Hats for Christmas

Halloween's not even over and I've already been crocheting for Christmas. This year I want to make hand-made gifts for Christmas. That's my goal and hope. We'll see if I actually succeed at that. I've started by making a men's hat. I wanted to make a skull cap but didn't want to knit one. I looked for crochet patterns but some were too "fancy" and I knew none of the men I knew would like that. I found a nice crochet hat pattern at the Lion Brands website and downloaded the free pattern. It's pictured as a woman's hat but I saw a number of samples in a men's version of this hat. The pattern is called the Metropolitan Ave Hat and has a nice texture and is very quick to crochet.

The challenge with this is, the pattern called for a bulky weight yarn, which I've never worked with. I used Loops & Threads Cozy Wool in Granite. This yarn is 50% wool and 50% acrylic. Using a 9 mm crochet hook, as recommended, I was able to make the gauge sample but when I crocheted the hat it turned out too big...even for my hubby's head. This shouldn't have been a surprise to me (but it was), I have always needed needles in a size smaller whenever I've crocheted or knitted. The difficulty was, I couldn't find an 8 mm or 7 mm crochet hook anywhere. So, I made my second hat using the biggest needle I had - a 6.5 mm - and it turned out too small for my husband, but did fit my sons!

Younger son ...with thread still attached, in case it didn't fit and I had to unravel.

It fit him but was a little snug.

Older son...hat fit him perfectly and cozy - true to the yarn's name. 

Assuming this was an early Christmas surprise hat, he claimed ownership. 

Merry Early Christmas!

I'm determined to find the needle size I need and make a few more of this hat!

Inspirational!

Happier Than A Bird Quilts: Summer Sampler Series: Completed Quilt!: She is done! And I love her so! So the facts:  Fabrics: Various Moda Bella Solids and Kona Cottons. Batting: Warm & White I d...

Baby Sweater for Mathias

My niece had a sweet baby boy this past summer. I wanted to knit or crochet a sweater pattern that I hadn't tried before so after hours and hours and hours (not really that many hours, I like to be dramatic sometimes) of searching the web for something interesting to make I found this photo.

Hexagon Sweater Revisited

I followed the link to the image and found this instructions at Cozy's Corner. The instructions were easy to follow and from the comments I could see that there were no errors in the directions given. I used Loops & Threads - Snuggly Wuggly yarn, in Rain Drops (white with blue/green flecks) from Michael's. And here's what I made for our sweet little Mathias.

Mathias' Hex Sweater

I also crocheted a little hat from Alli Crafts and a blanket from a pattern on Lion Brand's website but can't upload link as you have to log into their site. Here's how the set looks...

Sweater, hat, blanket set

Crochet in Color: Effortless Cowl

Thanks to Liz of "Crochet in Color" for a fun, easy pattern with great results. Will post my version as soon as it's done!

Crochet in Color: Effortless Cowl: No, this is not my PIP. I am posting this cowl pattern by request. This is a wonderful cowl for beginners...or anyone who loves plushy and...

Power Walking

Ever since I turned 50, I committed myself to trying everything I've ever wanted to try. For my 50th I road 200 km on my bike in the Ride to Conquer Cancer. Since then, I've given myself permission to finally study art (which I'm doing at a local college), participated in a marathon, and studied belly dancing to name a few. This year, my goal is to learn to power walk and to improve my time in the Toronto Marathon! I've enlisted the help of WoW Power Walking and am looking forward to my first lesson on Friday. I think I'll enjoy it as I'm a fast walker to begin with, I'm hoping I will learn the proper form so I can go longer distances faster. Cheers!

Feeling good

It's been a couple or more months since I began eating clean. I was gun-ho about cooking the recipes from the Eat Clean cookbooks I bought, I went as far as photographing the different things I made. Well, all that great food went into my tummy and the photos are still on the camera waiting for upload.

A quick summary, I've "tested" a bunch of recipes, the ones from the Eat Clean Diet book haven't been so successful but the recipes from the Eat Clean Cookbook are far more consistent in their ingredient proportions and cook time. I will upload the photos of food I do have and talk about the recipes soon.

The diet itself is not a diet...as cliche as this sounds...it's a lifestyle...and it's working for me!

Clean eating or following WW plan?

Something's working...I was down 1.2 pounds, from last week, at my Weight Watcher's weigh-in yesterday morning! I like to think it's both the clean eating AND following the WW plan. I have been journalling for the last three weeks and been following the principles of clean eating for about 4 weeks (I think). I want this to be second nature. I was reading someone's blog regarding his journey into eat cleaning and the blogger commented that his wife clarified for him that clean eating was not a "diet" but a "lifestyle." This is exactly what I've been saying to my family and it's been pretty funny.

