Never Ending Yarn

Where does the time go??

2009-11-03T13:30:00.003-05:00

I believe that I've become one of those bloggers that has really good intentions of posting on a daily basis and having profound thoughts to share with the world. Instead I feel more like a hamster on a wheel running in circles doing the same things day and day. Of course these days there are more things in my life so there is even less time to get them all done. Something always has to slide and figuring out that balance will in all likelihood be a lifelong endeavor. So for now, I blog when I can.

This being a fiber blog I will start there... I am still knitting on occasion and spinning when I can. I have several projects on the needles at this time. Socks, a scarf that makes vertical stripes, a clapotis, a shrug... probably more just can't remember it all. I'm very good at starting new projects but run into trouble with my follow through. I used to always make time for my projects to the exclusion of all else. These days I am more likely to make time for myself, for my health and it's a better life.

I've made some progress in my weight loss as well. I am currently at 71 pounds down. I should say that I was at 71 and then I bought a new scale that weighs me heavier. I feel like I took a 4 pound step backwards but in all actuality I have still lost that 71 pounds. It's funny how a thing like that could have been a huge setback for me before, I would have probably returned the scale but now I'm okay. I'm proud of the progress that I've made and I feel good about the change that it is making in my life and in others. I never set out to be a role model but I keep hearing from people that have started to making changes to their life because of what I am doing. I really believe that if I can do this anyone can. Everything that I am doing is common sense... eat less, move more. No magic pill. I had to put in the work to see the results but it was worth it. For me it was a matter of desire. I finally wanted to change my life. I wanted to change my life so I could actually start living it.

So far my progress...

I haven't done a more recent photo in a while, I have lost another 20+ pounds since this was taken. I run into people that don't recognize me and it's a great feeling. Of course I also have people that don't say a word about my weight. Not sure what that is all about. I didn't do this for vanity sake so I'm okay if they don't notice. It's all good.

If you are reading this and you are interested in following my story a little closer or being about to interact with me about my weigh loss, I have a facebook group. It's called "Erica's weight loss journey" and it's open to the public. I feel like it's my duty to share my story with others and to hopefully help someone else be who they want to be. Thanks for your support and for taking the time to read my story. I will attempt (once again) to post more often but we all know how that goes!!

I'm still alive!!!

2009-07-23T12:36:00.002-04:00

It's been almost an entire year since I have updated my blog. Where does the time go? I'm still knitting and spinning but not near as much as I have in the past. I've been working very hard on finding a balance in my life. It took me a long time to realize that my life was very out of balance. My OCD tendencies tend to throw me full throttle into my latest and greatest project without concern for any other area of my life. Finding a better balance has meant pulling back from my creative endeavors and working on myself along with the mundane life tasks that I often ignored.

What does all that mean? It means that I have finally put myself at the top of my list. If you have followed my blog you know that I have never really taken good care of myself. I've tried in the past to lose weight and was successful for a period of time but could never keep a strong enough hold on it. I finally got to the point where I was fed up with myself and I took action.

I began back in February on the 9th. I weighed 252 pounds at that time... I'm only 5'4". First I eliminated all beverages other than water and milk. I started keeping track of all of my calories using a great free app on my iPhone called Lose It! It let me put in my starting weight and my goal weight and how many pounds a week I wanted to lose. It then gave me a daily calorie amount. It also let me enter in my activity and how many calories I burned.

For activity I started by using a workout DVD called Walk Away the Pounds. It's a walking based program that is challenging but not too difficult. I also used a pedometer and tried to add as many steps into my day as I could with 10,000 being my ultimate goal. Little by little I added other activities in like elliptical, tennis, walking outside, dance aerobic videos and more. I can clearly remember the day that I experienced my first endorphin rush from exercise... I was on the elliptical and it was at about 7 minutes. It was an amazing feeling!

My goal is to lose 100 pounds and then reevaluate. I haven't weighed 150 in quite some time so I don't even know what that will look like. In the 22 weeks that I have been working on this I have lost 50 pounds! I've gone from at size 24W to a size 16 and I have found myself feeling stronger and really sticking up for myself. It's been an amazing journey so far and I can't wait to keep moving forward!!

So, obviously today's post isn't really fiber related but it's a story that I wanted to share. I've gotten such great support from all of my friends and family, it's so appreciated. My goal is to post more often and to share this journey with all of you! Thanks for letting me share:-)

My ETSY Store is OPEN!

2008-08-13T13:14:00.002-04:00

Never Ending Designs is officially open for business!

As previously blogged I have become a fiber spinning fanatic! I'm spinning more than I could possibly knit and decided it was time to share my creativity with the world. I'm also using my store to destash some items that I don't have time to use anymore. I will be adding items on a regular basis... I've got about 20 skeins of yarn already spun and I spin practically on a daily basis.

I've added a mini store to my sidebar here so that you can quickly see what is new. I hope that you will take the time to visit and add me to your favorites so that you can come back often!

You spin me right round baby right round!

2008-07-02T22:10:00.003-04:00

I have rekindled a love affair with my Ashford Joy spinning wheel. I don't know what made me put it away but now that it's out, it's out forever! I have been super busy and have some beautiful yarn to prove it. I'm going to a knit & spin night at a local restaurant and it's so inspiring to see what everyone else is doing. Here are some photos of my handspun...

This was hand dyed by me (yay!) I seriously love it. I'm calling it "An Affair to Remember" and my DH is jealous! It was purchased at Marr Haven and was a 60ct Champagne colored merino.

This is merino and mohair. It was a batt and was a dream to spin. This also came from Marr Haven!

