The other kind of spinning

Since running the half-marathon last May I have completely mostly fallen off the exercise/running/fitness/yay! wagon, and my body has changed dramatically. I'm not a size 6 anymore, things that used to be firm are now unnervingly jiggly, and my energy level is really low.

I know what the solution is, of course. Start exercising again, re-connect with that feeling of DOING something for myself in the most basic sense, for my BODY.

But I'm having a hard time of it. I'm really jealous of my precious knitting/sewing/crafting time. Rather than patting myself on the back when I go out for a run, I find myself glancing at the clock and resenting the time spent exercising when I could have spent it sewing up a quilt block, knitting while watching True Blood with Phil, or even playing in the garden. Exercise has felt increasingly like a chore or a responsibility, and who the heck wants more of those??? Not me, thanks, my cup totally runneth over.

In an effort to try to remember that exercise is not only good for me but FUN! too!!! (*sigh*) I've been trying to switch it up a bit this past week. Trying new things isn't always an easy process to internalize, of course.

For instance, when I told Phil I had signed up for a spinning class this weekend? Dude totally thought I meant spinning yarn.

Kinda says something about how important crafting has become in our daily lives though, doesn't it?

Happy Knitting, Everyone!

Random's all I got

I feel so scattered today that I can't even come up with a decent intro to a post about how scattered I feel. I like to set up each blog post just so, and I think I usually do a pretty good job of writing an intro for my posts, but today I just don't have it in me. All I keep coming up with are random tidbits that "could be fun to talk about", so I'm giving up on any pretense of a storyline or whatever and just jumping right in. Let's embrace the random, shall we?

1. I didn't get to take pictures of me wearing Chadwick this week. First there was the bad camera day, then we fell victim to the dreaded "Lost Memory Card" syndrome. I wore it on Wednesday though, and it's pretty fabulous. Perfect accessory for my brown leather jacket. Yum.


2. I'm fighting a pretty devastating urge to drastically enhance the stash. Specifically, I want to buy enough Tanis to make Calligraphy, and enough Quince & Co Tern to make Akoya.


3. I even know which colourways I want for each sweater. That's a bad sign.


4. I'm trying to quell the urge to buy yarn by buying fabric instead. I realize that's still technically stash enhancement, but since my fabric stash is still comparatively wee, I'm choosing to congratulate myself for my maturity and personal growth and leaving it at that.


5. Sewing feels like a daytime activity to me, whereas knitting is totally an evening thing. Weird, eh?


6. I've amped up my training for the half-marathon at the end of the month. I'm up to 60 consecutive minutes at this point.


7. I'd be all "Booyah!" about that, except that the half-marathon will likely take me 120 minutes to run. That makes me want to cry a little bit.


8. Asking yourself "What the f**k was I f***ing thinking, f***ing signing up for a f***ing half-f***ing-marathon, anyway????" isn't actually a great motivator when you're trying to get through a 60-minute run.


9. It's Maxime's birthday tomorrow. Little dude is going to be FOUR. How did that happen?


10. I've got the gifts wrapped, I'm baking the cake tonight, I think that's everything, right?


11. Right?


12. In keeping with the New Rule, after completing Chadwick I immediately cast on a pair of socks (Gentleman's Sock in Railway Stitch, from Knitting Vintage Socks). At first I thought this might be one of those patterns that just flies off the needles, but progress has been super slow lately, so maybe not.


13. It's just dawned on me that progress has been slow because I've been running/wrapping/stressing instead of knitting this week. Maybe those über-fast projects are über-fast because we actually knit on them??

Happy Knitting, Everyone!

Knitter down

One of my goals for 2011 is to improve my yoga practice. Not only do I find it both soothing and challenging, but it really compliments the running well (Did I tell you? I signed up for a half-marathon in May.) Being double-jointed, I'm naturally flexible, but I really need to work on my core strength, and yoga is a great way to do that.

