Hacked off

I made a bold decision. I'd bought two polo/roll-neck cashmere jumpers a couple of years ago but didn't wear them as much as I would have liked. They felt luxuriously soft, fitted beautifully and I liked the colours as much as they day I bought them. Trouble was, they irritated my neck.

I realised I'd stopped wearing them completely, precisely because I couldn't pretend they were comfortable anymore. What to do? Put them in the charity bin or hack the necks off and possibly, even probably, completely ruin them. Out came the scissors.

I've now worn both these jumpers twice and, to my great surprise, the ribs haven't run at all. I've given the necklines a tentative rub to see how much they'd take before they begin to unravel. So far, nothing. Best of all, unless you knew you wouldn't think either of them had been attacked with scissors.

I'm feeling happy that my wardrobe options have suddenly expanded without spending a cent. Admittedly, the jumpers haven't been put through the wash test yet but I'm feeling confident.

NB: While I mostly love the solitude of working from home, it can, on occasion be a bit lonely. Yesterday, thanks to your lovely messages, wasn't one of those days. And Stephie, if you're reading this, a really big thank you for the Ripley imagery. Much more me than Sarah Palin. x