Knit Run, Purl Run

A Bit of Local Color for You

Posted on January 6, 2010 by H3Dakota

Running

So yesterday, I held off on my run until after work, rather than my usual time. My thinking was that it would be warmer outside with the sun shining down on me. Yeah, no. The temperature was actually colder when I got my feet to the street than it was at my usual 5am time. I wore running tights with running pant over those, a long sleeved running shirt with a hooded sweatshirt over that and completed my ensemble with a fleece hat. I can’t seem to find one of my gloves, but the sweatshirt belongs to one of the manlets, so it is nearly a dress on me – my hands don’t quite come out of the sleeves unless I push them up a bit. LOL I ventured out in my Vibrams. All in all, it really wasn’t too terrible. I made about the same time on the run, but ended up keeping it to only 3 miles because the sun was going down & the nose was starting to run enough to really bother me.

And further on the subject of these cold temps we are having this week – I wish all the best to my fellow running blogger in his Goofy run this weekend! J, you are gonna run really fast just to keep warm, I suspect! ;) Seriously, though – do be careful.

A Bit of Local Color for You

So today is a really big day in the Tampa Bay area. It is the day of the cross dive in the annual Epiphany celebration in Tarpon Springs. Tarpon Springs has a huge Greek community – it is known the world over for its sponge docks as well as for the streets of shops & Greek restaurants. Every year the Greek community celebrates the Epiphany for a couple of days, from services in the Greek Orthodox Church leading up to the dive for the cross in the Spring Bayou. It is a long standing tradition. You can read about it here. It is a huge event in the lives of the teenage boys that will be diving tomorrow, but I can’t help but feel a bit sorry for them, considering that we are experiencing such low temps this week! They are going to freeze when they come out of that water!

Knitting

Not much to add here, really. I’m plugging away on the first sweater still. I won’t have it done in time for the manlet’s birthday this weekend, but at least he knows he is getting it soon! :)

Today’s Ravelry Search

In recognition of the big day! None of these are mine, but you can click the picture to get to the Ravelry pattern page.

* A very pretty scarf!

Simple but pretty sweater!

* Oooh, love this dishcloth! I've got to make one of these.

This afghan is published in Quick Knitted Afghans - my kind of afghan! LOL

* OMG! It's one of my fave Rubberneckers from Ravelry - and I didn't even know he had designed a pattern! LOVE!

* Such a pretty lacy wrap/scarf!

What a sweet skirt!

Lily M. Chin - one of my other all time favorite designers in crochet! :)

* A cute little hat to knit up pretty quick!

Gorgeous scarf!

I wish the picture was a bit better, as these crocheted socks look intriguing!

What a cool looking scarf! I love it!

* Free pattern

Happy Wednesday, all!

Posted in Running | Tagged Free Patterns, Knitting, Running, Today's Ravelry Search | 5 Comments

The End of Time

Posted on January 4, 2010 by H3Dakota

Running

I’ve been a bit on the lazy side the past couple of days, I freely admit. First, it’s been really quite cold out there & I just haven’t got winter running gear. Tomorrow I’m determined to run in sweats, if I must… I’m SO ready for a good run! I put together my running plan & 2010 running log, w00t! I’m going with a nice round 2010 for my annual goal this year. My plan has it at 2493 – but I admittedly didn’t really think through my plan fully. I just kind of stuck numbers in for now – no doubt, I will be tweaking it as I go through the year. :)

As chilly as it is, and in light of the wind chill advisory that is in place until 9am tomorrow, I do believe I will be running in my old running shoes rather than the Vibrams. I utterly love my Vibrams, but I think it will just be too cold for them. Darn it!

The End of Time – SPOILERS!