I've been trying to get to a class 3 times a week, but that's not always possible. The past 2 weeks have been high on the stress-factor, causing me to fall off the fitness wagon entirely and retreat to the safety and comfort of my couch, my knitting, and my TV (Phil and I have been watching old Three's Company episodes. Very soothing. Come and knock on our dooooor...).

I had a class on Wednesday, and I was feeling a bit off, but not overly so. Right up until we had to transition from a Side Plank Pose* (something I struggled with for a long time and now makes me feel like a total badass) to sort of a half Wheel Pose by moving our upper leg back and sort of flipping over (gracefully... well, the teacher did it gracefully, anyway). And my right shoulder protested. It didn't flat out refuse, it just grumbled a little bit. I finished the class, packed up my things, and went on with my day.

During the course of the afternoon, my shoulder complained a bit here and there. I didn't pay it much attention though (I mostly thought it was being a bit of a baby and it could just suck it up). That evening, while I was knitting (and watching Janet, Chrissy and Jack. Oh, those crazy kids.), it started to really make a fuss. The shoulder was bothered by the knitting.

CLEARLY, that was just a big slice of crazy pie. Knitting bothering me??? My shoulder obviously didn't get the memo. Knitting makes me feel better, not worse! Maybe I was tired. Maybe if I just went to bed, it would be all better in the morning, and we could just put this whole "Knitting = Ouch" crazy-talk behind us.

Thursday morning the shoulder was not only sore, it was downright painful. Lifting my arm was causing spasms and involuntary shrieks of surprise. What's worse, the pain was no longer confined to the shoulder area, it was now shooting down my entire right arm and making my fingers numb. By the time I got home, I was a whimpering mess, flinching at the slightest movement of my right arm.

When the kids were in bed (Hallelujah, I don't know if I could have survived any more of "Nurse Émilie's" attention, so help me wool), I skulked over to the couch and gazed forlornly at my knitting. There was just no way. Much as my mind rebelled against the idea, I was going to have to accept the idea that I was going to spend an evening without knitting.

How do non-knitters do it? How do they just... just... sit there? Sit there in front of the television and do nothing? I just don't get it! (I think I'm starting to understand why my husband isn't much of a TV person. Huh. Total epiphany right there.)

Happy Knitting, Everyone.

ps: The shoulder, while slightly improved today, is still really sore. Knitting might be out of the question tonight as well. Fingers crossed that sewing is still possible. If it isn't, you might want to steer clear of me until this is resolved. Knitting/Sewing/Creating is a big part of my Mental Health Plan, and I can't guarantee your safety.

* See how her arms seem to bend the wrong way? That chick is TOTALLY double-jointed.

Wood I?

As I've been knitting a fair amount of shawlettes and lace and will only continue to do so (did I mention I signed up for the 2010 Year of Lace club?), I decided I needed to invest in a shawl pin. I wear Cluaranach on a regular basis at the office, and constantly throwing it back behind my shoulder is starting to make me feel a bit Imelda Marcos-ish, heh.

There are, literally, about a zillion shawl pins out there. Really. Wire, ceramic, glass, bejeweled, be-bobbled... you name it, there's a shawl pin out there for it. For my part, I wanted something with more of an organic, natural feel. I had been stalking Wooden Treasures' Etsy shop for a while, and when I saw this pin, it was love at first sight.


The only trouble is, it's HUGE! I mean, it's beautiful, but it's ginormous! I feel like I'm trying to impale my knitting as I'm stabbing away at it to get the pin (or should I call it Mr. Pointy?) through the fabric. *Sigh*

Another item I wanted to share with you is this lovely wooden bowl. I can't even remember when or from whom I got it (I think it was a Christmas gift from my mother-in-law?), but last week I was hunting around for a receptacle of some kind and I came upon this beauty.

Before I get to what I'm going to use it for, some of you may have noticed the new Miles run on the Treadmill ticker on the blog. Yes, tired of feeling inactive and as a reward for the new job (I'm not done using that rationalization/excuse by a LONG shot, heh), I bought a treadmill a few weeks ago.

