Semi fail because I only managed to get one of my two entries across the finish line!
Colonnade shawl by Stephen West
Yarn: New Lanark Donegal Silk Tweed Aran in Damson
Ravelled here
This was quite a simple quick knit. Just straightforward and uncomplicated enough for me to be able knit (albeit pretty slowly!) whilst reading my textbooks and just enough detail to keep me from boredom. The yo2’s slipped me up slightly the first time round so that I had to tink back half a row when I realised the normal yo’s I had been doing were not right. But that’s what happens when you don’t read the pattern and blindly march on on the foolish assumption that I’ve-done-yarn-overs-before-I-know-what-I’m-doing! (this seems to be a running theme with me, as I made a similar mistake with the Earl Grey socks this morning! Tut tut indeed.)
I think however, that this is destined for frogging. I like the pattern, and I love the yarn, but the combination of the two is just not working for me. When I saw in in the Fall09 Knitty I loved the idea of a scarf that could be worn in so many ways, but the aran weight is just too bulky for me. I’m broad shouldered as it is, and as the Boy so delicately put it, this makes me look like I’m wearing a big purple lion’s mane (isn’t he nice to me?!). Not too flattering then! Hum ho. Think I’ll try again with a DK or fingering weight yarn. I’ve seen a few nice mods on Ravelry so will have a go in the semi-distant future. Not too keen on the idea of knitting the same thing again so quickly.
The second entry was the Earl Grey socks. 
I rushed to get these on the needles before the closing ceremony, but I think it was pretty clear that the pair wasn’t going to be finished in a couple of days! I didn’t manage to get much done last week, but in the past few days these have been bombing along. I cast on using Eskimimi’s stretchy cast on because I was too lazy to figure out the right amount for a long tail cast on. It’s a pretty simple, but ingenious method. Quite fiddly and it has a bit more bulk at the ribbing, but I think that might in part be because I worked about 5 more rows of rib after joining the cast on to the main body, which makes it slightly more noticeable. It looks nice though, and is super stretchy. I’ve got about two more gusset decreases to go and then I’ll be able to speed onwards with the foot of the first sock.
We’re getting exam and coursework results back at the moment. So far I’m “competent” (LPC skills are assessed on a competent/non-competent basis) at interviewing clients, advocacy, practical legal research, drafting and legal writing. Just professional conduct, litigation, business and property to go now, apparently we’re just waiting on the external moderators now. Although that always seems to be the excuse when we’re kept waiting, I do hope they get their skates on! I’m pleased that I passed the interviewing though, have been stressing over that one because I ran out of time with my client and was worried about how much I might be penalised over that. I think interviewing was a hard one to pace, you can’t really practice much as there’s no way of anticipating what the client is going to say or ask, there was no clock in the room to tell you how far along you were, and it would be unprofessional and plain rude to keep looking at your watch! At least with advocacy you know how long your submission to the judge has to be, and you can practice to get within that limit. At least it’s over for now, until it’s time for me to do it all for real!
I think I can officially dub today a Good Food Day. Went out to Washington for dim sum with my Mum and the Boy in celebration his recent promotion at work, and of some of the results I’ve had back so far. Hope there’s more cause for celebration soon! Also cracked open the last jar of kaya that my Mum brought back form Singapore for me on her last trip home. We found it whilst having a cupboard clear out before Chinese New Year, and we’re two months under the wire before the expiry date is up! It’s not going to last that long though, now that it’s open. I’ll have it gobbled up in a couple of weeks! My Mum said she’s going to try making some from scratch so I’ll have to keep my eyes out for some pandan leaves. Our poor pandan was this winter’s horticultural casualty. I’ll give pandan mark 2 a try when the weather gets a little warmer. The kaya discovery meant a fusion breakfast of sorts this morning – bacon and scrambled eggs followed by kaya toast and coffee. My heritage represented in breakfast! Delicious :)
