Episodes
Friday Apr 13, 2018
Episode 36 - Work Your Glutes
Friday Apr 13, 2018
Friday Apr 13, 2018
Episode 36 – 4/12/18 – Knitting and Running in 30 minutes or less
WindsweptMonique on Ravelry and Instagram, windsweptmonique@gmail.com. Visit my new website at WindsweptKnits.com and stream the podcast or read shownotes.
Thanks so much for listening! There are 1000’s of podcasts for you to choose from and I am you take time out of your busy life to listen to mine.
Segments this week include FOs, Wips, Pattern Stalking, Training Update and Running Talk
FO
Hitchhiker knit out of Makimo by Fiberlady in the Scrumptious Berries colorway – goes from raspberry pink to blackberry purple. 100% bamboo. I love it. I love having my own hitchhiker. I’ve worn it several times already because it’s still unseasonably cold here in New England (though theoretically that will change in the next few days!)
Wips
Changing Staircases - pattern by Jenga Knits – Mousou by Fiberlady in the Plum colorway, light to mid-tone purples in laceweight bamboo base. I am about 40% done and I really like it. It’s a little more brain power than a Hitchhiker, but also has more visual interest. It’s still simple enough to knit at karate, swimming, soccer, etc.
52-st sock – this is my current car knitting so I’m slowly chugging away at it. I’m knitting it in 2 shades of CoBaSi by Hikoo, a sock yarn made of cotton, bamboo, silk and nylon. KNitting this in leftover Raspberry and a skein of Slated, a gray variegated yarn.
Wearables
It’s still cold. Thing 1 has worn his Star Wars Sweater twice more this last week and Thing 2 has worn a very old sweater I knit for Thing 1 in the years I didn’t document much on Ravelry. It was a free pattern from Sirdar but I can’t find it online anymore! I’ve worn my Maris Stella shawl and my new Hitchhiker a few times, too.
Pattern Stalking
Tisane by Maria Olson – a spring/summer coat with ¾ length sleeves cardigan/coat that buttons in front of the bust and lays open below it. The upper portion is stockinette and the lower non-buttoned section is a lovely lace pattern.
Training Update
Still swimming as cross training and it is finally getting easier! Last week I swam 150 yards and today I did 250! I won’t say it’s easy, per se, as my freestyle is still abysmal and I find it quite challenging. I swim freestyle in one direction, then swim the breaststroke back, which for me is an easy stroke.
Running Talk
Let’s talk butts. Rear Ends. Glutes. Your gluteus muscles are some of the most important muscles for walking and running but in so many of us they don’t work the way they’re supposed to. Thanks so our modern sedentary lifestyles and office jobs, many of our pelvises tilt too far forward and our butts don’t actually engage when they are meant to, leaving other muscle groups to take over the load. I’m definitely guilty of this, and of not realizing it, and I ended up with two badly sprained hamstrings during my marathon, and months of physical therapy, because of it.
First we’ll cover a few tests to see if your glutes are week. Then I’ll talk about some glute strengthening exercises and how to get your glutes firing again when they’re supposed to.
Tests
Test 1 – chair of death “to start this test, stand in front of a chair with your feet under it and your knees touching the seat. Put your arms out in front of you. Now squat down and try not to let your knees push into the chair. If you find that your knees are hitting the chair or you are even moving the chair, your glutes are not working properly.”
Test 2 – Bridge “Lie on your back with your knees up and your feet flat on the ground. Hold your arms straight out above you. Lift your hips up to make a straight bridge from shoulders to knees. Where do you feel it? If you feel stress anywhere but your butt, you aren't activating your glutes. “
Exercises –
Lunges and squats are great if you have proper form. Here are a few other exercises that will help:
Prone hip extension – lie on your stomach and use your glutes to lift your leg up of the floor.
Bridges with weights –
Lie on your back, knees bent and put a light weight or soup can on your lower abdomen. The extra weight your body isn’t used to will help make your glutes engage. Also, try lifting your butt only a few inches off the floor and work on activating your glutes, not on the height of your bridge.
Deadlifts -
To do this exercise, stand in front of a kettlebell or 2 dumbbells or even 2 soup cans to start. Take a hip-width to shoulder-width stance, knees slightly bent. Bend forward at the hips and grab your weights. Use your glutes and hamstrings to lift your torso and stand straight up. Now lower the weights by hinging at the hips and allowing your glutes to move backward as you keeping the weights close to our touching the fronts of your legs. the bar in contact with your legs on the way down. If you are flexible enough, let the bar touch the floor and then pull it back up. Or you can stop about mid-shin height and then raise the bar back up.
To sum up - your legs are like a fulcrum or the pendulum on a clock and your glutes power that movement. Get those glutes strong and prevent injuries down the road. Several articles you may find helpful are linked in the show notes.
