Friday 16 November 2007

Ugly Betty and me.

Yes I watch Ugly Betty and have from the first episode. Its goofily compelling. It's one of my favourite evening knitting times. There is nothing like opening the bag, and pulling out the lovely hand work, and starting, just as the opening credits roll. An hour of pure silly pleasure with added knitting. I sat down to knit last night and what did I see? (I would insert a picture here, a smarter person would have TAKEN a picture, but this is me, and I have none.)

Disaster

When I opened the bag, my lovely old metal straights were bent into the shape of an L. They are destroyed. I have to get new size 3 mm straights, or I have to invent knitting on the L.

I knit the rest of a row to move everything onto a single needle, straightened the needle and purled back across, so I could straighten the other. I was halfway across the purl row when I became acquainted with the true depths of the disaster.

I lost the center. The centre stitch when making this sort of top down triangle shawl is critical. If this one stitch is not solidly in place nothing else works. It had moved one row over, and then was lost to the mists of early morning knitting. I investigated. There was a row where it seemed I had two sets of increases, and at least one row where I had none. I stopped looking after this. It was just too horrible to contemplate. I am certain I placed it. I remember counting increases, and following their path alongside the centre stitch. I'm sure I did, I was there, and I'm positive I saw it happen.

As any lawyer will tell you, eyewitness testimony is eagerly sought, but is notoriously unreliable. With the only eyewitness to the failure being me, and knowing the I am incapable of counting to 2, I was forced to rest my case.

I wished it could have been different, but this poor abused yarn was once again ripped. In truth it was so disheartening that I just ripped, and put the stitches back on the needles. This weekend I shall tend to it, properly, with the right amount of coffee in me before I touch one little bitty knit stitch again.

I'll have to go to the yarn store to get new needles. No one else seems to have a reliable stock of the smaller sizes of needles, and I do have to look into getting a 3mm circular. I am worried though. I have no problem going to the yarn store. None. I love it there. If I could choose I might live in a place like that.

It's leaving with my wallet intact that is the hard part.

Late Breaking News

I went to the store and came back with just 3, count em 3 sets of needles. The only reason I could do this was because I know I'll be back there Tuesday. All day. I thought I should wait. Two 'incidents' in one pay period might well kill me.

2 comments:

Sandra said...

are we taking bets on whether or not you leave the store with ONLY a 3mm needle? I can never do that...

Gina said...

Oh no...knitting needles in the shape of an "l". Even a non-knitter knows that is a problem! And I am sorry about the lost stitch. How maddning. O.K...it is 4:36 A.M....and I feel like you up so early! Usually I have only been sleeping for a couple of hours. That is what happens when I go to bed early. WIll be working on my grandmas afghan today even if it kills me. Hope you have a productive weekend!