It's got all the usual features, calorie-calculator and heart-rate monitor, programs and inclines and so on. It also displays the miles run, which got me to thinking... Sometimes my motivation to get on the treadmill is hard to find. Even though I know I love it. Even though I know I'm going to feel great afterward (and I always do). Even though every day, my mirror (and my pants size!) tell me that running has been the single best thing I've done for my silhouette and self-esteem. I know all this, and yet I know it's going to take away from my knitting time, and I have a hard time getting off the couch.

So I've come up with a way to tie in running on the treadmill to knitting, or rather, to yarn. For every mile I run/walk on the treadmill, I'm going to put the same amount in cash in that lovely bowl. We'll call it my Running for Rhinebeck fund :)

Happy Knitting Everyone!

3 Goals

On June 6th I went out for my first run since high school. I ran for 16 minutes without stopping, roughly 2.5 km, and was quite amazed that I'd been able to manage it. I've tried to run 3-4 times a week ever since, gradually increasing my time and distance, in preparation for the 10km race of the Montreal Marathon.

The race is tomorrow, I'm super excited and nervous and - yes - even a bit scared. What if I can't do it? What if I get a cramp? What if I have to pee? :)

All kidding aside, I've got 3 goals for tomorrow's race:

1. Finish the race
2. Run the entire race without stopping or walking
3. Finish the race within 60 minutes.

If I achieve these goals, I think I might earn the right to call myself a Runner. And who knows where that will take me next?

Happy Knitting Everyone!

Bits and Bobs

As I was telling the owner of a LYS here in Montreal today, I really try to stick to a particular narrative flow when I write for the blog. I try not to let too much "routine" stuff creep in, even though it's not only a knitting blog, but also an outlet for the stuff that's going on in my life. I'm coming up on my 2-year blogaversary this week, and I'm just so thankful that I'm able to share this experience with you, my readers. I really enjoy it, and I hope you do too :)

Sadly, today's post doesn't have much in ways of narrative flow, I'm afraid (hah!). But there ARE a few things I wanted to catch you up on, things that are worthy of mention. The first of which is my proudly showing off my talented husband's latest finished kite:


Phil used a birthday card my cousin Jessica gave me this year as the template for the design, and I've got to say, it's one of his most spectacular kites yet. He tends to stick to large (I know, this IS large) flow-form designs (that'd be kites without spars [or sticks]) for you newbies...), but I really love it when he does this sort of detailed appliqué work. Apparently he was the talk of the kite festival last weekend with this beauty. Way to go Phil!

A number of you have been asking me how my training regimen for the marathon has been going. It's been going very well, I think. It's a bit difficult to stay motivated, despite my success and my weight loss and all that. It's just... really tempting to stay on the couch and knit, you know? Especially when it's really hot and muggy outside, like today!

before the run...

After the run :)

I'll end this post with some yarn pron. I visited a LYS today on my lunch break because I needed some dpns to work the sleeves for Amelia, and came out of there with some Rowan handknit cotton as well. What?!?! I HAD a Gift Card, Okaaaay???

I think it'll be good for a few baby and/or hat projects I've got in my Ravelry queue...

Happy Knitting Everyone!

5 minutes

As you've probably figured out by now, I've had a heck of a week. Not a bad week, just filled with many different, mostly happy things that have left little time (and to be honest, little inclination) to blog. I'd say I'll do better this week, but as I've got 4 concerts in the next 7 days, well.... I don't want to make any promises.

So this weekend marked the beginning of week 3 in my 14-week training regimen for the 10km race of the Montreal Marathon. I wasn't able to get out on Saturday, as Phil was away at a kite festival in the Saguenay region all weekend (oh, that and the fact that I'd had about 2.5 hours of sleep on Friday night didn't help either). But after getting the kids ready for bed, I was really anxious to get out there this evening.

When I stepped out onto my front porch tonight, it was just starting to rain. Not a heavy downpour, by any means, but drops were falling, there was no mistaking it. I didn't even hesitate though, I just started running.

