad Days 10K

Yesterday I ran in my second ever race. I finished! And I wasn't last! Well, I was last in my age group, but that's to be expected.

The race was the Snoqualmie Railroad Days 10K. A 10K fit nicely into my training schedule this weekend as I had a 6 mile run scheduled. Plus I wanted to have more race experience, having only been to one pretty local affair previously. And this fit the bill. As a bonus, the course was described as flat, fast, and beautiful. And only an hour and a half from home.

We rolled into town around 8 am and found a parking spot a few blocks away. Picked up my bib, shirt, and bag and wandered around town a little bit. Bib #14 - apparently numbers were assigned alphabetically to the 10K folk. Wandered back to the car to drop off bag and shirt and pull on my headband. Love my BondiBands, since I hate sweat rolling down my face.


Then we waited around a little more and then it was time to line up! I never know where to line up. Except NOT at the front. So I stood pretty far back. Apparently too far back. These folk, who look very serious, were at the front.


I was not so serious, but I was intent on starting my watch, followed by being intent on not running into the walkers I had lined myself up behind. D'oh.


I had a great time the first mile - I was running strong, feeling good, and passing people, which was a lot of fun. I finished the mile in under 11 minutes, which is something for me. But it was all downhill from there. I must have pushed out too fast. By the third mile I was bribing myself with walk breaks every 5-10 minutes, and by the fourth mile I was walking whenever I felt my heart rate was getting too high, which seemed to be pretty frequently. Probably because when I would start running again it was at a closer to 11 minute/mile pace which was too much for me at that point.

But I finished in 1:12, which averages to about 11:30 per mile, which I'm pretty happy with. I'm not thrilled with the non-sustainable way I ran the race, but it was a good experience to have. And the course was very very pretty. Here's my race data for those interested. And here I am, crossing the finish line, intent on stopping my watch and finding where they keep the free smoothie I was promised.


We spent the rest of the day in Seattle - eating, watching Captain America (which I really enjoyed), shopping at used book stores, and getting stuck in traffic. At least the I-5 through Seattle can be gorgeous, even in traffic.

Mount Rainier


The Olympics.


Space Needle.


And how about just a dash of knitting content? Here's a pair of socks I knit out of Zauberball recently. Pink and purple and wooly, oh my. Just a basic toe-up stockinette sock. My default movie theater project.


They should be lovely when it's cold and I'm wearing socks again.

Hellos and Goodbyes

It's sad, but my local yarn store, The Dancing Ewe is closing for good. They had a close call last summer, but this time is really the end. It was a lovely shop and a lovely community of knitters (and crocheters), but all good things must come to an end. Thank you, Kathy, Jami, and all those who have helped make it great over the years.

Closing up shop means sales, and sales mean I end up with a great deal of yarn. Particularly of the luxury variety. My stash is now stocked up against the soon-to-come yarn drought in this town.

Also on the yarny front, my good pal Diana from the days of grad school has started up a fabulous etsy shop - Keystone Art & Craft yarns. She specializes in up-cycled or recycled yarns, many of which she then redyes. She sent me some pretties!


That's an indigo-dyed silk-cashmere blend, cashmere in Orchid, and merino in Wild Rose. I'm seeing some new lace shawls in my future.

I feel like I've been doing a lot of knitting and not finishing. I have a sweater that's been done for a month except to sew on the buttons and block it. But I have at least finished my Porifera socks. I started them in October. October. What can I say? I'm not a fan of ribbing. But the Malabrigo sock yarn is amazing and the pattern is lovely.




I think I'll get that sweater finished up tonight. Maybe it will help kickstart this blogging thing again!

Blue noise

I finished up a pair of movie theater socks a couple of weeks ago, but only got around to taking photos yesterday. (Movie theater socks are plain stockinette that I can knit in the dark of a theater.) I knit them out of Zwerger Garn Opal in a colorway that I thought might make thin stripes. Not even close.



It's frenetic and nonsensical. So I call these my blue noise socks. Like white noise, but bluer. I was surprised to find that most of the people I showed them to really like how the color way knit up, because I would not buy a yarn I knew to knit up in this way. But hey, socks are socks. I'll wear 'em.