Last night we went to my cousin's house for a BBQ. Usually I take over a bottle of wine and some sort of sweet. On our way to her house, we stopped at a local grocery store. I told my family I was NOT buying a cake or a pie or any of the other desserts they suggested, but that I was buying fresh fruit!

First Week Back to Work - A Test of Eating Clean

Today is the last day of a full week back to work and it's been a bit of a challenge. I am at a new school and this one has a big main office that ALWAYS seems to have food for snacking. Food that doesn't, in any way, qualify as "clean." There is also a full kitchen right outside my office where there is always coffee in the pot, sugar on the counter...and no agave or sweetener or anything remotely resembling an alternative form of sweetness for my favourite beverage. So...I've been drinking coffee with a little milk and no sweetener and, surprisingly, I'm getting used to it. Coffee is one of the foods that we should restrict on when eating clean, but with all that candy, chocolate, and Tim Bits, I can control myself so much.

Clean eating for two weeks

It has about two weeks since I started Rena Tosca's Eat Clean Diet and I've lost 3.4 pounds. It's been pretty easy. I feel full, I don't have to over think what I'm eating, but I am more away of what to stay away from than I ever was before. Next steps is to incorporate the supplements. I've purchased the supplements, but haven't set up a system to facilitate taking them. And I also have to re-integrate exercise. This has been really hard, mostly because I was doing so well with my exercise routine before my dad's surgery in February. It all seemed to go off the rails around April when he had the heart attack and contracted C-difficile.

Well, I have to focus on the good parts...my kids are adopting eating clean, mostly 'cause it seems cool to say they don't eat processed foods. It's like they're young hippies, or whatever the 2009 equivalent is of that. I also subscribed to the Clean Eating magazine, which is just fantastic. So, I will keep on groovin' with clean eating and work on the next steps without beating myself up for the things I haven't done.

Eating Clean

I haven't been writing for a long time as I've been extremely busy taking care of my dad and trying to get his home ready for rental. My father seems to be getting better and I say this with some trepidation because I don't want to "jinx" him. It's very likely that he will go into a long-term care facility and I will have to supplement his pension in order to ensure a spot for him in one of the facilities I think are best for our circumstances.

Meanwhile, the battle of the menopausal budge continues! A few months ago I purchased Tosca Reno's book, The Eat-Clean Diet, and flipped through it and tried to follow it halfheartedly. I also purchased her cookbook and workout book thinking it would help me "do it right." Not so easy!

Interesting Horoscope

The following is my horoscope for Saturday, July 25...after my post of Wednesday it was an interesting horoscope to read and understand, through everything, there is a bigger reason that will somehow leave me wiser.

Taurus (April 21 — May 20)
Life has not been easy lately. Well, when has life ever been easy? Challenges don't just follow you around. They track you down even when you change your address. But in the process, you will be wiser and more philosophical.

Wishcasting Wednesday...

When I first read Jamie’s prompt for Wishcasting Wednesday, “What do you wish to tell the world?” I thought I’d just write what I was feeling.

I wanted to tell the world that everything is hard. That life is a challenge. That there are tests and trials we are put through without a clear reason for them. Life is something that happens to us, that we have no control, and that, no matter how hard you try, bad things will happen. I wanted to tell the world that you can achieve every goal you set, but only after a struggle.

That is what I wanted to write. Then I thought for a minute, maybe this post would be too much of a downer, so I clicked on Mr. Linky to read what other blogger’s had posted. Each one wrote of hope, abundance, opportunity, creativity, and other very positive messages. I didn’t think it appropriate to post what I was feeling…these feelings of sadness and grief.

I’ve been thinking about this all day. Thinking about the depression that I believe has set in again. Thinking about the trials I’m going through and the feelings of hopelessness I have. I shared this morning’s experience with my daughter during our nightly visit with my father, in the hospital. I told her I felt bad posting what I was feeling and she encouraged I post anyway. She said, if it’s how you’re feeling, then why would it be bad? So, here we are, at 7:30 in the evening, and I’m responding to Jamie’s prompt from the depths of my soul.

Wishcasting Wednesday

Last Wednesday we celebrated the opening of Jamie's new webspace and wishcasted success for our creative leader. This week, we turn to back to ourselves with the wishcast prompt...

What do you wish to invite in?

I wish to invite into my soul...

happiness and joy to every new day of my life,

peace to sooth and calm myself,

fearlessness to try new things,

and

God to help me face the challenges of life with strength and dignity.

Learning to post videos

This morning I started just reading the blogs that I follow and I realized how much I enjoy when bloggers post video. I've tried posting before (not really...'cause I lost patience) and wasn't successful, so I decided today was the day. I've just spent some time reading Blogger Help and am going to upload some video.

