Miles Behind

Today is a momentous day. This morning, I ran my first ever race. A 5k at the Captains Stadium. My free time in the last month has been eaten up by the training for it (as well as the knitting, of course) so it's left little time (or energy) for the blog. So, sorry about that.
Me and Liz, in the parking lot after the race. Unfortunately, no one was available to come to the race and take pictures, so we asked a stranger when we got back to the car.
And here's my reward for sticking with it and doing well (32:18, in case you were wondering). A skein of Destination Yarn called "America the Beautiful" - it's a-mazing. And with perfect timing, it arrived today. We also treated ourselves to IHOP after the race (which was fantastic - do much real butter and sugar, yum!)

Running isn't the only thing I've done this month. Going back to the last post, Tommy and Sarah came to visit for Memorial Day weekend, where Mason fell in love with Sarah.
It was so funny. Then I managed to finish that spinning I was doing:
Love it. I went to the Riverfront Irish Festival with Bridget and Clan:
Sadly the weather was hot, steamy and slightly rainy - which did not make for good pictures, so that's the only one I took. Kaylee in front of New Barleycorn on stage.

Last weekend, I watched the girls.
In honor of the World Cup (which I'm currently watching - USA 0 - Ghana 1 -- not so good).
And there's nothing better on a hot day than the breeze created when you swing. Can't believe how big they're getting - even though I say that every time I post about them.

This week, Elliott turned 4. How crazy is that? And to celebrate, he wanted Chik-Fil-A (who wouldn't?) so with Uncle Charlie in for a business trip, we went to dinner.
A few presents - birthday bash is tomorrow. Then Aubrey showed us some of her style:
So cute! A diva in the making. And in the parking lot, we ran into....
Iron Man! Elliott's favoritest thing right now is the helmet. It talks.

Alright onto the knitting, as I think that's everything else caught up. I've made very little progress this month - due to that whole running thing, and work. But I finished a very pretty shawl:
Gail (aka Nightsongs). With some very pretty prize yarn from the St. Patty's project. Sadly I didn't take a picture of the yarn before I started knitting it - very hard to photo, it's a mixture of grays and light purples called "Carraig" which is Gaelic for "stone".

I started a little sweater, but haven't gotten very far, hoping to get a bunch of it done this week after the sekrit projekt is done for tomorrow.
Using that lovely pink bamboo/wool yarn I got from KNOTS a while ago. And the pattern is Spring Garden Tee. Love it, just haven't had the time or energy to devote to it.

And then I started another spinning project -
Also not so far as I would like. Roving is called "Verdigris", and I'm planning on keeping it a single. I've been putting in a little time with those socks I showed last time, but not much, so I'm not bothering to show them. Next time. And it will be sooner than a month, I promise.

Off to furiously work on the sekrit projekt, and randomly do a happy dance for doing so well in the race today (can't help myself!)

PS - Tommy and Sarah also got engaged in the last month - congratulations!

CrazyBusyLazy

Yeah. So. It's been a while. I know. It's just been nutso around here, and I haven't had the motivation to blog. Probably because I don't have much to show. Things are surprisingly slow going, and or are supposed to be a surprise.

I've started half days at the clinic. And this year I'm in SNF (specialized nursing facility) - seriously. The insurance companies really have it wrong, I am getting farther and farther away from things that I have any knowledge about because of their regulations about what patients I can bill for. If I can't bill for a patient I can't see them - as the whole point is to be making money. Yesterday, they screwed up the schedule (thank goodness), the patient that was originally on my schedule hadn't been evalled yet, she was a stroke patient. I don't know what they were thinking, the PT and OT working with her were having a hard time, due to the problems that the stroke caused, I would have ended up in tears, not knowing what to do. Going to have to mention that I should really only be seeing ortho patients as much as possible.

