Eat.Knit.Sleep

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!

Posted by Jenny at 03:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Happy Monday!

It is 8am and I am not at work. Woot! (Not to rub it in for all of you that ARE at work, but I'm happy so don't rain on my parade).

I had been saving vacation days since June for our impending move which isn't happening, so now I am forced to take some vacation before the end of the year, so I decided to take this week off.

C and I are bailing on Thanksgiving and heading down to Cape May on Wed and I am super excited.

My weekend was pretty great. It started on Friday with some takeout from a local Mexican place. Can't go wrong with Veggie Burritos and Rice and Beans.

Saturday I went for a run, and came back home to C preparing bagels and lox. My favorite! Then he and I headed out shopping to pick out my birthday gift. He had decided to get me a full head-to-toe outfit for our dinner out in Cape May and he got me a beautiful tweed skirt with embroidery, a silk blouse, and hot new knee high boots, and came home and made me dinner to boot. What a catch!

Yesterday it was snowy here, so I stayed in my pjs and am thisclose to a finished Ariann (minus the belt and buttons) but I did manage to complete a Monkey sock.

I'm spending today cleaning the house, but hope to get a little knitting done too!

Posted by Jenny at 08:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I want to thank all of you for your good wishes on C's new job (and on the brown sweater - which I love). He starts tomorrow and he is uber excited.

Friday, I took a half day at work so we could celebrate. We went down to IKEA and bought a whole bunch of stuff -- a new bookshelf/yarn storage unit for me, some shades for C's office, a desk chair, and then headed down to Philly for the best place on earth: Monk's Cafe

While I know there is a lot of great food in the Lowell/Boston area -- I'm so glad we don't have to leave the driving vicinity of Monks! Belgian beer, mussels, what more can a girl want (and also in walking distance of Rosie's Yarn Cellar, but I didn't go this weekend)

Saturday we did a whole day of "back to work" shopping. C has lost some weight and wanted to get some new clothes and I have gained some weight and reluctantly bought new clothes; all in all a long tiring day where I DID NOT buy a new MacBook Pro.

We also registered for a half marathon this weekend, which is scary and exciting being that neither of us currently run on a regular basis.

I've also been knitting. Here are some progress shots of the Monkey socks and Ariann:

Posted by Jenny at 02:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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.

Posted by Jenny at 11:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Those here for the knitting/spinning can ignore this. I'm just trying to make myself accountable for my weight loss.

Workout: 2.26 miles, 13.08/mi pace/ approximately 227 calories burned

Calories: 1659

Weight: 134.2

Posted by Jenny at 07:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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!

Posted by Jenny at 07:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I'm feeling a little blah today . . .I'm hoping that goes away before my run in 9 hours!

I'm definitely feeling like I'm having trouble getting going this year. For the first time ever, the only thing i seem capable of accomplishing is my fitness goal. (I have run/walked every other day since the new year).

I've lost some momentum at work, and have had some confusion as to how to deal with some possible upcoming issues there, and I'm starting to think I may have handled things the wrong way and now need to back track.

It is finally cold enough to wear the Everyday sweater but I'm too lazy to finish it. This is what it looks like now:

I've sewn one sleeve on (badly) and the other is pinned on, and I still need to knit the collar and buttonbands.

I haven't knitted on Bejeweled in a few days, although I think I will a little tonight, because after seeing Margene's, I want to wear mine!

I have been spinning a bit, but still haven't completed my first bobbin! I think it is fear of plying that is holding me back.

And I finished my first Fetching glove, but haven't cast on for the second.

I'm hoping the 3.5 day weekend I have will help get me out of my funk!

Posted by Jenny at 09:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Damn it was cold!

Another one down . . . another 2.49 miles, bringing my total for the week to 5.04 miles, and for the month 11.71. Just 88.29 to go before April 1st!

Posted by Jenny at 06:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So this weekend was good, low key, but good.

Friday we had a work outing to go bowling. I suck at bowling, but I had a good time, and was home by 7 for pizza and wine with C.

Saturday I ran, which was really rough, after beer and wine the night before and really bizarre weather. I SO should not have been able to run in short sleeves, in January, in PA. But I logged 2.4 miles bringing my total for last week to 6.66 miles. Yes, that creeped me out.

In the afternoon, we went shopping for my running shoes, and I bought a new pair, which I LOVE, which happen to be Nike + compatible so no more knitted pouch, but I still love that little pattern.

