Happy Blog Year to Me!

OK, let's have a little huzzah!

Exactly one year ago I posted my first blog post.

In considering this past year, I have to admit that the yarn diet goal was only effective for the first few months. I fell off the wagon in a serious way from Maryland Sheep & Wool right through to last week, when I ordered some Ruby Red Cascade to knit my youngest a Rogue hoody.

I did, however, start focusing a lot of energy on a different diet along about March - I went back on my anti-inflammatory diet which involves removing all gluten (wheat, rye, oats, barley) and casein (most dairy products) from my diet. Also, no chocolate, sugar, coffee, fried food... I kicked out dried fruit after a few weeks. No alcohol.

And I have been really, really good about this diet. We had a Birthdays Party the day after Thanksgiving and my big splurges were one glass of champagne and some goat & sheep milk cheese. It was pretty exciting, let me tell you!

I have eaten this way, off and on, since about 1980. But when I go off, it's really hard to go back on. I feel so much better when I eat the right foods, and I ache much, much less - it can be pretty motivating. But it's never easy.

So I'm very pleased with my food diet progress and also very pleased to report that I have lost about 25 pounds since March! I changed arthritis medications about 3 or 4 years ago and put on 35-40 pounds within a few months - do you think it was related? So I'm finally losing that weight and it's so nice to be able to get back into some favorite clothes and feel lighter.

My overalls fit again! Yeah!

I'm still working from the slow but steady wins the race perspective, and I'm still plugging away.

On the fiber front, I have all my Lizard Ridge squares knitted and I'm starting to sew them together. I have Spiral Mitts going in Opal Tiger yarn for Miss H's 21st bday mid-December, a pair of socks for my BIL nearly done and a baby sweater & hat complete for an office baby. That same office baby needs an Xmas stocking - her Mom asked me if she could hire me to knit one. I refuse to knit with Red Heart, so it's going forward with some Wool Ease I bought last winter for Mama Bear Project bears - top down and I finished the antlers on the reindeer last night.

That is all the holiday knitting I have planned, and it feels right now like it is well under way. We will see if I come up with a mad hare to knit the impossible last minute knit.

And, I posted my very first eBay auctions yesterday! This is my toe in the water entry into internet selling. Do a search in eBay for Fleece Artist and you will find my stuff - I am dunweaver on eBay. I'll probably open an eBay store soon and put in the Peace Fleece and Fleece Artist that I have in stock, so I can sell between shows. I'm planning to sell at Maryland Sheep & Wool and at Rhinebeck this coming year.

So - in honor of my blogiversary and my new sales venture, I am holding a small contest. To enter, just leave a comment. I will draw a name (or two) at random and award something fibery out of my still monumental stash. Contest ends December 15th!