Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Yet another too-big sweater

Somehow I knew the modified Wallaby was going to overwhelm my shortness about halfway through the raglan decreases. I switched to a size smaller needle and increased the rate of decreases, which helped correct the depth of the armsceyes, but the sweater still was just too big after I blocked it. That's two in a row, kids. Maybe I should take some measurements next time. Mine and a post-blocked swatch.

It turned out nicely, and I'm not about to take apart a beautifully made and perfectly good sweater. It's on its way to Indiana, where a wonderful friend who is several inches taller than I am should look great in it. And if she doesn't care for it, I hope she'll pass it on to someone else.

Two weeks into this new year, I've taken another look at my list of things that worked for me in 2006. I'm doing four of the nine things consistently. One of them – a monthly progress photo – has only needed to be done once, so it really doesn't count. But I'm still not:
  • planning my menus
  • eliminating the evening snack
  • drinking tons of water
  • writing down what I eat
Since I'll be out of town this weekend [blog break alert!], planning menus probably would be futile. I can, however, pick one of the other three to really concentrate on with the hope that it will once again become a habit. And since that snack thing is next on the list, I'll just pick that and do my best.

But I'm also going to try to be more consistent with food journaling, and there are four bottles of water on my kitchen counter, waiting for me to guzzle down during the course of the day.

Never let it be said that I'm not an all-or-nothing kinda gal.

Despite daily exercise [with one rest day per week], no sugar, daily blogging and a daily weigh-in, I'm half a pound heavier than I was January 2. It's really not hard to see that, for me anyway, it's more about the food than it is about intentional activity.

Back to knitting: The chocolate brown yarn came for the first of the triplets' blankets. I've done about four inches of all-seed-stitch, all-the-time so far [the blanket has a six-inch seed-stitch border]. I decided to do the brown one first for two reasons: It's the hardest color to work on [old eyes], so I'm getting it over with first, and I didn't have to go digging in the yarn closet for the cream or the blue. All I had to do was open a package and cast on.

Maybe my sloth has something to do with the menu planning/evening snacking/drinking water/food journaling issues.

Ya think?

7 comments:

365 Dresses said...

Oh, Debbi. That's such a beautiful sweater. I see so many women who make themselves clothes that are far too big. I think it may have to do with the self-image. Did you knit to gauge? Did you just pick the wrong size to knit?

Susie H said...

Oh, I'm so bummed for you...the sweater looks so lovely. Hope your friend will love it as much.

Yep, measurements are the thing next. Another idea is taking a sweater that fits you really the way you like and measuring that...

Good luck with the Third Sweater,
Susie (who gets stumped with sweaters because she's afraid of the shortrowing for the bust that she needs :)....)

Lori G. said...

That sweater looks so beautiful, Debbi -- what a shame you couldn't keep it for yourself.

The blankets sound beautiful.

I need to get with the planning too. I really have been flying by the seat of my pants and that's not the best way to get around.

Grumpy Chair said...

Can't wait to see the finished baby blankets. I love brown, even painted my family room that color.

ws said...

is there any way other than all or nothing...doubtful.

Laura N said...

Lucky friend in Indiana. What a pretty sweater.

You're making progress, just keep at it. It will happen.

miss petite america said...

oh man, the evening snack, my nemesis!

how does the logging food work? it seems so tedious but i think i might need to start.