Now, I know many of you have this really romantic notion of what it's like to run in the rain, how it'll feel on your skin, mingling with your sweat, how the sound of the raindrops will combine with the sound of your footsteps hitting the pavement, how everything will smell so fresh and green and alive. Well let me tell you: it's all true. It felt great. The rain was cool on my skin, the air was more pristine, and fragrant with growth and life. It didn't last very long, and by the time I was about halfway done, I looked up and there was a rainbow in the sky.

I wish I'd had my camera with me. But then again, I would have had to stop running to get the shot, wouldn't I?

I can't tell you how wonderful it feels to go from "I think I can, I think I can" to "I know I can, I know I can" in 2 short weeks. Or how surprised I feel when I look at myself in the mirror when I'm getting ready to head out, wondering who this sporty chick in my bedroom is. How even adding 5 minutes to your running time (I went from 15 to 20 consecutive minutes of running tonight) feels like reaching the summit of Everest. It's addictive, I tell you. Positively addictive.

Happy Knitting Everyone!

Turn down the suck

It's past my bedtime, but I still can't sleep. It's like this every Monday, I yawn my way through choir practice, then by the time I get home I'm totally wired. No point going to bed and tossing and turning, right? Plus this way, I get some quality alone time with the computer, something that doesn't happen very often when the kids (and Phil!) are around. Sweeeeeet.

Speaking of choir, our concert dates are looming, and there's still a fair amount of suck in at least half the program, so it was a difficult practice tonight, and it's looking as though there will have to be an extra practice next week. I love to sing, but I find it really difficult when concert season comes along, and I'm basically never home for about 10 days. Oh well, I'll get through it.

I ran again yesterday! I had Muay Thai class in the afternoon, so when I dropped the kids off at my mum's house just before lunch (Phil was flying kites for the Tour de l'île, I decided to go on my run in her neighborhood. It was nice, and yesterday's program wasn't too exerting (says the girl who can't feel her legs today), just 5 x (3 minutes running + 1 minute walking). Oh! And I scored a great digital watch that I can program for interval training at Zellers, 69$ + 25% off. Bar-Gain.

Yesterday was my 6-year wedding anniversary. Phil and I have been together 15 years, and we never really "did" the anniversary thing. But since he was away on business for Mothers' Day and he was gone all weekend flying kites, I guess he figured he had some stuff to me up for? Because when I got home from Muay Thai, he gave me this:

Oooooooooh, shiny! Yup, nothing says "I love you" like jewelry. Wasn't it Ron White who said "Diamonds, that'll shut her up!". GRIN. I think it works for cubic zirconium too :)

I've been neglecting my garden of late. This happens every year, I get really excited in the early Spring, then I completely and utterly lose my gardening mojo. Mother Nature isn't helping me along though, the crazy beotch just can't quite seem to get it together this year! We need some Summer, lady!!!

Émilie, on the other hand, has been watching our strawberry patch like a hawk, and as soon as one is ripe, she is All. Over. that action.

Good thing she's cute! I wonder if I'll ever get to taste one?

Well, I'd better wrap it up. I had a day off running today (I still went to Curves though), but tomorrow will be the first day I have to go out after the kids are in bed, when the lure of the couch and the knitting is at it's strongest. Wish me luck!

Happy Knitting Everyone!

16 minutes

That's how long I ran today. I started my training regimen for the 10k run of the marathon, and today's session had me doing:

• 5 x (1 minute of running + 1 minute of walking)
• 15 minutes of running
• 5 x (1 minute of running + 1 minute of walking)

So yeah, I ran for 16 consecutive minutes. But I did it without stopping and, more importantly, without vomiting.

That may not seem like much to people who run on a regular basis, but when you're just getting started, when you've never really been an "athletic" kind of girl? (at least, not until recently) It's pretty awesome. I am WOMAN, people! Roooooooooooooaaaarrrr!!!!

I bought some fancy new running shoes on Friday (apparently my circa 1999 Nike Air's just aren't the thing anymore), and this afternoon my sister-in-law and I went out on my first run. She's very, very fit, and she's been encouraging me in my fitness goals. When I told her I had signed up for the run, she was ecstatic, confident, and very enthusiastic. Running with her today, I sort of felt like I was running with my own personal trainer. Sweet!

