HOPPY APRIL!

Did you have a good Easter? We sort of did. On Saturday night we had a BBQ with the family (that's right BBQ for every occasion!) and made some cupcakes with Ellie.
 

Makin' cupcakes with the girls

On Sunday we went to the Sydney Royal Easter show. Which is kind of a big deal, but also WAY overpriced. It's a massive 2 week event, at which there is:

- an animal section with cows, sheep, goats, alpaca, etc. Of course there are shows & people place in divisions, as well as a petting zoo, demonstrations on shearing, spinning etc.
- a produce/local food section where people do massive art displays made of food, also local vendors sell their wares, sausage, cheeses, wine, honey, beauty products made from aloe, etc.
- a fair type setting, food carts, rides etc.
- plants & veggies grown & shown for grading within a division
- arts & crafts where people have brought in paintings, charcoals, pencil, pottery, cakes, knitting etc. for certain groupings to be judged.
- giant show arena where there are motocross demonstrations, dressage demonstrations, trapeze performers etc.
- a dog show tent where there is a full on dog show for purebreds etc.

There was lot going on. For those of you who have been to Vancouver, it's a bit like the PNE/Playland, only on a much bigger scale. The animal part of it really is more like the Calgary Stampede. I wasn't sure what to expect, but we had fun, it was a lot of ground to cover and a lot of stuff to see, we walked around from 11am to 6pm!

Here's some of what we saw:

Ducklings, honey cotton candy, sheep, goats, best yarn-bomb ever!

Fun, right?! Why did I say "sort of"? Well, this was just Aussie Easter (also my Easter), however, Greek Easter is off of an old calendar and this year falls at the end of April. So we're going to do it all over again Greek-style at the end of this month & it will be my first Greek Easter, so I'll tell you all about it!
  Needles:

Finished my Aquaphobia Socks by Crystal Flanagan which I am used Pollika yarn that I dyed myself! I did them two at a time, top down on US1/2.25mm. I love them! Some of my favourite socks so far!

Aquaphobia Socks

I completed the Greys of Shade Hat, I used Moda Vera Marvel Soft 8 ply in Charcoal for the whole thing. I knit my band on 3.5mm and the body I used 4mm. I had a button in my stash that I used, I had received in it a SWAP and I thought it blinged up the hat a bit. I really like the fit of this one, hopefully my friend who it is destined for does too!

Shades of Grey w/blingy blue glass button

I cast on & finished another toque/beanie/hat for the same friend - this one another For Good by Megan Williams in Moda Vera Noir held double (because it's fingering). I made the medium size this time because the last time I did small & it was quite small, however, this came out the same!! So maybe because the fingering held double was smaller?! Hope it fits! The buttons on this one were stash as well (from the same SWAP).

For Good Hat w/metallic buttons

I also cast on & finished Ceramic Flowers Cowl by Mademoiselle C in Onabee 100% Merino Wool in the Aubergine colourway. I love this yarn (same I used for my sister's legwarmers), it's so soft, but also fairly slubby & splitty. I used a 4m/US6 32" circular for this, my Hiya Hiya interchangeables I believe.

Ceramic Flowers Cowl

 I am currently working on socks, the pattern is Manhattan by Lisa Dykstra and I am using Everything Old Signature Sock in the Pyrotechnic colourway that I got at Fibres West a couple of years ago. I am loving both the pattern & the yarn, although it's black again hahah there is some colour which makes it a bit easier! I am finishing off the gusset, so am on the home stretch now!

Manhattan socks - pre-heel!

I just cast on a preemie hat, and plan to do a few more, the one I am working on now is Hand-Painted Preemie Hat by Amanda Schwabe and I am using some scraps from Kattikloo Sock yarn in the Plumage Handpaint Warbler colourway and so far I love it. Seems SO tiny though!! Should get through several of these this month.

Preemie Hat #1

Fitness:

I have still been running 2-3 times a week. I still find I struggle a lot more to breathe than I did in Canada. I don't love it, I will never love it, but I want to improve my cardio. Also - we  as a group have signed up to do a 5km Fun Run on April 28th. So at least until then I have to keep at it!

Starting April 1st I started doing Ripped in 30. It's interesting the things that are similar and the things that are different. I find my muscles ache more (which means they are being worked & is good) but I don't struggle as much through some parts (which is GOOD)!

Also, starting April 1st I began the 30 Day Green Smoothie a Day challenge with Young and Raw. I get a shopping list for each week & recipes each day! So far I am enjoying it! Also - I started using MyFitnessPal again to track my food & exercise. Hopefully it helps me with this lifestyle change I am trying to do!

Still wanting to try Paleo & am trying to implement it as much as I can, but I still would like to do a meal plan & have both of us try it for a couple of weeks. Haven't yet...but it's on the list.

My plan is to start Insanity in May. That being said, I am expecting Insanity to completely kick my arse, and I don't know that I will be keeping up with the running so much when doing it.