So this past weekend brought about The End of Time, Part 2; the heartbreaking episode of losing my Doctor. I loved it in spite of that wee problem. I loved, loved, LOVED that they brought the Time Lords back, even if it was very short term. Gallifrey being gone was the one plot point that I just really did not like throughout this new series. Part of me really hopes that future writers still find a way to have it return, but in a good way. LOL However, having said that much, I was surprised to find that I really liked the explanation of what really happened. There just had to be more to the story than we’d gotten all this time because The Doctor just wasn’t devastated enough to have knowingly wiped out his home planet as well as his entire species without a really good reason.

John Simm as The Master? Brilliant. He was simply awesome in these last 2 episodes. Never mind the fact that I can’t watch him eating (LOL) – and even though I don’t generally like blondes, he sure looks terrific as one! Since he is The Master, I have no doubt that we will be seeing him (or a regenerated version) in the future again. The Master *always* finds a way to come back, as we all know. One way or another!

Ah Wilf. Getting to be Luke Skywalker, how awesome was that?! How much we all love & adore you… yet at the same time, I know I wasn’t the only one raging over you going into that booth. I knew the knocking 4 times was not going to be The Master (way too obvious!), but I didn’t see Wilf coming. I really should have, but I was trying so very hard to not think about it nor try to guess what was going to happen – I wanted to be surprised. :) So heartbreaking, but in terms of a Doctor’s death, it was perfect.

My first impression of the extended goodbyes was that it was a bit overblown, over the top & RTD at his most sentimental. But upon watching the episodes several more times, I found that I was really, really happy that he went there. Best moment out of the goodbyes? Verity & The Journal of Impossible Things – partly because by the time you reach that point, the tears have begun to abate some… then you get hit with that slight quiver in The Doctor’s chin after asking if she was happy in the end. The tears just come right back again (and yet again upon hearing his final words, of course).

Which brings me to the sheer pleasure of just watching David Tennant. I love his Doctor, plain & simple. But having seen him in so many things besides Doctor Who, I already knew what an incredible actor he is. With the last 3 specials, he has just been so amazing. Yes, the stories have been really terrific, but that doesn’t mean just anyone can pull off the role. Words cannot express how much I am going to miss him in Doctor Who. I hope his new endeavor takes off – to be able to see him on a regular basis here in the States would be sublime! After seeing his Hamlet, I also wish so very much that he would do more Shakespeare that is filmed.

Knitting

So I knit another Layla hat for myself – I needed one to wear with my Doctor Who t-shirt, of course! ROFL! I knit that one on New Year’s Eve over at my friend’s house as we celebrated. The next day, I began knitting a birthday present for another friend (who has yet to receive it, actually). When I finished that gift, I had just enough yarn leftover to knit up a quick dishcloth.

I cast on for my oldest manlet’s Hacky Sack Hoodie on New Year’s Eve as well. I didn’t do much with it that day, as I had other things I was working on. I started knitting in earnest on it on Sunday & made fairly decent progress. :) So far, so good – we shall see how it goes! It’s the first sweater I’ve attempted, so I’m a bit nervous about it. LOL

Today’s Ravelry Search

Stunning & Amazing! None of these belong to me – just click the picture to go to the Ravelry page!

* What a pretty shawl! I really like this one.

Wow, this shawl is gorgeous! It's a bit more expensive than other patterns, but wow!

This shawl is designed to be knit in any weight but bulky - it's SO pretty! :)

Finding the pattern for this one might be a bit difficult, but it's gorgeous!!

* An excellent pattern for a Noro type yarn!

I love their designs SO very much! Must make this one day.

Another designer that I love! :)

* Awesome hat!

* Free pattern

Happy Monday, all!

Posted in Running | Tagged David Tennant, Doctor Who, Free Patterns, Knitting, Running, Today's Ravelry Search | 2 Comments

Looking back at December & Happy New Year!

Posted on December 31, 2009 by H3Dakota

Running

So I haven’t run today just yet… but I’m getting ready to head out the door in a few minutes! I’m probably going to go for my 6 mile bridge run, though I am also considering my 6 mile route that goes out to the beach & back. It includes a decent bridge as well as The Hill. ROFL!

