Episodes
Sunday Jul 22, 2018
42 - Knit and Runner's Knee
Sunday Jul 22, 2018
Sunday Jul 22, 2018
Episode 42 – 7/20/18
As always its knitting and running in 30 minutes or less. WindsweptMonique on Instagram and Ravelry or WindsweptKnits on Twitter and at WindsweptKnits.com
FOs
I finished the Changing Staircases shawl by Jenga Knits. This is a shawl inspired by the Harry Potter books, the way the staircases are constantly changing and I’m working on it in Mousou a 100% bamboo yarn from The FiberLady. It’s done and ready to wear to a wedding next weekend!
WIPS
Cast on a new Hitchhiker shawl in ancient stash, Deborah Norville’s Serenity Garden Yarn in the Gems colorway.
52-st sock in Plymouth yarns Diversity in the Fruity colorway, which is white with stripes of green, yellow, orange, pink and purple. Turned heel on first sock which leads me to…
Knitting Fail
Turns out the 52-st sock is really 50 sts…
Spinning
Tour de Fleece – not going to make my 16oz goal but having fun. Am roughly 10oz in and have 3 bobbins of cotton full and ready to ply! Hoping to make at least a dent in the last 6 oz tonight and tomorrow, but we’ll see if time allows.
Running
No running, but I have been doing a lot of cross training and fitness. Been in the pool twice since last recording. Also, hopped on rowing machine twice trying to get back in shape to kayak later this summer. Lots of walking. Planning hiking with my boys next week, now that my little guy’s legs are a long enough. He did a 1.3 mile (roughly 2k) hike a few weeks ago with my parents and I and he did great and LOVED it! Gonna try taking both my boys to a local, mostly flat trail near our home this week.
Running Talk
Runners and Knees
The myth that runners destroy there knees is just that – a myth. Analysis of people who run for decades show that runners who run a moderate amount have very healthy knees. Now, people who run a LOT and professional runners often do cause knee damage, but for average folks like you and I we are unlikely to completely destroy our knees.
Some do get Runner's Knee: exercises for combatting Runner's Knee:
Leg lifts
Good old fashioned leg lifts are great. You can lie on your back and lift a leg up to work the quads & front of your thigh. Lie on your side and lift the top leg to work the abductors. Lie on your side and lift the bottom leg to work your adductors. Lie on your stomach and lift your leg to work the hamstring and glutes. Boom, you just worked most of the soft tissue around your knees.
Clam shells
Lie on your side. Bend your knees to a 90-degree angle and bring them slightly in front of you. Now lift the top leg while keeping your feet touching. Your top leg is acting like an opening and closing clam shell.
Friday Jul 13, 2018
41: July Crept Up On Me
Friday Jul 13, 2018
Friday Jul 13, 2018
Segments this week include: FOs, Wips, Spinning
Well, it’s nice to be back finally! How is it July?!?
FOs
Not a lot of knitting the last few weeks. I’ve been re-staining the deck and my finger has been hurting again so I haven’t gotten nearly as far in my Wips as I’d hoped.
I finished my 52-st sock! They’re not finished-finished, I still need to weave in ends, but the knitting is done. Haven’t tried them on yet as it’s been HOT up in Boston recently, but they look good.
Wips
I’ve put a lots more rows onto my Changing Staircases shawl by Jenga Knits. This is a shawl inspired by the Harry Potter books, the way the staircases are constantly changing and I’m working on it in Mousou a 100% bamboo yarn from The FiberLady. I said last time that I was about 75% but I totally misjudged – I was about 66% complete and I’m on the last section, so probably 95% complete.
Blue Dahlia pattern by Brenda York for Berroco Yarns. Finished garter stitch and am about 1/3 way through the stockinette colorwork section. Blue body is Juniper Moon Farms Neve in Lagoon colorway from my LYS that closed. Red is Cascade Ultra Pima Fine in the Cranberry colorway held double, yellow is Berroco Modern Cotton in the Del colorway. Green is also Modern Cotton in the Breakers colorway
New 52-st sock in Plymouth yarns Diversity in the Fruity colorway, which is white with stripes of green, yellow, orange, pink and purple.
Also been doing some design work again for the first time in ages and it feels so good to be creating again. Can’t talk about the designs yet but hopefully I will be able to soon!
Spinning
Lots of spinning thanks to my sore finger
Finished multiple braids of cotton from Hipstrings Cotton Club.
Johnny Jump Up – 2 ply sport weight – white, navy, dark purple and drops of yellow-green
Break Of Day – 3 ply on the border between fingering and sport, blue with the golds and pale oranges of sunrise
A Different Time – my first true 3-ply fingering weight yarn. White, Navy and dark purple
On my first Tour de Fleece. Goal is to finish spinning 16oz of sustainable cotton I bought from the Woolery so I can get reliable enough to justify buying a sweater lot of fiber from Hipstrings. So far ‘ve only spun 2 days (womp womp) but I have made a dent in the first 8-oz braid.
Running
I have not run at all since my last recording, so I’m back to the drawing board in terms of fitness. That brings my half marathon training to a screeching halt. But it turns out I may have some upcoming projects that I need to be more all-around fit for so I’m going to focus on 5ks for running and also getting back in the pool more and on the rowing machine at our local YMCA.
Running Talk
Why is cross training so important? Aside from overuse injuries, it turns out that cross training also affects your DNA in a positive way – but only in the body parts you’re actually using. This Study from 2014 talks about epigenetics, which just means how what we do to & with our bodies affects our genes.