Purling Sprite

Cat's Paw Headband Stitch Breakdown

The Cat's Paw Headband is in the current issue (Winter 2012) of Loom Knitters Circle magazine. Hop on over to get the entire pattern. 

I am going to break down the Cat's Paw Chart (see it on the right), rows 1-6. (On the headband pattern, they are rows 5-11).

*Row 1: p2, k1, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k1, p2

Row 2: k11

Row 3: p2, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, ssk, p2

Row 4: k11

Row 5: p2, k2, yo, central double decrease, yo, k2, p2

Row 6: k11*

Bear with me, there are 3 rows that I am going to be breaking down: R1, R3, and R5. They are very similar and once you get the hang of it on the first row, you can probably do the rest easily.

Row 1 Breakdown

Note: I am numbering pegs 1-11 from Right to Left

Move stitches as follows:

Step 1. Remove stitch from peg 4 and hold it.

Step 2. move stitch from peg 5 to peg 4.

Step 3. Place stitch from Step 1 on peg 4. Peg 4 has two loops on it.

Step 4: Remove loop from peg 8 and hold it.

Step 5. Move loop from peg 7 over to peg 8.

Step 6. Place loop from Step 4 on peg 8. Peg 8 has two loops on it.

Pegs 5 & 7 are empty.

Step 7: Work the row as follows: purl pegs 1 and 2; knit peg 3; k2tog on peg 4(treat both loops on the peg as one loop); e-wrap peg 5; knit peg 6; e-wrap peg 7; ssk peg 8 (treat both loops on the peg as on loop); k peg 9; purl pegs 10 and 11.

Row 3 Breakdown

Step 1: Remove loop from peg 3 and hold it.

Step 2. Move loop from peg 4 and place it on peg 3.

Step 3. Place loop from Step 1 on peg 3. Peg 3 has two loops on it.

Step 4. Remove loop from peg 9 and hold it.

Step 5. Move loop from peg 8 and place it on peg 9.

Step 6. Place loop from step 4 on peg 9. Peg 9 has two loops on it.

Pegs 4 and 8 are empty.

Step 7. Work the row as follows: purl pegs 1 and peg 2; k2tog on peg 3 (treat both loops on the peg as one loop); e-wrap peg 4, knit pegs 5,6, 7; e-wrap peg 8, ssk on peg 9 (treat both loops on the peg as one loop); purl pegs 10 and 11.

Row 5 Breakdown

Step 1. Move loop from peg 5 over to peg 6.

Step 2. Move loop from peg 7 over to peg 6.

Peg 6 has three loops on it. Pegs 5 and 7 are empty.

Step 3. Work the row as follows: Purl pegs 1 and 2; knit pegs 3 and 4; e-wrap peg 5, k3tog on peg 6 (treat all three loops as one loop); e-wrap peg 7; knit pegs 8 and 9; purl pegs 10 and 11.

 

And you did it!!! Yay! I am working on a video to demonstrate the steps, but with the breakdown, I think it should be quite easy to get it done.

Happy loomin'

Isela

Back on the road

Training starts tomorrow for my running season and I am very glad it does. I need some sort of distraction and this may just be the ticket. I jumped this year to the Intermediate Marathon training program and I think it is going to kick my a$$. I don't think I am ready for that much mileage but I will give it my best effort. Just thinking that my first long run is this Saturday and it is a 9 miler is already sending my legs into panic mode. Oy! I better strap on the shoe laces really well and get ready for another awesome ride. May the force be with me as I embark on my 4th year of running.

 

Awesome sounds!

I must live under a rock because today, it is the first day I heard of these guys, Dyland & Lenny and their song Pegate Mas. It is steamy HOOOTTT!!!

 

Goals Achieved

As you guys remember, I have been attending CrossFit classes and a lot of the movements in there are mostly technique. Once you have the technique down, it becomes a little bit less painful/grueling to do the workouts.

Being new to a box is filled with new challenges: box jumps, kettlebell swings, kipping pull ups, double unders, ring dips, handstand push ups, the list goes on and on.  The first thing I wanted to learn was kipping pull ups. It was amazing to see the gals in the box just wiping them out and me not even being able to swing the proper way. 

At the end of November , I decided that enough was enough and that I was going to learn to kip. I would stay after the workout and learn to swing on the bar, head through kick legs back, legs forward head back. Gosh, it was grueling not being able to get the rhythm down and once you had it down to keep it going. I worked on it for about 2 weeks continuously, then one day, up and over the bar my chin went. I had done it! I had completed one kipping pull up. It was the BEST feeling ever! I continued practicing on the following days, then one of my coaches saw me and told me that from that moment on, I would only do kipping pull ups for all my workouts, even if it took me an hour to complete it. A few days later, on Dec. 5th I completed and Rx-ed my very first workout with kipping pull ups (17 of them). My hands were tired and I had torn them up but my heart was swelling with pride. Since then, I have completed many workouts that include kipping pull ups and although I can only string about 4-5 in a row, I have completed over 120 in a single workout! Yay me!

