New Years Goals 2011

If you've been reading this dilapidated blog for any amount of time, you know I don't make resolutions. I prefer to make goals for the year. 2011 is no different. I supposed it's time to publish this year's list.

Lose weight (of course!)
-Eat more vegetables
-Exercise
Get back into knitting and blogging
-Baby Gifts
-Sock knitting by the book
Simplify my life
-Watch what you buy. Is it really a need?
-Go through garage and spare room to get rid of things
Work on the House- This might not all happen this year. But we need to start moving on some of these items.
-Paint!!!!
-Windows
-Floors
-Landscaping

One way to simplify is to reuse/repurpose. Check out A Beautiful Life's fabric giveaway and support her trying to simplify!

I Hate To Say It

But... Did you see Oprah yesterday? It's "best life" week and financial guru, Suze Orman, was on. Don't tell anyone but I was pretty inspired to take more control over our financial situation. (Technically, we are financially separate but the tax man and legally we are one household.)

Suze made some really good points. Here are a few of my favorites. I'm going to try to incorporate these into my life as a way to support Control the Clutter.
*No wants until you are out of debt. Needs only. (For the record, all we have is my school debt. But it's still debt.) I don't promise to be perfect here. But buying something I don't need will not make me happier than being out of debt will.
*Prove that you are wealthy by being financially sound. Not by showing off to the people around you.
*No shame. No blame. Suze was applying this proverb to money but I think it really applies to all areas of my life.
*Have 8 months of living expenses in savings. Yes, she said 8 MONTHS. Wow. That's a lot. She mentioned that in this economy it's taking around 8 months for people to find new jobs once they have been laid off. If you think of it as a total, it's an overwhelming number. But little by little, I want to get to this place. Think about how secure that would feel.

One of the things I'm going to try is Fall In Love With Your Stash Fridays. Since all my yarn is packed away I sometimes forget the loveliness that is my stash. And I'm hoping this will make me more aware. Again, I can't promise it'll be every Friday but I'll give it a go.

First up, a Christmas present from my little sister...



Liberty Family Farms Yarn- I don't know the color name, content, or length. But it is local to where I grew up. The sheep are raised, sheared, and the yarn is spun in Hart, Michigan. It is SO SOFT. I was the lucky recipient of 2 beautiful skeins. I could pet it all day long.

You have about 3 hours left to enter the contest. So far there are lots of good guesses. But I'm not gonna say if anyone is right until tomorrow. ;)

Hello New Year!

Not being one for resolutions, I've been thinking about my annual goals today.

1. Lose the weight- In 2008, I lost 25 pounds. Woot! This morning I weighed 199 pounds and I'm looking to be around 170. That's roughly 30 pounds from what I weighed when I met Brian.(I never weighed myself in college but I think I was around 170 then too.) It's totally doable. I just need to apply myself a bit more. And if those numbers seem high to you, remember that I'm 5"10" and Dutch- meaning there's a lot of built in hip and thigh.

2. Control the Clutter- We hope to purchase our first home this year. And moving a bunch of crap really does not appeal to me. I just need to go back to asking the question, "Do I really need this?" before buying something. I did a decent job of this in the last quarter of 2008. So I'm trying to keep the momentum going. Not only will this decrease the weight of the move but it will increase the weight of my pocketbook. Knitting from the stash, culling my clothes, and using trading services (ie. Paperbackswap and craigslist) will all contribute to lowering the amount of stuff we have. Spending money more deliberately will keep my focus on what I am so lucky to have not on what I don't.

3. Focus on Other Parts of My Life- Nursing school and finding a new job took up so much of my 2008. I started to lose sight of some of the other areas of my life. I need to read more. Get out of my house and explore my world more. Spend more time with friends and Brian. Just get back to living a richer, fuller life that isn't so 1 note.

Thinking about the possibilities for this year has made me very, very happy and excited. I'm counting this as the last of the 8 days of happiness. I really enjoyed the challenge of focusing on the little things every day that made my life brighter. I can sometimes get bogged down in the little annoyances. This challenge helped me to shift my lense a bit which is always a worthwhile exercise.

Here's to all of you who listen to my ramblings and here's to a fantastic 2009!

Fat Tuesday

It's Fat Tuesday and I've been thinking.... I'm chubby too! I'm not religious. But there is a certain appeal to the whole giving up something for a very defined length of time. So the diet starts tomorrow with the start of Lent. Famous last words, right? I think I have a good shot here since I'm also starting a better schedule. (Classes Monday through Wednesday) And I'll have a lot more time during the week to workout and such. Anyway, that's the plan! Something has to happen or I'm really going to be out of pants.

A while back, Ruth was looking for computer speakers. I happen to have a pair and it's no big deal for me to send them her way since I'm not using them. Well, a package showed up in my mail yesterday. And I thought maybe I had bought something and completely forgot. But I've been really good about yarn buying lately and I was actually kind of mad at myself for a second thinking I'd broken one of my rules. Luckily for me, I wasn't drunk shopping. It was a thank you for the speakers from Ruth!



