Metamorphosis

Once I began running back in 9th grade, I knew I wouldn't quite be happy with myself if I weren't running. Being an on-again off-again runner for decades, I can tell you this: not running is like being on the sidelines of life. I feel like I'm missing out and don't feel quite alive when I'm not running.

I love the challenge, the scenery, the strength, the confidence, and the fitness that come from running. The challenge of running really represents me as a person. You have to have considerable tenacity to run: no wishy-washy wimpy resolve allowed. As for enjoying the scenery, that's because I love the aesthetics and the experience of running. The beauty of the outdoors, feeling one with it, and using the senses are important to me. I'm totally an outdoors person. The strength and confidence running gives is priceless. I feel like I can tackle many things in life thanks to running since running and life are such parallels. Last, but not least: fitness. Over the years I've discovered that I'm a vain person who can't feel good about myself unless I look and feel good. When I'm not running, I feel like I've essentially given up on myself. I can't be proud of or confident in myself when I've let myself go. Some people who lose weight still aren't happy when they reach their fitness goals. Me? I've always been happy when fit.

I'm not completely fit and fabulous yet, but I'm getting there. Change feels really good, and there is so much to appreciate already. So far I've lost more weight than I ever have before, which is quite a feat. I can run 2 miles at a 9:30 pace, which for me is pretty fast. I can run as far as 5 miles, and this week I'll be running 6 for my long run which is totally uncharted territory for me. More and more clothes are beginning to fit again (major yay!). I'm starting to get back what resembles a waist again. The appreciation list goes on and on...

Knitting News: I've finished the legs of my Kai-Mei socks and started the heels. Can't wait to get to the lace that begins at the gusset and wraps around the instep. Marie's maze jumper and my purple drape neck top have been long neglected, so I hope to get those out again. However, I'm trying to re-read the Twilight books through Eclipse prior to opening night this week. So, I've only been working on the socks.

I finished the Butterfly Garden socks. See here if you haven't checked them out :-)

Finally Got That Sock Project Bag!

Here are lots of pics of my new dellaQ Rosemary bag in use. The socks in progress are my Butterfly Garden socks using KP Stroll Tonal. I can fit one 100g cake of yarn, my 2aat socks, my folded pattern, and in the front pocket, my cable needle and cell phone. Check it out :-D The color is called seafoam; it's an iridescent green. In some of the pics the bag actually looks more purple than green, but it's not. This bag is going to come in really handy when I want to take my sock knitting to the playground with the kids. The straps are just the right length to sit on my left wrist if I need to stand or move around (i.e., chasing kids). Yay, no more Ziplocs!

I believe it was Della Quimby herself who convinced me to get this bag! Cool, huh?! She was at Yarnmarket Thursday night for the Ravelry party. Jess, Casey, Mary-Heather, and Sarah were on hand to mingle with Ravelers who had the privilege of enjoying catered Panera meals and perusing the entire Yarnmarket warehouse. Before the evening ended, I purchased my dellaQ bag, and most of my fellow knitting group members from GK2 (Gahanna Knit Knite) got to chat with the Ravelry peeps. They are just as sweet and humble as they've always been. To cap off the night, my knitting friends and I went to Max & Erma's where we stayed way past our usual knit knite time. Good times!

In non-knitting news, I bought the Eclipse soundtrack. It's already on the LG phone that I use as an mp3 player while running ;-) My absolute favorite track is My Love by Sia. Haunting, beautiful, and hypnotic. I think I like it as much as Breathe Me! Other favs include Let's Get Lost (Beck and Bat For Lashes) and Ours (The Bravery). The soundtrack really fits the mood of Eclipse. Really, I think each soundtrack has fit each respective movie perfectly.

I've been listening to the Eclipse soundtrack a lot while sitting at the computer or while running, getting excited about the movie. Can't wait to go see all three movies June 29th! Yes, that's right: I'm going to see Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse at Movie Tavern where they serve food and drink to your seat. So, the only thing to worry about is getting up to go to the bathroom, ha!

BTW, the last pic is of the hybrid heel I made for these socks. If you've heard of a mini gusset/flap with short rows, toe-up or cuff-down, that's what I did. For my toe-ups, I did 6 pairs of gusset increases followed by a Sherman short row heel and faux flap on the original 32 stitches. (In addition to the link I just gave, here's a handy chart with numbers.)

Specs: I began my Sherman heel with a pair of wrapped stitches just outside the middle 32. Also, I slipped the first stitch of each row after the pivot row, as suggested by others. While working the 2nd half of the short rows, I did an Eye of Partridge pattern keeping a pair of knit stitches just inside the encroachments as a buffer (So for RS rows, I began each row with "s1, k1," and ended each row with "k1, k enc."). After the short rows, I continued around the instep and began the mini heel flap (picking up the two wraps). I continued the Eye of Partridge pattern while decreasing the gusset stitches to make the flap, reducing my heel stitch count to 33. To get rid of the last gusset stitch on the right, I continued around the instep and did a k2tog on the first 2 sts of the heel, completing the flap.

Happy knitting!

Butterfly Garden Socks CO

These are my Butterfly Garden socks (a free Knit Picks pattern). The yarn is Knit Picks Stroll Tonal Sock in Summer Blooms. The only mods I've made so far: change the toe increases from m1 to kfb, and increase to 64 sts rather than 60. The pattern on the instep runs up to the ankle after which there will be a butterfly. Can't wait to see how these turn out!

Since the colorway is called Summer Blooms, I thought I'd include a pic of the roses I cut today from my rosebush :-)

An Afternoon in the Garden

Who needs a fancy-schmancy mud bath when you can have one of your own in your own garden?! I do believe that Ian likes mud. As soon as I finished digging, preparing, and planting a flower garden, Ian went to town like the boy that he is :-)