One of my favorite things to do today is going to be setting up my 2010 running log in Excel, woo hoo! LOL I am SUCH a geek! But I honestly love the running log that I use – I found it online a few years ago and I just cannot recommend it enough! If you haven’t got one you use already, go download it!

Looking back at December & Happy New Year!

So it’s New Year’s Eve! I’ve finished up my December Project 365 – my first month done! w00t! So I’ve played a bit with the mosaic maker & picnic & came up with my mosaic for this month:

The only thing I haven’t figured out yet was how to make the photos go from the first to last in ascending order – it’s defaulting to descending order, which I’m not keen about. Ah well! Still kind of cool, I think!

It’s New Year’s Eve! We’re going to go over to my friend’s house to celebrate. She lives about 2 blocks away from here & has 3 sons. Her 2 oldest are about the same ages as my manlets & they all know each other. We all have a blast when we get together, so I’m really looking forward to a fun night! I picked up my favorite sparkling wine (as you can see in my mosaic!) for my friend & I to ring in the new year with.

Knitting

So the hat that I hoped would work well for me totally does! I really like it, I am SO pleased with how it turned out. I cast on last night & finished it before going to bed. I started a quick little neckwarmer with the leftovers – I finished that this morning. I sewed matching buttons on the neckwarmer & the hat, but haven’t got pictures of that.

I’ve got to finish one pair of socks & the pattern. And next to go OTN is a Hacky Sack Hoodie for the oldest. His birthday is coming up and this was one sweater that he definitely wants me to make. It will be my first, so wish me loads of luck with it!! LOL

Today’s Ravelry Search

There weren’t many new patterns for “New Year”, so I went a different route. :) These are some fun patterns found on Ravelry – click the picture to go right to the Ravelry page & remember – they aren’t mine!

* A pretty little pattern!

Very nice cardi from Vogue Knitting! I like it.

*Awww! Cute little crocheted snowman!

I really like this star for the tree! There is another star pattern that a friend knit that turned out gorgeous, too.

* What a pretty mitt pattern! Verra nice.

Cute! I love little projects like these. :)

Very pretty looking scarf!

From Crochet Today! - very nice afghan for winter!

* There is just something about the Finnish designers' styles that always catch my eye!

* What a lovely scarf!

Oooooh, gorgeous! How have I missed these socks before now?

* Very cute idea for winter coasters!

* What a cute little sweater!

* Free pattern

Happy New Year’s, everyone!

Posted in Running | Tagged Knitting, New Year, Project 365, Running, Today's Ravelry Search | 4 Comments

My Favorite 2009 Holiday Gift

Posted on December 31, 2009 by H3Dakota

Running

Unintentionally took a rest day yesterday. I honestly meant to get my feet on the street for another 6 miler, but just got caught up in one thing & another. Besides, it was really cold most of the day & I’m just not equipped for temps like those! LOL

Today I did get a very late run in, though. I didn’t get out there until mid afternoon or so. By the time I got going, it was just over 70ºF, so it was almost a wee bit too warm. I did my recent favorite run – the 6 mile bridge run. This run takes me down the trail for 3 miles, up & over 3 bridges. It’s an out & back trip, so it means 6 miles and 6 bridges. Today’s bridge run was a bit slower than the the last couple, but mostly due to a bit of soreness on the balls of my feet – due to my feet needing to toughen up a bit with the Vibrams. I’m still running in them – hoping to build my feet up so I can wear them for the next half marathon.

My favorite gift

Everyone that knows me, knows of my huge love for Doctor Who. I loved watching it as a kid, but it was really difficult to catch in the States. They played reruns on PBS, but I don’t remember it being a set in stone schedule. Catch as catch can. I finally gave up & stopped trying to find it. Fast forward to last year when a friend convinced me to give the new Who a try. It took about 3 episodes before I became completely addicted once again. My first Doctor was Tom Baker, as he was for so many. But David Tennant is absolutely my Doctor… followed closely by Peter Davidson. :)

So my favorite gift this year? My sister has paid attention to my many Facebook statuses where I commented that I was watching Doctor Who… and this was one of my gifts from her… my first Doctor Who t-shirt – YES! :D

Knitting

Today I finished the youngest manlet’s punk vibes socks – finally!! He’s got huge feet, so it felt like forever to knit them this time. It doesn’t always feel like that, but it did this time. LOL

I cast on a hat for myself, hoping this one will work for me. Some of them just don’t look good on me at all.

