November 29, 2005

12:13 a.m.

Hats

I accomplished knitting and reading on this, my last day off for a while. And made excellent lentil stew and homemade bread. In the slow cooker and the bread machine. While knitting and reading.

In the midst of a hat, I had to run out and look for a size 7 circular needle in 16" length. These are rarely sold in Connecticut and, indeed, the store I chose didn't have any shorter than 29". Peeved, I bought a twenty-nine incher and proceeded to take it home and cut a section out of the middle and glue it together with Automotive Goop. It dries like hard plastic overnight. I expect tomorrow I'll have my size 7, roughly 20" circular needle.

Incidentally, everyone should have a tube of Automotive Goop in the tool box. I've repaired a washing machine with it, given sneakers a new lease on life, and fixed any number of other things. Very handy.

The Goop idea came after the Melting the Two Ends Together over a Candle idea proved fruitless. I remembered that, as a kid, we always had that slippery nylon string around, and after knotting it, it was necessary to melt the ends together so it wouldn't slip apart again. I imagined I could do the same with the flexible plastic middle of the needle. But the two ends wouldn't stick together; they just turned black and balled up individually. That's when I resorted to Goop.

While that was drying I had to find another knitting project, so began on mittens. I have one mitten almost done. I'd sit and finish it except that it's almost 12:30 and I have to take my car to the shop tomorrow morning, and take laundry to Rose's. So must go to bed. I have to confess to a bit of tiara envy, what with all this sparkly headgear flying among D'landers. Perhaps that explains the sudden urge to make hats. Celebrate the head, I say.

But for now, celebrate the bed.