Stitching and Pitching

Last night at the Safe was a blast! I arrived early and found Ryan and Mary who were waiting to hand out tickets to other knitters.


After chatting with them for awhile, I headed inside to check out the vendors and get my knit on.


I'm working on my free membership pattern from Rowan using Kidsilk Haze. So far I am really enjoying this pattern and yarn. Soon I'll be ready to knit Birch!

Katie and Ian arrived shortly there after and while Ian contemplated life with a beer, Katie and I discussed knitting.



The highlight of the night was when the Mariner Moose came all the way up to our section for a visit.



He was handing out yarn left and right. There was screaming, nashing of teeth, bodice ripping, OK! no bodice ripping but there were hoards of crazy knitters yelling for yarn. The poor little girl behind me was scared of the Moose and so of course, he decided to spend a ton of time standing in front of me with the poor child screaming behind me.

Katie made sure to yell nice and loud and got some yarn for her efforts.



I too did quite well and got enough Tahki Baby to make a cabled hat from Hip to Knit.



Check out the article in today's Seattle Times!

Stitch and Pitching

Tonight is the night! Can't wait to see everyone else out stitching and watching the pitching!

I'll be in section 341 with the rest of Ryan's groupies!

Swing Battah, Batter Swing!

Me and The Yoga



My new job offers a very nice perk, Free Yoga! So on Tuesday and Friday at Noon, you'll find me working on my Yoga with my co-workers and I do have to say that I LOVE it! I feel so relaxed by the end and I feel stronger. I'm becoming more aware of what is right for my body and I often find myself doing mini-Yoga stretches outside of work. I believe that everyone should be doing the yoga!*

Knitting: I've started the second sleeve for my Ronnie sweater. I plan to power through this one so I can get started on the back! I can not wait to wear this sweater!

Updating: I've added some book reviews to Supergirl Reads and my latest Photo Friday photo to my Photo Blog.

*also posted on Supergirl Races

Finisher
Last night I was the grand finisher! After swimming 24 laps at the pool (and feeling superhero-ish), I headed home to finish sleeve one of Ronnie and the latest Harry Potter book. I won't give any spoilers but I will say that I cried and cried at the end. My heart was broken. A full review can be found here


Before heading off to swimming, I stopped by Purlygirls to give Katie her 'Stitch and Pitch' game tickets and Meg gave me a little present -- the bumper sticker shown to the left! I love it! What a crack-up!

Busy Lazy Weekend

My Busy Lazy Weekend was just fantastic! On Friday night, I finished up Sitcom Chic (just needed to add the button) and on Saturday night after getting home from a party (the reason I was in a party dress), I photographed it.



Can I say just how much I LOVE this sweater and how sad I am that cotton-ease is discontinued because now I can't make more exactly like it in different colors?

Getting a picture of oneself at 2 a.m. isn't easy and here is how I felt trying to get a decent shot!




Today I whipped up a quick and easy scarf!


Destiny is not a fan of the modeling gig but does it because I feed her

Friday night, I heard a comotion out back and went to investigate. Imagine my surprise when I saw three Raccoons helping themselves to plums from the plum tree. I quickly grabbed Destiny (who hissed at me because she wanted to be outside but I didn't want her eaten by Raccoons.) and grabbed my camera since I have a blog to keep updated!


hard to see him here, but look closer under the plum tree

Here is Melvin the big Raccoon hamming it up for me a bit closer here. He had two little ones with him so he may be a she.



They have made visiting the plum tree part of thier nightly routine and come by around 8 p.m. It makes me scaried to let Destiny out at night since she'll try to attack them and they are much larger than her 8 pounds of hissin'.

On Saturday in my attempt to gain Destiny's wrath, I gave her a bath. She cracked me up because she looked like a little drowned rat! She was not pleased but I was! She is no longer a dusty shade of gray with a slightly stinky smell. She know smells like roses and is back to her true black color. It was worth the wrath.



Now that was a nice busy lazy weekend! I so enjoy those!

PS Yes, I got my 4 mile run in on Saturday and my 12 mile bike ride on Sunday. Both of which were fantastic!

