The fire 2-ply is not all the spinning I've been doing . . .
I've been super busy lately with school and work. I've also really stepped up my yoga (and need to my running) because I'm tired of making excuses for not being healthy. For me knitting is like running, and spinning is like yoga in my crafty mind, and I need to make more time for all of it because it is what is keeping me sane.
My first contribution to Project Spectrum. I've decided that I primarily want to contribute through my spinning, so this is also for NaSpiMoMo.
This is superwash Merino, that I did my best plying on ever. I now need to decide what to do with the resulting yarn.
And with a stitch marker for scale.
I'm beat and ready for bed, so this will have to suffice for now.
Good night.
So, yeah . . . I'd been putting off writing a big New Year's round up post because I didn't have time, and here we are 3 weeks into the month.
I knew the days were passing, but today was the final straw -- Even C asked me (via google chat) why it had been so long since I posted.
So I decided to forgo the whole New Year's round up and just write about what I was currently working on (as in the exact second that C chatted me). Yeah, you know what Carole and Margene have been up to right?
Yeah, of course you do, it is January 21st!
So I took some pictures of some wool I have been washing (which included some Spunky Club fiber and some wool that came with my wheel), and some of what I am spinning now (more Spunky Club). Yeah, can't find my camera cable at all.
So, as I spend today doing homework (homework!), laundry, watching spinning videos on You Tube, and actually spinning, I guess I will write a short writeup. Not of what I accomplished in 2007 (nor a recap of the first 3 weeks of 2008 which haven't been so hot) but about what my plans are. Not resolutions per se, but plans.
1. Lose weight and feel healthy. What I'm doing towards this is taking yoga twice a week, which I am really enjoying. I also bought a treadmill so my biggest excuses for not running aren't applicable. Dark outside? Bad weather? Who cares! I've also rejoined Weight Watchers online. I'm not very overweight (actually I'm probably at the high side of normal) but I need to nip things in the bud, and frankly no exercise and no paying attention to what I eat isn't going to prevent me from becoming fat.
2. Get my shit together. Literally and figuratively. The more emotionally messed up I am and unhappy I am the more my world becomes physically messy, which leads to more stress and unhappiness, and I'm sure you can see the downward spiral here. This is especially tricky when my lovely BF is a bit of a neat freak, and has higher standards than some other men. I'm taking on a lot this year and I need to start getting organized.
3. Be happy and enjoy life and plan for a happy future. This is tied directly to Number 1 and Number 2. When I'm tired, and lethargic, and sad and living in a pigsty, this is impossible. Yoga and running are things that I actually enjoy when I make time to do it. I've started back to school this month towards my teacher certification, and it feels good. I also need to spend more time enjoying my hobbies like knitting and spinning. I buy beautiful fiber and yarn and I do so faster than I use it and then the guilt comes. I'm not going on a yarn diet, because I don't see anything wrong with buying yarn/fiber if I will enjoy it, and I'm not enjoying what I purchase now because the lethargy has hit my craftiness too. This stops now.
I don't want to set myself up for failure by being too specific in my goals but these are essentials to a good life, and the life that I want to lead. I must go work on organizing (and finding my camera cable), doing my homework and laundry, and getting ready for yoga tonight. I love days off!
Go Giants!
There are so many posts that I could have written in the last 2 weeks. Why is it when life is most interesting, and I feel like I have SO much to say (and no one to say it to) I don't come here?
The weekend in Boston/Lowell was good. We liked the area a lot, we spent a beautiful day in Boston (and I'd be showing you pictures right now if the camera cable wasn't AWOL again). We had a nice dinner with C's potential employer.
Without getting too personal about C here, the interview didn't go as well as he had hoped, but after many talks and emails, strong references, we have a preliminary offer that we are waiting to be finalized. It isn't as much money as we had hoped, as Mass is much more expensive than PA, and we will be responsible for our own moving costs, but word is on the street that there are no other jobs out there period right now, so we'd be stupid not to take the offer.
I'm happy for C, because this is a relief for him. I'm starting to feel overwhelmed by the idea of living here alone, selling a house, moving someplace where I don't know what I will do or how I will fit in. I started looking online for potential jobs, and I don't even know where to start because I really don't want to keep doing what I am doing. I know I will be fine and I will figure it out, but from this side of things, I can't see how.
So, I've been knitting and spinning a lot because they are the last thing I should be doing. I've finished the second Trekking sock, and will cast on for the second Calla Lilly sock today. I'm almost completed with the body of the Bluebell Boatneck from Fitted Knits. I've purchased yarn and beads and swatched for the Secret of the Stole KAL.
Distraction is the best plan right now.
So, the yarn I showed you the other day? It's already on its way to being a sock.
