Yesterday was spent seeking out the photo opportunities. I had a bit of a problem with the camera on Monday night, which was stressing me out. It decided that it wanted to take bracketed photos for me, and it was overexposing all of them by two stops at least. (That is camera geek speak for the fact that everything was coming out dark.) Yesterday morning, before I headed out, I poked around the menus and found the reset to default option. Completely saved the day!
I went back to the other side of the South bank for photographs of Parliament, then off past the London Eye to Jubilee Gardens. I had waited until the rain passed to go out, so the weather was great and I found an empty bench to sit and knit on. It raised eyebrows from a few people as they passed, and I think that some women stopped to listen to the man playing the guitar behind me as their cover to check out what I was knitting. I made some progress on the sock, only to discover later that it is too big. Oops. The 60 stitch version was too small, the 70 stitch version was too big, so hopefully the third start of the 64 stitch version will be just right!
After awhile, I headed off across Hungerford bridge to walk to Piccadilly Circus. I stopped in Trafalger Square to sit at the steps in front of the National Gallery and knit for awhile. Then, after taking some more pictures, I went on to Piccadilly to try to find new Birkenstocks at Lillywhite’s. Unfortunately, they didn’t have any there. I stopped to knit at the Eros Fountain, sitting next to a woman with a very tall mohawk. That takes all of the attention away from a woman sitting and knitting in public. Then it was just a quick hop on the tube, a trip over to Covent Garden, and I found a new pair – identical to my old ones from my last trip to London that I have worn out – at the Birkenstock store in Covent Garden. Then the rain began.
I took the tube to meet up with Ann at the British Library. We explored for a bit there and then took the bus over to Loop in Islington. Two skeins of Colinette Prism in Slate forced themselves to go home with me. I tried to resist, but it was pointless. I adore the colors and plan to make a seed stitch scarf out of it. Then we joined the ladies at The New Rose Pub for Angel Knits. Knitting. At a pub. What fun! I sat next to a nice lady (who I didn’t introduce myself to – I was so out of it after all the rain!) and she knit English (throwing) faster than anyone I have ever seen. I was fascinated, just watching her knit! I also got to meet the delightful and amusing Nikki and her GIANT knitting needles. I believe she said they are 25mm? All I know is that my teeny tiny size US 000 needles were shocked.
After a bit of time at the pub we headed over to Pizza Express to eat and chat and chat and eat, then it was off to the tube to head back to the hotel. I’m so proud of myself and my 3 tube journeys on my own – I can do it! Last time I was here, Mike guided me on the tube, so I didn’t have to learn to navigate it. I was a bit nervous at first yesterday, but the signs are wonderful and so easy to understand. And I still have my magic touch – every time I walked up to a platform, even when I had to switch lines, a train was there within a minute or two. I don’t understand my luck, but I won’t question it!
Do not mess with the knitters in the corner at the pub. They have pointy sticks.
