The Zombie sock has risen!

The past few days have been wiggity weird, to say the least. First, I turned this:

Shibui Sock

Into this!

Fishtail Lace Mitts

These are Fishtail Lace Mitts for my boss’s 1st Annual 29th Birthday. They were a little tight on me, but I knew they would fit her. She has tiny chicken arms, and they fit perfectly! (I’m made of heartier peasant stock.)

I also got a promotion this week! I knew there was a slight chance of an interview possibility coming up, but I got the position out of the blue. A bit more money, more responsibility, and longer hours. I’ll probably only get to see my husband on Sundays and a few hours during the week.

To continue the excitement, I found my missing Malabrigo Zombie sock! This sucker has been missing for a YEAR. I feared that it had jumped out of my bag at a restaurant and went to live on a farm somewhere. Anywho, I was frantically looking for my phone yesterday. I opened the passenger side door to the car and there was my phone, and snuggled next to it was the pesky sock!

They are now having some bonding time on the drying rack after sharing a Kookaburra soak.

Tonight, there will be Shadowbox and Irish Car Bomb cake at a fellow knit nighter’s birthday bash. Hopefully you’ll hear from me tomorrow, but buh-bye for now!

Recap, Part deux

Wanna know what else I’ve been doing, besides getting my ass kicked by Toby?

Knitting! I finished up Spectra the other day. It’s a bit shorter than it’s supposed to be. My Sunshine did not have the ample yardage required for the project, but it’s soft and lovely, so that more than makes up for it.

Spectra in all its spirally glory

I brought it to knit night tonight, and got a group photo of the Bandwagon Spectras (oooh, good band name!)

The Bandwagon Spectras

I got to relax somewhat and have a small amount of girl time with my bestow this past weekend. Our normal girls night includes peel and eat shrimp, SMOTHERED in Old Bay, and beer at The Rusty Bucket. We dish the dirt, drink, sometimes knit, and play backgammon. She usually wins.

I can’t wait for things to start blooming in our yard! We bought the house in the middle of winter, so it’s really exciting to see what plants we have to work with.

Flowering Cherry?

So far, we’re going to have Cleveland Pear trees, Flowering Cherry trees, 4 different rose bushes, Azaleas, Peonies, some sort of vining flower, what we think is a 4-fruit tree, daffodils, tulips, irises, lilacs, and at least 1 raspberry bush. It’s going to be all kinds of green and pretty around here! I’m just hoping that I don’t kill any of it!

I’m still alive, I promise!

I promise I haven’t forgotten about you, beloved blog! I’ve been so busy doing various things over the past few weeks, and haven’t had time to form a cohesive post. I keep thinking, “oh, I should blog about that,” but it never becomes a post.

Here’s a bit of what you’ve missed in the Knitterley household:

I joined a gym. I’m sick of feeling chubby and lazy, so I dove right in. I’ve also joined SparkPeople to keep me honest and to track my progress.

I had my free assessment with a trainer yesterday. He (let’s call him Toby) watched me walk and do a few things before he began to torture me. We found out that my left leg is shorter than my right, which has thrown my hips out of alignment. I also pronate my feet when I walk or run. Basically, I’m a hot mess. Toby then began to torture me. I had to do squats and chest presses and elevated squats and this lovely contraption called TRX.

The TRX looks like something that would be found in your average bondage shop upon first glance. It is comprised of a swingset frame with straps hanging off of it. It uses your own body weight as resistance. I had to do MORE squats and pullups on this thing while balancing on my heels at a 45 degree angle to the ground. 

After he released me from bondage, Toby took me back into the office to discuss prices for hiring a trainer. Sorry Toby, I can’t afford to hire you to torture me multiple times a week, no matter how much faster I will see results. I have shit to do with that money, like buy carpet, and furniture, and yarn.

I left the gym feeling VERY wobbly (I was dangerously close to my knees buckling when I stepped off of the curb to go to my car) and barely made it up the stairs in my house. Going down the stairs to go to work was worse. Of course, today I’m cussing the man up one side and down the other because I can barely walk. It’s not the fulfilling, I-got-a-good-workout pain either. It’s the who-the-hell-ran-me-over-with-a-bus pain. I actually wimpered when I came down the stairs this morning. If this is how I’d feel after every workout with a trainer, no thanks! I’ll take the slow and steady route to fitness.

Let the Sunshine spin

I was cruising around on Ravelry the other day, and stumbled upon the Sunshine Spinners group. There were many many pictures of spun up Sunshine roving, and my fingers started to get itchy. I dragged Gertrude, my Ashford Traditional, up from the basement and started spinning.

After a few false starts, I got a bit of a rhythm down. I am a totally beginning, self-taught spinner. I’ve surprised myself a few times by making actual YARN! This was the first time spinning with Sunshine roving, and it was delicious! The staple length is super long and it drafts so nicely! I drafted too thin in a few places and the yarn came apart.

Sunshine merino in La Push Beach

This will be kind of slow going, as I’m trying really hard to keep my singles even. I might try my hand at Navajo plying when I’m done! My ultimate goal is to be able to take my wheel outside and spin, but I need to get proficient enough to spin without cussing at Gertrude every 5 seconds! Afterall, there are a lot of little ears in my neighborhood…

Pretty Single!

Hug your local fiber animal!

I think I am getting sick. As with married women everywhere, I think I can thank my husband for this. He’s been having double trouble since Saturday night. We thought it was food poisoning, but now, I’m thinking that it may be flu.

It’s times like this that make me glad to be a knitter. Since I am freezing, I’m wearing wool from neck to toe. I have my Jaywalker socks made from Knit Picks Imagination, my Every Way Wrap made from Mistook Alpaca, and my Nereid Kitts made from Socks That Rock. On top of this, I’m snuggled under a blanket. I’m still cold. Thankfully, I don’t have the tummy troubles!

Little sneak!

Step away from the Noro, Colt!

Like crack, only cheaper!

I hate it when the fiber hussies are right! Knitting this is addictive!