This is superwash merino that I got from Jenna. I believe she purchased it from an etsy store. It spun up very well but the ends were cut, like with scissors. Weird.

More merino that was very spin able. More fiber from Marr Haven.

Purchased this through Copperpot Woolies. I was envisioning something very different but I think this is good to. I call it "I Miss the 70's."

This is a small amount of baby alpaca that I mistakenly spun up in the wrong direction. I did a center pull ball and plied from that. I don't recommend it. I'm not entirely sure where this fiber came from. I ended up with two 8oz packages of it. One white and one this color.

This is also from Copperpot Woolies and I love it.

This is from Marr Haven. It was merino and silk and absolutely unbelievable to spin.

I've had this for quite some time. It's Blue Faced Leicester and there is just nothing like it. I basically learned to spin with this and I fell in love. I purchased this a couple of years ago at Friends of Wool.

This is also from Marr Haven. It's more merino! Equally loved.

This is only a part of what I've done. I will post more pics soon. I plan to dye some more roving and I've bought some Cascade 220 that is white in a worsted weight to do some other experimenting. If you don't spin... you should!

Geo caching

2008-05-02T22:30:00.004-04:00

I am not an outdoor type of person. Really it's the heat that I don't care for. I love fall and spring when it's cooler and winter has always been my favorite season. Anyway, last year after purchasing a GPS I ran across this website. I thought it sounded interesting so as a family we gave it a try and we've been going strong ever since.

Basically Geo caching is a high tech treasure hunt. You are given a set of coordinates and then you go out and try to find whatever is hidden. It can be as small as a film canister up to the size of an ammo box. Sometimes it's a Virtual Cache where you simple go to a location and answer some questions or take a photo. They are hidden everywhere. Once you start looking for them you will be amazed that you never knew they were there. I will warn you... Geo caching is very addictive! Once you start you will be hooked.

Here are some photos of places that we have visited as a result of our caching...

Whenever we are going somewhere we always look and see what Geo Caches are in the area that we could visit. The kids love it and it gets us out, sometimes even in nature. I'd love to hear from others that like Geo Caching and I wouldn't mind helping anyone that is interested!

Snaps 101

2008-03-27T20:05:00.003-04:00

Recently I completed a couple of Baby Surprise Jackets that were designed by Elizabeth Zimmermann. It's this awesome pattern done all in garter stitch, knitted flat and then magically transformed into the most adorable sweater with minimal sewing involved. The pattern calls for buttons and in fact, instructs you to make button holes on BOTH sides of the sweater so that you can place the buttons on the correct size after you know the sex of the baby. (Can you say, Run on sentence?) Anyhoo, I was spending alot of time searching for buttons and struggled with finding ones I liked. I wanted buttons with shanks but the selection was kind of blah. Someone suggested using a small clear button sewn on under a regular button, kind of acting as a shank but still allowing the sweater to be buttoned easily. I liked the idea but I was nervous about the choking hazard that buttons posed. I opted to go with snaps.

I had never used snaps, well I've used them, but I've never "installed" them. I went to my local Joann's. Um, not so easy to pick out snaps. The issue I ran into was that there are quite a few different snaps and most require a specific tool to install. So for me, I picked out 3 different types of snaps and needed three different tools.

This is one of the sweaters that I used buttons on. I chose these particular buttons because they reminded me of the rivets on jeans. They just seems to go well with the colorway.

The pattern itself calls for button holes that are made by doing YO, K2tog. Instead of doing that I substituted 2 purl stitches. They didn't change my stitch count and left no holes but by doing them on both sides of the sweater I was able to easily place my snaps. If you need to see a close up of any of these photos you can simply click on them.

These are the parts of the snap that will be on the public side of the sweater. This is the top of the snap, the bottom part of the snap, and two interchangeable pieces that fit into the clear plastic holder.

The set of tools come with instructions that not so helpfully label the snap parts a,b,c and d. It then labels the interchangeable tools A,B,C and D. The clear plastic "holder" is labeled F. It took me a few minutes to figure out what was what.

This is a picture of tool A installed into tool F. This is the piece that will hold your snap front. The smooth part that is on the public side of the sweater.

This is a picture of tool B installed into tool F. They both fit in well, if not snug. I had to use a something to push them back out... I used a fork;-)

Below is snap part 'a' sitting on tool A in tool F. It's somewhat comical, don't be scared! This part in simply sitting in the mold.

Now you can see snap part 'b' attached to tool B. This is actually fitted on. It has some room to wiggle and I tried to center it as much as possible because I'm a perfectionist.

The most important thing to keep in mind at this point is that the public side of this snap is on the bottom of tool F. You MUST place your fabric on top of the tool with the front facing downward. That means that you will be looking at the back of your work while installing your snaps. Take a minute to double and triple check at this point. Don't rush and be careful on EACH of your snaps. Remember the two purl stitches that I used instead of making a button hole? I placed the shaft of the snap in between those two stitches. If you look very closely you can see the shaft.

Here you can see tool F closed down over my fabric. Again, take your time and make sure you are working on the correct side. There is NO GOING BACK with these snaps!

Working on a hard and durable surface, wearing safety glasses (you only have two eyes), strike the surface of tool F a couple of times with fairly good force. When you open up tool F the front part of the snap will be free but you may need to work the back side loose.

Now we move onto the back portion of the snap. This is the part of the snap that is the receptacle of the snap, so to speak. These are the parts and tools that I used. For this we are using tool F along with tools C & D and snap parts c & d.

This is tool D nested into tool F. This piece has a clear rubberized ring around it that will actually hold snap part d in place.

Here we have tool C.

This is tool D with snap part d placed into it.