Kate-the-Enabler is also being very supportive. The kids and I had lunch at The Enabler household today (Phil was out flying kites), and she was just super excited for me to get out there on my first run! I tell ya, there's NOTHING like having an enabler as a friend. They're very rare, but if you have the chance, I highly recommend you pick one up.

OK, as pumped as I am to have gotten through today's run, I've got more running to do tomorrow (tomorrow's program is 5 x (3 minutes of running + 1 minute or walking), as well as our weekly Muay Thai class. I think I'm going to sit back with some knitting and just relax until I pass out. I figure it'll take about 18 minutes.

Happy Knitting Everyone!

Scary Capability

Phil's away on a business trip, leaving me alone with the cherubs and the house and the work and the... you get the idea. That, combined with the end of daylight savings time (Émilie was up at 5:16 AM this morning) has left me plain old pooped. But a girl's got to get her kicks somewhere, right?

I tell you, sometimes it really does take a village to raise a child. Or in my case, it took 2 doting grandparents last night to bathe and put 2 kids to bed so Mommy could go to choir practice. I've got a series of concerts coming up starting in early December, including one at the Oratoire St-Joseph (!!!), so I figured it wouldn't be wise to miss a practice if I could help it. I don't know how much good it did, since it was hard to sing when coughing approximately every 5 seconds (apparently I spoke too soon a few posts back, we're all sick as the proverbial dog). But at least I was there!
I cast on the Snowball Hat on Sunday night. I'm using Malabrigo Worsted again, and so far I like how it's turning out. It's definitely going to be a quick knit (provided I figure out how to work my Japanese pompom maker), so I'll be able to get back to my Christmas knitting later this week.

And what would that be, you may be wondering? Well, I've got a few projects lined up. I think Fratello will most likely be my third Miscellaneous-Man Sock of the season. I really like Yarnissima's patterns, plus it'll give me the chance to stick to my promise to Tamara and cast on for a pair of socks using 2 circular needles. :)

I've also got a Fleece Artist Thrum Sock kit that I've been meaning to knit for a while, as well as the Sock Monkey Hat from the summer '06 Knitty (for one of my nephews). Stay tuned.

Speaking of Christmas Knitting, I've been invited to contribute to the Christmas Knitting Frenzy blog Michelle has set up. I don't know how much knitting I'll actually manage, but it should be fun to see how other people cope with these crazy goals we tend to set up for ourselves this time of year!

I'll end today's post by sending a great big ole' hunk of love to my knitting buddies Alison and Caroline. Apparently they've been inspired to go on their own health and fitness adventures after reading about mine, and I wish them much success. I can't tell you how wonderful all your positive comments made me feel, ladies!

Happy Knitting Everyone!

Tidbits

It's been such an appallingly long time since my last post (is 4 days appalling?) that I've got no real narrative flow for today. I'm just going to throw it out there as it comes to me, all right?

Well, first and foremost, Halloween!

My little bug. I say bug because his hood (which you can't really see well in this picture) was meant to look like a spider, but there were only 6 feet on the costume, and we all know spiders have 8 legs, so he's just a bug.

This is supposed to be a "one size fits ages 0-6" costume, and all I can say to that is : NOT!!! I barely got it on him on Friday morning, and I was a bit worried that he'd freak out, but all for naught, apparently. He started running around, laughing and making "Grrrr!" noises. It was awesome.My little unicorn. I know you've seen this picture before, but all the pictures we took of her on Halloween turned out blurry! It is HARD to take a picture of an over-excited 4 year-old, let me tell you!

Trick or Treating was a barrel o' fun, as usual. Kate-the-Enabler and I took the kids once around the block (don't laugh, that took almost an hour), marvelling that Émilie and Aidan were old enough to make it up and down the stairs of each house on their own (Maxime and Liam were mostly there in an observation capacity). Our men stayed home and handed out candy. Phil even put a pinball machine out in the street for the kids (and grownups too!) to play with!

