Last Colorado Trip Post: The Great Scarf Race

So, one last post from the CO trip.  Of course, visiting a knitting buddy, there would be knitting involved!  We had to run to JoAnn's for some other craft supplies, and in looking at the yarn aisle for a project of hers, we found some fun novelty yarn.  Sooo soft and squishy, and just 2 skeins for a scarf, so a little impulse buy :)  

Sarah was working on a big, chunky cowl for a coworker, and I wanted to start this one.  But the projects I'd brought used much smaller needles that what I'd need.  So I had to borrow a pair.  Thus, the challenge!  I hoped I'd finish my scarf before heading home.  And since Sarah's project was another big chunky knit (size 50 needles!) we had a little unofficial challenge going.

The Yarn:

Bernat Tizzy.  A novelty yarn, found in the baby yarn aisle.  Comes in a couple primary colorways.  I was very torn between the green and the purple (surprise, surprise), both being very pretty.  I ended up going with the green (obviously).

 

Overall, am torn on this yarn.  I love the finished fabric, nice and soft and squishy and warm.  The yarn itself is very snaggy though, catches on any little bit of dry skin on your hands.  It was about at my limit, especially since my hands are so dry anyways.  Still, I put up with it because I liked the squishiness and fun fabric.  Bottom line, if you're sensitive to snagging yarns like I am, best to handle it yourself and see what you think.

The Pattern:

A garter stitch scarf.  Not much to comment on about the pattern.  The yarn's busy enough that nothing else would really have worked.  I cast on 15 stitches, but decided that it was a little too wide, so frogged and restarted with 13 stitches instead.

 

Raveled here.

Notes, Alterations, Etc.: 

No alterations - it's a garter stitch scarf, after all. Not much to change!

Oh, and I sorta won the race?  I finished my scarf before Sarah finished hers (by just a little - it was close!) but I didn't finish in time to return the needles while I was still in CO and will have to mail them back, which was my other goal.  Sill, a fun finished project to start the new year!

Colorado Trip: Craft Time!

Of course there was tons of knitting over the week.  Goes without saying with Sarah and I!  But we also played with new projects!

One of Sarah's projects lurking on her to-do list (and mine too!) was to make bath bombs and bath melts.  She had found a Craftsy course ("Blissful Bath Bombs" by Alia Einstein-Diez) which covered melts, bombs, tarts, and other yummy good-for-your-skin bath stuff.  I've found similar things via Pinterest and had also been wanting to experiment.  So while the guys were watching bowl games on New Year's Day, Sarah and I played in the kitchen!

These are super duper easy to make - melt, mix, cool, refrigerate, done!  We actual made 3 batches over the course of the vacation, and used several different scents.  Because we can :)  The blue ones pictured below are peppermint scented.

Part of why we made so many batches, besides giving us a chance to try out a bunch of flavors (scents), was that we learned a little each time we did them.  Our first batch was pretty soft, was hard to remove from the mold (especially the more detailed shapes), and would actually start melting in your hand.  So a few of the things we learned:

• The more solid the melts, the easier they are to pop out from the mold.
• Using a liquid scent and a liquid colorant made them very soft.  There is dry colorant available too, but what we had was liquid.  Cut down a little of the oil to help things solidify a little better.
• Tapping helps the air bubble rise up.  It's like how workers set concrete, you know?  The vibrations help the air bubbles rise in the mixture, so that the brick (or melt, in our case) is more solid.  We had laid our silicone molds on a cookie sheet, so tapping on the sheet for a few moments after pouring helped vibrate our trays enough for the air bubbles to rise up.
• If the melts are still soft, just keep them stored in the fridge until ready to use.
• These also work well in the shower.  Just rub over the skin as you would a bar of soap!

