Fitness Friday

I'd love to do a Fitness Friday post every Friday, but I'll probably get distracted and forget (ideally because I'm actually doing something active). Anyway, when I remember, you'll get one!

My fitness check in for the week...

Cardio on the Elliptical... (I need a name for it... maybe Steve... working out with Steve sounds so much better)... 4 workouts - 40 minutes each! Hurrah!

Weights...  abs, arms, and legs... 4 workouts, 2 x on my abs! Yay me!

Did I go skating this week?... No but I plan to on Sunday...

Did I get outside for some exercise?... No, it's cold again and I'm a wimp, but I'm planning on trying to walk when it gets warmer than -20C. Or snowshoe, I have a pair and have yet to use them this winter, that's not right!

Did I get the kayak out?... bwahaha, everything is frozen solid and will be for many more months... I'll only be dreaming about getting on the water until May (brrr!) or more likely June. Insert sad face here...

How about water?... So I know I should be drinking 8 glasses of water but it always seems like such a lot to down... I feel like I'm floating away (and spending lots of time in the washroom)... So while I'm making a conscious effort to get and stay hydrated, in the winter I get most of my water from tea. I'll share my favorites next time!

Fun Fact... I discovered a website that has inspired these posts called Tone It Up. Actually these ladies have inspired me to get serious about my fitness this year.

I used to get by on fabulous genetics and youth. I've notice that both have been slipping this past year, I guess hitting my mid-30's will do that.

So check them out, sign up! They have super workout videos (free), recipes (free), an online community (free) and loads of inspiring members (also free).

I'm hoping to buy their BeachBabe workout videos soon and eventually sign on to be a lifetime member (there's a fee for this but also lots of extras like their nutritional plan and special member emails, etc...).

Ahh... Fridays just got a whole lot sweeter! How about you? Are you active? Do you track your fitness level? How do you stay healthy and amazing?

Stash Enhancement

Hello stash enhancement! I had a terrific mail day today...
All bought last year...
All bought online...
All yarn I haven't tried before...
All sock yarn...
All colours that are just out of my box...
All kinds of excitement over here...

I placed my first order at the Loopy Ewe and was not disappointed. The yarn selection is super and the little tape measure gift was very sweet. But the yarn, yum... I love buying yarn (I know I'm strange to those who don't share this love, thank goodness there are so many yarnaholics out there).

The above skeins are 3 shades of Colinette Jitterbug sock yarn in Blue Adonis (top), Java Plum (middle), and Dark Umber (bottom). Colinette is a company out of Wales. I can easily see myself buying more of these yarns, they are so much fun. Each is destined to be a pair of socks for my 12 Pair Plunge.

I also ordered some Lorna's Laces, a company I've heard about many times on blogs and podcasts but have never seen in person. I got two skeins.

The top one is called Great Horned Owl and it's a combo of frosty blue, grey brown, mushroom brown and cream. Can not wait to cast this one on! And the bottom is called Black Pearl. Oddly a fitting colour for that ship. I'm not the craziest purple fan but this will make a terrific pair of socks.

The last skein I have to show you is my Sweet Georgia Sock Yarn Club installment for January. It's called Night Owl and is actually a variegated yarn with yellow, purple, and navy on a superwash merino and silk base. Again, not something I would choose but I think it will make a fun pair of socks.

This colourway was really hard to photograph with the phone. I'll try for a better one with my Canon. This picture is a bit close to the true colours.

This will probably be the last yarn enhancement my stash will see for a while. I'm trying to pay down some debts this year and when I think back to what I spent last year on my hobby, I wince a little. Mind you... I do have a birthday coming up...

Things that make you go hmmm...

I'm making serious headway on my Katniss socks. I have one finished and the other is so close. They fit great and I'm really happy with them. I love the oranges in this TFA yarn, they are just so cheerful to knit and while I'm not a orange fan for my clothing, for socks, anything goes right?!

I would probably be finished with the socks if it weren't for Ysolda Teague's new Mystery Shawl Knitalong. I bought the pattern last month and have been waiting for the first clue to come out. Well it did on Monday and I knew that once I started this shawl, other projects would be put aside until I knit the clue. So every Monday for the next month I'll be anxiously waiting for my email with the next clue. Very exciting!

My Windward shawl hasn't gotten any love lately, not even a row. Once the socks are off the needles I hope to get serious about this project. I think it'll be lovely once it's done and I do enjoy the construction. I've also been ignoring my pillow which is a shame because it's such a great pillow and I really want it. I guess I need to buckle down and do some serious knitting this week.

I'm waiting for my first shipment of Sweet Georgia's Yarn Club to arrive in the mail. I'm so darn happy to be in a sock yarn club again. I love getting parcels every month (or two depending on the club) in an exclusive colourway. Seeing as I've committed to knitting 12 pairs of socks and 12 shawls in 2014, sock yarn will be a welcome addition to my stash (since it won't be sticking around for long). I'll post a picture when I get it. Should be any day now.

Isn't it funny how close the spelling is for "addition" and "addiction"? Things that make you go hmmm...

What to do when it's so cold outside...

Go Skating!

I don't know about you but around these parts this winter season has been a cold one. Like -50C with the windchill cold. Too cold to do much but fight for a spot in front of the fireplace.

Fortunately (or not depending on my mood) I made a resolution to be more active this year and cold or not, I really mean to make this one stick. So my family has been taking advantage of the ice rinks in town, one is outside (the temps were a balmy -20C that day)...

And the other is indoors. Mr. Man is playing his first year of hockey and it's a hoot to watch his practices. They do lots of stretching and drills and games. This one I call hockey yoga...

Our rink also has a family skate time on Sundays. We were there on the weekend so the Superstar and I could test out our new skates (the temps were so cold I don't even want to talk about it, it was way warmer in the rink)...

skating selfie, no one on the rink! Crazy!

When it's cold I also knit... Ha! Who am I kidding... it doesn't matter what the temperature is, I knit all the time! I've been working on a sheep pillow by Purl Soho called Bobble Sheep Pillow. It's a free pattern and the bobbles are fun to knit. I just need to knit the head, legs and tail and stuff it.

I'm working on the first of my Year of the Shawl 2014. It's Windward by Heidi Kirrmaier (PiPiBird on Ravelry). I'm using some yarn I picked up at Michael's because the yardage is right and the colour is pretty. I'm not an acrylic fan but so far this is knitting up really well. And it's uber soft! I'm a lot further in the pattern than the picture shows. The construction of this shawl is so strange, it changes directions and stitches in every section, fun to knit.

I'm also working on my 12 pair plunge for 2014. The first pair of socks is the Katniss pattern by Rose Hiver (free on Ravelry). I got past the gussets and knew all the while that they were too small. I thought I'd be all smart and take out a bunch of stitches on the cast on because Rose said in the pattern that they fit a ladies medium/large. I have small feet. Apparently my feet are only small in my mind because this sock was so small I couldn't get it on properly. I think these socks will fit me just fine if I cast on the correct amount of stitches. Gah, sometimes it's just better to knit the pattern and not try to modify everything... So I've frogged these and plan to re-cast on tonight at Mr. Man's hockey game.

The yarn is on old skein from Tanis Fibre Arts Colour Club from 2 years ago called Spice. I think it suits the pattern and I'm excited to have an orange pair of socks!

As for reading, because I'm linking with Ginny's Yarn Along... I'm on a magazine kick this week. I got the latest Shape magazine when standing in line at the grocery store (hopefully I'm not the only one that does this!) and the latest seed catalogue came in the mail the other day (so excited!). I love seed catalogues, they're like porn for my gardening soul... The last magazine is the Clean Eating one which I've subscribed to for 2 years now. I love this magazine for it's recipes, they're really good and clean, which is how I like to eat.

So there you have it. When it's cold I say, get active, knit and read...
Happy Wednesday!

Welcome 2014

Hello to a brand new year! How exciting is it to start anew every year? I love it. It's a chance to make new choices and walk new paths, review old ones and keep what worked and toss what didn't.

I always think I won't make any resolutions but I do. I actually enjoy making lists. I have lots of aspirations for this year and I'll share a few of them...

One is to blog every week. Ever since we got the the iPad and then I got my phone, I've been slacking in the blogging department. I find sitting at our computer very tedious and I haven't found a good blogging app for the apple devices yet. If you know of one let me know. Anyway, I'm going to try to blog whether I have pictures to show or not. I like joining in with the Wednesday Yarn Along over on Ginny's blog and even if that's all I can manage, that will work for me!

I aspire to exercise more. I know this is such a common resolution at this time of year but I really feel the need to kick up my metabolism and take advantage of the activities we have around us. I have a kayak and I want to use it. I have rollerblades that need to meet the road more often. I have ice skates and public skating at the arena or if I can brave the cold, I can go outside, always open and free. I have an elliptical that collects dust but should be collecting miles if you know what I mean.

I have some knitting goals too of course...

For every skein of yarn I knit I'm going to throw $5 in a jar. I have no idea what the money is for yet but I wonder how much I'll save this year (and stash reduction is always a good thing). I'm not going to be sticky about whether or not I knit the entire skein or not, if I use up most of it, it counts.

I've decided to knit 12 pairs of socks this year and 12 shawls. I have most of the patterns and most of the yarn already. I think I can do it or at least make a really good stab at it. Even if I fail, I'll still have loads of new projects and lots of money in my savings jar.

So there you have it. Goodbye 2013, it was swell...