Friday, January 17, 2014

Friday Mishmash

Thanks to Biz and LaShaune, I can now call myself a professional knitter because I sold two hats - woohoo!  Honestly, that's not my aspiration, but I have to say it was really fun to knit these, knowing who they were going to and that they valued a hand-knit product enough to pay for it.  I got both hats finished and in the mail - I hope they enjoy them!  Once I get more of that Rasta yarn, I'll offer up some hats for sale...there didn't seem to be a huge stampede for them, and that's perfectly fine - again, I just really like to knit.  Here's the hats:
I really love the color variations in the yarn - the hats both look different depending on how the light hits them.  Plus, this is a hat that is going to keep you WARM, for sure!

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Speaking of yarn, I received a gift from across the sea - Fran sent me a box of her yarn!  What was crazy is that she sent it on December 6th, and it didn't arrive until Tuesday.  We'd both pretty much give up hope that I'd ever see it, but I guess it spent a lot of time in customs?  Any case, it was a fun treat to get some European yarn, and I laid it all out on my desk.  Guess who went into an immediate sniff-fest?  Let's just say that Paco has now "met" Fran's dog, Bella:
Tuesday night...mmmmm, dis yarn smell GUD!
Wednesday morning...yep, still smelling the yarn/Bella.  It was a gift for both me AND my dog - thanks, Fran!

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Would you ever think that a rest stop looked interesting enough to stop at, just because you wanted to check it out?  Well, I did - a couple of weeks ago when we were driving to Dallas, I noticed that the new rest stops near Waco had opened...of course, we were whizzing by at 70 MPH when I realized this, so too late at that point, but we made a point to stop on our way home.  I have to tell you that most of the rest stops I've seen in Texas have been pretty pitiful, so it was nice to see such an upgrade.  The entire area looked like something out of a farm, or the old west:
The restrooms are behind me, in the round metal silo-like buildings.
 Inside the restroom, looking up at the ceiling...I just thought it was really neat looking.
There was a cool windmill and a trough with running water, and lots of paths to stretch your legs on, plus there was even some workout stations and a playground!
There was another large building, with more restrooms, lots of vending machines, and a security guard...and this nifty eating area with stools made from old-fashioned tractor seats.  Jeff posed for a picture like he was driving a tractor.  For the record, he says they are not very comfortable and he's glad he never had to use a tractor that had a seat like this.

So now you've seen a rest stop in Texas.  You're welcome?

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We have an easy five miles on tap tomorrow.  Ahhh.  To run, perchance to finish shortly after an hour, and also perchance to not blister.  Sounds like a dream.

Have a great weekend!

27 comments:

  1. ok professional knitter ---will you remember us little people WHEN?
    (the proverbial "when" :-))

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  2. So glad you are selling those glorious hats! You really are talented.

    And I can't say I've ever seen an adorable rest stop before... that's gotta be a first!

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    1. It's new - you'll have to stop there next time you're driving through Texas!

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  3. You know I'd like one of those hats but I want hot pink, like the hot pink next to the light pink in that photo up there. Just sayin'

    That's an interesting rest stop for sure, but does anyone actually stop there? It looks like you guys had it all to yourselves.

    I'll join you on the 5 miles tomorrow but I may have to run mine on the dreadmill... rain/snow is our forecast. Here's to no blisters!!

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    1. I'll keep my eye out for a hot pink Rasta - they show it, but it's backordered right now.

      We were at the rest stop on a Friday afternoon just after New Year's, so I guess a lot of people weren't traveling that day. It was pretty deserted.

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  4. Most of the rest stops in California aren't much to look at, but I always like stopping in Oregon. Lots of times they are right next to a river, and in the spring, they are full of blooms! That is a very cool Texas-themed rest stop!

    The hats are so pretty knitted up--I didn't even see the variations in the yarn when it was in the skein!

    Have FUN on your run tomorrow!

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    1. The Oregon rest stops sound nice! You could stop at this one soon...I'm just sayin'.

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  5. Hey I thought of you the other day. I saw this knit hat at a department store, it was black and then had a light pink ribbon wove through it and then had a silver flower on it. It was so cute and something I thought you would make. I should have took a picture!

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    1. That does sound cute, and I have been known to take pictures of cool knitted pieces, or pause a movie to check out a hat, from time to time.

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  6. Love the rest stop photos! When I've driven in other states, I'm amazed at how different rest areas are everywhere. In the midwest they all have "lobbies"? Who knew? In Oregon, they're all lame. My favorite one was in Wyoming.
    Have a great weekend and 5 miler tomorrow. 5 miles does sound heavenly short!

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    1. Funny how 5 miles can sound short, but yes, and I'll take it! :)

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  7. If Christmas hadn't broken me financially, I would have thrown my hat into the ring for one of your hats!! :)

    Those are the coolest rest stops I've ever seen! Fun!

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  8. Wow, that is a really nice rest stop! I'm most often traveling through Indiana and Ohio where they're nice, but nothing exciting. A lot of stops in Michigan are basically parks, with tons of room to walk around and stretch your legs. And I once made Bob stop at the World's Largest Truck Stop in Iowa on a road trip, just for the novelty of it. This place was so huge and full of amenities, it even had a dog washing station in it!

    How cool that you sold some hats! I'd love one, but it's not in the budget right now.

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    1. I can't imagine stopping mid-trip to give Paco a bath! He would not appreciate that, I'm sure - LOL!

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  9. Damn - I thought you said you were a slow knitter and you finished both hats already??

    Where are all the peoples at that rest stop?

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    1. Well, I am slow, but there was a lot of good TV on this week. :)

      We were traveling on a Friday afternoon, so that's why the rest stop was pretty sparse.

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  10. Wee!! I am so excited Shelley! And I've checked our weather forecast - next week we dip down below zero again - ew!

    I also got the DVDs - thank you!!!

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  11. Cool rest stop! Ours is usually a Dairy Queen :)

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  12. Love your hats! Have you tried running in Balega Blister Resist socks? I use to get blisters a lot and then I tried these. They are a tad bit pricey, but no more blisters for me! I also run in Smartwool socks which I find perform similar. I have tried so many socks that when I finally found the Balega I was hooked.

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    1. I haven't heard of the Balega socks, but I'm definitely looking into them - thanks!

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  13. I'm so happy that you finally got the yarn. The very thin yarn (the red, grey and yellow) you can use all three together, it gives a nice color to your work. I know it's not enough to make a sweater but maybe you can make something tiny or hats from it. Hope you enjoy it.

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  14. LOVE the picture of Paco "meeting" Bella!!! And also love Jeff's Invisible tractor! So fun!

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  15. Love the hats! I'm not surprised they're selling!

    There must have been a federal grant program in the past few years, because a lot of states are upgrading their rest stops. I'm happy if the bathrooms are clean and there's on-site security. :)

    Oh, and the Balegas are the best!

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