Friday, February 3, 2012

Friday Mishmash

Guess what tomorrow is?  Guess Guess GUESS?!?  It's the start of my running club's 10 Week/10K program!!!!!  And I'm going to do it!!!!!  Today, the possibilities are endless!  Tomorrow, after I really attempt running, and walking, and watching others run easily and without pain, I may be singing a different tune, but for today?  I'm giddy with anticipation!!!  Now, to pick out my outfit...ooh, with only 10 long runs, I wonder if I can do a different outfit each Saturday?  I officially challenge myself to do that!  Next Friday, I'll have a picture of what I wore - and yes, for me, dressing for running is almost as much fun as running - blame it on my being too big to fit into cute workout clothes for a couple of decades.  Now I can, and you better believe I'm going to have fun with it!

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Recently, on Pinterest (where else), I saw something about rinsing fresh berries in a vinegar/water bath to stop that fuzzy mold from growing on them so quickly...sometimes I've brought home a container of strawberries and I swear, they don't even last two days before they're icky with fuzz.  I tried this last week, but the strawberries smelled so good that I couldn't stand letting them sit in the fridge to see if the vinegar bath worked.  I bought a two pound container on Wednesday evening - that should be enough for me to eat AND let some sit, right?  Anyway, the mix is one part vinegar to 10 parts water (I used apple cider vinegar), and you rinse them with water afterward.  Has anyone ever heard of or tried this?  So far, no fuzz...but it's only been a couple of days.

Oh, also on Pinterest, I saw someone recommend using a straw to hull strawberries.  Yeahhhh, that one doesn't work perfectly...although I could see putting a strawberry on a straw to go in some lemonade, if you were having a party.
Success on the left; not-so-success on the right.

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I went to a yarn store here in town - boy oh boy, was I happy to discover that we had one, as you just can't get the personalized help at a Michaels or Hobby Lobby that you do with a small business.  Anyway, I brought all of my projects to show and ask questions, and wow, did I ever get some great help.  For example, I had this pair of needles that I'd bought years ago when I was trying to learn how to knit.  I had one project going (a little coin purse that had you knitting AND purling)(purling was turning out to be really difficult)(turns out I was twisting my stitches and doing it wrong, which would explain my difficulty!), but I wanted to just knit, so I started another scarf with some yarn I already had.  I didn't like how it was coming out but couldn't figure out why, exactly. 
Turns out the yarn is too lightweight for the needles...and the needles?  Are really too long for my hands.  Good to know - I'd still like to knit a chunkier scarf, but now I know to choose the right size (guage?) yarn.  And get a shorter pair of needles - I kept jamming the ends of these into my stomach as I would knit, which wasn't super comfortable.

The other big thing is that the woman at the store suggested, since I was such a newbie, that I really try to learn how to knit right-handed.  She's a leftie, but said that she knits as a rightie since all the patterns are done for righties (story of my life in learning most things).  So, I picked out some yarn and bought another set of needles (I can see where having several sets is nice, since it's fun to work on one project for a while and then switch to another), and we worked on knitting as a right-hander.  I caught on, and later on that day, worked on the piece for a bit - then discovered that I'd "split" a couple of stitches, so I unraveled it and started over.  Only I couldn't remember how to knit right-handed!!!  I knew my memory is bad, but seriously?  That was crazy!  I finally was able to do it after looking at diagrams in a book - whew!  Crisis averted - I would have been really embarrassed to have to walk back into that store the very next day and ask to be shown how to do it again!
My loot!  Yarn to make some baby washcloths (a couple of friends make washcloths and it sounds like a fun little project), yarn and needles for a new scarf, a thingie to measure the size of your needles, should one (ahem) lose the packaging that the needles came in - plus it measures gauge, which apparently I will become concerned with at some point, a card to convert how long of a tail I need to cast on, and a couple of needles so I can weave that tail into the project (methinks the tail is a nuisance)!

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I actually have a Fashion Friday outfit - which is pretty exciting, considering I'm back to wearing either a swimsuit, running clothes, or jeans all the time.  But today (well, actually yesterday), I'm modeling my new coat, courtesy of my mom and Land's End...and the very!first!scarf!ever!knitted! (by me).
 Brrrrrrr!  So chilly - good thing I have my beautiful coat and coordinating scarf to keep me warm!
Haha, just kidding.  It was 72 degrees when I took these pictures.  Of course, not five minutes later it started to rain, but it was still warm.  Ahhh, I am enjoying this mild winter!

Have a great weekend!

50 comments:

  1. I have everything crossed that tomorrow is amazing and painfree.

    everything.
    including my legs but that may just be because I need to pee.
    :-)

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  2. Okay, you got me with the coat. I thought, dang, we are having wacky weather if I'm wearing Spring clothes in Missouri and Shelley is wearing a winter coat in Texas. Hope the running goes well on Saturday:)

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  3. Love the coat and so glad you are back running.
    I'm a knitter, congrats on the scarf, very impressive!

