Category Archive for ‘snow’ at adam knits!

Archive for the 'snow' Category

Sun, Snow and Sprained Ligaments 08 Mar 08

I think this picture about sums up last weekend’s ski trip.

What could be better than 2 days of skiing with temps in the 40s and a nice cool breeze? (This is key, because the sun makes the snow nice and soft, but the breeze keeps it from going to slush.) In case you’re curious, we skiied at Wolf Creek Ski Area, in Pagosa Springs, CO. Some of the best snow in all of CO (they’ve gotten 41 feet total snowfall this winter, the most in 20 something years), and only 4 hours away from Albuquerque. And the best part? My Uncle has a house up there, so all the creature comforts, including home cooked meals and sack lunches are included. Not a bad way to spend a weekend in my opinion.

There was one downside to the weekend, in that I came home slightly crippled. After all the talk about how I’m totally coordinated with skis on, I went and sprained a ligament in my knee. It wasn’t even on a difficult run either! We were heading in for lunch on the first day, and I was shushing along, and I managed to cross my tips (Rule 1 of Skiing: Don’t cross your tips), and BAM! I fell over, and there was enough slope that I got downward momentum and had a nice little yard sale. (When you lose your skis, it’s known as a yard sale)

I didn’t think much of it, and fetched my skis and went on my merry way. Later that day my knee was a bit stiff, but I figured I just needed to stretch it out. My knee begged to differ, and complained vehemently about getting out of bed the next morning. I was able to still ski on it, as it only really hurt bad right when standing up, i.e. getting off the chairlift. However, the car ride home was pretty brutal. I’ve definitely spent a good portion of my evenings last week with an ice pack, and I think I’m finally over the hump. It’s still tender after sitting down for a while, but I think I’m almost on the mend.

So the moral of this story is: don’t tell everyone on the Internet how amazing at skiing you are, and then sprain your knee. Although, you really should have seen me on that 2nd day, I ripped it up, even with a bum knee. ;)

As far as knitting, I was a busy bee last night. I finished a secret project that is so cute, I have to not implode every time I see it. I’ll be shipping it off soon, so once the recipient has it in hand, I’ll show it off. But be warned, the pictures will be dangerously cute.

I also finished up the sock that Emma is modeling for you, which is the mate for a sock that the very talented Mega knit for me in a swap. I’m quite enamored with the pair, and will take pictures as soon as I give them a nice bath.

That’s about it for me, I think I’m going to pretend it’s not cloudy outside and take the dogs out for some running around. I think they definitely have Spring on the mind, as much as I do these days, so I know they won’t mind getting out of the house a bit :) Have a good weekend!

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Adam

in a nerd's life, dallas, emma, knitting, schnauzers, snow, socks and works in progress

Letting Out My Inner Bum 28 Feb 08

21 Comments

Let’s just pretend that two weeks hasn’t gone by ok? Moving right along ;)

Anyway, I’ve been up to my usual tricks, including work, homework avoidance and lots of orchestra practice. I had a big concert this past weekend, featuring some of the most difficult music I’ve ever played in an ensemble. Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances may sound nice, but man is that thing a beast! The tempo is pretty much the equivalent of a Mack truck barreling down the highway at 120 MPH. In the end though, I got most of the notes, so I was fairly pleased with myself.

As far as knitting goes, I have no proof I’m actually knitting anything, so you’ll just have to take my word for it. My primary project right now is top secret, but the big reveal should be soon. I also have a lovely sock going, but at this blogging speed, you’ll probably see a finished sock by the time I get around to the pictures.

I had a small Yarn Nerd shop update last week, including a lovely new merino/bamboo/nylon yarn I’ve termed 900 MHz Bambylon. (Try to type that 10 times fast!) The small batch I put up went fairly quickly, but I will have more on the way soon, so don’t despair, there’s plenty of bamboo yarn action to be had.

Also, I will be receiving a shipment of some new yarns soon, including a Superwash Merino DK Weight and a Merino Sport Weight. Both yarns are absolutely lovely, and the DK Weight is a great replacement for my older 1500 MHz Merino base, which I had to discontinue. So look for a future shop update with those yarns, I think you’ll really like them!

I’ve been fighting off a bit of a bug this week, and so I whipped up some soup to soothe my tempestuous stomach. Nothing like a delicious chicken and rice soup made with wild rice and rotisserie chicken to cure what ails you.

Thankfully, I’m mostly on the mend, save for a pesky sore throat that just won’t go away. I wouldn’t mind if the deep sexy voice stayed around for a bit longer though. Anyway, it’s a good thing I’m feeling better, since I’m off on another snow excursion this weekend.