It was pretty funny, watching the kids walk up to it and asking their parents what it was. Pre-playstation entertainment! A few parents actually thanked us for introducing these machines to their kids. And Phil even got to meet a buddy from one of his online forums! Turns out he lives just down the street. Small world...

And here's the loot, after we filtered out all the stuff we don't want the kids eating (like gum and unwrapped candy). I'm happy to report that I've managed to avoid the candy for now, because...

I finally fit into my jeans!!! Remember when I started on this Health and Fitness kick, I said my goal was to be able to fit into these? Well, yesterday I realized that I could pull off my old jeans without unbuttoning and unzipping them, so I took these out of the guilt drawer (that's also where I keep my pre-pregnancies bikini) and tried them on, and they FIT! And I can walk in them and EVERYTHING! Next step: to get THESE off without unbuttoning or unzipping. LOL!

ALL my clothes are starting to feel a bit frumpy, actually. But I also got my visa bill with all the Rhinebeck follies on it this week, so no shopping for me! Grumble grumble...

Finally, a finished object! Yes friends, the Good ole cabled scarf, which I cast on in November 2007, is finally done.
Knit with Malabrigo worsted using 5.0 mm straights, this was a very easy knit. It could be a smidge longer, but I didn't want to have to wind another skein of yarn :) I have to check the stash to see if I've got enough yarn for a matching hat, now (I'm thinking the Snowball Hat from the Fall 2007 IK).

Happy Knitting Everyone!

It's All Good

I'm happy to report that things are pretty good at Casa de Dear.

First and foremost, everyone seems to be pretty much over the hump as far as colds are concerned, and thank goodness for that. Also, I was suffering from a wicked case of the doldrums/introspecties over the past few weeks, but now the (figurative) sun is shining and I'm in a good place. I've no idea why I get like this (OK, that's a lie, I know perfectly well what prompted this particular romp but I'm keeping it to myself, thank you very much), but it's always a blessing when I finally snap out of it, reassess, and realize I've got it pretty good, all in all.

My health and fitness regime is going swimmingly. I'm loving my workouts more than ever, so much so that I'm going 4 times a week when I can. I've also resumed the hundred pushup challenge, and I'm now on week 3 of the program. OK, I'm still in the "wimp" bracket, but for a girl who couldn't even do ONE good-form pushup a mere month ago, I think it's pretty frickin' awesome. And so far this week I'm 3 for 3 on the vegetarian lunch plan. Yay!!!

It really is making a difference, too. This morning, as I pulled on my slacks, I noticed that they were feeling a bit loose. These pants aren't usually "tight" or anything, but they're definitely more form fitting. And today they're not only loose around the waist, but also around the legs and thighs. So progress! Or then again, they might just need to be washed ;)

Enough about me! On to knitting, gentle reader.

Last post I mentioned that I had cast on for another pair of Miscellaneous-Man Socks, this time using the Kaffe Fassett Regia sock yarn I bought at Rhinebeck. I cast off the first sock last night, and while it looks great and is the perfect size for a miscellaneous-man foot (as Phil pointed out "It's like they were MADE for me!"), I've nevertheless run into a small snag.

I want my socks to match. I realize some people couldn't care less if their self-striping socks are fraternal rather than identical, but I am not one of those people. Now, I cast off the first sock with maybe 2 yards of yarn left in that first ball. And that's the rub.

To start the second sock at the same spot in the stripe sequence, I've had to pull out quite a bit of yarn from the second ball. So there's NO WAY I'm going to have enough to have truly identical socks and finish the second one. It's just not going to happen.

What am I going to do? Well, I'm going to keep that yarn I pulled out and use it at the toe of the second sock. This way they'll be matchy, but only to a certain point. A point which I'm sure I can live with.

This might be a good time to add a lesson to my "Things I learned from Knitting this Garment" series:

• Lesson 5: When buying self-striping sock yarn with the intention of knitting man-socks, I must remember to buy MORE to compensate for the inevitable waste that comes with my desire to have matching socks.