Articles:
https://www.runnersworld.com/injury-prevention-recovery/its-all-in-the-hips
https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a19544187/5-signs-you-have-weak-glutes/
https://www.runnersworld.com/workouts/glute-strengthening-workout/slide/1
Tuesday Mar 06, 2018
Episode 33 - Between Nor'Easters
Tuesday Mar 06, 2018
Tuesday Mar 06, 2018
Episode 33 – 3/6/18
WindsweptMonique on Ravelry and Instagram, windsweptmonique@gmail.com. Show Notes at knittingontherun.podbean.com
FOs, Wips, Knitting Fail, Pattern Acquisition, Out and About, On the Run
Thanks so much for listening!
Start with a quick update. Squeezing this episode in between storms. We got home from visiting both sets of grandparents in Florida and found ourselves in the path of a record-breaking nor’easter. It was an intense storm!
What is a nor’easter? A type of cyclone storm, like hurricanes and typhoons are, that occur off the shore of New England and the Canadian Maritime provinces. Gets it’s name from the winds coming out of the northeast on the back side of the storm, we get them all winter and they often dump lots of snow – feet of snow. In the northeastern US we get weather coming up the coast from Florida and also weather coming across the continent west to east. Occiaionally these two weather systems crash together and start rotating counter-clockwise and we get a nor’easter.
This was an unusal nor’easter for southern new England in that it was almost al rain. The rain/snow line was quite a ways inland. Normally the rain snow line is right near the coast (I live only about 20 miles from the North Atlantic ocean and normally we’re inside the snow line for most of the storm. Instead, we got 3-4 inches of rain [7.5-10cm] out of this one storm with hurricane-force winds. Trees down everywhere, hundreds of thousands without power in Massachusetts alone. We’re still clearing up and we’re getting another nor’easter tomorrow! Tomorrow’s looks like a more traditional storm, which normally wouldn’t work people much, except we still have a lot of damage from the last storm.
FOs
One sock of Vanilla is the New Black by Anneh Fletcher. I have skinny ankles so I adapted this by not doing the last 2 heel increases and it fit my foot very well. Worked on this one all over Florida, even at Disney’s Magic Kingdom, and finished on the airplane on the way home.
Wips
Vanilla is the New Black – started the second sock
Emerald Deep shawl – Started chart 5 of 5 last night! This shawl is a charity knit for AGC Scholarships, a group that raises money for families dealing with infertility or who are trying to adopt. Worked in Ito Yarn’s Kinu, 100% silk. Kinu has a colorway, Aqua, which is almost the exact color of AGC’s logo so it was too perfect not to use. The shawl will be auctioned off at AGC’s annual gala to raise money. If you or someone you love would like to learn more about AGC, visit agcscholarships.org
Knitting Fail
I started the Peppermint Mocha sock by CC Almon from JavaPurl designs on the planeride to Florida on my US 2 Lykke needles. When I tried it on the next day it was WAAAAY too big, so once I dig out a US 0 or 1 I’ll try again. It was my fault, not the pattern’s, as I didn’t make a gauge swatch.
Pattern Acquisition
Coinciding with the Ravallenics this year was the annual Middle Earth Games for the Tolkien group that I’m a part of, and I was lucky enough to win a free pattern! Since I won it from a Tolkien-based group, I chose the Dancing Dragons Coat from Heike Campbell which is a spectacular and challenging knit that I am really looking forward to! I’m hoping it’ll be my Ravelry sweater :) I’ve linked to it and included a photo in the show notes, you have to see this one appreciate it!
Out and About
Florida! W’re home. Had a great time. Spent half the time with my inlaws in Ocala area, and half the time with my parents outside Orlando. 1 day at Magic Kingdom last Monday, the boys behaved so well we opened and almost closed the park. The lines were horrendous – didn’t realize it was Mississippi and Louisiana school vacation week last week. Luckily we got 3 fastpasses for Space, Big Thunder and Splash mountains in the morning, which Thing 1 is tall enough to ride, and mom and dad got alternate fastpasses and took Jonathan on Buzz Lightyear and Aladdin’s carpets, etc. Then we kept getting more fastpasses for the rest of the day for rides we could all go on together and we got on 13 or 14 rides despite the crowds.
Upcoming stuff:
Stitches United week of March 24th – not sure if I’m going Sat or Sun yet, but I’ll be there.
On The Run
Training is still going well, though I skipped anything formal our week in Florida. I figure the 10 miles I walked at Magic Kingdom covered anything I missed, ha!
Now that it’s getting warmer I’m starting to take Thing 2 out for walks in our jogging stroller, which he loves. My mileage is behind what I wanted to be at this point, but my body feels healthy so I’m not pushing it too much, No more injuries!
