To New Zealand and back...way to ring in 2014!

Well hello!!
We left for New Zealand on January 12th and we returned on the 28th, so much to say!! I am really just far too verbose so I have notes I am working from, and then I have to shorten those down too!!!! It's still VERY LONG - so I don't blame you if you don't feel like reading, I know my family will want to though, so I'm putting it up anyhow!

Us on a hike, or "tramping" as they say

Let the spinning begin...

Two posts in June - say what!??!

Not a lot going on though! Seriously! We went to the NRL (Rugby League) game and it was a bit chilly. Think ice rink temperatures but with wind because it's an outdoor stadium. It's a MASSIVE outdoor stadium (we went to ANZ) that holds 80,000 people. There were 20,000 for this particular game. The Doggies lost, they deserved to though, they were playing pretty crap. However, it was cool to see it live. I would like to see another game at a smaller arena because we could only see what was going on if they were at the end we were closest to.

ANZ Stadium during warmups

Something, and a couple of someone's that I believe in...

We went to Melbourne!! More about that later - right now I just wanted to share this:

Last year, about this time, my sister & I went to a "Learn to Spin" class put on my Fibre Arts Bootcamp (FAB) for our birthday gifts to one another. That day I met a couple of lifelong friends & learned to love fibre in a whole new way!!

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!

 

 

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!