At this point you will need to place your fabric on snap part d. Again you are using those purl stitches for guidance. In this photo you can easily see the shaft of snap part d. You will have the right side of the fabric face up for this part. If you take a minute to look at the way you want your sweater to close this should make sense.

Snap part 'c' will be placed on top of your fabric over the shaft of snap part 'd'.

You will then lower tool F down, nesting tool C to snap part 'c'.

Once again you will be striking tool F... safety glasses and firm surface warnings given.

Ta-Da! Here are the snaps as shown from the front of my Baby Surprise Jacket!

Now here are some things to consider...

1. I used Mini Anorak Snaps (15/32") along with the appropriate tool.
2. I believe these snaps to be permanent.
3. The snaps will be tight at first. I'm sure they will loosen up over time. Because I'm just not that patient I used a piece of wax paper. I closed my snaps with the wax paper in between a couple of times. It really helped.
4. I don't think that the snaps should be opened by simply yanking on the sweater. You will still want to ease them open. All you need to do once they are loose is to use the tip of your finger between the snaps and they should pop open fairly easy.

So there you have it. I hope that this tutorial will help someone to jump into the world of snaps. I'm here to help if you have other questions. I will be posting another tutorial on a different type of snap soon so keep checking in!

What have I been working on????

2008-03-27T19:39:00.003-04:00

This year has been full of knitting. In fact, so much knitting that I am doing little else. I seem to knit every free second that I have. These are some of the projects that I have completed this year...

These are my Fetchings.
Quick easy knit:-)

Another Booga Bag!
Have made several, love them all!!!

Found this pattern on Ravelry!

I've made 5 of these Baby Surprise Jackets in a month, totally addictive! Pattern available in The Opinionated Knitter by Elizabeth Zimmermann.

On the next two jackets I used snaps instead of buttons. Loved the results!

My First Real Sweater!!!!!

2008-02-05T22:15:00.000-05:00

Ok, I've done an Einstein Coat and I've finished some of my DH's sweaters but this is MY very first sweater. I am especially happy with this one because...

#1. I knit from stash yarn:-)
#2. It was virtually seemless!
#3. I did Kitchener Stitch and didn't have a panic attack.
#4. I only had to redo my neck cast-off once.
#5. Even though my guage didn't match my swatch it still fit.

Now I could go on and on and on but I won't. I think part of the reason I've not really wanted to do sweaters was the time commitment. I tend to get sidetracked and lose interest in long projects. I made this one for my son so it was relatively small. I started it on a Wednesday night and finished in the next Tuesday evening. Less than a week and I am now my son's hero! Problem is that I'm afraid to let him wear it. He tends to unravel hats that I make for him:-( I guess I made it to be worn but it's like my baby and I'm having a hard time letting go.

This is a pattern that came out of the book The Sweater Workshop and I will knit this again. The cool thing about this pattern is the lack of actual pattern. I can do whatever I want designwise.

Here are some photos of my sweater throughout the process...

Let me know what you all think. I'm curious as to whether other knitters out there would block this sweater or not. Have a great night!

Sweater Sampler!!!

2008-01-30T15:55:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's true! I've completed my Sweater Sampler from The Sweater Workshop.

Upon completion I immediately fell in love with it. It's so awesome. I'd like to wear it but can't figure out a way. I tried it on as a legging and it not work so well. I still need to find two buttons for it to truely be complete but that doesn't diminish my love. My favorite parts were the icord cast-off, initialed hem and the afterthought pocket.

OMG, how frightening to cut a stitch and begin unraveling to make this perfect little pocket. It took me at least 30 minutes just to find the nerve. As for my brain fart yesterday on the lace cast-off. DUH! Common sence should have told me that a YO2 is simply two yarn overs. I think the written directions were what was throwing me off. The text basically tells you how to do a single YO. My excuse? Well, in my defence I was sick (and tired) and aparently brain dead. I actually figured it out in a dream... that's where I work out a lot of knitting issues. Being a self-taught knitter with a deep stubborn streak (read: won't ask for help) I sometimes stummble but I never fail to get going again!

I know I sound like a broken record (or should I say a skipping cd or maybe a corrupted iPod) but you really should try this sampler. This is a great project and will build your confidence in ways that you will not believe. Go ahead, go out and get a copy... I'll wait;-)

I'm back, yet again!

2008-01-29T15:13:00.000-05:00

It's been a long time once again. I've been on a knitting/spinning hiatus but I'm back, baby! Currently working on way too many projects. I've actaully knitted 8 pairs of Felted Clogs using a Fiber Trends pattern. I have 7 pairs felted but need to do the last pair. They have all been done this month. I had no intention of doing so many but one thing led to another and the rest is knitting history. For those of you that have not knitted this pattern, the slippers start out HUGE and then felt down to a normal size. It's not a difficult pattern but you do have to pay attention, something that is not always easy to do.

Other projects that I am working on include a Sweater Sampler from Jacqueline Fee's book The Sweater Workshop. I've learned so much from this project. I'm almost done with my sampler but having issues with the lace cast off edging. I'm not sure how to do the YO2's. I'm currently mulling it over and will try again tonight. I am home sick today so heavy duty knitting is a little hard to fathom.

I'm also working on a prayer shawl for my Aunt, a lacy corset,

an Einstein Coat for Mitchell and I need to pull out Lindy's sweater and see where I am with that. I would love to find time to spin but I need to take this one thing at a time. I can become scattered or I can go totally OCD. Either way it isn't the best situation.