Training for a Triathlon

I remember back when I started down the Triathlon path. I was strict with myself! No alcohol, completion of every workout or more every day and a healthy diet. I’m sad to say that some of those of fallen by the way-side. I’ve learned along the way that some wine won’t hurt your training and that if you miss a work-out, life won’t end. I have taken up the healthy eating though and have really improved it. (Want proof? Well last time my blood pressure was checked it was 135/90 (that was February), today it was 128/78!)

So Julie and I have been training for a triathlon. Yep, a long one too and while she made me commit to training, we haven’t been killing ourselves. This week was a bit hectic for both of us so there were 2 missed workout but that’s ok, because we did Bike 15 miles and run 3.5 on Sunday, Ran Hills on Wednesday, Swam more than 1200 yards on Thursday and rejoiced in our accomplishments on Friday.

Next week, we’ll be out in full-force, though I do have conflicts on two days but I’ll make it work! Tomorrow (since Julie ditched me and headed up to the San Juans for a weekend of fun) I’ll be running 4 miles with Mot and then on Sunday, I’m making her bike 12 miles. She’s going to love me by the end of the weekend! Monday is swimming, Tuesday is a easy 45 minute bike ride but we’ll need to throw in some hills to make up for this week, Wednesday I’m working the Tears for Fears concert and Thursday attending the Stitch and Pitch at the Stadium. So Friday instead of resting, I’ll be swimming.

Then it will start all over again and I’ll like it.

(also posted over at Racing)

I love my mailman!

Yesterday he delivered TWO packages of yarn to me. One was the cotton-ease I ordered off EBay and the other was my membership yarn from Rowan. All in all, a good yarn day!



And last night, I sat down and finished up most of my Sitcom Chic. Look for photos later this weekend!

Mi Perro

Matya brought me a wonderful present back from San Diego.

She brought me Henri Rosa!



He may be small and he may be pink BUT he's my very own DOG!

Yea, I know the other dogs will have troubles playing with him but he can go everywhere with me! The park, work, everywhere!

What I'm currently lovin'



Tickets to a Mariner's game which put me just two rows behind the dugout and gave me the opportunity to see



Palmerio's 3,000 hit!

Starting a new sweater



while working the G-Sale


*I'm exhausted from all the G-saling! These things are a lot of work!

and making the G-money!



And finally, I'm lovin'



With all these things that I'm loving, there are few things I'm not lovin' as much.



One is nearing completion on my Sitcom Chic but running out of yarn when all I need to do is finish the neckband and the left/right front bands! Of course I'm making this out of Cotton-Ease, the famously discontinued yarn! I've been doing some hunting and I think I've located some BUT if you have at least half a skein of Licorce (black) cotton-ease. Contact me at Reebecki (dot) gmail (dot) com so we can chat!

I do have to say that the Sitcom Chic is the CUTEST sweater ever and I've been wearing it around the house while making everyone tell me how cute it is. Even Destiny isn't safe from my questions which then roll into the whining about how I ran out of yarn and how it is discontinued and whine, whine, whine!

And the last thing, I'm not loving is not having the time to read The Harry Potter very much yet!

Presents are best

This weekend I received my present from Peter who does the PR for Flying Fingers in New York. You know, they are the ones with the YARN BUS!

SO look at all the goodies I received!



Thank you Peter!

Somehow the Puppy became a *gasp* DOG!

Somehow Phoenix (My brother's dog) has gone from being a sweet (furious biter!) soft puppy



to a DOG!



Where did the cute puppy go? Who allowed this grown-up dog into the house? And why is he so much more well behaved than that puppy?

This weekend Phoenix and I spent some quality time together. I took him for a run with Zubin (and he did so very good! I was quite impressed.), we played at Zubin's house, he helped me knit (meaning he tried to eat the yarn ball and I yelled alot) and now he is begging me to go on a W-A-L-K (and yes it is cute because he keeps huffing at me and we're going in a minute, gesh!)

Phoenix also reminded me about how dogs never let you do anything alone (Oh, you're going to the bathroom - let me in there! Taking a shower -- can I peek into the curtain?) and taught me how to properly play rope.



