Tuesday Just cause

Just cause I wanted to post to my blog today I am doing that.

I finished my DW dishcloth as well as my Granny dishcloth.  I am working on another cloth but can not remember the name of it as it is as home and I am at work.  Funny how that happens a lot.

I changed my blog yesterday.  I decided it was time to freshen up the page and remove some stuff and add some stuff. 

The one thing that is really important that I added is my 'ticker' for my journey into a healthier me.  I figure if I see that thing every where I turn I will be very careful about what I put into my mouth which will go into my stomach and then land on my body from the middle on down.  Plus it is so exciting for me to watch that little butterfly get closer and closer to my goal.  (Which I hope to hit by the end of June or there abouts)

Anyway, not much else is going on in my life.  Work, Church, Home, Crafting, etc.  Normal stuff.

Happy Crafting!

Short and Sweet

Nothing to show you this week.  Sorry to say.

I am still working on the Shawl for my DD.  I finished the DW dishcloth and started Granny's Favorite Dishcloth.

I think I might cast on today, a vest that I want to do for a Christmas present.  Or I might cast on a hat.  Haven't decided yet.  I have other projects on hook and needles but I feel like I want to have more and more and more started.  I seem to have a bad case of startitis.  Hopefully it is not contagious.

I am hoping next week to have so photos for you.

Happy Crafting!

Happy Day!

 

Ok, So I didn't make a post last week and for that I apologize.  But you see, we were very busy at a retreat for the people that are coming into our Church this Easter.  There were quite a few people at the retreat (42 to be exact) and this is kind of what the day looked like.

We were there from 7:30 that morning until 5pm that evening.  It was a long day and we were totally exhausted by the end.  In fact, about the only thing I did on Sunday was go to Mass and go visit my mom for a little bit.  Other than that, I lounged around, crocheted a little and knitted a little and took several naps.

So here is a few photos of my progress this past week.

 Still working on the DW dish cloth.  I like this pattern with variegated yarn as it breaks the color up so nicely and you don't get any big blotches anywhere.

Worked on the shawl for my DD Christmas present.  See the line on the right?  That is where I had to go and pick up stitches to start the other half.  What?  Did you say congratulations for getting it half way done?  Don't get too excited there.  Because this

is showing how long the first half is.  I had to order another ball of the yarn as their ideas and my ideas of how long a ball would last are two totally different things.

This is a finished project that was not on my YoP list.  My hubby chi-weenies got me a Kindle Fire for valentines day.  So hubby told me I should get a case for it.  You know us fiber people.  Why buy one when you can make one.  So I did.  Nothing too fancy but it will protect the screen from scratching while transporting it in my purse.

While at the retreat last week I started another pair of socks.  For some reason the toe is all sorts of ugly.  Therefore I am going to rip them out and start them over again trying a different approach to the toe.  Now look closely at the needles they are on.  YES!!!!!!!  I finally did it.  I ordered my first pair of Signature needles.  I LOVE THEM!!!!!!!!!  They are pricey but well worth the money spent.  They are made in here in the USA and that was another plus for me.  Let me tell you that if you order from them......................they ship the day the order goes in.  I had these babies in 4 days!  I could hardly wait to cast on some socks which might be why the toe is all icky.  These are a size 3 US.  They are working on getting size 2 and 1's in the circular and I will be in line when those come out.

I also got a set of the Etimo crochet hooks.  Those are made in the UK and are so comfortable to work with.  Having arthritis in my hands (and other parts of the body) I look for hooks that are cushioned.  I have cushions I can put on hooks but for the smaller hooks it doesn't work so well.  I hold my hook like a knife but these would work for those that hold their hook like a pencil too.  I bit pricey again but I ordered them through JoAnn's and used a coupon and for having a nice set like this it was not that bad of a price.

Ok, so now I am going to tell you about our exciting day yesterday.

 First up I want you to meet our newest Godson.

This is Joshua Michael.  We were honored to be the Godparents yesterday at his baptism.  He is just 2 months old and sweet heart.  Of course that is me holding him because I just adore babies.  

Then the climax of our day was this.

We had Mass and dinner with Bishop Olmsted.  He is one of the most humble men I know.  Kind, funny, and so down to earth.  It helped too that he is from Kansas where I grew up.  We have met him several times but this is the first time we had our picture taken with him.

So that is my two week review.  I don't see anything on my calendar to stop me from blogging next week.  I look forward to my blog days.  Keeps me focused on my YoP and my life.

Oh, and if you read my blog regularly and not just my YoP I will let you know that my healthy eating has paid off.  I have managed to throw away 9 pounds of ugly unwanted body weight.  I am still going and have a ways to go before I am at my goal.  But it is nice to be able to put on a pair of jeans (I love jeans) and find out that they are too big.  I have on my closet shelf one more smaller size of jeans and once I am out of those it will be shopping trip for me. (No I don't think knitting or crocheting jeans is in my future)

Happy Crafting!

Update, Short but with pictures

Once again it has been two weeks since I blogged about my crafts.  I thought once all the holidays were over my life would settle down and I would have more time for my blog.  But it seems that I am more interested in crafting than blogging when I have free time.  But that means I have finished projects to show to all of you today.

Here is the first log cabin square that I completed last Sunday.

I am loving all the colors in it.  Putting it together will be interesting.  There are live stitches on all four sides and the designer says to crochet the live stitches into each other.  Lucky for me the designer works at my LYS so I think I will calling her and having a private demonstration as to what exactly she means.

I also completed a couple of dishclothes.

It is a pattern I saw someone in either one of my facebook knitting groups or on one of my ravelry groups.  I can not remember but I do know the pattern can be found here.

This is a close up of one of the varigated ones.

