Thursday, August 30, 2007

Quick Update

This post will be quick, dashed off before I get ready for work. The trip was great--there was a variety of weather (ranging from distinctly autumnal to broiling hot), lots of interesting things to do, plenty of knitting (I love Clapotis and Monkey!), and a great ultra marathon. I even met a knitter in the wild!

Ultra
Tom finished the 50-mile distance in 10:46:00, 16 minutes off his JFK 50 time. He was disappointed (he wanted to beat his JFK time) but the first and last 16 miles were very hilly. Add to that an elevation significantly above the 400 feet here and the heat. I think he did really well. Marcia completed her first 50K race in 7:25:00. Out of the running club's three 100-mile contenders, only Diane finished, completing the distance in 25:02:00. Phil decided to drop just after mile 50; Mike made it to about mile 60, but decided to drop because of extreme nausea.

After Tom finished, he swore that he'd never, ever run 100 miles. However, he's now looking for his next 50-mile and 100K race and is starting to contemplate running the 100-mile. I think the 100-milers inspired him.

Knitting
Lots of knitting was accomplished. I finished four repeats on the Monkey socks before deciding that I might not be able to get them on my feet. I started the second sock on larger needles, so we'll see how that goes. However, I don't like the way the colors are arranging themselves. On the smaller needles, the colors striped nicely. On the larger needles, the colors are pooling, so one half the sock will be one color and the other half another color.

Clapotis is a great knit. Easy enough to memorize, but with enough stuff going on to keep it interesting. I finished the increase rows and one repeat of the straight rows. The Brooks Farm Duet is a dream to knit...so soft and smooth. I'm using Addi Turbos, but the yarn would work well on bamboo; it's slippery enough to easily slide off the needles.

South Dakota
South Dakota is gorgeous. I was very impressed with how friendly everyone was. Even teenagers on skateboards (known around here for being churlish and rude) said "hi" as they careened past. We need to make another trip and explore more. Depending on what winters are like, this state might be high on the list for our next move. The only drawback is the lack of yarn shops (but that could an opportunity for my own shop) and the lack of vegetables, at least served in restaurants. The restaurants we went to were heavy on beef and potatoes. By the time Friday rolled around, I was craving fresh vegetables.

Okay, I'm running out of time. Once again, not as quick a post as I intended. Full details and pictures to follow this weekend.

Happy knitting!

5 comments:

Sheepish Annie said...

Your Monkey experience was almost a mirror of mine! I had the pooling issues with the smaller needles, though. Trekking worked wonderfully with them. Sadly, I messed up the stockinette portion of the foot and ripped them in something of a fit. (childish...I regret it.)

Your vacation sounds just wonderful! I think that the site might just make a nice move if you ever consider it. Just think, you'd be breaking the yarn barrier they've got!!

PurlingPirate said...

I'm glad you had a good time! We want pictures!!!

I look forward to knitting monkey socks. Someday.

Alison said...

Definitely visit during the winter sometime! The hills provide a mild winter climate (think Denver temperatures) with the occasional cold spell and blizzard. Perfect weather though for knitting and another yarn shop! (hint hint nudge nudge)

For your next visit I can recommend some Veggie friendly restraunts around Rapid City.

I think I just might try Clapotis one of these days.

Leslie Shelor said...

Isn't it wonderful to meet another fiber person when you're traveling? Sounds like a fantastic trip!

Kathleen Taylor said...

South Dakota *is* wonderful. I've lived in the north eastern corner for 37 years and I never want to live anywhere else. But the winters, at least in Eas Triver (east of the Missouri) are harsh. Bring plenty of warm socks.