Fearless Fibers- Spellbound. Isn't the color PERFECT!?!?!?! I love it. And it's 550 yards! Can you say knee-highs???? It's all I can do to keep from winding it and casting on straight away. Thank you so much, Ruth!!!

Last night, I stayed up WAY too late to finish Atonement. So good! It took a while for me to get into it. The descriptive writing is lovely and really sets the stage but I'm an action girl. And not a lot happened for the first 100 or so pages. The story is intense and you really feel for the characters. I would recommend it highly. And now I can go see the movie! I've been holding out to finish the book.

I'm finished with pediatrics. Tomorrow I start mental health and community health. I'm not particularly interested in working in either of these fields. But I think the classes and exposure to them will be really interesting. I mean, it has to be exciting when you're warned not to wear a necklace or scarf to clinical in case someone decides to strangle you. Exciting!

I have today off. But I'm going to school to see a screening of The Business of Being Born. It's Ricki Lake's documentary about giving birth in America. I've heard good thing. I'll let you know tomorrow.

And don't forget to vote!

Welcome 2008

After sleeping most of the day today, I'm am starting to feel a little less foggy. Since I have my first 3 hour pediatrics lecture tomorrow, there's no time to waste. I won't complain too much though since I have Thursday and Friday off before working the weekend.

As some of you know, I don't really do resolutions. I do New Year goals. I've been mulling these over for a while and here's what I've come up with.

1. Focus on my weight through focusing on getting healthy- In spite of starting off strong, I actually put on 15 pounds this year. All of that has come since I went back to school. My weight is really out of control. So this year, it's even more important for me to make a big weight loss push. I'm headed into a career that is very physical and I can't risk injury and loss of work days by being unhealthy. 45 pound weight loss goal.

2. Buy local and organic ingredients- This one goes with #1. Think good and hard about what food I buy and consume. To follow a healthier, more green existence, I'd prefer to eat mostly organically and locally produced food. But the first step to this is cutting out processed food. This is January's goal. Cheese especially will be tough. (I love Kraft singles!) And does anyone know a good organic beer???? If you haven't read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, I would recommend it.

3. Shop deliberately- I'm in a huge "no more crap" cycle. I'm sick of clutter and mess and chaos. And I don't need more stuff. This includes yarn. I'm not going on a yarn diet or promising not to buy anything. I just want to take a more deliberate approach to how and where I spend my money. A lot of this has to do with me not having an income. But even when I do (hopefully around July), I don't need to run rampant with my consumerism. I have plenty of stuff- as evidenced by the 4 garbage bags of clothes I just gave away. Smart shopping instead of bored shopping.

4. Pass the nursing board exam and land a job as an ICU or NICU nurse- Ideally at a level 1 trauma hospital.

5. Read more books for fun- Being in school makes this tough. But I think I can still fit in a chapter a night or so. Balance. It's all about balance. I have a ton of great books from Paperbackswap.com. I need to read and pass them on!

I think those are challenging but also reasonable goals. I tried to do weekly updated last year and I don't think I'll do that again. It got tedious for me and I'm sure for you too. Instead, I'll maybe throw in updates here and there like when I find a great Farmer's Market or finish an interesting book. I just don't want to tie myself into a set format. Sound good? Good.

Goals Update- Week 29

First and foremost today... I have an FO!!!!! Can you believe it? I almost forgot how to spell FO.

Unfortunately, I don't have the greatest pictures. But here's the best of what I took.



Pattern: Clapotis
Yarn: BMFA STR Heavyweight in Lucy- 2 full skeins and about 3 ounces of the 3rd.
Needles: KnitPicks Options Size 8, 5 mm
Mods: I made did 5 more repeats than the pattern called for. I wanted the scarf to be nice and long. It came out a little too long but that's OK.



Closeup of the color. Love, love, love the color. AND since this is sock yarn, it technically counts against my totals for the Lime & Violet sock yarn marathon. Although, that technically ended on the 15th. I'm 80% to my 2 miles. So pretty much I didn't make it in any way, shape, or form. Shocking, I know.

1. Thin for Thirty- I stayed steady this week. This is a minor miracle considering what I've eaten. That's all there really is to say about that. I know what I did wrong and I know what I can do better. So this week, I'll try to be better.

2. Knit from the Stash- I told you last week that I had used a little of the money I made clearing out the stash on ebay to order from BMFA. That package came today.



STR lightweight- Tanzanite. It's more purple than this picture. I couldn't get the color right.



STR lightweight- Lucy in the Sky



STR lightweight- Backstabber

They are delicious. And, since my overall yardage went down, I don't feel like I added to my stash. How's that for justification???

School was really interesting this week. I gave my first shot and put in my first catheter. I feel more and more like a nurse everyday. (Although, I still have plenty of moments when I'm sure I'm an idiot!)