Thursday Jan 11, 2018
Episode 30 - Thank You
Thursday Jan 11, 2018
Thursday Jan 11, 2018
Episode 30 - 1/11/18
Windswept Designs on Facebook, WindsweptMonique on Instagram and Ravelry, come join Ravelry group
KAL, Pattern Release, Wips, Pattern Acquisition, Spinning, Out and About, On the Run
KAL – get your FOs posted ASAP! I’m going to lock the thread tonight on my way to Vogue Knitting Live
Pattern Release – First off, a HUGE thank you to all of you for making 2017 an amazing year, knitwise. I started this pordcast, attended multiple festivals and conventions, including FINALLY getting in to SSK, and I even learned to spin! I’ve met such wonderful people both in person and online. The fiber community is AMAZING. So I’ve put this pattern for sale and if you use the coupon code THANKYOU you’ll get it free through January 16th. This is my thank you to you, the Use Your Stash Shawl
Wips
Frosted by Paper Daisy Creations, on snowflake 5 of 5 on the stranded colorwork yoke. Was planning on using 3 colors but after doing flakes 1 & 2 in color 1, then flake 2 in color 2 I decided that really they should all have been different colors. But I was not going to rip it out again, so I dug a skein out of stash, Plymouth Yarn’s Nettle Grove in colorway 42, a denim-ish color that matches the rest of the blues I’m using fairly well.
Star Wars sweater for Thing 1 - Using Nordic Yoke Pullover, a free pattern from Patons, as the base and altering the charts to have Star Wars characters/spaceships/icons. I’m about 25% through the yoke collar, currently working on R2D2’s head. Body of sweater will be red as that’s his favorite color
Vanilla sock in Berroco Comfort Sock in Bali colorway. Still chugging along at this 2+ year old WIP, it’s my car knitting.
Pattern Acquisition
Derwentwater by Tess Young, won it during the Indie Gift-a-long KAL, forgot to mention it last week!
Spinning
New segment - I finally figured out this spinning thing! Working on my 2nd single in undyed cotton
Out and About
Off to Vogue Knitting in NYC tonight! If you’re there stop me and say hello. Just to warn you I’ve had a lot of sleepless nights recently with the kids and my husband being sick, so if I seem a little dazed or perhaps a little overly caffeinated, that’s why. But please come say hello anyways. I am really looking forward to the 2 classes I am attending on Friday.
On the Run
I’m on my 2nd week of my half marathon training plan, and unfortunately I am dealing with some unexpected knee pain.
Thursday Jan 04, 2018
Episode 29 - Snow Hurricane
Thursday Jan 04, 2018
Thursday Jan 04, 2018
Episode 29 – Happy New Year!
Wips, Knitting Fail, Pattern Acquisition, On The Run
FO
Mahalo Socks by Dana Gervais – on the 2nd sock in CoBaSi by Hikoo and progressing nicely
Hibernatum hat by Talitha Kuomi – full disclosure, I know Talitha, we’re part of the same knitting group at our recently closed LYS and she is an amazing human being and also a very talented designer. I’ve never knit one of her patterns before, so when I stumbled upon her Hibernatum hat designed for Alpaca yarn while trying to find a hat to knit with my Criativ DK, an alpaca blend, it was too perfect not to choose! Oh, and it’s a free pattern put out by Classic Elite so go knit this yourself. It would totally work with other fibers too. I cast this hat on Christmas Eve and it’s rather potato chippy because it’s a knit row followed by a simple pattern row and I kept wanting to knit just one more row.
Wips
Frosted Sweater by Paper Daisy Creations, my Christmas cast on – a snowflake-patterned colorwork yoke sweater. She used a gradient mini kit so the snowflakes go from light to dark using 5 colors of a warm blue with a green tint to it on a white background. I found 2 skeins of Debbie Bliss Amalfi in Pale Blue and Denim and also a skein of Hempathy by Elsebeth Lavold in a color just between those two shades so I’m only using 3 colors and I’m hoping I might have enough to make the matching hat.
Plain Vanilla sock in Berroco Comfort Sock in the Bali colorway. I started this pair of socks 2 years ago and got Second Sock Syndrome. It’s now my purse knitting so I’m hoping to finish them this winter. I’m on the second foot, going toe-up with an afterthought heel.
Lush by Tin Cast Knits, my New Years Day cast on
Knitting Fail
Frosted Sweater – take 2. I did run into one issue with this sweater. The Medium would probably fit well if I got gauge, but I have 24 sts per 4 inches instead of 25 which gives me an extra 1.8 inches around the bust in size Medium… that’s just too much. Plus, after trying it on the collar is too wide for a New England winter. So I did the math and I’m going to knit the small but add one pattern repeat of the snowflakes which will give me an extra 12 sts around the bust which, if my gauge holds true, should give me a perfect fit, not too tight, not too loose.
Had to tink back 4 rows on my second Mahalo sock – note to self, don’t start gusset increases while making dinner when boys are cranky. While the gusset increases themselves came out fine, I totally screwed up the lace pattern, by 2 rows, then dropped a stitch and had to tink back to more to fix the now-wobbly looking increases.