I'm a little further a long than that now, and I"m really enjoying the knitting, even if the sock might be a little too big. It is the first installment from long ago of the Sundara Yarn Petal Collection. Beautiful yarn.
I keep joining these clubs and stashing the yarn. I don't know why. I'm weird like that.
I've also been a member of Boogie's Spunky Fiber club, and never spun it. Until now.
Here are my singles of the July selection, Shetland wool in Celebration. I made an effort to spin thicker and they are pretty crazy looking.
I'm home sick today. I was up all night with a terrible headache of which the remnants still remain. I'm totally not focused enough to be at work today, especially because my job involves talking to clients and being consultative. No consultations for me today.
So my friend who's niece I knit the Daisy sweater? Now she is expecting, and the baby is due in February. I'm thinking of doing something special like a blanket, but I'm not sure. Maybe the ubiquitous Baby Surprise. Decisions.
This is what my new toy looked like when I posted yesterday:
You can see some of my fiber stash spilling out of the closet there.
This is what my new friend looks like now:
This is the most enjoyable, consistent, usable spinning of done so far, and that alone makes it worth the price of admission.
I also want to share my beautiful new orifice hook, which matches the BFL top I'm using perfectly.
On a different note, growing up really sucks. It sucks for a lot of reasons, but today it is really bothering me because you start to think about your future in a different way. When I was younger, I thought about my future all the time as the light at the end of the tunnel; Adulthood would be a respite after the turbulence of adolescence. Lately, I find myself thinking a lot about how my actions now will inform my future, and it is making for a rather difficult present. I need some change in my life and I'm not sure of how to get it.
Now, I will distract myself with blurry pictures of baby bunnies
Today was a bit of disaster with 2 highlights . . .
C found another nest of sorts while weeding. This one was in the ground, and was two VERY cute baby rabbits.
I also got to spend some time with my new toy the Woolee Winder. So far so good.
Ok, one of my guilty pleasures is the show Work Out on Bravo. Watching it makes me feel both really fat and lazy and motivated to work out. Problem is that I catch it either when I'm sick, or feeling lazy late at night so the working out never really happens.
I've been saying as long as I've been saying I'll post more here that I want fitness to be a part of my life. I don't know how much I meant it, as mostly I was just concerned with the number on my scale. I'm still concerned with that number and wish it was about 20 lbs. less than it is, but really I just want some energy back. I want to be able to stay up late if I want, or get up early if I want, and not feel that I just can be a lump when I get home from work. I also don't want to feel guilty if I DO feel like being a lump.
I read Crazy Aunt Purl, and I admire her "Not a Diet" and I want to adopt that for myself, with a a "Not a Workout," plan or some sort of mindset that gets me healthy and happy but maintains my sanity. I feel liek posting this type of thing here, keeps me accountable so expect more of that here in the coming posts.
I've also been noticing a lack of comments when I don't have a big bandage on my face, so now I know what brings you guys out! I've decided on the Wildfoote for my pal, because I don't want the beautiful handpaint to be wasted on me, when I have the opportunity to knit it for someone who will really love the colors. I haven't picked a pattern yet though, so if you have any ideas let me know.
I've been spinning
On the left, the basic wool that came with my wheel, and on the right some 2-ply BFL that came with my original spindle kit. Very thick and thin as I had trouble with the first single, and I must have spun much finer with the second bobbin as I have tons left over even though both were made with the same amount of fiber. I'm thinking of trying Navajo plying with the leftovers just for kicks.
I've also been knitting away on the second sleeve for Ariann which is a very enjoyable knit. And drinking this
as C needs the bottles for homebrew. Mmmm beer.
Ok, the weekend is over, and I have been completely unproductive. Work very nicely let us go at 12pm on Friday and took us for lunch and happy hour, where I apparently drank too much, because I basically managed to (possibly) break my nose walking into a door later. Ouch!
Carlos is sick again. Not with the same thing. He has gotten better and sick again in the 5 days since my last post. Healthy couple we are!
I've been spinning and knitting, and NOT doing any gardening or housework of any kind. Really must stop neglecting these things. I do have progress to show however . . .
Still working on the wheel wool. Here it is skeined up:
Carlos saw this and noted that my spinning is starting to look like "real yarn." I agreed, and decided I was ready to spin some pretty yarn. Not so sure . ..
That's some BFL from Hello Yarn that came with my original spinning kit. I do apologize for the photos. I'm too lazy to clean any of them up in Photoshop right now.
I've also been knitting away on Thermal . . .( not part of Claudia's war however).
This picture, and my somewhat enlarged belly (partially hidden by the disgustingly dirty mirror), is a good segue to my other plan. Starting tomorrow I'm embarking on a 3 month, very healthy eating and workout plan, designed to help me lose 15-20 lbs of fat, and gain 10lbs of muscle. I'm tired of being tired, and weak, and flabby all at the same time. I'm somewhat designing my own challenge very loosely based on the Body for Life challenge, with less processed food, a little more lee-way for my foodiness (and especially Carlos', since he cooks half the time and is not going on this plan with me).
