Thursday, November 24, 2005

Yippee Yippee Doo Daaaaaaa

I PASSED MY MA!!

Meant to post about this when I actually heard, er, a fortnight ago, but life sort of took over, as it does. I am now a librarian with a qualification - whoopeeeeeeeeeeeeee. :-) Actually it still feels very weird as I was beginning to think I'd never get to this point. I decided I was going to be a librarian about 11 years ago, when I was 15 and sat down and worked out what sort of GCSE grades I'd need, what might be good A Level subjects to take, and a degree and then that I'd need to have at least a year's experience and an MA (not that I knew what an MA was then, and I was a bit hazy about the degree part too). According to my calculations then I'd be a librarian by the time I was 23, but life got in the way so it took a few year's longer than that. Not that I mind that now as there are other more important things to be doing at the same time (like knitting & spending time with family and friends etc). It does still seem very strange to have finished though, and I'm not sure what I'm going to do next. At the moment I'm loving freelancing as it suits my circumstances... Still don't know what sort of mark I got for the MA (they just let you know whether you've passed or failed at this stage!).

Anyway, I've got a stonkingly sore throat so have been sitting around at home (no heating at work) drooling at yarn websites and reading the Knittyboard and Angelyarns Forum.

Things I'm coveting at the moment:
  • I saw this pattern in a Bergere de France advert in Simply Knitting (November?) and it's now available at Angel yarns. I just love the way the cables are around the neckline. The yarn looks nice too, although I'd have difficulty choosing the colour. According to the Angel Yarns forum there will be some kind of offer on for this though so I'm going to wait and see. Maybe treat myself after Christmas?
  • I am also madly in love with the sock yarn at Curious Yarns. I love the idea of having a separate 25g in a coordinated colour for the cuff, heel and toes. The colours are also very very tasty. Again, it's on my list of things to treat myself to in the future.
And I think I promised a knitting update so here are lots of pics! See being off work means being at home in daylight!

Noah's jumper is finished! Whoohoo! I think it looks really cute, it's plenty big enough so he'll be able to wear it for a while and it was SO easy with the self-patterning yarn. Now all I have to decide is whether to give it to him for his 1st birthday (Dec 12th) or for Christmas.

Everything else I've been knitting has been driving me CRAZY. I am SO SO bored with Misty Garden.

Who is now just over halfway as I've just finished the first ball of Jaeger Mohair Art. Misty Garden would be ideal TV knitting but unfortunately the TV is next door with Mum, and MG is Mum's Christmas present. I am not forking out for a TV Licence just so I can knit it here - that would make it the most expensive scarf ever...

Here's a close-up of the boring boring boring feather and fan pattern. I can understand why the original pattern in Scarf Style uses Jo Sharp variegated mohair - at least if it was variegated you'd get some different colours in to make it marginally more interesting! I was also distressed to read on the ScarfStyle KnitAlong that someone had managed to make Misty Garden in about 3 hours?!?! If I sat and knitted Misty Garden for 3 hours I would go BONKERS!

Then we have socks. Above is Broadripple sock no. 1, now approaching the toe decrease section. This is now for me (as it won't fit my SIL) so is no longer a Christmas present. Sock no. 2 will be left for after Christmas. (I can see a mass outbreak of SSS developing here). Below is my brother's Christmas present sock in Cygnet wool rich 4ply using a 4 stitch repeat from the Charlene Shurch "Sensational Knitted Socks" book. The pattern is basically k2p2 for 2 rounds, knit 2 rounds, p2k2 for 2 rounds, knit 2 rounds. It's on 2mm needles, which, although they're only marginally smaller than my usual 2.5mm for socks, are driving me CRAZY because they seem so small! The socks grow SO slowly... especially as my brother has UK size 9 feet.

So I decided that, as knitting is meant to be a hobby and fun, I would knit something for me on big needles as a change. So out came my birthday hand-spun yarn and some 9mm needles and one evening later I have a new hat!

I love it. It used almost exactly the whole ball of yarn and is very warm and cosy. It's also just the right size, as my (shop-bought) previous hat was quite tight which I don't like over my ears. I also usually wear a woolly hat at work in the winter due to the lack of heating, and don't like spending the whole day with my ears unable to breathe - so this new hat will be perfect! :-)



The pattern is from Simply Knitting issue 7, which was originally intended for use with Rowan Chunky Print yarn. I think it looks ace with the hand-spun yarn though...

