Here's your room and here's your records

Today, I am continuing with the epic work that is trying to get my room in order. As a result, I have nothing interesting to say.

However, I have just discovered that cardomom bisuits and honey go remarkably well together.

I'm also having one of those days of staring in dissatisfaction at my CDs and being unsure what to listen to. If anyone would like to comment and suggest good music-to-tidy-your-room-to, I'd be most grateful and will play it if I have it. I'll rate any suggestions by the amount of progress made during the song/album :)

Pure new wool and perfect stitches

I've just excavated the box on top of the wardrobe in which Eyeore, Bagpuss, Bartholomew Flockless and a gorilla whose antecedents I don't currently remember live.The poor dears were very dusty, so I've just been standing in the garden smacking Eyeore on the arse. I don't know how I'm going to live with myself for the rest of the day.

However, also in the box was a problem which has been in search of a solution for some years. My New Model Army jumper.

While a student, I persuaded the lady who knitted the jumpers which used to be sold in The Celtic Shop to knit me a black jersey with the red-and-white knot from the front of Thunder and Consolation on it. Apparently this was something of a challenge, because when knitting on a machine it isn't usual to put more than two colours on one row - several people had told me it couldn't be done.

She measured me, and asked me how long the jumper should be. I gestured to somewhere just below the hips. And here came the problem of poor specification: to me, it was obvious that a jumper of that length would be big and baggy. She, however, had been planning a reasonably fitted jumper, and just extended it.

Gravity did its work once I started wearing the jumper, and I now have a close fitting jumper which is nearly down to my knees. If you can't imagine that - well, it looks, frankly, ridiculous. Before you ask yes, I have considered wearing it as a dress; I feel that would look even more ridiculolus.

I've tried washing it and drying it in such a way that it ought to stretch horizontally - but it just doesn't make enough difference. Maybe I should find a fat bastard and ask them to wear it for a week or two :)

Ideally, I'd like to make it wider, and shorter. I'm not sure that it's at all possible to shorten jumpers. Or how to stretch them effectively.

Any (sensible) suggestions gratefully appreciated.