Massive Migraine does NOT stop Bike Trip

Where in the World is f1bercat?

Here I am stuck on the side of the road, 1 mile to go before I hit my next Washington LYS, Yarn &; Things, in Chehalis, WA.  Not only am I stuck in shouting distance (I have a loud voice, I'm sure it will carry a mile), but I have a horrible migraine.  I almost didn't go to the Y.  But, I know if I let this keep me from riding, then, well, that is a slippery slope to stopping my trip.  I WILL make it to California.  So I went to the Y and knit for 38 min. though it did not feel good.

Here I am stuck on the road just North of Chehalis:

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Knitting

Because of the migraine, but really because my Daughter #2, S, is home on break and scheduled a hair appointment at 5 and is taking my car!, I will not be able to meet my best knitting Buddies, the Eastside Stitchers, tonight.  I plan on joining the new Thursday group, tomorrow. At least, for a few hours.  Got to have my stitching friends fix.

I was going to save these for Friday, have a "FO Friday."  But, since I won't have any Eastside Stitchers WIP's to post, I have to post my own.

I have finished the Doc's Cobblestone Socks.

If you remember, I made them in Classic Elite Summer Sox, which has a mix of wool, cotton, and nylon, in the color Pecan.  I was not happy with the way the yarn felt at first.  But, I got more and more used to it.  That doesn't sound good, but I am starting to like the yarn.  I just finished a pair of wool/cashmere socks right before I started these, and well, the cotton did not feel like cashmere.  However, I like the feel more and more.  The knit up fabric is much nicer than the yarn itself.  We shall see what the Doc says.  He loves the first pair of socks I made him.  I will put these in his Easter Basket. 

Have a great day.

yours,

f1bercat

shaping the planet with a huge migraine

wHeart like a wHeel

2012.03.16 Fuji Cherry

Hello!  f1beristas!

Today I rode 6.67 miles while knitting on the sleeves of the sweater for my friend, Lewk.  Remember that sweater?  The neverending sweater?  Yes, well, I knit a bit more of the sleeves while I rode my bike towards Portland.  Ok, I was not really riding a bike to Portland, I was riding an exercise bike at the Y, but thinking about my daughter, S, who is attending Portland State University.  

They are on the quarter system, and she is busy busy busy with finals right now.  BUT!  she gets a week off after that, and since she finishes next week, she will take the train home on Thursday in the afternoon, and Thursday night, S, L, the Doc, and I will all attend the midnight opening of The Hunger Games.  I got the book for Christmas two years ago, and really enjoyed the trilogy, though I thought it was a bit ... violent.  And I really didn't like that.  As a writer for children, I did not think these were children's or even really young adult books.  They are more... books about teens for adults.  But, that being said, I still enjoyed the characters, and the story was gripping.

We love to go to midnight openings.  For the last Harry Potter movie, I got to the movie theater at noon, and was THIRD IN LINE!  Of course I brought my knitting.  I sat there from noon until midnight, and wasn't bored at all.  I'm trying to remember what I was working on.  Probably the Dr. Who Scarf I made for my friend, Aelfric, who is the Enigma Legion chanter in Aion.  To tell the truth, I think I was working on that scarf all that fall.  If I do say so, it came out beautifully.  

Since I am picking S up at about 3, we won't be able get to the theater to get in line any earlier than about 4pm.  But, what ever time we get there, you can be sure that I will bring knitting.  And, a chair.

WIP's

Today I worked on the heels, or wHeels, of the socks I am knitting.  I think they all came out very nicely. 

Here is the Snuggly Socks from the Liz Marino Gift Knits Club.

I wish I had knit a bit tighter, but still, I think it looks quite nice.

And here are the Cobblestone Socks for the Doc, in the cotton/wool/nylon blend.  This pattern uses an Eye of Partridge wHeel, with a garter stitch border.  I do like that border.

I have picked up the gussets of all the socks, and am busy decreasing down to the real foot size.  It will go quickly once I am on the feet. 