Nothing much else is going on. I did see Perfume: The Story of a Murderer. Worst.Ending.EVER. I had read on someone's blog that the ending sucked. (I can't remember who's blog.) Awful. The rest of the movie was twisted and somewhat interesting. But the ending stunk so much I had to pan it on Netflix. That'll teach me to ignore the advice of a knit blogger.

Goals Update- Week 28

I'm done! The book arrived at 4 pm. And I read almost continuously until midnight when Brian insisted I go to sleep. I reluctantly obliged even though I only had 175 pages to go. By 11 this morning, I was done! I really liked the book. It wasn't completely what I had expected which was great. And it'll absolutely require a second reading.

1. Thin for Thirty- I lost 3 pounds this week! And I'm 2 pounds below my January starting weight. My progress bar on the side bar can now start the countdown. I haven't been as good as I was a couple of weeks ago. I'm trying to find a good balance. But so far, so good. Combining the Ultra simple diet with weight watchers has helped me with balance. The Ultra simple plan gives me a good (but strict) framework for what to eat. And then, I can add a yogurt or more fruit by using the weight watchers on my PDA. Having to enter what I eat somewhere is totally keeping me honest.

2. Knit from the Stash- I fell down a little this week. I took some of the money I had in my paypal account and bought 3 skein of STR lightweight in Backstabber, Lucy in the Sky, and Tanzanite. Since I bought this yarn from selling other yarn, it's more like replacing instead of shopping. Sort of.

Brian bought a new car today. We've been talking about it for 3 months or so. He's been driving a 1993 Honda Del Sol. It's served us well but it's starting to wear out. And with 2 cars that can only hold 2 people, it's not that practical. So he upgraded to this in Silver. It's so nice. I'm jealous and I can't wait to be able to upgrade my car. Hopefully insurance will just let us fix it pretty soon. They are totally dragging their feet.

Goals Update- Week 27

This was a very good but very busy week. I have midterm exams (AGAIN!) this coming week. So a lot of studying was done this weekend. I have to give a head to toe physical exam on Tuesday. That'll be interesting.

1. Thin for Thirty- I lost another 4 pounds this week!! I'm this close to being at my January weight. I think I finally found something that works for me. The Ultra simple diet consists of eating vegetables, brown rice, and lean protein. It is ultra simple. I didn't follow it perfectly. I didn't make it into that lavender scented bath every night but overall, I'm really happy with the results. I'm going to give it another shot this week. Hopefully, I can keep up this pace. Unfortunately, I haven't been as careful this weekend. But that's OK. It's what is going to keep me sane. I even worked out twice this week.

2. Knit from the Stash- I have 3 more repeats until the decrease rows. YAY! I'm so close. Stupid midterms getting in the way of my knitting time! But I did hear that the Yarn Pirate Booty Club ships on Monday. YAY!!!

I've been doing a lot of sleeping and studying this weekend. (thanks, Peaknit for your prescription for rest!) Last week was a tough one. But it was also great. I'm working with cool patients. There isn't a TON to do because I'm on a neuro rehab floor so the patients are encouraged to do a lot for themselves. But they have interesting disease processes. Lots of patients with strokes and some motor vehicle accidents. They are stable and in the process of relearning how to do activities of daily living (ADL's). It's a cool process but not that great for baby nurses like us.

I'll try to get a picture of me in my super cool uniform of all white scrubs. It's pretty hot!!!

Goals Update- Week 26

Blogger is apparently not allowing for titles today. I'm glad I'm not the only one having this issue.

1. Thin for Thirty- I lost 2 pounds!!! Still about 5 above my starting weight in January. But it's progress! This past week I've been taking my Alli and eating more thoughtfully. I haven't had any "treatment effects" until this morning. But I was asking for it when I make BLT's for lunch yesterday. (only 1 sadnwich and no mayo) This will sound weird but I'm kind of glad I had this happen. I was starting to think I got a placebo bottle! The only thing I'm noticing about Alli is that I'm so aware of how much fat I'm eating that I'm increasing my intake of carbs. I think this is leading me to eating too many calories even though I'm being really aware of my fat intake. Last week, I paired Alli with weight watchers. They have a PDA version that links to the WW website. So I keep track of what I eat all day on my palm and sync it up to their site. Pretty cool.

Starting today, I'm going to do the Ultra Simple Diet. I know this sounds like dieting ADD. But I needed to spend a week really aware of what I ate to prepare for this much stricter week. Basically, I get to eat as many vegetables as I want with 1/2 cup brown rice and 4 ounces of lean protein at 1 meal a day. For snacks, you drink vegetable broth. It doesn't sound like much but vegetables are pretty much unlimited. At the end of the day, you take a 20 minute bath with Epsom salts and lavender oil to relax, recharge, and reflect on the day. I'll keep you posted. I do have to go to the grocery store today to pick up some of the things I need to make the broth. Until that happens, canned chicken broth will do. I don't think I'll be taking Alli at 3 meals a day this week. It just doesn't make sense if there's little or no fat in my meals. But I will keep track on WW. This is probably the best habit for me to pick up. Keeping track of what I eat really helps me realize when I'm just mindlessly putting food in my mouth.

