Monday Report on the WL front

I had a good week last week. I worked out three times using the Firm, but forgot to check which work out was on the rotation for Saturday, and did the wrong one. Oh well. I feel good, and am down 1.6 lbs for the week, and 5.6 so far for the year. I don't know if I am going to make the 10 lb goal by Valentines day, but I will do my best. I am also pushing myself to get down to 210 by N and D's wedding, or to be able to fit into a size 16 bridesmaid dress. The store had plenty in both sizes in stock, and if they need to order one, they should have it within 2 days, so I don't feel bad about not buying it this weekend. I did look Hot in the size 18, but I want to look hot in a smaller size.

Last week also marked the second week in a row where I didn't use all my FP (just barley though). The Sourdough Jack that I had for lunch Saturday in the midst of the dress stress put a big hole in my points (20 pts between that and a few bites of fries!)

The website said that there was a store that had the dress at Grapevine Mills Mall, so we headed there (since it is closest to my mom's and she was watching C for us) first. We hiked around the complex, consulted the kiosk and Customer service in vain. There wasn't a store there. A few quick calls to D and H (for her Google fu) provided there was another store in Stonebrier Center, so we hopped on 121 and were there in less than 30. They were so helpful, and the dress was so flattering! I do think I need to get the proper undergarments(strapless bra and pantie shaper's) before I go try on again and buy. Thank goodness there is a Nordstroms right next door, I might actually get fitted by an expert for the bra.

Flip Her Over Man, She is Done

The Peacock Feathers Shawl is Blocked, and ready to give to D next time I see her, or when N says its a good time to do it. I love how she turned out, and hate that I have to give her up, but I do have yarn in the stash to make another one for me, in a blue green.
Detail of the point of the shawl pinned out. I opted to keep the side feathers shallow, but to do a full pinning on the center feather. I think she turned out lovely, and not too big. She is 82 inches across (I know, because I pinned every inch on the top to keep a straight line), but I didn't take the measurement of the height. It hits me just below my bottom, so it won't drown D too bad.
I've made good progress on the POTW stole. I am almost done with the 20th repeat, and should finish the last 14 this week. The color of the bridesmaid dresses match the midshade blue perfectly, so I have a feeling that this will be worn that night as well. I actually like how the yarn is pooling, and hope the first skein makes it for the whole body, so I don't have to match the striping.
I've also made good progress on the PBSJ. I finished the back Friday night at movie night, and cast on for the yoke this morning. The yoke is going fast and should be finished tonight or tomorrow. I couldn't capture the details of the armhole or neck shaping thanks to the insane curling of the stockingnet, so more detailed photos will have to wait until blocking.

I've been asked to be a bridesmaid!

Eek!

Its for D, who I knit the Peacock Feathers shawl (that is still unblocked, and unseen by the bride).

The gowns are peacock blue, and strapless.

Oh god. I have to fit my 200+ lb bod in a strapless gown!

But, some of the colors of the POTW stole look like they might match the gown, so I won't be completely exposed.

The wedding is in march, so I don't have time for serious weight loss, I just have to keep up with my toning.
I think DH and I will be heading to the mall this weekend to see what size I need to get, and we will have to put the gown on the CC. *Groan* Not to mention strapless bra, and Spanx. Def Spanx. And shoes.

Warning: No actually knitting content

I started this blog to help keep me on track with my weight loss.

This time last year, I was doing awesome! I had lost 50 lbs, was195, under 200 lbs for the first time in years, and was looking and feeling great.

Then we went to Singapore to visit my parents, and it was a two week eating orgy. I came home 10 lbs heavier, with my jeans not fitting anymore.

I got back on track, slowly, and lost some of the weight that I gained, not all of it, but most, but didn't' commit myself fully to WW, and bounced between 198 and 205 lbs for the next few months.

Then we bough the house, moved in and the scale went up to 208 (OUCH!) I worked out harder, didn't eat much better, but I was running 2-3 (ok, really 1-2) times a week, and the scale went up
and up
and up
and up, next thing I knew, I was at 218, and it was December. I rejoined WW online for my birthday and half heartily tracked points for the rest of the year.

January 1st the scale read 228. I was heavier than I was after I had C. I had regained 30 lbs in the last year. Clearly half ass dieting wasn't working for me.

In the last few weeks, things have been better. I have been eating healthier, and I haven't had any appetite at all, which is a good thing when you are trying not to overeat all the time like you normally do.

I'm down to 223, which is where I was when I started WW in Dec 2004, when C was 7 weeks old. My pants are tight, but I worked out for the first time since before Thanksgiving yesterday. Why did I let myself slide so far?

