A little ambitious, aren't we?

So, I've been eyeing this shawl for awhile now, and I finally caved yesterday and purchased the pdf. It's the Maplewing Shawl by Anne Hanson (Ravel it) and I am absolutely in love.

Considering that I have about a bazillion projects on the needles right now (including at least one shawl), it doesn't make much sense that I will be casting on for this tonight. But, I've never proclaimed to make much sense and I hardly think that I should start curbing my knitting ADD now. I'm sure this will take all winter to finish, but I'm confident it will be one of those projects that will feel so good to finish and show off. I say that now...

However, I don't think I want to knit this in the laceweight yarn for which the pattern calls. In the spirit of destashing, I have decided on using Malabrigo Sock in Tiziano Red that I purchased awhile back with no known intentions for it at the time. I think it will fit the autumnal feel of the Maplewing Shawl just perfectly. Don't you?

Back to Normal

Whew! Just yesterday I put my parents on the ferry for their loooonnngggg trip back to Ohio. They stayed with us for 9 days and I was surprised at how quickly the time flew by. I'll admit that I was very nervous for them to stay with us, as our house is rather tiny and some days it feels too small for even Jeff and I. Also, I was nervous because they've never met Jeff and, after nearly three years of dating, that's an awful lot of pressure and anticipation that has built up. Of course, I don't know what I was afraid of, because I happen to think that Jeff is just about the best guy on the planet and I'm happy to report that my mom and dad think so too.

Here are some snippets from their time here:

My dad outside the Yukon Transportation Museum, checking out the DC-3 on display. The Transportation Museum chronicles the history of transportation in Yukon and surrounding areas and it's pretty interesting. Needless to say, I think this was my dad's favorite spot.

A shot of my mom and dad along the Haines Highway. It's widely considered one of the most beautiful and scenic highways in the world, however the weekend that we drove it the pass was pretty much socked in so there wasn't a lot of sightseeing to be had.
My dad was SO happy that I arranged a ride in the engines for him. I think he fell asleep smiling that night.
My mom, dad, and Jeff checking out the Haines boat harbor as we waited for our ferry ride back to Skagway.

Of course, because I was busy with visitors I have no new knitting to report. I am still working on my simple shawl as well as numerous stealth projects. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be making the deadlines for those projects as I had hoped, but I'll be forging ahead nevertheless and we'll see what comes of them all.

A very long-term project

There's a project I've been working on for quite some time. Actually, when I think about it, I've been working on it my entire adult life.

As far back as I can remember I have struggled with my weight. This struggle has become so familiar to me that it is deeply entrenched in my psyche. It affects the way I view the world and, consequently, the way the world views me. The outlook for my entire day is dependent completely upon how I feel about myself first thing in the morning. If I don't feel okay about myself, which I usually don't, then my attitude is not the best and I'm sure I'm not always a joy to be around.

Now, I'm sure you're saying to yourself that you also suffer from bouts of self-doubt. I'm sure there are many women out there who feel the same way. However, in the last couple years I have reached new lows in the self-esteem arena and it's gotten to the point where I am forced to do something about it.

What has happened in the last couple years, you ask? Well, a lot.

I got my first boyfriend, which at 28 I was forced to navigate new emotional situations that most people learn about in their teens. Having gotten through most of my twenties single, it was quite the adjustment to have someone in my life. Of course, it's nearly three years later and I wouldn't trade him for the world. That part of my life has all been worth it.

But I also got a promotion two years ago and was thrust into an entirely new realm of the company for which I work. My job is very stressful for 6 months out of the year and the rest of the year it's only moderately so. However, that stress has all taken its toll on me for sure.

When I changed jobs, I also went from being on my feet all day and walking around a lot to sitting on my butt for the duration of my workday. Also, around that same time I fell and hurt my knee pretty badly, preventing me from working out even if I had had the time.

So, what does that all add up to? Well, without divulging exact numbers, it equals approximately 70 additional pounds on my body that has crept on over the last 32 months. That's about 2.2 pounds gained per month...when you put it that way, it doesn't sound THAT bad. But, trust me, you wouldn't want all this hanging around. I'm about 5'11" so I can hide some of it, but the muffin top doesn't lie. It's gotten pretty bad.

Those 70 pounds came as a result of some major emotional eating. The new relationship, the new job, and the abrupt decrease in activity all came together to form the perfect storm for the pounds to pack on. Some people drink or do drugs to cope with stressful situations, but I've never had a taste for either of those. Nope, when things go south, I eat. And knit. (But not at the same time, because no one wants crumbs in their scarf.)

So, what does all this mean for my future? It means I've got some major renovations to do. I've probably lost and gained several hundred pounds in my lifetime. But what I've come to realize in the last few months is that the older I get, the harder it is to lose it. Gone are the days when I could place ridiculous expectations on myself and actually attain those goals. (Lose 50 pounds in a month? No problem!) I've come to realize that these days this is going to have to be a slow, methodical process.

So, in stark contrast to how I normally internalize everything, I'm choosing to say out loud that I am committing myself to losing 115 pounds over the course of the next 2 years. What?! 115 pounds? Yes, you heard me correctly. 115 pounds. Gone. History. Never to be seen on this ass again.