In knitting news, I did knit my Bejeweled Scarf and made a lot of progress. I'm part of Lolly's knitalong, and the patttern puts some money towards charity and it is a lot of fun.

I also joined Project Spectrum again, and hope to do a better job of keeping up with it this year. In other crafty news, I've been spinning a bit, procrastinating finishing my Everyday Sweater (although hopefully it will get cold enough to wear it), and I cast on for Fetching this evening with some Cascade 220 from my stash.

I think they will be good running gloves . . .and I did run another 2.51 miles this evening, bringing my total to 9.21 miles so far this year.

Oscar thinks I should spend more time with him

Posted by Jenny at 09:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

2.37 miles, for a weekly total of 4.26 miles so far. 95.74 miles left to go!

I was surprised that I ran faster and farther following the same program as Tuesday. I had trouble getting up, and wasn't really feeling like running but I'm glad that I did. I need to learn some good hamstring stretches though, as my legs are going to be sore later!

Posted by Jenny at 06:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

1.89 miles down, 98.1 left to go.

Started the Couch to 5K program again, and C went with me at 6am. Cold and dark, but it feels good. The Nike Plus thing is the coolest!

Posted by Jenny at 06:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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

Posted by Jenny at 01:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ok, I know I haven't posted in over a week, but are you guys over here at the new blog? I haven't been posting, because I haven't been knitting really.

Over Memorial Day weekend, Carlos and I tackled the yards. We planted flowers in the front, put some mulch down, and we rototilled the whole back yard. That pretty much took the whole weekend.

I've been pretty busy otherwise, trying to finish up my graphic design class, starting back at the gym, and on eDiets (thanks' Elisa for helping me make that decision), and some stress at work. Let's leave it at this . .. at this moment I still have a job, but I don't know what it is or how much it pays until the end of June. Fun.

Anyhoo, June is my month to get back on track with everything, so expect to see more here, and more improvements on the blog itself. I was especially shocked not to get any comments on the Oscar picture!

In June .. .Jenny will make an effort to post every day.
In June . . .Jenny will make an effort to actually knit (and spin) (and possibly sew)
In June . . .Jenny will post pictures of her progress in the above endeavors
In June . . .Jenny will (begin) to conquer Movable Type
In June . . . Jenny will blog about her weight loss efforts and not be embarrased that her weight is the same as it was before Elisa lost 22.5 pounds!!!

So let's start with what I can do at this moment . ..

I am still not done with the Tweedy Vest. It is difficult to knit Lamb's Pride when it is 90 degrees out.
I am still not done with Carlos' felted clog. He is not amused.
I am not done with the first Jaywalker, but am done with the gusset decreases so am on the final stretch.
I started River.

I weigh (as of this morning) 135 lbs (I'm taking the pound off for my running shoes). My goal is 110. 25 pounds starting now.

Posted by Jenny at 08:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

So this morning I went to the gym for the first time after at least a 5 week absence. I didn't have much time to work out, as we over slept, but C and I thought it better to go and get used to going than to skip it because a 15 minute workout wasn't worth it. I was scared to step on the scale because almost NONE of my pants fit, and I was suprised that I weight 134 pounds. So at most I gained 2 lbs. So that is good. Still have 24 left to go, but no worries. I'll get there eventually.

Last night was unproductive. The laundry is still sitting in the dryer. The first felted clog is not finished. The tweedy vest is not seamed. The lace on the front of Smooch is kicking my ass. The list of repairs for the builder is not written (I can't believe we've lived in PA a year!) I haven't put together the letter to try to get out of the fucking parking ticket. The lawn is not killed. But I ran for 10 minutes this morning so it is all ok!

I leave you with more stash I collected in April as I try to avoid starting something else to avoid working on my annoying projects. This is some Cascade 220 in a heathery green meant to be Rogue.

Posted by Jenny at 10:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So, I've been pretty busy lately now that I'm out of training at work and have been pretty beat by the time I get home.

Tri training should be improved by my new purchase of a heart rate monitor. My giant clapotis (pictures to come) arrived in time for the first day of spring, albeit it is 30 degrees out! My SewIKnit skirt is . . .well, still not done. My Project Spectrum postcard arrived, but my socks are on their bazillionth short row heel . . .why do I only get holes on one side?

Lastly, wonderful goodies from my Secret Pal arrived last week!

Posted by Jenny at 09:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)