Post-holiday

I took a sincere vacation this holiday season. I unplugged for more than a week, and it felt good. After getting back to Oregon and getting back to work, it was hard to get back into things like flickr and blogging. I need to do this more regularly, but it also needs to feel right.
I'm hopeful to get back into the swing of regular swims (going well), runs (intervals are going really well) and bikes (not so much). Once it warms up a bit, the cycling should come. I just need to learn to like hills. I love them when I'm running, just not on a bike.
On the crafty side, things have been good. I got some xmas money and put it towards a spinning wheel! Hopefully it will arrive next month. I made my first garment out of my own handspun -



It was an easy pattern and nice to knit something other than a shawlette or scarf with that amount of yarn. I need to remember to spin regularly and not worry about "saving" fiber for the new wheel. I need to practice regularly to keep up this new skill.

back in the saddle and almost at the end of the race...

Lots of goings on here in diplomatica-land. While d has been furiously finishing school work, I've been busy crafting and getting back in the normal swing of things with exercise. I've gotten the OK to bike again. I went out with ll on the bike path on Saturday. So much trepidation, but lots of fun. I went slow - it was the first time I'd been back on clipless pedals since my fall in July.



I started to take pictures of my vintage clothes for an etsy shop I'm going to open. I just need to wrangle d for a moment and have him help me create a banner.

I can see the end of the road from the goal of making my Christmas gifts. I just have one small snag - figuring out what to knit for d. I told him about the sweater curse, so that's out of the question, per his directions. I just need to make up my mind and cast on. He liked the cowl for his birthday last week, so at least my knitting mojo is okay.

Intervals...

Exciting news! I really am running again! I didn't really post about this earlier because right after I started, I got a cold that has decided to linger past the Thanksgiving weekend. I've done several interval runs. It's great to actually run, not plod. Between my numerous lunges, calve raises and stretches, this is a great energizing activity. I'm hoping to have this jumpstart a better workout routine during the holidays.

I haven't been feeling the digital photo bug, so I'm woefully behind on spinning, knitting, cooking and exercising photos. I've been ordered to get back on my road bike for short rides, so hopefully this will spurn on some photos. It's just so dark here (besides the time I'm cooped up in my office). I think I need to make a light box.

Okay, off to drowsily celebrate D finishing his model and presentation for studio. He still has two more big assignments for the term, but this was the big one. After being awake for 36 hours, I'm not sure how much celebration we'll be doing. Probably a beer, dinner and falling asleep to our Netflix selection.

Fuzzy warmth

It hasn't been snowing here in the Willamette Valley, but is has been quite chilly (and foggy - darn inversion) the past few weeks. It's made us turn on the heat and me crave knitting a warm, squishy sweater instead of the smaller, xmas gift knits I've been cranking out for awhile now.

One thing that's made it so much easier is the addition of the Monday night knitting group I've started to attend down the street. It's great to a) meet other people that love to knit as much as me, b) take the dedicated time to talk and knit purposefully for a couple of hours, and c) learn a few things (tonight was about slapping handspun yarn to help set the twist - a much better method than weighting it after soaking). Which reminds me, I'm actually getting a much better feel for spinning and plying. The recent skeins have really improved. I gave one to my aunt on Friday and she seemed to enjoy the color palette. No pics just yet since some of it is yet to be gifted...I'm excited to spin some recent fiber from a wonderful woman who lives up the hill from me. You can see her blanketed sheep as you walk up to her studio - so cool!

giving thanks

It's that time of year to give thanks for what you've got. This has been a rough fall for me. Normally, I would smirk at what some would say has become just a tag line to sell more turkey and sweaters, but this year, giving thanks is more important for me. It's a good exercise to realize how fortunate you actually are, in the grand scheme of things.

This website about the Willard Suitcases was the aha! moment that made the thankfulness click for me this year.



Reading the stories of those that were at Willard State Hospital is moving. I've always wondered how I would have ended up if I had been born 100 years earlier - would this have been my fate after raising a stink in public or after a few unfortunate events. The eerie idea of the patients' suitcases left in the attic for years (containing their entire possessions). Most states had/have these institutions and these types of stories. Thankfully, many have returned the possessions or tried to give these people a story. That's what I like about this online exhibit - it gives a voice to those that were silenced years ago.

After reading their stories, especially Madeline's, it made me very thankful for my freedom and the endless opportunities still out there for me.

fiber frenzy

Knitting, spinning, coveting woolen cardigans. These are all things that have I've been up to. It's definitely fall, nearing Thanksgiving. The weather, the excitement for Christmas and D's birthday next week have gotten me obsessed with making and/or acquiring woolen goodies.
On my recent stops to yarn and fiber shops, I scored this:



I've been drooling over Habu patterns recently and just found out some dangerous news, Knit/Purl carries Habu and various kits! I love this tunic and this jacket.

I've been spinning a lot, which has also helped with my craptastic past 10 days. Highs and lows. Bad work stuff and great personal stuff. Big news - I can run again! I'm doing running intervals, something new for me. I've done interval training in the pool, but besides the random fartlek on weekend hill runs, I've never done timed interval running practices. It's fun. I think I'll be enjoying my weekly exercise.

More pics after Thanksgiving...

Wool overload

Lots to report -
- First, I'm learning how to spin fiber (not spinning on a bike, which two of my family members thought I was talking about - I've already been to many a bike spinning class). It's fun - but I'm still at the frustrating point where I'm still learning basic skills. I'm enjoying it. A colleague is letting me borrow her spare Ashford wheel.
- Second, I'm almost back to running. I'm now swimming a lot and doing my yoga regularly. Yoga has been amazing at improving my form in the pool. All that core strength really does make a difference. After I gain more hip strength, I can begin to run again. Soon...just in time for the cold, rainy weather.
- Last, sooo much knitting going on for the holidays. Obv, no picks for the gifts, but here's a picture of my new fall FO - a great wool stole that also seconds as as scarf: