Phew!!!

I made it! The first jaywalker is done!!!!!


Even Eva is interested. She's a yarn sniffer too!


And just in the nick of time...
This is all that's left of my ball of yarn. (or thread- as Brian called it)


Good thing I have a trip to Colorado for Kristin's wedding this weekend. Lots of quality knitting time on the plane. Especially since I only have a couple of weeks to get the second one done. I know that sounds like a lot of time for a single sock. But I always fall victim to SSS (second sock syndrome). I'm even considering casting on tonight just to get the ball rolling. But it's bedtime for this chicken.

Nervous

I'm starting to get worried that my yarn will run out before my jaywalker is finished. And I don't have a ton of time to frog it and reknit. UGH! very, very worried...

Germany 1, Poland 0

Check it out! I turned the heel on the 1st of my jaywalkers. There's definitely a yellow swirl but it isn't bothering me.


The black blur in the corner is Milo. She was checking out the new sock but didn't want to get into the picture. BTW, I don't know why my pics are blurry. But trust me, I know it's annoying and I'm working on it.

On the 1/2 marathon front, I'm doing really well in training. Every week I'm increasing the time I jog between walking. I know this sounds pathetic but I'm woefully out of shape. And it's better to start slow than to get discouraged or injured. The first week of July I'll change to all jogging and focus on mileage. As mileage increases so will speed. Or, at least, that's the theory.

England 1, Paraguay 0

So I got started on my Jaywalkers last night. I LOVE the yarn. And knitting with size 1 needles is like knitting with toothpicks. But the fabric the toothpicks are producing is thick and soft and wonderful.


But I am noticing a disturbing trend in my sock knitting. There's a swirl of color that winds around the sock. I can see it happening with the yellow on this one. We'll see. So far, I think it looks OK.

Now for some shameless yarn porn. I went to my LYS after work on Friday. It had been a long week and, in some ways, a tough week. So I treated my self to this....

The pictures don't do it justice at all. It's Rock Star from Tilli Tomas. 100% silk in a lush, lovely Moroccan Blue with clear glass beads. The pictures show it as more of a royal blue. But really, it's almost navy.


I haven't knit with silk before. In the skein, it is so soft and rich. I can't wait to make it into something beautiful.

Knitting World Cup- Pregame

So I've joined yarn monkey's Knitting World Cup Challenge. The object is to complete a project during the month long soccer tournament. I've chosen to make a pair of Jaywalkers. It's been a project on my list for a while. And now I have a good reason to cast on a new project without guilt. They aren't for me. In fact, having red hair, I'm generally repelled like Superman from Krypton when if comes to anything pink. But I have the perfect person in mind...



Now for the stats and a team picture

Starting Players-

Goalie- Jaywalker Pattern by Grumperina

Strikers- Knit Picks Sock Garden 100% Merino Wool in Stargazer Lily

Forwards- Addi Needles- set of 5- #1 US Bamboo DPN's

The yarn is hot pink, light pink, and a lovely butttercup yellow. It'll look great in Jaywalkers.

Now the pre-game show is over. It is time to cast on and get this tournament underway.

Why...

If I'm running, are my arms sore? It makes no sense to me. But training is still on track. That's pretty good for me. Usually, after a week, I'm a little less committed.

I'm joining the Knitting World Cup. So today after work, there will be a yarn expedition. YAY!

Frogged again

I gave up today on the Lorna's Laces Self Striping yarn. Again, it was my fault. The first time I frogged this sock, it was too small. This time I wasn't happy with the stitches along the heel flap. The stitches were stretched and there were holes alone the join. UGH! I have to step away from this yarn for awhile. I decided to start on some jaywalkers for my brother-in-law's girlfriend. They'll be made from knit picks sock yarn in a Stargazer Lily colorway. It's VERY pink. And being a redhead, I'm not usually for the pink. It'll be fun to knit as long as I don' t have to wear it.

I have to send a shout-out to Mario- the handyman for our apartment complex. It's the hottest weekend of the summer so far and Mario saved us from the hell of a broken AC compressor. Mario- you rule! I'm comfortable and happy because of you. Anytime you want a beer, you come knock on my door!

Training begins

I've taken the leap of faith and been encouraged (dragged) by my friend Alisa to participate in the Nike Women's Half Marathon in October. Since the wedding and the school semester are over, I'm committed to training starting this week. So I'm running (jogging) after work. Luckily, I'm not too sore and I'm completing my daily goals fairly easily. I'm training according to a book called "The Non-Runner's Guide to a Marathon." I figure if I do what they ask for a marathon, I should be golden for the half. There's about 5 months to get up to 13 miles. I think it's definitely do-able. (famous last words)

The running is actually coming at a great time because we're changing over all our computer systems at work. It's been a challenge and crazy. The good news is I'm starting to see how my new position fits in and I definitely won't be bored anymore. Exercise will help a lot with the stress.

A couple of sentences about Erin and Zack's wedding. It was beautiful. She looked beautiful. And they were both clearly so happy and in love. I was honored to be there.