Mermaid Cross Stitch

In addition to the nightgown I sewed Marissa for her birthday, I also made her a cross stitched mermaid picture.

For the past few years, Marissa has liked all things mermaid. Hopefully that still holds true, since I bought her a mermaid card too. Anyway, this year I wanted to cross stitch something for her since I've knit and sewn her multiple things in the past. I figured it was about time she add a cross stitched mermaid to her collection of Courtney-made items. What are sisters for? Side note: for my birthday this year, she sewed an apron for me! Marissa has never really been into sewing before, but I'm excited she's taking an interest in it now.

I wanted this to be a more modern looking mermaid, but I had trouble finding a suitable pattern. So I went rogue, and attempted to write my own. Using graph paper I sketched out a mermaid, and let each square box represent 3 rows and 3 columns. I cross stitched the majority of the mermaid using this rough pattern, until I got to the mermaid's torso. At that point, I lightly penciled in the rest of the mermaid. I realize that this isn't how cross stitching is supposed to be, but it's what worked for me. I had a hard time figuring out how to cross stitch the hair. I wanted the mermaid to have a head full of beautiful flowing hair, which is a lot easier to achieve on paper than it is when you're constricted to square boxes. So continuing my rebellious streak, I used elongated straight stitches to create a head full of hair. It turned out better than it would've had I stuck to traditional cross stitches, but I still wasn't able to achieve that long flowing hair I imagined.

I thought the mermaid needed more texture. So, to add some pop, I added a tiny flower to her hair. To the mermaid's bust, I added back stitches to create a simple seashell pattern. I also wanted to mimic the look of scales on her tail, and so I used more back stitches here. I think these little details added a lot of depth to the overall picture, and I'm really glad I took the time to do this. 

In my mind, the rock is significantly smaller in relation to the mermaid, but I rolled with it and made it work by adding boats and a whale on the side. I was hesitant to include them as I thought they would take away from the mermaid, but I think they make the picture a lot better. How cool is that shiny gold boat, by the way?
 
I was intending for the mermaid to fit easily into a 5x7 inch picture frame, but soon realized that wasn't going to be possible. However, it fits wonderfully into an 8.5x11 inch frame. Normally I would've gone with a light brown or white frame, but since her new(!) bedroom has black accents, I stuck with that color scheme.

I'm glad I went ahead and tried making up my own pattern because I had a very specific vision for how I wanted this mermaid to look. For now though, I think I'll stick to published patterns that other people have already created. It's a lot less stressful, and so much more relaxing to work on a tried and true chart. Even though it's not perfect, I hope Marissa enjoys it!

Striped Knit Nightgown

First off, happy 24th birthday to my favorite sister in the world! 24 is a good number, Marissa! Since it's her birthday and she should've received her presents by now, I thought it was perfect to share her first handmade item on her actual birthday. I decided to sew Marissa a nightgown, something pretty basic and comfortable to sleep in.

I approached this nightgown as if it were a simple empire waist dress with a fun bust and a simple skirt. I loosely designed the top of this dress made up of two separate breast/cup pieces attached to two straps, with an elastic casing on the bottom. I have no experience in bra making and so had no idea what the cups for the bust should look like. I sketched out a very rough idea and went with it. Because the fabric I chose is a little bit sheer, I decided to line the top with the same fabric, basically making that part reversible. I cut the straps extra long, and since I had plenty of fabric to work with, I attached the straps so that they criss-cross in the back; I won't tell you how many times I had to redo this because I kept sewing them on twisted! Criss-crossing the straps also makes the top more supportive, I think.

I made a casing for the elastic 1 inch from the bottom of the bust piece, using 2/8 inch elastic. Surprisingly, this was my first time making a casing like this and although it was time consuming, it was so simple. Once the bust portion of the dress was "done", I tried it on and it was huge. Even though Marissa's bust measurement is larger than mine, there was no way she would be able to fill out the cups. Not only were the cups too big, but there was too much fabric under the arms, and the straps were way too long.

