Chevron Necktie Knitting Pattern
February 2nd, 2012 § 9 Comments
I am on a knitting kick this week (this is my form of procrastination…). Here is a pattern for a chevron necktie that I came up with. It’s a pretty straight-forward pattern– although, I will be the first to admit it looks complicated.
I am in the process of relocating to South Korea. However, due to some paperwork issues (among other things), it is proving itself to be a quite difficult process. Knitting (and running) have been the escape from the stress and anxiety that come with international moves. Bear with me, will ya!? haha
(You can find this on Ravelry.)
Note: this is a square tip tie.
Chevron Seed Stitch Necktie Pattern:
CO 16 stitches.
Row 1: #p1, k3, rep from # to end.
Row 2: #k1, p5, k1, p1, rep from # to end.
Row 3: #k2, p1, k3, p1, k1, rep from # to end.
Row 4: #p2, k1, p1, k1, p3, rep from # to end.
Repeat these 4 rows until piece measures 21” in length.
Decrease Row: (Row 1 of pattern)
Row 1: p2tog, k3, p1, k3, p1, k3, p1, k2tog (14 sts)
Knit 7 rows even:
Row 2: p5, k1, p1, k1, p5, k1
Row 3: k1, p1, k3, p1, k3, p1, k3, p1
Row 4: p1, k1, p1, k1, p5, k1, p1, k1, p2
Row 1: k3, p1, k3, p1, k3, p1, k3, p1
Row 2: p5, k1, p1, k1, p5, k1
Row 3: k1, p1, k3, p1, k3, p1, k3, p1
Decrease Row: (Row 4 of pattern)
Row 4: p2tog, k1, p1, k1, p5, k1, p2tog (12 sts)
Knit 35 rows even:
Row 1: k2, p1, k3, p1, k3, p1, k1
Row 2: p4, k1, p1, k1, p5
Row 3: p1, k3, p1, k3, p1, k3
Row 4: k1, p1, k1, p5, k1, p1, k1, p1
Decrease Row: (Row 4 of pattern)
Row 4: p2tog, k1, p5, k1, p1, k2tog (10 sts)
Knit 7 rows even:
Row 1: k1, p1, k3, p1, k3, p1
Row 2: p3, k1, p1, k1, p4
Row 3: k3, p1, k3, p1, k2
Row 4: p1, k1, p5, k1, p1, k1
Row 1: k1, p1, k3, p1, k3, p1
Row 2: p3, k1, p1, k1, p4
Row 3: k3, p1, k3, p1, k2
Decrease Row: (Row 4 of pattern)
Row 4: k2tog, p5, k1, p2tog (8 sts)
Knit even until piece measures 39”:
Row 1: p1, k3, p1, k3
Row 2: p2, k1, p1, k1, p3
Row 3: k2, p1, k3, p1, k1
Row 4: k1, p5, k1, p1
Increase Row: (Row 1 of pattern)
Row 1: m1(p-wise), k3, p1, k2, m1(k-wise) (10 sts)
Knit 7 rows even:
Row 2: p3, k1, p1, k1, p4
Row 3: k3, p1, k3, p1, k2
Row 4: p1, k1, p5, k1, p1, k1
Row 1: k1, p1, k3, p1, k3, p1
Row 2: p3, k1, p1, k1, p4
Row 3: k3, p1, k3, p1, k2
Row 4: p1, k1, p5, k1, p1, k1
Increase Row: (Row 1 of pattern)
Row 1: m1(k-wise), p1, k3, p1, k3, m1(p-wise)
Knit even until piece measures 53”-54” in length.
Row 2: p4, k1, p1, k1, p5
Row 3: p1, k3, p1, k3, p1, k3
Row 4: k1, p1, k1, p5, k1, p1, k1, p1
Row 1: k2 p1, k3, p1, k3, p1, k1
Row 2: p4, k1, p1, k1, p5
Row 3: p1, k3, p1, k3, p1, k3
Row 4: k1, p1, k1, p5, k1, p1, k1, p1
…ad infinitum…
Bind off when piece reaches 53”-54” in length.
Weave in ends.
Block.
Enjoy.
iPod Shuffle Cozy Knitting Pattern
January 31st, 2012 § 1 Comment
Hey guys! It’s been a while (shame on me, I know). I’ve been MAD busy and really haven’t felt up for maintaining a blog in addition to my other commitments. Hopefully that will change soon. In the meantime, I wanted to post a knitting pattern that I came up with. Yes, yes, I know… it isn’t *exactly* related to running, but I wanted to share.
iPod Shuffle Cozy (knitting pattern)
- small amount of sock weight yarn
- size 2 needles
- small crochet hook
- darning needle
- small button
My First Day at Nohn Goom
November 15th, 2011 § 1 Comment
Sorry for the absence, friends! I’ve started teaching at Nohn Goom Mittapop 102, a school located just outside of my village. I am teaching 4 English classes a day to roughly 35 students per class. The kids range in age from 7-9 and are in Pratom 1 (essentially 2nd grade).
The hallway outside of one of my classes
As I told one of my friends: “No one speaks English (not even passably) at the school. More fortunately: I am the first farang to ever teach here (so the bar is set pretty low); I can speak passable Thai; it appears that they understood my firm requests for vegetarian food. Even though the kids should know a little English (alphabet, animals, days of the week, etc.), they don’t (surprise, surprise). Today I focused on the alphabet and while they seemed to have had fun with the lesson, they also seemed to struggle with the [written] alphabet.”