Today’s Ravelry Search

Fun patterns for today! :) None are mine, click the picture to go to the Ravelry pattern page, as always.

* A very nice hat! I really like this one.

What a lovely sock pattern! :)

* This pattern looks wonderful with a variegated yarn! I LOVE it!

* Oooh, I do love cables on hats!

* Great scarf - looks like a quick & easy knit!

GORGEOUS! I love the pattern & I love this knitter's project photos!

* Hmmm... I think I might just have to make one or two of these! Love it!

Gee... this looks a bit familiar... wonder why? *snerk*

* Free Pattern

Happy Wednesday, all!

Posted in Running | Tagged David Tennant, Doctor Who, Free Patterns, Knitting, Running, Today's Ravelry Search | Comments Off

Out of Coffee! The Horror!

Posted on December 28, 2009 by H3Dakota

Running

I actually took a few days off from running, trying to get gifts & visits done. Yesterday I just spent the day being lazy, if I’m perfectly honest. I did just get back home from another 6 mile bridge run, though! It went well, though a bit slow. I was nearly done when I ran into Larry, who was running with a gentleman from PA. Larry left us & we ran together about a half mile while we continued chatting.

It’s nice to run with people & talk, it does make the time go by faster… but I find that it slows me down a little. I normally run a bit faster, at a pace where I can’t comfortably talk. I know that this gentleman was slowly jogging for him, as I’d passed him running early on in my run & he was running much faster then! LOL Still, it’s always nice to meet new runners. He had already known of the flip flop man, so he was thrilled to have finally met him. Our Larry is quite the legend, which I already knew, of course… but still nice to run into others that know of him. :)

Out of Coffee! The Horror!

So I woke up this morning, went into the kitchen… reached for the coffee only to remember I am all out. *gasp* How horrible! I decided I’d take a route that would lead to a coffee shop on my run, but as I headed out the door, I changed my mind. I’ll just have to get out to the store shortly. It sounds terrible, but my favorite coffee is actually New England Coffee‘s Blueberry Cobbler. The first time I tried it, I wan’t impressed – but I gave it a second go & I’ve been hooked on it ever since. LOL! Do check out their site, they have some really fantastic looking recipes on their site. Check out the White Chocolate Coffee Truffles – NOM!

Knitting

I finished my sister’s bag with much cussing. It was the first time I’ve actually attempted a zipper. My sewing skills are extremely basic and I usually only pull out the machine once a year. It always involves at least an hour of me cussing at it & ripping out all the extra threads that have jammed up the stupid confounded thing. But, I muddled through it eventually. I lined the bag (yes, that IS a cow print – we’re Cheeseheads, so we love cows!), put in a zipper & everything! Other than the not so pretty zipper job, I’m quite pleased with how it turned out…

In the meantime, I’m still plugging away on the youngest manlet’s socks. That boy has some seriously big feet. *sigh* Size 11, so it’s taking me awhile! LOL

Today’s Ravelry Search

So some fun for today’s search! ;) None of these are mine – click the picture to go to the Ravelry pattern page.

I udderly adore Crafty Alien's patterns. *groan* Yeah, I had to go there. But I do! :D

* LOL! These are just funny... :)

Another designer that I love!

* Cute! I love these, they look fun to knit.

ROFL... not that *I* need to make one of these because Leonardo already looks like this. :D

* I really like this cowl - it looks quick & easy... faved! :)

* I'm not sure why this one showed up in the results, but I like it! LOL

* LOL! Tea cozy!