One last thing- I promise this won't become a dieting blog.

2. Knit from the stash- I find it very easy not to buy yarn when I don't have time to knit. I already have so many projects planned but not started, it's tough to imagine adding to the list. I did pass the 1/2 way point on my Clapotis! I'm so loving the way it's coming out. The STR heavyweight is going to be warm but the drape is fantastic. And the Lucy colorway is too pretty!

Although, I would love a skein of this from Scout J. But I will resist!

And now for my random thoughts:

Also, if you have the Outdoor Life Network, the Tour de France coverage is so pretty. I mean the cycling is cool. But the scenery is amazing!

In school last week we learned to give injections. It was quite a day with everyone sticking everyone else. But we're starting to feel like real nurses. This week we head into the hospital. I'm so excited. I found out we're going to be on a neuro-rehab floor. So people who are recovering from strokes and motor vehicle accidents with head trauma. Very interesting cases with a lot to learn from each.

Goals Update- Week 25

Wow, it's been a few days since I posted. I made it through my first term at school. New classes start tomorrow which include me heading into the hospital 3 days a week. And I have lots of reading to do.

1. Thin for Thirty- I bought a couple of things to help me get this going again- The Ultra Simple Diet and Alli. You've probably heard a lot about Alli. It's an FDA approved fat blocker. But if you don't change your eating habits, really unpleasant "treatment effects" occur. (mostly related to bathroom issues) So I'm using it as a training device to remind myself not to eat too much fat. And I'm going to do the 7 day Ultra Simple plan next week which includes eating a lot of vegetables, vegetable broth, and a nightly bath. I need a week to get everything prepared. This might sound a little extreme. But I really need to get headed in the right direction. And I only have 2 months to make significant progress before my birthday. I assure you, I'm not being unhealthy. And I will continue to eat. I'm just going to really focus on healthy habits.

2. Knit from my stash- No yarn purchased since school started! But I am getting sock club deliveries. Just like Peaknit, I might need a sock club intervention!

First, from Scout's Swag...



Kizkalesi. I love this deep teal color. And there's a pattern from Cookie A. included!!!! Very nice swag!

Next, The Petals Collection from Sundara...



Grape Hyacinth. The pattern that goes with this one is really cool too. There's cables and little sections that look like bunches of grapes.

STR Club for June....



Oh yeah! This one got sent to my old office. And I'm sorting it out with the BMFA ladies. I'm sure it'll get figured out one way or another.


Thanks for all your help on the destash! There's still some things left...

And Happy July! Have a safe and fun holiday!

Goals Update- Week 23

Boring title but I hope a good post.

Today is a lovely day. The sun is shining but it's not too hot. A nice breeze is blowing. It's a great day for laundry and studying. And as wonderful as this day has become it started out a little rough. We live across the street and down a bit from Camp Parks- an Army (I think) training center. Usually it's no big deal. But this weekend is helicopter training. So early this morning I thought we were under some kind of attack. Choppers have been flying around all morning. Milo kitty was pretty nervous as well. And she started doing the scaredy meowing thing. Then, a jerk off who lives up the road really likes to rev his bike up and down the access road. This happens all the time. It's funny because it's not a place where people are walking around looking. He's just doing it for the hell of waking me up every weekend morning. I have fantasies of throwing eggs at him or even shooting him with a BB gun. I would never do these things but it's fun to think about. Other than the noise pollution, it's been a lovely morning.

Hey look! Actual knitting content!!!



These were supposed to be done in May. And only 1 is done by June 17. Remember, there are no strict knitting deadlines. They are plain vanilla socks with a short row heel and 2x2 ribbing on the cuff. The Vesper yarn in Astro is fun to knit and really reminds me of the Yarntini base yarn. This is also the first sock I've done as ML. Maybe the second one will be done by November!

In other knitting news, Valerie wrote about great knitting book deals on amazon. So I popped over there to snap up a cheap book. I got Knit 2 Together for $5.50! And since I can't resist free shipping, I picked up Lace Style and Eat, Pray, Love (as recommended by Peaknit). There's not a lot I want to knit out of Knit 2 Together. Maybe the doctor's bag. Lace Style, on the other hand, has 2 definite knits- Lily of the Valley Shawl and Katherine Hepburn Cardigan. Oh the plans I'm making for time I don't have....

If you haven't picked up Eat, Pray, Love yet, go order it now! I'll wait. OK- as a disclaimer- I'm not a self help book kind of girl. And this book, although somewhat in that vein, is really about self discovery through 3 different cultures- Italy, India, and Indonesia. So many things written in it are really resonating with me. Mostly, I'm drawn to the idea of living a more thoughtful and deliberate life. Elizabeth Gilbert writes about her path. She doesn't recommend, coerce, or try to convince the reader that she's right. She merely says this is what she did. I'm tearing through it and I know I'll read it again. I may even send copies to friends. My mom would have loved this book. Thanks so much to Peaknit for pointing me toward it. I haven't had a book touch me this way in awhile.