I visited ThreadBear on the 18th with my DH. I love that shop. When we walked in we were recognized even though we hadn't been there since March of 2005. Not only did they remember us but they even remembered what we had been working on. Now it is possible that they simply looked us up in the computer or maybe they have some sort of cool facial recognition software program but I'm going to call is awesome customer service. On top of that, this week we received a card in the mail. It was from our friends at ThreadBear and it contained a nice little gift certificate! Isn't that sweet? I'll say it again, I love ThreadBear! Even without the gift certificate I would love you guys!!! Thanks for being the best:-)

So, have you heard of Ravelry?? I've recently joined and I love it. It helps to keep me organized and motivated. You can find me here if you are interested!

Until we meet again!

Hello again!

2007-08-07T09:48:00.000-04:00

I know it's been forever since I have posted. Wow, time have flown. I can't even begin to catch you up... in a nutshell, life happened. I've been enjoying yet another new hobby and I thought I would share it with you all. These are some of my favorite shots, let me know what you think!

Confusion

2006-11-29T08:16:00.000-05:00

This past week has been crazy. The most significant event was a Funeral that I attended on Monday. Who's funeral, you ask? Well... that is a long story. You see, the woman who was laid to rest was technically my Grandmother, Alice. I say technically because I didn't really know her. We actually met for the first time when I was 18. That was literally 1/2 a lifetime ago.

I maybe saw her one other time in these last 18 years. I think the only reason I wanted to meet her to begin with was that I had lost my Grandfather the year before. I felt like I had this other set of grandparents out there and I was missing out. The only problem with meeting her was that she wanted me to meet my "father" as well.

My "father" walked away from my mom before I was even born. I didn't know about him till I was in my early teens. My mom did meet a man right after I was born and she married him 4 months later. They've been married ever since and that is who I consider my dad. In some ways I am closer to my dad than my mom. Don't get me wrong, we've had our differences and the teen years were a nightmare. Today I consider him a friend.

I did stay in contact with my biological father for a while after meeting him back then. I don't remember a lot about it now. Their family was always excited about finding me, the long lost daughter/granddaughter/niece. It never felt right. It just didn't fit. The end came when I became pregnant with my oldest DS. My "father" was thrilled that he was going to be a "grandfather." That was the end for me. I just couldn't live with it. How could a man that was never a father become a grandfather to my child? It didn't seem fair to the man that had raised me as if I were his very own.

So fast forward to Monday. I've not really seen or heard from anyone in the family for 15 years. I'm debating whether I should even go to the funeral. I'm scared and nervous and literally sick to my stomach trying to make this decision. My dad was going to go with me but at the last minute decided not to. He didn't feel it was his place and I understand that. He thought I should go but if I didn't that was okay too. He would stand by my decision and support me. I'm not sure what I did to deserve him but I know that I am truly blessed!

I went, of course. There are some funerals that you just know you will someday regret not attending and this would most likely be one of them. I arrived at the very last minute and went straight to the back of the room. Just from the funeral standpoint it was hard. I have been through so many funerals lately and still struggle with depression because of it. Not to mention that in the last 20 years, the funeral home that I went to has not changed one iota. They still have the exact same furniture, the same everything. Then there's that smell. Anyway, I digress.

I received a lot of comfort from the funeral. Not only comfort from the pain I felt that day but comfort from the extreme pain that I still carried from the last funeral I attended. I think I was in a better place that day and more open to receive the message. When Alice's son spoke, I learned more about her in 10 minutes than I had ever known. It was a good thing.

After the funeral there would be a graveside service. I had not intended to go but decided at the last minute to. At this point no one knew who I was. I also didn't think that my "father" was there. It felt safe. I went to the cemetery and probably would have just walked away but my "uncle" came up to me and asked who I was. Now I know I could have lied or maybe not really answered but I did. The response was overwhelming. The phrase, "out of the frying pan and into the fire" comes to mind. There was no turning back now.

I was probably okay until my "aunt" came up and asked if my "father" had spoken to me. I said, "No, but that's okay, he doesn't have to." I got the feeling that she is the type of person that you don't say "NO" to. Now, just her asking that question was enough to make me burst into tears.

My emotions drive me crazy some times. I'm happy... I cry, I'm sad... I cry, I'm angry... I cry, I hate crying but it's my blanket response to just about anything. The only thing I have ever found that helped with that was Prozac, but that's another post for another day.

Seeing my "father" like that was so awkward. It was like meeting a stranger but being expected to love that stranger. Neither of us were comfortable. What do you say? You say those polite generalities that you would say to a stranger. You ask, " So, how have you been?" Obviously he isn't great... he just buried his mother who had had a massive stroke a couple of weeks before. The only thing that saved us was getting to his car. His wife was there, a very sweet woman, and his sons... my brothers. That was the best part of this entire day. Seeing my brothers.

What you may not be able to pick up on as I'm writing out this ridiculously long story is that I feel guilty. I have massive guilt over this whole situation. Back in '89 I let this family into my life and then one day decided that it didn't work for me. My brothers were 10 & 5 when I met them and I shut them out too. I've lived all these years with this in the back of my mind, always haunting me. I feel like I did this terrible thing that I can never change. The biggest question today is... now what?

I ended up spending 1 to 2 hours with this family. It was overwhelming, still awkward at times but comfortable all at the same time. My brothers were great. I saw my boys in them and even myself. They did some family pictures and wanted me to join in but I just couldn't do it. It wasn't right. It would have felt like a lie. I think I was afraid that by joining in I would be saying that I wanted to be a part of that family. Honestly, I don't know what I want.

These last couple of days all I can think about is what I want to do. I have kids that don't know anything about this. As far as they are concerned, my dad is there grandfather. Can you even begin to explain something like this to 6 year olds. My husband is struggling with it as well. I feel like this is my decision but it's not. This is a decision that I need to work through with my husband. I know that I don't need another dad. How do you tell someone they can be in your life but only "this much?" Do I even have control of this?