These socks are (mostly) strictly commuter knitting, of course. In the evenings, I'm still plugging away at my Good Old Cabled scarf, and it's coming along nicely. However, I really should get to work on some coordinating accessories for my winter knits. I either need to knit a hot pink scarf (to match the pink Amanda Hat I made for myself, again using Malabrigo worsted) or a cream-coloured hat (to match the good old cabled scarf).

The trouble with that is, especially with the SNOW falling here today, it's getting more and more difficult to ignore the impending loomyness of Christmas, and the absolutely crazy amount of gifts I want to knit for everyone. So if you see some frazzled lady wearing baggy pants and wearing uncoordinated winter accessories knitting in the metro in the near future? It's me.

I'll wrap up this post by mentioning an artist I stumbled on this morning, while listening to David Reidy's Sticks and String podcast. I've only just started to listen to this podcast, and I know that many people aren't crazy about the music he plays, but I'm finding that we have really similar tastes in music. Anyway, one of the songs today was by Christopher Dallman. Go have a listen, it's totally worth it (you can download the MP3s for free here).

Happy Knitting Everyone!

Friday Frazzle

Sorry, no Aftermath: Part 3 post today. I still haven't managed to get any decent pictures of the Rhinebeck loot. This weekend, I promise.

No, it's 9:20 PM, and I've just gotten home from a choir board meeting (by the way, I'm now the chairman of the board. Phase 1 of my ascension to Queen of the Universe is now complete!!!). Phil's gone up to bed already (he's got a cold, and not just any cold, a bonafide MAN cold), but I'm still a bit too wired. I feel like I've been cheated out of my down time, damnit! Even though, as Phil was quick to point out to me, I didn't have to put the kids to bed, so I DID have some down time.

What can I blather on about then? The week flew by, as usual. Everyone here is sick, including me, but luckily I seem to be on the mend, mostly. I've still got a sleep debt to make good on, but there's no point in going up earlier and just tossing and turning when your mind is going 100 miles an hour, is there?

I had my measurements taken at Curves this week, and I got some great results! I lost 3.5 pounds and 1 inch off my waistline, all in 3 weeks! Yay! It actually WORKS, people. I was previously convinced that it was a myth, but it turns out that this new-fangled thing they call "exercise" really does help one get a better physique. Who woulda thunk it?

Still, I was shocked when I realized exactly how many pounds of plain old body fat I'm actually lugging around every day. When you get your weigh-in at the end of the month, they measure your Body Fat Index as well as your weight and other measurements, and let me tell you: 27.1% body fat may very well be "fair" for a woman of my age, but in my case that totals out to 41.3 POUNDS of fat. FAT!!!!! Just imagine 41 pounds of butter oozing off the top of your kitchen counter. Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwww.

So I've set some new goals, and I'm finding my success thus far to be highly motivating. I am woman, hear me huff and puff.

Speaking of Curves, remember a while back I mentioned that I didn't realize that you could do a dance version of Blue Oyster Cult's (Don't Fear) The Reaper? Well, they did one better today. A friggin' dance version of Tammy Wynette's Stand by your Man. I actually burst out laughing in the middle of a workout. The other women thought I was giddy from the heat. Is it just me who finds that funny?

All right, I've got a full plate tomorrow. Groceries, laundry, food, shutting down the flower beds... Your basic DORMA day. I was going through all the things we want to get done with Phil this week, and when I asked him if I was forgetting something, he said "Yeah. How about: Relaxing".

Relaxing??? On a weekend? I tell you, sometimes it's like the man doesn't even live in the same house.

I promise to return to knit-blog format this weekend! In the meantime,

Happy Knitting Everyone!

More Garment Fantasies

As I mentioned last post, I'm having major garment fantasies, and in keeping with my tendency towards mental masturbation, I've given considerable thought to what I could cast on next (I'm down to a mere 2 "active" projects right now), as well as potential purchases during the New York Sheep and Wool Festival (aka Rhinebeck).

