Stitch and Pitch

So I went to the Stitch and Pitch game at Shea Stadium on Sept. 25th.

It was kinda cold and rainy, but we didn't get wet because we were high enough up to be under the overhang. I've kinda been seeing a guy for a couple weeks and he came with me. Val didn't wanna come because it was her anniversary (10 years, big deal!), and my friend Liz was supposed to come, but she had Back to School night for her kids and actually fell that morning while running, and was in pretty bad shape. So Jay came with me, he really didn't mind the knitting.



see, no one around me is knitting....


I brought my Circular Shrug with me to work on.


I was a little disappointed with the whole thing, not to say I wouldn't do it again. We didn't get there early because I really was unsure of what would be going on and it was not really clear if goodie bags were gonna be given out so I didn't feel the need to go early, but then I thought that once we sat down we would be surrounded by people knitting.... not the case. There were a few people around me knitting but I thought I would be able to meet people and talk about knitting and stuff, but our seats were kinda far away from the large group of people I saw knitting. Maybe it's because I bought the tickets on my own, if they were purchased a group I might have been closer to other knitters.... but it was still fun to be able to pull out my knitting at a baseball game!

Running again

So it's really crunch time now, my next half marathon is Nov. 23rd, so it's really time to start training again.
I do my long runs on Sat. mornings, so I went out yesterday morning and I wasn't really feeling good, I had a sore throat and was kinda stuffy so I didn't really have great expectations of how the run was gonna go. plus the week before I was supposed to do 6 1/2 miles and didn't quite get there, only did 4 1/4....
I get to the 2 mile mark (I had to do 7 that day) and I look at my watch and my time was 19:44!!! less than 20 minutes, that's less than 10 minutes per mile! so I was psyched about it so far. I kept checking my watch and I wasn't really staying at a 10 minute mile but definitely less that 11 minutes per mile. When I got to what I consider 5 1/2 miles my time was 58:30, still doing good, better than my 5 1/2 mile run on Weds. so I'm still excited about it, but I still have a mile and a half to go.
So, at the end of my 7 mile run my time was 1 hour 19 minutes, which makes me think my run was more than 7 miles, I know I slowed down the last 1 1/2 miles but could it really have taken me 21 minutes to go 1 1/2 miles!?!?
the course that I run on is marked every quarter mile, but it's only 2.4 miles long, so it gets a little confusing for me what to do about that last little bit.... and then there's another part that only the first 1/2 mile is marked and then it's a little bit longer, so I don't really know how long that is..... so I just kinda estimate....
but for the most part I'm very happy with my running right now, I have been complaining about how slow I've been running lately, but the last two runs I had were very good pace, I just hope I can keep it up, and that my body doesn't rebel against me!!! but I seem to be right on track to get my mileage up by race time, and hopefully my time will be much improved over the last one!

Wish me luck!

Hello Stranger

ok, ok, I know.... I figured it was time to use this thing again!

I've been really busy since the last time I blogged

I finished my Talia vest, I really like the way it came out. My first garment! it's even been favorited on Ravelry, by complete strangers!

and the blanket for Juli's baby, so I was able to give it to her at the shower. it was really simple to make!

I finished hand warmers for my friend Lisa, she's gonna really like them and I plan on making her leg warmers too, which are bright red to go with the bright blue wrist warmers! It's just her style! and yes, she is a grown adult... the pattern is Hand Like a Hole by Vickie Howell, probably the quickest a simplest project ever, just the seaming was a little tricky, that's what older sisters are for!

I've started some new projects too:

the Razor Cami by Katie Marcus

the Hanami Stole by Melanie Gibbons

and a bunch of washcloths for a house warming gift for a friend

and I just found out another friend just bought a house, should be moving in in August so I definitely have to make her something!

I also signed up for another half marathon, since the first one went so well! but it's not till November so I have some time to get my miles back up, I want to try to get a better time on the one.

Things are starting to pick with the Long Island Dietetic Association, I have officially taken over as Treasurer, but I don't know what happened last year so I'm kinda lost with everything, but the people are really nice a willing to help me with whatever I need. we'll see how it goes...

and I have officially been commissioned to make a project for someone, well one of the girls I work wanted me to teach her how to knit so she could make a blanket for a baby shower, so I said ok, then it turned into, "well, do you want me to just make it for you?", to which she quickly responded yes. I'm not sure if she's gonna try to pass it off as her own handy work, but I'm pretty sure people will know. she's not really the knitting type.