I want to be in uber-shape before going to Santa Fe in July. Yah, we are visiting my mom this year! So excited, as I haven't been to Santa Fe in 6 years!
So here I am. Back at work. Feeling much better, but not particularly happy to be here.
It was nice being home for 4 days. I would really like to find a line of work where I can work from home. I'm just so much more at peace and productive there.
Now Carlos is sick, and sleeping in the guest room, because I am not catching this again.
I haven't been knitting, since the aforementioned Picovili disaster, but I have been spinning more. In case you didn't believe me that I have a LOT more wool that came with my wheel . ..I predrafted everything I have left yesterday.
I stayed sick on Friday and was home again, and did accomplish a lot of knitting (started and knit half of a Picovili sweater), but that has gone to the frog pond and will never be spoken of again.
So I decided to work on some spinning and finished a bobbin and plied more of the wool that came with my wheel. Am I the slowest spinner EVER?
I still have a fair amount of this wool left which I'm determined to finish before I dip down into my fiber stash. Who knew I was a monogamous spinner?
I took this photo a few days ago on my way to work. I'm new to gardening, but I don't think tulips are supposed to pop up in January in the northeast. I think it very well represents how odd this January has been, both weather-wise, and for me personally.
I have C and his friend H working downstairs tiling my kitchen and family room, so I don't have time for a lengthy post, nor do I have the energy to try to explain the weird happenings between C and I, as I have no understanding of what is actually happening. Going to try for my first 2-ply tonight. Pray for me.
So I'm trying to muddle through. Things aren't much better at home, but I still managed to have a decent night. (This does not explain the way I managed to pick a fight this morning).
After dinner, which C made, and we watched a West Wing episode off our DVD, I decided to watch a movie. I brought down my basket of Romney roving and turned it into this:
I watched Thirteen. It was pretty disturbing but well made.
I also wanted to show you the status of my Everyday Cardi and my Bejeweled Scarf, both of which are lying on the floor of my office with the upmost respect. I found this:
Notice he is not just lying on the sweater, but the pattern himself. I got him off, and took this picture of my Bejeweled scarf:
And turned around and saw this:
I gave up, and went to bed.
So today was a little rough. I don't know if I am recouping from getting up so early to run yesterday . . .seems like a stretch to call it running, but anyhoo, or if I am getting sick, but this morning was awful. I couldn't get out of bed and I've been out of it and in a daze all day.
I had the idea to get up early on my off days and use the morning to spin and/or knit . . . didn't happen today as I wasn't out of bed until 7:15. I did spin a little last night on my Lendrum which I'm still getting to know.
Here's my progress . . . I am having trouble where if my yarn breaks (which I believe is because I'm not putting enough spin), I have trouble getting yarn off the bobbin back through the orifice without the yarn breaking more because it seems to unspin. Does that make sense?
I didn't spin tonight, nor did I knit, but I did sew one sleeve and one side seam on my Everyday Sweater. I'm a little nervous about the fit, as the cuff of the sleeve seems mighty small, but I was able to get it on. I can't visualize yet how the sweater will look on me, and I'm hoping some blocking will loosen things up.
I also found an outlet for my desire to work on my digital photography this year from Stephanie at Unwind
It's Snap a Dozen Days, and check out her blog if you are interested in joining us.
Now if anyone has a good place to buy photoshop, and any idea how to create a gallery in Movable Type, let me know!
My first skein from my midi Bossie I bought at Rhinebeck, with the BFL roving from Hello Yarn
It is pretty nasty outside -- raining and very windy. C is downstairs making pancakes for dinner. Yum! I'm working on this
Lots o' fun!
So far so good . . .
I've already been to the gym. I'm doing the Cool Running Couch to 5K program. Link here. Check. Went pretty well.
I'm blogging, and now I'm going to post a picture. Yay!
I've already said there is not much I can add to all of the posts about Rhinebeck that hasn't not already been said. One of my favorite purchases was my Bosworth spindle.
It is amazing how much a difference it makes in my spinning.
Example . . . this is my spinning with the Louet spindle I got with my learn to spin kit from Hello Yarn.
Now compare this to what I did on my Bossie . ..
Knitting has been slow going because I am so engrossed in my spindling. I am almost done with the back of my Everyday Cardi.
C's clogs are felted, but I need to wet them and reshape them so they are wearable.
And no, I have not spun on my wheel. I've made a deal with myself that I must finish reorganizing and neatening my room before I can spin on my Lendrum . . . it is a slow project, but it has given me some quality time with my Lendrum
Hello all . . .Rhinebeck was a BLAST!
