Knitting!

I'm back in my knitting groove once more and finally have some finished projects to show you.  Here's everything I've been working on, except for one item, which is a gift so obviously I can't post it yet.

I named these Mindfully Mindless.  The yarn is Mindless Knits, colorway is Stella.  

Soft new socks, waiting for October when it'll be cool enough to need them.

The concept behind the mindless part of these socks is that you knit them cuff down, and when you get to the turquoise blue, that's when you know that it's time to start the heel.  But I prefer knitting from the toe up, so I had to guesstimate how much yarn to pull off in order to have the heel color in the right spot.  I did a pretty good job of that.  But the stripes are so wide that I got bored slogging through them, and while the yarn was nice, I wouldn't use it again.

Let's play "can you spot the issue" with this pair:

Anything?

It's not a big deal, and it's one way to know that these are, indeed, hand knit - but I ran out of yarn doing the last few stitches of the bind off on the cuff.  The good thing is that I used every last inch of this yarn - these are the second pair of socks that I squeezed out of a skein - but I had to find another color to finish them.  I had some purple yarn on hand that worked, which is the little bit you can see on the top of each sock.  What I should have done when I realized I was going to run out of yarn was undo the bind off and start it again with the purple, so the entire top edge would look like I meant to do that.  But taking out a super stretchy bind off is hard and I didn't want to mess with that, hence the bonus color.

I named these Box of Crayons II.  Yarn is from Must Stash, colorway is Kama Sutra.  I love all of the colorways from Must Stash and if I had a million dollars I'd have them all.  Alas, I do not, so when I do get my hands on a skein, I make it go far!

I surprised myself by knitting a shawl.  I have not been the biggest fan of knitting shawls because they take so much time - you can get up to 300 stitches on your needles, doing a pattern, which takes a lot of concentration, before you begin decreasing, and you usually go down to two or three stitches.  But I saw a pattern come up on Ravelry's new patterns page, it called for a heavy weight yarn, the most stitches you got up to was 58 before decreasing, it used only one skein of yarn, and it was free.  So I figured I had nothing to lose, especially since I had some pretty yarn in my stash that I was dying to use.

Pattern is Ribbon Summer Shawl, yarn is Madtosh DK, colorway is A Clue Board From 1984.  Model is Paco the Wonder Dog.

Modeled on a human.  Some version of this is probably how I'll style it when I wear it.

OK, that was the finished shawl, but I had to show you the difference between blocking and unblocking - and for the non-knitters, unblocked is a project fresh off the needles, and blocked is after the project has had a nice bath with some wool soap, carefully wrung out, rolled in a towel and stepped on to remove even more moisture, and then stretched out to finish drying, pinned along the way with T-pins to keep it in place:

Close up, unblocked.  See how the longer loops are uneven?

 

Close up, blocked.  Stitches are much more even, forgiving any tension differences that may have occurred, depending on how exciting the TV show I was watching at the time happened to be.

Because it was nearly dry and so airy, I blocked it on the guest bed.  Plus my blocking mats were behind the suitcases in the closet and I didn't want to pull everything out to get to them.

I am really happy with how this turned out!  The variegated colors of the yarn show so beautifully, and the shawl is light and airy looking.  While it's called a summer shawl, I cannot imagine wearing it during our hot Texas summers.  That said, if I traveled somewhere that cools down in the evening, I would bring it along with me, just in case.  Either way, it'll make a fun addition to my winter wardrobe - I'd wear it more as a scarf/cowl than a shawl, as that kinda screams old lady to me, which I am not.  Or at least I don't think I am, haha.

Oh - I've already started another summer shawl.  I liked it that much!

FMM - Random as Usual

The last outing we had before we self-quarantined was our trip with Karen and Jimmymeow to Bobo's Nursery and the Leona General Store.  I bought a few plants at Bobo's and they all are doing well, but this is the one I was a little hesitant about buying because it's mostly a shade plant and we don't have a lot of shade around our house.  That said, it's alive and growing, woohoo!  I took a couple pictures and texted them to Karen, saying how well Bobo (yes I name some of my plants, doesn't everybody?) was doing.  She suggested a last name for Bobo, so I now present to you Bobo Corona:

Grow Bobo Corona, grow!  It's draping over the little table.  Side note, we need another little table because that was the one we set our drinks on.