I think it might have to do with the huge UTI that I had last fall, you know, the one that I thought I might have, but I didn't have the time/money/drive to go to the Dr's office to get treatment started. It put me in a funk, and the funk wasn't helped by the fact that I was wanting to get pregnant again, but DH is unwilling to try until we have more money, but he won't look for a better paying job, so that isn't happening any time soon.

(rambling here)
Last week I though I might be pregnant, I was 5 days late, and starting to get my hopes up. I told DH that I was late, and he was upset and angry. AF started on Saturday, and I have been a raging ball of hormones, crying and po'd from one minute to the next.

I need to get back to a healthy weight (under 190 in my book) so I can get pregnant again, and not be the obese pregnant lady like I was with C. I need to so I can have a better chance of having a VBAC and not winding up under the cutting knife again. I need to lose weight so I can knit smaller sizes and can buy better quality yarn for the same ammt of money (who am I kidding, I will probably stick with the cheep stuff, and save money anyways). -Hey, there was some knitting content after all.

Good Progress for the week.

I think I have made good progress this week with knitting. Here is the back of the PBSJ, where I have closed the lower triangle, and just started the second. I have placed markers on both sides of the fold line stitches so I won't miss one on the back side (again).








Here is a detailed shot of the triangle. Notice the stitch markers are just cut up bits of straw. Very economical when your toddler keeps dumping out and losing your stitch markers.










I'm about 7 1/2 repeats in on the POTW stole. So far the pattern is very easy, and I think the variegation of the yarn is working with the pattern. I know others who have knit this thought variegated yarns would take away from it, but I am liking it.

Its a rainy weekend here, and my parents bailed on watching C today, so DH's and I will be staying in (again) and I will probably get a lot of knitting done.

FO: Endpaper Mitts

I finished them! My first foray into colored knitting.

The pattern was fun and fast, and I will knit it again with yarn that is more contrasting.

Pattern: Endpaper Mitts by Eunny Jang

Yarn: KP Palette in Fog and Hyacinth

Needles: Susan Bates Double pointed needles in sizes 1 and 3

Modifications: I used the long tail cast on since I was on the road and didn't have the instructions for doing a tubular cast on with me. I also only did two repeats of Chart A before I started Chart B, and they still come down far enough to go under my shirt/jacket.

A Very Productive week.

I finished the PFS on Saturday, but haven't blocked it yet, maybe tomorrow when my parents have C for the day, that way I can vacuum and pin out on C's floor.
I finished the first Endpaper Mitt on Sunday, before going over to Danny's for a haircut (my first in a year...Yikes), bud didn't cast on for the second one right away. Instead I decided to work on Lucie for a bit...
Then I noticed that I had dropped an edge stitch on Lucie 20 rows back. *sigh* To the frog pond she went for now, until I can either tighten my gauge enough to work on one of my circular needles (from a 2 to a 3, which is in use, but more on that later) or I break down and buy a size 2 circ (with my next knit picks order, after the yarn diet has shed some more weight).
So I did an actual gauge swatch for the PBSJ, and hit gauge on my size 4 knit pick options, and cast on for the back panel. So far this is an easy knit with just enough of a cable to keep me from getting completely bored. I am on row 30, almost done with the large bottom triangle. I have to say, I am impressed with how the pleats come together, but not as happy with working with the KP Merino style as I was last time. I am knitting on bigger needles, but it feels like the yarn is bigger than the last batch I got for Christmas of 2005. But, as I get further into my second ball of yarn (already) I see it getting softer, and thinner, so maybe there was just one ball of yarn that was too bulky. We will have to see. Hopefully this doesn't end up eating all 20 balls of yarn, because I really want to have leftover to knit the Deep V Argyle Vest.
I also cast on for the POTW stole on Sunday, using an invisible cast on from Victorian Lace Today, and after a few false starts with the cast on, it has been smooth sailing so far... The only thing I don't like is how I have to move stitch markers with almost every row, but if I keep track of my YO's I think I have come up with a way to do it without having to move markers. More on that later. As of last night, I am six repeats in (of 34 if I knit it in one piece)
Monday was a holiday, so more knitting on the two new projects.
Tuesday it was back to work, and it was frigid, not cold, but frigid, in our building. I cursed myself out for not completing the second Endpaper Mitt all day, and cast on for it at lunch. I made an executive decision to put all other knitting on hold and to get the second mitt done ASAP, and stayed up late Tuesday night working on the first repeat of the color chart.
Tuesday night/Wednesday morning that light chance of snow that wasn't going to do anything turned into a major storm for the area, bad enough for the University to close (during the first week of classes for the Semester!) so I had more time to work on the second Mitt, when C wasn't demanding my full attention (his daycare was closed that day as well). That night when S was putting him to bed, I finished the second mitt, wove in the ends for both of them and blocked them. Thursday morning, my hands were glad to have their warmth.
Thursday night was back to knitting on PBSJ and POTW. This weekend I hope to block the PFS, get some more done on the PBSJ, and do another couple repeats on the POTW.