I've been pretty busy this summer. Lots of getting out, and a fair amount of staying in. I've finished a clapotis and Ishbel.2, but neither are blocked yet. I have a bunch of projects on the needles that I don't have the mojo for, so I cast on for a Kitty Pi felted cat bed with scraps and unloved oddballs of wool from the stash. The cat loves kneading wooly blankets, so I hope she at least gets in this once or twice.

The real question is: Fringe yarn or no fringe yarn at the edge?

Summer of starting

I seem to be in cast on mode. I started a Raspberry Dream Stole in some blue alpaca laceweight, a Wood Hollow Vest in some green Cascade 220, and a sock yarn scrap-ghan with my sock yarn bits and bobs. Oh, and I've knit a toe in my green Zauberball yarn that I don't know what to do with yet.

And that's not all!

I really want to cast on for a Clapotis in the fabulous Malabrigo I just picked up at the Dancing Ewe's surprise sale. And I also want to start a Double V Cardigan in some Elsbeth Lavold Silky Wool I've had for a while now. So I've got a lot on my to do list!

But I have finished a couple of things. I finished the Monkey socks for my aunt and those were a great hit. Plus I finished a pair of Anastasia socks in Chameleon Colorworks' Footsie, color Indian Wedding. The color repeat on this yarn seemed sort of short, so I was worried about how it would pool, but it ended up having a lovely stripey effect. And the colors are very nearly Gryffindor's colors, but not quite.

Two, two, two socks at once!

Okay, I'm over that knitting hump I had. I've cast on for a pair of socks, in my favorite method, two socks at once on one long circular needle!


(Coincidentally, I'm teaching a class on that technique at the Dancing Ewe on Saturday.) I also cast on for a new sock to knit in movie theaters. I did much of this one while watching The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. It's a great film, although with a couple of scenes that are really brutal. At one point I jumped in my chair and stabbed my finger with my knitting needle. Knitpicks Classic Circs. They're really sharp. I still have a mark on my finger.


Anyway, that's the sock. I kind of hate how it's pooling. I also started a project out of my very own handspun. Another Ishbel shawlette!


It's thrilling to be making something out of yarn I made. But I also gave in and got a couple of hanks of Malabrigo Sock. I held out for over a week, but I gave into Bubblegum Pink and a color I call, in the most loving way possible, algae.



Mmmm... it's just so soft. I want to knit with it now! But the two-at-once socks are top priority, as they'll be a late present as it is...

Knitting Ennui

*heavy sigh*

I don't have a lot of knitting mojo right now. I finished this pair of socks.


There's a second one, but I can't be arsed to put the photo in this blog post. It's a basic toe up pattern with a short row heel. I knit the pair in conjunction with a class on sock knitting.

I have some really lovely Dream in Color Smooshy in Blue Lagoon which I have promised my aunt will become a pair of socks for her. I've started a couple of patterns, but no luck, no love. I need a pattern that will be fun to knit, will look stunning, and is not too finicky. Le sigh. Maybe a pair of Monkey socks? I am possibly the only person left who has not knit a pair.

I think I need to lighten up the stash. I have some lovely bits of yarn which so very much want to be knitted, but are not getting love from me.

In the meantime... le sigh. Maybe I should do a bit of spinning instead.

FO: Mini Mochi Socks

I'm a sucker for rainbows. I love how happy and colorful they are. When I first saw Kauni's EQ colorway, I had to have it. So I did. And knit a shawl with it. When I saw Regia Nation Color 5399, I had to have it. So I did. And made talls socks (with a peasant heel).

Then I saw Crystal Palace Mini Mochi and it was rainbow love. So pretty, I thought. I must have more rainbow socks.

And so I did. I knit a pair of plain stockinette, toe up socks, with a short row heel. And I was loving it. The yarn is so soft, if a bit too easy to split. Then, about halfway up the leg... a knot. And the color jumped from red to blue. On the other sock, the rainbow gently reversed itself. And as I finished the cuff, another knot! Jumping the yarn from blue to red, like some kind of cruel joke. For a yarn which sells itself on its color transitions, I was not (knot?) pleased.


But, whatever, these socks are for me. They'll be okay. I just don't plan to buy mini mochi again, as pretty as it may be.