Pattern acquisition
Berroco had a pattern sale this past week – one free pattern per person and I picked up the Dahlia shawl by Brenda York, a worsted weight colorwork shawl, experienced level, by a new-to-me designer (never bought a Berroco pattern before, though I love some of their yarns). It’s gorgeous and there are no projects on Ravelry! Looking forward to making mine the first.
Vanilla is the New Black by Anneh Fletcher – I’m finding purl bumps uncomfortable and I heard this pattern is reversible, so I want to give it a try!
On The Run
Still No running for a while – it hurts my back, but walking does not, soooo…. I’m going to train to walk a half marathon in September! I’ve set up a very gradual training plan to slowly work up to 13.1 miles over 9 months and I’m going to take you on that journey with me. I’ve found a half marathon in Salem, MA with both runner and walker divisions, so it’ll be perfect whether or not I get to start running between now and then.
Tuesday Dec 05, 2017
Playing Catch Up
Tuesday Dec 05, 2017
Tuesday Dec 05, 2017
Episode 27 – Playing Catch Up
Knitting and Running in 30 min or less
Segments this week include: Fos, Wips, Stash, Out and About, On the Run and Patterns
Be A Helper KAL - extended through January 6th so you can also participate in the Knitmore Girls Do Some Good KAL.
FOs
MIL hitchhiker shawl, pattern by Martina Behm, knit in Ito Yarn’s Kinu 100% silk
Thing 2’s Christmas socks, 4 toddler vanilla socks knit in Plymouth Diversity in the Multi Blue Taube colorway which is self-striping white, taupe, aqua, navy and bright orange.
Thing 1’s Christmas knee socks in Berroco Comfort Sock in Red
Lillesand cowl by Monika Eckert for my aunt in some deep stash, Rozetti Yarns Soft Payette and Cascade Sateen Solids
Blue baby socks for friend’s son, just a simple vanilla sock in some deep stash that I don’t remember the name of
Husband’s super secret scarf in Pendenza by Plymouth Yarns. At Thanksgiving, as I was audibly working mn my LAST Christmas gift, he commented that I wasn’t making him anything for Christmas. So when mom and I went shopping on Small Business Saturday I stopped into A Great Yarn in Chatham and bought this lovely gradient yard and knit him a Hitchhiker by Martina Behm, which I knit in secret and finished yesterday.
Mom’s Christmas shawl – this is my new pattern, which hasn’t been released yet and I’ll talk more about it later, but I knit it in some Bernat worsted weight Handicrafter Holida yarn that I’ve had for a while, with the white on the lace edge and red for the body
Wips
My 1st non-vanilla socks! – Mahalo by Dana Gervais in CoBaSi by Hikoo
My 2nd non-vanilla socks – Newlin by Sarak Jordan, aka Knit/Wit Designs – Berroco Comfort Sock and I’m working these on my brand new Size 2 Lykke needles to test them out.
New shawl sample, hoping to release around Christmas, knitting it in
Triyang, by Lee Meredith, in Araucania’s Yumbrel, a cotton thread/laceweight yarn in Pastels colorway, which is pastel peach, pink, blue and purple.
Out and About
Vogue Knitting in January! It’s my birthday gift from my boys as it’s happening right around my birthday. I’ll be there on the Friday so if you see me, say hello!
Probably going to Stitches United in March in Hartford, CT. Not planning on taking any classes at the moment, just enjoying the market and hanging out with people.
Stash
Rhinebeck:
9 skeins of bamboo dyed by Artisinal Yarns, 3 gold, 3 pink & gold blend, 3 pink with gold undertones. Think I’m going to fade a Lush by Tin Can Knits and possibly make it in the round instead of a cardigan, since I’m always cold.
2600 yards of lace-weight bamboo dyed by Spinnaway Farms (so nice, btw)
Pendenza by Plymouth Yarns, bought at A Great Yarn in Chatham, MA over the Thanksgiving holiday
1 mini-skein of Lorna’s Laces Shepherd sock in “ooak” colorway
2 skeins of Elsebeth Lavold’s Hempathy in Light Denim (looks more like a light purple)
1 skein of Firefly by Classic Elite in a warm pinky-beige colorway called Delos – destined to be embroidery on a Downton Abbey themed Garden Kimono sweater I knit years ago
Fiber (!) – have not started spinning any of these
16 oz Green/Mocha/White Show Special by Little Barn - a blend of 3 naturally occurring, undyed cottons, one which is tan, another greenish, and the third the traditional whitish.
2 oz Tussah Silk from Fiber Kingdom
1 oz Yak/silk blend from Liberty Ridge
1 oz camel/silk blend from Fiber Kingdom
2 oz Tencel from Fiber Kingdom
2oz Bamboo from Fiber Kingdom
Patterns
I bought 4 patterns during the Indie Design Gift-A-Long kal, including the 2 sock patterns I mentioned earlier, Newlin by Knit/Wit and Mahalo by Dana Gervais.