My little garden- Rosemary on the left. Thyme on the right. I show you this picture because I have a notorious black thumb when it comes to plants. I kill everything. And shockingly, these two are not only still alive after 4 weeks but growing. I'm stoked!

We have a little 4'x6' patio balcony thing since we're in a 3rd floor apartment. It gets a lot of light and a lot of spider webs. We haven't really tried to make it nice out there since, no matter how many times I sweep or scrub, it's still dirty. I was watering the plants a week or two ago and the kitties escaped and promptly rolled around on the concrete. And now, every time I head out there, they are right on my heels for their daily roll.



Eva



Milo- What's up with the tongue???

Aren't they cute? Of course they come back inside covered in dust and cobwebs. But they LOVE it. So who am I to deny them?

Goals-
1. Thin for Thirty- I have a plan. It's shipping as we speak. So far, I'm still over January's weight by 4 lbs. That's much better than the 11 lbs. I was over my starting point a couple of weeks ago. I want to be back at starting weight by the end of June. Then 10 lbs each in July and August. That should get me about 10 lbs. from my goal by my birthday. I can live with that. As long as I'm at goal by Christmas.

2. Knit from the Stash- I joined the YP club. And I scored some Vesper yarn on ebay. (Don't worry, I didn't over pay.) So an equivalent $ amount of yarn has to go. The destash will happen on Monday evening. I'm pulling it all together today. There's going to be some good stuff.

My feud with the USPS continues. The Palm Pilot was supposed to be delivered yesterday and it wasn't. And when I checked the tracking site last night, it said a note was left but I have no such note. UGH!!!! I really wanted to play with it today. And now it'll be held hostage until Tuesday since I won't get home from school in time to go to the post office tomorrow. They make me crazy. Oh well. This is the world teaching me patience yet again.



I leave you with a picture of me and my Dad at Blarney Castle last December. (Ignore my crazy hair, it was windy.) Happy Father's Day, Dad!!! I love you.

Goals Update- Week 22

Yesterday I took a day off from studying and went to the baseball game for my friends' engagement party. Giant's vs. A's on a perfect afternoon. Can't get much better than that. The A's won 6-0. I got a little sun and drank a beer or two. It was a very good time.

Congratulations to Heather and James! See you at the wedding in August!

1. Knit from the stash- I finally did some knitting on the train to the ball game yesterday. It's been slow, slow progress around here. But no more yarn has been purchased. I even withstood a Yarn Pirate update.

2. Thin for Thirty- A little more progress. 2 pounds or so. Almost back to my January starting weight. I'm a little frustrated but I just gotta keep on keeping on. Reading and making flashcards aren't as good exercise as I thought they would be. HAHA!!!

I guess that's about it. I'm a little boring at the moment. Sorry about that.

Goals Update- Week 21

This is going to be a quick goals update. There's not a ton to tell. And I have an exam tomorrow to study for. I love the accelerated pace of my program but what that means is we have an exam every week. I'm actually looking forward to this 1st test so I know what to expect.

1. Thin for Thirty- I lost 3 pounds this week. YAY!!!! Funny what not sitting in a cubicle and eating gummi bears all day will do for you. I'm still above my January starting weight but at least I'm headed in the right direction. It also helps that I don't have any spare money to buy lunch. Yogurt and carrots are doing the trick.

2. Knit from the stash- In fact, I'm not knitting much at all. I made a little progress on the striped socks last night. Mostly, I'm trying to find the balance between studying and free time.

Although I haven't bought yarn this week, a little did show up. Here's my special order from Yarn Pirate.



Citron



Apple



Sweet Magnolia

Gorgeous, right? I just checked my YP stash and I have 16 skeins. Obsessed much???

All Clean and a Goals Update

Well, mostly clean. The bedroom is the only place I haven't gone through the contents and thoroughly scrubbed down the whole place. Cleaning is so satisfying. The house looks great! When I get to the bedroom, a new dresser will be purchased and all the clothes will be off the floor and put away. Yes, I live like a college kid in spite of being 8 years beyond that stage of life. Jillian over at sknitty bought one of these a while ago. I think I'll be a follower on this one. It's a tad bigger than my current (broken) dresser. I may have to get 2 as Brian doesn't have anywhere to but his clothes. Brian told me he doesn't need it but I'd love it if we could get everything organized.

It's so funny. I'm really nervous about school and I'm totally trying to control everything else. I keep telling myself that I'll feel better if I'm all organized. But I know I'll actually feel better when I start class on Tuesday. Even my skin is reacting! I'm seriously broken out. And I have wrinkles. I find the combination of my skin issues particularly annoying. Wrinkles or zits, OK? Not both. So unfair.

Needless to say, not much knitting is happening. Mostly I'm working on hats for Sheri's Q2 Loopy Challenge. I re-read the last Harry Potter book yesterday and today. I wanted to get it done before the new one comes out. And soon, any reading time will not be devoted to HP.

As for the Goals, there's not much to tell.

