FO, FO, it's off to work (on more knitting) we go

To those who are uninitiated into the arcane vocabulary of knitters, that's "finished object", not "go forth and multiply".

For behold, not one but two completed knitted items! That's frankly astonishing for me, explained only by the fact that they both had deadlines.

First up, a ribbed beanie hat for my colleague to wear to watch her beloved Manchester United. I don't do football (that's "soccer", international types) but we found common ground over my ability to whip up a hat in team colours. The yarn is Rowan Cashsoft Aran and it's a 4x2 rib on 5mm circulars, knitted long so as to give a fold-up cuff to keep her ears warm on the terraces. Man U colours are black and red, and this is the most vivid red I've knitted with - not fire engine, not pillarbox, but the clearer, brighter red of traffic lights and warning signs. Not a hint of blue or orange undertones, it really is a true red. Not my colour at all, but football's not known for its subtle use of colours (and in fact Man U did badly when they tried being subtle for their strip).

Next, a pair of Fetching for my friend Abi's birthday (last week but not seeing her until this week gave me extra finishing time). These are in teal-blue Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran, pretty much the same yarn as the Rowan (the Rowan has immaterially more merino and less cashmere in the mix), both pleasant to work with but inclined to pill. I'm not overly keen on the flaring of the picot edge (my previous Fetchings were modded to add fingers) but I do appreciate how it flows from the ribbing. I did add another row as the original pattern gives very short gloves which don't even meet my knuckles.

I had to go to John Lewis this evening (honest, yer 'onour, I had to go to pick up some yarn requested by my mother) and, erm, "accidentally" ended up, well, buying more yarn. I just can't help it. It was mainly Mirasol Peru yarns which are too lovely to ignore. I picked up some more Miski, the loosely-plied pure baby llama yarn, as the heatheredness of the lilac and purple colourways pleased me greatly. I also just could not leave the burgundy Sulka, an alpaca/silk/merino blend, wonderfully soft. Again, the depth of colour is incredible, with such subtle variations in the fibres. When I have my alpaca farm, this is exactly what I will want to learn to spin.

I took the opportunity to check out the much advertised new food hall in the basement, as I have a passion for posh food halls. I was distinctly underwhelmed. Most of the produce is Waitrose-branded, and whilst I am fond of Waitrose food, it hardly holds up against the likes of Selfridges, Harrods or Harvey Nicks. I wandered around in a desultory fashion, looking for tapenade (which is remarkably hard to find), but they didn't have any so I ended up buying artichoke hearts and chocolate-covered ginger biscuits. Then I found the dedicated cheese room, and horror of horrors, it was refrigerated! NO! Fridges kill cheese. I almost cried when I saw a noble vacherin, sat there spoiling in the cold, so chilly that even the cut edges remained perfectly vertical with no oozing whatsoever. By contrast, the vacherin in La Fromagerie has to be restrained using marble bars to stop it escaping all over the shop. The other cheeses didn't look too happy either. I shall not be going back.

Hmmm, what to cast on next to take my mind off the vacherin's pain? Branching Out for my grandma's Christmas present I think, in Debbie Bliss Pure Silk. Now, where's my swift...