The flowers are still so pretty.

Originally I had it on our front porch but I think that was a little too shady - Bobo Corona needed some sunlight.  This area in our back yard is mostly shady but with just enough sun that it seems to be doing well there.

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I like to use a weekly desk calendar because the size is nice for the small area where I put it.  Back in December, I chose one because I loved the cover, but since it's open all the time I never get to see the cover.  Well, with the pandemic and nothing happening in my life, I realized that I could keep it closed and enjoy the cover:

I love watercolor, and I love flowers, so this was an easy choice.  Also unused are my makeup brushes, because why bother?  At least they're clean for when I go back to wearing makeup again.

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I bought several jigsaw puzzles for the duration.  This one is very artsy but man is it hard!  The pieces are small and so many of them look the same - I've worked on it for about a week, off and on, and I'm still not finished:

It's called Mother Earth, which is appropriate to be working on around Earth Day.

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We got our first masks, which were kindly made by one of Jeff's coworkers.  Since you are supposed to wash them each time your wear them, I have an order of plain masks coming, plus some special Hawaiian masks that a childhood friend is making.  I used to get excited about new clothes...now it's new masks.  What a weird time we're living in.

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Have a great weekend - be safe!

WWU - Cardio is Hardio

You guys, going from no cardio to trying to run a little bit is killing me.  My cardio is horrible and while it may be improving each time I run, it's in teeny-tiny increments that are barely noticeable.  This is what happens when you don't get to work out for a year.

I'm permanently banned from doing any jumping activities thanks to my delicate back - OK I am calling it delicate but after what I went through with nerve pain from my herniated disc, it feels like I'm only one wrong move from another herniation.  So I  can't do things like jump rope or burpees (yay to THAT), and after tearing my calf muscle nearly two years ago doing mountain climbers, explosive movements like that are also out.  Basically exercise, while good for you, is bad for me, haha.

My gym is doing online Zoom workouts but I can't get into them.  I think because I wasn't going to the gym (I was set to go back March 16 but we all know what happened to delay that), I'm just not motivated to do anything without my group and coaches in person.  Yes that's an excuse but it's where I am.

Thanks to all the walking we've been doing, my leg muscles are getting stronger, and I'm glad I had that base before I started running again.  But dang, not being able to control my breathing during my running intervals makes it tough.  After struggling through 30:30 intervals (walk for 30 seconds, then run for 30 seconds) for a week, I decided to try walking for one minute followed by running for 30 seconds for the first half of the mile run before switching to 30:30 intervals, just to give myself more lung recovery time.  It has helped, but it's also hard to know that I can't get more running done without a longer break.

That said, I had my best run to date on Saturday - maybe because it was dark, maybe because I was finally somewhere different than my neighborhood, maybe because it was kinda cold - I don't know.  But I ran my 30:30 intervals without feeling like I was dying halfway through, and even at the end I felt good.  Now, it was about a minute slower than my previous runs but I'll take it - getting faster will be a little easier once I can, you know, actually RUN.

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Random, but heartwarming:  While walking our big neighborhood loop, we saw the UPS truck and waved to the driver.  He said "aren't you Miss Shelley from the Arts Council?"  I left that job nearly 10 years ago!  I remembered him but of all the stops he makes, I thought it was really nice that he remembered me.  And then a few days later while we were running, he drove past, beeped his horn, and stuck his hand out to wave - cool!  

I haven't seen my fellow Renegades in what feels like forever, but one Saturday, we did a Zoom (had a Zoom?  I don't know how to phrase it) video chat, which was fun.  We also got to see all of the Renegade kids and babies, ahhh.  Logan was eating his beloved pumpkin bread while Mason had a bagel, complete with a cream cheese face.  They are so cute!

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Welp, that's all the news that's fit to print...er, blog.  Hopefully I'll be able to show some improvement with my running for my next Wednesday Workout Update!

Sealing Granite

This is the sealer I chose - it great reviews and was supposed to be odorless.  I figured that was good enough since I really had no idea what to expect.  For a chemical sealant, I have to say there was very little odor, so that was nice.

This isn't a home improvement blog - heck, I don't know what kind of blog it is anymore - but I was able to place an order with Home Depot for curbside pickup and I got some sealer, plus some daily cleaner for afterward.  After reading the directions, I realized that this is going to take a while and will have to be done over the course of several days, as once it's sealed, you're supposed to wait to use the countertops for 24 hours.