I think a weekend spent ripping up the mountain with my Dad, Uncle and little Brother will definitely do me good. Maybe not my throat, but definitely my inner ski bum. You gotta shirk that responsibility and play everyone once in a while right?

So whatever you’re doing this weekend, make sure to take a least a few moments and let our your inner bum. Lay around, knit a bit, watch TV or just sleep in a little longer. Because all work and no play turns Jack into a raving lunatic.

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Adam

in a nerd's life, family, knitting, music, school, snow, weekend!, work and works in progress

Mitteny Goodness 03 Feb 08

36 Comments

These days it seems like writing a blog post is a 3-4 day ordeal, and I’m not really sure why. Usually it begins with me deciding what to write about (1 day), then taking pictures (1 day), editing, tagging and uploading those pictures (1 day) and then finally sitting down to actually do the writing (another day). This is also assuming that I even do these things on consecutive days, which hasn’t really been the case lately. I don’t think it has anything to do with blog doldrums or anything…I just think life tends to get in the way, and I often thing of blogging as something that “I’ll get to later.”

At any rate, later is finally here, and I have a lovely new knit to show off.

My first ever mittens, and I am smitten indeed. The pattern is just perfect, and the final result is quite eye catching, in my opinion. I really enjoyed working with the BFL also, it just has such a different feel. I almost can’t describe it in words, it feels so lustrous and organic to me, like working with yarn fresh off the sheep. It’s definitely wool, but not the wool you’re used to.

Pattern: Herringbone Mittens, from Elliphantom Knits
Yarn: Yarn Nerd 1200 MHz BFL, dyed in custom shades of Dijon Yellow and Chocolate Red
Needles / Gauge: I used US #4’s, and got 6 sts / in and 8 rows / in.
Modifications: To compensate for the shorter row gauge with the sport weight, I worked a few more pattern repeats in the body and thumb. See Ravelry for more details.

They definitely came in handy last weekend, as I went up to CO for a bit of skiing. It was my first day out this season and the mittens were quite nice for those chilly CO mornings. Nothing like warm hands while you shush down the powdery slopes. I’m terribly uncoordinated in everyday life (I fall down stairs and walk into walls routinely), but for some reason, when I have some sticks strapped to my feet, I’m as graceful as a swan. It’s one of those mysteries I don’t think I’ll ever solve, but that’s alright with me. I try not to question things, as skiing is about the only athletic thing that I can do with any aptitude. Granted, I am getting better at the bike these days, but before bike commuting, I was known for biking into trees. Yipes.

Thanks for your reassurances on the coffee smell too, it’s nice to know I’m not the only one who thinks confusing coffee and skunks is impossible! I’m not too concerned about it, since the guy who works in the lab with me isn’t bothered by it, the only complaints have been from people walking through, so they’ll get over it. Besides, they wouldn’t want to have to work with me sans caffeine anyway ;)

Alright, I think it’s about time for me to wrap this post up, since it’s getting a bit late. Not a terribly exciting post, but it should suffice. I hope everyone has a good Sunday (isn’t it the super bowl or something tomorrow?), and I’ll see you next time knitting fans. (Yeah, that was the worst sign off ever. I’m aware of it.)

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Adam

in biking, blog, colorwork, dyeing, finished objects, knitting, snow and yarn nerd

Catching Up 18 Dec 07

22 Comments

Why Helllloooooo! Long time no read eh? How about a recap of the last 2 weeks? Let’s see, I

Studied until I wanted to die, and then studied some more.
Banged my head on the wall while trying to get my final project simulation working.
Totally flunked my only final exam (no way is it better than a 50%).
Managed to get a very decent grade in my class (despite the final), because the project report I busted my butt over was “quite good”.
Dyed 120 skeins of yarn for The Loopy Ewe, because sleep is overrated.
Caught up on some backed up Yarn Nerd custom orders. (Thanks to my lovely customers for being patient with me!)
Knit 1.25 hats. That’s it. My poor hands were suffering from wool withdrawals for a while there.
Played in 2 orchestra concerts.
Oh, and you know, went to work too, because the bill collectors don’t view finals week as a valid reason for late payments.

PHEW! All caught up now? Cause I’m still not, especially with the freight train of Christmas bearing down on me. I think I’ve managed to whittle my knitted gifts list down to something that’s still a bit long, but I think manageable. We’ll see if I finish it all when next week rolls around. But finals are done, and I survived, so I don’t mind a few intense knitting nights, especially when you have some tasty treats to keep you company.

Nothing like curling up on the couch with a movie, some Trader Joe’s Hot Cocoa w/ giant Peppermint Marshmallows (thanks TJ’s! Now where’s my advertisement check?), and some Manos Wool/Silk blend. Yum on all 3 accounts. I’m afraid I can’t tell you anymore about the knitting, but let me say it is splendid.

