Tag Archive for 'biking'

Drill Happy 22Jun08


36 Comments - you know you want to

It’s been 2 weeks, and the honeymoon period is definitely not over yet. I never knew you could have so much fun with a cordless drill! Just take a look at my latest project. It’s like I have my own little yarn store, right in my office!

my own mini yarn store

Pretty sweet eh? It turns out that the yarn hutch I bought a few months ago was way too big for the new house, so I came up with this alternate yarn storage system. Oh the things you can accomplish with graph paper, a tape measure and some screws.

my own mini yarn store

I also got all the Yarn Nerd boxes unpacked into the Shedquarters, and am almost ready to get the dye pots going. I’m so psyched to have a separate dyeing workspace, especially such a snazzy one. I have lots of work surfaces, plenty of storage, and lights and electricity. There’s no water, but I think a big plastic utility sink and a big drain bucket should suffice. There’s a hose right outside the shed that I can hook up to the sink faucet, and I’ll be in business. Although, first I might inform my neighbors that I’m not running a meth lab, since they might wonder what I’m doing in the shed with gloves and a dust mask. ;)

yarn nerd shedquarters
almost ready for business

Now that Yarn Nerd HQ is unpacked, it means that there is only one stronghold of boxes left, in the garage. It may stay that way for a bit though, since I don’t have a pressing need to park inside, especially since I’m riding my bike to work lots. Did I mention that the new house is only 3 miles from work? It takes no time at all to get to the office (about 18 minutes on the bike, versus about 15 to drive and walk in from the parking lot), which I’m really loving. There’s even a small detour through one of the local golf courses. Nothing like the possibility of getting clunked in the head with a line drive to speed up the commute.

Knitting has been a bit slow with all the house chores, but I do have a bit of something to tease you with. I just have to finish the lining thumb on my second mitten, and the Fiddleheads will be complete. These are about the most perfect mittens ever, and I get so many compliments everytime I work on them in public. Adrian really hit it out of the park with this kit, between the amazing pattern and the heavenly yarn.

best. mittens. ever.

I’m reluctant to finish the thumb, because then that means I’ll be done, and I’m not sure I want the experience to end just yet. Not to mention that I won’t be able to wear them for many months. Unless I want to be sent to a white padded room for wearing lined mittens in 98 degree heat.

Also, thanks to everyone on your comments about the house tour, I really appreciated all of them! Not to mention all the good paint suggestions (I think I’m going to go with the sage green if you’re curious, but it may be a bit before I actually get around to it).

That’s about all I have, but check back soon to find out what I’ve drilled a hole into next. It’s such an exciting life I lead. ;)

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Gimping It In Style 16Mar08


12 Comments - you know you want to

Thanks for all the well wishes about my knee everyone! Unfortunately, I’m not quite back on the wagon yet. I was starting to do better after a week of resting, so I decided to ride my trusty geared steed to work this past Monday. That turned out to be not such a great idea. Gentle spinning isn’t bad, but any extra effort required (i.e. speeding up to change lanes, etc.) caused a little wincing.

So a doctor’s visit and another week of rest later, and it looks like I might be off the bike for possibly 2-3 weeks. The diagnosis was not a pulled ligament, but a bad pull or slight tear in my hamstring where it connects to bone below the knee. So here’s hoping for a quickish recovery, because the weather is quite lovely outside, and I’d love to be riding my bike!

On the bright side, I have been taking the bus to work and school rather than riding, so I’ve gotten in some good knitting time. See, I finished some socks!

i *diamond* gansey

Alright, well maybe not socks plural, but it’s a start. This is actually the mate to a single sock that the talented Megan knit for me back in aught seven. I finally got around to finishing the pair, and it was quite worth the effort. The pattern initially had hearts instead of diamonds, but Megan was wise enough to know that I might not be head over heels for the hearts. But I’ve definitely got a twinkle in my eye for those diamonds. (Alright, I’ll stop torturing you now.)

i *diamond* gansey
  • pattern: I Love Diamond Gansey Socks
  • yarn: Rowan 4 Ply Soft in Espresso → 1 ball per sock
  • needles/gauge: US #1 (2.25mm) / 8 spi
  • mods: Save the diamonds, the only other modification was that I changed the standard toe on Megan’s sock to a round toe, and duplicated that on my sock. My toes end quite abruptly, and the round toe seems to accommodate my hobbit toes best.

At least if I have to hobble around, I can do it in style eh?

