Thursday, July 27, 2006

One Sock Done


We visited DS#1 at camp this past weekend and it was a great, albeit rainy day. I was so excited to see him. We actually saw him Friday night when we had to drop off DS#2 because they allowed siblings to sleep over. DS#1 treated him so beautifully! He made him feel so special. DH and I went to Tanglewood that night where Mozart was playing and I knitted until it got too dark to see the navy blue yarn.

The next day we arrived at 8:30 and the camp was in the playhouse having their morning sing. The words of the songs were projected onto a screen. They sang everything from Beatles to James Taylor to Neil Diamond (Sweet Caroline) to goofy songs about meatballs. Then we hung out, played basketball, tennis, ate lunch, and attempted a parent/camper softball game but it poured! So it was back to the bunk where we found out that there were a bunch of leaks. Then when it stopped raining it was time to go! It was hard for me to leave. DS#1 had his arms around us the whole day. He told us that he didn't want us to leave but he understood that we did have to go. I felt that I was going through that whole missing process again like when he first left back in June.

On the way home we stopped at some local farmstands and bought sunflowers, blueberries, cherries and peppers. DS#2 discovered the world of flea markets and junk shops. He bought baseball cards there and DH told him that they may actually be worth something. He was bitten by the bug. DH and I use to troll antiques stores around the area before kids. I now see that it's in the genes!

SO, I finished my sock using a different pattern for the heel and gusset. It came out fine. I'll wear them. Them? Oops! I have to knit another one.

Thursday, July 20, 2006

Total Frustration (from my sock)

I started the Fair Isle socks from KnitPicks and the heel is not turning the way it's suppose to. I started it on 2 circular needles and when I got to the heel, I switched to dpn's. I must have done this part 4 separate times and it's not working out. There are holes when I am turning the heel and if I continue with the foot, there aren't any gussets. I think I'm going to just follow the directions from Cat Bordhi and do the heel her way. I called KnitPicks but the woman I spoke to doesn't knit. She told me to send an e-mail to the Webmaster. I'll do that afterwards.

Yesterday I went walking in the mall for 26 minutes! It was strange at first but I got into the groove. I went around 5 times. That's the equivalent of .6 miles. I also attended a WW meeting. I didn't gain that much. Less than 2 pounds. I am on the right track.

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Looking in the Mirror

I am having a reflection crisis. I can't stand what I see when I look in the mirror. Dare I say it that I look like my mother? My weight gain is not flattering and I feel it is getting a stronghold on my psyche. I find myself staring at women's stomachs on TV and seeing how flat they are. Even at my thinnest I never had a flat stomach but I had a great shape. My breasts feel enormous. By dropping the weight, I know the "girls" will also get smaller. I went up 6 inches in my bra band. I went shopping yesterday to get some shorts and shirts. I got shorts with the idea that yes, they fit but I don't want to wear them next year. What is preventing me from being successful? I don't like going to WW when I'm up and yes, I am up. Actually, that's the time I really should be going because I need the help but I like to see my weekly weigh-ins go down! My cholesterol is slightly elevated and for me that is devastating. I always had low cholesterol. It's proof of what 30 extra pounds can to your body! I was walking but it got too hot.

What changes can I make? I can start walking in the mall after I drop Elijah off at camp. I can stop getting bored and grabbing for stuff and get busy by spending 15 minutes straightening something up, reading, knitting, etc. I have lots of things to do. I can reward myself for positive changes. Nothing big. Time to knit would be a good reward. A cold beverage at Starbucks. I should think of working on 5 pounds at a time. My body responded really well to exercise. So why did I stop? Schmuck!

I feel better putting these feelings into words. I see that I do have the mindset to work on this weight. It's like knitting. One pound at a time. One row at a time. My health is worth it.