I know that writing this out on my blog seems crazy but it does help. I feel like I'm talking with an old friend. I don't know that anyone actually reads this other than Kimberly so it also feels safe to share. Judge me if you want. There is nothing that you can think of me that I haven't already thought of myself. Thanks for listening.

Am I knitting???

2006-11-16T15:00:00.000-05:00

Yes, I am! Thought I would do a quick post on the subject of knitting. I mean, this is, afterall a fiber blog, right? I've been working on several things in my absence and I will share one of them with you today.

This is Joshua in his Einstein Coat! It's an awesome pattern from Sally Melville in her Knit Stich book. As you might have guessed, Joshua's favorite color is orange. This was knit in Brown Sheep Bulky and was super quick to knit up. My only problem was the sleeves. If I read the pattern right it makes the sleeves way too tight. Chances are I screwed up. I'm currently working on another one in green for Mitchell so I will make adjustments.

Taking STEPS to get HEALTHY

2006-11-16T13:09:00.000-05:00

Today's subject follows along with the what I've learned while I've been away. It's taken me a LONG, long time but I've finally decided that my health is important. I've also figured out that I got to do the work to see the results. Now don't get me wrong. I've always known what I needed to do. I've researched it, I've bought equipment, read books, thought it through, formulated a plan and then... sat down on the couch and watched TV. I've even started watching The Biggest Loser on NBC for motivation. What did I do while watching? Sit on the couch and munch on junk. Here I am with tears in my eyes, feeling their pain but still not able to get up and DO anything.

I'll be honest, I was beginning to feel like it was too late. You know, the damage is already done, what difference can it make at this point. Last week my dad even told me that the only way I was going to lose weight was if I had surgery. Not exactly motivating. I let myself completely fall apart over it. Didn't help that I was totally PMSing. So, what did I do? Well, I turned to my best friend, who, by the way is my husband:-)

We discussed the situation. My way of dealing with any situation is usually humor and sarcasm. I joke that my DH and I are the 2k version of Dan and Rosanne Connor. Somehow when I can make everyone laugh with me it helps. Anyway, we had watched an episode of Oprah that had Dr. Oz on it. We had also Tivo'd a Discovery Health Special with Dr. Oz and we decided that maybe it was time to do this... together. The question was where do you start? I mean when you aren't doing anything it's hard to know what to do.

I'm only a week and a half into my LIFESTYLE CHANGE but I feel better. We didn't go crazy and try to make drastic overnight changes but we are taking it day by day. The big thing that we did was go out and get pedometers. We chose the pedometers that were on the Oprah special because they were highly rated and you could carry them in your pocket or even a purse. I've had problems in the past with pedometers that have to be worn on the waist for the obvious fact that my waist is missing. The only place locally that we could find them was at CVS Pharmacy. Not exactly local but we didn't want to wait to order it online. I don't know about you but any hesitation usually result in no action being taken. You probably want to know what kind we got, right???? It's the Omron Walking Style Pedometer HJ-112. If my opinion matters I highly recommend it!

I've been wearing my pedometer all day since we got them. Well, that's not true. I didn't wear in Sunday at all. I didn't even get dressed that day. Obviously I need to work on that. Anyhoo, I'm working on adding steps into my day. For health they say you should have 6,000 steps a day. For weight loss your should have 10,000. It was kind of scary to see how few steps I actually took. Actually it was eye-opening.

There are countless ways to add steps to your day and I'm doing better. The best way is do actually take the time to go on a walk. Now, I am a big girl. I don't see myself as huge but I probably am. I'm 5'3" and when I started this I weighed 255 pounds. It's considered morbidly obese. There really isn't a way to sugarcoat it. My biological grandmother has diabetes and just suffered a massive stroke on Saturday. My Grandmother that passed away last year also had diabetes and other heart related issues. I'm not in a good place physically at all. For me to get out and walk is hard. I have a lot of pain and to be honest I'm probably self-conscious. Why I care what people think I couldn't tell you.

So anyway, I could go on and on about this. My point is that I figured out a way to get more steps into my life and after these last few days I got up the nerve to get out in my neighborhood and walk. I actually walked the whole subdivision and though I can't tell you how far that is I can share my results...

Now this shows my aerobic steps that I have accumulated today. I had already done 40 minutes of walking at home before this. I'll tell you my secret to walking at home without a treadmill another day.

This is my actual total, so far, for today. Not bad for the time of day. My goal for the whole day is 10,000!!!

I'm very happy with what I'm doing. I've lost 2.5 pounds so far and feel 100% better. I still need to work on my eating habits but it's a great start. The most awesome result is that I'm seeing a much quicker recovery from physical activity. I'll take it day by day and hopefully when winter is over I'll emerge a different, healthier person. Wish me luck!

Time is fleeting

2006-11-13T14:52:00.000-05:00

I have been away for so long. It amazes me how quickly the days fly by. In all honesty I was avoiding you. Not "YOU" personally but you as in the blog. I needed time for myself. Time to heal and time to grieve. Losing my best friend was a lot harder than I thought it would be. That's not entirely true. I always knew it would be hard I just never thought it would really happen. It did happen and I learned a lot from it.