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  4. I hope your running goes well tomorrow and is pain free. Baby steps when starting over...
    I like your scraf very pretty!

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  5. I will pray for a pain-free run tomorrow for you! No matter what happens, enjoy yourself!

    Cute coat...but I have to say I kind of love your scarf even more! I tried knitting once. And from one day to the next forgot most of what I learned. Don't be so hard on yourself, especially being a lefty. I can't imagine having to learn knitting AND how to go against what your brain has been telling your left (and right) hand to do for decades!

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    1. You make a good point that I need to remember - and let's face it, my brain isn't as fresh as it once was!

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  6. Looking forward to hearing about a wonderful and pain-free run for you, plus a cute running outfit.

    In the imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, I also picked up the needles last night. I had started (and restarted) a scarf when I first moved into The Closet. And I went and dug it out last night, ripped it out yet again and started over. It is my goal to learn to knit hats. I am at a hat person and I shall be my own milliner!

    And speaking of hats and knitting and fabulous weather, my Mom bought me the cutest knitted ear-warmer/headband thingy. And it's so warm, I'll probably lose it before it's cold enough to ever wear it.

    Have a great weekend!

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    1. Yay for knitting again! I've been looking at the hats - they look fun and not super hard (although for me, that probably wouldn't be the case).

      Isn't this winter odd? I'm all set for very cold weather and we just aren't having it. Which, honestly, is fine by me.

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  7. Shelley can I come over and play, knit and run with you? I'm jealous of you standing outside without a coat. It's snowing here today and we all know how much I love snow. Bella is sitting at the window constantly because she wants to go out and play.

    All this reading about knitting makes me wonder everytime if I should pick it up again :) I made the most beautiful sweaters years ago, I also made my own clothes and did a lot of cross stitching but I'm not doing anything of that. Every now and then I cross-stitch but that's it. Maybe I'll start with the cross-stitch again first because I have a lot of unfinished work.

    Have fun tomorrow, you can't imagine how happy I am for you. I'll be thinking of you during my own run tomorrow.

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    1. You should show your knitted sweaters on your blog! I used to cross stitch and can totally relate to having unfinished work, lol!

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    2. I don't have them anymore, it's been that long, they were totally worn out :)

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  8. I love pinterest! good idea on the vinegar, I shall try it. and very cute coat!

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    1. Thanks! The coat is gorgeous - I hope to do more than model it one of these days!

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  9. Love the straw idea. I just don't go on pinterest enough. (Sarcasm)I don't need another website to consume my time.

    You make a lovely scarf model. Can't wait to see your running outfits. Cause you're an even cuter "active wear" model.

    Have a good weekend. Hope all goes well tomorrow!!

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  10. Whenever I need to "see" how to do something, I almost always go to youtube - that's how I learned to make gnocchi - I watched an Italian grandma make them! You could probably search "knit right handed."

    Hooray for running! I would expect nothing less if you didn't coordinate your running outfits for the next 10 weeks! Have fun!

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    1. You Tube is the bomb when it comes to figuring out anything!

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  11. I heard about the vinegar trick a while back and it's amazing...and yes it makes the berries taste better too!! I do it with a lot of produce.

    Good luck tomorrow!! I've been getting some regular, intense, therapeutic massages for my back/hips/glutes and things have loosened up nicely. I hope to start running again soon.

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    1. Good to hear that the vinegar trick really does work!

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  12. Yay for running club!! I'm super excited for you! Hope it all goes well and pain free.

    Love the new scarf. I saw you in that coat and was thinking "When did she take that? It's hot!"Lol

    Can't wait to near the running report and see the cute outfits. :)

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  13. I like all that knitting stuff, but did you say you are running again! Yeah! Watch out 10k.

    And, long run outfits are very important. Looking forward to seeing all 10 of them.

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    1. LOL, you appreciate cute running clothes as much as I do!

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  14. The scarf is cute cute cute! I was wondering why the coat though since it's so warm. I laughed when they said we'd have "more" winter when I haven't seen any so far. No complaints. Enjoy your running. So happy you're getting back to it since I know you've waited so long.

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    1. I know, I thought that if they want to give us more of this winter, fine. Nice change after the crazy extremes we've had the last few years!

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  15. Your scarf is great! I can't even imagine it getting cold enough to wear a coat like that in Texas. Maybe the one day that it snows?

    Hurray for the 10K training! You're going to do fine, I just know it. Just remember that your run tomorrow is not the race, it's a TRAINING RUN. Time matters not - what matters is that you do the distance. Might not hurt you to plunge that wonky foot/ankle into an ice bath bucket afterwards. Certainly wouldn't hurt.