One of the garments I mentioned last time was Jamesey. I really like this pattern, I like that it's got some gansey action going on, it's definitely speaking to me. Upon re-examining the stash last night, I realized that I've got some lovely Shelridge Farms Soft Touch W4 that I could work beautifully with this pattern.

Interesting... However, further consideration has led me to identify 2 potential problems with this project.

1. The original pattern is knit in a cotton yarn, and is designed to be shrunk after washing. Can I substitute a superwash merino for cotton? Will it work?
2. (this is a biggie): by taking on a potentially huge project like this one, and considering the limited amount of knitting time I have at my disposal, am I setting myself up for a total Christmas-Eve meltdown? Maybe I should just stick to socks and hats? (but seriously, where's the fun in that?)

I don't know... I'll keep mulling it over (don't worry!) and keep you posted.

I'm also putting a great deal of thought into what I want to purchase at Rhinebeck this year. I'm heading out with Kate-the-Enabler for a girls' weekend, and frankly just getting a weekend away will be it's own reward at this point, regardless of the fact that it's for a fiber festival. STILL, there WILL be yarn there... As you've probably guessed, I'm hoping to buy sweater quantities of yarn this year. Looking at the vendor list, I'd say it's a pretty safe bet that the afore-mentioned Shelridge Farm, Knitting Notions, Morehouse Farm and Briar Rose booths will ALL be visited by yours truly in a mere 23 days. Squeeee!!!

I cast on my Miscellaneous-Man Socks earlier this week.

Basic no-brainer sock, knit with Twisted Fiber Art Playful in the Xavier colourway. I also got re-acquainted with the Celtic Tote last night. Oh Celtic Tote, how I missed thee! Progress will go quickly with this on I'm hoping (you know, because of the whole "cabling without a cable needle" thing).

In the "Fitness and Health" department, I signed up for a year-long membership to Curves earlier this week. No, it's not necessarily the workout of the century. Yes, it can become monotonous and repetitive, but honestly? The same can be said about EVERY workout program I've ever attempted. Bottom line? This works with my lifestyle, and it's better than what I was doing before, which was, um, nothing.

Kate-the-Enabler and I also started the hundred push-up challenge this week. Have you heard about this? Basically, it's a training program that claims you'll be able to do 100 consecutive push-ups in 6 weeks. I was reading about it on the Enchanting Juno's blog last week, and thought it would be a kick for the two of us to do together, sort of a way to stay motivated. I was depressed to find that I couldn't even manage ONE stinkin' "good-form" push-up, but after consulting with my sister-in-law (aka "She-of-the-great-ass-and-killer-arms"), I was able to manage about 3 with a wider stance, putting me in the lowest bracket (something about re-distributing my weight). Anyhoo! I started the Day 1 of Week 1 last night. Go go go!!!

I've also been paying better attention to what I'm eating. I was inspired by Maggie's post about this Smokey Miso Tofu sandwich, and decided it would be fun to try out. I had a little trouble finding some of the ingredients at first (I actually called my mostly-vegetarian cousin Jessica from the Vegan-Health-Macrobiotic-Organic store and asked her "What the heck is nutritional yeast, anyway?"), but eventually I had everything I needed (including some Quinoa and Kamut flour bread - that's gotta score me double points, right?). I made it on Sunday, and although I think I ultimately ended up slicing my tofu a bit too thin, it was really good, and I've had it for lunch 3 times this week. Proud of me?

Don't worry, I'm not going all "health-nut" on you. I've been baking practically every night this week, trying to make good use of all the apples we picked last weekend. Here's what Émilie and I made tonight. Apple honey muffins. Mmmmm...

Finally, the mail carrier left a lovely package from the Needle Arts Book Shop in my mailbox today! Some Belated Birthday Books from my lovely cousin (and lucky knitwear recipient) Jessica. Thanks, Jessie!

I'm particularly excited to have received Selbuvotter. I sense mittens in my future!

Happy Knitting Everyone! If all goes as planned, I'll have many (many many!) pictures of my new hardwood floors to share with you next post!