I'm so over knitting...

That's what I've been thinking in the past few days. It's not true, of course.  Only a little bit anyway.

I realised I've completely effed up the socks.

Firstly the tops have completely different amounts of rib, because I didn't take the first one with me when I started on the second. 

And then I realised that on the first one, somehow I just went a bit mad and did the heel flap on 30 stitches instead of 32.  Not insurmountable I suppose but annoying.

When I got into the second one I did count to make sure that I had the right number of stitches on the heel flap needles.  But neglected to count the remaining ones, so didn't notice that I only had 30 left there. That's right, two dropped stitches, now marked by the extra DPNs stuck in.  So basically I think I'll rip the second back and get it all right, from rib onwards.  Mutter, mutter.

Pauline helped me with the Clapotis the other night, she ripped it back and fixed it, while Helen wound up the reams of frogged angora.  Pauline persevered in getting me to try the purling-instead-of-using-stitch-markers route, and sat beside me to make sure I had it right, and lo, it seemed to be working in spite of my lack of prowess.

Until the end of that section, anyway. 

The next day I moved on to the straight sections and just couldn't get it right.  When, if I ever go back to it, I think I'll be using markers, sorry P, I just can't seem to get it.  Now I've ripped it back quite a few rows and can't get the stitch count right.  Bah.  However I guess the other members of the Clap along may think it's a bit odd if I don't stick with it.

We're finally getting some long-wished for sunshine in London (Obviously it's two days in and we're already hearing complaints about the heat) so the Innocent fete yesterday was a big success.  There were fifteen of us there for my friend's hen do.  We eventually retreated into the shade under the trees.  The knitting tent, run by Buzz of All the Fun of the Fair, was actually the coolest place to be but I didn't think they'd take kindly to all of us piling in there, although there were two knitters amongst the group - I just about count myself as one of them. 

It was rather more sedate than most hen dos (didn't manage to find Claire in the crowds but she thought she'd spotted our hen, dressed in a veil and L Plates - no, not us, our hen had no identifying features) but great fun.  We went back to the B2B's house for champers, facepacks and Dirty Dancing though some of us had to leave a little early before the movies started to get back into London.  Early on the in the day, I was introduced to one of the other guests and was told that her ex-husband was a colleague of the groom.  I said I got divorced recently too and she immediately said 'Thank god!' because it is a little surreal when it seems like the entire world is married and/or pregnant, which pretty much summed up the demographic of the group.  We ended up catching the train back to town together and it was interesting talking about our situations.  She's doing the match.com route at the moment and I have to say, it sounds hellish and I'm now 150% happy with not doing anything like that. 

What I am trying to do instead is to concentrate on other stuff which is gaining momentum  at the moment.  The flat-purchasing, obviously.   Job-hunting, still on the lookout for the right permanent thing.  Baby quilts, I've got two to make plus another two (baby's sex as yet unknown) on the list.  That's without considering preserving fruit , finishing the dress that Dolly's been wearing for two months or getting the letterpress working.  I'm going out with a new running club tomorrow because it's time to make more of an effort to improve my health, sort out my back and lose some weight.  Ting and I were  talking on Friday after seeing 'In Conversation' and I said that I need to get myself together and she kindly said that I wouldn't want to lose too much weight, because when people do, it often makes them look older.  Bless her for thinking I'd get to that point.  However as two people have put my age at 25 this week - how flattering! - I reckon I've got some leeway there...

Comments

[Claire (Bahrain)]

I'm sooooo proud of you gail...
Apart from the knitting you seem to have got it all sorted in your head. Go Girl!

[Thimbleanna]

Sounds like you're keeping really busy! I'm laughing and agreeing with Ting about the weight and age. My sister is teeny tiny and although she's younger than I am, I think (haha) that she looks older. She doesn't have any fat on her face to push those wrinkles out. LOL. Hey -- I was thinking about you the other day -- are you planning on doing another fabric swap any time soon?

[julie]

bugger - I hate it when that happens though luckily for me I never have too much ripping back to do to get to the beginning of something - I guess that's why I like to knit tiny things! Glad to hear the innocent fete was goo. I really wanted to go but having just got back from hols and having a washing mountain to tackle it wasn't to be. One day I'll make it into London again!

[tamy]

great socks! keep plodding on - it will be worth it! enjoy the rest of your summer, sounds like you are very busy!!

[Sarah Jayne]

I've not really got back into knitting - I'm still too involved in the quilting and I'm trying not to get distracted. Oh socks do look like hard work.

[Thimbleanna]

P.S. I've tagged you on my blog if you'd like to play... ;-)