I started small, with our coffee station.  I cleaned the granite, let it dry, and then went to town with the sealer according to the directions on the bottle.  This section turned out great:

I know you can't tell, but it looks wonderful.

According to the directions on the bottle, you are supposed to let it sit without placing anything on it for 24 hours, so I set up a temporary coffee station for this morning:

All of our coffee necessities.  Behind the coffee stuff is everything from the counters from each side of the stove.

After my great success (Borat voice, which I can never unhear regarding that phrase) with the coffee station, I moved on to the counters on each side of the stove.  I did exactly what I did the first go-round, and when it came time to do my final check, I was horrified to see streaks on the granite.  I panicked for a minute, but in rereading the directions, sometimes several coats may be needed.  I can only surmise that these counters get more use than the coffee station, which is pretty much a once a day thing.  So I applied another coat and it did look better, but still streaky in a few spots.  Several coats later, I think it's finally done.  That was a bit of a heart stopper - I was worried that I'd ruined my beautiful countertops!

This afternoon will be 24 hours so I'll put everything back on that side of the kitchen.  I'll have to strategically plan out the other side because we won't be able to use the sink for 24 hours...which will be trickier than normal considering we are here alllllll the time and pretty much fill up the dishwasher by end of day.  We can go out for dinner - oh wait, we can't.  We may be having sandwiches for lunch and dinner.

I'm glad I was able to get this project started - it has been a nice diversion from knitting and doing jigsaw puzzles.  Fingers crossed the other side goes smoothly!  Oh and in case you were wondering, I have to place an order for another bottle of sealer...I had no idea it would take as much as it does.  Live and learn, I guess.

FMM - A True MishMash

I haven't done such a random post in a while.  It's time, don't you think?

Day one of social distancing, self-quarantine, isolation - whatever you are calling it.  I started taking pictures thinking it could be an interesting project to look back at, but tomorrow marks our fifth week of this and really, I'm over it.  Although it's not over.
 
Saw this online on Tuesday evening and it was especially ironic because I had just told Jeff I wanted to watch Survivor, which I record so I don't have to sit through commercials.  He told me it was Tuesday.  I did this last week, too.  So I'm actually not even aware of Wednesdays, apparently.

I love his little batman ears!  This was a couple weeks ago - Paco wasn't feeling good, so I had the heated mattress pad on plus I covered him up.  He didn't even want to get off the bed when I got up; that's when I decided to keep the curtains closed so he could keep sleeping.  His tummy was upset thanks to having too much people food.  We gave him some Tums, a little rice and chicken broth, and he was back to normal in a couple of days.

Jeff unearthed this sheet of two dollar bills that we'd bought when we visited Washington DC back in 1997.  We went on a tour of the Bureau of Engraving & Printing, which was really interesting.  So much so that we paid $16 for $8 worth of two dollar bills, LOL.

Along with groceries, Blue Baker started selling homemade pizza kits.  We bought one and made it.  It was round when we got the dough stretched out (which was no small feat), but it kind of rolled when we transferred it to a hot cookie sheet and we ended up with a heart-shaped pizza.  It still tasted good.  We have much more appreciation for the bakers now - who knew getting a round pizza took such skill?  We know now.

Jeff helping me play Zelda.  He gets really close to the TV when he's trying to figure out a hard challenge, which blocks half of my view.  So helpful.

At least it's not a kid, but I swear, all I see is Mom.  Mommmm.  MOM.  Let me in.  He's not good at staying outside for longer than a couple of minutes anymore.

A knitten' kitten?  OK he's not a kitten anymore but it was a cute picture - I put the sock between his paws and he snuggled with it.  Awww, Henny-pie.  He's mellowed with age.  This month he turns 15!

Picture taken before the quarantine.  I had to document that Henry let someone who isn't Jeff or I pet him.  Normally he sees a stranger and bolts, but he not only stayed around when Jimmymeow was here, he let allowed petting.  I guess Jimmymeow lived up to his name!

Have a great weekend!  Be safe, be well.

WWU - Entertaining Myself

I've been walking so much that I earned a badge from Garmin - and you know how much I like my badges:

So yeah.  I am on FIRE!

