Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Early morning pictures

I didn't get as much done on the shawl last night as I wanted. The body is finished and now I have to start the border. This pattern is interesting because the border starts in the middle so half of the stitches are on a piece of waste yarn right now. You pick up the live stitches and the stitches along the side as you work the border.

Lily decided to "help" take pictures.


What a ham. And here she is saying that she is one of the most adorable creatures in the world. A second later, she reached around and "attacked" my leg.


In non-lace news, I wound this yarn up into two equal balls the other day.


The yarn is important to me because it was the very first skein of sock yarn that I ever bought. It is also the very first thing that I ever bought from Kim. It's been hanging out in my yarn basket for 2 years now and I think it is time to be used.

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Hopped up on lace

I have way too much on my plate now. Why did I think it was a good idea to sign up for the Mystery Stole 3? Geez. For those of you who have never heard of this (which was me a couple of days ago), I'll explain. The stole (a long rectangular shawl) has been specifically designed for this knitalong (i.e. a whole bunch of people knitting the same thing at the same time). The designer, Melanie, posts a little bit more about the pattern each Friday. The first clue is given out this Friday, June 29th. The only week which will not have a new clue is the Friday after the new Harry Potter book comes out because so many people will be reading it. The pattern this year is a beaded stole with the recommended colors of white or black. They had me at the beads . . .

Speaking of lace, the shawl I started on Saturday has been flying. I'm just doing the final row repeat for the body and will start the border pattern sometime tonight. I'll take pictures but right now it is just a larger version of the last picture. The border should be interesting and I am not foreseeing it taking too long (famous last words, right?).

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Lace = addictive drug

I finally picked up my copy of Victorian Lace Today yesterday. I was waiting so long to get it (even though I had heard great things about it) because I wanted to see the book myself. The library finally got a copy in so I requested it. The second I looked through it, I knew I had to have the book. I could see myself making every single one of the shawls (well, except for the circular one) and a good portion of the scarves. On Thursday, I had wound up some lace weight yarn I bought on etsy.com a while ago. I haven't been happy with any of the projects I have been working on recently so what would be better than starting a new project? :)

(It's bigger now and the picture doesn't do the colors justice.)

I picked a simple pattern because the yarn is a bright yellow, green, light blue and dark blue (almost purple) and I didn't want to lose the pattern in the colours. I started working on it around 4 or so, took a break to ride for 2 hours, and finally stopped working on it around 10. In those 4 hours, I knit up a foot of the shawl. It is crack. So very addicting and the pattern is simple enough that I don't have to carry the chart with me! I'll work on it more today between work and riding.

Sidenote! Some of the Yarn Harlot's books are now on audiobooks. You can also purchase them at Audible. She's the narrator, too!

Friday, June 22, 2007

Lobdell Reserve

Yesterday, Greta and I hauled over to Lobdell Reserve. It was definitely worth the trip. We both decided it was better than Infirmary Mound because the trails were so different and offered so many challenges to our horses' little minds. Java was "thrilled" about the frisbee golf holes (i.e. the chain bucket thingys) and Capone was really "thrilled" about having to go through streams and walking in the water. All and all, a good day.




Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Spinning wheels

OK, I totally didn't think of the spinning wheels as in "making yarn with a spinning wheel" when I wrote this post title. I was thinking of spinning your wheels or not getting anywhere but it obviously means that spinning wheels are on my mind.

Anyway, back to my point! Spinning my wheels because I am doing stuff but nothing is getting done. I try to get one thing crossed off my to-do list and something blocks me from getting it done! Tried to call the deferred compensation department and they closed early today for training. Tried to book travel arrangements for the mini-break that will happen while I am in England (I want to take a bus tour of Southern Ireland) but the site was down for maintenance. Tried to get more contacts before I leave but left it till too late so I can't get them in time. Grrrrrr! Really, all of these things are being caused by my laziness and not getting things done when I should have done them. Oh, and my car is back in the shop because the engine is not happy when I drive over 5 miles. One of these days it is just going to stop and not move any more.

At least, not everything is bad. I had a nice ride this morning before it got too hot and modified the jump gymnastic a little bit. Greta and I are planning to haul over to Lobdell Reserve tomorrow morning and ride the trails there. I need to make sure the brake lights are working this time around.

I had yesterday off of my normal work and "worked" at The Needling Yarn and will do the same thing tomorrow. There was a spinning class there yesterday evening so I eavesdropped and sat back there to watch once the shop was closed. Miravi! I am definitely learning how to do that.

