A busy day with lots of (successful and pleasing) errands. Returned to the optician's to review my choices - I liked the driving glasses more than I remembered, and the office glasses were more serious than I recalled - and get measured and pay money. Also earmarked some frames for prescription sunglasses.
Then back home to print labels for returns - what a palaver they were, already three interactions with customer support and still the proof of postage to scan and submit to trigger the refund. Another website on my Never Again list - everyone was very nice and helpful, but it has taken weeks to sort out. Still, all done now, although frustratingly my next choice doesn't have my size in stock and will email me when they become available again.
Finally to the dentist for a check up and a small repair where I had broken a tooth last week, eating very well done bread pudding. All done and dusted in less than twenty five minutes and I was sent on my way.
After going to the post office, I wandered into Marks and Spencers for something for tea and a few other essential items (dark chocolate and ginger Florentines) before running into a charity shop to see if they had suitable shirts for my dark academia outfit.
No, but they did have a private eye length raincoat, lined and with a cosy quilted layer, beautifully made (button shanks, button looped inside pocket) by Four Seasons of London, in my size. The very thing to go with a burgundy beret from Village Hall.
After tea, settled down in the big chair to start experimenting with the basic sweater in Cocoknits. Quite interesting, but have already unravelled the initial stages. I think the whole neck shaping and yoke can be constructed with one continuous thread, rather than breaking the yarn in two places in the setting up stage. I wasn't happy with the method of increasing - I thought it looked a little untidy - and I've decided to use the M1 method instead.
I can see why some people prefer to knit bottom up, especially if you are setting up a complicated stitch pattern. Easier to get that in place before starting the complexities of upper body shaping (so many curves and dimensions to consider).
I think this will be fine once I have learned the construction. It would be a good idea to make two or three, one after the other to get the muscle memory in place. I have two lined up - a chunky v-neck sweater and an Aran weight cropped waterfall front cardigan. I have some lovely off-white wool in my stash that would make a beautiful chunky cropped cardigan with a button band. (I also have some mustard that would make another great slipover - could mix it with my remaining Purple Rain alpaca classic).
The books are my recent purchases, already starting to be well-thumbed. I have started writing in the Cocoknits book - best place for my notes 😁
This report was published via Actifit app (Android | iOS). Check out the original version here on actifit.io