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    1. Some winters, it does get cold enough that having a coat like this will be nice. Even without snow, we get cold...or at least, we used to!

      Ice bucket bath - egads. But yeah, that might help.

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  16. Oh, its so fun to have a knitting blog to read in the morning!!! You got my ALL TIME FAVORITE needles for sewing in ends. Plus, I love that little plastic container they come in. They had discontinued those for a while. I'm glad they're back.

    Your scarf!!!!!! How impressive that you finished it already! And that new yarn--pink and brown. Love!

    Now you be a good girl and don't go crazy on your first run with the club. You want to be able to run with them the next TEN Saturdays, right? You already got good advice from Helen, so I'll stop.

    I'm going to try that vinegar/berry trick. Vinegar is good for so many things!

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    1. I bet you would like this store - they seem to have enough stuff without being overcrowded...and cool things like those needles. :)

      Glad you like the scarf. I love the yarn pattern! And yes, the new pink/brown was calling me.

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  17. Haha, you got me. You were so convincing, I thought it was freezing in those photos. I love that your scarf has a skinny stripe of aqua in it to match the coat! Shelley, that is a really nice scarf!

    Someone's Pinterest suggestion of a cut toilet tissue roll to hold gift wrap on the roll didn't work for me either. Seems funny that some of the suggestions must be working splendidly for some.
    ps-your hair looks neat in those photos, flat ironed I guess.

    pps-I'm worrying about Paco again. He isn't in the yarn photos, OR the outdoor photos? Has the heat got him down, or what?? :)
    Chrissy

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    1. Debby gave me the yarn and it works perfectly with so much of my wardrobe - it's like she knew me or something! Yeah, I really love the scarf and how the stripes came out. :)

      I saw that suggestion for the gift wrap rolls! You know, we should start an open blog for failed Pinterest ideas!

      My hair has been doing odd things lately - not flat ironed, as although I own one, I am afraid of burning myself and never use it. Extra chlorine in the pool, maybe?

      Paco was busy chasing off the squirrels in the coat pics, and he WAS in one of the yarn shots but I didn't use it. I'll be sure to restore order and include him next week...and he'll be happy to know he was missed!

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  18. Hey, have a great time doing the 10 Week/10K program. Um, but you may want to skip the coat and scarf for that!

    Seriously, that's an awesome scarf, you should be darn proud.

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    1. Now that would be a funny costume to run in...of course, I would DIE of heat exhaustion, but still. ;)

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  19. What a lovely scarf you've made!

    I envy you the 10k program, I'd totally want to do that. Maybe one day in the future :D

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    1. Hope you have a great and ailment free run Miss Shelley. I bet you are thrilled to be getting back into the groove.

      LOVE the scarf! It will match anything!

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  20. I am so impressed with your knitting. I am seeing a new blog in the making :) just kidding, running is so IT! So happy for you.
    Now tell me, why do you need that heavy jacket? Is it just to satisfy your shopping urges?

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    1. My mom bought herself the coat and loved it, so she gave me one as well...and it will be nice to have, as sometimes we do get cold. Just not very often, thankfully!

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  21. I was happy to hear about the vinegar and water remedy for fuzzy mold on berries. I love them, but I seem to be throwing away more than I eat. Also, good lucky on the 10k program. Love the scarf!

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    1. I know, it makes me so mad when I have to toss berries, so I'm hoping this method will do the trick.

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  22. I started reading your blog about exercise and loosing weight but I'm so glad that you are a knitter too! Have you checked into Ravelry.com yet? There are a couple of forums on there for left handed knitters. My user name is caro72 if you decide to sign up. Thanks for all the great info.
    Carolyn

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    1. Carolyn, I did look at ravelry but that was a bit intimidating for me...hopefully soon it will make a little more sense. Thanks and I'll look for you when I really go on it!

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  23. Love the coat but I'm thinking the same thing as a few others, when will you wear it in Texas?! Now up here in Canada I could get some wear out if it! The scarf you knit is beautiful :-). You did such a great job. My Mom is an amazing knitter. I can do basic knitting but I would love to do what she can do. She knits mittens on 4 needles, patterns with different colors, etc. you name it she can knit it! Good luck with the running, I hope it's pain-free!

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  24. I'm a marginally religious man, but I'll pray for your ankle...go Shelley!

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  25. Your scarf is excellent! I also love the color of your coat.

    It is so cool to hear about you diving in to knitting. I'm looking forward to reading about all the cool things you make.

    GOOD LUCK TOMORROW!

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  26. I love the scarf - great job! You are already a pro.

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  27. Ohhh, what a cute blue puffer! Mine is red this year and doesn't look half as cute as yours!

    Boy, strawberries in the winter. You do live South, don't you? Ours are awful this time of year.

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