And speaking of snow, it has become quite chilly here in New Mexico, after a confusing November comprised of quite a few 65 degree highs. And with the cold came the first true test of my dedication to bike commuting, which I passed with flying colors. Thanks to my wonderful parents, who bought me some great wind/water proof stuff for my birthday, I am well equipped for riding on dark rainy nights (I have lights and a shiny vest, don’t worry peeps!). Also, it turns out that I like riding in the cold a whole lot! There’s something to be said of bundling up and braving the cold to get home, it makes you appreciate the effort that much more.

Thanks to everyone for the Birthday wishes too, I really appreciated all of your comments on both the sweater and my Birthday! I’ve worn the sweater quite a few times, and am already planning out the next one. I have the entire period from Christmas Eve to New Year’s Day off (thanks work!), so I think I’ll be putting in some progress on Sweater 2.0.

Oh as many commenters correctly guessed, the message embedded in the Seamless Hybrid is in fact, “HelloWorld”. The first commenter to guess correctly was Kelp!, so congrats to her, and thanks for guessing everyone! And if you’re scratching your head a bit, you might want to check out this link. Basically, almost every computer programming class and book has you program the computer to display “Hello World” as a first project, so I thought it was fitting that my first sweater do the same. I like to think of it as nerdy with a sublime touch.

Finally, I also owe 3 people some yarn as promised a few posts ago, so the winners are Kim U, Jennifer and Karen S. Congrats you three! I’ll be dispatching an e-mail to you soon.

That’s about it for me, so until next time, rock out with your nerd out. (Ok, that one is going into the permanent language repertoire.)

PS: Look Mom, a new blog post! Now you don’t have to withhold my Christmas gifts!

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Adam

in a nerd's life, biking, christmas, dyeing, gifts, knitting, nerdy, school, snow and work

Better Late Than Never 02 Jan 07

12 Comments

Happy New Year!

I know I’m a bit late, but it’s the effort that counts right? I hope everyone had a Happy New Year, and that you spent it doing something you enjoy, with the people you like to hang out with. I spent New Year’s Eve with my brother (who was very sad his fiancee was visiting a friend in TX) and another friend. It was fairly low key, we mostly just watched some movies and ate good food. Then at midnight I enjoyed a glass of cheap champagne and Emma gave me a kiss. It was a much better New Year’s than most, just like Christmas was better than usual this year. I didn’t really do anything different, I just suppose that my attitude on life has changed a lot recently. And even though I was still a bit bummed to be spending New Year’s without a lady companion, I was more optimistic than I’ve been in recent years. So to wrap the previous year up, and to help start off the New Year, here’s my recap of 2006.

Knitting

2006 was a bit year for me in the knitting world, as it was after the start of 06 that I really got into knitting. I began to be amazed by what I could do with my hands and some free time. Suddenly I could make scarves, hats, socks and blankets, and have lots of fun doing it!
Some of my favorite knitted items include Emma’s Dog Blanket, the Felted Apple Tote, and my first pair of socks. I also knitted a few scarves, some hats and a couple more pairs of socks.
For more details on my knitting exploits in 2006, check out my Knitting Recap set on Flickr.

Dyeing

2006 was also big in another aspect of knitting…Yarn! I started experimenting with hand-dyeing and hand-painting yarn, and even started a little shop!
I learned a lot about dyeing techniques, and have evolved and refined my process greatly over the past few months. I have a lot of new stuff that I am working on too, and I can’t wait to debut it!
Also, as a teaser, I’m going to be opening up my own storefront and changing the business name fairly soon. I’m still working on getting everything just right, but I can’t wait to unveil the new shop for you!
Finally, thanks to everyone who has supported me, either through encouragement on the blog or by buying my yarn. I appreciate you guys a lot, and wouldn’t have gotten to where I am now without your help and support!
For more dyeing pictures, check out my Dyeing Recap photoset on Flickr.

Personally

Dallas and Emma took a quick wrestling break to wish you a Happy New Year!

2006 was a very big year for me personally too. In the span of a few short months, I graduated from college, started a new job and started work on my Masters in Electrical Engineering.
I also moved back to Albuquerque from Socorro, changed churches, and my parents moved from the house I grew up as they started a new chapter in their lives.
To round it all off, I adopted Dallas, my wonderful Standard Schnauzer who is the sweetest companion to both me and Emma, even if he can be a wild child at times.
Oh yeah, and one year ago yesterday I started this humble little knitting blog. Happy Blogiversary to me! And thanks to you for all the visits and comments!

Wow! I can’t wait to see what next year brings. :)

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Adam

in a nerd's life, albuquerque, dyeing, finished objects, history, holidays, knitting, snow and yarn nerd