30 August 2011
Garden Jewel
It's here! It's here!
Stratoz created a gorgeous glass mosaic replica of one of my photos for our garden. We've been waiting on pins and needles to see this beautiful piece, and it's every bit as stunning as we expected!
We are in the process of redesigning our yards and garden, so this baby gets to hang out in our living room for a while, perhaps until next spring. Which makes it all the easier for us to enjoy it every single day, particularly with the potential of Colorado's seasons rapidly changing in the next couple of weeks.
Stratoz wondered why we would want to put this outside. Having it inside definitely inspires second thoughts. This may just be too nice to stick outside! We may decide to use it as a table top in the living room instead. I foresee us growing too attached to it to dare place it out in the elements!
29 August 2011
Snowflake Monday
For three months, I've planned to feature a special Pikes Peak project today, commemorating my second attempt at climbing Pikes Peak on my bicycle yesterday. However, I didn't get the project done in time. So I had to come up with something else at the last minute.
Last Wednesday, we pedaled up Cottonwood Pass to watch the Queen's Stage of the inaugural USA Pro Cycling Challenge. That day was about the most fun I've ever had on a bike. On the heels of Kate Middleton's nuptials, I decided a Queen's Stage Snowflake is in order. This could be the companion snowflake to my King's Crown Snowflake!
The Queen's Stage of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge featured two 12,000-foot mountain passes in a 130-mile race from Gunnison to Aspen, Cottonwood Pass and Independence Pass. Most of the professional racers have extensive experience climbing big mountains in long races in Europe, but no European race has ever included mountain passes as high as what we have here in Colorado. No stage of the Tour de France has ever featured as much elevation gain as those guys got right here in my backyard. For added challenge, Cottonwood Pass is not paved on the west side, and the riders scaled it on their skinny tires, not mountain bikes. In the rain, too!
Recreational riders who've done Cottonwood Pass during a Ride the Rockies tour have done the very same thing, riding their skinny tires up the dirt road to 12,000 feet. I did this same ride in 2003, my first Ride the Rockies, but I didn't own a road bike then. All I had was a mountain bike, and I did the entire route on knobbies.
Although The Lizard and I did not participate in Ride the Rockies this year, this year's tour included the very same road up Cottonwood Pass. Ride the Rockies didn't do two passes in a day, though, this year, and rarely does. We had a three-pass stage last year during Stage 4 of Ride the Rockies between Ouray and Durango. Killer ride! Second hardest ride I've ever done, behind Pikes Peak.
Most recreational riders can't do anywhere near the speed the pros achieve, making last week's Queen's Stage one of the most exciting things I've ever watched, topping two Super Bowl Parades, a Stanley Cup parade and the Colorado Rockies making it to the World Series playoffs.
You may do whatever you'd like with snowflakes you make from this pattern, but you may not sell or republish the pattern. Thanks, and enjoy!
Finished Size: 8 inches from point to point
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread, size 8 crochet hook, empty pizza box, wax paper or plastic wrap, cellophane tape, glue, water, glitter, small container for glue/water mixture, paintbrush, stick pins that won't be used later for sewing, clear thread or fishing line
Queen's Stage Snowflake Instructions
Make magic ring.
Round 1: 12 sc in ring; sl st in starting sc. Pull magic circle tight, but leave opening big enough to allow stitches inside it to lay flat.
Round 2: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in same sc as sl st, *2 dc in next sc, ch 2, 2 dc in next sc; repeat from * around 4 times; 2 dc in next sc, ch 1, 1 hdc in 2nd ch of starting ch 2 (ch 1 and hdc count as final ch 2).
Round 3: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 2 dc over post of hdc just worked, *3 dc in next ch 2 sp, ch 3, 3 dc in same ch 2 sp; repeat from * around 4 times; 3 dc in same sp as starting 2 dc, ch 1, 1 dc in 2nd ch of starting ch 2 (ch 1 and 1 dc count as final ch 3).
Round 4: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 2 dc over post of final dc of Round 3, *1 sc tightly between next 2 3/dc groups, 3 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 6, 3 dc in same sp; repeat from * around 4 times; 1 sc tightly between next 2 3/dc groups, 3 dc in same sp as starting 2 dc; ch 4, 1 dc in 2nd ch of starting ch 2 (ch4 and dc count as final ch 6).