I also bought Peppermint Mocha by CC Almon of Java Purl Designs the Isis Talicoat by Kari-Helene Rane (Side note for clarity – this pattern was released in 2012 before the current jihadist movement and was named after the ancient Egyptian goddess) it looks like the old fashioned Victorian women’s tailcoat but without all the frilly nonsense. It has a detailed edging but the body is stockinette and fits under the bust with a large decorative button, then the edges gently angle towards the hips. I plan to wear this with knee high boots and leggings in the spring and fall as an indoor/outdoor coat.
On The Run
As I mentioned last week, I threw my back out again after Rhinebeck and finally went to the doctor, the result of which is I’m now in physical therapy, again. It’s been about 4 weeks now and I am seeing definite progress. I am already stronger and I’ve been cleared to start basic exercises, within reason. No running yet, but I’m walking a few days a week and learned today that I can swim, ride my bike or even row if I take it slow and easy to start. So I am very excited to get back out there.
With the PT I’ve been concentrating on strength training since my last On The Run segment, for obvious reasons, and it is definitely paying off. My shoulders and upper back are a lot stronger and I’m starting to work on the middle and lower back and transverse abdomis, which is your central core muscle, what lays under your 6-pack abs (or lack thereof, in my case) and it’s the muscle that actually holds you upright. Having a stronger core is awesome and I know will help me a lot in running once I’m cleared to start that. In the show notes I am linking to some articles on Transverse Abdominis workouts that could help you.
So if you want to work your abs, focus on your transverse abdominus, NOT a 6-pack. Crunches make your tummy look pretty but it won’t make you stronger. Try exercises like planks, modified planks, side planks, wood chops, burpees, or dead bugs – and as always, please check with a medical professional if you have any pain, especially any recurring pain. I am not a medical professional, I am only trying to arm you with knowledge.
Thursday Sep 07, 2017
Episode 21 - Back
Thursday Sep 07, 2017
Thursday Sep 07, 2017
Episode 21 - 9/7/17
Wips
Hitchhiker for my MIL in Ito Yarn’s Kinu 100% silk
New CO, Second Grace by Bristol Ivy in Berocco Modern Cotton. Gotten a lot done since I threw my back out and have been sitting a LOT. Body just a few rows from the underarms, also have 1.5 sleeves done. Using 7 colors, the main color is green, a medium-dark green with a hint of blue to it, then the fair isle parts are in navy, light blue, yellow, rust, medium-purple, and turquoise. It’s forced me to learn 3-colors-at-a-time colorowork and since I cannot get tension holding yarns in 2 hands, I’ve adapted the 2-color-continental hold for colorwork to be a 3-color hold, all in the left hand. I’m not a fan, but I’ve gotten to the point where I can do it and make it look decent.
Triyang Shawl by Lee Meredith in Araucania’s Yumbrel, a lace-weight cotton in the pastels colorway, peach, pink, sky blue and light purple
Stash
Blue Heron Yarn’s Cotton/Rayon blend from A Great Yarn in Chatham, Cape Cod, MA. Love this yarn, love Blue Heron colorways I’ve knit with them several times in the past. With all the talk Laura of the KnitGirlllls has been doing about the Evenstar, I’m debating making it again. I’ve already knit it 1.5 times, that is, 1 finished in a sport weight yarn (basically made a blanket) and 1 skirt made out of it, but haven’t made the top for the dress yet. Someday I’ll finish it. But yeah, totally tempted to make Evenstar again, I LOVE that pattern
Pattern Stalking
Lillesand by Monika Eckert – a colorwork cowl that I’m debating making for my aunt for Christmas. I have a white sparkly yarn and red yarn that this would look GORGEOUS in. Haven’t bought it yet but don’t be surprised if you hear me cast this one on soon
Wearables
Mommy’s Tunic, knit last spring/early summer in Juniper Moon Farm’s Neve in a cornflower blue
Empire Top, just finished a few weeks back and got to wear it for the first time on a col evening :) Knit in Picoboo by Frogtree, a discontinued bamboo/cotton blend
Out and About
Spent Labor Day weekend at my parent’s place on Cape Cod, which was good because I threw my bavk out the day we drove down. And my parents are super awesome. Even though I’m over 30 and have kids of my own, my parents took great care of me and it was feeling much better till I threw it out again yesterday wrestling my tantrum toddler into the car. Sigh. But we had a great visit even though it was chilly.
On the Run
No running, since I threw my back out, but I have been able to walk my oldest son to school, thankfully. But I would like to talk more about injury prevention this week. I want to talk about a common foot problem that can lead to injuries in your kinetic change, which we discussed last time: pronation.
