Ice!

47 minutes of playing human jack-hammer today and I managed to break the ice and clear the walk for less than half. I had to give up when the wheezing and sore muscles won. More tomorrow. I am trying to remind myself that I am doing good things for my body by all the work. I suspect tomorrow I'm also going to be saying something on the order of "Ow, Ow, Ow, Ow, OW!" LOL It is probably still 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick.

Oh dear!

I woke up this morning with the idea for a new knitting project just itching to get started. No idea who it should be for, but the yarn, which had been purchased and designated for something else (an Anne Modesitt corset, would you believe!) wants to be a shawl! It even has very specific parameters. Now, do I pull the yarn out and start? I have so many other started objects going right now, it seems silly to start another! This should be fairly quick, and if it works out as I think, I may be able to get two out of the cone of yarn. But still.......

I think my mind had been thinking of the Red Scarf Project, but then it morphed. After all, this is red, angora, worsted weight (but I could knit it up on larger needles so it is cuddly...) Oh dear. Even as I typed I tried to wrestle it into another project, but the yarn is insisting on returning to its original purpose. But who does it want to be for? Sheesh!

Okay, I guess I will surrender to the inevitable. Hm, maybe size 13 needles? I knit loosely, so that is probably about right. I suppose the first step had better be to pull out the yarn. What do you think? I'm trying to tell mself that it will get that much yarn out of my stash fairly quickly... Just think, a pound of expensive yarn out of the stash makes an impressive dent on the total amount of yarn dollars at the end of the year! LOL

By the way, kudos to Howard! He took up the America on the Move Steptember challenge, and decided to take The Pacific Crest Challenge -- 10,095 steps a day for 42 days. So far he is staying near goal, two days over, one day just slightly under. YAY HOWARD! I'm doing the UK National - 4,644 steps per day, and haven't done nearly as well. I've managed to hit goal one day of 3.

Last post on Run-a-go-go

With a broken foot, I've had to bow out of the challenge to move 350 miles by July 4th. I tried. It was my own personal goal, not imposed upon my by anyone else. Since it is Tuesday, I thought I really needed some closure here -- since I had publicly committed to doing it. So, by last Sunday -- the day before I broke my foot fairly early in the day -- I had managed to move this body 142.2 miles from April 1 until May 21. I had it figured out that I could make it, but then life got in the way. So, no more updates on this. Sadly enough. If you are interested, the challenge is here. The group challenge was for 100 miles, I was trying to go what I thought was possible within the context of challenging myself even further.

Tuesday Check-in

I hadn't realized how long it had been since my last check-in on my physical progress.

To my frustration, going outside right now triggers asthma, which cut short the idea drifting through my mind of bicycling. Oh well, that's why I have things to work out with in the house.

Run-a-go-go challenge to go 350 miles by July 4th.

Tuesday Check-in

I've missed a couple of days working out, as allergies and I have had some "discussions". I think I'm back on top of it, but it was "interesting" while it lasted! It basically came down to figuring out which foods I'm allergic to now. Blast it. But, on the positive side, that means I'll be feeling a LOT better!

I'm thinking about a knitting project for the weekend, as we'll be in the car about 10 hours. Good knitting time, while Howard is driving. Something fairly easy, as I don't want to have to pay too much attention. Decisions... Too bad Nathan really doesn't like it when I knit while waiting in a restaurant! It is perfect knitting time! I think I still embarrass him!

Tuesday Blathering

This fabric is DENSE! Of course, I also thought I had all of the ends taken care of when I took this picture! WRONG! LOL








The Scrawl is moving along. I am having a hard time concentrating enough to work on it though.







Dianne, my knitbuddy, brought some Koigu samples when she visited last year. I love them, but have had a difficult time knowing quite what they are going to be. Remember the stranded socks that were too tight? That was the first thing I tried with it. One is shown in the January 27th post. I cast on again, thinking I'd make wristwarmers, and practice knit 1 through the back loop, purl 1 ribbing. Well, it is almost long enough, but look at the gaps where I changed needles! Not something I usually have a problem with since I first started knitting on double points. Rats. At least I'm now so comfortable with knitting in the back loop that I can do it without looking.

I changed the exercise ticker to reflect the Run-a-go-go dates. That really seems like a long way for me to go at the moment!

Saturday random thoughts

Look what came in the mail today! I participated in the Mystery Skein Swap, where we were paired up. Each sent a skein of yarn to their partner, who made something with it and sent it back. I sent some handspun white Cormo, my partner dyed it my colors and knit up this gorgeous shawl. Wow! If you look carefully, you can see the matching beaded ring holding the ends together.




On my personal knitting front, I finally seem to have gotten past my knitting block. This is a "Scrawl." The original was designed by Shelley Mackie and can be found here. I, of course, couldn't leave well enough alone, and changed the lace pattern. Instead of using sock yarn, I'm using some cinnamon colored alpaca that my knit buddy Dianne gave me for my birthday. It is knitting up fairly quickly -- it will go even faster once I get the pattern memorized! There is something about the 10 row pattern that hasn't "clicked" with my mind yet. I charted it in Stich and Motif Maker, but was too lazy to print it off. Just about the time I decided it was TIME to print it off, thunderstorms rolled through. sigh

I forgot to mention that Titania, our other grand-cat, was perfectly healthy when the vet saw her. Much to everyone's relief! Tora-chan is improving with the thyroid medication.

And last but not least, from the time I started until today, I put in 136.61 miles! I'm...astounded!

A Week Already?

I am working hard at this, as you can see by my totals! I don't expect this rate of decrease in weight to continue, but it is certainly nice while it lasts! Let's see what my doctor says tomorrow when I see him! I wonder if he will notice! I'm going to ask him about the newest recommendations for women's heart health. They now say that instead of the half hour a day several days a week that women should work out 60-90 (!) minutes a day EVERY day of the week. I'm at 60, do I have to go up to 90? Do you hear that whine? LOL

The briefcase is still going. And going. And going. That is the disadvantage of felting/fulling a project, you have to make it so much bigger than the final product!

On My Way

I decided that along with getting on "The Beach" (the South Beach Diet) that I'm also going to exercise. I've increased 5 minutes a day until I'm up to 25 minutes! Pretty good for being so out of shape that 5 minutes was enough the first day. I find it sad how I try to find excuses for not working out. Yesterday's was the fact that I'd shoveled the last inch of snow off the walks -- couldn't that count? Decided not. Today I tried to say that an hour shopping was the same -- nice try, I worked out anyway.

I'd seen this on several blogs Judy's started the process, but today Tricotine's post did it for me. I joined in. Really late, as it started January 1. But I can do this!

Here I go! I'm not going to post about it daily, but I will check in on it weekly.