Sorry it is so dark but I took this late in the evening and tried to not use a flash as it washes out the pattern.  But this is LIly and Cream striped yarn.

I am also making a scarf out of this pattern.  Once you have the pattern down you can do it without having to look at it at all.  It took me one dishcloth to memorize it.  (I can be a bit slow at times)

Today is Super Bowl Sunday for us Yanks.  I am planning on taking fibery goodness with me to the party we are attending.  I am going to take fiber for more hats and hopefully I will finish at least one and have another started before the end of the evening.

Here is how my list looks now.

Log cabin lapghan (when ever) Knitted  (in progress)
Hexipuff (one a day for as long as it takes) Crochet (on hold for the moment)
Mittens for Jenn .  Knitted (have the yarn)
LaLas prayer shawl (when ever) Knitted ( in progress) For Christmas 2012
Cancer Ribbon Shawl (when ever) Crochet ( in progress)
Alpaca/Silk Prayer Shawl Crochet (in Progress for Christmas 2012)

4 blooming pillows (Have the yarn) Crochet for Christmas 2012

4 – 8 pairs of socks (Have the yarn) Knit for Christmas 2012

2 hats and 3 scarves for men.  Knit for Christmas 2012 knit (Have the Yarn) (one set in progress)

  Knit or Crochet for Christmas 2012 (Have the Yarn)

Comfort Shawl (in progress)  Christmas 2012/ Crochet

24 dishclothes (in progress) Knit for Christmas 2012

Hat, Mittens and Scarf (have the yarn) Christmas 2012

 Here is the list of things that are finished:

****Finished******
Hat and Scarf (November gift)  Knitted (finished July 2011)

 Scarf for Jadin (by October 10th) Knitted  (finished October 2011)

Wedding Ring Afghan (finished in October 2011)

 Bedsock (Christmas) Crochet or knitted, haven't decided (Finished October 2011)                

 Hat for Josie (Finished October 2011)

wedding ring afghan (Christmas) Crochet (Finished in December 2011)

Bedsock(Christmas)  (Finished November 201

Scarf for Jenn (Finished December 23^rd!!  2011)

Scarf for Josie (Finished December 26^th 2011)

One man’s hat (Finished January 2012)

2 dishclothes (Finished February 2012)

1 log cabin block done (Finished February 2012)

I have not deleted any items but have added a few others.

I had better go and get the rest of the veggies cleaned and cut up (my contribution to the party) so I can get my fiber together and be ready to leave in a few hours.

Happy Crafting

Not craftiness but related

I don't know how many of you realize this but knitting and crocheting are not aerobic activities. 

They do not get your heart rate up and sustain it for 30 minutes at a time. (Well, they do if you are shopping at a very nice yarn shop or finishing a project that has taken you 2-3 months to accomplish)

They do not make you sweat and work all of your major muscle groups.  (yes it can make you sweat if it is 110 outside and you are working on a large afghan for a loved one.)

I found out that sitting and knitting and crocheting in my spare time is not the best way to stay in shape. I look at patterns from others that love the fiber arts and see all these lovely people that are trim and in good shape.  They don't have love handles, flabby knees, bye-bye arms, or chins that hang down like a turkey's gobbler.  They look really nice.  I looked in the mirror and I definitely do not look like that.

Granted I am nearing a milestone birthday but still there is no reason not to be in some short of shape other than round.  What to do, what to do.

I talked to my Doctor and she told me that I should probably loose a bit of weight and start walking or doing something to keep me active for 30 minutes a day with increased heart rate. (Did you know that house work can make your heart rate go up enough to be considered cardio exercise?) Well it can and trust me it uses a lot of the major muscle groups. 

Alas I digress.  Anyway so I was being the "good" patient and asked her how much she wanted me to loose.  (This Doctor is no skinny minny so I figured she wanted me to look more like her)  She looks me straight in the eye and tells me 50 pounds.  WHAT?  Do you know how long that will take?  Are you crazy?  (No I didn't say it out loud.  ARE YOU CRAZY?)

She told me she did not want any kind of 'diet' but simply a healthy eating plan and nothing more than counting calories.  She sent me on my way.  I was dazed and confused and upset and angry and all sorts of things but I was not wanting to do this.

I called my daughter and told her what had happened.  She sympathised with me for about 2 minutes and then told me we could do this and she would be over and we would walk and talk.  

So started my journey back to the land of real people clothes.  It has only been 10 days but I can not tell you how much better I feel with just the small amount of weight that I have thrown away.  (notice I don't use the word 'loose" cause that means I will try and find it)  I am not on a 'diet' either.  I am on a life journey to better health.  

My daughter and I started to journal every thing that goes into our mouth from a sample at the deli to a full meal.  If we consume it we journal it.  We have a wonderful online journal called "my fitness pal"  it tracks all sorts of stuff for us and we have it installed everywhere.  I have mine on  my home computer, work computer, iPhone, and tablet.  I can not go anywhere without it being with me.  Just this week my mother decided that she too would try it and is really liking it and says in the 3 days she has been counting her calories she is already feeling so much better and is no longer cold all the time.

I am planning to reach my goal by the end of this summer and then look out!  I will be making more hand made items for ME to wear.  Things that I see other fiber artist making and wearing and looking so stylish in.  It took me 10 years to put all this weight on and so I figured 8 months is not too long to remove it. 

Just to let you know I have tried all sorts of 'diets' before including Weight Watchers, Michael Thurman's 6 week body make over (which worked as long as you eat that way for the rest of you life  which gave me 800 calories a day to eat), slim fast, grapefruit............etc.  So this time it is not a diet at all.  I will follow my Doctors advice and count my daily calories and my daily activity.

Now back to my regular scheduled crafting.