In rough, non-medical terms, you can think of pronation as how your foot rolls through a step. I know you medical folks are probably yelling at your devices, but work with me here, I’m trying to avoid medical jargon and anatomy terms on purpose. Like me, you could be an over-pronator, meaning your ankles roll inward when you walk and you push off primarily from your big toe. You could be a supinator, or under-pronator, whose ankles roll outward and push off from your outer foot. Or you could be a neutral walker and push off using basically all your toes. There’s no good way to determine this yourself because once you start thinking about it, your gait will change. If you’re dealing with knee or hip issues, that is, issues further up the kinetic chain, you should go to a running store and ask them to determine if you have a neutral gait, over-pronate or supinate, because once you know that you can get the correct shoe to help correct any pronation problems, if you have them. Any good running store will have people there who know how to determine your gait type.
Friday Jul 14, 2017
Episode 16 - Cape Cod ramblings
Friday Jul 14, 2017
Friday Jul 14, 2017
Episode 16 – 7/14/17
Nice to be back after taking last week off. And thanks for your patience with the delay this week - Thing 1 woke up Tuesday with a high fever and needed his mommy. Family always comes first. Thank you very much for your patience while he recouperated - he's back to 100% and is being his happy, normal self again.
FOs, Wips, Stash, pattern stalking, out & about, On the run and In the Garden
FOs
Mommy’s Tunic – it’s done! And just in time for the 2nd knit-a-long for SSK. I had 3 hours to spare. Unfortunately, it rained most of the day so it’s still wet. I’m waiting for sun and less humid weather for it to dry. Knit in Neve by Juniper Moon Farm, a chain-ply cotton. It’s hollow so it’s light-weight. While it’s called a worsted weight yarn, it can do 4.5 to 5.5 sts per inch so you can use it on DK projects too
Green Hitchiker shawl – Valley Yarns Greylocke 100% cashmere – Thanks to the delayed recording schedule, this is done!
Wips
Purple Hitchhiker shawl – Cascade Ultra Pima Fine in Periwinkle, still about 30%
Firebird by Romi Hill – k0% through chart 2. Starting to be a little more lacey and interesting. Using Egyptian Mercerized Cotton by Blue Heron Yarns in the Carnelian colorway
MIL hitchhiker – new, Christmas gift for MIL
Stash
Went to A Great Yarn in Chatham, MA, a combination yarn and book store. A seriously great store that you should definitely check out.
Ito Kinu – 100% silk in the Hydrangea colorway. A bright, rich pink that I think my mother-in-law will love; destined to be a hitchhiker shawl for her for Christmas
Plymouth Yarn Diversity in the Multi Blue Taupe colorway – navy, aqua, orange, taupe and white. To be matching socks for my boys for Christmas
Akerworks stitch gauge – yes, I actually own one WOOHOO! And yes, it’s as amazing as The Knit Girllls and other podcasters said it was. I was hoping to track one down next week while in Tennessee, but I found one in Cape Cod, MA. If you’re on the Cape head to A Great Yarn ASAP, they expect to sell out quickly.
Pattern Stalking
Emerald Deep – pattern for green yarn
Out and About
Just got back from a week on Cape Cod. Thing 2’s birthday, 4th of July and date night with my husband
On the Run
I ran! For the first time since January or February I actually ran!!! It was only 30-second bursts of running followed by 90-second walks but it’s a start. I’m taking things slow and steady so I don’t get another injury.
In the Garden
Picked sugar snap peas and gooseberries in the backyard. Tomatoes are flourishing on the deck – lots of small fruit though none ripe. Peppers are getting bigger. Fresh basil, mint and lemon balm!
Tuesday Jun 13, 2017
Knitting Fail and 5K
Tuesday Jun 13, 2017
Tuesday Jun 13, 2017
Episode 13 – Knitting Fail and 5Ks - 6/13/17
Segments this week include FOs, Wips, Knitting Fail, Pattern Stalking, Out and About, On the Run, In the Garden
FOs
Pink Hitchhiker – Cascade Ultra Pima Fine in Primrose 2 skeins, 248m
Blue Hitchhiker – Cascade Ultra Pima Fine in Colonial Blue, 2 skeins 248 m
Stash Dash total: 1186 meters
Wips
Stella Maris shawl – at very end of 2nd skein, started Chart 2
Empire Top – got the criss-cross bust part done and knit together but – more to follow in Knitting Fail
Green Hitchhiker – Valley Yarns Greylock 100% cashmere, about 75% done. To the point where I can’t work on a full point at a time any more (I’m allergic to Cashmere) but I’m working on it a little each day
Cast on Purple Hitchhiker – cascade ultra pima fine in Deep Periwinkle – last in the 4 hitchhiker scarfs for my friend’s family.