To fix all of these problems without having to start completely over while still making a finished garment that I'm proud of, I decided to rethink my original design. While wearing the bust piece, I played around with the excess fabric, and came up with a good solution. Twisting the the bust pieces several times, where they meet the straps, made the cups slimmer at the top. The resulting gathers at the top of the bust pieces were extra bonus details. The only problem now was the massive unsightly seam where the bust pieces meet the straps. I wanted this "fix" to look intentional. Instead of cutting off the excess fabric from the straps, I wrapped the extra fabric around the large seam several times. I folded down the raw edge on the back side, and hand stitched it in place so that it wouldn't be visible on the front. Although time consuming, I love how this turned out!

For the skirt, I cut two pieces of fabric- each 20.5 in. wide x 25 in. long. To make sure the skirt would be long enough, I had to piece the skirt together with the stripes going vertically. This contrast (the stripes on the top are horizontal) has really grown on me since. I sewed the two side seams, and then gathered the top of the skirt with basting stitches. I then sewed the skirt to the top with a 1/2 inch seam allowance, later cut down to 1/4 inch. I hemmed the dress so that it hits several inches above my knee; Marissa is an inch shorter than me so I think this will be a good length for her.

The nightgown is so soft! I hope Marissa enjoys wearing it to sleep, and even more so, I desperately hope that it fits her well. Happy birthday! 

Laylow Shawl KAL

I say this all the time and here I go announcing it yet again: I love meeting up with my knitting circle every Sunday afternoon. I look forward to it all week! This knitting group started out as simply a knit along for a shawl. The KAL was open to everyone, but for those that are local to Loop, they were welcome to meet at the yarn shop every Sunday afternoon to knit with other yarn enthusiasts. For our first KAL I made the Melodia shawl. Most people wanted to stick with the flat shawl/scarf patterns, so the Laylow pattern was selected for the second round of the KAL.

The shawl is designed to use two different colors of yarn: a large main color, and a small border of another color. Because the border section is narrow, it doesn't require much yardage. I wanted to use leftover yarn from a previous project in attempt to clear out my tub of yarn. Because I had plenty to work with, I selected the remainder of the green yarn from the Three Color Cowl I knit earlier in the year. I went through my stashed yarn to find a complementary color for the main body portion of the shawl. Unfortunately, most of my stashed skeins are sport weight, and since this patterns calls for fingering, I didn't have what I needed on hand. I wanted to pair this dull green with a light brown neutral, and Loop had exactly what I was looking for. I went with Tosh Merino Light in Antique Lace- Lauren thinks that it is more gray, I think it's brown. Whatever the color though, both of us chose this colorway for the body of ours shawls, and it works well with my dull green and her rich purple.

This was my first time knitting dropped stitches, and I was really hesitant to do so at first. I wasn't sure I liked the look of them, thinking the loose stitches just weren't my style. I went ahead and included them like the pattern requested, and I'm happy I did. The dropped stitches add depth and texture to the otherwise simple garter shawl. It's still not my most favorite look ever, but I definitely don't hate it either.

I tend to like larger scarves/cowls/shawls, and I didn't want small yet significant amounts of yarn leftover. So, I decided to extend the pattern and added three extra 6-row repeats to the body. Since I knit the body larger, I also increased the border section by 7 rows. Doing this, I was able to use up the majority of both colors instead of wasting significant yardage. I also love how much larger and fuller my finished shawl is. I can easily wear my shawl wrapped around my neck like a scarf- my favorite look! Wearing my shawl this way, it's a lot fuller in the front which I think I'll really appreciate in the winter.

The pattern suggested and gave instructions for the lace bind off. I didn't question the pattern and went ahead using this method, although I wish I hadn't. At least for me, this bind off isn't stretchy at all so I had a difficult time blocking my shawl. The bind off has no give whereas the rest of the garter shawl does.

