I didn't go to Ladyfest

The title is not strictly true as we did go to Ladyfest. Jen and I got on the wrong bus so had a bit of a walk to find the Zion Centre. When we got there the lady on the door said £14 and we thought that was for both of us. It turns out that it was £14 each despite the flyer saying tickets from £5. Apparently that price was for the whole day from 12 pm until whenever and including the price of watching the bands. Jen and I had only gone down for the craft workshops and only wanted to spend a couple of hours there so we decided that it was far too much to pay just to go in for a couple of hours.

I felt rather embarrassed as I had told all the ladies from the Knitty Noras about the event. I am glad now that only Jen decided to come with me otherwise there would have been even more disappointed people. £14 would have meant that I couldn't have bought anything from the stalls. I only have so much money to spend on myself and I have been out rather a lot lately. Sylvia and Kath were thinking of going tomorrow but when Sylvia rang the Zion centre to enquire how much it is she was told it's £14 for tomorrow as well even though the venue closes at 5pm. They have decided not to go either. I will read flyers more carefully in future and be wary of passing any information on to other people without knowing the true situation. I felt bad enough getting Jen all excited about a craft fair and dragging her all the way from Bolton as it is.

We spent a happy hour having a chin wag in Piccadilly Gardens listening to a rather good street musician for free and eating our bargain sandwiches, crisps and a drink on offer for £3.50p from Sainsbury's. We went up to Abakhan on Oldham Street but I was very restrained and didn't buy anything. Jen bought some fleece to make some fabric mittens for Christmas presents.

We walked back to Victoria station and fought our way through droves of Mosher kids all around Urbis. I am so glad my son has grown up and doesn't walk about with his pants under his bum and all of next week's washing on display. The kids look like film extras from some very bad B horror movie. I am all for kids expressing themselves but red eyeshadow all around the eyesockets, green lipstick and black dyed spiky hair with a star tattoo on the shaven bit was all rather too much for me. How does his mother explain his looks to the neighbours? How do their trousers stay suspended in mid air without falling off their boney little backsides I do not know. Blu-Tack?

Not much progress on the aran and the socks. I told you that I slow down to a crawl with knitting. The aran curls up at the sides as I am knitting it so it looks rather long and skinny at the moment but I have measured it and it will block out to the right size. I am debating about the fronts though as they have the ribbing knitted along and I always think that makes the front hang down loose. I will either knit the ribbing along but on a smaller sized sock needle or leave the stitches at the bottom edge on a pin and knit the ribbing separately.

I didn't sleep at all last night so no doubt I will nod off in front of the TV tonight and so not much knitting will be done once again.