Round 5: 1 sc over post of dc just worked, *ch 3, 1 dc in 3rd ch from hook, 2 sc in next ch 6 sp, 2 hdc in same sp, 2 dc in same sp, ch 12, sl st in 12th ch from hook, 2 dc in same ch 6 sp, 2 hdc in same sp, 2 sc in same sp; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last sc of final repeat; sl st into starting sc.
If you're not reading this pattern on Snowcatcher, you're not reading the designer's blog. Please go here to see the original.
Round 6: Ch 1, 1 sc in same sc as sl st, *ch 6, 1 sc in next sc (skipping over ch 3/1dc bridge), ch 6, 2 sc in next ch 12 loop, 2 hdc in same loop, 2 dc in same loop, ch 3, 6 dc in same loop, ch 3, 6 dc in same loop, ch 3, 2 dc in same loop, 2 hdc in same loop, 2 sc in same loop, ch 6, sk 2 dc, sk 2 hdc, sk 1 sc, 1 sc in next sc; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last ch 6 and sc of final repeat and instead ch 4, 1 dc into starting sc (ch 4 and dc count as final ch 6.
Round 7: Ch 1, 2 sc over post of dc just worked, *ch 12, 1 sc in 5th ch from hook, 1 sc in next ch, 1 hdc in each of next 2 ch, ch 4, sk ch 6 sp, 2 sc in next ch 6 sp, 2 hdc in same sp, 2 dc in same sp, 3 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 3 dc in same sp, sk 1 dc, 1 dc in each of next 4 dc, sk 1 dc, 3 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 1 dc in 3rd ch from hook, ch 5, 1 sc in 5th ch from hook, ch 6, sl st in sc, ch 4, sl st in sc, ch 3, 1 dc in 3rd ch from hook, 3 dc in same ch 3 sp as last 3 dc group worked, sk 1 dc, 1 dc in each of next 4 dc, 3 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 3 dc in same sp, 2 dc in next ch 6 sp, 2 hdc in same sp, 2 sc in same sp; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last 2 sc of final repeat; sl st into starting sc; bind off. Weave in ends.
Finish: Tape wax paper or plastic wrap to top of empty pizza box. Pin snowflake to box on top of wax paper or plastic wrap.
Mix a few drops of water with a teaspoon of glue in small washable container. Paint snowflake with glue mixture. Sprinkle lightly with glitter. Wash paintbrush and container thoroughly. Allow snowflake to dry at least 24 hours. Remove pins. Gently peel snowflake from wax paper or plastic wrap. Attach 10-inch clear thread to one spoke, weaving in end. Wrap fishing line around tree branch (or tape to ceiling or any overhead surface) and watch the snowflake twirl freely whenever you walk by! Snowflake also may be taped to window or tied to doorknob or cabinet handle.
28 August 2011
Death March
I missed the Glen Cove cutoff by five minutes. I had an hour less to get there. But I was stronger. I beat my split from last year by 13 minutes, and I averaged 4.7 mph.
The Lizard made the summit in three hours and 31 minutes!!!
Stairway to Thin Air
Let's hope that feeling lasts for the next 24 miles.
Check out another woman riding this event today!
We probably won't have signal for the next eight hours or so, but we'll post when we can. The forecast isn't looking good right now. But I feel invisible arms preparing to push me onward!
26 August 2011
this is it
Do or die. I'm going up Pikes Peak again this weekend, and I intend to make it to the top this time. Here's a video from last year, and they actually caught me at the start, right at the front. Gray jersey with the RtR 25th anniversary logo. Within about 10 seconds, I am 16th or so, and 15 minutes later, everyone had passed me. I don't think this camera ever saw me again. But this video does show exactly where I'll be and exactly what I'll be trying to do this weekend.
All the way to the top.
All the way to the top.
25 August 2011
Above the Trees
Yesterday's training ride was on the mountain bike again. Carried a big, heavy pack. Because I needed the real camera. Had to ride up Cottonwood Pass. Because, well...
23 August 2011
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