Crafting Morrighana

I Like To Move It, Move It

So as an update in Knon Knitting Knews, life has resumed it's busy state after a lazy summer.  I signed up for a bellydancing class that started 3 weeks ago.
I've been getting out to the gym a few days a week throughout the summer, but never until I started dancing have I ever been "addicted" to excercise.  I am absolutely loving bellydance and I can't get enough!
I'm studying at a local studio two times a week and my instructor has bumped me up to the next level class after the first week  since I seem to have retained some of my knowledge from the classes I took 2 years ago.  I was so excited to hear that encouragement!!  I love the movements, I love the music (even the arabic pop music that my instructor seems to have a sweet tooth for), I love the costumes...although we'll have to decided later if I'm really ready to don a shirt that exposes my belly.  Who couldn't resist putting on a coin belt and shakin' those hips just for the sake of making noise?  I mean really... :)  Oh, and for the record (if it even needs to be said) that isn't me in the photo...I would like it to be...but it's not me...yet. *evil grin*
It's nice to have found a way of moving that is enjoyable, and yes, very, very addictive.  It's always sad when my classes end and I have to head home.  I find myself wishing that class was just "one more hour" longer.  Sounds insane, doesn't it?  Ha ha!

Last night my instructor Khizmet (her stage name) announced our student recital coming up in December.  My stomach lurched.  Memories of my 9 years of ballet, and the uber strict instructors, tight rules and the queasiness that always came before going on stage started swirling in my head.
Can I really do this?  Can this form of expression that has me so excited that I signed myself up for two classes a week and still feel that isn't enough get me the confidence I need to actually bring myself back onto a stage again?  *sigh*  It's amazing how a 3 minute performance can scare the absolute crap out of you even if it hasn't happened yet.
This inherent fear is completely related to my coming of age experiences in ballet all those years ago.  I'll let you know if I manage to work up the courage to do this student recital.  I've already told Kev that he can invite our friends and parents to the show on the condition that I *DON'T* know they are coming until *AFTER* I've finished the performance.  Ugh...stage fright is always worse when there is someone you know in the audience.  I have a friend that works as a comedian in Toronto comedy circuit that says he is always MUCH more nervous about a performance if his family is there.  I agree with him on that one.  Maybe it's because...meh, I'm not going to presume to know...I just know it's more nerve wracking than performing in front of a bunch of strangers.  Ha ha!

In Knitting Knews, I'm hoping to figure out how to customize a shawl pattern to use as a fringe belt or hip scarf for dance class.  I thought it would be fun to combine my two passions by knitting my own hip scarf, but I'm struggling to figure out how big it needs to be.  Most of the shawl patterns I have would be way to large, yet still beautiful patterns to use...then I'm also not sure if I will need to make the ends a bit longer for tying around my waist...bleh...I'm going to need to do math on this.  I think my first attempt will be some REALLY cheap acrylic yarn.  My dream is to knit one in silk, (or *le sigh* SeaSilk!!) but until I figure out a good working pattern, the silk is going to have to wait.  I wonder if I could customize the Montego Bay scarf pattern by Amy Singer into a triangle shawl for this project?  I wouldn't know where to begin, but it would look awesome if I could!

Cobblestone is still humming along on the needles, too.  I'm just about to start the sleeves and the knitting juju is still there.  It is an absolutely perfect project for taking in the car, in front of the tv, on lunch break at work...I can't get enough of this project, although I'm excited to be a little closer to finishing the first sweater I've ever made.  I highly recommend this project...but then I think I've said that a million times over already.

All good things,
Morrighana

The Night Fitness Man Kicked My A$$

I...HURT!!!  Yes...yesterday Kev and I met FITNESS MAN.  Our Personal Torturer...er...Trainer at the gym who we will both be with for 6 sessions during which our diet, fat/muscle ratio, strength, patience, and overall health and ability at the gym will be measured and tested.  Last night was our first session, tonight was our second.  We'll be taking a break until Monday from FITNESS MAN and just do our usual routine on Friday.

I can only call him FITNESS MAN because he is the epitome of fitness.  I swear...the guy comes across as shy but I swear it's an act.  He's a fitness shark!  Kinda like a pool shark, only more bumpy.  This guy is ripped..likely in his late twenties and probably works out 10 times a day.  Now I'm not knocking the fitness thing.  Obviously it's important to me because I signed up for a personal trainer to make sure I was doing things right, pushing myself hard enough and getting the best work out possible to achieve my goals.  But dude, this guy is CRUEL!