Next problem...what video should I upload? Well, that's a no-brainer...belly dancing video of course, more specifically, tribal dance video. The first video is inspiring to me particularly because the dancers have bodies similar to my own -- with a nice big belly!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmwkVudtRzQ
Well...apparently the embed function is disabled on this video...so I'm posting the link...hopefully, it will work.

Upward and onward...lets try my next favourite one of the day.



And SUCCESS!!!

This last video is an old interview with Carolena Nerricio, the Director of Fat Chance Belly Dance (http://www.fcbd.com/) in California, who is credited with developing Tribal Style Belly Dance.



OK...one last, last video...this is a story of Jamila Salimpour, the women credited with bringing belly dancing into the classroom...and developing the language used to teach belly dancing. Thank you Jamila.

Yoga

The one exercise that will hands-down calm me and centre me is yoga. My favourite DVD/Video is Ali MacGraw's with Erich Schiffmann. It's about an hour long, Erich's voice is soothing and easy to follow. Ali is graceful and the class is composed of young and old participants. There are natural breaks to allow your breath to catch up with you. What's extra inspiring about this particular DVD is that Ali started yoga in her fifties. I've been doing yoga since I was 14...only there have been lapses in my practice. I feel so good right now, I can't even express it...considering an hour ago I felt so lethargic and sad.

I think I have the start of a summer routine...yoga every day. I've checked my gym's class schedule and I can get to at least four yoga classes a went. I also looked at the whole summer and am planning to get off that last 15 pounds by the end of summer. It's entirely doable...I just have to do it! I think I have the beginnings of a good summer plan!

In search of a summer routine

At the end of every school year educators and educational workers transition into summer mode; only, for me, that transition is not a smooth process. I usually feel like I hit a wall, face first. There is a sense of loss, mourning. The end of a school year. This year, in particular, the end of my time at a particular school. The loss of relationships, friendships. The loss of routine...which I crave.

Summer usually marks a period of disarray for me. The need to find routine, the need to find my place. When the kids were little, I would program our summer activities...create a routine, a summer "normal." You would think after all these years, I would get used to it, but I haven't. Every year is a new challenge; a new summer normal has to be created. This summer marks one year since my father got sick. One year of medical appointments. One year of doctors and hospitals. One year of worry, confusion, and sadness. One whole year. My father is scheduled to be on a tapered course of antibiotics until he’s done on July 24th. Then what?

Today was an especially tough one as I watched Michael Jackson's memorial and was reminded of so many memories from my childhood. Tomorrow I go into work for the morning and then, technically, I’m done until late August. So, why am I not relaxing and enjoying the release from the fast and hectic pace of an urban high school?

It’s summer…and I need a routine.

Ups and downs

My father's health has been getting better, for the most part, these past few weeks. He was becoming more like himself, until this evening. Since he's been in the hospital, I've visited almost every evening for dinner. If I haven't been able to make it, one of my kids has. Last night, I didn't go and couldn't get one of the kids to go.

When I went to see him this evening, he was quiet. Not quite himself. He started eating and I helped, as always, we were talking but he kept asking if we were home yet. Or, can we go home now.

Somebody has to bring up the rear...

Today was my first ride with the Toronto Bicycling Network. The TBN is a group of people who get together to cycle. There are five different levels - Leisure Wheeler, Easy Roller, Advanced Easy Roller, Tourist, and Advanced Tourist/Sportif. I joined the Leisure Wheeler with my two friends.

We met at a point on the subway line and set off for our ride. Down toward the beach, along the path parallel to the lake and then onto the Don Valley path. There was our leader at the front - Don or Doug (I didn't quite hear his name and I didn't see him once we were riding) and the sweep - Jamie (who I got to know). It was evident, rather quickly, that I would be the last cyclist.

Wishcasting Wednesday

Today, Jaime shared her wish...to launch her new site on a Wishcasting Wednesday...and I wish her success with her launch next Wednesday!

So, in that vein, her prompt for us is

What do you wish to nurture?

I wish to nurture my creativity and spontaneity.

I wish to nurture my body, mind and spirit.

I wish to nurture my family and friends.

I wish to nurture the teachers, staff, and students with whom I work.

And most of all, I wish to nurture myself so I can nurture all those people and things I wish to nurture.

Reflection on the last day at this workplace...

Well, today was the last day at my current workplace. Although I'm glad to move on, I'm sad to leave. I already miss the people I work with...the relationships that have developed over the past couple of years. I will miss the potential that has not been realized and I will miss what might have been. I cleared my office, erased my hard drive, deleted my phone greeting and messages. I have cleared all evidence of my existence in that office. Sad to say, but that's how it had to be. I look forward...as I always do...to new experiences, new relationships, new potential. As my father says, just keep moving forward.