yarn diet & fitness

Yep, I'm officially on a yarn diet. As far as knitting goes, I've decided there is too much fiber in this house. I took a look at my stash in ravelry and thought, good grief, what was I thinking when I bought that? I could trade that easily with no regrets. How on earth did that creep into my stash? Ye gods, the bad yarns are taking over! De-stash! De-stash!!!

So I moved a bunch of stuff from "stash" to the "trade or sell" category. The rest of it remaining are things I think I might actually use someday, or can't bear to part with. Actually, the cotton crochet thread is more nostalgia than anything else, I keep thinking, of course I'll finish the other three Winnie the Pooh characters someday, I'll need that thread! Do you have any idea how hard it was to find Eeyore's colors? This was long before my discovery of LYS's or even online ordering. Nobody had the right periwinkle or lavender. I HUNTED those colors, and they're MINE dammit.


Ahem. I haven't really been knitting much lately. It seems like all of my weekends are taken up by social engagements, which are quite enjoyable but not very conducive to knitting. I was so desperate for knitting time that yesterday, in the 90+ degree 100% humidity end of June weather, I pulled out my traveling (wool) sock and knit a few rounds while the sweat dripped down from everywhere while attending the outdoor wedding of a good friend and co-worker. Of course in doing so I discovered a fellow knitter at the same dinner table *lol*

My sister's friend (hi Jess) Chris P., who is engaged to be married in 41 days (as of today) to Meg, has inevitably stumbled upon a knitter. She does scarves almost exclusively, and started doing them to donate to homeless shelters. However, she is drawn to excessively bright colors and doesn't think her creations are appropriate for most homeless men so... they remain in the house. Chris had a look on his face like he wanted to fall at my feet and kiss my hand when I suggested to Meg that she treat her unworn and undonated scarves like unworn clothes. Put them in a closet somewhere and if after a year she still hasn't worn them, give them away. I think Meg might be considering this. And she has NOT been on ravelry yet. I am amazed at the number of knitters I've come across that are technically saavy that have not experienced ravelry. ...and maybe I need to find a better way to describe it, telling someone "it's addicting!! you should try it..." probably isn't the best way to sell them on it.




On to fitness! The non-yarn portion of my bloggish tendencies today.

I've been on a steady strength training and cardio plan for 8 weeks now. My arms looked toned, my calves are looking good, my overall physique is changing in a way I love. And I've lost all of *drumroll please*...

3 pounds.

Yes, 3 pounds. In 8 weeks. I've gone from a solid 151 (with my shoes on) to 148 (again with my shoes on). I'm torn between laughing at that measly little number and wondering just how much muscle weight I've gained versus fat weight I've lost.

And you know what, it's taken me 8 weeks to formulate into words what my strength training and cardio plan is supposed to get me. You're always supposed to have a goal to work towards when you're changing something in your life, but until now I couldn't say it in less than a few hundred words. I don't have any specific numbers I'm going for, I don't really care what the scale says, which makes setting a goal pretty hard. So here it is, my exercise goal is:

I want to LOVE the way I look and feel.

To expand upon that notion, I've crossed paths with a lot of people that seem very insistent that I "don't need to exercise", as if having an average sized figure means that I've achieved some sort of success in life. Yes, I'm probably thinner than a lot of people out there, but that doesn't help me when I look in the mirror and see extra padding where there never used to be any. It doesn't help me when I have to buy a larger size in pants so that I can sit comfortably without my waistband biting into my stomach. And it surely doesn't help when it comes down to my doctor appointments and hearing for the first time ever "and you could stand to lose a few pounds".

So overall, I was "okay" with the way I looked, and unhappy with my lack of energy. I have a lot more energy now, more motivation to get things done, and I'm moving towards "liking" the way I look. I'll let you know when I love it. It's coming, don't worry.


Back to yarn.

I think I'm going to stick to socks this summer. I have quite a few projects in various stages of completion, but I really don't want to sit down with a pattern, or have big pieces on my lap. I want something small and portable that I can work on piecemeal. Socks are perfect.

Okay, done blogging now. Must clean up the mess I've made of this house in the past week and take care of some laundry. Toodles!

Long Time No Postie

Yes yes, long time no postie, I know, I've been busy.

Here are the last five or so weeks of my life in a nutshell:

didn't feel like blogging, babysat a 7 y/o girl for 3 days and 3 nights with BF (never again), started working out 6 times a week, went to MD S&W, bought yarn, promised two girls whom I don't know from Jane a pair of socks each, got sick, got better (mostly) and started going to the gym again.

Oh yeah, and I've only finished one full pair, and one half of the second pair of those socks for the little girls. I've hardly knit at all in the past few weeks. So sad.


Fun recent news, sister gifted me with THREE SETS of Knit Picks sock needles; the smaller 1, and both size 2's. They're nice and pointy. So pointy in fact, that I've poked holes in my little sock knitting callus (sp?) in two places. Yep, split the skin right open like a papercut, right on the groove of my finger prints. It's wild.

It's almost 10pm now and nearly an hour past my new bed time. Bed by 9pm (ha, ha ha ha), and up by 4:45am so I can hit the gym with BF and other friends before work and daily life. It's much better than coffee, by the time I get to the office and actually start working I've been fully conscious for over 3.5 hours.

Time to turn into a pumpkin. Ta ta