Floating down the river

I went tubing for the first time today. I've determined that although I enjoyed it, and due to the water being ridiculously low it was the easiest way to traverse the river... give me a darn canoe anytime. Floating on a very very slow moving current, four or more hours in the sun, just isn't my ideal river activity. You can go slow and quiet in a canoe, and enjoy nature. And get to where you're going in half the time. So now I know, for future reference. Someday I'll even try kayaking- but I really like canoeing best.

At any rate. I'm still coated in sunscreen, and I have very strange tan lines but so far at least, no sunburn. And it was a delightful day- I can't think of the last time I was out on the water. Nice people, nice time. I slept most of the way home- there's just something about that much sun that completely does me in.

Once I got home, it's been all Olympics and knitting all the time. I suppose that isn't strictly true- I watched For your Consideration, a film I frankly cannot recommend. As to the Olympics, I got to watch the women's marathon, and was reminded how uninterested I am in running much longer than a 5k. And I got the front up to the v-neck, and started working the decreases on the left side. That's some serious progress.

Between the spitfire knitting and having to paddle so much (did I mention the current was practically nonexistent, especially towards the end?), I am having some serious shoulder wonkiness. And it feels like I spent the entire day doing crunches and shrugs. There's only one solution- bed!

Tomorrow, thank goodness, is a lazier Sunday. A few groceries to pick up, brunch with a friend, and a definite trip to the public library. And Oh-Lim-picks and knitting- par for the course in Mikaiya-land.

Ravelympics Beginnings

I cast on for my Ravelympics Sweater last night at Jazz in the Garden, at the National Sculpture Garden off the National Mall. It was one of those perfect nights- lovely tango music drifting over to where I set up my picnic blanket, nice food, nice friends... perfect weather. Altogether unlike DC.

I left work early yesterday feeling ill... felt ok in the evening while I was out in the garden... and then it went downhill around midnight. I knew it was a stomach bug coming on, but it's been a while since I had one! I forgot how annoying it is. At any rate, I'm back to eating solid foods this afternoon and I managed to take a stroll this morning, and I think the cool fresh air felt wonderful and really revived me. It feels more like September than August in DC, and I am eternally grateful for the respite. I am so excited to wear jeans without overheating.

Meanwhile, I have been reading like crazy and working on the sweater. I turned the hem this morning, and I think I may knit a LOT more turned-hem sweaters in future. I absolutely love how it looks, and I think I will also love how it hangs. This is my commission knit for a former coworker, so the yarn colors and pattern were her choice. And I'm thinking maybe I need to make myself one, too! I am using Cascade 220 Superwash, one of my all-time favorite wools. I just adore having washable clothes, and I adore Cascade 220 most of all. It's soft and wearable against the skin, but strong and comes in every color imaginable.

Here's the hem in the contrast color, a nice blue, before I turned it:


What it looks like, inside and out:


The final result, as I continue knitting the back of the sweater in red:


I would like very much to go to my new knitting group here in Arlington, but I'm still not feeling up to venturing outside for very long. I'll probably pop over to the library (by car... Ballston is not very far from me by foot, but far enough that I don't think I could carry home all the books waiting for me on hold). And then all I plan to do today is alternate between reading these addictive Stephanie Meyer books and working on the sweater while I watch Olympics. It really is the Perfect Sweater, at least so far! And I am very happy to be home and free to watch the Olympic Games for once. What a great excuse to hang out on my sofa all weekend! And I already got to see the US Women's team sweep the medals in sabre! Being a one-time, pretty awful, sabreur myself, that was pretty awesome. I guess it would be sabreuse? These girls move so fast I could barely see the touches!