In addition, he was there for the pinnacle moment in Sitcom Chic -- the joining of the sleeves to the body which can only mean a finish Sitcom Chic should happen sometime this year!



Ta!

Anxiously Awaiting...

In six days, I shall be holding my own copy of this



And I am SOOOOO excited you'd think I was a five year old getting ready to visit The Chocolate Factory which is another place I am excited to visit but just not as excited as I am about Harry.

Updates

Updates

Updated Racing with my new Tri Training schedule for July.

Updated 30 in 30 goals, I'm doing quite well! I've accomplished 13 out of 30 goals so far!

Updated this week's Photo Friday entry with a picture of Zubin for "Candid"

Still need to update reading!

And I've been meaning to reveal this one for a bit.

Cooking with Spice

Cooking with Spice



Yesterday after work, Mot joined me for a cooking class on Indian food (you know the stuff from India, full of spicy goodness). After getting over my initial shock of what the chef (a Califorian Surfer Dude if I've ever seen one!) looked like I was deeply enthralled. We learned that he had grown up in SouthEast Asia and really knew his stuff.



I scribbled notes and had to stop my drool while he created such delicious dishes as:

o Cucumber Salad with Peanuts
o Major Grey Chicken Curry with Coconut Cilantro Rice
o Saag Gosht (Lamb and Spinach Simmered Curry Dish)
o Velvet Butter Gobi (There is a 1/2 pound of butter in this dish!)
o Sweet Mango Lassi (drinkable yogurt drink which I could not try because drinkable yogurt grosses me out! but Mot said it was very good)

I'd have to say that my favorite dish (and the one I see myself making) was the Saag Gosht. It had spinach and very tender lamb. Oh so tasty!

It was a fun ending to a day which started out with such terrible news. It was fantastic to see the British on the television going about their regular routines today. As someone else said, they do have pluck!

London

London

My heartfelt sympathies to those who have and are suffering though this terrible time. I've checked in with most people I know there and so far, all are well

In times like these, I'm at a loss for why people have so much hate for others.

Summer Sunsets

Summer Sunsets

This past Sunday, I went to a friend's house for BBQing and games. The view from thier house was so beautiful.



If I had this view, I wouldn't leave the house!

Today's workout torture was an 8 mile hilly bike ride. I actually did a lot better than I thought I would! The last time I rode this hill, I had to stop because I was pedaling so slowly I feared I would go backwards down the hill. Not this time, this time I pedaled and pedaled and made it up the hill without going into the granny gear! Success for me!

Knitting on the Sitcom Chic is going well. The second sleeve is about half way done and soon I'll be joining the yoke and there will be smooth sailing ahead. Now if only I dedicated as much time to the knitting as I do to sleeping!

Fourth of July-ing

Fourth of July-ing



Happy Fourth of July! I skipped the fireworks this year but did make it down to the waterfront to check out a friend who was performing on one of the many stages set up to celebrate the Fourth. The fireboat was all afloat for the fourth and the sun was out in full force!

This was a busy busy weekend with lots of bike riding, running and lake swimming. Unfortunately there wasn't much time for knitting but I was able to fit some in while at the waterfront today.

And now the whole neighborhood sounds like a war zone with bursts, blasts and things lighting up the sky. Destiny has retreated to under the bed and I shall attempt to get some sleep soon.

It's time to start another week! Although this one has only four working days!

Hankering for the Weekend

Oh the joy of the three-day weekend in summer! How I love thee! And I especially love the ones where I have very little planned.

So far I am planning to:

*Go Running
*Go on a Bike Ride
*Go Swimming
*Go to the Farmer's Market for tasty veggies!
*Go out to dinner with a friend visiting from Boston
*Clean the house
*KNIT!

I'm feeling so very excited about the weekend. The weekend of relaxation and sleep. Sleep has become a very important priority for me, so much so that I am probably skipping the firework show on Monday night in order to be rested up for work. This new job is great! But I do a lot more work which wears a person out, in a good way.

Hmmmmm, three day weekend...counting down the hours till I can enjoy it...

PS Anyone know why my font size is all funky? I just can't figure out why this is suddenly happening. I've not made any template changes or anything.