Maybe all 3 socks will be finished by the end of the next week, and I can cast on the second Snuggly Sock.  I will have to order the yarn for and cast on the Snuggly Socks that are the match for my nephew, A, for his wedding.  It is too weird not to be working on 2 different sock pairs at all times.

Where in the World is f1bercat

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Since I knitted 6.67 miles today, have now totaled 60.98 miles on my trip to California.  I decided to back track just a bit, since I want to "visit" an LYS in Lynnwood, Yorkshire Yarns.  I should reach them on Monday, and can't wait to see what they are all about.  Their store isn't physically there, well, I mean it IS there, but they are moving to a new location (the address I am visiting), and so aren't open right now.  But I plan to visit them anyway.

This is my progress on the trip map:

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Have a great night.

Yours,

f1bercat

shaping the planet, one wHeel at a time

Pie Are Square

Happy Pi Day, Everyone!

For those of you who aren't Math Geeks, today's date is 3/14 or 3.14 which is the abbreviation for the magical mathematical number Π  (Pi), which is very useful for finding the area or circumference of circles.  The formula for finding the area of a circle is Πr²  or pi r squared.  Get it?

I was going to bake an apple pi for my son L, who IS a math geek, but I got hung up on Ravelry (yes I am blaming Ravelry), looking at patterns and all of the amazing finished socks on SKA for the March challenge, so I just made a breakfast pi, or a quiche for those of you who demand honesty, and of course in the spirit of the area formula, it is squared.

WIP

As I said, I was drooling at all of the finished, and wip's in SKA and also SolidSocks for the month.  This is because I am busily knitting away on my two very different sock projects.

I am ready on both to start the heels.  Finally.

The Liz Marino Snuggly Socks are knitting up beautifully. 

I have decided with some angst, regret and a spirit of true generosity, to not keep these socks.  I really really really want to keep them.  I love the feel of the Mountain Colors sock yarn.  I love the simplicity, yet interest in the rib pattern.  I love the stretchiness the pattern is giving to the legs of the socks.  But, my nephew who is also one of my Godsons, A, is getting married this summer.  I have decided to give these socks to his bride, S, and make a matching pair for him.  They can snuggle up together in their matching Snuggly Socks.  

 However!  this is such a nice pattern, that I might make it my Go To pattern for Vanilla Socks.  I mean, it would make Vanilla socks so much more than plain Vanilla, yet be the kind of sock the Doc would love to wear, and me, too!  I want a pair.

I am liking the Classic Elite Summer Sox yarn more and more.  It still feels a bit sticky as it runs through my fingers, but as I fondle the fabric I have knitted, I like it.  It will never feel like wool, or sadly like the cashmere socks I made myself in January.  But for a lighter summer sock, it is quite nice.

The big mistake was asking Doc how long he wanted the legs.  I was thinking that I might get away with knitting a shorter leg, like he could wear these golfing... but he told me that he loves the Movember Mystery socks I made him for the SKA November challenge, and he wants these to be the same size.  That means 8 in. legs.  EIGHT INCH LEGS.

 I finally finished them last night and am ready to begin the heels.  Luckily, Doc has reasonably sized feet for a man, and it should all go much faster from here.

I love how the pattern, when not stretched, looks a bit like a weird tree trunk, maybe a palm tree.

Biking to California

Today I knit 6.77 miles and about 37 minutes.  I went over the 35 minutes from hell because I was having trouble scooting the last few stitches over the join on my circular needle and up onto the actual needle.  So I was pushing at it and picking at it (broke my thumbnail!), then I looked up and I was at 37 minutes.  So of course, I stopped trying and pedaling at the same time.  Yay, I have reached 47.99 miles in my trip south to visit my family in Orange, CA.

The pink Berry Baby Hat is now big enough to add the leaf part.  I will get that started at home since I don't want to be fiddling, trying to add a second color of yarn while riding a bike through Washington toward Oregon.

Where in the World is f1bercat

Today I reached what used to be Lamb's Ear Yarn, in Tacoma.  Sadly it has closed. 

