Muhaha’d

Sort of in the spirit of March being the craft month, Ive started a new craft.  Or more so I found my third arm and started knitting.

Ive tried knitting before but with my background in cross stitch my tension was way too tight and I just couldn’t figure out the best way to hold the needles and figure out the holding of the yarn and keep the tension happy.  Hence the need for that third arm to make everything work as it should

My third arm just happens to be circular needles. 

A friend and I joined in on the Rose City Yarn Crawl this year and made it to 4 of the 18 shops that were part of the fun.  Friday was a perfect day to walk around downtown Portland and check out the shops.

Ive been wanting to knit my own socks but felt that a loom wouldn’t get me the ease of crafting I wanted and I know the crochet wont craft the socks I want so hear I am.

On the yarn crawl I picked up a beautiful skein of yarn that will be made into a scarf – someday soon Im hoping.  Until then Im practicing to get up to the whole k1, p1 business.  Other needed items were the needles.  The scarf suggested circular needles and that’s what I picked up.

I spent most of the weekend practicing cast on, knit, and purl.  Even did a bit of the pattern the scarf uses

My first knitting project – a simple knitted washcloth

I have a few rolls of Sugar and Cream cotton yarn and I will be spending some time practicing stitches and making lots of washcloths.

Sharing that Ive caught the knit bug with another friend at work, she muhaha’d me and welcomed me to the madness.

2013

Today marks the close of the year 2013 and for me its been a wonderful year.

Stitching

This year was productive!  I finished stitching on 18 projects, 5 crochet and 13 cross stitch.  The most finishes since Ive been keeping close track of what has been finished.

Fit

The family started off the year with a new goal – eat healthy, be healthy.  We changed our diet to whole food/plant based (think mostly vegan).  The transition was over a few months, so no we didn’t go cold turkey (hehe) and toss out all meat and dairy at once.  By the time summer rolled around, meat and dairy were no longer part of our daily menu.

Along with the diet changes D and I have made a big effort in getting up/out and moving.  The nice result of all of this is a loss 33 lbs and 16 inches for me! 

With the Winter Solstice behind us and it being lighter longer, Im hoping to get back to walking to work in the morning.

Here’s to a great 2014!

Up for a new Challenge?

Of course with a new year comes new challenges or in this case a renewal for the new year.

Goodreads’s yearly reading challenge has been accepted! 

Last year I started the challenge with 80 books to read.  Then with all the gardening books I was inhaling I knew I would reach that before the beginning of fall and have all of fall and part of winter to slow down for?  Not happening!  So I increased it to 100.

(some of the books I read last year)

I happily ended up with 105 books read.  Some favorites re-read and new favorites added and all that knowledge stuffed into my grey-matter to bursting!

My 2013 challenge is back up to 100.  A good tough challenge as Im not sure I will have the bonus of learning a completely new craft – I will be working that craft

To keep up with the Challenge, Ive updated the widgets on my blog.  Hopefully they will share what Ive been up to – that is if Im good at keeping up on Goodreads what Ive been reading.

So how about you?  Up for another New Year Challenge?

New Beginnings

Last post I ended with a quick comment on gardening.  Well D and I have been thinking, and doing, reading, and thinking even more and my brain is bursting with new knowledge, dreams and ideas I feel like Im not going to get any of it out.

Starting this year, we will be working on turning our lawns into food.  Bye-bye grass and Hello veggies, fruit, herbs (culinary and medicinal), and flowers to bring in the pollinators (bees, butterflies, etc).

As the gardening bug didn’t bite us in time to start a spring (late winter planting?) garden, I am busy getting parts ready for a summer planting so I can have goods to eat in the fall and hopefully on through the winter.

Yes a good part of the reason Im doing this is for cost savings.  Organic foods (meat excluded for the moment) are unbelievably expensive.  Much better for our family but egads some of the prices are terrifying!  Sure most on their own are somewhat reasonable but after a small cart is filled up, the pocket book is much lighter.

Another huge part is I know what my family will be eating.  Our yard will be (and has been) pesticide free and local.  While I love finding what new produce New Seasons has in this week, I stumble a bit at how far its traveled.  The time taken, the gas used and how little the farmer may have been actually paid to ship yummy apples from New Zealand to Oregon…the foot print that leaves is scary.  While Im thankful the store includes where the produce originates from, it does make me double think about placing that food in my cart and can I grow that in my yard.

