May 30, 2008

Quick & Easy Knitted Baby Hat (a free pattern!)

Knit from the bottom up, this hat works up very quickly in the round.


Here is a printer-friendly version of the pattern!


Materials:
  • US size 6 needles to work in the round (I used magic loop, but do whatever you prefer)
  • small amount of sport-weight yarn
  • stitch marker
  • tapestry needle for weaving in ends
Gauge:
  • 5.5 sts and 9 rows equals 1 inch
Abbreviations:
  • K- knit
  • P- purl
  • K2tog- knit two stitches together
  • CO- cast on
  • PM- place marker
Instructions:

CO 70 sts. PM and join to work in the round, being careful not to twist.
Rnd 1: K
Rnd 2: P
Repeat rnds 1-2 once more.

Rnd 5: *K6, P1* around.
Repeat rnd 5 until piece measures 3.75 inches from the cast-on.

Next: Purl two rnds.

Begin decrease:
Rnd 1: *K5, K2tog* around.
Rnd 2 and all even rounds: Knit.
Rnd 3: *K4, K2tog* around.
Rnd 5: *K3, K2tog* around.
Rnd 7: *K2, K2tog* around.
Rnd 9: *K1, K2tog* around.
Rnd 11: *K2tog* around (10 sts remain)
Rnd 13: *K2tog* around (5 sts remain)

Here you can either cut yarn and thread through remaining sts, or work a 5-stitch i-cord for 5 rounds. When you're done with the i-cord, cut yarn and thread through the remaining sts. Pull tight to close. Using tapestry needle, weave in ends.





May 04, 2008

The 500 Festival Mini-Marathon 2008

This is the earliest-dated post on Runs for Cookies, but I didn't actually start writing on this blog until April 2011. I wrote in a different blog for MANY years (2000-2011), but that has since been archived. I copied this post (and a few others) from my previous blog, because of its relevance. 




Remember I signed up for that half-marathon in Indianapolis?  Well, that was Saturday. Stacie came with me, which I was excited about. My mom, 3 of her friends, my sister, and 4 of her friends went. We drove there on Friday. Stacie, my sister Jeanie, and I shared a room.

We went out to a pasta dinner (to carb-load for the race!). Then we went to Haggen Dazs for some ice cream. We went to bed early. I didn't sleep much because I was nervous about the race. I truly didn't think I'd finish it. I wasn't prepared for it at all.

Saturday--The race started at 7:30 AM, so we had to get up early. We got dressed and went down to our "corral". We were in the Z corral to start (The starting line was the A corral for fast people, and there were 50,000 people in this race. We were at the end because we estimated our time to be 4 hours, which is the max. You had to maintain an 18-minute mile or else you had to get on a bus to the finish line.)

The race started and it took us about 35 minutes to get to the starting line. We had a chip on our shoes that started our time when we got to the starting line and stopped our time when we got to the finish line. As soon as we got to the start, everyone in our group started going really fast (about 12.5 minute mile!)  Keep in mind the plan was to walk this half marathon.

Anyways, we ended up splitting up after a mile or so, and Stacie and I walked together. We jogged a little because it took pressure off of our hips and feet. It was actually a lot of fun for the first 6 miles or so. There were lots of bands set up along the way, and tons of people cheering everyone on. Once we got to the Indy 500 race track, which we had to walk around, we were sooo bored and tired of walking. The race track was the worst part of the whole walk. It was really boring and long. Once we finished that part though, we only had 4 miles left.

The last mile was the hardest. My feet were hurting BADLY. My legs hurt. My back hurt. My whole body was so sore. When we saw the finish line, we jogged the last tenth of a mile to the end. My sister watched us finish (she was ahead of us) and she was so proud and excited that I actually did it--she cried when she saw me reach the finish line. Then we watched as my mom and her friends crossed, which made me get tears in my eyes.

The whole atmosphere was awesome--everyone cheers you on and makes you feel good.
I was in SO MUCH PAIN afterward. I took a Motrin 800. Didn't really help. We sat around all day long to just relax. That night we went out to dinner. I was limping badly, could barely move. Took more Motrin and a sleeping pill so I could sleep.

Sunday (today)--Got up, had breakfast, and drove home. I'm super duper duper sore today. My legs ache like you wouldn't believe, and I think I may have a stress fracture in my left foot. I can barely walk because I have a really sharp, shooting pain in the bone of my foot. I'd like to go get in x-ray'ed if it's not better tomorrow.

Our friends Tom and Jessica came over with their kids for dinner. Jessica's a massage therapist and she stretched me out. It helped a lot with my legs, but did nothing for my foot.

I feel like I was hit by a truck. But I'm already thinking I may want to do this again next year... more prepared, of course!







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