Flexibility, Calmness and Strength

I restarted yoga earlier this month with the goal of increasing my flexibility, mental calmness and physical strength.

I have practiced yoga regularly in the past but it's been pretty much non-existent for the preceding 3 years or so.  As a result I've gained weight and pain and lost flexibility and strength.

Usually when I restart something as intense as Bikram Yoga it's pretty rough, but my first class went remarkably well.  I think it's because I made sure I was well hydrated for a few days before as well as prepared my mind to be focused on the moment.  I had decided that if I needed to sit down I would, but my goal was to remain standing (and breathing) throughout the entire standing series.  I did.  I was very surprised and proud of myself.  :-)

My second and third classes were quite wobbly but I was able to experience improvement in many of the postures.  There's nothing quite like instant gratification, right?

I am really liking this studio.  Between the instructors, students, location and decor this studio has a great vibe; very welcoming and comforting.   Always a nice thing when you're starting out.  :-)

Behind making the time and actually going to the classes, I think the hardest part about restarting yoga has been leaving my stuff at the door.  It's been taking me about half the class to get into the zone of just focusing on my breath and posture and not thinking about the stuff that happened that day or still needs to happen or whatever.  Leaving the stuff behind has definitely been the most challenging.

So now that it's been a few weeks, I'm feeling great.  My pain, flexibility, strength and peacefulness are all improving.  Hubba says I look different.  I'm not so sure about that, but it's nice that he thinks so.  ;-)

The Pre-Game Show

By most accounts, I'm not much of a girly-girl.

I can count the number of times I've had a pedicure (2), manicure (1), massage (about 20) and other-wise spa day (0).

I don't care much for dresses although my mom tells me I liked them as a little girl.  I do wear them to things like weddings and Mass, but I don't believe I've ever worn a dress to work.

... Oh, I take that back.  I did wear a couple of skirts when I had an internship in a down-town office building when I was a graduate student.  I remember resenting it at time.  It was clear we were expected to dress up, but I spent my entire time in an office... by myself... doing research.  So, apparently the books, papers and periodicals had high standards for the people who were reading them.  :-/

The evidence that I'm not really a girly-girl continues with (1) I love math and I'm really good at it, (2) I'm a mechanical engineer and actually miss it a little, (3) I love building things and working with my hands and (4) we are building a farm for ourselves.

But all of this not-girly-girl stuff goes out the window when it's red carpet time.

I like the Oscars because I enjoy movies, but I LOVE the pre-game show.  :-D

I love watching the celebrities go up the red carpet and seeing what they're wearing... mostly the clothing but also the jewelry, shoes and hair-dos.

I almost always pick up a copy of People Magazine and try to catch the appropriate episode of Entertainment Tonight... I'm such a little girl about this stuff.  Hubba thinks it's pretty funny.

I don't really know most of the designers very well... I mean, I do know some of them.  Oh, alright fine, I know who a lot of them are.  ;-)

I dream of creating my own line... and when they ask, "Who are you wearing?" Sometimes they'll say, "Kathryn Ray."

Fiber Arts Friday: Challah Progress

I mentioned the beginnings of my Challah socks in December... Can it really have been that long ago?

I was knitting along and feeling pretty confident when I realized I messed up one of the larger cables... right at the beginning. :-/

It doesn't look too bad in this photo, but you can see the big cable on the right does not mirror the big cable on the left. :-/

Also my purl stitches are looser than I would like them to be. I changed to smaller stitch markers a few rows back which helped... but ugh.

I talked it over with both Hubba and Kristi and I tried on a few ideas...

(1) it will be in shoes and no one will see it anyway,
(2) it's my first cabled sock, so no one really cares if it's messed up,
(3) it's a design feature and
(4) I might just knit three socks.

I knit a few more rounds and the whole time I was thinking, the toe is wrong, the toe is wrong, the toe is wrong. It really started to bug me and I couldn't let it go. So I pulled it out and started over.

I meant to post the corrected sock at the same place as the photo above, but well, I'm a lot further than that now.  :-)

Check that out... a real sock that fits my very own foot. :-D

This sock demanded my full attention when I was working on the gusset increases, especially at the beginning... keeping track of whether I was on an increase round or not and where I was in the cable pattern.  It was a little challenging at first.  Now I'm past the heel and about ready to cable until my heart is content.
:-)

There are several mistakes in this sock... even after the big rip-out, but they are smaller and less noticeable, so I have decided to leave them.  I know the next sock will be better.  :-)

That being said it was a little snug pulling over my heal.  So I am planning to tink back a few rounds and switch to larger needles... as recommended in the pattern.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday.  Be certain to check in with everyone over at Wisdom Begins in Wonder.

Snowshoeing

I went snowshoeing last weekend with some friends...

View of Mount Audubon

As you can see, it was a beautiful day.

At Home

I came to realize over the last week that I've been home for most of the last three months.  It's quite surprising, because it's been three years since I've been home for more than a couple of weeks at a time.

I just love being at home and the time has flown by.

I have also come to realize that I enjoy working remotely.  This was not initially the case.

I do still have a suitcase mostly packed, but it has been very nice not using it.

Hubba said he wishes I could work remotely every day.  I guess he likes having me at home too. :-)

Personally, I now feel available to become part of our community.

Does that sound weird?

With being gone a lot, I haven't had much energy for or interest in being out.  Which means we haven't spent a lot of time going to the local restaurants, shops or festivities... all of those things that make sure one is part of their community.

That's pretty sad considering we've been in this house for a little more than two years.

Fiber Arts Friday: Casting On

After I settled on a stitch pattern I began to cast on...

A little over half of my intended stitches were crammed on 29-inch US6 circular needles.  I definitely needed longer needles for this project.

It took me a few days to get it done, but I found a 60-inch pair of US6 circular needles at one of my local yarn shops.  whew.

620 stitches cast on.  :-)

... and because I made a mistake about half-way thru the first row, but didn't realize until about half-way thru the second row, I ripped it out and cast on again.

530 stitches this time. I think this will be closer to my intended final length after blocking anyway. :-)

Happy Fiber Arts Friday.  :-)

Fiber Arts Friday: Bear Down

Several weeks ago I told you about the Bear Hair my cousin's son who henceforth shall be known as my personal rare fiber dealer, found in their back yard.  Thank you all for your suggestions about how to incorporate it into some fiber-y goodness.  I have much to think about.  :-)

Today I want to show you what my personal rare fiber dealer found near the river...

1/8 ounce (~4g) of Black Bear Down.  :-)

So now I have a small amount of Bear Hair and a small amount of Bear Down.  :-D

This down is incredibly soft.  It's very dirty and much of it is matted, so I'm not sure how much of it will become usable, but it is definitely spin-able.  I will get to it as soon as I finish up the Rocky Mountain Goat.  :-D

I'm feeling very blessed in the fiber department right now.  :-)

Have a terrific weekend and Fiber Arts Friday!