Making Progress

I had lots of plans today that involved going into central London, but I'm full of cold so I've had an enforced day at home. It's just as well really as I've got two important, long neglected projects that I need to complete by next Friday. Remember the quilts I started months ago for Jen's daughter Izzy and her second daughter due in July? Well, the baby arrived but the quilt tops have been sitting near my sewing machine being ignored for several months. I've spent today quilting the first, for baby Sophie and I hope to quilt the second, for Izzy, tomorrow. Then I 'just' need to bind them and sew in all the ends. I'll take some progress photos and post those and hopefully reveal the finished quilts next weekend, after I've delivered them to the girls on a trip to Newcastle.

While Jen was waiting for the quilts, I sent Sophie a little cardigan as it seemed mean making her wait for her present. It isn't her fault I was too busy studying to sew!

I originally cast this cardigan on before Meg was born, back in February, but it was neglected in favour of other cardigans over the Summer. When Jen had Sophie and I realised the quilts wouldn't be finished for rather a long time, I finished knitting it and decided it would be a lovely 'sorry your real present isn't ready yet' kind of gift! Judging from this photo, Sophie is pretty happy with it!

Pause. Rest. Continue.

I'm back! New York was wonderful, just the break I needed. The weather was great, I caught up with friends, went for long walks discovering neighbourhoods I hadn't spent a lot of time in before. I walked The High Line, which I highly recommend to anyone who is visiting New York. I ate some lovely food (including several cupcakes!), visited my favourite knitting and quilting shops and bought fabric, yarn and sewing books. I visited the Guggenheim (which made me feel seasick by the time I'd reached the top), Moma and the Architecture Centre in Greenwich Village. I had a breakfast of cinnamon and raisin toast and root beer in a diner that hasn't been updated since 1948. I discovered chocolate cookie and peanut butter twix bars and wild cherry pepsi, and consumed too many of both. I soaked up the atmosphere, marvelled at the architecture, watched people, and...relaxed.

It was wonderful.

I have got a lot of crafting to catch up on, many babies to knit for and news to share. Christmas knitting and sewing to plan, and quilts to finish before visiting Newcastle next month. I am going to try really hard not to ignore the blog, because I miss it when I'm not here (which has been most of the last year!)

I am looking forward to sharing once again.

The Results are in...

...And I Passed with Commendation!!!

The Part 3 Survival Scarf

First things first, the interview went well (I think), better than I expected. I was able to answer all of the examiners' questions without getting stuck on anything and it was all over in 30 minutes which was good! We've been told we should have the results by 2nd October. I hope so, because I'm flying to New York on the 3rd for 5 nights for a post-Part 3 holiday. Hopefully I'll be celebrating not comiserating!

Back in July when I was writing my final piece of uni coursework and working on my exam paper, I took a trip to 'Stash' to buy some yarn. Even though it was the middle of Summer, I was thinking about knitting a cabled scarf that would be ready to wear in Winter. Two skeins of Dream In Color 'Classy' in Bermuda Teal and the 'Irish Hiking Scarf' pattern, knitted until the yarn ran out using 4.5mm needles. This was the perfect project, enough of a pattern to be a distraction in those rare moments of free time for knitting, but simple enough that my tired brain didn't have to think too much!

I'm delighted with the finished scarf. It's really a really warm, squishy, long, and the yarn (probably my favourite) has great stitch definition and beautiful changes in tonal depth. A successful project and it's all mine!

A short pause

My Part 3 professional interview/exam has been confirmed as 4pm this Thursday (10th September).

Blogging will resume on Saturday. I'll be celebrating having some freedom again by knitting my February Lady Sweater in 'Stash' on Saturday. I can't wait!

The way things are right now.

I handed in my final 10,000 word paper at university at the beginning of August. I have a small amount of work to get done by the beginning of next week, then nothing else to submit. I've got a revision session on 2nd September then I should be taking the professional interview/exam (similar to a viva) on 10th September. However, I am lacking some experience in areas such as contract administration in the construction phase of projects, so I may be asked to submit 6 months more log books and sit the exam in March 2010. I won't find out until the week of the 10th September.
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There has been some family stuff going on that been horrible, upsetting and entirely unnecessary. I won't go into details on here and it isn't something I want to talk about.
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The redundencies earlier this year at work, combined with an upturn in workload for the practice (good news!), lots of people on holiday, and my continuing inability to say 'no, I'm too busy' when any member of management asks me to do something, has led to a few crazy weeks at work, culminating last week in me being in the office at 7am on several days. I love my job, but I don't want it to make me sick.
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So, all this stuff has been using up most of my brain power recently, and I haven't wanted to blog about any of it for fear of sounding whingy, and giving it more time than it deserves. Also, I've just been feeling really, really tired. But, there has been crafting: more sewing, and plenty of knitting that I've yet to blog. I am going to try to post about everything I've been working on over the next week or two, although with the big exam (possibly) approaching, I may not have much time. I WILL try though, as seeing evidence of my creativity on here always makes me feel better when it feels like everything else is going a bit pair shaped.
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To finish, photos of two happy girls in their birthday skirts. Leila is trying hers on for the first time along with the t-shirt I sent her.
And Katherine was so eager to try hers on that she put it straight on over her (Grandma-made- Clothkits) dress.

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Back soon, with a happier post.

Mumsie is 60!

(Flowers sent by Sam, Alex and Megan)

Happy Birthday Mum.

Thanks for everything.

xxx