Tuesday, May 22, 2012

So much crafty time!

Hello again!

Last week was a lot of working. We did not do the long weekend thing, we worked Friday & we worked a half day yesterday.
 
I slacked off a lot with the exercise. Ran Monday and then did nothing until Sunday when we did another hike. A smaller hike, but a hike, with a couple of friends. This time the hike was in the rain...but it was still fun, no hot sun, but it was muggy.

My mum had a birthday! However, she & my dad went to Montana to watch my nephew graduate, so we were unable to celebrate with her. She had some fun though & was thrilled with the Ipad from my dad.   

Saturday was a FIBRE day for me! We ran a couple of errands, I tracked down from Hemp yarn to do my mums washcloths (yes I am still working on those!!) I am on the last cloth & will post the photos next post!

A friend was in town & I got a bit of a visit in with her & her man. Brief as she has been working like crazy to finish up her Masters. It was good though! Next weekend will be crazy as a friend is coming to stay with us for the weekend, and another couple of friends is going to be moving into their new home, and the 5k!
Needles:
I am on the last of the washcloths ... I was doing them for the May KAL with
Knitabulls and have used up all of my cotton, and I purchased 2 skeins of hemp to use for specific projects! I will post photos of all of them when I am completely done.(Next post!)
 
I am also spindling up the fibre that my swap partner sent me. I am not sure what it is, but it's spinning really thin! It's only 1oz so it will go quickly, but I thought I would take the opportunity to spindle it before I took on the BFL. (Plus I may have taken advantage of the Knit Me Happy podcast discount and purchased a gorgeous, gorgeous, spindle from Spinatude and wanted to give it time to get to me!).

The other things I accomplished???

I plied up all the yarn I made from the batts of miscellaneous sheep wool I received from Lynne @ Fibre Arts Bootcamp during my drop spindling class. Also, the fibre I won at Fibres West - Ashford Correidale. I Navajo Plied them & washed & "thwacked" it.The FAB very thick & thin & very slubby - and I broke it into 2 sections. The Correidale was more consistent, but after the Navajo still came out Super Bulky.

#1 - 2.2oz and I got 44 yards


#2 - 2.5oz and I got 38 yards


#3 - 3.5oz and I got 70 yards

ALSO - I had purchased some sock yarn at Fibres West from Pollika and I finally dyed it. I wanted to do something easy that I didn't have to purchase a bunch of new dishes, so I bought 2 packets of Grape Koolaid, and 2 packets of Blue Raspberry Lemonade Koolaid. I scoured the internet & tried the easiest method...in the microwave. I just did half the skein one colour & the other half the other...here's what I got:

After drying...

Re-skeined
I am pretty happy with it! There are a billion other things I want to try now, but they will have to wait. Now I am not sure whether this is going to be socks or a shawl though!!!

Lastly, my non-fibre related crafting, the stepping stone for my momma! It turned out pretty good...I have a couple of issues, but it's concrete, so it's done now! hahaha Here you go:



 Fitness:
Lazy last week. Hiked Sunday. Ran yesterday, and will be running tonight. Still doing the 5k - this weekend! Yikes! Yesterday we ran 5.83k so that was good!
 
I also plan to get back into doing strength training this week too. One week off was plenty, I need to keep this up!

Here's the my gal and I at the top of the Minnekhada Regional Park:
 
 
Visa:
I heard back from Immigration. I received an email and it said "we need more proof of this...." so I found some documents and sent them. Now we wait! However, it does feel really good that we now have a case worker and someone to speak to directly!
 
 

Monday, May 14, 2012

Hiking in the sun....

Hello all!
 
Since May 4th I have been doing a challenge on SparkPeople that I am working out 7 days a week. So I have found time for knitting in the evenings, but haven't found time for too much else.
 
Last week we went to dinner with my cousin & his lady for her birthday. Gastown Old Spaghetti Factory. Food was good, service a bit disorganized. Time with family - awesome! 
 
My dad was in town all week, so Tuesday he wanted to come over & go for sushi!! (No Knit Night for me that night!) Went for sushi & to Staples...he bought mum an Ipad for her Mother's Day/Birthday gift! ooohh lala! Other than those two dinners we worked all week. Running every other day, 10&1s (3 in a row). So the average was about 4.88km in 37min (with the 3min warm up & cool down).
 
