Can I start my New Year a bit late?

January 1st is the day that people make resolutions, lay out a plan for the year, and stop smoking, start working out, quit a job, join a group...I did none of that!

So I have decided that February is Fitness month. For me at least. It's time I jumped on the fitness bandwagon. I haven't been happy about myself, my body, my fitness level in quite sometime. I recently started watching a podcaster who mentioned on her Ravelry group that she is on SparkPeople so I checked it out. Joined up. From what I can see it seems similar to what everyone says online Weight Watchers is like.

Now I begin tracking what I am eating and getting an idea of caloric intake. I begin tracking my exercise (so that hopefully I do more!!)...also hoping to make friends and contacts to help keep me motivated.

Fitness Goals:
1. Exercise everyday (even if it's just a walk)
2. Monitor food intake daily
3. Eat less junk
4. Stop snacking in the evenings
5. Treat myself when I reach certain weight loss goals
6. MAKE THIS A LIFE LONG CHANGE!


In other news -  I joined the SWAP, I have a partner (she seems great!), and I am starting to formulate a plan! Since it's a February Swap the idea is red colour & I am thinking just in general--Romance and Valentine's Day. So it should be fun! A trip to my LYS should result in the yarn I will need to create a gifty for my swap pal! It's a long one, we have until the end of February to get the package sent off since we have to make something!


I have been podcast crazy, watching quite a few and taking note of my favourites, so I will be adding those to my list of Blogs etc. that I watch! Then you can all check them out too.

I completed the spinning of the fibre I had. I had some roving in batts from my lovely friends over at Llamas in the Raw, you can check out their blog and what they are hoping to achieve here. It was a bit rough, the drum carder they were using had quite spaced apart needles. It was great for the gorgeous art yarn that Lynne creates, but harder for me to try to make consistent! However, after watching many other people drop spindling online I did pull apart my roving and pre draft it a bit. The first bit was all natural white. My second bit was the same, but I had 2 batts of some pretty springtime birthday roving that I got at a class I took with Lynne. So I divided it evenly throughout the rest of the roving and I spun it all up. I believe I will ply them together...but I am not sure how I am going to set it up here at home yet - but I thought I would show you what I have done.


In the photo from Right to Left there is the first yarn I spun at a Spinning workshop at Llamas in the Raw. It is Navajo plied. The middle yarn is the stuff I spun before the last post that will be plied with the leftmost yarn, which is the most recent that I had spun. It's much more consistent than first attempts. My yarn so far is definitely a lost more rough and there are more thick and thin than most other beginner spinners I have been keeping an eye on! So I feel kinda sad about that, but I will keep on trying! I would like to take another class...and now I need more roving! LOL

Needles:
Last time I wrote I has cast on a baby boucle hat. I made 2, and have gotten a headband done as well, still working on the flower to attach to it though!


Soon I will be casting on for my Swap partner. I also want to get a toque done for my bro - it's his birthday this month. 


Knitting Goals for 2012:
1. Make a sweater!
2. Learn a new technique
3. Make a blanket
4. Take another spinning class
5. Do a pair of socks 2 at a time (magic loop OR 2 circs)
6. Make 5 things for people who responded to my Facebook post RE: handmade goodies
7. Make a shawl w/beads
8. Make a felted something!
9. Do one KAL
10. Make at least 1 item for a charitable cause


Otherwise?! No Visa news. We are relocating though - our lease is about up so end of February we are going to be moving. Into town, or back to the coast. Not sure, depends how much work comes our way here in the next month. Wherever we end up is where we will be sticking until the Visa gets approved or Spyros has to leave because his expires...whichever comes first!