Of course, pets rule the house, so someone had to come supervise.  Since what we were making wasn't really edible, Frank (a German Shepherd) wasn't too curious and was more interested in the football games with the guys.  Buddha (the pibble) took over kitchen management :)

 

Like I said, I'd seen variations on this on Pinterest, too. I like the instructions Sarah had, though, since they had so many variations all in the same workshop. 

If you're interested in what's out there for free though, here's what I've found:

• Porphyrogene has an organic Bath Truffle recipe, similar to the bath melts we made.  I'm curious how the honey helps; I've heard it's good for your skin.
• TLC has a Bath Bomb recipe, though theirs look much neater than ours do!
• Of course, a Martha Stewart version - Bath Fizzies
• Martha actually has another bath fizzy variation too.
• Also along the same lines, but not quite the same, a Detox Bath recipe.

Zach had his crafts going too.  He is branching out with his chain maille work, not just armor, and has made some absolutely beautiful pieces.  So, am taking the chance to brag on my guy again :)

This one was my Christmas gift.  That is a quarter next to the chain in the in-progress picture.  Very very tiny links!  This one was one he designed mostly himself, and I love it.  The flower is a kit (yes, he made the flower too) and then he made the chain and attached it all.  There were several measurement sessions with "Close your eyes!  Can't look til Christmas!" as he was determining where he wanted the chain to reach.  It's a silver clasp, a silver colored flower, and brass chain, if you want materials.

 

This second piece was the one he was working on while we were in CO.  It's the same weave as the other necklace - Byzantine weave - but it's called Graduated Byzantine because every couple repeats, you change the size ring you're working with.  So, the larger, heavier rings are centered in the front and decrease around to the clasp at the back.  This one's all in copper.  Aren't they both gorgeous?

 

Colorado Trip: Pike's Peak

The Big Deal.

The most popular tourist stop in Colorado Springs, bar none.  Pike's Peak.  We did it! 

Well, not hiking, obviously.  It's only 13 miles up, but the elevation change and the cold do require some gear.  We did the drive.  But even that's an accomplishment!  Our friends have lived out there for 3 years, but this was the first time they'd made the drive up.  Granted, they're like us, little homebodies at times, but the last time they tried to see the summit, they had to stop at the tree line.  If weather is too extreme at the peak, cars get stopped at the tree line, or lower, depending on the severity.  So it was new for them too!  Yay!

The day we went, it was clear, beautiful, windy and COLD!  Yeah, yeah, January, Colorado, mountain top... you and your logic!  Doesn't change the face that it was still REALLY REALLY COLD!  I've never been that cold before, ever!  The wind cut right through my hat and gave my ear windburn, actually.  In hindsight, I should have worn the other hat I'd packed for the trip - has an extra lining.  Also is a penguin - appropriate for such temperatures!  But that might be besides the point...  When they announced the conditions at the summit house (which they did regularly), it was announced that it was 19 degrees, with windchill putting it "well below zero."  Like I said - cold!

But the view!  You can see quite a ways at 14000 ft up :)

The drive itself was pretty too.  The snow was so dry, it would blow about in the wind and swirl, just like the sand did in Irwin.  Only so much prettier!

 

Along the drive, you got more of the gorgeous view, of course.  Crazy driving, too - tons of hairpin turns (NOT for those who get carsick!).  Thankfully, there were plenty of pullouts where you could stop and appreciate the view without risking driving off the mountain.

At the start/end of the drive is Crystal Reservoir, a very pretty stop in its own right.  The lake was frozen over (it's January, after all), so when we stopped there on our way out, the light reflecting was absolutely beautiful.  The chunks of ice on the lake just glowed!

 

 

And did you know Bigfoot has had a bunch of sightings in Pike Forest?  They even have a Bigfoot Crossing sign, just so you stay on the alert - you never know!

 

So, yes, if you are ever in the Colorado Springs area, you must try and go up Pike's Peak!  Be prepared for a crazy drive up, and some altitude sickness when you get to the top.  Dress for the weather - it will be much colder and windier at the top, even in the summer.  But the views are incredible - both from the summit and on the trip up/down.  Definitely a must-do!!