Loop has taken a break from hosting KALs, but Lauren and I keep coming back every Sunday to knit and enjoy company with our established knitting circle. They've recently received shipments of Knitterly Things Vesper Sock yarn, and many people in the group have taken a huge interest in the self-striping colorways. I'll be working on my socks (knit two-at-a-time, magic looped) in the Crossroads colorway for awhile!

Yarn used: Tosh Merino Light in Antique Lace, and Dream in Color Jilly in Bitter
Needles: Size 3 Knitter's Pride Cubics circular needles with a 40 inch cable

Striped Plantain Tee

A few years ago I bought a bunch of cute knit fabric thinking that I wouldn't have any issues sewing with it. I felt pretty confident sewing with quilting cottons, and I didn't think knits would be much different. However, after my first attempt at sewing with knits without a serger, I gave up. My pretty knit fabric sat in a large tub, waiting for me to work up the courage to try again.

I recently started to love wearing knits again. I used to think they clung too much to my body, and I refused to wear garments made out of knits, unless they were super loose. I no longer have that issue, and want to wear comfortable knits all the time. So, I decided to give sewing with knits another try.

My first knit fabric attempt was a Scout Tee which is okay. I was just impressed that I managed to make something wearable. I knew I needed to figure out a better way to hem knits after reassessing that first top. I sewed the hems of that tee with a simple zig-zag stitch, but overall, it just looked funny to me.

I had been on the mission to find the perfect pattern to sew simple knit tees, and I honestly thought the Scout Tee was going to be the winner. I love the pattern, but it's not drafted specifically for knits, so I continued my search. The Plantain Tee was offered as a free pattern, so I figured I had nothing to lose trying it. To my surprise, as of now, I've found that perfect knit tee pattern I had been searching for. The pattern is written for knits, and my top fits perfectly.

This time, I used a regular straight stitch for all of my hems and I love the way that turned out. The hems turned out smooth without any waves or irregularities. I folded the fabric up at 1/2 inch and sewed as close to the raw edge as possible. I also attached the neck binding with a straight stitch, but zig-zag stitched that seam shut. Doing this made it much easier to top stitch the seam down, and also gives makes it look more finished. Like all of my newly sewn tops and dresses, I included a tag with the garment's size stamped on, made from twill tape. I sewed the side and shoulder seams also with a straight stitch, but left them unfinished since fraying won't be an issue with knits.

The pattern offers both long and short sleeve versions. I opted for the later, but I'll definitely be sewing several long sleeved tops this fall/winter. I didn't need to make any changes to the pattern pieces or instructions because I love the way this tee fits as written! It's not super flow-y (like how my Scout Tee turned out), but gradually flares out below the waist. 

Even though I'm trying to work up the courage to go through my entire closest and purge clothing, I'm already thinking about what I want to sew for myself to add to my fall/winter wardrobe. Like I said before, more Plantain Tees (with elbow patches!) will definitely be included!

Pattern: Plantain Tee
Size: 38

What Running Looks like Now

After finishing the San Francisco Marathon at the end of July, I planned to take a week off from running entirely. Well as it goes, one week turned into two, and then I made excuses to skip my next long run. From personal experience, I knew that I needed to start running again, if only a few miles at a time, otherwise I'd stop running completely, and with several races coming up that really wouldn't be a good idea.

I flew back to Philadelphia the first week of August, expecting to easily fall back into my normal daily routine. However, that transition was so hard and didn't go as planned. I needed more than a few days to readjust to the time change, and my body was out of whack from the huge coffee and no water the day of travel. But knowing how I am, I had to make myself run in order to get back into the habit of doing it. I didn't want to lose all of the endurance and speed I built, and have to start all over from square one again.

Being gone for almost a month, I quickly forgot how humid and muggy the East Coast is in the summer. I much prefer running outside, but the weather conditions were doing more harm than good to me. Sure I was getting all of my midweek runs in, but my legs felt like they were being shredded. My muscles were constantly sore and tired, so I started going to the gym instead. For the past two weeks I've been doing almost all of my midweek runs on the indoor track where there is good airflow and air conditioning. Once the midweek miles start picking up though, I'm going to have to move over to the treadmill because running dozens of circles around a 1/12 mile track makes me pretty dizzy. Thankfully though, the weather should be better towards the middle of September. I'm really looking forward to not having to wake up at the crack of dawn when I want to run outside.

