We now return to our regularly scheduled broadcast..... ....whereupon I get back to my knitting (and running.)

After I finished the interminable Kiama and my July 2009 STR socks, I dug into the stash for something new. I started and quickly abandoned the sweater that I told my niece I would make her (last summer, as in 2009, since 2010 cannot by ANY stretch of the imagination, be called a summer). I was having gauge issues - and I knit (and ripped) a total of 5 squares before I packed it in. Then I pulled out a gorgeous bundle of Fleece Artist fibres that came bundled to make the Garter Stitch Sweater. It is in deep blues and greens and has two threads held together - but it is a garter stitch jacket. Easy to knit, no stress required - but I kind of just finished one of those and I need something with brain food.

So I dug deeper and found some Tahki Donegal Tweed in a deep red, with lovely flecks colour throughout. I have envisioned this in many sweaters, but in an attempt to reduce my Ravelry queue (I mean, I know it's not taking up anything but digital space, but it is a list of things I want to knit) I decided on a lovely cabled sweater from Twist Collective Winter 2008, Vivian. This has lots of cables and a pattern that can be sort of memorized, but that requires some charts as well. So I started it before Long Beach, ripped it out once (when will I learn that stitch markers really are quite handy, especially when you are changing patterns) and started again, this time with markers. It is coming along and because I am knitting it on 5 mm needles, it is moving quicker (certainly quicker than the previous two sweaters I knit).

As for socks - the lovely Lynn-at-work forwarded me the Socktober Mystery Sock by Kirsten Kapur. It was only when I printed off the pattern that the bells went off and I realized that this is the self-same Through the Loops blogger that I occasionally steal glances at. And in a moment of madness last spring, I joined the Mean Girls Sock Club. The first shipment was some lovely variegated blue in a blend - of some sort (but I can't find the label). Kirsten had suggested something not variegated for this pattern - but as usual, I just dove right in - and I think it is going to be OK.

I also had a revelation (but really? - when you read this and if you knit, you are going to think that I am a few light bulbs short) - usually my socks start off fitting well, but by the end of the day they are very baggy. So I decided to knit them in a smaller size - less stitches and I think they will fit much snugger, meaning that by the end of the day, they should be only slightly baggy. I think I thought I always needed a large - because my feet are large (size 10.5 on a good day, 11 on a day when all the shoes I see only come in size 10). But really? My feet are narrow - meaning that less stitches around will give me a snugger fit. I sort of am embarrassed to admit that I just figured THAT out......

So there's October's (and likely November's) knitting - Christmas knitting usually waits until December when in a fit of madness, I start several things for people in my life. Of course, in the sanity of October, I promise not to do this - but December rolls around and here we go again - late nights and frantic knitting to get things done. And apparently, there is a whole tribe of us out there.

As for running? I apparently developed some IT band issues in my marathon - mostly tightness. I have been seeing a deep tissue guy, who hurts me deeply for 15 minutes - and then it feels good for several days, until it doesn't anymore - and then I go back. It is getting better - and I ran (30 minutes) on Sunday and am going to try 60 tomorrow morning.