Colorado Trip: The Incline

I realize this was just a morning trip, but it's totally worth a post of it's own!

So, there's this little trail in Manitou Springs, just outside Colorado Springs.  The Incline is an old cable car track that's been disused and is just a trail now.  And it's pretty much the craziest trail I've ever set foot on.  This thing is just under a mile long, and goes up approximately 2,000 feet in that one mile.  It averages a 40% slope, and reaches a 68% slope at it's steepest.

As it clearly warns, this IS an extreme trail.  And yes, Zach is excited as all get-out to start climbing this thing :)

 

The steepest part, that 68% incline, is just before reaching the False Summit.  Yes, there is a False Summit.  Meaning, what looks like the top of the hill in almost all these pictures is really about 3/4 of the way through.  It levels out just a little, then goes back to a crazy incline to reach the top.  That little bit of leveling means that you can't actually see the true summit.  I knew it was there, and I still felt like crying when I saw how much further I had to go!

The view below is from atop the leveling at the False Summit.

I am a flat-lander, I will admit.  I was sucking some serious wind with the crazy elevation change on this trail.  That actually was what was getting me the most.  My muscles were holding up pretty well (though I did feel my legs the next day!), but I was having to stop very regularly to gasp for air.  I took just over an hour to scale the thing.  Zach took closer to 45-50 minutes (he was a bit ahead of me).  People who are used to the elevation will take under half an hour.

For me, it was like spending an hour on the most diabolical stair-climber ever invented.  I counted steps and made myself go a little further each time before stopping (am not fond of stair climbers, obviously).  When I'd stop to wheeze and try to catch my breath, I'd snap a few pictures.  So, yes, it is a fiendish stair climber, but it's a stair climber with an absolutely phenomenal view.

We made it!

Hooray!

You come back down via Barr Trail (the same one that goes all the way up to the top of Pike's Peak).  It's about a 3.5 mile round trip with Barr Trail too.  People do laps on it!  An older gentleman was doing laps while we were there.  Went up and down the Incline itself twice (he passed us), then after his third trip, he came back down Barr.  He passed us (again) on this trip down and told us, "Just didn't have a fourth one in me today!"  Crazy mountain folk!!  Course, if I lived out there, I'd probably be out there every or every other weekend, too.  Can't beat a great workout AND a great view!

Colorado Trip: Colorado Springs

So while in Colorado Springs, we had to see the sights.

The Air Force Academy. After Pike's Peak, it's one of the first tourist destinations people think of when they think of Colorado Springs. 

I love the symbolism in older or larger churches.  Part of why I love visiting cathedrals.  This one had its share as well.  Not as much religious symbolism in the overall building, since several faiths are served by the one building, but symbolism nonetheless.  The building uses a lot of aluminum, like the large cross in the Protestant Chapel.  The aluminum is meant to reference planes (Air Force Academy, after all).  And the backs of the pews have a strip of aluminum similar to the edge of a fighter plane wing.  The ends of the pews in the Protestant Chapel too, which are sculpted to resemble old airplane propellers. There are more specific examples in each of the individual chapel rooms, making it a very interesting building to visit.

 

Oh, and in the Catholic chapel there?  A statue built on a computer reconstruction from the shroud of Turin.  I couldn't get a picture of the statue itself, being in the chapel, but there's a view of the finished statue in the description below.  The display outside the room went into how they reconstructed the 3-D image from the shroud.  It was really cool!

 

Back into Downtown, a more unusual stop we made was the Money Museum, home of the American Numismatic Association.  C'mon - you knew we'd have some geeky museum stops too!  This one had some interesting exhibits, really, especially for someone who's collected coins for years.  They have a large permanent exhibit on the History of Money (yes, they have one of those giant rock coins) and the temporary exhibit was on money in the Civil War.  And did you know there is a Numismatist Hall of Fame?

