Book buying frenzy

I have been on a book buying frenzy for the past two weeks. Yesterday was particularly bad.

Yesterday I bought Weaving Made Easy by Liz Gipson, the Knitter's Curiosity Cabinet #2 by Hunter Hammersen, Knit A Monster Nursery by Rebecca Danger and Norwegian Sweater Techniques for Today's Knitter by Therese Chynoweth.

Also in the picture is What to Knit When You're Expecting by Nikki Van De Car and Knit to Flatter by Amy Herzog (also bought the Craftys class).

I really did have a goal of not buying patterns, books, ect.. but oh well. 

Hubby bought me a Kromski Rigid Heddle Loom for mother's day so I'm patiently waiting for it to show up. I have never weaved before, but it just looks like so much fun. Hoping to use up a lot of sock yarn and make presents for all my family.

On the knitting front, I have finished my Elizabeth Shawl. There are a few errors in my knitting, but all in all I love it.

I also began the Old man and the sea using Blue Moon fiber arts in the Woobu base in the Bittersweet colorway. I started too early for the KAL in the Single Handed Knits podcast group, oops. Very enjoyable knit so far.

Spinning front, I have done some. I am spinning BFL in a brown and a silvery brown and plying them together. I'm hoping for a sport or dk weight for a sweater. So far love spinning the fiber. It has been very easy to do. It is hard to see the difference in this picture, but having them sitting side by side, I can definitely tell they are two different colors. I still have a little under a pound to spin of each color, but have run out of bobbins, so need to finish up plying before I can start again.

 

Weigh in last Thursday was a gain. I knew it would be after the week of sickness was over. Will put a brief post in about this Thursday's weigh in tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 



 

Wow, big loss

Weigh in on Thursday was incredible. 4.4 pounds off. I know it had a lot to do with not eating on Sunday, hardly eating Monday-Wednesday. I hate stomach issues. Started eating better on Thursday so hopefully will have a loss. Also didn't workout during that time.

I did some spinning on Saturday and it felt great.

No knitting happened this week. Just couldn't find my grove, especially with the stomach issues.

Lots of knitting.

This week there has been a lot to knitting, and some frogging. I started and frogged Oak leaves cardigan. It was turning out way too small in the sleeves. This project would be better after I lose weight to try again. I also started a baby hat and a baby sweater. I made some progress on Elizabeth shawl.

 

baby sweater, cascade yarn Pacific size 8 us



Elizabeth shawl, Highland Handmades Laural lace, us 3

 baby hat, Socks that Rock Medium, us 2

 

 

No spinning so far this week. Every time I think about it, something else comes up. I do want to start again, better luck next week.

 

Went to my first Weight Watchers meeting (well the first for this try) and I think it went well. I feel energized and full of hope. Watching my intake and exercise I should be able to get this weight off.

 



 

 

 



 

It's about time

I'm back in a losing weight mood. I need to get the weight off. I need to get into better shape. I need to set goals for myself and follow them.

Goals for weight loss
1 Start working out a little bit every day.
2 Start back at Weight Watchers and go to weekly meetings
3 Blog post weekly on how things are going


I really don't need knitting goals except for no more buying yarn, bags, needles, and patterns. I have enough of those things right now.

I need to set spinning goals. I have two wheels and they are not getting used as much as they should.

Spinning goals
1 Spin every day for at least 10 minutes
2 Finish spinning for sweater
3 Blog post weekly finished spinning.

not sure why

Time to catch up the blogging world. I was fortunate enough to go to Super Summer Knittogether in Nashville. I loved it. It was so much fun. I just wish I wasn't sick for the first day and a half. Nothing like air sickness that follows you for a while. I was embarrassed meeting people right after getting off of the plane and not really being able to talk to them since I had to lay down or I would be really sick. The first night I ate dinner alone since I couldn't go to a pizza joint or a Mexican restaurant. Part of me felt like I was wasting someone else's place. But Thursday night I felt so much better and went to dinner with a great group of ladies at a nice restaurant. Friday's classes were wonderful. Lynn Zimmerman was a wonderful spinning teacher and Laura Linneman's class on core spinning was also a great class. I purchased a wheel from a great lady named Jan (Faery circle) she rocks.  I also went to the screening of Labyrinth, it was so much fun. Danced and sung the songs that I could remember. Saturday was the vendor market and that was so wonderful. I was able to get just about everything I wanted. I wish I had taken a picture of everything, but oh well. I will post them as it comes up, but for right now I don't have them. Sunday was good. I left late so I was able to have lunch with some great people that I hadn't been able to hang out with before. I want to thank Leslie, Laura, Carin and Becky for a great time. I loved meeting Bev, Jan, Amy, Megan, Steph, Steven (both of you), Heather, Lisa (my roomie), Sharon, Susan (dinner was fab), Chelsea (who is the fastest knitter I have ever seen) and anyone else I have forgotten (sorry I'm bad). I missed my hubby, but I miss you all right now. I hope that next year there is another SSK and that I am able to go again. This was the best experience I have ever had. Meeting new people and traveling out of my comfort zone is so good for me.

The next several pics are from Nashville.


goodie bag. The best I have ever seen!!!

My new wheel.



Way too hot for an Alaska girl

New friends.







starting again.

I am having one of those years. I seem to be stopping and restarting my life over and over again. I can't seem to get the diet going. I really need to get the diet going again. I do okay for a day or two and then just blow it. I have decided today that I am at my biggest (I have been bigger) and am tired of being this way. Signed up for Weight Watchers online since I don't like going to meeting anymore. Maybe when I lose weight, I will go back to meetings, but for now online will have to do. I am giving myself 3 months and if I don't seem any significant weight loss, I will try something else.

I need to start working out again. I am going to start by riding a bike/stationary bike until my ankle gets better and then walking, lifting weights. This should help with the weight loss and toning that I desperately need.

 I also need to stop buying yarn, fiber and all the stuff that goes with that. I just purchased a Wooley Winder for my Traveler. I didn't need it, just wanted it. No more clubs, I don't need anymore fiber or yarn. I think I am really close to SABLE (stash acquisition beyond life expectancy) and that is not a good thing. I say all this, but I am going to Nashville in June/July for Super Summer Knittogether. There will be a vender show with some great indi dyers. I love indi dyers. UGH!!!!

WIPs:  Traveling Sweater by Karen Alfke out of Bluemoon Fiber Arts Woobu in the colorway Bittersweet.

FOs: Greta the Captivating Cat by Rebecca Danger

Possibilites: Not sure what is next for knitting.

Spinning: Spinning second 2oz of of hand dyed Merino-Sparkle blend 65/35 in the coloway Cathedral. I purchased this fiber at Sock Summit 2011 and spun the first 2oz on my wheel and spindles. The second 2oz seemed to have felted together more so I carded it on hand cards. I broke up the variegation and am spinning it like a gradient. My plan is to 2 ply it for a fingering weight.

Acquisitions: Highland Handmades shetland wool in the colorway As You Wish

Wow

Wow I haven't posted in quite a while. So lets see, what has been going on. Well I was fortunate enough to get into the Super Summer Knitaway in Nashville this coming June. I am looking forward to meeting a lot of new friends and spending time knitting. I finished a February Lady Sweater and after that I lost some of my knitting mojo. Definitely lost my diet mojo. Ugh gained 10 pounds. need to find both my knitting and diet mojo really fast.

I will be celebrating my and hubby's 25th wedding anniversary on the 20th of September. There are day I can't believe we made it this far.