I also got a whole bunch of yarn wound into cakes. That huge stack of yarn is the yard sale Cherry Tree Hill I found a while ago. The yarn on the swift is some CiderMoon Buckeye Blast. I also caked their Seagrass that I got two weeks ago at the Knitters' Connection. Also divided the red Meilenweit Stretch into equal balls and wound those. I also wound the remaining cotton yarn from the Ballet Camisole into much neater cakes. (Basically, I was having way too much with the swift and ball winder.)



And it finally rained yesterday. I got stuck under one of the overhangs downtown and snapped a few pictures while I was waiting.


I finished the footlets yesterday and even did a decent job Kitchnering the toes. As happy as I am about that, I'm going to have to rip the toe out of the second one because it is too small. I guess I got bored and was no longer able to measure correctly because it is uncomfortably short. I'm thinking about just putting them away for a while and maybe the house elves will fix them. Yeah, right.

I mentioned the Ballet Camisole yarn a little earlier. Some of you may remember this top and remember how I suddenly stopped mentioning it. Nothing went wrong with it. No, it is all finished except for the finishing like weaving in ends and single crocheting all around the arm and neck holes. Well, I finally wove in the ends and am in the process of crocheting the edges. I only have one arm hole left to do. It will be nice to get it out of the WIP pile.

Sunday, June 17, 2007

Instant gratification

I finished the blue and white bamboo socks yesterday evening. I swear that it took me forever to do the leg ribbing!


Started on another project (of course), a pair of footlets or footies. This is the yarn that I dyed at TNNA and am liking the way the colors are knitting up. It is kind of random and yet you can see a little bit of a zigzag. I only had 50 grams of sock yarn so I needed a project which didn't use very much. I'd recommend this project for any sock knitter that likes an instant gratification project. The first thing that you do is turn the heel and the rest of it is taking no time at all. I've been using the adjustments that are in the July 1, 2005 archives of I'm Knitting As Fast As I Can (scroll down to the 1st's post).


The wild black raspberries are already ripening! I just realized that the colors are perfect for Project Spectrum.

Saturday, June 16, 2007

Miravi

New favourite word, miravi. It is Latin for "I was amazed!" I just finished reading Route 66 A.D., a nonfiction travel book which is the story about ancient Roman tourists and a modern tourist's attempt to recreate their travels. I would highly recommend it for anyone who likes Roman history or information about the Mediterranean. I think miravi would be a good name for a sock pattern. Hmmm. . . .

Speaking of socks: I'm about 2 inches away from being done with the socks I started last Saturday. I accidentally left the memory card in my computer so no pictures for you :( The bamboo yarn feels great and I've been told that it feels even softer after washing. Probably going to be going to the Needling Yarn this afternoon to hang out and finish them.

A friend and I went to Cafe Connections in Newark yesterday. It was so much fun! Definitely not the sort of place you expect in a strip mall. It was a combination coffee shop, wine bar, and restaurant/cafe. I had Chicken Fettuccine and my friend had a salad (which was huge!), both had wine and shared a Key Lime Torte. I like the feel of the place and will definitely have to go back. They have painted it with very bold colors and have a crazy, fun mix of tables from a dining room table to tall, outdoor sort of tables. Very eclectic and funky.

I'm thinking about going to Gahanna's Creekside Blues and Jazz Festival tomorrow. They shut down the main streets in Olde Gahanna (is anyone else highly amused when places put the extra "e" at the end of things?) and have music and food. Ooooo, I would be able to get Rita's, too (be warned, that site plays very loud music). I really like the little park next to the creek there.

Thursday, June 14, 2007

England

Now I'm getting excited. We just got our itinerary for England!

Here is the itinerary for the British Studies course. There are still a few things to be finalized, but this is what we have thus far. Scholarly and enriching activities are scheduled most mornings, while afternoons are free for you to pursue your own individual research. There will be two full-day trips--one to Stratford and one to Oxford.

Course Schedule (tentative)
Friday 6 July Depart US

Saturday 7 Arrive London

Sunday 8 St. Paul's (optional) - 9:00 a.m.
http://www.stpauls.co.uk/
Orientation - 2:00 p.m.

Monday 9 Introductory Lecture - 9:00 a.m.
London Alive, The River Runs Through It: London and Historic Greenwich by Boat, ? p.m.