Knitting Fail 4:47
Stella Maris - Started row 5 in Chart 2 and realized I’d dropped a stitch in row 3 or 4 and it had unraveled. Thankfully I’d put a lifeline in the last row of Chart 1
Empire Top – way too big!!! I got gauge, or super close – only off 1 st over 4 inches, but it’s still 2-3 inches too big. I’m going to frog it and re-start. On the up side, if I wait to re-start to the 20th of June I can participate in the Clors of Fall KAL with the Yarniacs – never had a chance to do a KAL with them before. Can you tell I’m desperately looking ofr a bright side to wasting 500m of knitting during Stash Dash?
Pattern Stalking
Nordic Yoke Set Pullover from Yarnspirations – free pattern. Thing 1 has asked my more than once to knit him a new sweater for the fall (He grew out of last year’s by January) – and since I’ll be knitting myself a colorwork sweater and his baby brother a colorwork hat, I decided to knit him a colorowk sweater too. It calls for 3 colos of DK weight. If I tweak the pattern to be 5 colors, then I have more than enough of Valley Yarns Longmeadow in my stash - a discontinued cotton/acrylic blend that is machine washable
Star Wars Doubleknit Scarf by notanicedragon – free on Ravelry. found this beauty while looking for sweater ideas for Thing 1 – I NEED TO MAKE THIS for my husband! It is absolutely perfect for him. I’ve never double knit, so I’m looking for classes. Can anyone recommend one? Craftsy must have one.
Out and About
Worldwide Knit in Public Day – knit at son’s karate class and at a farm where we took in-laws for ice cream
On the Run
I walked a 5k! Walked, not run, but it’s a start. Thing 1 has been asking to run a race with mommy and daddy, so we signed all 4 of us up for the Color Run at Gillette Stadium. Original plan was Thing 1 to run with daddy and me to push Thing 2 in the jogging stroller with a plastic rain cover to put over it during the “color” parts. Because of the sudden high heat, plans changed. Thing 1 and daddy ran 1k and then walked & rode in the footwell of the stroller about half the race but he had fun and Thing 2 had fun too, once we got moving. He hated the corrall. He even ended up green when some teenager took a handful of colored powder and threw it without looking. It went right through the stroller cover.
In the Garden
Deck plants are thriving. Garden plants still not too happy – we’re now back in the 90s again and they are not thrilled with the heat after weeks and weeks of cold rain. Fingers crossed that when temps even out later this week they decide to grow.
Tuesday Jun 06, 2017
Back in Vermont
Tuesday Jun 06, 2017
Tuesday Jun 06, 2017
Episode 12 – 6/6/17
Thank you for your patience last week – I had caught my kids’ cold and ended up with laryngitis. It is hard to record a podcast when you’ve lost your voice!
FOs, Wips, Stash, Pattern Stalking, On the Run, In the Garden, On the Road
FOs
Stash Dash has begun! Which means there are FOs!
Tanwen scarf by Thayer Preece Parker (ilikecake) in Berocco Remix, worsted weight tweed that is a silk/nylon/linen/cotton blend – pattern as written is reversible but I switched it up to make 1 full row knitting only because I rib slowly and knit very quickly so it made the pattern go faster. This is the 2nd teacher gift for Thing 1’s preschool teachers. He graduates from preschool on Friday!
Hamilknit Hat – Emily Straw from Knitting Butterflies podcast – using Schachenmayer Baby Smiles a fingering weight cotton. I love this pattern!!! Going to cast on a 2nd one soon for a person with a 2 inch bigger head - I think using the same needles and a sport-weight yarn might just do the trick
Wips
Empire Top by Lily Go – fitted tunic that crosses across the bust, fits around the rib cage and flairs out with an A-line bottom. Knitting this in Frogtree Picoboo, which is a discontinued bamboo/cotton blend. I am NEARLY done with the cross-bust part. Got a lot done while sick, which worked out well as someone contacted me on Ravelry to ask if I had extra – they had the same dye lot and ran out during an attached edging on a shawl. Was able to get far enough along to know that I would have at least a skein of leftovers, so I got that skein in the mail
Hitchhiker 3 – back to the blue hitchhiker since I’ve been healthy again, now about 75% complete. Working on this in Cascade Ultra Pima Sport
Mommy’s Tunic – I am starting a new version of my Mommy’s Tunic pattern in Juniper Moon Farm’s Neve cotton. I keep wearing my sample, which I really need to stop doing if I want to keep it for shows, but it’s soooooo comfy I need to make a version I can wear.