While I've been struggling to get back into the routine of running five times a week, I'm still really motivated. Having races on my calendar that I've signed up for months ago motivates me to get to the gym. I've run a half marathon before without any proper training, and it sucks! I never want to be in that much pain during and after a race again, so I use that horrible experience as inspiration to adhere to a training schedule.

I love participating in races, who doesn't? The race swag and expo are so fun, and I wear the novelty tech tees all the time. But this year, I decided to do less races and instead focus more on the few that I do sign up for. I've been concentrating on training for specific races rather than just running random half marathons because I can. So far this year, I've run a 10 mile trail race and a full  marathon. At the end of October I'll be running the Rock 'n Roll Philadelphia half marathon (on Halloween!), and the Philadelphia full marathon at the end of November. Although I'm missing out on adding more shirts to my growing collection of race tees, I've never been more excited for all the fanfare for one specific race at a time. And just like always, I've set time goals for these next two races that I hope to achieve!

Floral Tiny Pocket Tank

Perhaps you recognize this fabric from my graduation dress? Well, I just had to use it again since it's the perfect weight fabric for this muggy, humid Philadelphia Summer. That, and my graduation dress no longer fits. So it seemed like a good idea to make a second garment with the same exact, leftover fabric.

I bought this pattern over three years ago, but never actually finished a single top. I've been trying (slowly but surely) to work my way through my fabric stash. I had just enough of this floral print left to squeak out one of these tanks. I didn't have enough fabric left for the neck or arm hole bindings, but found some leftover gray linen instead. The sturdiness of the linen worked better anyway.

This was a fairly simple pattern, and I didn't encounter any real problems. The only fit adjustment I made was cutting about an inch off from the bottom to take into account my short torso. Placing the pocket on straight definitely took effort, but I like that little added detail so it was worth the struggle. I haven't sewn bust darts in so long that I had to look up how to do this technique. I also decided to use French seams throughout the top for a more finished look. Otherwise, this tank was a quick sew. It took me about a week to finish with a lot of starting and stopping in between.

Pattern: Grainline Studio's Tiny Pocket Tank
Size: 4

San Francisco Marathon: Part II

Yesterday I talked all about our pre-race fun, including my favorite expo purchases and delicious dinner! Today I'm getting to the really good stuff- the actual race!

Since Lauren and I did all of the training together and we naturally run at very similar paces, we decided to run the entire marathon together. We had a big time goal (under 4 hours and 30 minutes), so we knew that we needed to run strong the entire 26.2 miles. From our past experiences, we decided that we weren't going to look at our pace but rather run entirely on feel alone. Obsessing on pace only makes us stressed and can be very discouraging if we fall behind. We did all of our training using 10:1 run:walk intervals, so we stuck to this for the marathon as well.

Miles 0-4: Embarcadero 
- We took off much faster than originally planned, trying to weave in and out of people.
- I was so in awe that I was actually embarking on this race that I didn't really look at my surroundings. I remember running by a few piers, but I was mostly reminding myself to keep moving and put one foot in front of the other. It sounds silly, but I was in shock that I was doing this.

Miles 4-5.5: Presidio Part I
- We were still weaving in and out of people, so we unfortunately missed a lot of good photo opportunities.
- We encountered the first big hill of the race. Expecting it to be a pretty hilly course, we decided to continue running up the hills, but at an easier pace. I was afraid that if we chose to walk the hills, we would be doing a lot of walking which would put our time goal way out of reach.
- This area was really foggy so it was hard to see stuff in the distance. But what was viewable, was stunning! I was able to spot the Golden Gate Bridge which was really motivating because I knew that was our next big landmark. 