Time is fleeting ~ there is no guarantee that tomorrow will ever come.
Say the things that need to be said ~ I'll explain this one more later.
Take care of yourself ~ God only gives us this one body to last for this entire life, when it gives out... Game Over.
Spend time with the ones you love ~ In the end the only thing that really matters are the relationships we built and the memories that we leave behind.
Find enjoyment in the little things ~ If we wait for something big to happen for us to be really happy that something big may never come.
Believe that there is something beyond this life ~ Have faith and even when you find yourself deep in a spiritual crisis, continue to hold onto that faith.
Count your blessings every day ~ Not just your major blessings but all the little ones that that make life worth living.
NEVER GIVE UP ~ Take it one day at a time, one minute at a time if you have to. Just keep going and never stop. If you fall, pick yourself back up and keep moving forward.

That is not a complete list of all the things that I feel like I've learned but it's a start. So what? Well, hopefully I take these lessons and change my life. I'm 36 and something needs to change. My boys are 6, 6 and 14. I want to be there to see them all graduate from High School and move on to the wherever life takes them. I have to take action to change the path that I am currently on.

As for #2. I feel like I make an effort to say the things that need to be said but I know I could improve. While watching TV the other night about Ed Bradly, the newscaster from CBS that was on 60 minutes and passed away, my son Joshua said something that made me really step back and think about this. There was a group of reporters that were talking about Ed and Joshua turned to me and asked, "Did that man die?" Joshua hadn't been watching the newscast so it kind of surprised me that he had figured that out. I answered yes and asked him how he knew. Joshua said, "I knew he was dead because those people were saying such nice things about him, the kind of things that we always say about people after they die." So... my question is this... WHY DO WE WAIT UNTIL A PERSON HAS PASSED AWAY TO TELL THEM HOW WONDERFUL THEY REALLY ARE?????

How does one start a movement to get everyone to say the good? I heard about an idea on Rachael Ray to do a TOAST party. It's kind of like a ROAST but instead of telling mean jokes you say nice things and toast the person of honor. Would it change the world? I think we would all feel better knowing that we said the things that needed to be said on that day when you lose the chance to say anymore.

Thanks for listening!

I should be sleepin'

2006-05-03T00:51:00.000-04:00

Do you ever have those nights when you know you should be sound asleep but instead your mind it going like a million miles a second? That is like my every night. I have a constant to do list and a replay of every second of my life going through my head each night when my head hits the pillow. When I do actually fall asleep I usually walk in my sleep so I'm kind of screwed either way.

So you're probably wondering what is on my mind right? I mean if you are still reading my post you must be genuinely curious. The answer is I don't know. I've been thinking about this migrant debate and it bothers me. I'm not sure I'm on a side but it bothers me. I hurt for the people. For the children who have no say in any of it and for everyone involved. Today I noticed a large police presence in an area that is home to a migrant camp not far from where I live. I'm fairly certain they were/did raid it. None of it seems right. We are all humans. It just seems to me that the entire world is spinning out of control. I saw on the news that there were protestors at funerals in like Kentucky or Tennessee and their message was that the soldiers dying in Iraq were because of God's unhappiness with gays and lesbians. I don't even know what to say about that. Again, it hurts me. I am the type of person who cries when I watch the news and lately I'm crying a lot.

Closer to home there is the uncertainty of whether my husband or my mom or anyone for that matter will have a job a year from now. How does one live day to day not feeling any type of security about their financial future. I am for the most part a stay at home mom trying to get a home based business off the ground. I have gone so far as to start a second home based business to supplement the first one. I've got two boys that will be 6 next week and right now I can't do a full time job and afford day care. We've got it better then a lot of people and yet we really struggle. I know that God will provide but there is a constant battle between my head and my heart and for some reason it rages most mightily in the darkest hours. No surprise there, huh?

Is it possible to feel sad and content at the same time? I am such a cornucopia of emotions most of the time and tonight I feel a heavy sense of sadness for the world and for the losses that always seem so close. I sit here thinking about my family and this sigh of contentedness escapes from within me. I have this overwhelming desire to hold them close as though tomorrow may never come.

I was listening to a podcast today and it had to do with memories and how everything is a memory except this very small moment in the present. Obviously you have your dreams of tomorrow but your reality is your past. I'm not sure I'm really making memories that will mean anything to me down the line. I'm not sure how logical that actually sounds. I am a professional procrastinator and I want so much to change. I want my boys to have a treasure chest of memories to look back on with fondness. How does one accomplish that?

Funny how in my attempt to rid my mind of excess thoughts I have instead landed upon a bigger dilemma. I know this is suppose to be a blog about knitting and I rarely talk about it. I apologize. I know some of you will tell me I don't need to and absolutely shouldn't apologize, it is, after all, my blog. Still I hope to pull my life together enough to begin sharing my knitting adventure with all of my loyal readers. Thanks for listening and God Bless!

Easter Tomb Cookies

2006-04-14T08:53:00.000-04:00

This was shared with me and I wanted to pass it along. It's a really good multi-sensory way for kids to understand the Easter Story.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Easter Tomb Cookies
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

INGREDIENTS

Bible
1 c whole pecans
1 tsp. vinegar
3 egg whites
pinch of salt
1 c granulated sugar
1 qt. or gal. size zipper bag
wooden spoon
tape

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Place pecans in ziploc bag and let kids beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, He was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read: John 19:1-3. Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!" And they struck him in the face.

Let each child smell the vinegar. Add teaspoon of vinegar into the mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross He was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30...Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. When he had received the drink,Jesus said,"It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sins. Read Luke 23:27 A large number of people followed Him, including women who mourned and wailed for Him.

So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 cup of sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Psalm 34:8--Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him~and John 3:16--"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life."

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12-15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18--"Come now, let us reason together," says the Lord. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." And John 3:1-3 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him." In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."

Fold in broken nuts.
Line cookie sheet with waxed paper. Drop mixture by spoonfuls onto waxed paper.
Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60 As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.