Phew. That was a long post. I'm off to drink honey and lemon. Byeeeeeeeeeeeeee

17 comments:

Barbara said...

Hi I have just started reading your blog and finding it interesting as a fellow knitter.

Congratulations on getting your MA, I know what an achievement that is as my daughter has just finished hers (in Globalisation). Well done!

Anonymous said...

Yummmmm - I love Noah's jumper - I knew I was going to, but it's gorgeous - isn't it wonderful how a well-variegated yarn makes a simple knit exciting both to knit and to wear.

CONGRATULATIONS on the MA :-) :-) That should merit a happy dance.

Misty Garden will be lovely when it's done, but I can see why it's driving you mad.

I love the birthday yarn hat too - isn't it bliss to knit something that actually grows now and then!

Look after that throat - hope it gets better soon

xx

Heather said...

Congratulations on the MA!

The Bergere de France pattern is lovely, I definitely need more hours in the day to knit all these lovely things!

Hope you are feeling better soon

MissLucy said...

Congratulations on the MA! I have always envied librarians their job! There is so musch great knitting in your post that i don't know where to start! The Misty Garden looks great, and the baby sweater is so cute.

Iris said...

Congratulations on passing your MA!! Well done! :)

The birthday hat looks great, and so does the sweater. Very cute. :)

Mary-Lou said...

Congratulations on the MA! - you must be do pleased ...

The stripy jumper looks really lovely, what was the yarn? - and the mohair scarf is lovely too (don't be mean about feather and fan, it's a very gentle little stitch pattern, what did it ever do to you?!!)

KnitYoga said...

Yippee!!! Congratulations on MA!!! Noah's jumper is wonderful. I, too, would like to know which self-striping yarn you used. Also, which yarn for the Broadripple socks - amazing colours - and the pattern's lovely, too.
Hazel

Emily said...

CONGRATS!! Thats fantastic news! It must be such a relief to finish. The scarf im doing isn't misty garden but your right it does look identical. I got the pattern out of the first issue of 'Simply Knitting'. Yours is looking really good!

Anonymous said...

Hi, congratulations on the MA what a relief! I too would like to know the yarn for Noah's sweater (lovely) and the boardripple socks (gorgeous, I want to make some now! LOL)

Mary Anne said...

Katie,

YAY!!! WAY TO GO!!! I'm so proud of you and your accomplishments. You must feel so relieved it's finally over.

Hey you have been on a knitting spree. Must be your creative spirit is freed up now. I love Noah's sweater and the socks and the hat. Misty is quite a beautiful scarf in that green colourway, in spite of being a total bore. Don't give up.
big warm hugs, you clever girl.
Mary Anne

Uknitty said...

Wow so much good news :) Congrats on your MA, it must be a relief to be finished.

You totaly deserve to splash out on yourself after all your hard work.

C x

Heather said...

Well done, Daisy - have a good celebration once the honey and lemon has worked :)

luv Heather (Doodles) xxx

happyspider said...

congratulations!!!!!! hooray for you!!!
i know what you mean about the scarf, i'm on a lacy cashmere one at the moment.. and it's bordering on making me homicidal. you'll get through it eventually :)
Noah's jumper looks so wonderful, you should be proud, you've done an awesome job.
feel better soon :)

Nic said...

Well done Dasiy on your MA and on all the knitting!
The jumper looks great and I really, really must knit one aftrer Christmas for my little people.
I hope you're feeling better. Thanks for asking after me, my bruises are mainly no longer achy but I now have a sore throat and ear ache! Ahh, I hate illness, pass me the parecetamol!

Nic
xx

susoolu said...

Congratulations - Daisychains MA has a lovely ring to it. And some seriously productive and lovely knitting too.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on the MA - I feel bad that I didn't read your blog before yesterday - then I could have congratulated you in person. it was nice meeting you. Can't wait to see what else you got - I got lots of yummy stuff - will post photos on my blog later.

Nickerjac said...

CONRATULATIONS !!!!! There is nothing like fullfilling a dream. Love the jumper too its so cute