The last real "sight" in town were the trail runs we took.  Colorado Springs is a brilliant place to live if you like being active and outdoors.  Besides the trails in the mountains just outside town, there are hiking and biking trails running all over the city.  Our friends live under a quarter mile from one of these, so several times during our stay we went out for a run to enjoy them.

With the hills in Colorado Springs, it's very easy to get up above the rooftops (or a lot of them, at least) and it gives you a great view.  Running at dusk meant that we got both gorgeous sunsets and wildlife coming out.  Kinda crazy turning a corner and seeing 9 deer just having dinner during your evening run!

 

 

After visiting my in-laws who live near a park and visiting our friends here, I have to say that having easy access to running trails is VERY high on my list of things to look for when we move next!

Colorado Trip: Garden of the Gods

First stop in Colorado Springs was shopping, actually.  So nice being in a town that has shops for our hobbies again!!  For example, both Zach and I needed to be fitted for new running shoes, but our closest running store at home is in Austin, about an hour away.  So we made sure to stop by one of the (4!!) running stores in Colorado Springs.  Still can't believe that we don't have a running store, with the base right there and so many people running regularly for PT.  But no, all we've got are big-box sports stores.  The type of place where "Well, the more expensive pair is supposed to be pretty good."  Yeah, need a little more than that when training for half and full marathons...

Funnily enough, we ended up being fitted for the same shoe!  Of course, my shoe size is almost half as small as his, so our identical shoe boxes looked more like a full-size and a mini-sized pair of something.  Was pretty funny, sitting there on the counter for checkout, actually.

For the first touristing bit, we hit up the Garden of the Gods.  It's a National Natural Landmark centered about some very scenic red rock outcrops.  There's about 15 miles of trails through the park, and it's a pretty popular place for hikers and trail runners and, on the easier trails, families with their kids.

It's a really lovely little hiking spot.  Not strenuous trails, but absolutely gorgeous, and right in town.  I mean, it was only about 20 minutes from our friends' place, from downtown, etc.  That's one of the great things about Colorado Springs - within 20-30 minutes, you go from shopping and restaurants and museums to absolutely stunning mountains and parks and trails.  Everything you could want, so convenient!

The photos below are from a spot in the park not to be missed.  The rock columns behind me are the Siamese Twins.  According to the park website, "SIAMESE TWINS TRAIL is an easy 1 mile roundtrip, with less than a 150 foot rise. There is a unique view of Pikes Peak through the natural window of the twins."  It is a very pretty view.  The reddish rocks, the bright blue sky, and the snow on Pike's Peak make for a really lovely photo.  Definitely worth the walk up there, if you're ever in the area.

 

And for a bit of fun, did you know Garden of the Gods has been a pretty, scenic little tourist spot since the late 1800s?  At Balanced Rock, another one of the landmarks in the park, a photographer and his son would take pictures for the tourists coming through, at $0.25 a person.  Those same photos would probably be $25 a person nowadays!  So, we got pictures in front the same rock as a hundred years of hikers before us, though of course we took ours ourselves :)

 

And a little bit of venting to wrap up this post - Murphy's Law is alive and well.  First real trip in months, first day touristing on the first real trip, and my camera dies.  We were hiking, and I was taking pictures.  We stop, I take pictures, camera goes back in its case, we keep walking, and the next time I pull it out to take pictures, it's dead.  The screen looks like a washed out red watercolor, or one of the stylized drug trip/hallucination/dream sequence sort of special effects from a cheap movie.  Not the screen itself broken, since I could scroll back and see the pictures from earlier that morning nice and clearly.  But anything from there on out...  red and blurred.  Bah!!  This camera is only 6 months old!!!  Thankfully it's still under warranty, so as soon as we got back, it got mailed in, and I'm hoping it can be fixed.  But, dangit Murphy, why must your law be so freakin' effective??