I have another sock on the needles (almost completed actually), in a nice brick red/orange, in honor of Project Spectrum. I’m also looking forward to April and May, as I have a surplus of brown and green yarn, and plenty of project ideas. Cause you know, it’s important to have plenty of wooly hats, mittens and socks in April and May in the New Mexico desert. ;)

all wrapped up

Finally, the mystery knit is all wrapped up and on its way. I think it’s gonna be a hit, and I can’t wait to see it modeled by the tiny little recipient! Tune in next time for the full reveal. :)

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Mitteny Goodness 03Feb08


36 Comments - you know you want to

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.

herringbone mittens

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.

herringbone mittens
  • 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.

herringbone mittens

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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Catching Up 18Dec07


22 Comments - you know you want to

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.

sweet sweet relief

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.

first snow

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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Envy is One of the 7 Deadly Sins 19Oct07


15 Comments - you know you want to

I’m trying to remind myself of that, as it seems everyone in knitting blog world is headed off to Rhinebeck for a grand weekend involving meetups, new sweaters, and fiber acquisition. I’m not jealous, really! (Ok, maybe just a tad…but I’ll get over it eventually.)

For those who aren’t going to Rhinebeck, I find it helps to gather up all your lovely yarn, and pet it a little bit, while imagining you’re in a wonderful place filled with sheep and funnel cakes. It’s certainly not a substitute for a large fiber festival, but it helps, and it’s definitely gentler on the bank account. ;)

And while I was petting my yarn, I realized I have a lot of lovely hand-spun skeins laying around that I have yet to show you, so why not? It’s some tasty Eye Candy Friday, and it might just distract you from the fact that this post is all shiny and no substance.

First up we have a lovely skein of BFL, spun up by yours truly! Remember this roving? Well after I got a lovely new maple drop spindle, I was anxious to finish it up. The roving was a 4oz braid of BFL from Flawful Fibers, in the Safari colorway. I really loved spinning the BFL, it’s very soft and strong, while being easy to spin. I’m definitely getting better too, these singles are a lot less slubby and I got a lot more yardage this time (around 75 yards). I have no idea if I’ll just keep it as a pet, or knit anything with it, but either way, I’m delighted with it.

getting better

Our next contestant is a lovely skein of handspun that Georgia sent me for winning a contest on her blog. It’s a very luscious prize, and makes for a nice addition to my hand-spun trophy case. I can’t recall the fiber content at the moment, but when it’s this lovely, who cares? I’m thinking I’m going to use this to make a Red Light Special with just the handspun for the colored parts and some chocolate colored Alpaca I picked up at the Taos Wool Festival. I think it will be my most luxurious winter hat ever.

green handspun

Lastly, I just received this from Alyson yesterday, and I’ve quite a crush on it. Alyson liked my kettle dyed Pumpkin yarn, so we negotiated a small trade. She spun up this superwash merino into sock yarn for me, and I sent her a skein of Punkin Head yarn. I’m very spoiled, to have such awesome people that trade handspun yarn with me! So thanks Alyson, I love it! I think this will become some plain old toe up stockinette socks, since I don’t want anything to spoil the loveliness of the yarn.

white + nerdy

The final installment of eye candy that I have today, are a few new colorways that I’ve cooked up. I’m working hard on my next order for The Loopy Ewe, which should be shipped off in a week or so. These skeins are dyed up in my newest sock yarn, which I’ve dubbed 850 MHz Merino. It’s a really nice 3 ply merino, that knits up really evenly and is super soft. The twist is a little bit less than my 900 MHz Merino, but it’s not at all splitty, and has less bias, so it looks really nice when knit up into stockinette. I think you’ll really like it a lot, and I’m hoping it’s going to help reduce some of the supply issues that I’ve been having with the 900 MHz Merino. I’m not discontinuing the 900 MHz, I just think I’m going to put it on the back burner for a little while. I hope you like the new yarn as much as I do!

inching along

Here’s a quick summary of the State of Yarn Nerd to bring you up to speed:

  • 850 MHz Merino will be available through The Loopy Ewe, so go stalk Sheri to get your sock yarn fix ;)
  • While the sock yarn will be available through Sheri, the Yarn Nerd store is still the place to go for sport and other weights.
  • 1500 MHz Merino will be replaced with another sport weight merino in the next few months. Sorry for the lack of sport weight, but I’m working hard to get something comparable to what I was using that isn’t constantly on back order.
  • 1700 MHz BFL will be available in early November, and will be an option for Create Your Skein. This is a really nice DK weight yarn, and if you were wanting something in a heavier weight for thick socks or hats, I think you’ll want to give this a try.
  • 2400 MHz Merino will also be replaced with a new worsted merino in a few months, so if you were wanting some worsted, just be patient a bit longer.
  • Roving will eventually be available on a less hodge podge basis, but it might be a while before that occurs.

I hope that helps answer a lot of questions for those of you who have e-mailed me wondering about sport weight, and where you can get your hands on some Yarn Nerd goodness. If you’ve e-mailed me and I haven’t responded, drop me another line, as things have been a bit hectic these days. It’s quite a challenge to manage school, work and the yarn stuff, but I enjoy every minute of it, so thanks so much for all your support!

That’s all I have, so have a great weekend everyone, and if you’re at Rhinebeck, I’ll try not to envy you too much ;) Sending me yarn might help me get over my envy, hint, hint. ;)

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