1. Thin for Thirty- I have a new plan. Once school starts, I'll be brown bagging it. I have no extra money to buy lunch every day. That's going to do a lot for my weight. I'm convinced not having Mexican food twice a week will really help. More fruit, veggies, yogurt, and a PB sandwich. That ought to do it. 30-35 pounds need to come off.

2. Knit from the stash- Well, there's no money for yarn either. And I may not have time for knitting. I'll pause while you regain your composure. Ready? OK... I have more than enough yarn to keep me busy for the next 5 years. I'm going to try not to buy yarn for the whole time I'm in school. That's 1 year. It's going to be hard. I won't be able to go here. Or here. Or even here. But I do think I can do it. After all, I went almost 27 years without buying yarn before I knew how to knit. And I'll go shopping in my stash. Isn't that why I have all this yarn? To knit it??? In the spirit of full disclosure, I have an outstanding custom order from the Yarn Pirate. But other than that, it's game on.

The rest of the goals are completed! Not too shabby for the end of May.

I also wanted to encourage you to visit my friend Emily's Etsy Shop. She makes the cutest baby burp cloths and hats. And her project pouches are too cute. Check it out!

Goals Update- Week 20

I has a lovely afternoon with my older sister and her husband. We had lunch outside and then went to look at houses. My sister is a lawyer at a fancy schmancy firm on the peninsula near Palo Alto. And she's looking at million dollar houses. I'm not saying this to impress you- quite the opposite. Her million dollar house is potentially a 2500 square foot condo. And, apparently, the $600,000 houses are places you really wouldn't want to live until you put a LOT of work in. California real estate is so ridiculous. We live in the East Bay and prices are a little better here. But it just baffles me. This nursing thing is going to help up move a little farther away from the immediate Bay Area. Maybe we'll be able to buy then. Sorry for the rant. But I grew up in the Midwest and my (semi) frugal nature won't allow me to buy a million dollar condo. That's just crazy.

My older sister and I don't always get along. Unlike my little sister and I, we aren't as close as I'd like. But today was lovely. She even bought me a career change present. Something that was totally unnecessary but very much appreciated. Hopefully with time, we'll get back to a better relationship.

Anyway.... Goals....

1. Thin for Thirty- UGH! To be honest, I'm not trying. And I really need to try.

2. Grad School- Classes start in 9 days. Squee!!!!! Can't wait. Books from amazon have shipped. I got a great deal on a sports watch with a timer. Things are lining up. My last day at work is Wednesday. I'm going to clean the house and throw/donate lots of stuff on Thursday and Friday. Long weekend. Then school!

3. Save Money- This one is getting dropped from the weekly updates. Since I get my last check this week, it's just not realistic anymore. I'm proud of what I've been able to save. And I'm in good shape for the next year. This hasn't ever been my strong suit. Brian's the saver, thank goodness! So I'm really happy with what I've been able to accomplish.

4. Knit from the Stash- There's going to be a relaunch here as well. I'm going to try to go the whole year I'm in school. I'm not sure it's realistic. But I certainly have enough yarn to keep me busy all year. With no money coming in, I have to really be smart about yarn buying. No $3 lattes and no yarn. I think it's doable. Besides, I have sock clubs coming every other month or so. That's almost like buying yarn. Or at least, that's what I'm telling myself.

That being said, I did manage to score a little more Yarn Pirate before the ban goes into effect.



Patience



Mermaid



And the much stalked Malamute. She's also taking special orders on 8 colors at her shop. Hey, if I can't buy it, you should!

I Did It

I resigned. It was a tough day. But my boss took it pretty well. She was completely blindsided. Hopefully, tomorrow she'll be in a decent mood.

My old boss was extremely supportive. Thank goodness. She told me I had to do what was best for me. She's so wonderful and I'm really grateful for that. I hope to keep in contact with her. She's been an inspiration and so unbelievable supportive of me.

In certain ways I can't believe this is really happening. I've been going to night school for 3 years to complete all the pre-requisite classes for my program. For a long time, this has been a hypothetical situation. And now, it's very real. In 2 weeks, I'll be unemployed. It's scary. And also really, really exciting.

Thank you so much to Diana who commented that quitting and going back to school was the best thing she ever did. I needed to hear that. You don't know how much that helped.

Regularly scheduled yarn and knitting goodness to resume soon.

Goals Update- Week 18

There's more than the goals to talk about today. This is going to be long and picture heavy. Sorry 'bout that!

Friday was the mail day to end all mail days. I received 3 (!) sock club packages and the new Interweave Knits. What a great way to start the weekend.

First, the Sunshine Sock Club.



The yarn is called Airy. And the pattern looks like cloud wisps! Dani does a great job of changing up her colorways. Such a pretty blue.

Next, the Petals Collection from Sundara Yarn.



It's called Dahlia and the color is amazing. I got a splotch of yellow in my skein to break up the orangey-red. I just love it. And isn't it cool how it looks just like the picture of the flower. Sundara certainly has a gift when it comes to color.

