Someone knit me a tiara so that I can crown myself the Queen of Bad Knitters. I've spent DAYS working on the neck rib of that very colourful vest top and this morning I finished it at last. I loathe doing neck ribs. I've never done a successful one and it always seems to be the final downfall of a jersey. At least I've managed to learn how to pick up edge stitches (for the most part) and with much concentration, can keep up a knit 2, purl 2 over ten thousand stitches (definitely no watching TV while that's being done.) So it was with great relief that I finished it at last....only to find that I'd included the shoulder seam in the neck rib! I'm going to have to pull out days of work and do it all over again. Aaaaaaargh!
On top of which, I baked a banana bread this morning, my daughter's favourite. I've made it a thousand times before and can virtually make it in my sleep. Every error I've ironed out, including never using a cooking margerine in place of butter. Today the loaf came out beautifully....for ten seconds only, and then utterly collapsed into a squashy, sticky, dank bread. Too many bananas, said my daughter. Bananas too overripe. Well, what else am I supposed to do with overripe bananas. Perhaps we should try eating them before the humid weather does its thing.
It's been a very trying day. A saxophonist has moved into the area and has spent all weekend doing scales. People are starting to hang out the windows yelling "stop!" (and several other words I use myself, though generally under my breath.)
But I did buy some new wool this weekend! Though before I get onto that, might I just mention that John Lewis (Oxford Street, London) has changed its haberdashery and wool section. It used to be right next to the lovely open central well so that you could take your wool over to the natural light and inspect its colour. It used to feel very spacious and relaxing. The whole section has now been shoved into an area smaller than a dog's nostril with horrible spotlights that hit you in the eye every time you lean forward to inspect the wool. The shelves of wool are also very ugly: all the wooden ones are gone. And there's less. Of course there's less. On top of which, the sales assistants were unbelievably rude, which has to be a first for John Lewis.
My loathing of John Lewis has hit an all-time high. It's such a pity that I feel tied to the store because there's no one else who does anything similar. I wish we had a giant wool shop in the middle of London. Am I the only Londoner that knits? Is everyone else a slave to the internet? Happy to get the wrong shades when ordering on-line?
Anyway, new wool for a hottie bottie cover for my daughter: couldn't find Rowan cashsoft aran (apparently it's been discontinued) but did get some lovely Debbie Bliss cashmerino aran in two shades of green. Broke the bank a bit, but then my bank is already broken so don't really care any more. Will be knitting the entire thing on DPNS.
Aaaaaaargh.
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