Friday, June 15, 2007

Rain and shine

We're having lots of rain and flash flooding at the moment - the train lines have all been screwed up today, so it's lucky I've got the car this week. We went out at dinnertime to the pub, with a colleague who's leaving, and sat outside in bright sunshine and blue skies. That was 90 minutes ago - now it's overcast again and raining!

The neon jumper of luridness is finished! I cast-off late last night. Alas, I still have more neon yarn to use up, thanks in no small part to Mandy :) I didn't think to bring it in today otherwise I could have sewn it up.

The lace now has three repeats - got a bit lost on one row and had to tink it, but to be fair I was chatting online with someone at the time. I even managed to pick up a dropped stitch (it was a yarnover two rows down, so not too hard!). I can see the pattern developing a lot better this time - it's really pretty! Mind you, Julie's Victorian Lace book makes it look like... well, stocking stitch! :) Something to aspire to, anyway.

After taking some advice from Jane at Shades of Cashmere, I made another attempt at a swatch, T5/5 in FNR. It snapped twice, luckily in such a way that I could pick it up and fix it. I guess I'm going to have to use it for something in stocking stitch instead. A bit disappointed - serves me right, though, for not buying the coned, oiled stuff because it wasn't as pretty. I wonder how easy it would be to "re-oil" the yarn? Hmmm.... I'm already running it over some wax, but that's not enough. It's actually 100% cashmere, so whatever I put on it, has to be hand-washable-out, if you know what I mean.

Outbid on something on Ebay - now, I don't mind being outbid, but when it's exactly £2 over my amount (and my amount included some pennies), I smell a rat. This is not the first time it's happened. I am confused and annoyed, esp. as, for the sake of that £2, I was the highest bidder. Reserve didn't get met, anyway. Oh well.

Additional: it's since been re-listed. I don't think I'll bother this time. I'd rather get what I want from a friend, than hang my hopes on an auction...

Note to Clarisse: I was using a sniping tool that bids in the last 10 seconds, that's why I smell a rat.

1 comment:

Clarisse said...

Hi Jane, There are these websites out there that are "auction sniper" services. I was having the same experience as you, only by pennies, and it was really getting to me. I actually stayed up all night on an item and it wasn't until the last minute of the bidding did the offender bid and snipe my auction. I was prepared and did some fast typing and won my item, but I had to pay twice what I was wanting to. Hasd I had more of a chance for fair one on one play I might have let it go. I suppose it falls under that "all is fair in love and war thing", but it sure takes the fun out of the auction. When at live auctions you get a chance to think about how high you are willing to go and make better choices instead of getting caught up in the gotta win no matter what attitude. I signed up for one of the sniper sites, but changed my mind. It just doesn't seem right to me.

Clarisse >^..^<
http://desertknit.blogspot.com