Trick or Treat

The neighbor girls came a knock'n.

Learning to Weave

Laurie, Pattie and I are taking weaving classes at City Arts instructed by my previous spinning class teacher, Nancy Squire. We each decided to work on different projects. I am making a small rug from strips of woven cotton. The frayed fabric edges makes for a scrappy looking weave that I kinda like and I eventually want to work with denim.

Red River Classic

Many years ago, I used to compete in bodybuilding and even qualified for Nationals. This was the fun part: performing on stage. I'd still be doing it if the training and diet wasn't so time-consuming and difficult. I guess if it was easy everyone would look like this. Husband and I are in Oklahoma with a good friend who won the Master's division (over age 50!) Red River Classic bodybuilding championship. He's looked like this for the 20+ years we've known him and is still going strong.

Alpaca Shawlette #4

Just wrapped up my fourth alpaca shawlette. This one I made for myself out of the hand carded/spun alpaca from Ashwani at Heartland Farm. I noticed this fiber was much softer than William - interesting how each animal has a different fleece.

100 Miles or Bust

I'm starting up my own 100 Miles in 100 Days jog/run challenge. (I've done it successfully once before). It's a goal-oriented numbers game that works for me so I'm dusting off my running shoes to give it another GO. And the timing couldn't be better - just in time to keep things in check during the holidays. The clock starts today with a completion date of January 26, 2010.

Marathon Knitting

I didn't set a record, but I did get quite a bit of knitting completed for what I'm calling was my Noro Cardi Knitting Marathon. I set a comfortable pace for myself with the garter stitch yoke, slowed slightly for the button holes and kicked it into high gear for the stockinette body. As for contemplating running a marathon someday (April?) Jackie recommends getting the book Half-Marathon by Jeff Galloway.

KC Marathon

Today was the big day. At 6:00 a.m. we walked down to Crown Center in a dark, cold drizzle and the girls took off on their runs at 7:00. I headed for a warmer climate inside and got to sit and knit for almost five hours until it was time to cheer them on at the end of the finish line. It was so inspiring to watch my friends conquer the elements, hills and for some pain to finish their race, relay, half marathon and full marathon. Now I'm motivated to add running a half marathon to my bucket list someday.

KC Bound

Angelique is back in town from NM and we drove together to Kansas City today for the 2009 Waddell & Reed Marathon run on Saturday where we met up with Team Tabor (Jackie) and relay Team Twist (Judy, Becca, & Laura) and Lori who's running a half-marathon. I'm going along as a team supporter and will be in charge of taking pictures and holding the signs. We enjoyed a high carb dinner at the Cheesecake Factory on the Plaza and did a little p.j. knitting in our room. GO T-E-A-M!!

I'm excited to be starting a new knitting project on the road with my knitting friends. I'll be working on the Garter Yoke Cardi from the fall/winter 2008 knit.1 issue using Cascade for the body and Noro wool on the yoke. While my friends are running a marathon I'll be doing my own little marathon knitting.

Socks 4 Mom

Finished a pair of ankle socks for mom from the Panda Cotton she picked out in Texas. She isn't a fan of wool socks so this bamboo/cotton/elastic nylon yarn will make for the comfy bed socks she has in mind.

Made in Texas

Although the weekend was busy with travel and family time in Texas, I did manage to crank out a pair of ankle socks for myself from leftover Panda Cotton in chocolate mint. Conveniently, while at a yarn shop, mom decided she wanted me to make her a pair so she picked out the yarn and I started hers on the way back home.

Shabby Sheep

Believe it or not - but there's a yarn shop around Dallas that I haven't been to before. It was challenging for me to find Shabby Sheep in the Uptown area but when it comes to yarn - I'm determined and found a way. Knitting shops that occupy a house are just so inviting and this one features a front porch swing and patio in the back. Then inside the shop I found inspiration in a shop sample sweater vest from Berroco's new vintage wool yarn. I'll be making mine in Chana Dal.

Sassy Spinster

A quick trip to Texas provided me with the chance to venture out to Lancaster to visit the Sassy Spinster. It's a great shop filled with spinning wheels and weaving looms of all sizes. I don't know much about weaving...yet...but that's about to change in the very near future.

Woofstock 2009

Today was a day for the dogs and benefit for the Kansas Humane Society. This year's Woofstock event at the Sedgwick County Park was improved with more organized parking and a more spacious vendor layout. It's always entertaining to see all the different kind of dogs and it seems the most popular breeds in town are great danes and boxers. Our pack played well with others during the Woof, Walk and Wag event and then laid down to do a little dog-watching of their own.

Habitat for Humanity

My boss (pictured on the left) is a member of the Wichita Rotary and organized an opportunity for our office to help with a home build for Habitat for Humanity. The two bedroom house is 10 days into the build and we showed up with our work gloves and went to work cleaning the job site, sawing and laying the flooring. We were able to help a woman and her child in the community and learn a few things about construction. Not a bad way to spend a workday afternoon.