Some of my Pratom 1 students
It’s not all bad: at least there is ONE western toilet!
At least there is one western-ish toilet at the school (you do have to bring your own tissue, however)...
I am not sure if I will be running in any marathons or races in the next couple of months due to the natural disaster that befell Thailand. I will, however, be continuing my training schedule to maintain my level of fitness and will begin tapering a couple of weeks before my next race. I will keep you all updated. : )
Cancelled.
November 10th, 2011 § 4 Comments
The Khao Yai World Heritage Marathon has been cancelled. Need to find another marathon to shoot for…
Loi Krathong.
November 9th, 2011 § 4 Comments
Today Thailand will be celebrating Loi Krathong, a festival meant to honor and thank the Thai goddess of water: Phra Mae Khongkha. Thais fashion little boats out of banana leaves and float the origami crafts on rivers throughout Thailand. The little handmade boats will be decorated with candles, coins, incense, and flowers. Floating the candled leaf boats down stream represents letting go of one’s anger and other bad attributes and supposedly brings good luck and fortune.
I will be celebrating Loi Krathong locally with my Thai friends. More pictures and stories to come!
Image Source: National Geographic
How many miles are you logging this week? Have any races coming up?
OKAY. Back 2 Bizness.
November 7th, 2011 § 1 Comment
Okay Boys and Girls. Time to stop wallowing in self-pity. Here is my new plan:
1. Run in the postponed BKK Marathon on February 12th.
2. Prepare to run in the Khao Yai Heritage Marathon on December 18th (I haven’t been able to register for a few reasons: 1.) The website’s Khao Yai page is not up and running, 2.) No one on their Facebook page has responded to my questions, 3.) I can’t read and write Thai.).
3. Make this week a bit lighter (training-wise) than usual to ease back into it. Here is my new training plan:
4. Stop eating such spicy food. My stomach hates me.
–
Alright… time to go out for a 4 miler (how’s that for easing back into training?).
A Day in the Life (Of A [Depressed] American [Runner] in Thailand)
November 5th, 2011 § 1 Comment
Without having a definitive race to train for, I’ve found myself complacent and lazy. Here is a recap of a day from this past week (trust me when I say that all this is going to change come this Monday…):
At least *someone* in Thailand seems happy...
Wake up at 10:30 and lay in my bed. Daydream. Feel lethargic and a bit sorry for myself until 11:30 or even 12:30– who cares?– I have nothing going on. Feel unmotivated to get out of bed. Shower, lazily. Play with my dog until I decide that I really must eat.
Go to my friend’s cafe and make my usual breakfast of oatmeal, muesli and pumpkin. Drink a coffee. Drink another coffee. Read ethics. Try to refute Cultural Relativism logically. Get bored (or overwhelmed?). Watch an episode of Arrested Development or It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Read the news. Get depressed. Read about Mississippi and embryo-rights. Get more depressed. Did Ann Coulter seriously say that? Become angry. Drink water and fantasize about Ann Coulter stepping barefoot on a Lego. Feel a bit better.
2:30pm seems as good a time as any to eat lunch. Eat som tam ped ped. Eat it with 10 chilies. Who cares if my stomach revolts later? Relish the burning sensation in my mouth.
Read about a different ethical theory. Subjectivism. Take notes. Is this better than Cultural Relativism– or is it worse? Analyze the differences in the theories. Are there any aspects of these theories that I find appealing? Why? Interrupted by a phone call; student’s mother calling to cancel.
Check Facebook. Update status with something politically motivated. Remind myself to be less annoying on Facebook. Contemplate ordering yet another coffee. Yawn. Skip the coffee and go home, shed pants, and crawl into bed. Nap-time.
Alarm goes off at 5:30pm. Snooze. 5:40pm. Snooze. 5:50pm. Grudgingly head back to cafe for my 6pm adult conversation class. Drink a coffee. Talk about movies, flooding, crocodiles, ghosts. Laugh. Learn a new Thai word. Laugh at my mispronunciation of said Thai word.
7:00pm and am all alone with myself and my thoughts. Decide resolutely that this is the most depressing part of the day. Find dinner and eat by myself. Listen to Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen. Read about the scientific method. Take notes. Accidentally spill curry on my notes. Get frustrated. Take Sigma on a walk. Think about what it means to be alone. Feel sorry for myself. Eat some peanuts. Listen to Joanna Newsom. Read more about the scientific method.
At 10:00pm I start to feel hot and dirty (nothing sexual unfortunately). Take a shower. What are all these red bumps on my feet? Seriously, Thailand, what are these red bumps?! Forget about the red bumps. Pray to the universe that I don’t have dengue. Brush my teeth. Piss. Towel off. Chase dog around the house. Think about calling someone back “home.” Who to call? Decide against it. Don’t have minutes anyway. Think about writing a letter to someone back home. Is that an ant crawling on my arm? Decide against the letter—it’s not like they’d write back anyway. Grab Confederacy of Dunces. Read Confederacy of Dunces. Laugh. Wish I knew someone like Ignatius J. Reilly. Wait. I do know someone like Ignatius. Laugh. Feel a bit better. Realize I haven’t run in a week. Feel bad.
Decide at midnight I should probably go to sleep. Turn the lights off. Toss. Turn. Toss. Turn. It’s so hot. Is the window open? Yes. Why is it so hot? Toss. Hot. Turn. Get up. Take a piss. Back to bed. Toss. Turn. And finally, ahh… sleep.
