Friday, February 17, 2012

Friday Mishmash - Mini Review Edition

Sit and Knit diet update:  It's amazing how much you can get done when you aren't having to unravel everything!  This week I've finished some little projects from my beginner's knitting book:
 A little coin purse and a sunglasses case!  I'm using the sunglasses case to hold my smaller knitting supplies...seemed appropriate, no?
This was to practice knitting, purling and reducing.  Tapering.  Crap, I can't remember.  Something to make it go to the point at the top.  Yes, the stitches are wobbly, and the weird thing they had you do for the button hole was lopsided, but I'm pretty proud of it.  Not sure what I'll use it for - right now, I have my iPod and earbuds in it.
This was to practice the rib stitch, which was great fun to watch develop.  Also, I love the bright colors of this yarn!  It's called Summer Splash and is a cotton.

I finally completed my first washcloth!  Fourth time was the charm!!!  No picture yet, as I need to block it, but I'm thrilled with it.  It's a sailboat - now to see if either of the two pregnant people in my life are having a boy...
I also bought my first set of patterns from Ravelry.com - these little fruit washcloths are so charming that I just had to buy the design!  I have yarn for the cherries and the banana, so I'll start with them.

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I was losing a Words With Friends game against Jeff the other day, when, at the last minute, I was able to play "quiz" on a triple letter (for the "z") AND a triple word score - woohoo!  My best word score yet!
Victory was mine!

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Running club outfit challenge # 2:
Purple was the name of the game...along with layers.  I wore a black long-sleeved technical shirt, a short-sleeved technical shirt over that, and my jacket, plus a pair of Lucy Hatha Yoga leggings* under a pair of black shorts.  Gloves, merino wool running socks, and my Elmer Fudd hat completed the look.

There are only a couple of quick candid shots as it was freezing - just prior to this picture, I was also wearing my green jacket and had a blanket wrapped around me from the waist down!
  (And I swear, I wasn't flipping the bird to the photographer (Jeff) - it just looks that way.  Promise.)
Better view of the Elmer Fudd hat - it has an ear/neck wrap that you can flip up or down, depending on how cold it is.  Not a flattering hat, but even I can give up fashion to stay warm!

Note:  It's recommended that you dress for 20 degrees warmer than the actual temperature, because as you run, you warm up quickly.  However, since I'm walking half the time, I knew I wouldn't warm up that much - hence the massive amounts of layering.

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*Mini review #1 - Lucy sent me these leggings (and I'm working with them to do a giveaway in the next few months, yay!) for review.  Now, I was feeling especially fat (hey, we all have those days, right?) when I gave them my size, and I easily could have gone down a size, but with leggings, they're never super loose, so they work fine.  These are so comfortable!  Very, very soft - the only thing I have to compare them to are my old Nike capris, which are more compression-like, and I only wear them to exercise in; however, the Lucy leggings?  I could live in them.  That said, I would never wear them without a pair of shorts over them, or under a casual dress...the fabric is a little unforgiving in that it definitely shows every lump and bump on my lower half.  But that's also a 48-year-old body...your mileage may vary. ;)

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**Mini review #2 - About a month ago I was sent the book The New Rules of Lifting for Abs, and while I'm not into lifting, I am interested in strengthening my core, and this book has a bunch of exercises that are very easy to do at home.  Well, not that they're EASY to do; rather, you don't have to be at a gym or own a lot of equipment to do them.  Jeff and I have been doing the basic planks on a not-so-regular basis...we have a couple of good days of remembering to do them (at night, while we're watching TV), and then we'll forget.  I love how I feel after I've done a few rounds of planks - it's amazing how such a deceptively simple exercise can be so intense!  The workouts are shown with pictures so you can see exactly what you're supposed to be doing - always a plus with me.  All of this is great, but what I like best about this book is the author's attitude toward diet and nutrition.  Simply put, to lose weight, he recommends some basic steps that anyone who wants to lose weight should be following:  limit fast food, eliminate almost all calorie-containing beverages, eat breakfast, up your fiber intake - all using normal food, with no crazy meal plans.  What a concept!  Love it.

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Busy weekend ahead - we have running club early tomorrow morning, and then we're headed to Austin, where Jeff will run the Austin half marathon on Sunday!  I hear there's a killer hill at mile 12 - kinda glad I'll be spectating this race, actually.  And I'm sure hoping the weather report is true - rain on Saturday, but sunny and not freezing on Sunday race day.  I'll be back on Monday with a race recap - have a great weekend!

32 comments:

  1. ahhhhhh youre heading here and Im tied up with work?!

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    1. It's going to be a pretty hectic trip...next time. :)

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  2. What an upbeat and happy post - just what I needed for this Friday morning. Your knitting is looking great! Isn't it just the best entertainment activity? Fun, creative and satisfying. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

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    1. And now I completely understand when you did that purse giveaway, because it's so easy to keep knitting more projects, but what to do with everything?

