Stash Enhancement and Ex-Smoker Update

I've put a bit of my new savings to good use.  One of the Ladies on Ravelry wanted to destash some yarn. 

I saw the post several weeks ago and inquired how much it would be to ship to our postal code.  Well, her price for the box of 18 skeins of yarn (several of which I know cost $20 - $26 each to buy), was $100 for the whole box, including shipping!  

Now, we're talking some expensive yarns here... Malabrigo, Yarn Indulgences, Fleece Artist, etc.  Avid knitters know what I'm talking about.  Here's the full list:

Contents are: 
3- Martha Stewart 100% Merino in Poppy 
3- Martha Stewart 100% Merino in Pewter 
1- Malabrigo Rasta in Oxido 
1- Malabrigo Rastita in Glitter 
1- skein of We Will Tell You All of Our Secrets 4ply Alpaca dyed with Fennel 
2- Yarn Indulgences MCN DK in Apples 
1- Yarn Chef Chateau in Buttercream 
1- Malabrigo Worsted in Garden Gate 
2- Fleece Artist BFL Sock in Chocolate 
2- Mirasol Hacho colourway 323 
1- Knit Global sock in Purple Haze (approx 1/3 skein knit, and frogged, then re-caked)

Can you say HOLY CRAP!?!  LOL  

Definitely worth more than $100.  This Wonderful Lady agreed to wait another week until I got my next paycheque for me to purchase.

A few pics:

The box

Malabrigo Rasta in Oxido

Yarn Indulgences MCN DK in Apples 

Note:  I'm going to make this with these 2 skeins

Mirasol Hacho colourway 323

I see a few cup cozies being made with this... to start

Yarn Chef Chateau in Buttercream 

mmmmm... lace weight - I've never knit with lace weight before

Fleece Artist BFL Sock in Chocolate

soooo squishy, soft and YUM!

We Will Tell You All of Our Secrets 4ply Alpaca dyed with Fennel 

And just because she's a wonderful fellow knitter, and as a treat for quitting smoking... she threw in this as a gift!  Have I said she's wonderful?

Yarn Indulgences - fingering weight in Early Bloom colour

I see another shawl!!

How nice is that? Crafters are the greatest people!  Sarah... You are Wonderful!  Thank you so much!

There are others but I don't have pictures for them yet.  I'll be posting them all in my Ravelry stash pages.  And I already have several projects in mind for a few of these skeins.

I want to cast on NOW!  :)

Alrighty Then!  Time for the ex-smoker update as of today:

My Mileage 
Smoke-Free Days: 35 
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 490 
Amount Saved: $186.20 
Life Gained:  Days: 3 Hrs: 21 Mins: 6 Seconds: 2

I know I'm amazed.  

And Kim (the administrator at my chiropractor's office) and I were chatting this morning. She quit 2 weeks before me... and is still smoke-free.  Both of us remarked how stupidly easy it's been.... but with the caveat that it's probably because we were more than ready to quit.  

It's a dead end that your mind comes to when you finally quit and it tells you there's no going back... you're just ready to be done and over it.   At least that's the way it feels for both of us. 

Either way, I'm glad... and that means I have not spent money that went up in smoke... literally!

One Month as an Ex-Smoker!!

I honestly can't believe it's been 4 weeks already.

According to the Smoker's Helpline Online, my stats for today are:

My Mileage 
Smoke-Free Days: 28 
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 392 
Amount Saved: $148.96 
Life Gained:  Days: 3 Hrs: 2 Mins: 41 Seconds: 6

and... Happy St. Patty's Day!  :)

I know it helps, and has helped to keep my hands busy.  I've been sewing and knitting, spinning and playing with fiber like crazy in the hours that I'm not at work.

All of these activities have been great distractions from the few nicotine cravings/urges I've had.. which really, haven't been that many.  I guess it was just my time to quit.  I've been told by several people - that your mindset going into it is a major component to success or failure.  I'm a success!!  :)

When I get home this evening I'll post some pictures of the items I've been working on and/or completed.

Busy with Bags

Along with quitting smoking, I've thrown myself whole-heartedly into knitting... to keep my hands busy, when I'm not crafting something else of course.

Oh.. Stats for today: (3 week mark)

My Mileage 
Smoke-Free Days: 21 
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 294 
Amount Saved: $111.72 
Life Gained: Days: 2 Hrs: 8 Mins: 38 Seconds: 7

Whoohooo!!  

Now, back to knitting... with so many knitting projects on the go... I don't own even one project bag.... but you know me!  I can make one - or six!

Here are 2 I've made so far.

The purple one is holding my current March 2015 SKA MOCK (mystery sock project).

The red one is a little larger than the purple one and currently is housing my Paw Print Triangle Shawl project.

I think I have about 3 or 4 other knitting/crochet projects on the go.. so I'm going to make a few more bags.  Maybe some taller drawstring types as well. 

These are so nice though.  Very handy to have around - and will make nice additions to some of the swaps I'll be participating in this year.

My Journey as an Ex-Smoker

It's been a little over 2 weeks now (quit date was Feb 17/15).

The Cancer Society's website for the smokershelpline list my stats today as:

My Mileage 

Smoke-Free Days: 15
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 210
Amount Saved: $79.80
Life Gained:  Days: 1 Hrs: 16 Mins: 9 Seconds: 37

That's impressive.  I'm happy and proud of myself.. and don't plan on going back to being a smoker.