Because I'm uploading my stats to Garmin Connect so often, I've begun naming my walks more than just the standard "walk with Jeff" which goes to show you just how long I've been in quarantine; naming walks has become my entertainment.  Hey, whatever gets you through, right?  Anyway, some of my favorites have been, and they all begin with Coronavirus walk, just so you know (and I don't have to repeat myself several times):

- post taquitos, pre ice cream (quarantine freezer eating)
- now with illegal garden/vegetable patches (on unused public property)
- firefighter edition (something was going on behind an old storefront)
- police edition (something was going on at a house on our route; people were being interviewed by two cops but no one was wearing a mask and no one was doing the six feet distancing...why?)
- Paco/no Paco (took him for a walk but that was more of a stop and sniff everything so we brought him home after a little while and went for a longer walk)

Because I've had over a month of a lot of walking, and our weather turned very cold - 40s in April is pretty cold for south Texas, I decided to try running a little.  I do a one mile warm up walk and then I've been running another mile at 30:30 intervals, which leaves me gasping.  I tend to run too fast for the first 4 or 5 intervals and then can't breathe for the rest.  My legs feel OK, but my cardio?  Not so much.  I just need to figure out how to slow my pace in the beginning so I can make it through to the end.  It's very eye-opening to start running from scratch and if I end up feeling good enough to run a 5K, which is my goal for this year (along with finding a race where I can earn a 5K medal with "2020" on it), I'll keep up that distance, if only to not start over again.

When This is Over, Part 2

Let's talk projects.  Being around the house so much, I keep finding things that I'd like to do but can't because I'm not going to stores for unnecessary items.  Truth be told I'm not going inside stores at all - it's online ordering only for me.  However, I do have a list that I keep adding to, for when life returns to normal.  Or our new normal, whatever that may be.

There are some things that we could be doing, if we had the supplies.  One thing is resealing our granite kitchen countertops.  It's been about two years since we got them, and while they were sealed during the renovation and still, for the most part, have water bead up on them (something I recently learned is the need for sealing test) there are areas that could use some help, especially around the faucet.  But we don't have any sealer, dang it. 

Another thing we would like to do is to spray paint our mailbox black.  Currently it's in a state of white and rust.  It's in a stone structure that matches our house, except that now our front and garage doors are black, so when we repaint it, black will make it pop.  Plus we've ordered a new address dealie from the same company (Allied Medal Hangers) who has made our medal hangers.  They do custom orders and we thought it would be really cool - and yes we are shamelessly copying one that we saw during our walks up and down allllll the streets in our neighborhood.  Only ours will be powder-coated black, which, again, will pop against the white stone.  Plus it will be rust-proof.  I can't wait for the signs to arrive - we're getting one for each side of the mailbox since people approach from both sides thanks to the grassy area in the middle of our street.  But the project will be unfinished until we can paint the mailbox, dang it.

An easy project, if I had the materials, is to repot the plant I bought for our bedroom.  It's doing great, but the pot it came in is small and it dries out really fast.  I don't want to put it directly into the ceramic container because there's no drain hole, plus I'm paranoid about moisture getting onto our new dresser.  All I need is the next size up plastic pot from a garden center, which I probably could get for a buck (or even free).  Again, not going out means no bigger pot, dang it.

It's doing so well and is even growing a little taller!

There's plenty of room in the planter for a larger pot.  I just need to get my hands on one.

Replace the pendant light in the kitchen with a can light:

It's original to the house, which makes it 20 years old...and we still like it.

We kept it during the renovation because we had plans to put our little cafe table back in the same spot.  But after having the window unblocked by furniture for a few months, we ended up liking the open feel and ended up leaving it open.

While we are used to it being there, we really don't need a pendant light; plus it'll probably look better to have a can light, which are in the other part of the kitchen ceiling.  It will be more cohesive, as the decorators would say.  I looked online at lights but because our other lights are older, we will need to work at matching them, which means an in-person trip to the hardware store, and we all know that isn't happening at the moment.

I'm sure as this quarantine goes on, we'll discover more projects that we'd like to do.  Funny thing, when we have the freedom to live life normally, we tend to put most projects off.  But now, we're itching to get some things done.  Have you guys experienced the same phenomenon?  Let me know what you want to do when this is over...maybe I'll get even more ideas!