* Ferdinand the Bull! Awesome!

Another one from Crafty Alien - just because I love her stuff SO much! ;)

* Free pattern

Happy Monday, all!

Posted in Running | Tagged Coffee, cows, Free Patterns, Knitting, Running, Today's Ravelry Search | 4 Comments

Happy Christmas, The End of Time & Hamlet

Posted on December 25, 2009 by H3Dakota

Running

I took a rest day today, mostly because at first my legs were a bit sore from yesterday’s run (more on that later!), but then once my legs felt better, it was raining. Drat it! LOL I plan on a good run tomorrow though, to make up for today’s sloth.

Yesterday’s run… I decided to go for my bridge run, but this time I went out to the 3rd mile marker & back, totaling 6 miles. Up & over 3 bridges (twice each), this time I felt really good with them. I ran up just about every single time – albeit, slowly, but at least I ran them! I was nearly to the end of my run when I came across Larry. I turned around & walked a bit with him, chatting. He had already gotten his run in for the day too, so we chatted & walked about a half mile. When he turned off the trail to head towards home, I turned around and walked back to the point where I’d met up with him & finished my run. I did all 6 miles in my Vibrams, hence today’s soreness when I woke! It is the farthest that I have run in them so far – and my feet/legs feel just fine now, so I’m thinking running the half marathon in them is not an inconceivable idea now! w00t!

Happy Christmas, The End of Time & Hamlet

So for those of you that celebrate the holiday today, Happy Christmas! :) We had a quiet & mostly relaxing day here – went out this afternoon & got pancakes at IHOP. We were shooting for brunch at Village Inn, but it was murder trying to get the manlets moving today. We ended up with “linner” instead (as the youngest called it). LOL We also ended up at IHOP because Village Inn shut down their kitchen at 2pm – so we ended up just buying a pie there instead. I tried the gingerbread pancakes at IHOP… not bad, but not my favorite either.

So the first half of my favorite Doctor’s ending run showed across the pond today. It’s showing on BBC America tomorrow here. Originally I’d thought to wait until next week & watch both parts together so that I’m not stuck waiting on edge for a week. Yeah, that’s SO not happening. I do know for a fact, though, that I was right in my guess what was meant by “it is returning through the dark”. YES!! It’s been the one element that I have felt the most angst over with the new series. I just really kind of wish this plot point had been introduced much earlier in this series than now. Ah well. :)

I’m also SO psyched about seeing David Tennant’s Hamlet – truth be told, even more than The End of Time. I have heard him in a couple Shakespeare plays now (Comedy of Errors & Much Ado About Nothing) and absolutely loved them. I’ve known for some time that he is an amazing actor – he was incredible in Recovery.

After seeing this clip, I’m even more over the moon about getting to see him in Hamlet at some point! How could I not with glimpses like this…?!

It takes my breath away.

Knitting

So I did not get the youngest manlet’s socks done in time. I had really hoped to get them done, but too many other things got in my way. So I am working on getting them finished for him. Probably just as well since the oldest’s socks turned out to be just a tad too big. This way, the youngest can try them on & I will know for certain when to hit the heel.

Tomorrow, I must finish up one final gift for my sister. It should not take too terribly long… knowing me, though, I’ll probably take longer than I really want to. LOL It will actually be my first project to have actual sewing involved in finishing it!

Today’s Ravelry Search

In honour of Hamlet, today’s search was for the author & turned up some really wonderful patterns! None of these are mine – remember to click the photo to go right to the Ravelry pattern page!

I discovered this one just the other day & simply HAD to gift my virtual BFF with it. Stunning, isn't it?!

Midsummer Night's Dream - I love that story. :)

* Beatrice & Benedick... I adore these 2 characters as well as their play!

* A very pretty scarf for a feminine friend or loved one!

* Oh Anett - I just know you've got this in your favorites!

* Oooh, another just adorable little sweater! I love it!

* Such pretty colorwork!

