She Knits By The Seashore:

February 2012

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Until I can get to the elastic waist part of my pink skirt, I've been working on my Summer Flies shawl.

It's nearly done; only 11 (long) rows of the ruffle section to go and then I can bind it off. It's a fast knit with simple patterns. I discovered that the metal needle I started with is too slippery for the bamboo yarn, so I switched to a longer, plastic vintage circular needle from my mom's old stash, and it holds the yarn so much better.

One thing that annoys me is that I knit cross-season. I'm finishing a skirt and shawl perfect for spring, but I won't wear them for quite a while. And for the last few years, I seem to finish my heavy wool sweaters in May, just as it turns 80F degrees! So as I contemplate starting a new project, I'm thinking about how to get myself on a better seasonal schedule, so I can actually wear things out when I finish them.

Our Columbus Day weather was incredibly warm and summery, and Chris and I spent the day in Jamestown, RI, at the Jamestown Classic Race. It's a mix of road and criterium races, as the riders do one or two 19-mile laps around Conanicut Island, on the main roads instead of an industrial park/parking lot type setting. It's a little harder to take photos because you get only one or two chances to catch the racers as they go by at 20-25 mph, instead of the 25-30 chances you have when they do one-mile laps in a criterium race, but I ended my season as race photographer with this beauty:

Chris is the fourth rider from the left, nearest the yellow line. Click to enlarge, and see that beautiful ocean view.

It was downright hot in the bright sun, and I loved every minute of it. While waiting for Chris to come by, I could stand and stare at my favorite bridge (don't ask me why I have a favorite bridge, but I do)

The Pell (Newport, RI) Bridge

and soak up the ocean views to get me through the six months of cold winter that is coming.

Chris came in 23rd of about 40 riders. He was doing well until he narrowly avoided a crash on the back stretch before the finish. Sometimes it's not about finishing in the top ten, but just finishing upright!

After the race, we had lunch at a wonderful outdoor restaurant. In 2007, when Chris first raced at Jamestown, it was a day just like Monday, all unseasonably summery and warm, and we had lunch at this very place. I didn't think it would happen like that again (two years ago it was windy and freezing cold, and I spent most of the race huddled inside the rec center at the start/finish).

It is such a cool place; with all the plants, it looks a little like a tropical jungle.

After lunch, we rode in the car around the island, past Beavertail Lighthouse, and then slowly made our way home on our favorite coastal roads. It was a perfect day weather-wise, one I will live on for a long time.

How was your weekend?

Despite the gloomy forecast, eighty riders joined us for Pedal for Paws last Saturday. I was disappointed to see the early morning rain, but I'm never disappointed in the stories that come out of the ride.

I hope these photos give you a taste of the event, and what it means to me to do this for our shelter.

Hurricane Irene took out the town's calendar by the highway off-ramps, but two days before the ride, I saw this up in front of the The Kate, our local theater. It made my week.

We have no budget for the ride, so fancy signs like the ones sponsored by companies for the local breast cancer walk are out of the question. But I like to think our paw print directional signs give our ride a certain je ne sais quoi. Logo = everything. Chris and I, and our local bike shop owners, divided up our route and went out in the cars to hang signs the day before.

This one just tickles me. Some rides use spray paint on the roads, but those markings look no different than the phone and gas company etchings...I just know people would get seriously lost without our paw prints to follow.

Registration morning. White spots on camera = rain. I try not to cry. MB and Mrs. SDC sign up our first riders.

Our not-quite-set-up-yet table, where riders could view just some of the beneficiaries of the ride, and buy a T-shirt too.

One of our SAG (support and gear) drivers' cars. They scour the route to make sure no one is lost, hurt, or has a flat tire. I tell them to decorate the vehicles so they will be recognizable...

R and S and D did an awesome job of assisting our riders. R had to pick up one poor rider who missed a turn and got lost twice, but she had a good sense of humor about it.

A group finishes the first 10 miles and is off to finish the next 25.

A family of three starts their ten-mile loop. These kinds of things always make me want to get out the box of kleenex.

Story #1 -- me and Julie. Julie emailed me to say that she was coming FROM IDAHO to ride. She brought a bunch of friends with her that she was visiting with in Rhode Island during the weekend of the ride. She works in rescue in Idaho, and showed us photos of her foster kitty and kittens back home. Instant bonding, I tell you. But that wasn't all...

Story #2 -- A mom and her two children showed up at the registration table. The mom didn't have a bike so at first we were kind of puzzled what to do. Then she explained that she was sponsoring them to ride around the parking lot, and for every lap they did, she would donate $2 to the shelter. We promptly signed them in, gave them wristbands, and off they went. The boy did 10 laps and the girl did 6. They earned their ride T-shirts. You are never too young to make a contribution. I will never forget their commitment to ride for the kitties, and I hope they know how inspiring they were to all of us.

Our local girl scout troop staffed rest stop #2. These young ladies are awesome, as is SDC (second from left) who does the magic with the insurance and makes this all possible.

Post-ride, Chris, his teammates, and friends sample the goodies. Our ride is earning quite the reputation for the baked goods.

The Sawtelles entertained us during lunch. If you love cool indie music, you need to listen to their music now.

Sylvester braved the weather and came out to cheer on the riders. Not many rides have a mascot like we do!

Because I was on the phone a lot, trying to get drivers to riders who needed help, I didn't get all the photos I wanted to, including a photo of Kristen and her husband who came out to ride too. It made me so happy to see a knitting friend enjoy herself on our pretty roads, and I only wish I was able to join her and D.

We were all pretty exhausted by the end, and we still had to go out and take down all the paw print signs. But everyone was already talking about next year, and I have to admit I'm looking forward to it too. I want to top those 200 riders from our first year, and with a warm, sunny day, I know we can do it.

Please do not feel obligated, but if you'd like to contribute to the fundraiser, you can send donations to Forgotten Felines, P.O. Box 734, Clinton, CT 06413 and mark them "Pedal for Paws." Every donation goes to the feeding, shelter, and veterinary bills for our rescued cats.