The garden will be more of a permaculture style, quite different from a “normal” garden.  More freedom for both us and the plants.

Of course with all this gardening, we get to find ways to store all the goodies!

So now I will be including this new life path we are starting on in my posts and hope you enjoy the journey with me.

Goals

I have a friend that does not make new year’s resolutions, she makes goals.  Explanation is so if they arent met, its a bit less depressing as it was a goal to be achieved.  And I like that.

So my goals for the year.

Stitch from stash – I have all I need for projects this year.  Thanks to the two challenges, Ive got plenty of projects to work on.

Keep chart spending to a min – There are a couple charts Im wanting to pick up this year, finish out the Anniversaries of the Heart series by BBD (3 + bonus left).  Other than that I want to keep those costs low.

Pay off dept – This is the year we take control and get the debt outta here. 

Getting in shape – I had a good start last year, even made it through most of the summer but August was a tough month and I just stopped.  We’ve got the treadmill so there is no excuse.  I need to put this goal in front as I dont want to be a dough body any more.  At times I think I should use other things as a reward for walking but then it turns walking into a chore and who wants to do chores?

Stitching – What can I say, Ive got a busy year ahead of me.  Going through charts I had, magazines for ornaments and charts I had kitted was fun.  Going through WIPs was interesting.  To make my WIP list for the challenge I looked through my journal to see what still needed to get done but then going through the project bags and finding others that need/want to finish made the list harder.  I was reminded of how much some projects really had done and others that had only proprietary stitches added.  I think I may add more WIPs as I finish and keep a rolling 15 (can you say LARGE eyes?)

My current plan, outside starting 15 the first 15 days of Jan is to alternate new vs WIP during the week and on the weekends, if time allows work on one challenge in the morning and other in the afternoon/evening.

So in keeping with the weekend stitching here are my entries for today

Crazy Challenge – Winter Sampler by LHN

Flipp’n Crazy Challenge – Pirate’s Creed by Sue Hillis

 

I have a kitteh waiting patiently for me to get to bed.  Its been really cold at night and Loki has been a snug-bug.

Resolutions?

I try not to make resolutions as most end up not being fulfilled.  With that being said I do want to get specific stitching completed this year.

Ornaments for my kids – both have gone through the JCS ornament edition mags I have and picked the ones they like.  I would like to stitch and finish one ornament per age so they have a good tree full by the time they move out on their own.  Having 1 or 10 of my own might not be bad either :P

Finish presents for my sister-in-laws.  I have one complete, one with a few stitches to complete and one to stitch lots more.  Ive held off presenting any of them so they could be gifted at once.

That doesnt sound to bad does it?

Now for not breaking my resolution…

Incredible Night

What an incredible night! I went to open stitch group at A&T, needed a break :o) but kept tabs on the EV count. Hit 279 right before I left the shop. Listening to news radio on the way home and got to hear the breaking news on the way home (8:20pm PT!) - McCain's concession! I did a hoot, holler, clapped and happy dance in my car. Did the same once I got in the door at home. P was like - duh mom! He had been watching the EV count on TV all night (for homework!). I stayed up too late last night, watching Obama's speech and all the other commentary but it was worth it.

This has been a crazy election. I had been more involved this election than any in the past, reading articles and comments from others, tv news, talking with a few people but mainly listening. And having P, at 11, getting involved thanks to school. It was fun to sit with him during all 4 debates, answering his questions about the process, asking him questions on what he thought and talking with him about the issues at hand. I dont remember doing anything on this level of involvement with my parents on any of the elections that took place while I grew up. I am hoping the same can take place in 2012 with DL. May be more exciting as we will have 2 young people to discuss issues with (key word that - WITH. No robots in this house).

What I feel Obama can do for USA - Talk with us when he can about the issues we face. Listen and discuss with his advisers on the best course of action. Not go off half-cocked with a fix it for now and deal with it later attitude.

We all have to know the issues we face are not going to be fixed with a band-aid, over night, magic wand. They stewed for a long while and will take a while to fix. This has to be kept in perspective during the next 4 years.

Ever stop to think, and forget to start again?

Stepping on the blog bandwaggon while I still have the mind set to do so.

nothing to witty to add atm. Stay tuned