I should go easy on him, shouldn't I?  I'm sure he isn't out to make me hate him.  He's a really sweet guy and he obviously knows his stuff and he definitely has the credentials to be doing what he's doing...but do my abs have to feel like they are about to EXPLODE OUT OF MY GYM CLOTHES when I do crunches?  When I do my lunges all the way down the main hallway of the gym, does it really have to feel like my leg muscles are about the permanently lock up and throw away the key?!  Tonight I actually worried that I would become frozen in a position worthy of The Department of Silly Walks only to be dusted off occasionally and have sweaty gym towels draped over me for the laundry staff to pick up.  Seriously, picture this:  Kev, FITNESS MAN, and me doing our lunge-walks down the hallway, people passing us on their way to the weight room, and here we are all in a row looking like something out of a Monty Python skit.  It would have been laughable were it not for the PAIN!  Oh and there was pain, my friends!

In all seriousness, I was happier tonight that we started this fitness journey than I was a few days ago when we were comfortably innocent in our usual gym routine.  Tonight reminded me just how far my body has to go before it's where I want it to be.  Tonight made me feel like I CAN be an active person if I want to, and there is much enjoyment to be found in a wider range of movement; the body is an amazing vehicle.  Tonight made me realize just how far I'm willing to push myself to get where I want to be.  Tonight also reminded me to get out and buy some epsom salts and have a good soak in the bathtub or I am probably not going to make it out of bed tomorrow.

In short (*snort* Yeah, like I can say anything without rambling on and on :P) after 6 trips to the gym since last Monday (yeah, I'm still a bright-eyed newbie) I'm feeling really good about this new beginning.  It helps immensely to have Kev there because if he wasn't, I likely would find it easier to talk myself out of going.  We push eachother and I love that about us.

And for the record, the scale this morning said 194...4 lbs down...31 to go.  This is me, tooting my own horn. WOOT!

All good things,

Morrighana

And So it Begins...

The great thing about finding a new hobby or even a goal is the retail therapy that you can convince yourself goes along with it.  Obviously, if you are going to try something new it can't hurt to motivate yourself with the reward of new stuff.  I mean really...who doesn't like new stuff??  Now I'm not usually a big shopaholic, but when a gym hands you and your husband each a $100 gift card just for signing up to get your own bad self into shape, I'm not going to argue.
So Kev and I each took our gift cards to a local mall this weekend and bought these:
Well, okay...these are my sneakers.  Kev got his own bad self some new sneakers too since we both realized we had nothing of the kind in our shoe stashes.  I like my new shoes.  They're comfy and they "breathe" well.  Translated into my terms that means my feet aren't going to feel like they are burning up when I'm killing myself three times a week at the gym stretching, and reaching, and shakin' my groove thing into shape.  In fact, when I thought of all the torture that I'm going to be subjecting myself to, I decided to add a pair of yoga pants in for good measure.  There's a good reason they call it Retail Therapy...*evil grin*
So tonight we went to our gym orientation.  Basically, we met up with our "Fitness Ambassador" who took us through an entire work out (in a very casual way) and helped us learn each of the machines we're going to use.  She helped us plan out a fitness routine that would help us achieve the goals we both have for ourselves.  I never thought I would say this...and I mean NEVER thought I would EVER say this about a gym, but it really was a lot of fun and it was a lot less intimidating than I feared over the weekend.  We both left the place revved to do our next workout and completely ready for the commitment that we've signed on for.
So here's the deal...and this is the non-knitting portion of the blog that may not be very entertaining for you, but I think it will really help me be honest with my get-fit-weight-loss-plan.  I'm going to track how I do and check in with you wonderful people each week to keep you posted on how my "get in shape" plan is going. 
Don't worry, I won't bore you with talk of abs, pipes, heart rates, or any gym mumbo jumbo.  What I am going to track is how I'm doing with my weight loss since that is my major goal.  I think having to admit how I'm doing and be accountable for it will help keep me motivated in the long run.
When I was on Weight Watchers (a plan that I really enjoyed and would definitely recommend) a couple years ago, I managed to lose 40 lbs but I stopped before I reached my goal weight.  After I left Weight Watchers I gained some of the weight back, so this time around I want to continue that plan which means I have 35 lbs left to lose to reach my original weight loss goal.  I'll be doing a lot more exercise than I did when I was in Weight Watchers, so I'm hoping to see better results.
So, as of this morning, I weighed in at (and I'm taking a very deep breath here admitting this so publicly...so be gentle) 198 lbs.  Eesh...I want to crawl under a rock right now...*groan*.  So 35 lbs, huh?  Let's see how long it takes and what other benefits come along the way.  Like I said, I'll try to keep the muscle monkey talk to a minimum because, let's face it...a knitting blog doesn't usually contain talk of reps, weights or treadmills.  (In fact I've heard that treadmills and knitting just DO NOT mix!)

The cat...well...let's just say that while I'm at the gym the Pooka will be practicing a rare form of cat Yoga...if you look carefully in this picture you can see the artful way that he works all of his muscles  at once while appearing to all the world that he exerts no effort at all...

I'm coming back as a cat in my next life...

All good things,
Morrighana