The first installment of the Yarntini Sock Club, which is run through Pure Knits, really delivered. At first I balked at the price of this club but this package was so fun to open. It never seemed to end!



The yarn is self striping in the Pure Breeze color. I love the two shades of blue playing off of each other. There's a project pouch from Misocrafty in the great Amy Butler fabric, stitch markers from Sarkasmo, SOAK wash in the aquae scent, lip gloss, and Lucy Neatby's book Cool Socks, Warm Feet. Now, I know this is the intro package and it has more swag than the next ones will. But what a way to start out.

The only problem I'm having is which yarn to cast on next!

And, I'm allowed to cast on because I have an FO! The Moorish Lattice Socks are finito!



Yes, my feet really are that big!



Pattern: Moorish Lattice Socks from Sensational Knitted Socks. This book never lets me down. I've made 2 or 3 pair from here and they always fit perfectly.
Yarn: Fleece Artist Merino Sock- Blue Lagoon from The Loopy Ewe. Seriously, Sheri is the best. If you haven't bought yarn from here go now!
Needles: Addi Bamboo DPN's in US#1
Mods: I couldn't do as many toe decreases as the pattern calls for because I was running out of yarn. But the socks fit just fine. So that wasn't a huge issue.

I love this yarn. The Fleece Artist is so soft and the colors melt together so well. I did notice that one sock is a lot greener and the other is more blue. But, since it's all one ball of yarn, I think it's the way the colors landed in the pattern. These might be my favorite socks so far!

OK- on to goals...

1. Knit from My Stash- I've been thinking about this. And since we all know I'll be more or less broke for the next year, I'm restarting the yarn diet when I start school. I've been basically ignoring the fact that I'm not supposed to be buying yarn that this goal has become almost a joke. So on May 29 there will be a new yarn diet with new rules pertaining to completion of school goals. Sound good? Good. Because I have one more skein of Yarntini headed my way and I don't want to be a cheater already.

2. Grad School- Classes start May 29.

3. Thin for Thirty- Again, I think this being broke thing is going to help. And not breaking up my workday with lots of snacks. I'm up to 32.6 on my Runagogo mileage. So I'm good on the exercise part. Just not the healthy eating part. Although, I did buy a Menu-Mailer from Saving Dinner.com. I think we might have a better chance of not living on cheese quesadillas if I get food prepared ahead of time. Big thank you to Miss Violet for the link to that one. Now I just have to go out and get all the stuff and assemble it. Maybe next weekend...

BTW- did you know Lime & Violet opened their own shop? Go over and get registered. The first update will be tomorrow.

4. Save Money- I'm good. YAY!


Last but not least, Happy Anniversary to my wonderful husband! We were married 1 year ago today in San Francisco. I love you very much. We celebrated last night by going to a fancy restaurant to which my wonderful co-workers gave us a gift certificate as a wedding gift. The food was wonderful. The wine was very tasty. And the company was one in a million.

Goals Update- Week 17

Let's jump right in...

1. Thin for Thirty- No progress even though I've walked 25 miles this month. I'm stressed with the work/school transition. And food is my friend- especially Mexican food. :)

2. Save Money- Things are good here. On track for going to school.

3. Knit from the Stash- The great stock up is done. I'm really feeling guilty about my stash now. There will be no more purchases for a while. There's no reason to buy more. I have a lovely stash and I need to use it. After all, what good is beautiful yarn if it just sits in a plastic tub in my closet.

4. Grad School- I'm resigning from work a week from Tuesday. I'm really nervous about the conversation I'm going to have with my boss. I hope she'll be supportive. But I realize this puts her in a difficult position and I'm preparing for the worst.

I also got my schedule for the summer. It's going to be an adjustment. Some days are 7-4. Some days are 2-11. Luckily, I got a clinical site near my house. But my in hospital training won't start until July. Thank goodness. Although I've taken many pre-requisite courses, I don't feel prepared to handle actual patients just yet. However, I did cut my finger today while searching for a wayward dpn. With no bandaids in the house, I bound my finger with cotton and duct tape. Nurse MacGyver at your service!

That's about it from here. I got my sock mojo back this weekend. One green Baudelaire done. And I'm on the gusset of my second Moorish Lattice sock. I keep telling myself I can't cast on for my Clapotis until these two socks are done. So far, that's working. But I know myself. I won't hold out for long. The STR heavyweight in Lucy is calling me.

Goals Update- Week 16

I haven't done a proper Goals Update in a while. And since I was a little hung over this morning, I haven't been as productive as I'd hoped.

1. Knit from the Stash- I'm taking Sheri at The Loopy Ewe up on her Q2 Challenge. So I'm knitting baby hats like crazy.

Here's what I have so far...



The 2 in lavender are in Bernat Cottontots. The Navy is RYC Cashsoft Aran. I have a yellow one on the needles currently. I hope to finish that one by the end of the night.

I have about 4 skeins of Bernat Cottontots left over from crazy baby knitting last year. So there will be purple, blue, pink, yellow, and cream hats. Although, I don't have much cream left so there might be a 2 toned one. I'm thinking there will be at least 10 in all. This is a potential stash reduction of 700 yards!

