I've been diligent about keeping up with my Curves workouts 3 times a week. I haven't been 100% successful in my quest to go vegetarian for lunch during the week, mainly because I'm too lazy to prepare a separate vegetarian lunch for myself when I can just grab some leftovers from the fridge. Still, I'd say I'm averaging about 50% in the vegetarian category.
I haven't lost a single pound, and the jeans still make me feel like I'm in a bad '80s movie. Yes, I know, it's only been 3 weeks... But that got me to thinking about the goals we set out for ourselves when we embark on these kinds of plans.
I think we all have a particular image of what we'd like to project to the world. It's called residual self image, and my first introduction to the concept was in The Matrix. Now, I'm guessing that, for most of us, our residual self image looks NOTHING like our actual image. Some people think they look worse than they do, and some people think they look way better.
My question is this: if the purpose of dieting and fitness programs is to attain our ideal residual self image, are we setting ourselves up to fail from the getgo? Is it actually possible to attain the goals we've set up for ourselves?
I know that in my case, I'm NEVER going to look the way I'd like to look, for one very simple reason. No matter how much I exercise and diet, I can't turn back the clock. Not only will I NEVER look like the 21 year-old fitness instructor, I didn't look like her when I WAS 21. Yes, I know, I'm only 32. Get over it, Tara!
Anyway, I've decided that at this point, exercise and diet can't be about improving one's self. It's all about damage control.
Speaking of working out, did you know it was possible to make a dance version of Blue Oyster Cult's The Reaper? I wouldn't have thought so, but apparently it's been done. Be that as it may, I for one will continue to associate that song with plague and death (Thank you Stephen King!).
Did any of you catch the premiere of Fringe this week? Even though I was initially turned off by the high ick-factor, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I don't want to give too much away in case you haven't seen it yet, but I'll just say that the beginning of the episode was somewhat predictable but picked up considerably by the end, so much so that I was able to a) stop calling Josh Jackson Pacey; b) stop calling John Noble Denethor and c) stop waiting for Olivia's freaky boss to return to the island. (OK, clearly I'm a geek who needs to seek help) My hope for this show is that it'll fill in the X-Files void.
In knitting news, I finished the first of the secret socks I've been working on last night. Without giving too much away here (remember, this is for the Christmas gift pile, and the intended recipient is a lurker), the pattern calls for a short-row toe with a three-needle bindoff rather than a kitchener-stitch graft. I've never used either technique for a toe, so I went ahead with it (even though I'm not happy with the short-row shaping on the toe - there's GOT to be a better way to conceal the wraps, but I digress). I did the ENTIRE bind-off with the right sides of the work facing outwards, and when I was done there was a great big honkin' seam sticking out the top of the foot. 
The pattern! Right! I checked the pictures of the sock on the pattern, and sure enough, there was the great big honkin' seam at the top of the foot. I hadn't messed anything up, it was a design feature.
I cast on for the second sock in the metro this morning, something which had my fellow travelers positively entranced. I highly recommend you try it. The way a few of them were staring at me, I felt like David Copperfield.
Happy Knitting Everyone!
Posts
6 comments:
Sweet graphic! I've been reading your posts in my feed reader so I didn't notice it until just now.
Okay, hiding wraps in a short row toe/heel. I worked this out after being really unimpressed with the way patterns will have you do it. Let's see if I can remember (it's been a while since I short-rowed a toe/heel):
On the knit side, I make sure both wraps and the stitch are on the needle oriented the usual way, and I knit them all together. On the purl side, I make sure the two wraps and the stitch are on the needle oriented the opposite way (with the left leg of the stitch in front of the needle and the right leg behind), and then I purl them all together tbl.
Make sense? This way the wraps lay on the inside of the sock, invisible from the outside, and both right and left sides look the same (and just like a machine-short-rowed toe/heel).
From photos on your blog, I think you are gorgeous, but it doesn't matter what I think, it matters what you think! How I wish we could step outside ourselves and take a look without our own critical eye, and see ourselves objectively. Because I know intellectually that I don't look as bad as I think I do, but I don't believe me. :D
Yes... that's the seam allright..
As used by Priscilla A. Gibson's Roberts. As for the short-row, in the workshop I attended - and given by Kate Gilbert - she has used Priscilla short row and as witnessed by the Laval Knits team on Wednesday there ARE no holes ! I will show you - but you being such a sock lover, you should definitely attend that class at Ariadne (toe-up socks on one circular (magic loop)).. the short row can be used on toe-down as well.
Re 3ndBO on socks: I haven't worked that sock where it is done on the outside. One of my first pairs of socks I was too chicken to graft so I did the traditional (wedge?) toe until I had 16 sts, turned it inside out and did a 3ndl BO on the inside. Looked just like grafting but had a slight ridge. Yannick never complained...but I graft now just 'cus I can.
Re Curves: don't look at the scale! Look at your clothes! When you start working out you will be building muscle as you lose fat. Since muscle weighs more, your weight might actually go up for the first little while until the balance shifts. It's still a good thing- you can still be skinnier and fit into your clothes better, while weighing more on the scale. Use a tape measure if you really want to track your results.
Re Fringe: I caught the last 30 min or so. I kept wondering why Pacey was being so grown up, and yes, when (the boss?) showed up at the end, I did wonder who was getting creepy voodoo trips to the island. Can't see him in a suit without looking for Hurley in a wheelchair.
Ha ha! I did that (with a hat, but with DPN's) in a busy hospital waiting room, and the lady beside me even said, "How many needles are you knitting with!?". I felt like, well, a little yarn harlot. hehe.
Ok. For your socks.. I can’t help you, but for your fitness I can tell you that it’s better to lose weight very slowly and to stay to this new weight i/o losing very fast and to come back almost instantaneously to your old dawn weight ;) Good luck and keep on working to achieve your goal (realistic goal I mean)
I like knitting in public for other people to watch - so much fun! They either admire or think you are a freak!
I've done the 3 needle bind off on Judy's Grandmother's Baby Sweater. I think it worked for that pattern, not so sure that I would do it for a sock...
Oh, who are those socks for - which lurker?? Do tell! (Ok, email me!)
Post a Comment