Peacock Feathers is Finished! (mostly)

Friday night I finished knitting the pattened rows on the Peacock. That left only the row of plain knititng and the crochet bindoff for Saturday.

The Bindoff took time, but it wasn't as bad as others in blog land have mande it out to be. I guess it was because I crochet for years before I ever started knitting, and could get it done in almost no time.

The thing that worried me most about the bind off, was what if I had missed a YO on the last row, and I didn't have enough stitches to make all the bo's a multiple of 3. As I rounded the bottom corner (above) and saw that the stitches were lining up, I breathed a sigh of releif. But it wasn't until I got to the final six stitches that I finally felt confident that I compleated the shawl without screwing it up. I had another fear that C would come in, take the hook, and unravel the BO edge, and the entire shawl would unravel, but as you can see, that didn't happen.


Here she is in all of her unblocked glory! She is so beautiful! I can't wait until I have free time without C around to help to block her. That would have been today, since the University is closed due to the MLK holiday, but thanks to Mother Nature dumping and ice storm on us last night, his daycare is closed today as well.






While I had the camera out and was taking pictures, C couldn't help but try to get in the shot, so I present Peacock with C.

Pattern: Peacock Feathers Shawl byDorthy Siemens
Yarn: Baruffa Cashwool off white
Yarn Source: Simpatico Yarns
Needles: Addie Turbo Size 3, and D crochet hook.
Start date: November 24, 2006
Finish Date: Januart 13, 2007, with multiple frogs in the first few weeks.

I'll be doing the feather dance this weekend!

I have 8 3/4 rows, plus bind off, left on the PFS. I didn't get much done on it last night (only 2 rows or so) because my back is killing me, and I went to bed early. I didn't get my morning row done either, because C was awake as soon as I got out of the shower and wanting some Mommy time. *Sigh* I am optimistic that I will have it finished (sans blocking) before N gets to our house tomorrow night for his game. Even if I wind up finishing it while the boys are hanging out. I am actually looking forward to doing the crochett bind off. Crochett was my first pashion, even if I have't done more than a simple chain for a provisional cast on since I made C's baby blanket.

I sent DH out to find the Winter 06 Interweave Knits yesterday, and Barns and Noble didn't have it, so I will be checking out a few other places this weekend. I will get my hands on it so I can start charting out my color variations for the sweater (even if I can't buy the yarn for a few months). That will give me the chance to do a few more stranded projects before I invest the time and money into Veniza.

SO much for knitting just from my stash...

After Seeing the swatches FlyinMySoup did for the Veniza pullover, I think that I must add that to my To do List. But I am seeing a sweater done in shades of pink and green, or green and purple, with blue swirles. If my math is right (and since I don't actually own a copy of the Fall IWN, so it probally isn't) my size would only take 18 balls of Palette, and therefor I could make the sweater for $40 ish. But since I won't have any money for things like that until after the tax fairy commeth, I should be able to know out a project or two before then.

I am on row 236 of the PFS. I know I can finish it this weekend. I might not block it this weekend, but it will be done. I will try to take some photos of it this weekend, since I don't have time to take photos and upload them durring the week (thats precious knitting time, and its dark by the time I get home, plus I need to spend time with C)

Lucie will not make a good travel project, since she is being knit on straght needles, so I will probally cast on for the POTWS or the PBSJ once the Endpaper Mitts are done.

Knitting plan for 2007

I think it has been decided.

I should finish up PFS over the upcoming 3 day MLK weekend, and if I get done early enough, I will block it on Monday while C is at daycare. If not, then it will have to wait a little bit.

Lucie and the Endpaper Mitts will be the next priority, and I will finish the Endpaper Mitts before I cast on for my next project, which will probably be the Print O' the Wave Stole in the KP Shimmer.

After Lucie and POTW, I will work on Pearl Buck Swing Jacket (PBSJ) in KP Merino Style, Honey and the second PFS (for me!!!) in KP Alpaca Cloud Tide Pool.

