Knitting In The North

Many Thanks

 

A most wonderful package arrived in the mail today - a gift from Lorette!  Lorette recently took a journey to Ireland, and came home with this fabulous Donegal tweed (along with some other good stuff).   She kindly offered the yarn up as a giveaway on her blog, and I was the lucky winner!  Along with the sweet yarn, Lorette included a fancy little box, perfect for holding stitch markers and the like, and an adorable black sheep tape measure (because every family needs a black sheep, right?). 

 

I must admit, this couldn't have happened at a better time - I've been feeling a bit, well, blue lately, and a bit tired and rundown from all my to-ing and fro-ing.  Having this appear at my door today was just the tonic I needed to get me though this week.  The discussions have already begun about what exactly this yarn wants to be (Gwenyth thinks it might just want to be a Neighborly vest - with a twist, of course - and I'm quite sure both Brian & Katie will know just what this yarn has in mind for itself).  I'm sure the ideas and plans will keep me entertained right into the weekend, when hopefully things will slow down. 

 

So - Thank You, Lorette!  You are very kind, sending a bit of bright blue cheer to us here in the grey, far North! 

Care Taking

I came across an interesting blog the other day, called Aprovechar, that really sparked a line of thought for me.  The writer is focusing on Taking Care of Herself in many ways, including healthy eating and exercise.  As I read back over some of her previous posts, it all suddenly made sense to me - if I can change my mindset in regards to, specifically, my eating and fitness, how much easier would I make things for myself? 

Instead of groaning that I need to get on the treadmill, or forcing myself to start my day with exercise, what if I gave myself a chance to take care of me?  What if I looked forward to it?  What if, during my day, I asked myself, "What can I do to take care of me, right now?"  It could be a simple as drink a glass of water, or walk away from the chocolate, or spend a few minutes stretching (it might even be, Eat the Chocolate!).  But I feel better when I do these things, so perhaps, just perhaps, I could start enjoying them?

I'm taking care of myself in some other ways these days, too.

   

My Stitch 'n Bitch meets at a local Starbucks, and I've been eyeing this cup up since before Christmas.  I didn't buy it, because it felt too self-indulgent to spend $10 on a cup that I certainly didn't need.  When I finally changed my mind, and told myself that I can do something nice for me, even if I am imperfect, the cups were gone.  So disappointing, and a good lesson learned about seizing the moment.  However, there was a reprieve - Stuart & I were shopping in a different part of town, and noticed a Starbucks; I ran inside, and there was my cup!  It's such a nice treat.

 

Also in the caretaking category, I finished the first of my Vanilla Socks!  I'm so looking forward to wearing these...  In fact, I think I'm off to cast on the second sock now.

What are you doing for yourself these days?  Take Care!