E.R.M.....

Ever have one of those days? You leave your knitting at home because there's only a few rows to go and then you get to the train and discover that you've forgotten to bring anything to read - even my back copies of "The Big Issue" only last me half-way into the train ride. When this happens I dash into the closest place I can find that sells E.R.M. (Emergency Reading Matter) and pick up something. These are usually remainders (that's book trade lingo for "didn't sell well", or just plain "printed too many"). One can't hope for much with E.R.M., and it does require you to choose carefully. I had an E.R.M. situation this week. I survived the trip into work, but on the way home, stopped at the little newsagent inside Flagstaff to grab something from their bargain range. I really didn't hope for much and there wasn't much of a selection, but it was an emergency (I'd sooner give up chocolate than reading!). I didn't hold out much hope for the book I chose, especially with phrases like "intensive hours of whining" and "Big Kahuna" on the first page. And it was a moderately futuristic story about robots gone wild in a futuristic themepark - a'la Westworld. But I was hooked before I even got on the train. And just because you'll ask - the book is Utopia.

In other, knitting, news - The not-so-secret present (a) - Father's Day scarf is finished and ends darned in.
All rolled up:

And a close-up of the ribbing, and stretched ribbing.