Miles 5.5-9.5: Golden Gate Bridge

-  Prior to the race I was warned that the bridge should be thought of as a hill with the center of the bridge as the apex, even though it looks flat. Knowing this, I didn't push myself in an effort to save my legs.
- The race runs from the SF side to the Sausalito side of the bridge, and then turns back around to spit you out where you started. The turn around point (mile 7.5) marked the first aid station with fuel. I grabbed a pack of black cherry Gu Chomps and ate all of them between miles 7.5-11. Sidenote: I loved how these tasted and will be buying them as soon as I need more running fuel.
- As Lauren and I were heading back into SF, we crossed paths with Marissa, Heather, and Leti who were working their way up to the turn around point. This was the only time we saw them throughout the entire race, but they snapped some good photos of Lauren and me.
- I was surprised at how moist and foggy the air was on the bridge. If I hadn't known better, I would've thought that it recently rained.
- Although it was exciting and a once in a lifetime experience running across the GG Bridge, as a middle of the pack runner, it was tricky navigating my way through the herds of people. There were only two car lanes open to the runners across the bridge, one car lane for each running direction separated by cones. Because the path was so narrow, we ended up running on the opposite side, hugging the cones the majority of the time. 

Miles 9.5-12.5:
- We finished running through the scenic areas of SF's coast. One moment we were running along the water, and the next we were on the street. I definitely preferred the former of the two. 
- Many people wore their race shirts during the run which contains an image of the course on the back. I started realizing that because I'm vaguely familiar with the SF area, I could easily figure out where I was on the map. It was oddly very motivating to be able to see how much I had already run and how much more I had to go. Whenever I started feeling like I wanted to be done, I would look for a race shirt to check my progress. I think all race shirts should have the course on the back!

Miles 12.5-19: Golden Gate Park
-  Probably the most serene, yet boring parts of the entire race. If we had been in GG Park for half that distance, I would've enjoyed it a lot more.
- The first half marathon finished here, and the second half marathon started. It was a little disheartening to see the big finish line knowing that I still had over 13 more miles to run.
- We ran into Dan (SacFit running buddy) and talked/ran with him for a few minutes. I love seeing people I know!
- I saw my parents right before exiting the park. I didn't know exactly where I would be seeing them, so it was a great surprise to see familiar faces.

Miles 19-21: Haight St.
- I was expecting a lot of fanfare and excitement here, but it was just another ordinary street to me.
- Somehow I missed the aid station with fuel, but I had plenty with me so that wasn't a big deal.
- By this time I was getting tired and zoned out for awhile. I turned my brain off and let my legs just carry me.

Miles 21-23.5:

- The hardest part of the race for me, mentally. I never hit the wall (thank goodness!), but I really just wanted to be done at this point.
- We took it easier on the hills, and walked a few extra minutes.
- There were a handful of residents who were cheering outside of their houses which was really encouraging. One man even set out a table with cut up oranges for the runners; I took two slices! 

Miles 23.5-26.2: 

- I was expecting to see AT&T Park a lot sooner than we did. I kept telling myself that as soon as I saw the baseball stadium I would be in the final stretch of the race. I should've studied the course route more so that I would've had a more accurate idea of where we were.
- It just so happened that there was a Giants game the afternoon of the race so there were tons of people lined up all around AT&T Park. The baseball fans were pretty much contained so that didn't pose any problems, but it was a surprise to see so many people walking in the opposite direction of the race to get to the game.
- At mile 26 we saw a few of our good running buddies from SacFit. The day before they mentioned to us that they were going to try to make it out to the finish, but their plans weren't definite. It was so nice to see them cheering us on! Thank you so much Tim and Kathleen for being there! As soon as I spotted them, I had a sudden burst of energy and wanted to sprint to the finish. Seeing people you know cheering you on really is a great feeling, especially after 26 miles!
- Lauren and I sprinted the last .2 miles to the finish line to receive our finishers' medals and post race treats!