I did learn a new technique with these socks. I tried out Jenny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off. It's great! Very very stretchy! It's absolutely my new go to bind off.


I've picked my Laminaria back up and am making some strides through the blossom chart, but it's taking me a long time to get through each row! I guess it's been a long time since I've knit a proper laceweight shawl.

Christmas knitting!

This year's Christmas knitting consisted of five gifts for four people. I knit four pairs of Fiber Trends Felted Clogs. My brother in law and his lovely wife each received a pair - alas, I did not take a photo of the finished felted project. My mother in law and my aunt also received a pair, but I have photographic proof of theirs!


The blue clogs are knit in Cascade 220. The blue were the first pair I knit and I knit the bumper upside down. But, as I hoped, you can't really tell once it's felted, and I even think it looks rather nicer than the bumpers done as written. The red clogs are knit in Cascade 220 and lana d'oro for the soles.

The last item is a pair of Kai-Mei socks, also for my aunt. I knit these out of elann.com Sock it to me 4 ply in rose wine. I actually really enjoyed the yarn, and the pattern is pretty neat too. I didn't do them both at the same time, so the socks are not 100% identical, but it's only by a row or two. Anyway, the recipient expressed appreciation, so it's all good.



And now the Christmas Season is officially over and I am firmly on the way to knitting in 2010. I've even finished a pair of socks already! More on those to come.

November 26th: New socks

There are a lot of things I'm thankful for. But I'm not going to speak to that today, not really. I hope you had a calm and fulfilling Thanksgiving holiday, or just a truly excellent Thursday (for those of you not in the US). Our holiday was quiet. We went to go see Fantastic Mr. Fox (which is really good, by the way, and very much a Wes Anderson film). Since I like to keep my hands busy at a film, I cast on a sock.

I chose a yarn that I had picked up one day at Joanns. I don't usually shop at Joanns; at this point I'm a pretty hardcore yarn snob, but I was engaging in retail therapy after a dentist appointment and noticed on an endcap Premier Yarn's Deborah Norville's Serenity Sock Weight. Why Deborah Norville has her own line of yarn, I do not understand. But the fiber content is 50% superwash merino, 25% bamboo, and 25% nylon. And it was like $3.50 for 230 yards, so $7 for a pair of socks? Not bad.*

So today I cast on 28 stitches at the toe and increased to 68 stitches around. I'm using size 2 needles - maybe 2.5; they're 3mm anyway. The fabric produced at this gauge is decidedly a bit loose, so I think smaller needles would be better. I'm really surprised and pleased with how this is knitting up. The bamboo gives it a silkiness and a drape which is lovely. The fabric is very soft. And the self-striping/self-patterning is fairly subdued in the purple spice colorway I chose. So far I'm really enjoying it! I'm surprised.



And also? I am loving this whole casting on thing. I cast on for this sock and a Christmas gift today. Wheee....


*Note: I would not, under most circumstances, pay $7 for a pair of socks from the store. But for sock yarn this is a good deal. So it goes.

November 16th: FO: Pink Granite socks

More knitting! I call these my Pink Granite socks because the pink and the grey reminds me of stone.


I knit these on size one needles using J. Knits SuperwashMe Sock. These are a basic toe-up stockinette sock. My go to movie theatre knitting. In fact, according to Ravelry, I started these on May 10th of this year.


The first sock was knit with a short row heel. The second one got an afterthought heel - I got to the heel point just before we left for the movie, so I decided to put in some waste yarn and have different heels on the sock. Not a big deal, since these aren't gift socks. But I definitely think I like the short row heel better.


It's amazing how hard it is to get a decently lit picture in this house. I went out to our mudroom and brought out my sheepskin rug to cover the grody carpet that's out there. The light lasted about as long as I took photos for. Maybe on a day when the sun is actually out....

FOs: Socks and Lilac Leaf Stole-ish

It's Labor Day in the US. Time to show off the fruits of my labor.

First up is a pair of socks for Ms. PolarG who will be starting a nursing program very soon! They're simple socks in Elann's Natural Merino sock yarn, with a contrast heel and toe from leftover Dream in Color Smooshy I had from my Killa socks. They were worked two at a time, two up, with a peasant heel (or is it an afterthought heel? I'm not sure there's a difference.). The ribbing may look familiar - it's the same as the Spey Valley socks, a 5x2 rib.


