Diet Coke update!

It's been 36 days since I gave up Diet Coke. I didn't think I could do it! But I have been soda free for over a month! How are you doing? Anyone cave in to the caffinated treat?

Instead of soda, I've been been drinking lots of water, crystal light and iced tea.

For those of you who joined my No Diet Coke challenge - there's only 10 days left before you can crack one open! Do you think you will go back to it? I'm going to try not to.

Give me an update! How are you doing?

And because I hate posts without pictures - here's my latest hand spun. It's 100% merino roving hand dyed by the wonderful Woolarina.




I was trying for a worsted weight yarn and I think I ended up with more of a bulky worsted. I have about 145 yards. I'm thinking this would make a beautiful sweater yoke.

Now I just need a few more skeins in the same weight in some different colors and I'll be ready!

Fat Tuesday and a challenge...

Happy Fat Tuesday everyone!

Everyone knows Mardi Gras means beads and lots of drinking.

The actual reason for Mardi Gras is that it marks the last day before Lent. Now - I'm not Catholic or anything, but I grew up with the tradition of giving something up for Lent. I started trying to eat healthier this year along with some friends - so we can all support each other. I think Lent is a perfect way to try to do one more thing for my health and personal weight loss goals.

I don't really talk about my weight loss plans with anyone normally - but what better way to help me try to stick to my plans than announcing it online?

I joined Weight Watchers in January and so far I've lost 15.8 pounds. I'm very excited with my weight loss so far - but I definitely still have some very bad habits. One of them is my Diet Crack, I mean Diet Coke habit. I'm a Diet Coke fiend! I must have one every day. Just the thought of trying to give up my Diet Coke makes me twitch.

I am going to attempt to give up Diet Coke for Lent.

Who thinks I can do it? I challenge myself to go 40 days with no Diet Cokey goodness.





Who's with me? I will personally send everyone that does this "No Diet Coke for Lent Challenge" with me (and succesfully completes it) a prize. Seriously!

Everyone!

Repeat after me, "I will drink water - lots and lots of water"


Sign up in the comments if you want to kick the Diet Coke habit with me - I'll need all the support I can get!!!

Now I'm going home to drink all the Diet Coke in the house - so I'm not tempted! (just kidding!)

Yarn, jewelry and more!

I am sending out the prize package today for Knitty Mama. I hope she likes it :)

Here are all the goodies she will be receiveing for winning my Got Labels? contest:


My hand dyed "Dreamsicle" yarn, hand made stitch markers to match, a little purse to keep the stitch markers in (made by me), two funny farm animal erasers....



and some earrings to match - to wear with whatever you end up using the yarn for. Yes I made these too.

I had a crafty day yesterday - full of jewelry-making and sewing! Fun! I love making earrings - I tend to give most of them away to friends as gifts and usually make up a huge batch in one sitting. I think I made about 15 pairs of earrings and 5 sets of stitch markers yesterday. Jolene - I made some for your fund raiser too!

In knitting news - I have started the shoulder decreases in my Central Park Hoodie yesterday! I love this yarn soooo much! Did I already mention that like 50 times already! But really - I do. I got to knit on it a little bit today over my lunch break - a rare occurrence indeed!


Some other knitty gals and I went out for a fiber lunch. My co-worker - Giants Knitter and I met up with several knitters who work near us - Sheila, Kathy, Kathleen and their friend Theresa (?) - (I'm bad with names - sorry if this is wrong!!!) She is a crocheter - but we let her hang out with us anyway. They are all bloggless too - the shame!

Anyway - this makes my third visit to the new yarn shop in Hyattsville - the Tangeled Skein. I didn't buy a thing this time - but instead sat on one of their comfy couches and knit on my CPH. I have the store memorized at this point and gave directions from my perch. You want cotton yarn? - it's over there. Bamboo? - around the corner. Everyone was suitably impressed :)
I actually remembered my camera this time too - will wonders never cease!

This was my view from the couch:





We had a great time at Franklins too - Gotta love those onion rings!

And the winner is....

Congrats goes out to Knitty Mama!


She won a skein sock yarn hand dyed by me! She was chosen with my highly scientific process of me numbering everyone who added a comment and then asking Giants Knitter to pick a number between 1 and 15 :) She picked 12 and there we have it.


There will also be some other goodies in the package - but here's a look at the yarn.









I am calling this colorway "Dreamsicle" because it reminds me of those frosty treats I used to eat as a kid. (which I think were actually named Creamsicles - but we always called them Dreamsicles)


Man I could go for one now actually - it's always sweltering in my office!

In other news - I have been busily working on my Central Park Hoodie. I am more than halfway done with the back right now. Here are some pictures I took over the weekend - but I think I've done about 4 more repeats since these were taken.



I just love this yarn - it's working up very quickly and I am definitley not bored with it. The cables and the subtle variations in the yarn keep it interesting and fun.




I hope everyone has a great week - it's finally starting to warm up around here - so hopefully some of our ice will melt soon! I did wake up to the most beautiful sunrise this morning - I thought I'd share....

New yarn and a Contest!

I knit up a swatch using my new batch of Araucania Nature Wool Chunky. It is the most gorgeous golden color. It's color 123 if you want some for yourself. - It's on sale at WEBS too! Go get some!

I am definitely a huge fan of all the Aracania yarns. The colors are so rich and warm.

I am using their worsted weight wool on another sweater right now - but it's taking me forever and the miles upon miles of stockinette are less than thrilling. I've been lusting after the Central Park Hoodie for a very long time now and decided I would add some cables to my life.

This particular yarn is thicker than the yarn the pattern calls for - but I think that will be a nice break from knitting miles on size 6 needles.

Isn't it gorgeous!






This swatch is knit on size 10 needles. It's washed and blocked and oh so soft! I swear I can't stop touching it. I am head over heel in love :) Who needs Valentines day when you can have Araucania to love. It doesn't matter that I still can't really pronounce it's name.... It knows I love it for it's body ;)

Anyway - I hope to start the sweater soon and I'll definitley keep you posted.

And now - on to a new contest!

As I was throwing the latest yarn label from my beloved Araucania Wool into my "yarn label basket" - I realized that I have quite a collection! When I first started knitting - I didn't want to throw away the labels from the yarn. I mean - really - what if I needed more! I wouldn't remember what kind it was etc... so I started keeping them in this basket I got at MD Sheep and Wool.

I have been adding to it for about a year now - whenever I wind up a new ball of yarn - the label goes into the basket. I know some people keep knitting journals and paste the labels in there. Others may just throw the labels away. What do you do with them?

Tell me what you do with your yarn labels and if you keep them - post pics of them on your blog.

It's about time for another contest around here - so whoever writes to tell me what they do with their labels will be entered into a contest to win a fabulous prize.... a skein of my hand dyed yarn!!

Since it's Friday and many people may be home snuggling by the fire instead of reading blogs - I will give everyone until Tuesday Feb 20th at midnight to leave a comment. I'll pick a winner on Wednesday Feb 21st and announce it later that day.




Enter my "Got labels?" contest and maybe I'll find a new way to store mine!