OKC: Simple Stripes Fair Isle Socks




Friday, July 14, 2006

Random Thoughts and OKC

Yesterday, DS#2 and I went to a local diner for dinner because DH went to a BBQ with the temple's brotherhood. A man walked in with a little girl and for a second I thought I recognized him as someone I spent my summers with at Lebanon Country Club. All of a sudden I felt sick to my stomach. Last year, at a friend's bat mitzvah, this man's nephew was sharing the moment and he was there. This man has a twin brother that I was friendlier with. His sisters are also twins and one was my counselor and the other was my sister's. My friend, Jeff, was very happy to see me when we had a mini reunion last year. When I went over to Mike, he was so rude and cold. I kept wondering what did I do wrong? I never said anything to his sister, who is a member of my temple but it did disturb me. Anyway, there was Mike in the diner. I had to decide whether to ignore him or to say hello. I couldn't believe me, Robin, was having a confidence crisis. I decided that I was going to say hi and the worst he could do is be unfriendly...again. As DS#2 and I were leaving I stopped by and said hello. We introduced our kids to each other and he joked around with my son about the Yankees. He even remembered that we saw each other recently but I guess he doesn't remember being unfriendly. I'm glad I said hello. Maybe he was having a bad day that day, a fight with his wife or relative, who knows? Maybe it was me but he's over it.

Seeing Mike made me feel that I aged so much. True, we were friends when we we all 11 up to 17 or 18. It made me feel like a fart. I talked to DH about it and he told me he thinks I'm still beautiful. How nice. Somebody wants something! I have to get my edge back. I'll work on it. Doctor's orders.

Okay, so this is the hipknitta blog so I have to put some obligatory knitting content (OKC). I am working on my socks. I'll post a picture when I finish the first one.

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

A Little SEX (Stash Enhancement Expedition)

Today I visited a new yarn store. It's called the Katonah Yarn Company and it's in Katonah, NY. I knew of this store but I avoided it because I really didn't need anymore yarn. No, I'm not sick. I have a lot right now. My friend Toni gave me a gift card for the store so I had to check it out. It's a very cozy place. The store has a very lived in look. By that I mean that it's very comfortable looking. There are chairs, a big table in the middle of the store and a little sitting area in the back. The shelves are stocked with Noro, Debbie Bliss, Rowan, Jade Sapphire, Artyarns, Lorna's Laces, etc. I didn't know how much the gift certificate was for but Amy, one of the owners, scanned it for me. $36! I was thrilled. Toni gave me this gift on the occasion of my bat mitzvah! Nothing really caught my eye. I realized then that I had a lot of stuff at home. I perused the books she had to some idea of what to buy. I looked at Pam Allen's Scarf Style book and I remembered I always liked Ene's Scarf. They had a sample in the store. It was done in Lorna's Laces in a maroon color. Very pretty. Amy showed me that I could use Jade Sapphire Cashmere but it may be too fuzzy for the scarf. She left me alone so I could look and touch around the store.

While I was alone, I decided that this store is nice. There's nothing outstanding about it but there is a good selection of yarn. However, I could get a lot of comparable yarn from KnitPicks and other sources. The owners were friendly and when I couldn't choose between 2 colorways of yarn, Amy was there to help me decide. She even wound the hank into a ball for me on her swifter. I also had to add to the giftcard because the yarn was $54 and change. That's okay. Considering that 2 other local stores closed in the last few months, this store is a good place to get some very nice yarn. I believe they give lessons as well as classes and I signed up to get their notices via e-mail.

That was all the SEX I had today.

Today, I finished my niece's hat. That meant I had absolutely nothing on my needles to work on. Okay, I did start an afghan a while ago but I don't love it. I may rip it out. Now I have to decide whether to start to scarf or work on some socks. I forgot that I ordered yarn to make a KnitPicks pattern. Decisions, Decisions.

Monday, July 10, 2006

Opened to the Public




This is a picture of my 3 yo niece's mitered cardigan. The pattern came from KnitPicks as did the yarn. She has bright red hair, similar to the orange color in the yarn. The pink heart shaped buttons are the only ones I was able to find to match the colorway and that were whimsical!

I finally opened my blog to the public. My previous entries weren't very knitting oriented but this is a place where I can write about whatever I want to. Welcome.