The picture above shows my progress with the ribbing of the newly-commenced Koigu sweater for daughter Rachel. I'm nearly finished with that bit, and on our next visit the fun will start. On his visit last week, James was wearing the prototype. It was interesting to observe from the actual sweater (as I had noticed in photographs of it) that the coloured stripes appear to be wider than the black ones, although each is in fact five rows.

I had a nice message from Serena about the problems of Listmom'ery. I wrote a substantial reply without realising that her message had arrived as one of those anonymous comments that I can't reply to. If you'll write to me at jean@jeanmile.demon.co.uk I'll dig my reply out and send it again, Serena.

I decided yesterday that I have reached the armpits of the Fair Isle jacket -- 17". Even though the gussets only have 21 stitches instead of the 25 I was aiming at. So I put the gussets on stitch holders and cast on steeks above them, and now, alas, I am honour bound to do as promised and turn my sttention back to the blasted ribwarmer with its too-tight edging. It won't take long. Let's get it done.

I wrote the following paragraphs last night. I think I'll leave the tenses unchanged. Think "Saturday":

The sock needles I ordered from Queer Joe a week ago astonished me by turning up today. No customs duty, either. I am delighted with them. I sat down straight away and knit the current travel-sock (destined for grandson Thomas the Elder) onto the new needles. Later in the day, this year's international rugby season began. The opening day proved very exciting, and no knitting was possible except the simplest sock, so the new needles got a good workout. They are made of an Indian wood called "surina", according to Queer Joe. He says they are less brittle than the Brittany birches which have been my favourites up until now, and I can believe it. They are sharper than the Brittany's, too. And a wonderful, soothing colour. http://www.queerjoe.blogspot.com/ -- click on Doublepointed. Highly recommended.

[There are Six Nations in international rugby-- England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, Wales, to list them in alphabetical order. Everybody plays everybody and the best team is declared the winner, but there are various frissons along the way. Each of the other five, for instance, are especially pleased when they or anyone else beats England, because England are so good. Italy has never done it. Wales did it today. We in Scotland cheer for France, in honour of the Auld Alliance, except when they are actually playing us, as they were today. They won, alas -- but it was a thriller. Scotland are universally agreed to be rubbish, down there with Italy; France were last year's winners. The match was in Paris -- playing at home is worth at least one extra man on the field. We were ahead until the last 15 minutes.]