Stella Maris – Bought the beads and started this lovely lace-weight small shawl. It’s almost crescent shaped. Working on it in a hand-dyed gradient kit from Birdie Knits. I have the Coney Island set which gradiates from turquoise to white. Shawl starts at the center and works out – started it in the darkest color and it will work out towards the lightest. Chose this directions because I might not have quite enough yarn in the gradient kit and I have some plain white yarn leftover from my hamilknit hat that I can use to finish the edges
Stash,
Nettle Grove – cotton/linen/silk/nettle blend
Pattern Stalking
Let’s talk about Romi Hill. I’ve been drooling about her patterns for years, but never knit one. I know, it’s my loss. Being so sick last week, I spent a morning trying to find the perfect pattern for 1000 yards of variegated crimson red lace-weight yarn. After posting some thoughts/suggestions on Instagram and Twitter, Romi herself responded on twitter regarding her Firebird pattern – and if Romi, herself, says “yes”, who am I to say no? So I bought the pattern and wound the yarn, but haven’t cast on yet
On the Run
No running, but did a lot of walking this past weekend as we just spent 4 days in Burlington, VT – more on that later. Heels held up well, so I’m optimistic.
In The Garden
No gardening this past week, it’s been cold and rainy, but the previous week we got the deck plants and seeds planted. Tomatoes and peppers live on our deck as it’s sunnier than our veggie garden. Planted morning glories and nasturtiums in the pots next to the sliding glass door, where we have trellises. Planted convolvulus and cascading petunias amongst the veggies. Also planted chamomile, cilantro and basil in the herb garden.
On the Road
Just returned from 4 days in Burlington, VT. Lovely time! IT was the 15th college anniversary for my husband and I and we had a lovely time. Got to show the boys around our old college and catch up with people we hadn’t seen in years. Also, caught up with some god friends who are still in the area that we don’t get to see as often as we’d like. We stayed in a hotel with a pool, which was a HUGE hit with the boys. Also went to the Echo Center which is a fresh-water aquarium on Lake Champlain – lovely! And we went to both Magic Hat and Switchback breweries; the Champlain Valley is now full of craft breweries so that was fun! When we lived up there it was just Magic Hat.
Also – go to Church Street! Have lunch outdoors in the summer, its wonderful and very kid friendly.
Tuesday May 16, 2017
Episode 10 - Lots of KALs
Tuesday May 16, 2017
Tuesday May 16, 2017
Episode 10 – 5/16/17 - we’ve hit double digits!
Considering I’ve listened to podcasts since 2005, and have listened to a few for 10+ years, it seems a little silly to be celebrating 10 episodes but to me if someone reaches the 10 episode mark then it shows they are in it for the long run and to me, I’m more likely to start listening to them.
Welcome to our new international listeners! New listeners from Canada, Bievenue! I suspect I’m related to most of you, lol, I’m half Canadian. Also Australia, Germany, Sweden and India! Wilkomen! Tak! Dhanyabad – ok, that last was Nepali, not Hindi, but I speak Nepali (or used to). Languages are a hobby of mine so forgive me for geeking out about listeners abroad.
FYI - No FOs until Stash Dash starts
KALS
PALKAL2017 – annual KAL by Actually Knitting podcast, it’s a podcaster KAL and I’m super proud to be a sponsor. I’m offering a prize and a discount code. Use code PALKAL2017 for 25% off ALL Ravelry patterns now through September 1, 2017. Thanks for the shout-out on yesterday’s episode, Michelle!
Stash Dash – annual KAL by TheKnitGIrllls. “Race” against yourself to knit a certain distance. Prizes in the following distances: 1K, 3K, 5K, 10K. I’m aiming for 5K, but will probably end up in the 3K.
Splash Pad Party from Down Cellar Studio – I’m back again this year as a sponsor donating a prize. Summer themed KAL with lots of prizes all summer long.
Wips
Empire Top – Lily Go – frogtree picboo, a discontinued cotton/linen blend. Now roughly 5 inches tall
Tanwen – Thayer Preece, ilikecake
Hitchiker 1 – Valley Yarns Greylock, 100% Cashmere about halfway
Hitchiker 3 – Cascade Ultra Pima Fine in a blue-green color, about halfway
CO Hamilknit Hat
Fishy Sweater
Stash
Birdie Yarns – gradient kit, Ocean View
5 skeins of Old Glory, hand died pretty much the exact colors of the actual Star Spangled banner, a faded navu blue and red, with a hint of white in places.
Pattern Stalking
Maris Stella Lace Shawl by Anna Victoria – eyeing this for the gradient kit I just received
Wearables
Poema by Vera Sanon, knit in Be Sweet’s Bamboo
Vivian by Ysolda Teague in Plymouth Yarn’s Covington, 100% mercerized cotton
In The Garden
Resurrected most of the seedlings I dried out! Too cold and rainy for me to plant – a really crappy week. Cold drizzle almost all week – felt like April! Mother’s Day was only 46!!! Today it’s 78 and it’ll be 90 on Thursday. In New England if you don’t like the weather, wait 5 min.
On The Run
Still walking half mile per day. Also, getting lots more mobility back in my ankle, yay!
Also, Color Run 5K as a family. Thing 1 wants to run a race like mommy and daddy and this is not timed, so he can walk (or be carried)
Out And About
Burlington, VT 1st weekend in June
SSK retreat July 20-23
Canada! First week in August in Nova Scotia visiting family