Not only is this pattern gorgeous, but I love this project photo! :)

* The sole crochet pattern in the search results - very pretty!

* Free pattern

Happy Friday, all!

Posted in Running | Tagged David Tennant, Doctor Who, Free Patterns, Hamlet, Knitting, Running, Today's Ravelry Search | Comments Off

Friends don’t let friends drink & register for half marathons!

Posted on December 23, 2009 by H3Dakota

Running

I took a few days off from running – mostly due, quite frankly, a shit-ton of projects I’ve been trying to finish for holiday gifts. The cold snap that came through didn’t help matters a whole lot either!

Today, I ran 4 miles of hill training – the temp when I headed out was 52ºF. I doubled up on running pants, had on a long sleeved running shirt & fingerless mitts. Ooops!! Just realized that I forgot to pick my mitts back up – I’d taken them off after 1.5 miles into the run, meaning to pick them back up on my way home. Ah well, no biggie. They were a pair that I’d crocheted up a couple of years ago & were really too big anyway.

I did attempt to snap a few pictures to show the size of the hills I ran today. It seems that folks that haven’t seen these hills don’t believe that they exist. Not terribly shocking, considering just how flat Florida is. According to mapping sites, though, one hill goes from 36 feet above sea level to 89 feet above sea level in a half mile while the other hill goes from 36 feet above sea level to 85.

Friends don’t let friends drink & register for half marathons!

HA! Drink Diet Dr. Pepper, that is. Anyway… yeah, I did. I registered for the Clearwater Half Marathon coming up in January (are ya happy now, J?!?!).

The day of the Gulf Beaches Holiday Halfathon, I was pretty damn decided that there was no way I’d run another half that soon. 2 days later & I was half considering it. 5 days after running my very first half marathon, I registered for my 2nd. LOL! What can I say, I’m hooked.

And in other news…

Coming up this weekend is the beginning of the end of the Tenth Doctor in The End of Time, part 1. I have not yet decided what I’m going to do about it. Do I watch it now, then spend a week chewing nails waiting on the second part? Or do I wait & watch both parts, back to back when part 2 is shown?? I’m half thinking to do that. I’ve got such mixed feelings about watching it altogether – I’m really looking forward to a fantastic story, but I’m just so dreading the loss of Ten!

Knitting

Yep, I’ve been working like mad trying to get projects done. I’m finished with gifts for Dad, his girlfriend, my twin nieces, my brother-in-law. I have to do the finishing work on the last thing for my sister. And I have a pair of socks OTN for the youngest manlet. I have the yarn to knit the sweater that both manlets want me to make for them, but I’d already told them I couldn’t get them done as holiday gifts. Whew!! It’s been a crazy couple of weeks, but I’ve been able to churn out quite a bit of stuff anyway!

Today’s Ravelry Search

So on a lark, here are some fun things from today’s search. As always, they aren’t mine – click the photo to go straight to the Ravelry pattern page.

Cute scarf!

* I've highlighted this one before, but it's a really nice scarf, so it deserves another showing! ;)

* Why haven't I seen this project before now? It is awesome, just awesome!! Read all about The Big Knit here.

* Ah! Crocheted versions - love 'em! :D

CUTE!! I adore these!

* Drink can cozies are always handy to have around! ;)

* I love coffee cozies, too!

SO pretty! And the pattern is only $1.00 - can't beat that!

* Lovely crocheted drink cozy!

* Really cute coasters!

* A wonderful little quick to knit gift idea for a coffee drinking friend.

* Free pattern

Happy Wednesday, all!