I won't mention the 18 skeins of yarn from Blue Moon Fiber Arts that showed up yesterday. In my defense, I had a coupon!

2. Grad School- The work count down is on. Only 2 weeks before I put in my notice and 2 weeks more after that. Yikes! So exciting and scary. I signed my loan forms this week. And I'm sending in my final paperwork tomorrow.

3. Thin for Thirty- I've walked 17.5 miles toward my 100 for Runagogo. But no weight lost. I really think the change in my career, while currently stressing me out, will be helpful with my weight loss. No Mexican day at work. No lunches out. No breakfast burritos. Plus lots of standing and walking. Much better for my figure than 8-10 hours in front of a computer every day.

4. Save Money- Things are looking good. I took out a big loan for school but I don't think I'll need it all. Brian is wonderful and tells me all the time not to worry. We'll be fine. It's just hard to imagine not having income. But I'm very lucky to have a husband and family who won't let us go hungry.

I'll leave you today with a gratuitous kitty shot. They were cuddling in the ugly (but comfortable) lazy boy yesterday. And it was too cute not to share.



Eva on the left. Milo on the right.

Have a good rest of the weekend!

Goals Update- Week 13 and a Contest

Before we get to the goals, let me show you the finished soap.



This is Green Clay and Sage Soap.





The Rose and Pink Clay is the top row. Honey Beeswax on the bottom.



I get to smell this loveliness for 4 weeks while it drys in my kitchen. YUM!

Now on to the goals...

1. Thin for Thirty- I'm at the same weight I was when the New Year rolled around. Not good. But I'm recommitting today to both eating better and Runagogo. My family being here doesn't help in this regard either. I had 4 wonderful meals while they were here last week. But 4 nights of 3-4 course meals does not make my pants fit better!

2. Knit from the stash- I'm recommitting here too. My sister wanted to learn to knit. And I'd never been to Imagiknit in SF. The stars aligned last Friday to have a sister's day in the city. Seriously, love this shop. There was a TON of yarn. Great needle selection. And best of all, they were so incredible nice to my sister and I. We had a great day walking around SF from the Ferry Building to the Castro and back. Throw in a great lunch at Zuni Cafe and it was pretty much the perfect day. Abby chose a very bright red yarn and she's doing a K2P2 rib scarf with a garter stitch border. I'll get pics when she's done.

Well, this touched off yarn store fever for me. Last Saturday, I went to Article Pract to get the needles I needed for the Chevron Scarf. Of course, I also picked up the LL Devon I showed you a couple of posts ago.

Finally, I had to drop little sister at the airport on Monday. Coincidentally, Nine Rubies is on the way back to my house from the airport. Seriously, I have a sickness. This was my first time in this shop too. They have a great fireplace and a bunch of ladies were sitting and knitting. Again, everyone was really nice. I picked up some needles and this.



South West Trading Company- Tofutsies. I've been wanting to try this for a while. I thought the soy and the chitin would make it stiff. But it's not. It's really soft.

Finally, I bought this for my SP8. But I found something even better for her. So I get to keep it.



Lorna's Laces in Red Rover. Yummy!

Since then, I've gone off the deep end with orders from The Sweet Sheep, The Loopy Ewe, and a destash deal or two.

Speaking of destash, my KP Options came yesterday. LOVE them! Nice join. Bendy cable. Sharp tips. Love 'em.

And since it is Flash Your Stash Day... Here's mine. Sock stash. Non-Sock. Yarn I've used. And of course, there's more on the way. I need to listen to more Stash and Burn. My total yardage now stands at 29,698. Not good. Not terrible. But lots of room for improvement.

3. Get in to Grad School- The new is a little better on this front. I got word this week that I was accepted in to my #1 choice. YAY! This is a 3 year program that ends in my being a Family Nurse Practitioner. Crazy, right? Now I just have to figure out the details like financing this, health insurance, and living without an income. You know, the little things! But I'm really excited and know that all your good vibes have helped make this happen!

4. Save Money- Yeah, not so much.

I have been knitting. I'm 2 feet in to my Chevron Scarf. And I need to get back to those Baudelaire's. I'm falling behind in Project Spectrum and Socktopia. And I really haven't even started to knit any of my sock club yarns. I just have to remember that there is no time limit. Knitting is the part of my life that isn't supposed to be scheduled. If only I could get these socks done!

CONTEST ANNOUNCEMENT!!!
For sticking with me this past year or so. And especially for getting through my 2 last long posts, it's time for the contest!

I'm stealing this one from Minty.

How many knitting books do I have?

Send an email to nelltje at gmail dot com by next Saturday night at midnight Pacific Coast time with your guess. I'll pick 3 winners.

Prizes-
1 skein of Yarntini in Vintage.
1 skein of Yarn Pirate merino/tencel in Hydrangea
1 skein Lisa Souza Sock! in Emerald City

Thanks for reading and thanks for entering!