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They had what looked like a thriving group on Ravelry.  And they sold fleeces.  How nice to find a shop relatively close to home that sells fleece... for when I go off the deep end and start spinning.

It is always sad when an LYS closes.

I'm feeling a bit let down.  So, I'll just post the big map.

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At least tonight is Wednesday, and I get to knit with my Eastside Stitchers Buddies!  Thank goodness for friends with sticks and string.

Now, go out and eat some pie.

Yours,

f1bercat

shaping the world one pi at a time.

The One Where I Vent About Daylight Savings Time

I hate Daylight Savings Time.

There I said it.  I love the Fall Back day, and the week that follows it where you wake up early and still feel rested.  Of course, we don't need the sun setting any earlier here.  In the winter, it is pretty dark here by 4:30 pm.  And so what if the sun doesn't rise until 8:30 am?  I mean, kids have to wait for the bus in the dark anyway. 

But the really bad part is in the Spring when we Jump Ahead 1 hour.  That happened last weekend.  It's Tuesday.  I feel like I flew to France or something.  My body just doesn't want to adjust to the new time. First of all, I overslept and missed Mass on Sunday.  Then I couldn't fall asleep Sunday night.  Then, somehow, yesterday, I got up at 7 which wasn't too bad since I usually get up at 6, but then I just couldn't sleep again last night.  I went to bed at about 11:30 pm which wasn't great but not horrible.  And I woke up at 5 am.  Ugh!  So I got up and went to the Y to knit another 35 min. (More on that later.)  I did lots of financial organizing to get ready to do the taxes. And at 11 am I was knitting on the Cobblestone Socks for the Doc.  I played a little Aion, did the pvp (player vs player) instance called Dredgion where 2 teams try to kill certain monsters on the same ship while either avoiding or killing each other) and we won.  Some of my legion got on and we did a quest together.  THEN I TOOK A NAP!  I had to go lie down.  I was falling asleep while playing Aion, and since I am the legion cleric and in charge of healing the group, that is not a good thing.

I am awake now, but have that drugged feeling you get when you sleep in the middle of the day.  UGH! So,

Where in the World is f1bercat?

Yesterday I reached 34.74 miles.  Today I again knit for 35 minutes (and they were hell, well the last 5 were for some horrible reason.  My body just does not want to exercise for 35 minutes) and 6.48 miles so adding that up, I have reached a grand total of 41.22 miles.  I feel a bit like a toddler reporting hundredths, but I need every fraction of those miles to count.

Today I reached Unraveled Yarn and Artful Gifts in Federal Way, WA.

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I love their website!  it's so welcoming and well, like a blog. The shop is owned by three sisters sharing their love of fiber and crafting with each other and the community.  Isn't that wonderful?  They have a Night Knit Night, and a day Sit and Knit time.  Some really yummy yarns, as well as specialty items like Handmade Knitting Needles.  They have a nice calendar full of really cool classes with some special projects like needle felting * note to self - Learn Needle Felting. 

After my virtual visit, I continued riding.  I need to get every bit of mileage possible.  I made it to here:

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Here is my progress on the full map:

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WIP's

I have another FO to report.  I finished another Berry Baby Hat by Michele Sabitier for the Sharing our Gifts Group on Ravelry.  This hat is the Blueberry one that I started  last week, Monday.  I love this pattern.  So cute. So fast.  It is the perfect project to knit while I ride.  I was working on the Lewk Never Ending Sweater of No Return, but I don't really like how uneven the stitch tension is.  It's... ok, but not great.  The berry hat is so small and easy and just round and round, so I can keep the tension much more even. 

I cast on another one in pink, and am already almost to the leaf part.  I think tomorrow it will be long enough to add the green.  I might be able to make a hat every week this way.  There will be lots of babies wearing berry hats.  Good thing it's so cute.

Have a great evening.

Yours,

f1bercat

shaping the planet (when she's not napping) one blueberry hat at a time