Posted in Running | Tagged Doctor Who, Free Patterns, Knitting, Running, Today's Ravelry Search | 5 Comments

Top 10 Faves

Posted on December 16, 2009 by H3Dakota

Running

So today was the first of my bridge training sessions. I have a 4 mile running route that takes me up & over 3 bridges going out – so by the time I make it back home, I’ve gone up & over 6 bridges all total. They aren’t super high nor long bridges, but it’s still a really good workout. I kept my pace pretty decent, though I walked the top of each bridge gasping a bit. LOL

As I got ready to go up the 3rd bridge, I ran into Larry (the Flip Flop man), who was running again today. We chatted a bit – he seemed impressed that I was already running just 3 days after the half marathon – which really meant a lot to me! He is a legend in this area, so he made my day. He was going the other direction, so I continued to the 2 mile marker alone caught back up with him on the return trip. We jogged lightly together for about a mile & a half, chatting as we do about running, goals & life in general. He ran the half marathon in 2:11 – impressive as hell, considering he has pretty much stopped running! In the course of talking, he told me about this brief documentary that a couple of University of Florida students had done about him. There are also articles about him, like this one by the St. Pete Times.

Anyway – we had a bit of a chat about my Vibrams, which naturally interested him. He seemed to like them, but also felt that I might want to mix my runs up with them & my old regular running shoes to help my feet acclimate. Not a bad idea, of course – and was originally my plan for them. But honestly, I’ve now found that running in the old shoes tend to make my feet hurt more these days… I think my feet have mostly acclimated to them now! :) We’ll see how they feel once I hit 5-6 mile runs, though.

Knitting

Finished up the hat for my niece & have done a bit more on a new pattern. I’m planning to work on it for the next day, hoping to get close to finalizing it this week. :) The colors are just right for the oldest, so they’ll be another gift for him, I think. Next up will be a couple pair for the youngest.

Top 10 Faves

So today, I was having a bit of an online chat with a fellow Doctor Who fan (addict), in which we discussed favorite episodes of Doctor Who. I remarked that I haven’t put together a list of my top favorites yet… so – here’s my top 10 favorite episodes of Doctor Who! Now – these are just from the new series, mind you. I have not been able to catch up enough on the classic Who yet to know for certain which episodes are my favorites – though I can say that I know for certain that The Time Warrior and The Caves of Androzani are absolutely going to be at the top. ;)

10.	Forest of the Dead	Everybody knows that everybody dies… I actually love River, unlike a few Who fans I know. :)
9.	Doomsday	One of the best sad endings ever.
8.	Partners in Crime	Donna miming to The Doctor makes me laugh every time!
7.	The Shakespeare Code	LOVE the references to all things Shakespeare – my Dark Lady, Hamnet, Love’s Labour Won…
6.	The Next Doctor	I adore David & David together, plain & simple.
5.	The Girl in the Fireplace	Excellent storyline & seeing The Doctor with what could almost be described as a bit of a crush.
4.	New Earth	Both Billie Piper & David Tennant acting as Cassandra – pure gold! “So many parts! And barely used!” ROFL
3.	The Empty Child	Very creepy, we all still find ourselves asking “Are you my mummy?” Plus we all adore Captain Jack’s character.
2.	Blink	Statues that kill when you can’t see them? Whoa! Even though there is very little Doctor, this story is amazing.
1.	Waters of Mars	David Tennant smacked it out of the park in this one. I was both heartbroken & horrified when The Doctor snaps – yet at the time, understanding and wishing I could cheer, but knowing how horribly wrong his actions were.

Today’s Ravelry Search

So, I searched for ‘favorite’ today & came up with some pretty cool patterns! As always, these are not mine – to see the Ravelry pattern page, just click the picture!

So nice! Would be well worth digging up a copy of the magazine the pattern can be found in!

* A classic standby for dishcloths - for good reason! :)

Fantastic cardigan! I love the look of cables!

* What a CUTE idea for a clutch bag!!

Lovely crocheted sweater!

*I really love the use of color in this project! Even with one color, this pattern is very pretty.

* Cute felted bag! Hardly anyone has discovered this one.

* Free Pattern

Happy Wednesday, all!