Once kipping pull ups were conquered, next the bigger more painful beast came. Double Unders.  Double Unders--jump rope and make the rope go twice under your feet with one single jump. It may sound easy to a lot of you, including my 9 year old son, who can do about 100 with no trouble at all. But for me, just doing singles was a feat in itself. When I started crossfit, I was one of those jumpers who would need to jump twice to make the rope go once under her feet. I never played with a jump rope as a kid so this was all new territory for me.

I didn't care if I could only do 1 and then a bunch of singles in between. I worked and worked and after thousands of lashings around my legs, forearms and fingers, I conquered! I am now able to do a few double unders with singles in between. They are not consecutive double unders but I'll take it and keep working on them. It is one of my greatest achievements in crossfit. Yes, I am not smooth and I probably look like a chicken flappin' my wings but it is awesome to be able to Rx a workout when it has doubles.

Next on the agenda, handstand push ups....this one is going to take me at least two months to master. I don't like the feeling of being on my head, having my feet higher than my head. The blood rushes to my head and I hate the feeling. Not to mention, I can't even do a handstand, hahaha!

2011 Highlights

I am a little late but I wanted to write something down about 2011 and all the different things we did. The year was full of adventures, trials, and more work than I would have ever imagined.

2011 included a wonderful gift to me: Boston 2011. It was an amazing experience that I would never, ever forget. Hubby and I traveled there and although it was an adventure getting there with our Flight from NY to Boston getting canceled and having to rent a car to get to Boston, I would not change it at all. I loved it. I want to go back. I got into Boston 2012 and I am crossing my fingers that I can go once more.

2011 was a big year of races for me. I ran a total of 4 marathons: Boston, Ogden, TOU and St. George. I ran a couple of halves: TOU 1/2, Pink Series 1/2, and Halloween Half. I also raced a few 5K and 10Ks and 15K as well as participated in a couple of small triathlons. Even did Ragnar, although I wasn't planning on doing it in 2011. It was my first year placing: got 3rd in AG in a sprint triathlon, 4th in AG in a 15k, and 3rd in a 10K. It was a fabulous racing year. One of my strongest for sure. I don't know if I can replicate it due to the high amount of fitness classes I am teaching and the lack of time/energy left for training.

In 2011, my fitness classes took off. As a spin instructor, I have now 4 regular classes. They are super fun and I love the atmosphere of them. My Zumba classes have a life of their own! I love to teach this format, it is freeing to the soul. I have 7 Zumba classes weekly on my schedule. It gets to be a little too much when combined with the Spin classes but I sure do love it.

I had two little books published, one a tiny little booklet, Loom Knitting Made Easy, and Loom Knitting Scarves, Hats & More.

My lovely children have gotten so much bigger and they are so responsible. My son turned 9 and with that it seemed like he got the personality of a 12 year old. He has always been a responsible little one but now he is even more. He can cook rice, he can do dishes, he can vacuum and  clean the entire house if you let him. One day, it was his day off from school and I decided to sleep in. Both him and my daughter had cleaned the entire kitchen and living room. They are amazing little individuals

In all, it was a wonderful year. I was with my family and I love spending time with them. :)

 

 

FO's for the holidays!

One Boyfriend Hat for hubby and one for my little Boyo!

Knitted also another Habitat Hat. Picture is a bit fuzzy but the hat is still gorgeous as ever!

Happy Holidays! :)

Fluffy Pleats

Another gorgeous yarn came rolling down my way. Tinseltown yarn. I couldn't pass it up! It kept taunting me with its fluffy, silvery pleats. I had to have it! I saw it a few weeks ago at my local yarn store and I just couldn't forget about it. Days will pass and the fluffy pleats kept coming back to my mind. Finally, this weekend I gave up and went and got a couple of skeins. I was not disappointed! I LOVE IT!

If you are a needle knitter, it is pretty simple to use and you can find a few videos online on how to use it. Loom knitters, don't despair. I've got you covered. I have written a pattern and prepared a video for you. Again, this is the way I use the yarn, there are other ways out there so feel free to experiment and find the one you like the most.

 

Got Ruffles

Quick and super easy. 1 skein of yarn and about 2-3 hours of knitting time. We are talking simple garter stitch. Definitely a project that you can watch tv and not get all confused...unless you grab the wrong strand.

Don't knit with needles? No worries, I've got you covered!

 

I put together a a video that demonstrates how to use this yarn on a loom.

 

Habitat Hat

I love this pattern! It is my fourth time kniting this pattern and I love it more and more each time. I gave my first two to my Grammie and I gave my third to a friend. I hope I can keep this one around for at least one season :).

I used malabrigo yarn in worsted weight.

Pattern: Habitat by Brooklyn Tweed

Lunge This...

Ever wake up and say to yourself today I am going to do 400meters of lunges. Nope?!? Well, me neither but today I had to do just that at CrossFit SouthTown and that's the main reason why I joined, cuz my coach makes me do things that I hate yet are great for me.

Today's WOD

400 meters lunges

Every 2 minutes: jump rop 40x (or 20 Double Unders)

Gah! It took me 17: 34

And my legs were jelly after and they shook at every move. Tomorrow by butt is going to hurt...oh ya!