I hate narrow aisles in stores and markets - and it seems to be becoming epidemic around here. It’s a rarity for a supermarket aisle to be wide enough to turn your carriage around in. I’m not normally claustrophobic, but when there’s someone both in front of and behind me, I start feeling trapped and a little panicky. I live in terror of being stuck between the girl who’s having a top-of-the-lungs argument with her boyfriend on her cell phone, and the little elderly person who’s carefully and thoroughly reading every label on the shelf in their never-ending search for a lower sodium olive!
A couple of mornings ago I was doing some minor shopping and came around the end of the aisle only to find a small, plump person - complete with carriage - corked in the end of the next aisle. She was with a friend who was bent over a display when she noticed me standing there, waiting.
“Did you want to come up this aisle?” she asked.
“Yes, please.” I smiled, trying to be pleasant and not seem impatient.
She stuck an abrupt, palm-up hand in my face.
“Fifty cents.”
I stood there for about 10 seconds with my jaw on the floor before the giggles kicked in. We all had a good chuckle about the cramped shopping space and went on our respective merry ways.
I started a small project from the Sensational Knitted Socks book.
I’ve been being very careful to follow the instructions as they are written rather than wandering off and doing my own thing, as I am wont to do. To learn something, one has - occasionally - to listen to voices other than the ones in one’s own head :)
And, I’m pleased to say, I am learning :) I found her heel flap instructions very physically awkward to execute (not doubt I’ll get used to it in time) but it made a beautiful flap and was certainly worth doing. Likewise the picking up of gusset stitches; Schurch has you pick up a couple extra stitches which you knit together on the subsequent round to close/prevent that annoying little hole that creates itself between the gusset and instep stitches. Works beautifully! I have always (well, since I started knitting socks anyway!) despised that hole so I’m not sure that little gem of information wasn’t worth the price of the book all by itself!
I was stymied for a little while on the new bag because in my enthusiasm for the yarn and the stitch pattern, I wasn’t thinking clearly about where I wanted to go with this - and that did require a little thinking about :)
I’ve decided (right now, any way - God knows things could change!) that this is the back of the bag. I’ve finished the patterning, continued over the top in garter stitch and will proceed down the front flap with, perhaps, a minor variation on the stitch pattern. The front panel will be plain reverse stockinette with garter stitch borders and I’m thinking the sides/bottom/strap will be about 7 stitches wide, incorporating a single one of the embossed motifs at spaced intervals.
I also had a go at the stitch pattern for the Moonlight Sonata shawl and made a complete hash of it :( I was trying to follow the chart and didn’t have a lot of luck. I’m thinking I will wind one of the hanks of fingering weight and have a go at the shawl pattern (not just the stitch pattern) over the weekend, following the written instructions and see where that gets me :)
You may have noticed a new button on the sidebar?
This links to Flagstaff International Relief Effort (F.I.R.E.), specifically to their Project Mongolia page on which is discussed the types of help (not only knitted items) they are seeking. If this is something you are also interested in, please feel free to grab a copy of the button (do not link to this one, please!) for your own web page or blog.
Finally, we had to replace the toilet seat this week. Not a major operation, of course - a reasonably bright girl armed with a screwdriver can accomplish this in about 10 minutes. The old seat (and I mean ancient!) was plastic or resin - something solid and hard. The new seat, however, is one of these soft, padded jobs. It’s comfortable enough - but a little disconcerting. When sitting on the throne feels similar to sitting down in your armchair - getting the bladder to actually let go takes a bit of conscious effort. I’m sure I’ll get used to it :)
Chatters is on for tomorrow night - same time, same channel. Hope to see you there!
Have a great weekend, everyone :)
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Very diplomatic way of Dulaan-ing yet not Dulaan-ing, Ms. Robbyn! Thumbs up to ya’!
I’m glad you like the SKS book! I do like the way she does her heels and I’ve picked up some neat tricks from her.
Ryan - That’s me - mother raised me for the diplomatic corps :)
Opal - I’m loving exploring this book - and I’m trying not to think about the sequel.
Maybe next year?
LOL! I totally agree about the soft toilet seats. My grandma had one and it made a whooshing noise when you sat down. It freaked me out every time!
Lisa - (giggling) Oh yeah - the sound! It’s like it’s sighing - as though something has deeply annoyed or disappointed it.
As long as it doesn’t start groaning!