Posted in Running | Tagged Doctor Who, Free Patterns, Knitting, Running, Today's Ravelry Search | Comments Off

Lessons Learned

Posted on December 15, 2009 by H3Dakota

Running

Well, the legs & feet haven’t really been hurting so much as feeling really stiff & tight. Sure, they are sore to a certain extent, but not as much as I would have expected given the length of time since my last long run. Got up this morning & they were still pretty tight & twinging a bit. I decided to go for an easy run to loosen them up a bit. Did it work? You betcha!! My legs & feet feel fantastic at the moment! It helped that I ran in my Vibrams too… I think it’s time to demote the old shoes to lawn mowing shoes. According to my running log, they have now hit 462 miles, so I’d be looking out for new shoes anyway!

Knitting

Made a bit of progress on the hat for my niece. Oh, and I crocheted up a couple headbands for myself since I’m trying really hard to stay patient & let my hair grow out. It’s at that annoying stage where I can’t stand how it looks – I just need to wait for it to get a bit longer before the urge to revert back to my usual pixie cut will go away.

I loved the 'Headband for the Office' pattern so much, I've made 2 of these so far! :)

Lessons Learned

In reviewing the race & the past few months, some key lessons I’ve learned…

1. Stick to your training plan as close as possible!
2. Keep a sharp eye on your nutrition – especially the night before a race.
3. If your gut tells you to eat a banana before the race, do it!
4. Just because you had no trouble with a gel before does not mean it won’t give you problems during a race!
5. In my case, it is vital to keep taking medicine & iron pills.
6. Wearing shoes you haven’t been running in for a month is generally a bad idea.
7. Do not start off too fast!
8. Explaining Doctor Who to someone who’s never heard of it really does help pass the time.
9. Giving up those stupid Facebook games leaves tons of free time for running & knitting!
10. String cheese & green grapes is a tasty breakfast after a run.

Today’s Ravelry Search

As always, these are not mine ~ click the picture to go right to the Ravelry pattern page!

* This is a really neat pattern I hadn't seen before - cool!

* What a fantastic idea for toddlers! Sorting, counting & colors - I love it!

* GORGEOUS! Ya'll know me & doily/lace patterns... ;)

* A warm wrap for winter, it looks like it would be quick to crochet!

* I really like this hat, it's not too busy, but looks classy!

Mug hugger! A pattern from Patons - I like it!

Fundamentals of lace - very nice! A terrific project for the first time lace knitter.

* OMG - I am SO gonna have to make this, I love it!

* Very cute baby booties!

I have serious love for Pat Ashforth & Steve Plummer - their stuff is amazing!

* Free pattern

Happy Tuesday, all!

Posted in Running | Tagged Free Patterns, Knitting, Running, Today's Ravelry Search | 3 Comments

Am I insane or just a normal runner?

Posted on December 14, 2009 by H3Dakota

Running

My feet hurt the worst at the end of the half marathon – and they hurt for a good part of yesterday. I’m chalking it up to the shoes. Today, I feel a bit tight in my legs, but overall, not bad at all. I feel so good, I already pondered heading out for a run today! LOL But I am making myself stay put & take a rest day today. I’ll head out for a run tomorrow! I’m thinking about my favorite 5 miler, out to the beach & back. I need to start getting hills into my daily runs. ;)

Knitting

Made a small bit of progress on the hat I’m making for my niece, but not a huge amount. My day yesterday was filled with a bit more than knitting, I’m afraid. LOL

Am I insane or just a normal runner?

So now that I’ve pretty much recovered from yesterday’s half marathon… this morning, I have already been considering the half marathon coming up in 6 weeks. Yesterday after the race, there was NO WAY I would consider it. But now that I feel pretty darn good, I’m thinking about it. Seriously.

Some people will think I am just plain nuts, but I suspect my fellow runners will totally understand. The way I see it, I’ve got a bit of time to improve my running before then… so it would no doubt be a PR for me! he he he And I also know to stay away from the Espresso GU gel – I think that’s what the final straw was for my stomach.

Today’s Ravelry Search

So, here’s some fun for my friends that think I’m crazy… ;) Remember, these are not my patterns – just click the picture to go to the Ravelry pattern page!