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Jun. 16th, 2009 11:22 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
labellementeuseI don't think I mentioned this yesterday but I probably won't be replying on comments to most of these posts and you can't really rely on me to be following the flist, although I have excellent access at the moment (I'm just trying not to use it because really, LONDON.)
Yesterday was fun but kind of weird. I have some stuff to finish for a swap I'm participating in - I brought it all the way here instead of sending it from home because the recipient is in the UK and I decided that posting from here would be more efficient/CHEAPER. so I needed a tapestry needle. Eve, who is the daughter of my mum's best friend with whose family I am staying, and who I have known her whole life, needed to get some zips and things for cushions she's making. So we went shopping, except we stopped at primark which was, wow, a really horryfing but great experience. Primark is this massive shop filled with cheap fairly crappy clothes - think Supre except in human-people sizes - that is ABSOLUTLE PACKED with people at all times. They give you these MASSIVE bags when you come in and then you walk around the shop throwing stuff into it and then you decide what you're going to buy - fitting? Doesn't really happen. I refuse to buy clothes without trying them on so I only got a couple of cheap pairs of leggings and a shirt that I kind of like, but it was... I don't know. It's certainly a total rort though, running a shop with so few changing rooms that no-one can try things on - they must either do a lot of returns, which I doubt, or sell a lot of clothes that never get worn by the purchasers.
Anyway, then we went to John Lewis (think Kirks) and I got to hang out in their knitting section which was. *cries* So much Rowan I nearly burst into tears right then (because of course I can't AFFORD Rowan.) I also got to fondle Debbie Bliss pure silk which felt... gah.... so so so so so amazing. I see that it has mixed reviews on Rav and I should imagine any plain silk yarn would be difficult to work with (plus, expensive, about 7 pounds for a 50g skein - this might not be soooo bad in the UK, as I have noticed that a pound spends about like $1.50 at home, but in NZ money that's $21 for a 50g skein which would make, like, $80 or $100 scarves.) However it felt SO FREAKIN AMAZING in the skein. Fingerfood.
I did spend a little money there: tapestry needles (I know, so exotic!) and a Rowan pattern book which was only like 7 pounds (which makes it reasonably priced even with the conversion) which has four or five patterns that I want to knit RIGHT. NOW. and several others that I like although probably wouldn't wear. here we go, this is the one. this one has all the patterns although smaller pix. I am absolutely IN. LOVE. with St Moritz, I like Innsbruck, I think Chamonix is gorgeous though I would never knit a sweater that short in the body, and I am definitely going to knit Grenoble when I get home. Of course most of the patterns are in aran weight (and not one in DK, AFAI can tell) which... nngh, makes me crazy, because aran is difficult to get here (and of course I'm going to substitute yarns because I can't afford $200 for a jersey, how about you?) and our shelves are FLOODED with DK.
ETA: also, I'm pretty hilariously amused by the way the Rowan book insists that its sizes are consistent with commercial sizing. I'm pretty sure that's not true, since I have a 42-inch bust and I usually wear 14 or 12 (although admittedly I miss out on some items because my bust is too big in a 4, but the 16 is otherwise swimming on me.) Still and all: the size they recommend for a 42-in bust is 18. Just sayin'.
That is more or less everything I did yesterday. Gotta be more interesting today.
Yesterday was fun but kind of weird. I have some stuff to finish for a swap I'm participating in - I brought it all the way here instead of sending it from home because the recipient is in the UK and I decided that posting from here would be more efficient/CHEAPER. so I needed a tapestry needle. Eve, who is the daughter of my mum's best friend with whose family I am staying, and who I have known her whole life, needed to get some zips and things for cushions she's making. So we went shopping, except we stopped at primark which was, wow, a really horryfing but great experience. Primark is this massive shop filled with cheap fairly crappy clothes - think Supre except in human-people sizes - that is ABSOLUTLE PACKED with people at all times. They give you these MASSIVE bags when you come in and then you walk around the shop throwing stuff into it and then you decide what you're going to buy - fitting? Doesn't really happen. I refuse to buy clothes without trying them on so I only got a couple of cheap pairs of leggings and a shirt that I kind of like, but it was... I don't know. It's certainly a total rort though, running a shop with so few changing rooms that no-one can try things on - they must either do a lot of returns, which I doubt, or sell a lot of clothes that never get worn by the purchasers.
Anyway, then we went to John Lewis (think Kirks) and I got to hang out in their knitting section which was. *cries* So much Rowan I nearly burst into tears right then (because of course I can't AFFORD Rowan.) I also got to fondle Debbie Bliss pure silk which felt... gah.... so so so so so amazing. I see that it has mixed reviews on Rav and I should imagine any plain silk yarn would be difficult to work with (plus, expensive, about 7 pounds for a 50g skein - this might not be soooo bad in the UK, as I have noticed that a pound spends about like $1.50 at home, but in NZ money that's $21 for a 50g skein which would make, like, $80 or $100 scarves.) However it felt SO FREAKIN AMAZING in the skein. Fingerfood.
I did spend a little money there: tapestry needles (I know, so exotic!) and a Rowan pattern book which was only like 7 pounds (which makes it reasonably priced even with the conversion) which has four or five patterns that I want to knit RIGHT. NOW. and several others that I like although probably wouldn't wear. here we go, this is the one. this one has all the patterns although smaller pix. I am absolutely IN. LOVE. with St Moritz, I like Innsbruck, I think Chamonix is gorgeous though I would never knit a sweater that short in the body, and I am definitely going to knit Grenoble when I get home. Of course most of the patterns are in aran weight (and not one in DK, AFAI can tell) which... nngh, makes me crazy, because aran is difficult to get here (and of course I'm going to substitute yarns because I can't afford $200 for a jersey, how about you?) and our shelves are FLOODED with DK.
ETA: also, I'm pretty hilariously amused by the way the Rowan book insists that its sizes are consistent with commercial sizing. I'm pretty sure that's not true, since I have a 42-inch bust and I usually wear 14 or 12 (although admittedly I miss out on some items because my bust is too big in a 4, but the 16 is otherwise swimming on me.) Still and all: the size they recommend for a 42-in bust is 18. Just sayin'.
That is more or less everything I did yesterday. Gotta be more interesting today.
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no subject
Date: 2009-06-16 04:17 pm (UTC)John Lewis is the best department store ever. Oh god I miss it so much I might want to cry.
But yes, there are more exciting things than the shops, so get out and do them!
no subject
Date: 2009-06-16 05:15 pm (UTC)I never actually noticed the lack of changing rooms. All I ever bought there were t-shirts and jackets, and if it's XL, it'll fit me just fine.
no subject
Date: 2009-06-17 09:29 am (UTC)and yeah, sizing is whack, yo.
no subject
Date: 2009-06-18 10:35 am (UTC)London knitters and crafters PSA: Get thee to the Liberty Sale. Half price bags and individual balls of lots of nice Rowan stuff and some stunning fabric remnants.
So, just FYI (might be too late now of course, as I'm not here very often).
Sounds like you're having a blast!
no subject
Date: 2009-06-18 10:42 am (UTC)