Tuesday 10 Day Trip to Stratford-on-Avon
http://www.stratford.co.uk/
London Eye – 9:00 p.m.

Wednesday 11 Royal Geographic Society in a.m.
http://www.rgs.org/OurWork/Collections/Collections.htm
London Alive, Death, Mayhem and Westminster: A Walking Tour of an Urban Heart, ? p.m.
Reception – 7:00 p.m.

Thursday 12 British Library in a.m.
http://www.bl.uk/
7:00 p.m. Party at Stamford Arms

Friday 13 Houses of Parliament in a.m.
http://www.parliament.uk/

Saturday 14 NON-ACADEMIC DAY - Canterbury/Dover (optional)
Sunday 15 NON-ACADEMIC DAY - Salisbury/Stonehenge (optional)

Monday 16 Museum of London in a.m.
http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/English/EventsExhibitions/

Tuesday 17

Wednesday 18 Victorian & Albert Museum & National Art Library in a.m.
http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/index.html
http://www.vam.ac.uk/nal/index.html

Thursday 19 Day Trip to Oxford and Bodleian Library
http://www.ox.ac.uk/museums/
http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/

Friday 20 Lecture

Saturday 21
Sunday 22 Depart London for Edinburgh

Monday 23 National Library of Scotland in a.m.
http://www.nls.uk/

Tuesday 24 National Archives of Scotland in a.m.
http://www.nas.gov.uk/

Wednesday 25 Writers' Museum in a.m.
http://www.cac.org.uk/venues/writers_museum.htm
Free in the late afternoon for Mini-Break

Thursday 26 Mini-Break
Friday 27 Mini-Break
Saturday 28 Mini-Break
Sunday 29 Mini-Break
Monday 30 Mini-Break

Tuesday 31 St. Paul's Cathedral Library in a.m.
http://www.stpauls.co.uk/page.aspx?theLang=001lngdef&pointerID=27433oOH1QXTGfJUU5XiLE4TBvERKbu0

Wednesday 1 Aug Greenwich National Maritime Museum & Collections in a.m.
Royal Observatory in p.m.
http://www.nmm.ac.uk/
http://www.nmm.ac.uk/server/show/nav.005002

Thursday 2 ACADEMIC DAY/PRACTICUM AND SYMPOSIUM

Friday 3 Maps and Clockmakers Guildhall Library in a.m.
http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/leisure_heritage/libraries_archives_museums_galleries/city_london_libraries/guildhall_lib.htm

Saturday 4 FINAL EXAM (MORNING)
Sunday 5 DEPARTURE DAY
I had to pick two "London Alive" programs to go to. So I chose to attend:


The River Runs Through It: London and Historic Greenwich by Boat
With Dr. Dave Davies as your leader, you will see London as it should be seen: from the River Thames! This riverboat tour will float pass the Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, and other famous London landmarks. You will wind up in beautiful Greenwich, a scenic town of quaint shops, historic ships and clock-setter to the world. By day's end you'll have seen London from one of the city's most beautiful overlooks and had your picture taken with one foot in each hemisphere.

and:


Death, Mayhem and Westminster: A Walking Tour of an Urban Heart
Professor Andrew Wiest takes you to the most famous sites of historic London, including the River Thames, Parliament, Westminster Abbey, 10 Downing Street, the Horse Guard's Parade, Buckingham Palace, St. James Palace and Trafalgar Square. Along the journey Professor Wiest will spin historic tales not found in most history books -- tales of uprisings against the Romans, the bubonic plague, rat wars on the banks of the River Thames, murder (even the murder of a corpse), royal indiscretions and battles both good and bad.

I'm getting excited but still have so much to do!

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Sock update

I forgot to post the picture of my blue and white bamboo socks that were begun on Saturday!

I turned the heels of both of the socks this evening and have started the first couple rows of the legs. Short row heels have started to become my heels of choice for basic socks. No gussets, no heel flap, can be done both ways (toe-up or cuff down).

This yarn is turning out to be nice and soft. People can't believe that it is bamboo when I tell them. I'm just not looking forward to 6 inches (or so) of ribbing. Ugh, so boring.

New challenge

I find the difference between people and their various comfort levels very interesting. (I'm working at another library branch today so am visiting with different people.) One of the ladies here has been knitting for a while (year and a bit) but she is not comfortable doing anything more than scarves and hats. For me, scarves drive me batty unless there is a complicated lace pattern or interesting cables.