Carlos didn't have such a good time as he spent most of the time cooped up in the Holiday Inn or his car with Oscar but I had a great time.
Saturday was very overwhelming and I did most of my shopping then . . . a Bosworth spindle, some silk merino roving, and my wheel!
Sunday, I stopped in and got my mom some yarn for her birthday some more wool/mohair roving, and some Grafton Fiber's Corriadale. No yarn for me! I'm making my own.
I didn't get very far on the Everyday Cardi . .. have I even mentioned that I've been knititng that. Now that is has gotten colder I'm in complete fibre mode so expect to start seeing some more from me!
You remember how I've promised to post progress pictures for, like, a long-ass time? Well, we are going to have to wait a LITTLE longer. Because as I pulled out my spindle to photograph, my battery died.
Oh well. So, I've been spinning tonight and knitting on River because the compost we were going to be spreading on our new garden beds did not get delivered. Pity. I'd so much rather be doing yard work than drinking a good beer and spinning, and knitting, and catching up on blogs!
Carlos and I had a bit of luck today. Turns out, as I'd always thought, we've been paying too much escrow in our mortgage, so we are getting a sizeable check back as well as an almost $300 reduction in our mortgage payment. Woohoo! Now if only C was more interested in buying me a spinning wheel than saving for our trip to Portland, or refinishing the basement, or tiling our kitchen, or landscaping the 4000 ft of yard we rototilled over Memorial Day.
On another note, official weight in comes to 134.5. That's 2.5 lbs since I started ediets, and .5 since I told the blog. 24.5 lbs to go.
I know at some point I mentioned that I had bought a drop spindle & some roving from Hello Yarn. (Wonderful service -- Thanks Adrian!). I just took the time to try it out today, and while the results are questionable it was too much fun, and I see a new hobby coming along. Darn that Sheep & Wool has to be the same weekend as the 5 Boro Bike Tour! Here is the spindle kit in its glory!
I'm neglecting my knitting (although some has gotten done), my housework (none of that is getting done), my school work (very little is getting done). So don't feel so bad. I can't believe how long it has been since I've written a REAL post and I feel especially guilty that I'm at work and have no pictures to show you. I also have to try to remember what has happened in the past 2 weeks.
February 14th, Valentine's Day, is C and my anniversary. 4 years! And there have been a lot of times in the last 4 years that we didn't think we'd make it. Anyway, we did, and we were very happy and he cooked me a lovely meal of scallops and wild rice pilaf, cheese and bread. Champagne was drunk and chocolate fondue enjoyed by all.
After I ripped out my Rosedale, I started a Clapotis in some Noro Shinano I purchased off of ebay. So far so good . . .I'm in the straight sections and have dropped 4 stitches; I will take some pictures tonight. I'm also up to the heel on my red socks and am eager to finish so I can cast on for my Sockapaloooza socks, probably doing a pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks.
I also got some other goodies in the mail . . .my pattern for the Sew I Knit sewalong, and I purchased my fabric and other notions as well. Now, I just need to learn to use my sewing machine! And learn how to cut out a pattern! Any tips . .. I also got a drop spindle and some beautiful fiber from Adrian at Hello Yarn but I haven't had a chance to do more than fondle (and I realized that Oscar may not love yarn, but he LOOOVVVES fiber . . .so I need to be careful with storage there)
This weekend was nice . .. Friday I wasn't feeling 100% (waiting for blood work results from the doctor to hopefully find out what is wrong) so I skipped the gym. C went, and I made some pasta and we chilled out with some wine on the couch. Saturday we met a friend of C's from Munich and a coworker of his in NYC (It was their first time there). We had oysters and soup at Bar Americain, drove down to the financial district and walked around SoHo, South Street Seaport, and the West Village before having an amazing Portuguese meal in a little place we never would have just found. I highly, highly recommend both. I love NY.
On the weight front . .. for you Elisa . ..at the doctor on Wed I weighed 131.8 (4.2 lbs down, 21.8 to go). My working out and eating habits have been sporadic at best, and my not feeling hot hasn't helped. Nor has copius amounts of red wine, so I'm happy with my results and that I've lost at all. The 125-130 range is where I've been for the past few years, and is where most of my clothes fit best so I'm getting close.
In September 2004 I did the Danskin triathalon. I didn't have the time or the know how to train for that event and did it in 2 hours (after literally nearly drowning during the swim portion). I had wanted to better my time in 2005, but the move shelved that idea. I still have no idea if I will be able to compete this year (the time of the event is close to the time we want to go to Portland, and right now that is a priority) but I've decided to train as if I am. Now, I haven't swam or ran since then, so I'm starting with a 10 week walk/run program before I start the tri training with spinning/cycling mixed in to prepare me for the 5 Borough Bike Tour in May. I'm hoping this will kickstart my fitness, and my weight loss.
