They say misery loves company...

but I say, everyone loves company when they're doing anything that requires motivation! I have been working on getting into better, healthier habits. As a previously, self-diagnosed "starter," this is a problem! I love to start things and my own personal fitness is no exception. I've been down this road many times but this time feels different. I have taken a brutally honest look at myself and realize that if I don't change what I'm doing now (or rather what I'm not doing) then it will be too late! I need to feel healthier, happier and less stressed. NOW! So I began doing what I did all those years ago when I was taking much better care of myself.

I found a group of women across the country, all of whom have a thing or two in common. I've asked them if they'd like to form a sort of long-distance support system. Sometimes it's easier to work with people you don't really know than to count on family or friends- there's just too much history and emotional baggage there.

I've had 3 respond and am waiting to hear from 2 more. We will kick off our program today as I'll be emailing them a questionnaire so that we can all set and share our personal goals as well as let each other know just what kind of support we need! I can't wait!

Let the journey begin! :)

Day 53 - Never stop in the middle of a problem!

Okay so yesterday, I picked up my Aran square with the hopes of some relaxing and productive knitting time! What I discovered was that someone has been playing with my row counter...click, click, click....apparently it's irrisistable! So as I agonize over what row I left off on and begin knitting, I remember that I'd left this project for a while because somewhere, I'd made a mistake that's throwing the pattern off! I wasn't able to find it and thus walked away.

Lesson: a knitter's notebook is an invaluable tool!

Not to be deterred, and determined to make the most of my only opportunity to knit in maybe a month, I abandoned ship and picked up the lucious cotton/bamboo sweater that I'd started for Meag. After all, it was a gorgeous day today, I walked, we saved bunnies, cooked a fabulous and healthful dinner, it only made sence to pick up the organic bamboo! Once I got settled and looked at the pattern to see where I'd left off, I found a 3 x 3 piece of paper attached that read "ripped out 4 rows already; still can't find mistake. Find and correct or rip and start agian!"

Lesson: a knitter's notebook is an invaluable tool, but find the mistake before you put the project down!

Maybe today will provide me with more time, and energy to tackle my past! Let's hope so!

Day 40 - Embracing the unknown

I finally found time to begin a new project! I know, I know, I should NOT be starting something new when I've not finished what I promised myself I would do, but I really wanted to do the Block-A-Month Afghan and most of the knitters are already finishing February's block and I'd not even started.

Yesterday, on the way to game day, we stopped at a shop along the way and I picked up some black and yellow/gold yarn to begin this project. I also printed the entire project and gave it to my sister-in-law so that maybe we could do this together! She loved it! So, back to the yarn....I decided that I'd make this for my 16 hear old son. I've started sweaters for him but never finished and frankly, it's easier to knit for me or my daughter and I really want to have something just for him. He has his heart set on getting into Wake Forest and so he chose black and gold! I hate knitting in black since it's so hard to see any mistakes and is already proving difficult. Oh, well!

After one evening, I'm halfway done the January block and can't wait to finish and get at the February. Then maybe I can enjoy the process. I don't knit well with deadlines so I'll need to really allow myself an entire month for the future blocks!

Lesson this week: Learn to feel the process. Too much thinking lead to second guessing and when you're knitting with black yarn, that can be dangerous!

Day 14 or Day 21??????

So, this is really hard to figure out, should I be listing this as Day 21 of my knitting journey, or Day 14 since I haven't posted since day 13? Had I not fallen off the wagon, I wouldn't be here. But the truth of the matter is that I am a starter. Plain and simple, I have know this about myself for most of my adult life. I am constantly trying to change this about myself and I refuse to give in! Let me know what you think!

Speaking of feedback, I want to say Thank you and I'm sorry to Katie! My lone reader! Now that I know you're out there, I feel I've let you down! A week's a long time to go and I will not let you down again - Promise!

I have some legit. excuses! I've been battling some work issues...yes, I am one of those who takes it all home. (Yet another area to change) And I've been working feverishly to make my daughter's dream dress for the Winter Ball at her high school! Truth be told, I'm in over my head as I haven't sewn clothes for the kids since they were in about third grade! I used to love to make them first day of school clothes and Halloween costumes. I'd even make a dress for Meag and matching pants and vest for Sean for Easter and Christmas! One year, I even made my dear husband a matching Christmas vest in dark green velvet! He loves me so much he even wore it!

So amidst the feverish knitting, which I'll get to in a minute, I've been cutting, pinning and sewing! I have the bodice and skirt put together and next is a zipper and straps and then hemming! The dance is Saturday! AUGH!!!!! The zipper scares me but I'll do my best not to let her down!

So, the knitting.....When I can no longer stand the patterning, I've been working this week on my sweater from Noreen. I'd made a promise to finish before the cold weather goes and I am determined not to let myself or her memory down. I've also been hunting for the last ball of yarn needed to finish the project for my swappee, but I'm now wondering if I'll even need it. I'll have to investigate that a little further over the weekend....after I finish the dress!

Day 3 - Each day, a lesson

I think that each day will entrust me with new lessons and only I can decide what exactly I will take away from each. Today, I figured out how to put pictures onto my Ravelry posts. It took a while but I could post them in my projects for all to see and I could share them with groups I belong to. Very cool. Lesson: persistence pays off!

I also decided to pick up and begin the second sock for Mom. Living in this house - my in-laws home - I realized today that you never know when life will take those you love away. It's too short to leave those gifts of love, whether they be socks or something more expensive, waiting around to be given. And so I feverishly knitted away at sock #2 of the pair. As I got about an inch from the heel, I have realized that I will probably not have enough of this yarn, this one skein of Happy Feet, to finish my mother's first pair of hand-knitted socks from me. Lesson #2: sometimes when things don't work out, there's a reason. Maybe I waited too long; perhaps my socks are not good enough for her anyway; maybe my dreams of that perfect expression of love is just a goofy idea. I could finish the toe in a different color and she would never care! After all, it's the tops that people will see.

Like much of what I start in life, I find myself second guessing whether the right thing to do is to turn back.....

I wonder what lesson tomorrow will bring. Tonight I feel defeated.

Day 2 (AM)

So, today I must accomplish several things. First of all, I joined two on-line knitting groups yesterday which I'm pretty excited about. The first is a St. Patty's Day Swap 2010 group. I will be given a "secret leprechaun" for whom I will make something Irish-y. I will also shower that person with things that they love and they will receive a package from a total stranger! I can't wait to get started on that as I've picked out something I think will be fabulous for them! I also have to find a gorgeous skein of green yarn to send them. I love to buy yarn and apparently, it doesn't have to be for me! Good to know!

The second group I joined is a Two for One WIP group. For every one new project I want to start, I must first finish two that have been left unfinished! This is great for me as I have so many UFOs (Un Finished Objects) around here. I have always been a starter, not a finisher so this should help me with that. The planning will be difficult as I have lots of things I want to start too! I have to be disciplined which may take the fun out of knitting for me, but we'll see. I am a work in progress!

I will sit for at least one hour uninterrupted today, and knit. Here's what's on the agenda: Finish weaving in the ends and sew on 5 buttons on Meag's purple hoodie vest. I finished knitting it up at least 5 weeks ago.

Hem Lily's baby dress and sew on the buttons. If I can get this done, I could even mail it to Cindy before the week is out.

I will count my new project as the neck warmer I started on the day after Christmas....and no, I will not rip it back to get rid of those 3 extra stitches I found at 12:30 this morning!