I like being challenged. I find this is true in all aspects of my life, not just knitting. Work can drive me crazy because it doesn't challenge me. In knitting, I like to push myself to do things. Sometimes that works out, other times it doesn't but I always learn something.



I think the next challenge will be learning to spin. It's something I've been thinking of for a while but haven't committed because it would mean buying a wheel. Well, Kim is going to be having a spinning class in the fall where you can rent a wheel. I got to see the wheels she is getting at TNNA and they are just cool! This is what it looks like but I can't remember the precise name of the wheel.

Ah, I can just see the roving all over the house . . . .

Monday, June 11, 2007

Surprise!

So the cookout we went to last night turned out not to be a going-away party for Lisa. (She left early this morning to go work on a cruise ship in Hawaii for the next couple of months.) Instead it was a surprise belated birthday party for me! Seriously could have killed Mom for burning a CD of embarrassing pictures (i.e. pictures from baby till now) and playing them throughout the party. I knew something was up when I saw a friend's car who I know isn't friends with Lisa.

It was really nice to catch up with everyone. The girls from high school and I played "What are they doing now?" with the HS yearbook. Between the five of us, I think we knew at least something about all but three people in the class of 118. The most interesting thing someone was doing was herding goats in Greece. Jessie was never the outdoor sort so you kind of wonder how she became a goat herder. One of the crazy/zany guys is a preschool teacher which boggled everybody's mind.

Afterwards, we went to Brews to catch up with someone who couldn't make it to the cookout. We used to be such close friends in middle/early high school but then grew apart. Now it feels like we have absolutely nothing in common. She didn't graduate high school with us but did go back to finish her GED a couple of years ago, didn't go to college, has a young daughter so doesn't travel like me, does not have a good family life, and is engaged to be married. So it felt awkward telling her about things that I am doing. Oh, well. Everyone grows up and goes on.

Sunday, June 10, 2007

Willpower has gone missing

Kim had sock yarn on sale this week. I fell HARD. But it gave me the chance to finally use up the gift certificate I got at Christmas that I always forget about. After this and the Knitters Connection market, I've used up all of the birthday moola and house-sitting bonus. So, I'm done (for a little while)!



I love working with this bamboo yarn already! It is so soft. I've started a pair of socks with the blue and white color. It will probably be a simple ribbed pattern unless I can think of something more exciting.

The orange and blue sock yarn is for more baby stuff. I really like that my cousins and I all went to schools with the same colors. Gettysburg, UVA, Syracuse, and Auburn all have orange and blue (or navy) for their colors so it makes it very easy to make baby gifts. It is almost like I have a production line.

And now for the stuff from the Knitters Connection. (Seriously, I shouldn't be allowed to carry cash or credit cards!)



Yup, I should be saving for England. I really should. But the sock yarn is so pretty . . . .

I've decided I am a gibbering idiot when I get nervous. Big surprise, right? Can't carry on a coherent conversation at all.

I went to a birthday party with E last night for one of his friends who I had met back in February. Let me tell you, his friends can COOK. For a starter, we had barbecued chicken legs (which were fabulous) with an Asian twist and a salad. (Mike's girlfriend is from Taiwan and one of their close friends is a cook from China so they always put really good spices in any of their dishes.) Then we had shrimp in a marinade with lavender. You wouldn't think it would work but the result was wonderful and definitely different. Then we got down to the serious eating: steak, pork chops, grilled vegetables and potatoes (though I didn't have those because they were wrapped in bacon). After a little while, we had the birthday cake and tiarimasu. The aftermath of all of this made me think of Thanksgiving, everyone stretched out on flat surfaces. I forgot to mention that all of this eating was stretched out over a 4 hour period but still!

Mike's girlfriend is a realtor and recently helped a family find the perfect house so they gave her some very expensive bottles of wine. Definitely the most expensive glasses of wine I've ever had! The bottle of Riesling was $43 and the Shiraz was $50. Whew. My palate is obviously not developed enough to tell the difference between the expensive and the cheap.

It was a really great evening. The food, drink and conversation were were out of the ordinary and fun.

This evening the family is going to a cookout for one of my high school classmates (mom is friends with her mom) who is going to be working for a cruise line in Hawaii. I'm not expecting the food to be up to the same level as last night ;)

Oh, here is a picture of the bamboo socks I started yesterday. It seems like the "last one in, first one out" principle is working in my stash.


