It's been too long: A Young Sweetie update

As the title says..."It's been too long". And what have I been doing? Too much things that are not knitting related! It's a disgrace! Working, visiting family and friends, parties, my first rally, baking..and then trying to make up for it with my eat more healthy campaign and taking up jogging...reading, watching TV etc. So My plan for this blog post is to fill you on the various aspects of my life that infringes on my knitting.

As I mentioned already..I have started a PhD which has been the major struggle with time management..after so long out of work it takes quite a bit of getting used to. I get up most mornings between 6.50 and 7am at the latest unless I am particularly lazy and press snooze on my alarm until 7.05..this happens quite a bit =P , then its shower, dress, eat and leave for train station to catch the 8.08am train into Galway city..which gets me in to the lab (walking from the station) by about 8.45am. I then leave the lab at 5pm and run for the 17.25pm train home. Sometimes if I have a few extra minutes I pop into Hickey's in the Corbettcourt shopping centre to browse the wool and other craft supplies..usually leaving with something in hand (giving in to any plans I had of just window shopping). I usually arrive home at about 6pm and start the dinner. This is where our new healthy eating has come in...more vegetarian and more fish with the overall aim to cut down on red meat. This week for meat free Monday I cooked chickpea and vegetable curry..it was really scrumptious if I say so myself. I got the recipe in this months Easyfood mag. I usually sit down to eat with my Fiance Gareth when he gets home at 7pm therefore it is nearly always close to 8pm by the time dinner is finished and everything has been cleared up (no dishwasher...grrrrr). We then do a little housework..we try to do this everyday so that it doesn't build up. By 9pm we are lucky to sit down and put our feet up..therefore you can imagine I am pretty pooped and can find it difficult to get any knitting done at all!! But I still try.

So you would think after all the running around all week I would be happy to sit down and do nothing at the weekends...alas..it is not to be!! Weekends are for catching up with friends and family and fulfilling our washing machines duty of cleaning our clothes along with any other chores that might not have been done during the week!! I like to use my Saturday to catch up with all my girl friends because Gareth works....and a group of girls giggling with excitement over our upcoming nuptials and plans for said nuptials might be a bit too much for his male ego!! =P As with most men and wedding plans..he is happy just to show up on the day..sometimes I think if I told him we all had to wear plastic bags to the ceremony and eat in the local chipper after he probably would not mind at all =P

Oh ..look at that..I am rambling off topic again...back to the reason for my lack of knitting..busy schedule!!
 The weekend after my last blog post was spent catching up with a good friend on Saturday before heading off to a girls night in that evening. The Sunday was spent attending my 1st rally (after much pressure to do so from my other half), as expected it was cold and wet. I never even made it to a stage..I spent and hour in the service area until my hands turned blue and then headed up to the nearby hotel for some well deserved soup and to sit out the rest of the day. I think in future if I attend a rally it will only be during the summer stages. =O

Monday had come around again and my knitting needles were gathering dust!! More work, more cooking, more cleaning..no knitting and so it continues.

For those of you not Irish and perhaps with no Irish ancestors or knowledge of Ireland of some sort (what's wrong with you?)..last Thursday was St.Patrick's day. To celebrate St.Patrick's day in our house, we dressed in green, white and orange (even the dog had an Irish ribbon attached to his coat).

Fred was not impressed with having a ribbon on his coat. Look at that scowl!!

I baked some green, white and orange buns and then we headed off to the parade in Galway. Our 10 year niece (and joint Goddaughter) was walking in the parade so we were all very proud and of course she was very excited. So that was another day of no knitting while the night before was a night of no knitting due to baking buns!!

Even the batter was green, white and orange!

Iced green, white and orange buns!

AND FINALLY, as I had decided to take the day off after St.Patricks day..I had some time on my hands to do some knitting..and this is what I got done...

The shoes stuffed and sewn up

The shoes sewn on to the body

The ankle bands and pantie frills knitted and sewn on to the body

The facial features sewn on

Saturday was spent with friends, including Gareth's gorgeous 9month old goddaughter and Sunday was another day of knitting for me..although not as productive as Friday. Gareth and I had planned to spend the day off gallivanting in the car and seeing where we would end up but for some odd reason..I was extremely exhausted. I since developed a nasty cold which explains the unwelcome tiredness. This is what I managed to get done on Sunday...



Young Sweetie with her hat brim and hair complete

Gareth informed me she looked like an old lady because of her pink hair. I personally have never seen an elderly lady with pink hair. I think he meant blue rinse. They say men can only see basic colours well I have the proof that they struggle to even recognise basic colours!! =P (If you are reading this Gar..I love you hunny bunny!! ;p xx)
Since Sunday I have knitted Young sweetie's hat band and neck band but have not sewn them on yet. And the reason for only getting this much knitted this week? I have decided to take up jogging!! Monday was my first ever jogging session..I jogged 1mile. I know.. it does not seem a lot, but it was my first time and as a recent ex-smoker I think I did well. By the time I got back I was so wrecked I was unable for anything except a cup of tea and putting my feet up. Wow..I am very unfit! I spent Tuesday and Wednesday knitting the hat and the neck bands and then went jogging again for the second time yesterday evening. I increased my distance and jogged 1.75 miles. Gareth has an app on his Samsung Galaxy phone that records your distance, pace and calories burned. It informs you every 5 minutes how far you have jogged and how fast. It frightens the heck out of me when I have the earphones in as I am so focused on jogging I am not expecting this loud voice in my ear out of nowhere. haha. Even when I know to expect it...it still makes me jump.

Phew...."wipes forehead with back of hand", that was a very lengthy update to explain my lack of knitting and blog posts. I hope to become a little more efficient at updating everyone on the progress of young sweetie and I expect if longer than a week passes without an update again...that somebody out there will drop me a comment and force me to do so!!

Until again,

Happy knitting and crafting,

Helena =D