Place the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66 "Take a guard," Pilate answered. "Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how." So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting a guard.

GO TO BED. Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 "I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, buy your grief will turn to joy." And John 16:22 "So with you~ Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy."

On Easter morning, open the oven and remove the cookies. Take a bite. Notice~the cookies are hollow!

On the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty.

Read Matthew 28:1-9 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; He has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay. Then go quickly and tell His disciples: "He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him. Now I have told you." So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell His disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them, "Greetings," He said. They came to Him, clasped his feet and worshipped Him.
Source

Combined Knitting

2006-03-12T11:06:00.000-05:00

I am a self taught knitter. On February 13, 2004 I simply decided to learn to knit. I bought one of those kits with the fun fur to make a scarf. Fun fur and size 13 needles along with absolutely no idea how to knit do not and I repeat, do not go together. Long story abbreviated I learned to knit using the throwing method which I'm sure has another name that I cannot recall at this time. I hold my yarn in my right hand and "throw" it over my needles. I worked for me.

While learning to knit I tried the continental way of knitting which would be holding my yarn in my left hand. It felt very awkward at first but eventually I was able to knit this way. Purling was another story. I tried and tried and tried but alas I did not succeed. For awhile I would knit continental and purl by throw. It wasn't the best way but for large amounts of stockinette it was fastest.

This past week I've been listening to a lot of podcasts (see earlier post) and I heard Annie Modesitt on KnitCast talking about how she knits different. I caught myself thinking, "Well, how does she knit?" Fast forward to last night and I'm knitting away on a sweater and listening to Knitting News Cast when she starts talking about having the exact same problem I had. Not being able to Purl Continental. When she too mentioned Annie Modesitt I knew it was a sign and I had to investigate. I checked out Annie's website and in minutes I was knitting and purling not continental but by "Combined Knitting."

Now don't get me wrong, it took several rows to get somewhat comfortable and I'm still working on it so that it's second nature. It's basically a row of knit that is knit through the back so that when you purl the stitch is seated on the needle in such a way that the purl stitch is very easy to accomplish. I know my explanation leaves a lot to be decided but if you check out the link to Annie's site it has great animations along with clear pictures. My advice is to give it a try, you might like it, in fact you might love it! Also, thanks so much to Annie Modesitt for sharing! Knitters are so awesome!

I'm back!

2006-03-10T09:37:00.000-05:00

No, I didn't really go anywhere in the physical way but mentally I checked out a couple of months ago and now I have returned! Been busy and feeling very burned out. Still breaking through a haze of depression but I'm going to make it or die trying... that didn't come out right, did it?

Have you ever had so much information that you wanted to share that you just didn't know where to start? So, that's where I am. I will quote the famous Flylady and tell myself, "You are never behind, jump in where you are!"

I am, as I write this, listening to a podcast of Brenda Dayne's Cast On show. You see, I have wanted an iPod for quite some time and finally talked my DH into letting me get one! I could have gone for the most expensive and 30GB capacity with video but I showed amazing self-control and got the 1GB Nano instead. I'm loving it. I've got about 200 songs on it and room to put some podcasts on and it's awesome. But I digress...

Cast on is a knitting podcast. I am probably the last person on earth to discover these but I am hooked. Brenda is from the US originally and not in Wales. She puts together a really nice show with some very interesting music. I caught some of her older podcasts and she had a song by Deirdre Flint called The Bood Fairy. I laughed out loud while listening and then played it later for my DH who also found it funny. Anyway, you can click on Deidre's name and go to her website and listen to the song. I plan to add it to my regular music list on my ipod. What can I say, I sort of like folk music.

ANYWAY, I am really ADHD today... I know what you non-podcasters are thinking, listening to knitting? How does that work? My answer, just listen to one. Brenda is wonderful at painting word pictures and describing her "Sweater of the Week" and you can really visualize it. She deals with all kinds of subjects, all things knitting. You do not have to have an iPod to listen. There are all kinds of podcasts on knitting and every other subject you can imagine. I listen to Cast On, Knitcast, Sixty Second Survivor and my Church podcast for Ridge Point Community Church. These are just my favorites (so far) and I'm still searching. Check them out!

Okay, so I could go on and on but then I'd probably take a couple months off to recover from the burn out. Hopefully I still have some readers and you will have all forgiven me for abandoning you. Life has a way of getting away from me.

On an unrelated to knitting note... I have a personal question. Do you know anyone that is getting married? Maybe you are. Have you registered? I know of a wonderful registry and if you contact me I can give you all the details. Just click on the email me button or leave me a comment and I will contact you. It is a very generous registry where you can actually get up to $200 in free products. If I weren't already married I would totally do this!

So, have a wonderful day! Knit if you can and even if you can't!!!!

Happy New Year!!!!

2006-01-01T22:36:00.000-05:00

Okay, so the day is almost over but the year has just begun. New Year's has always been a downer for me... Why? I have no idea. I'd probably need a psychologist to dive into that. Anyhoo, hope everyone survived the holiday season and enjoys a happy and healthy new year!

BUSY!

2005-12-11T10:53:00.000-05:00

Knitting Content...

I have been so busy. I have knitted my Lucy Bag completely and just need to felt her. Has anyone made this? Are the handles for the tall worsted weight version SUPER long? I was shocked at how much knitting was involved. I could have knitted a sweater for all the stitches that went into it. I used Cascade 220 and though I wasn't impressed at first I fell in love as time went on. It's quite soft. I'll post picks once I have her complete... I need a sunnier day and December in Michigan do not a sunny day make!

Not Knitting Content...