Then Lace, lace, lace, lace, and the Deep V Argyle vest with leftover yarn From the PBSJ and the Kimono Styled Sweater I knit last year. I think the Storm and the Honey Merino Style should look good against each other.

I think that should carry me through most of the year.

If I need to buy more yarn (And I have to lose 25lbs off my body before I can buy any yarn) then I will get some KP Palette to knit Ingrid from the Wendy Knits book (I'm in the poor, cheep yarn phase of knitting). And while I am ordering that, I think I will get some Telemark yarn to knit Craig the We Call Them Pirates hat from Hello Yarn. I think I am going to knit Craig and Laura holiday gifts this year to welcome them to parent hood.

I think after that I will only have a few odds and ends left in my stash. I still have no idea what I am going to do with the 1300 yards of yarn left over from Cromarity. Maybe something will come up.

Grr. They had us clear the casche at work, and it cleard out all my stored usernames and passwords.

Shake Your Tail Feathers

I had to use that title. I am on the edging of PFS #1 The end is in site. I can't believe that I made it through chart 7 in a little over a week! I think I might have this baby done in the next 10 days, if I can get 3 rows done each day (one in the morning, and two rows done after C is asleep). Of course, I am at work and don't have a new picture of it.

The Endpaper Mits are going slowly. They have been downgraded to a lunch time/car project, but since we haven't gone anywhere where I haven't been the driver all week, and I have been working through lunch to get some comp time earned, there hasn't been much progress in the last week.

The Lucie sweater body got ripped out and I cast on for a sleeve, thinking that I could get a better gauge of how much of my yarn that this is going to take, and if I can keep my gauge consistent.

The Merino Style that I got for Christmas is probably not going to work for the weekend pullover. Even though it has the same 120(ish) yards to 50 grams that the called for yarn has, the ball I pulled out to swatch with does not match the sample strand pictured in the magazine. I think I might have to come up with another project for it, maybe the Perl Buck Swing Jacket from a previous issue. That jacket has grown on me in the last few months, and from the FO's that I have seen while browsing the web. Plus, I should have enough yarn left over to make EJ's Deep V Argyle Vest with the Storm and Honey Merino Style. Two projects for the price of of one.

Holiday Wrap up and goals for 2007

Its been a busy few weeks. The university has been closed for the last one and a half weeks, leaving me with a lot of knitting time.

Peacock feathers is growing up fast. I haven't had any trouble working on her for the last few weeks, and I am up to row 197. Since there are 249 rows on the shawl, I think I am almost done. I don't have time right now to hunt up the shawl calculator to find out how far I am done with it, but I think I can finish it in January.

I am participating in Wendy Knit From Your Stash, as I posted about before the holidays. I think I have enough to keep my busy to last the next 9 months, and if I run out, well then, I guess that means I can buy more yarn.


Pictured:
20 Balls of KP Merino Style in Honey to knit the Weekend Pullover from Fall Interweave Knits 2006 (Christmas Present from my MIL)
9 balls of the Austrian wool that I am using to knit Lucie (Christmas Present from C)
10 Balls KP Merino Style in Storm to knit ??? (Left over from the Kimono Styled Sweater)
8 Balls of Brown Sheep Nature Spun to knit ??? (Left over from Cromarty)
2.25 skeins KP Shimmer in Turquoise to knit EJ's Print O' the Wave Stole
3 skeins each of Alpaca Cloud in Tide Pool ( Peacock Feathers #2) Iris (???) and Midnight (???) (Birthday and Christmas presents from the DH)
Some random sock yarn that doesn't look pretty when knitted up that I will use if I have to.
2.5 balls of Russian Angora yarn (left over from the Not-So-Portland Pullover)

I finished the Trekking socks for my sister, but didn't get a FO picture of them. She liked them, and thought they were much nicer than the last pair of socks I gave her.

I also finished the Calorimetry for Heather. She was confused when she opened the package, but when she tied it on, she thought it would come in handy. Since it is knit from the leftover C's yarn, she thought it was cute that they matched.

I did start two new projects:
Endpaper Mitts in KP Palette Fog and um, a too light purple
And I started on Lucie on Um, gulp, size 2 needles to get gauge. I have 2200 yards of this yarn and I HOPE it is enough to finish the sweater. If not I don't think I will be able to get anymore of the yarn.

I've also had a lot of time to get some reading done. DH got me Victorian Lace Today for my birthday, and I know I have to knit several of the shawls and scarves from there. DH also got me Wendy Knits and Yarn Harlot's Knitting Rules for Christmas. I think I will have to get yarn to make Ingrid, probally more palette, and I will swatch with the left over yarn from the Endpaper mitts.