And then there's my Lilac Leaf Stole from Knitted Lace of Estonia. It took 4 balls of Naturally Dawn 2 ply, three of which I had in my stash and one which I had to hunt down in a panic when I realized I was running out of yarn. Three balls had the yardage the pattern asks for. I was using a needle size up from the pattern requirements. Yet my stole still blocked out much smaller than the measurements in the pattern. (14" x 56" rather than 20" x 66")

Naturally, I didn't swatch. I never swatch for lace because I'm all kinds of mavericky. I think, if I did it again, I would go up yet another needle size for a looser knit. The Dawn, while called a lace yarn, seems more like a light fingering to me. The yarn itself is soft, but tends to be a bit splitty. I hope it holds up well - I have six more balls of the stuff because I'm a sucker for silk blends.

The pattern, now that I get to it, is pretty easy! The center motif is memorizable, and the edging lends interest. Least favorite part of the project? Kitchenering the top edge to the body. Kitchenering is nice, and creates a good effect if done properly, but over 95 stitches? Oy. Still, all in all, I like the stole, even if I wish it were a bit bigger. Let's go to the photos:




In this photo you can see where the kitchener is. My tension on that is all kinds of wonky. Nancy Bush, in her wisdom, incorporates the kitchener into a garter stitch row, so it's a less heinous offense to have wonky tension.

FO: Spey Valley Socks

Pattern: Spey Valley Socks by Nancy Bush from Knitting on the Road
Yarn: Brown Sheep Wildfoote Luxury Sock
Needles: Size 2


First things first. I took these photos today. It was 103 degrees outside and those are wool socks. Just saying. I've got commitment people.

These socks are pretty awesome. I followed the pattern (except for the decorative pattern at the top where I accidentally omitted one repeat) and I adore them. I love the rounded toe, the smooth heel, the simplicity of the ribbing. They're great. That is, the pattern is great. Wildfoote yarn is fine, but it's never been my favorite sock yarn. It is nowhere near Luxury, in my opinion. But it does make a darn fine sock, even if it's not soft and smooshy and, well, luxurious. Let's see some close ups.



I started these socks in June. I finished the first one just before I went on vacation. I finished the second one while on vacation.

Then I started the Salto Socks in some Trekking XXL I had. The pattern is beautiful. It shows up gorgeously in light colors and the cable pattern is simple to memorize. I really liked how they were turning out.


Except for the sizing. I was using 1.5s and what I'm told is Trekking (ball band lost), and the socks were clearly going to be too tall and too narrow to accommodate my calves. It's a lovely pattern and I may knit it someday... with thicker yarn and slightly larger needles. Le sigh.

And now I'm back from vacation and sick of socks. I'm going to concentrate on finishing up a couple of lace projects I've got going and see where my whims take me...

Road Trip!

We took a weekend trip to the Olympic Peninsula (along with about a quarter of the population of Washington State, it sometimes seemed). We hiked, saw amazing scenery, but mostly we hiked the Ozette Loop. The loop goes for about 9 miles - three to the ocean, three along the coast, and three back the the trailhead. At the end of our first third of the trail, we were at Cape Alava, the westernmost point in the continental US. Which I thought was awesome. So naturally, I brought my knitting.



I knit about a row on my Spey Valley sock from Knitting on the Road. But mostly I hiked. And I am not used to hiking that much - I am very sore now.

The entire, long set, including a visit to Hurricane Ridge, is here.

FO: Kiila Socks

My socks are done! These socks have been the bane of my existence. There's a reason I don't like to do cables - it's because they're fiddly. Then compound that with needing to tweak the pattern to accommodate my gauge and my increased stitch count (heaven forbid I actually change needle sizes to accommodate the pattern!) and it's one of the more challenging patterns I've knit. That doesn't mean I don't like them, because I do. And the pattern is lovely; simple but elegant. I just went and made things more difficult than they needed to be.