I finished the red scarf Friday and took a picture of it yesterday. Really, I was mainly taking a picture of the shirt ;)

Friday, June 08, 2007

I'm seeing red

Here's the picture of the scarf. I'm halfway done and suddenly remember why I don't like making scarves ;) It's driving me crazy, the same thing over and over! Well, it shouldn't take too much time to finish.

I wish you could see a little bit more detail of the yarn in this picture. It is so pretty and knobbly. There is a thread running through it of what looks like metallic yarn but isn't scratchy.


I really should take myself of DeStash's blogroll. Beautiful yarn like this keeps going up for sale. I'm not an uber OSU fan but figured that I could keep it in the stash just in case. Who knows, it might be a good gift basket. Hmmm, I'll have to think about that one.


The woman who was selling it lived in Newark for a while but is now in VA. Talk about a small world! It is a custom dyed Scout's Swag sock yarn skein. Her colorways are so amazing!

Thursday, June 07, 2007

Another FO and some p0rn

I finished another pair of socks last night. These are Koigu that I got in NYC back in Nov so it was finally time to use them up. I used the Dayflower lace chart for this pair, too. I think the yellow yarn of the Daffodil socks showed the pattern off better but didn't care to much since I was just trying get some yarn out of the stash (so I could fill it back up).


Speaking of yarn . . .

I picked this Schaefer Anne up from the Needling Yarn the other day in exchange for working there one Sunday. I've been stalking this yarn since it first came into the shop. I mean, it was literally calling my name! And the colors are my favourite color spectrum. . . This skein is probably going to turn into one of those that just hang out in the stash because it is too pretty for me to think about making it into anything. (Non knitters might find this a little weird but, ask any knitter, it happens all of the time.)

OTN: Lots of stuff that I am not actually working on right now. I've started a simple Project Spectrum themed knit and it is not (yes, I said not) a pair of socks. **Gasp** It is a red scarf made of yarn that I got in Austria. I bought the skeins for the sole purpose of the Project Spectrum red, black and metallic month and am going to let nothing come between me and finishing it! Until I get distracted by the next fun project. . . . It is a really simple pattern (CO a multiple of 3 sts, *K1, yo, k2tog, repeat from * on every row until you think the thing is long enough or you feel like screaming if you do another row) so it shouldn't take any time to finish. Look at me, getting a jump on Christmas presents! There is probably going to be enough lefter over for a matching hat.

I'll take a picture of the scarf after tonight. I'm going to the first Weathervane play of the season and am definitely taking the knitting!

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

Look who hatched!

The killdeer birds out at the barn always build their nests in the most inconvenient places. This year was slightly better because it wasn't in the middle of the driveway (unlike some years!) but it was smack dab in front of my trailer so I couldn't take it anywhere. Now that the eggs have hatched, we're able to use it again.

This picture is from last night when three out of the four eggs had hatched. You should have seen Mom and Dad trying to convince me to follow them because their wings were "broken."


These pictures are all from this afternoon when all of the chicks were out. This is the very first time I've seen killdeer chicks in all of the years that I've been out at the barn. Usually you just see the eggs then suddenly there are a lot of full-grown birds running around with no in-between stages.




Here are pictures of some birthday stuff I got in the mail today :) I just had to share the adorable cards! Oh, and the chapstick . . . MILK flavoured. Yes, that is right, MILK! (Well, they call it milk but it doesn't really taste like milk. It is the concept of the thing.) Click on the pictures for the Flickr notes.


And this from my cousin, Care. I have a feeling that the London Moleskin is going to come in very handy!

Monday, June 04, 2007

Pictures

I recharged the batteries in my camera. This is a picture of the swag I ordered from Knitpicks the other day. Two skeins of bare fingering weight yarn (w00t!), various small circulars, different lengths of Options cables and a small clear bag. I'm already in love with the bag. It is the perfect size for my journal/notebook thingy so I can have the chart inside the bag and still be able to see it.


This is some fingering weight yarn that I dyed at a booth at TNNA. I tried to leave some white in as well as the pink and the gray. There is only about 50g here so not enough for a pair of socks. Maybe some footsies? Or a small shawl using large needles? Hmmm . . .

TNNA

WOW. That is pretty much all that I can say. It was my first TNNA experience and it was definitely a learning experience. Oh, and the yarn and notions and bags and . . . :) Amazing.