We completed the SF Marathon in 4:33:29! Although I didn't reach my biggest time goal, I easily surpassed my initial challenge and even PR'ed by over an hour. Of course I wish I would've been able to run just a little bit faster, but I'm still so proud of Lauren and myself for improving so much. This just means that we'll have to run another marathon to accomplish that goal time!

Right after we finished we ran into another SacFit friend, Jenny who had also just completed the marathon. We chatted with her about our race experiences for a little bit before leaving the finishers' area. Then we made our way back to mile 26 to catch up with Tim, Kathleen, and Brad. We figured that would be a good spot to wait for Marissa, Heather, and Leti. Soon after, we realized that we should've picked up our drop bags right after finishing since they were in the completely opposite direction. My only real complaint for the entire marathon is that the drop bag pick up location should've been much closer to the finish line. After having run over 26 miles, most people don't want to have to walk that far to get their belongings. Once we picked up our stuff, we walked all the way back to mile 26. We had no idea when Marissa, Heather, and Leti were going to finish, or if they decided to drop. My parents were back at the hotel checking out of the rooms for us, so we wouldn't be able to meet up with them for awhile either.

Leti came in an hour and a half after us. Since Marissa and Heather started the race with Leti, I figured they weren't far behind if they hadn't dropped. I called Heather, expecting her to not answer, but was pleasantly surprised when she did. I found out that she was still on the course with Marissa, around mile 25. Since the official allotted time was up, all of the aid stations and course support were gone. Wanting to encourage Marissa and Heather, I decided to run back to meet them, and run the last bit with them. Lauren and Leti stayed near the finish and watched all of our stuff, including my phone. I jogged all the way back to mile 25.75, expecting that they should've completed at least .75 miles within the last 15 minutes of talking to Heather. I saw a few runners making their way to the finish, but Marissa and Heather weren't in sight. I waited another 5 minutes for them, before realizing that they probably already finished and I must've somehow missed them. I was thinking that everyone was now waiting for me, and since I didn't have my phone, I went ahead and walked all the way back to the finish line to look for Lauren and Leti who I knew would be there. Still without a phone, I wasn't able to find them. Luckily I randomly ran into my dad who was searching for my mom. I was then able to use my dad's phone to call Lauren. So much time had passed since I left to find Marissa and Heather, that when I was able to contact Lauren, she was already walking in my direction with Heather and Marissa. I was bummed that I missed them crossing the finish line, but luckily Lauren recorded it.

After everyone was found, the seven of us walked back to my dad's car together. Thankfully my dad loaded up all of our luggage and checked out of our hotel room for us, so we didn't have to worry about any of that. My dad dropped Lauren, Leti, and I back off at my car, and we started our short journey back to Sacramento. We stopped in Berkeley to pick up Chipotle for lunch which ended up being the best post-race meal.

As far as fuel and hydration go, I started the race with a single 22oz handheld bottle filled with Nuun and had my bottle refilled with water one time once it was empty. In addition, I drank several ounces of Nuun at many of the aid stations, about every five miles. Throughout the entire race, I ate a package of Gu Chomps and three Gu Gels. This combination of hydration and fuel worked really well for me. I had plenty of energy throughout the entire race without feeling weighed down or sick. I find that eating a larger breakfast before and small amounts during the run is best for my body. 

I had an amazing weekend in San Francisco with my closest friends and family. I felt so proud of myself for finishing that marathon because I trained so hard for it and dedicated so much time towards it. Even though it was a difficult course at times, it was one of the most scenic areas I've run in. Unfortunately the timing doesn't work out, otherwise I would've already signed up to run this marathon again next year. Luckily though, Lauren, Leti, Marissa, Heather, and I are already signed up to run another marathon in November. We signed up months ago so we wouldn't back out after the SF Marathon which was such a smart idea. I'm already looking forward to them coming out to Philadelphia in the next few months. It was hard to start back up, but I've already started training for this next race, and again am hoping for another big PR!

Lauren also wrote a great post on her perspective of the SF Marathon!