The sports season is for the most part over, track is still going in smaller numbers of course. Baseball and softball made quick unexpected exits. Girls LAX was a bottom seed, and so as expected, got crushed in their first game. Boys LAX made a good show, the game wasn't close for a long while, and then they had a chance at the end, but ended up losing. Tonight is physicals night (aka worst day of my year). Football has been having "mini camps" the last couple of days and are having more next week - which to me is crazy, but probably only because it's something we've never done before. I've got mostly all new coaches, again. Head coach is the same and 1 of the assistants, well 2, but the one guy was only with the team for the last few games last year. Lots of freshman this year, we'll see how it goes. I've been informed that the first few days of doubles will be spent at John Carroll - that I will have my own room (imagine that!). I'm trying really hard to work with the coach and keep him happy. I can't handle another year of constant battles, so far all is well. We'll see how he reacts when he finds out that I'm not going to be around at all until August.

i think it's time for some knitting. Since it's no longer a surprise (a surprise visit can ruin things when you don't hide stuff in preparation) I'll show you part of Elliott's birthday present.
He's currently obsessed with swords - anything that is remotely resembling one instantly becomes one in his hands. This one is safer than most. And I made it up all myself, no pattern. I think it came out well, and I'm thinking that I will have to make another one to appease the younger brother and avoid the fighting.

Last week, my attention was diverted to the making of some bookmarks. I know, weird, but they're really cool looking. And they were quick and easy, which is what I was needing.
They're made using crochet thread and a little crochet hook, and a pattern that is written to be a scarf with bigger materials. Pretty cool.

I've made very little progress on the Lucy bag you saw in the last post, been too distracted by other projects.
But it's getting there. Not too much further to go before the bag part is done, then it's on to the straps. I have actually finished something for me too:
The French Press Felted Slippers. Sadly, they're a bit big and I have a hard time keeping them on my feet, so I might end up making another pair.

I've started a couple of new pairs of socks (the Spring Forward socks are done, but for the grafting of the toe of the second one - it was finished to that point during the hour and a half long delay before the LAX game due to thunderstorms, and I didn't have a needle with me for the sewing bit).
I've been wanting to use this yarn for a long time, but at the same time holding off because the dyer doesn't dye anymore due to health issues. But I'm thinking it's a perfect summer time colorway. The finished socks will be really cool, just wait.
These are not a typical colorway for me - Lornas Laces "Pioneer" - but the 2 colorways that I wanted were unavailable in the quantity (2) that I needed, so I ended up getting this. I really like it, it's just more "boyish" than I normally go for. But will be great with jeans and khakis, which is really all I ever wear, so I guess it's a win.

The real reason there hasn't been much knitting getting done is all the spinning that's been happening. I finished up the "Patriot" yarn (finally) so that my bobbins were freed up for the new project.
I think it came out really good. Especially since it's only my second attempt at navajo-plying on the wheel. It's actually 2 skeins, and they're not at all alike, as you see here:
But I still really like the yarn. Hoping to knit them up into fingerless mitts soon. One will be dark, and the other light, but it's all good. The new spinning project is amazing.
6 oz of merino/cashmere/nylon in "Picnic Basket". It's super soft. And so pretty. I'm spinning it up to (hopefully) be a fingering weight 3-ply, for socks. Here's the progress:
Pretty good so far. But I'm really trying to get it done before Tuesday. Which might be a problem. Because Tommy is coming home tomorrow for the weekend, which means cleaning and entertaining. But with Monday being the holiday, I might be able to squeak it out.
A gratuitous close-up of the pretty. Keep your fingers crossed that I find the time.

In other news, I have re-committed to WW. First weigh in is Saturday morning. And I've got the crazy idea to run in the Johnnycake Jog which is June 13. Have I ever done a 5k? Nope - except on the elliptical, which is so not the same thing at all. Yesterday I ran for the first time on the treadmill (I normally avoid the treadmill like it's the plague, and I have never run on one). Very proud of myself - as I managed to do 2 miles at a 5-5.5 mph pace, with a 3 min walk in between the miles. Not bad for the first attempt. I'm sore today, but not as bad as I thought I would be. Just mentioning it, because the blog holds me accountable. Stayed tuned for more progress reports.

It's May?

Time is flying. Derby Day came and went, the pie is all gone. I'm thinking we might have to make another one for the Preakness... I continue to be busy at work - today is the first day in a good long while that I won't have a game to go to. Guess that means I should really put together my supply list order and sort through the other paperwork type stuff. Yuck.