I had no idea that this thing even existed before last year but apparently it has been happening in Columbus for a really long time. It is open only to people in the trade (i. e. yarn store owners and their guests). Because I've been working/hanging around the shop a lot recently, Kim gave me a ticket to go. No cameras were allowed on the show floor so no pictures :(

I went over to Columbus with Kim and got to follow her around, watching and seeing how she did things. I found it really interesting to see the type of things she decided to order for the store and how she made those decisions. Kim said she never makes purchases on the first day. That day is the day for looking around at everything and picking up all of the information. Later, she can make a more well-rounded purchase instead of getting carried away. It was FASCINATING.

There seemed to be a real focus on natural or green yarns (green as in environmentally friendly not the color) and dyes. Or maybe those were just the kinds that caught my attention. There were also a lot of yarns made out of different materials like soy, corn, paper, buffalo, qiviut, etc. (Sidenote: A skein of buffalo sock yarn was $90 PER SKEIN. Yes, that is right. Per skein.) I so can't wait until she gets the TOFUtsies in! I already have a list of the colors that I am going to buy.

I saw CookieA of Knitters Anonymous and Amy, the editor of Knitty and author. I feel like such a groupie :) Kim is considering carrying Cookie's patterns because they are so amazing and challenging.

Now, I have so many more projects and yarns to add to my "to do" list :) There was a gorgeous jacket/hat/purse that I really want to make.

June 4

Your Birthdate: June 4

You have an extraordinary character - moral, responsible, and disciplined.
Your sincerely and honesty shine through in almost every situation.
Driven and focused, you rarely let your emotions get the better of you.
You're level headed and rational. People count on your to look at things objectively.

Your strength: Your unwavering loyalty and ethics

Your weakness: Your rock solid stubbornness

Your power color: Navy blue

Your power symbol: Shield

Your power month: April

Saturday, June 02, 2007

Exclamation Point!

**Note: My camera's batteries died so I will post pictures a little later.**

I'm going to TNNA on Monday! This is a needle arts trade fair that is only open to shop owners, not the general public. Kim was so nice and got everyone who works at her store tickets. Definitely never expected that! Gretchen (another woman who works there) is going on Monday so we decided to go over to Columbus together. I would definitely go by myself if I had to but it is nicer to be going with someone else.



I would normally be working on Monday but that is my birthday and my work gives everyone their birthday off. Sometimes that can be a little inconvient if it is in the middle of the week but it works out this year.



OTN: Weeeeeeell, it seems like I have everything and anything on the needles right now. I keep picking up and putting down projects. Still working on the Peacock Feathers Shawl, the lighter colored Kool-aid socks, the Pomatomus socks, and just started a pair of Koigu socks which will have the same lace design as the Daffodil socks.


This last project is the one I am really and truely working on (for this moment at least) because everything else is in time-out. I ran across some difficulties on the Peacock which would either require me to tink it or rip out 3 rows to the lifeline. Don't really want to do either. The Kool-aid socks are in time-out because they are on US 0s. 'Nuf said! Also, I fixed a major error on my part. I was ribbing the soles of the socks as well as the instep. Why didn't I notice this before I knit 15 rows?! On Monday, I did major repair work by putting the correct stitches on seperate needles and dropping the incorrect stitches down until the row where they were correct. Then I took a very small crochet hook and picked them up the correct way. I should have taken pictures of it. You can probably understand why I am taking a break from them. The Pomatomus socks are just being fiddly so I'm waiting a while until I am patient enough to work on them again.


The Koigu ones are a good break. They are simple in the foot and a little challenging on the leg. I cast on for the toes on Thursday and knit up the feet and heels yesterday. Yesterday afternoon, I was able to get a lot done on the leg, 3 repeats of the lace pattern.


Greta and I went out for a really long trail ride Friday. Somehow they become much longer than I expect. We met another rider who invited us to ride on her and her neighbour's property whenever we wanted. (We, of course, said that they could do the same thing on our's.) They have some tiny cross-country jumps set up and a small creek crossing on one of their trails. Java and Capone were idiots about a tiny little jump. Why do they always do that in front of strangers?!

Yesterday, I went on a much shorter ride. We did some flat work (not enough) then jumped some stadium jumps, and then went out on a short trail ride. It had just stormed before I went out so everything was nice and cool. I meant to go out early this morning to ride but couldn't drag my lazy butt out of bed! :)

sorry

Sorry to whomever reads this blog on an RSS aggregator (Google Reader, Bloglines, etc.). I've been messing with the labels. Eliminating some and adding them to old posts. Wanted to make things a little more streamlined. So sorry there are so many "new" posts in your aggregators!