Pattern: Kiila by Yarnissima. (If you like it and are on Ravelry, grab it quick! It's only a free download until June 8th.)
Yarn: Dream in Color Smooshy in a green color
Needles: KP circs size one
Methods: Magic looped, two at a time.
Notes: I made lots of little tweaks to make it work. I knit at 72 stitches, did the small size on the gusset, and mussed about with the ribbing on the leg to accommodate the 72 stitches. Oh, and I did fewer rounds of ribbing at the cuff for a shorter sock. All in all, the changes made it very challenging, but a lovely sock. If I had to do it again, I’d just suck it up and go to a size 2 needle so I wouldn’t have to deal with the tweaking.




So these are very pretty, but I am so relieved to have them done. My June sock challenge socks will be very simple, I think.

In other news, I've charted out my design for the scarf contest at the LYS. Now to cast on and knit! I hope it looks good and not a mess!

Cast on frenzy continues!

I have six more or less active projects on the needles right now. That's a lot for me! I usually have a couple going at the same time, and maybe one other one sitting aside waiting for me. Since last we met, I've cast on two more projects: a plain stockinette sock for knitting in movie theaters and Laminaria.

The plain socks are nothing special. This is the yarn's second try at making socks. Previously, I tried doing a Cat Bordhi sock with it and didn't care for how it came out. Plain jane is the way to go here.


And Laminaria. I have had a love affair with this pattern. I adored it as soon as it came out. I even cast on for it in some super splitty two ply lace yarn. That did not work out at all. I've re-cast on for it in Blackberry Ridge silky merino. I had a hank and some change left over from my Shetland Tea Shawl, which should (fingers crossed) be enough for a nice triangular shawl.


The stitch pattern scrunches up pretty easily. Here I've spread it out (the color is also truest in this picture).


So many projects! Who will be finished first? I suspect it will be the May mystery socks which I intend to work on almost exclusively later in the week - to try to finish them before the end of the month.

5th of the month project status post: May edition

Old business first!

- Eliina Shawl: Done!
- Simurgh Stole: Done!
- Sondermuster Darmstadt socks: Done!
- Diamonds and Triangles Stole from Victorian Lace Today: Active. I've rounded the first corner, for better or worse.

- Frosted Ferns doily: Frogged! I'm free! Free from the doily!
- Selbu Mittens from Folk Mittens: I have declared this mitten finished. It is not a pair, but merely a sad sorry single mitten. But by declaring it done, I don't have to think about it again!

New Business!

I've had kind of a casting on fit and I now have four projects (including the diamonds and triangles stole from above) in heavy rotation. A row here, a row there, and they grow!
- Kiila, the mystery sock for May: I've got a couple inches on both socks so far. Need to hurry up and get to 5.5" before Friday. Knitting it up in my pretty green Dream in Color Smooshy.
- Amelia cardigan: Knitting it up in black lano d'oro and loving it. I hope I have enough yarn...

- Lilac Leaf Shawl: I just finished the first edge and am into the body repeats. It's a nice pattern, but I had some trouble with the nupps. And I dropped a stitch at one point, leading to the following trouble.

Do you see it there? On the left? I fixed it... kinda. Not by frogging or doing surgery. I made a yo and then sewed the loop down on the back. It's still not perfect, but it's a lot less obvious now. I don't have an after photo yet... maybe another day.

Hopefully the cast on frenzy has passed and I can get on with the knitting.

FO: Sondermuster Darmstadt socks

I'm keeping to my pair of socks per month plan. The most recent pair? Sondermuster Darmstadt. Unfortunately, the pattern is no longer available; the designer generously distributed a limited number of copies for the April Sock Knitters Anonymous challenge and I was lucky enough to get a copy.

The socks are knit in Hand Jive Knit's Nature's Palette in Medium Indigo. The yarn uses natural dyes. Unfortunately, the natural indigo left tracks on my hands as I knit. Not a huge bother, but definitely noticeable.


I knit these socks on 2.5mm needles, two at a time. Doing them two at a time took a little more concentration than usual, because the center motif on the socks are mirrored. In the end, I really like these socks. They're a bit fancier than the patterns I usually choose, but I really love how fanciful the pattern is on the cuffs.



But I will absolutely be giving these socks a serious handwashing before I wear them, lest I end up with blue feet.