My New Years Plan

Happy New one and all.  I hope you're ending 2014 on a high note and are looking forward to what a new Year can offer.

I've not been one to make New Years Resolutions, sometimes I think about goals...in a loose manner, nothing written down, nothing hard and fast.  It seems lots of folks get down on themselves if they're not able to get their New Years Resolutions.

Most of you know several months back I began walking in order to reduce pain and swelling in my knee from arthritis, as well as bring down my cholesterol which was too high.  I've been successful with both of those quests.   A bonus has been weight loss, which I've learned reduces the stress to ones knees.  In fact, I read a single pound of weight loss reduces stress to each knee by 5 pounds.  That's HUGE and has made a real improvement for me.

My Fitbit has been a big help with keeping me on track and I enjoy the friendships that have developement with Fitbit'ers.  People encouraging each other, virtual walking buddies is indeed very helpful.  Stats prove people with walking buddies, exercise buddies both in person and virtually do better with their goals than those that try to meet the goals/weight loss solo.

So, my plan for up coming year of 2015 is to continue.  I've been a bit lax of late, in that I've not walked daily as I was before.  The cold weather has made it more difficult as have the holidays.  So, need to re-double my efforts on that.  For anyone out there wanting a walking buddy, virtually...sing out.  We can share Fitbit profile links, or connect on facebook or here.  I was religious about recording my food intake until the last couple of months, so need to regroup on that score.  Again, stats show you're more successful if you do keep track of your meals.  Not only for weight loss, but if you're watching your sodium level, or cholesterol, or carbs...any specific item like that.

So I vow to be more consistent with my walking,
To be more consistent with recording my food,
To be available for others who want/need encouragement....

Tomorrow I'll post something about part 2 of my quest for the New Year, so please check back in.  Don't want to be too wordy here.

I wish you all a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Years

The case of Hungry Vacuum and my Knitted Shawl

Been such a long time since I've written a blog post on this blog.  Where does time go?  I love this shade of green and have made more headway on this project since I took the photo a week ago.  It's made with Uptown DK Universal Yarn.  It's not a yarn I've used before, but am enjoying the feel of it.  The skein suggested size 6 needles, but I'm using a 7.  Actually now my 2nd set of size 7 thanks to my sweeper.

The project/shawl was laying on the footstool where I had been sitting the evening before.  Yarn was dangling down which I didn't see as I was vacuuming.  Sadly, the vacuum did snare it.  Tried quickly to get the thing turned off, but ...the yarn including needle (the bent black lovely Knit Picks Wooden needles) included.  Had to cut the yarn close to the sweeper to free my shawl...thankfully the shawl itself didn't get sucked in, but the needle did.  The needle also shattered...errrrrrrr, really liked those needles, so am now using a back up pair with a shorter cord.  After unwinding all the yarn the hungry vacuum had eaten, I resumed cleaning......though not happily.

The shawl pattern calls for 2 skeins, but I've purchased a 3rd, as I'm concerned it's not going to be long enough.  Currently fairly close to the end of the 2nd skein.