Running

Recently I’ve actually been making a concentrated effort to get a decent amount of sleep at night.  One of my biggest battles in my running plan has been the distinct lack of sleep every night, running on 4-5 hours each night.  That just kills the ability to get up at 5am to run, I’m afraid.  So, I’ve taken steps to ensure I get 7-8 hours of sleep every night for the past several nights.  I feel better for certain, but it’s kind of killed my running first thing in the morning for now.  By the time I get up, it’s either too late to run or just too dang hot.  This morning I slept in until 8 (but since I didn’t go to bed until midnight, it’s not really sleeping in!)…  and it’s just SO miserably hot outside already!!  I stepped out at 8 when I let the dogs out – it was like walking into an oven, I swear!

Knitting

Where to begin?!  I’ve been working on my super secret sock project the past week, making excellent progress.  I absolutely LOVE the yarn, it’s gorgeous!!  KnittyKnitterton is the dyer ~ she & I are working on this project along with Barknknit as a special project for July.  Because, you know, there is a really big event coming up in July that just begs for celebration by some of us.  I am thrilled with how this pattern is turning out, actually – it’s knitting up even better than I’d imagined. w00t!

I’m also working on my first real lace shawl, the Blue Jeans Lace Leaf Shawl.  It’s a very simple pattern, easy to memorize and quick to knit.  My plan is to finish it before the end of July, as it is my added on project for my O.W.L. project for the HPKCHC.  The House Cup has been fun, but I’m not sure I’m going to continue with it in future terms.  I’m just not feeling the love – perhaps if I’d joined in the beginning when I was first invited, I’d feel differently.   I have enjoyed learning some new things & trying to come up with creative projects for it ~ it’s just the whole trying to fit projects into my schedule along with the other projects I’m working on, I think.

So one of the things I did that was new for the House Cup was my first foray into dyeing yarn.  My first one was dyeing yarn with coffee, tea, Wilton’s and (believe it or not) Dr. Pepper!  I was SO pleased with how it turned out, actually – very pretty!

I also tried knitting with something that is not considered “yarn”.  That was a very cool idea, I loved that one!!  I decided to knit a little bag for all my rubber bands & flossing aids with dental floss…  turned out cool!

I got my yarn from the Mean Girls Club – STUNNING, by the way!  It is SO pretty!!  KnittyKnitterton had posted a link to a shawl pattern that looked like a wonderful one to knit up this gorgeous yarn with, Ulmus.  For this one, you really need 2 yarns that match.  So I thought to knit it up with a lovely deep chocolate brown, which would match the MGC perfectly.  Except…  finding just the right shade proved rather difficult!  I finally found a skein at a LYS that I knew to be too orange-red – but I decided now that I have some dyeing experience under my belt, I’d give overdyeing a shot.  Here are the two yarns before…  (see, the MGC is gorgeous, isn’t it?!)

After several dyeing attempts – first with brown & a bit of black, then with green – and finally a long simmering in a pot of heavy green, I got the color I was shooting for!!

Ooooh, she’s a fierce one!

So my sister had this dog bed that her dog & cats had no interest in ~ they’d gotten it at IKEA and she asked if my Li’l Missy would sleep in it.  I told her that I didn’t think that she would, but that Scorpio totally would.  I was right ~ he absolutely loves sleeping in baskets & has been a happy camper with this new bed.  However, the really funny part of the story is my Li’l Missy.  She has no interest in sleeping in the bed whatsoever.  The bed came with this furry rug sort of thing that serves as the padding for the basket.  That rug thing?  Yeah, she totally loves it.  She is obsessed over it.  All I have to do is put it down in the basket and she’s grabbing it.  I keep finding it stuffed under my bed, along with my dirty clothes – Li’l Missy’s den.  She drags toys under there, my dirty socks & such, and now this rug thing.  She’s hysterical to watch with it!

Today’s Ravelry Search

So today’s search is a bit different.  Just a little!  I decided to keep my search today to shawls & wraps.  I am curious to see if I find a different pattern to knit up with this fantastic sock yarn!  ;)  As always, click a picture to go to the pattern page!

It looks very easy indeed - and so cute! :)

* This shawl looks so cute & easy to do, too! :)

* At first glance, I keep thinking this is crochet! It's lovely either way!

* I seriously LOVE the project name this knitter chose: Marmalade Skies! How awesome is that?!

This is Ulmus ~ the pattern I'm thinking to knit with my MGC yarn - so pretty, isn't it?! I LOVE this color combination. :)

I own this pattern - it is very well written! I just have to find the right yarn for it & I am totally knitting it. :)

Wow! This shawl is gorgeous!

* A lovely crochet shawl - it's amazing how different it looks depending on the yarn used! Do check out the project gallery, you'll see what I mean!

* Wow ~ this color combination really caught my eye!! So pretty!

* I love this pattern. I plan to knit this one some day, really!

* Another shawl that I totally & completely love!!

* Whoa... how did this one escape my favorites before now?!

* There aren't very many projects for this shawl, I don't understand why that is, it's SO eye-catching!

I love Faroese style shawls! This pattern comes with both crochet AND knit instructions! How cool is that?!

* GORGEOUS!! It's a crochet mitered square shawl, just wonderful.

* I love the name of this pattern, Mermaid Wings. :)

Stunning crochet wrap, just stunning!

* Free pattern!

Happy Saturday, all – and Happy Father’s Day to the U.S. dads out there!  :)