Knitting! Lots of Knitting!

Knitting Update Time! I just wish I had more photos.

Finished Objects:

- As mentioned in my last post I finished the Scheiffelin Point Shawl. I'm wearing it as I write the post, but I still have not taken any photos of it since it has been blocked. I meant to, but I've been busy elsewhere. And the color doesn't quite work with a lot of my wardrobe (which doesn't stop me from wearing it anyway) and I want to make sure it looks awesome for photos. I might actually have to iron something to wear.

- I also finished the mug cozy that I had started months and months ago. It sat awaiting the weaving of ends for many many months. Finally I got around to finishing that up, I was tired of it staring at me in all it's unfinished glory on my ravelry page. Now I just need to take a few photos of the finished item and then I can forget about that pattern forever.

Works in Progress:

- I can't show you this one, or really talk about it much. It's a SUPER SECRET project for the Knittyboard Farewell Swap. If you haven't heard, the knittyboard (part of Knitty.com) will be closing at the end of this month. It's sad, that was a very safe place where I could get support without people I know in real life knowing about it.

- I also started another monster. I'm doing a green and white houndstooth pattern for a friend of mine that went to Michigan State University. It's to be a X-mas gift for her, since she got me something last year and I could not get my shit together enough to get her anything. 





I love the stripey legs on this monster. The face is going to be solid green while the color work pattern is going to continue on the back. I think the face might have a sticky-out tongue. The idea makes me laugh anyway.

Things I am going to knit next:

-First up is going to be yet another monster for another x-mas gift. I have this gorgeous pink/purple/blueish and grey yarn, and I think I am going to get some grey to add some stripeyness.


-I may also do the beaded necklace pattern that was in the Summer Interweave Knits for both of the monster recipients. I figure I owe them since I was super lame with the gift-giving last year.

-The other thing I need to do is organize my stash and get everything listed in Ravelry. Since the knittyboard is moving there, I am going to be using that website far more often. Plus I normally have no clue what I have so I think it will be good no matter what.

Catching Up

I know that I’m a sporadic blogger. There are times where I just don’t feel like digging deep to find something, anything, to write about. I’ve started to use mindbloom.com to try to get myself organized and actually do stuff, but work stuff, home stuff, and fun stuff. That is what pushed me to write this post. If you use mindbloom, contact me, I’ll add you as a friend. I don’t have any friends added on there. So let’s catch up on my summer of awesome!

Knitting: I finished the Schieffelin Point Shawl, which was a huge undertaking, especially working with alpaca silk yarn in 95˚+ heat. It turned out beautifully. I have not taken photos of it since it has been blocked, but I do have photos of it pinned out.







Once I completed the knitting on the shawl I immediately cast on for a new Monster. I’m going to be knitting two monsters for friends that gave me gifts last year, and I did not reciprocate. I might also knit necklaces for them; I already have the yarn and probably the beads for it. I have some Jaggerspun Zephyr 2-ply in a lovely cream color that I think would love wonderful with some pale lavender beads or maybe a bold red bead. I’m starting now, so it will be done with plenty of time before the holidays.

Cycling: We have biked 560 miles so far this summer! We are +187 miles over last year at this time, and are on pace to ride over 800 miles. That is some serious biking, and we are pretty well lined up to reach our goal. If we have a couple 100-mile weeks, we won’t have any trouble reaching 1,000.



We have added to our gear, switching to clip-in pedals and shoes. I have to say they are the ugliest most expensive shoes I’ve ever purchased. But they work, once I got used to wearing them. There were several “almost” falls, I wrenched my shoulder pretty good the second time we went out with them. It’s tough riding sometimes. I found out I have asthma, not too bad, and it only bothers me when biking hard.

I really haven’t done any other crafting. Most of my free time is take up by cycling or playing Diablo III.

No Progress

I haven’t really been knitting, just a row here and there on the Schieffelin Point Shawl. It’s a shame because I’m so close to having it done. I think I’ve got 6 more rows before I start the lace border.

We have been making progress on our cycling goals thouhg.

We are +50 miles over where we were at this time last year. We are planning to ride a minimum 40 miles both this week and next week. The three-day Memorial Day weekend will certainly help. If we can manage that we will be nearly +100 miles over last year. Unfortunately, it is looking like we won’t be able to participate in the Michigander Bike Tour this year though. Mr. TEKs has a project at work that is going to necessitate extended hours, so we are going to try to find a different tour.

Otherwise, my free time has been taken up by hanging out on the patio (which allows for some knitting) and playing Diablo III (which does not).

April Update

April is probably my favorite month. And yes, my name does factor into it, along with my birthday, warmer weather, and formerly the beginning of the end of classes. This month has been more of the same, except for the end-of-classes thing; I wish my life still came with summer vacation.

Cycling: With better weather the bicycling take precedence. Granted it’s not perfect weather yet, still cool and windy, (60’s F, or below) but we are making it count. Spreadsheet has needed some tweaks, but now I think I’ve got it. We’re nearly 40 miles ahead of where we were at this time last year, and that is HUGE. It’s too bad that the weather is supposed to be crummy this week. Mr. TEK plotted several road routes that we can ride for 10, 20, and 30 mile rides that will keep us out of the local State Park. We are trying to build speed and endurance, and it is not safe for either us or the pedestrians when the park is busy. People tend to be all over the place, and have no problem blocking the trail- either with items or themselves- which makes me… well, let’s just say unhappy.

The road routes are somewhat more difficult, as they include going over highway over-passes, which is about as good of a hill as you are going to get when your town was built on a swamp. It’s early in the year, but I thought I’d have better endurance already. I’m impatient, especially since it seems that Mr. TEK is breezing through these 10 mile rides.

Knitting: I’m still working on the Schieffelin Point Shawl. I hit the half-way point in terms of number of stitches over the weekend, and just started the third skein of yarn. I’ve done the second-to-last set of increases, but somehow I have either 13 or 20 extra stitches. I’ve counted twice and gotten those two different numbers, so I’m going to have to count again. I can tell you this, however many stitches I have, I am not ripping back. I’ll just make sure to adjust my increases accordingly.

I’m only working on this project right now because I’m hoping to have it done by May 15^th. I’m pretty sure I can reach that goal, but I’m going to have to do a lot more knitting in the evenings at home.

The bulbs I planted in the fall have come up and they look amazing. I find yellow and red tulips next to brightly colored hyacinths to be interesting to look at. I’m a “plants on top of plants” kind of gardener; I don’t want to see dirt- just lush green foliage and pops of pretty colored flowers. I am also lazy, as mentioned many times on this blog. I don’t want to have to do any kind of maintenance to my plants, outside of an occasional weeding or cutting. Mr. TEK is more of the regimented, spaced-out plants with fresh mulch around each plant, kind of guy.

We have a new area to plant in now, since we added two more fence sections to our patio. It’s now mostly enclosed, granting us a lot more privacy, which makes Beers on the Patio™ all the more awesome.


This year is apparently the year of seeing bands that I wanted to see before I died. So far this year we have seen The Life and Times (for the 2^nd time) and Clutch (for the first time). We just got tickets to see Fiona Apple, and Shiner, and we are hoping to get tickets to TheDeftones and System of a Down, and Garbage. I’m 100% sure we will get Deftones tickets; it’s just a matter of where the “seats” are. The show is at DTE, which has a pavilion with real seats and hill seating, which is like a picnic with a crappy view of the stage, which is the opposite of awesome for a rock show.