There's been a bit of an explosion in new knitting projects - that's what I get for not letting myself start anything new for most of April. The evidence of the carnage is pretty apparent:
Patterns, needles, yarn, more yarn, beads, crochet hooks, fiberfil - it's everywhere. And that's just what's been started since Saturday. There's a shawl I started in April (even though I told myself not to)
Miralda's Triangular Shawl. Very pretty. There's something about nupps. Anyway, it's pretty much in the home stretch, but it's been put aside for now for all the other stuff. And maybe because I'm afraid that I'm going to run out of yarn.
Such pretty close ups. So it'll get done, sometime. I started another shawl, a big one. Magic Carpet Ride - but I'm making life hard for myself by attempting to enlarge it.
There's so many different little motifs and I'm on the third section of the pattern already - it's just complicated. But as written it's only 12" wide, and that's just a weird size, so bigger it needed to be.
It's going pretty well now, that chart with the beaded diamonds - oof - no rest rows, had to pay attention all the time, so it took forever.

I've started another attempt at the Lucy Bag - I've got a good feeling about this one though. I'm farther than I've ever been, and I have motivation.
It's a nice change - simple knitting in the round, no thinking required. Good for knitting while watching TAR - had to put the lace down for that hour so I could focus.

Progress on the socks is slow. I usually only work on it when I've got a spare minute at work (not often these days). But maybe one of these nights I'll sit down and focus on it.
Then again, I might focus on this indeterminate blob of blue crochet that I'm not going to tell you about.
Secret project. There's another one too - but I have to rework the design. It's not looking the way I want it to.

No time

No time to write a real post. Just dropping by to let you know that the Pampas stole was finished, and blocked. See?
All done, well, except for the sewing in of 2 measly little ends. And when that's done, I'll get better photos. Busy day today - have lacrosse this afternoon (fingers crossed that the thunderstorms hold off until after the games are over) followed by the annual Derby Party! Need to go scout some horses.

So close. Seriously, so close to being done:
I know, it's been a while since you've seen the stole. But that's because it didn't get worked on for so long, due to distractions. But now, it's almost done. As in, I should finish it in the next couple of days. As in it should be blocked by the end of next week. O. M. G.

So most knitting was brought to a halt for all of last week, cue to a secret project. That can now be revealed.
Sunday was Miss Aubrey's birthday party. Yay for cake. She showed the restraint that her brothers did not and ate the cake from a fork. No messy cake photos this time.

So I had the brilliant idea to make her a fairy doll. Super cute pattern, she likes baby dolls, and it's not boring clothes. Awesome idea. Except that I had the stroke of brilliance exactly one week prior to the party. So from Monday on, it was kind of crazy. And with the big track meet on Saturday (for the record, I don't think that track meets should be run when it's snowing outside, it's really just not a good situation for anyone, can't tell you how many kids ran and pulled muscles, or didn't run so that they wouldn't pull muscles - makes for a really crappy meet) time was kind of short. But she got done, a little late, but done.
And she's really cute, and Miss A seemed to like her, so I count it as a win.

So, since the track meet was really cold (and I mean REALLY cold, it was snowing off and on and windy) I got nothing done. Couldn't read because of the wind, and couldn't knit because my fingers would have fallen off. But since then I've gotten a little further on my sock:
About halfway through the foot at this point, so it won't be much longer. Which is good, as I'm trying to get the pair finished up by the end of the month.

Speaking of finishing, I blocked the Caricia finally. And took some pictures yesterday.
On the pins.
Off the pins. So pretty. The crab apple is in full bloom, complete with the heady fragrance that hits you as soon as you walk outside.
I got some more prize yarn, although the one skein is out in my car, so you'll see that later.
A sweaters worth of the white Irish wool for a traditional fisherman's sweater. Can't wait for that one. And then the alpaca to go with the colored stuff I showed in the last post.

I'll leave you with spring in NE Ohio. I had some time yesterday before work, and decided to take a walk in the woods. Opted for the Wild flower path, but they're not in full bloom yet, maybe next week.
Still more brown than green, but it's getting there. And I don't know what happened to the poor tree in the last photo, but it looked cool.