I've been working too. I go in one day a week at my "real" job and deal with mobs of angry elderly americans that are totally confused as to what medicare program to chose. Worst part, we can't legally give them help to amount to anything. If you haven't already guessed I work in a pharmacy and I'm so not in love with my job these days.

On the other hand... I have a NEW JOB!!!! I don't actually consider it a job because I have an awesome time! The money has been incredible and I have made so many new friends. I'm able to be creative in a whole new way and I seriously am thrilled. Last month I got a "bonus" worth $143 and this month I will get one "bonus" worth $141 and I'm working on getting an additional $175! So, are you wondering what I am doing? I am selling quality kitchen tools and teaching classes in the home to help make meal preparation and mealtime an enjoyable family experience. I am a new Pampered Chef Kitchen Consultant! I just could not keep that in any longer. I know I am not allowed to have a site dedicated to pampered chef but since this site is for knitting and my life I had to share this wonderful experience.

I've done a couple of home based businesses in the past and had fairly good success but nothing like this. It's mind blowing. I work 4 hours a week at my "real job" and bring home like $40. I could work a little more but it's a stressful job that sucks the joy right out of me. Last month I had two shows and got a commission check for a little over $250. This month after my two kitchen show, a few individual orders and a catalog show I'm hoping to be at about $440. That's obviously not taxed and I do have some expenses to cover but for a few hours a show and a totally enjoyable experience I am very happy with that extra money. Some of you may think it's tacky to talk so openly about money but I wish someone would have told me about this long ago.

Not to bore you to death with the details of my life I will ask a favor and then go quietly into my day. If anyone is interested in PC let me know. I won't be talking about it like this again because I am unsure what I can and cannot say. You can check out the catalog on my other site and maybe get some ideas for Christmas. I'm so close to my goal for this month but would appreciate any help I can get!

Knitting progress...

2005-11-30T15:11:00.000-05:00

I've been working as much as possible trying to comeplete as many hats and mittens for our Church to send to Turkey. It's been a super busy month so I didn't get as much done as I had hoped. Oh well, it's not like I can go back in time to change it so I must move on. I was able to complete 6 hats and 2 pairs of mittens. I'm including a couple of pictures of my creations.

Is it just me or do you get really attached to the projects that you do. It's like a knit a part of myself into everything that I make and then send it out into the world. You just never know who may be affected by what we have created. It humbles me to even think about it. I thank God for the many gifts the He has given me:-)

Hats, Scarves & Mittens, oh my!

2005-10-30T20:46:00.000-05:00

I just received an email from the woman that I help to run our Church knitting group. A team of people just returned from Turkey recently where they visited a school of children that had NO winter clothes. The group is going to buy the kids each a coat and they asked if we would be able to knit them each a hat, scarf and mittens. They need to be done by December 1 to be mailed.

There aren't many of us in our knitting group so I'm a little nervous. Add to that the fact that my pinky and ring finger on my left hand have been numb for most of today and my back is in spasms in between my shoulder blades. The spasms aren't new, been down this road before but the numbness... That's a different story. I have had numbness at night for YEARS but NEVER during the day. Who knows. I just hope it doesn't keep me from knitting.

I'm trying to find a good (read easy) pattern for a set of all three. I'll keep looking and hopefully there is something out there. Send good wishes my way and hopefully I can help make a difference.

Knitting Projects...

2005-10-29T23:00:00.000-04:00

I have been knitting. It's hard to find time lately but I know I'm much more relaxed when I knit then when I don't. I was suppose to have a class today but it was cancelled. Kind of a bummer but life goes on, right?

This is the stocking, not quite finished. I have to be in just the right mood to do the Kitchener stitch, ya know?

I used Reynolds Lopi and really enjoyed the project. I'm not usually one to add a lot of color so it was interesting for me. The pattern called for the "leg" to be knit flat and then begin knitting in the round just before the heel flap. I didn't see the point so I just did the whole thing on DPNs. You get the funny little jog at color changes but it's not really noticalbe. All in all I'm happy with it and considering doing some for Christmas gifts.

I've also been doing mittens. I am suppose to do a class and I thought I should get a little more experience. This is the pair that I did with two strands of mohair, 1 strand of a loopy type mohair and another novelty.

It's hard to see the different yarns from the picture but I do like how they turned out. These were knit flat and then sewn. The pattern says "one size fits all" but I think NOT! I had to add 4 extra rows durning decreases and probably could have done a couple more. I'm not crazy about the seam on the inside and at the thumb. May have to modify this for knitting in the round.

My last mitten is still without a partner. I did like this pattern but I'm trying to decide on the color. Can you say, "SANTA?"

For this one I had to put the thumb stitches on waste yarn and then later pull it out and pick up the stitches. I'm sure that's the normal way to do it but I have not done it. Little scary. Easier than I thought. Hard to not have holes even with a couple of extra stitches picked up. In the end I used my beginning tail to do some cosmetic surgery and all was well.

I just plain suck...

2005-10-21T14:38:00.000-04:00

Yes, that's right, I said it... I'm terrible. I have thought about writing a hundred times in the last month but yet I haven't. So here we are again. Me apologizing for not posting and you saying, "Whatever!" I make no promises but I will try to do better, again.

The last month has been busy to say the least. I've been getting some samples knit up for classes at my LYS and just finished a sock class today. I've got a Christmas Stocking class starting next weekend with one person signed up. I'm not sure about this teaching thing, I'm pretty good at one on one but get kind of thrown off in groups. I'm thinking that with practice it will get easier so I'll stick with it and hope for the best.

So, I know this isn't much but time is running out. I'll check back in later. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

*Never Ending Yarn*