I know for a fact that this won't be easy, but I'm ready. You hear that? I'M SO READY.

This will more than likely mean that I'll have to cut back on my knitting time. (Although I have read that knitting burns about 100 calories per hour, that's just not going to cut it.) It's back to working out for me. It will hurt and it will completely suck for the first few days, but once I get through that, it will get a little better each day.

What does all this mean for you? It means that in addition to hearing about my knitting adventures, you'll also get updated on my progress. Lucky you!

Now, on to our regularly scheduled programming...

Speaking of long-term projects, take a look at this gem. It's the Simple Shawl from a few weeks back, but it's definitely grown quite a bit since then.

I'm still in love with the colors, but knitting a large shawl with sock yarn is driving me a bit batty. However, the end is in sight! I am nearly to the end of the second skein of Misti Sock and I'm going to assess the situation then. I'm thinking it's going to grow a helluva lot when I block it, so it just may be big enough. But, if not, I've always got that partial third skein just in case.

I'm hoping to have it done by the time the fall rolls around. I can just picture myself all wrapped up in it while taking a walk in the misty October mornings. Mmmmm.....

Flattery at its finest

There's nothing quite like receiving a compliment. And even better when that compliment comes from a fellow fiber artist. And what's even better than that? When the person lavishing praise is a friend.

My friend, Allyson, recently started a quilting blog. She's wicked funny and talented, two essential ingredients for a successful blog. (Yes, yes, I'm still working on possessing at least one of those things.) She does amazing things with material and a sewing machine. I can barely sew a seam while she can produce works of art.

On her blog this evening, Allyson gave me a very nice shout-out. I'm flattered and humbled, so I thought I'd return the favor.

To say that Allyson is quite the quilter is an understatement. She is amazing at what she does. Not only that, but we also happen to share the coolest name on the planet. (I'm of the opinion that her name is spelled incorrectly, but we won't mention that right now.)

She also happens to have the patience of a saint. She once waited almost three years for me to finish making her a scarf. But I did finally finish it. I'm still waiting on my quilt. Hint hint.

If you're so inclined, you should visit her quilting blog here. I have to warn you, she's really funny. And her cats are really cute.

Words I never thought I'd utter...

...I'm enjoying knitting socks!

For whatever reason, since the dawn of my knitting career I have been absolutely and completely against even the thought of knitting socks. Maybe it's the fact that I don't want to spend a lot time on something that will then get worn on an appendage that naturally comes into contact with the floor at all times. Maybe it's the fact that I don't really like knitting with size 0 needles (gah, the torture!). Maybe I like my fiber in a heavier weight than dental floss. I have found excuse after excuse for not learning this new-to-me skill.

Maybe the biggest reason that I have never had the urge to knit socks is that I am extremely picky about what I put on my feet. Socks either have to come up well over my calf and sit snugly under my kneecap or they have to barely graze my ankle bone. Anything in between totally creeps me out.

But, the days of sock knitting aversion are no longer, as I am officially a convert. I've enjoyed reading/stalking Wendy Knits blog for quite some time, but it was only about a month ago that it hit me that I really wanted to make myself a pair of knee socks. So, I shot over to Amazon and ordered her book, Socks from the Toe Up, and then impatiently waited for its arrival.

I also bought the pamphlet for the Magic Loop, as I had heard all about this method of working in the round, but had never learned how to do it. Save your money and just Google it. I was floored that someone would need a pamphlet to learn this trick. Perhaps I had built it up in my head to be this difficult technique, but it is in reality very simple. Granted, for $5 you got a sock pattern in the pamphlet as well, but still. You can find plenty of free instructions on the internet. I can't believe that yours truly the Queen of Google herself didn't figure this out in the first place.

Anyway, to my surprise, after just a few minutes reading Socks from the Toe Up, I caught on to the cast-on methods very quickly and I was off like a prom dress with my first sock. I decided to wing it in terms of what stitch I wanted to use. I eventually chose a simple and mindless lace pattern that plays very well against the color of Mal Sock (leftover from Lina). I decided on a short row heel and am a little concerned with the fit (might be a little snug), but I am too stubborn to frog it now. Hopefully it will loosen up a little bit in the blocking process.

I was a bit lazy yesterday when it came to taking photos, so I apologize that I decided to take the photos on my keyboard as opposed to on my back deck, which is my usual photo shoot locale.

However excited I may have been in the beginning of this new venture, my sock knitting enthusiasm has definitely dwindled ever so slightly. I have been stuck in this same place just above the ankle for a couple weeks now. It's been sitting right by my knitting chair, but I always seem to grab something else to knit on while watching tv mindlessly. Perhaps it's because I've reached the daunting part of the piece: from the ankle to the knee. That's a LOT of knitting in a tiny gauge. Especially with the size of my calves. (As a little twit in my junior high days put it: "Allison doesn't have calves. She has cows." Wow, that one still stings after almost twenty years.)

I have full faith in myself that I will finish this sock...someday. Now, finishing two of them so that I have an actual usable pair....I can't promise that. If I've learned anything from all of this it's that I need to make the socks two at at time on the next go-round, so that I'm finished with them at the same time.