Juli came up to visit, she was a little cranky because she's all pregnant a such, and when she was here was the hottest days we've had so far up here. but it was a good visit. I wanted to podcast while she was here but we didn't get a chance to.... maybe Val and Juli can record when Val goes to visit....

Ok, Val, I hope your happy I blogged again!

Offical Time!

So I checked the website again for the Long Island Half Marathon and my real offical time is 2:30:24! even better than before!
Because it takes so much time to actually get to the Start line after the clock starts, you wear a computerized chip that gets your actual time. Now I'm really happy with it!
Still no pics to link to....

13.1

I did it! I finished the Long Island Half Marathon!
my time was 2:33:28, that's a long time to be running, well it was really more of a jog! I'm happy with it though, I think I did good for my first time.
I don't have link to photos yet.....

White Wine Spritzer......

KUI
That's Knitting Under the Influence, for those of you who didn't figure it out.
My thoughts on that, since I'm doing it right now, yes people, I am a little drunk right now.
I think it's really not such a bad thing, I'm binding off my Hemlock ring blanket, and not messing up at all..... shocking I know, because I tend to mess things up while I'm sober.... just listening to podcasts, knitting, gonna watch my thursday night shows in a little while. all around a very enjoyable evening!

another note: i know this blog is called the "occasional" knitter, yea, really not occasional anymore, I've become completely obsessive!

Oh yea, one more thing:
so I had a "I'm totally blog about this" moment. I'm surprised Val hasn't blogged about it yet.
so I had a friday off from work, cause I had to work on Sunday (boo), and I took Val to the doctor, and we decided to go out to lunch after, we went to IHOP, cause it was right next to the doctor's office, and we had a waitress that was a little too excited to be working at IHOP (I really wanted to take her out for a drink, just to see what she was like in public!), and Val pulls out her socks and starts knitting in IHOP!!!! I didn't have my camera so I only got to take a pic on my phone....

Just Keep Running...

That's what I had to tell myself this weekend. I was out house-sitting, and cat-sitting and I had to do my long run on Saturday. I wasn't feeling good on Thursday so I didn't do anything on Thursday or Friday.
So, Friday afternoon I sit down at the computer with g-maps and start planning out an 8 mile route......I managed to plan out a route that was exactly 8 miles back to the front door, so I had to stick to it very closely, and there were lots of twists and turns because I was trying to avoid busy roads, the one thing I didn't take into account...... ELEVATION! Wow, was this route hilly! I just kept thinking "if I make it up it will be down hill on the way back!"
But I survived, a little woosy when I got back, and took a 2 hour nap afterwards, but I survived. I just have to do that, plus 5 MORE miles, in about a month. I'm hopeing adeneline plays a big role here!
But I pretty much fell in love with running outside this weekend, it's so much better than the treadmill!

On the knitting front.
I finished my lace scarf, yes, I really did! It's blocking right now so I'll post pic when it's done. But I pretty much think blocking sucks, I'm not sure I did it right...

and I'm almost done with my socks, I turned the heel so it's smooth sailing from here, I just need to hold out starting something new so that I'll actually finish it.

Speaking of starting something new.....
so my cousin's wife found out she's having a girl and I decided I'm not ready to make a baby sweater so I went out and got some new, girly yarn and I'm thinking about making the spiral baby blanket. But I like this yarn and pattern more than the one I started for Juli, so if Juli has a girl too (I'm thinking she is!) I'll give her this banket and give the other one to my cousin's baby. But I'm still thinking about making a sweater anyway and giving it to whoever, depending on how good it comes out!
and I can't wait to start the Talia vest! I really wanna make it but I'm nervous about making a garment... I don't know what size to make, and how all the shaping is gonna work...... this is scarey stuff!

and on a personal note:
I'm running for the Treasurer position of the Long Island Dietetic Association, I might be a shoe-in cause I'm pretty sure I'm running un-opposed but I'm getting kinda excited about it. I'm looking foward to being invloved in that kind of organization, networking, opening doors for other things...... I feel like a real grown-up now.