This past weekend on Saturday Spyros & I went up to Harrison with our pals. Got there in time for lunch, had some foods. We were planning on a hike, but ended up wandering the boardwalk & playing a bit with the volleyball at the beach. We knocked it around for awhile, and then the guys were trying to teach us how to juggle it (like a soccer ball). I am the only one of the four of us that is very white. So they got tans in the beautiful sun & I got a bit of a sunburn. Aloe is my friend. Honest, I am a sunscreen-a-holic but I thought we would be hiking in the trees, and had only applied it to my face. Ooops!

Here's a couple photos from the day:
On the beach taking a break from the volleyball (can't see the sunburn yet!)

The fellas went up ahead on a path to see what they could see...

Sunday Spyros & I went to Hayward Lake to do the loop. It's a 17km loop all the way around, 10 on one side & 6 on the other. We started on the 6km side, and it was closed at the point where you cross the lake to the other side. We did a few side trails to see what there was to see...but it ended up being a 2h40m hike that covered 13.59km. So it felt good.

Here are some photos:
Some run off heading down to the lake

The two of us walking along the path

Another area where there was a lot of run of coming down the mountain
Needles:
I finished the Lily Pond Scarf by Maggie Magali in Malabrigo Sock Yarn - Caribeno (held double) for my cousin! I even shipped it off to her with a dishcloth!
Hope she likes it!
 I have been knitting up washcloths like a crazy person...doing them for the May KAL with
Knitabulls but I will just post photos of all of them when I am completely done. It's been good though - using up all the cotton yarn in my stash!
 
Stash!?! Yes - I just received my SWAP today & OMG I got spoiled! Check it out:
A pattern, hemp/cotton yarn, tea, 1oz roving, a lovely postcard note & loads of beautiful buttons!
Did a little non-knitting crafting. My sister, brother & I each made a stepping stone from Michael's and I just finished it. It's drying - so when it's completed I will post a photo!
 
Fitness:
As I mentioned I have been still running the 10&1s. I have been doing strength training 6 days a week. I have been working every day as well. I am feeling good most days. Went hiking and had a fairly active weekend so we didn't run at all. However, my weigh-ins have not been reflective of my working out!

My friend & I signed up for our first 5km on May 27th. I am a bit nervous & a bit excited. I don't think that I am going to be someone who regularly does these races, but it will be a good challenge for now!
 
Visa:
I phoned Immigration today as it has been over 5 months now. Basically, keep waiting. This is very frustrating as we are nearing the time to begin looking at flights for Spyros, however, it is government so we continue to wait!

Hope this had plenty of info for the non-knitters!!

Friday, May 4, 2012

Short & Sweet

I don't have a lot to say! We have been working & the working is really cutting into my knitting time! Also, working means less "doing stuff" time!
Last weekend we went to ANOTHER movie on Friday night. We saw the 5 Year Engagement, it was funny, but not the best movie I have ever seen. Saturday we went to Nanaimo with a friend to go car shopping. Walked onto the ferry, had a car to drive back in!!!
I found some incredible buttons at Black Sheep Yarns in Port Moody, BC. I have been to this yarn shop many a time for yarn, but this was the first time looking at the button selection; what a selection it is!!! Needless to say, I sent off the package to my SWAP partner on Monday!
I am still knitting on the scarf for my cousin. I believe I only have a couple of pattern repeats left, so we're nearly there! For May I am doing a washcloth/dishcloth KAL with Knitabulls so I need to start on that soon too! It's just an easy peasy KAL, and I wanted to do a couple of cloths for my mum for Mother's Day anyhow - so it's all good timing!
Exercise?! I am running 10&1s now. Doing 2 in a row. Next week planning to do 3 in a row. I started a challenge on SparkPeople. So hopefully that helps too, however we have been working, and working HARD at work. I was cutting in 5000 sq ft house with 8 - 12 ft ceilings, so I can't even conceive of how many stairs I am climbing going up and down that ladder all day!! My thighs were BURNING the first day, so I did skip a day of running because I was so sore LOL. But I felt that if I was that sore, I must have been getting a good workout all day! 
The hardest part is being hungry when we get home, but if we make dinner, eat dinner, and then work out it's SO late! Why does it have to be hard for me to try & be more fit!?
Tuesday I skipped Knit Night again. Bad?! I was spinning up a storm and didn't want to stop. I finished the Corriedale! Now I need to make a Niddy Noddy so that I can measure my yardage & then ply & finish it all up!!!
 
Lator Gators!!!