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  3. You are becoming the knitting QUEEN! This makes me very happy as I know my scarf will be spectacular!

    I think 20 degrees warmer is stretching it even if you're running. Maybe that's just me. I prefer 10 degrees and even then things like wind can really affect that. It's why when I'm not sure I use the Runner's World Dress the Runner tool.

    Interesting to hear your take on the abs book. I think I've told you we have a sensei who believes that the only ab exercise anyone needs to do is a plank and if you do it on a regular basis it will give you abs of steel. Of course then there's the whole removing the layer of fat that's over the abs thing but we won't discuss that ;)

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    1. Your scarf will be, but which one? Also, pay no attention to the FB question that I will post today. It's FINE!!! ;)

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  4. I SOOOO wish I could be down there to spectate with ya! I know Jeff will rock it. Miss you, girl! We need to do yogurt soon --- maybe next weekend??

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    1. I wish you were going, too! Yogurt on Saturday would work. :)

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  5. You have been a real busy bee!! It makes me so happy that you can run again. Can't wait for the recap Monday

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    1. Thanks, Dana - I'm thrilled to be running, too! :) :) :)

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  6. I'm someone who is cold very fast and I'd rather overdress than underdress at my runs. I don't actually think about that 20 degrees "rule" when I dress for my runs.

    Your knitting pieces look great! You're getting better and better at it. Because I read about your knitting here, I picked up one of my cross stitch works last Sunday. I was inspired by you :)

    Wish Jeff good luck at his half and I with the both of you lots of fun!

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    1. Yay on the cross stitching - you'll have to show a picture when you're done!

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    2. Oh sweety that's going to take a while. All my projects are large works and I have about 10 that I'm currently working on. You know me: I get bored easily :) but I definitely will show one when one is done.

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    3. Too funny - that's why I keep buying knitting needles...so I can have several projects going at the same time!

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  7. Love the knitting - and the color selections! Good luck to Jeff on his run.

    hmmm, planks, huh? I do need some core work.

    Have an awesome weekend!

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  8. Wow, you are making great strides on the knitting. I am very impressed with you doing the patterning knitting--those fruit dish clothes look hard. And you haven't talked about it, but I presume you've figured out how to sew knitting together already? Because a lot of people are afraid of that too!

    I am close to trying to learn Words with Friends again! You'll be the first to know when I do.

    Mmmm. Plank. Its not that I forget. I just don' wanna do them!!

    And how fun to have another race report!

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    1. I love the Chiba darning needles for sewing - as you can see on the little purse, though, my stitches weren't very even. Improved a bit on the yellow case, but where I really have trouble is weaving in the ends - no matter how long I weave them, I still can see the cut end and that bugs me.

      So far the fruit dish cloths are going ok - I'm trying to knit really tight because the suggested needle size was a 3, but the people in the yarn store(!!!) talked me out of using that size and instead using a 5. So we'll see...they're supposed to be small.

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  9. You still crack me up with your running outfits! I love that hat with the flaps - totally would save me when I run at lunch in 20 degree weather, I'll have to look for one.

    Good luck to Jeff on Sunday! I am sure he'll do great - and hope the weather is dry and warm!

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  10. Loving all the knitting projects. Almost makes me way to give it a try.

    Good luck, Jeff!!! Can't wait to hear all about it. He's going to do great! Y'all have a great time!

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  11. Loving all the knitting projects. Almost makes me way to give it a try.

    Good luck, Jeff!!! Can't wait to hear all about it. He's going to do great! Y'all have a great time!

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  12. Have fun at the race this weekend! Our brother Charlie lives in Austin - wish Biz and I could rush down there to cheer your hubby on! :)

    And I finally got knitting needles and yarn at the local thrift shop and Claire and I watched a few you tube videos so we started knitting last weekend - you are doing great with that!

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    1. How fun for you and Claire - can't wait to see what you guys knit!

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  13. I covet your WWF score...I pride myself on being a master strategizer when it comes to games like Scrabble and WWF!!

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  14. Look at you with the knitting obsession now! Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove are good authors. Alwyn is married to Rachel Cosgrove, who also gives good fitness information.

    To be honest, Lou wrote in the New Rules book that you don't have to go crazy with abs, so I am a little surprised that he would have a whole book devoted to this, but I guess you have to pay the bills.

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    1. Lori, it was interesting - he's changed his stance a bit on both diet and the abs. I don't know...maybe as years go by you change and (hopefully) improve things?

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  15. LOVING the knitting projects!!! OMG....being a non knitter, I can only assume the fruit cloths will be challenging. Can't wait to see them. Must admit, I did think you were flipping the bird in the run pictures...loved the disclaimer afterward. Have a great weekend Shelley.

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  16. Wow you are quite a prolific knitter, such cute stuff. Good luck to Jeff at the half marathon!

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  17. You inspired me to take up the knitting needles again, I made a cozy scarf... When I am knitting, I am not thinging about snacking. I love how that works :p

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  18. LOVE your knitting..love love love!!

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