Above, for want of anything else to take a picture of, is a picture of the chest in which the Calcutta Cup shawl normally lives (with the matching Christening gown and a white silk scarf the Dalai Lama gave James). Not only did I have to move all those books and papers to get it open-- when that's done, there's an extremely heavy sheet of plate glass, there to protect the marquetry, which also has to be moved.

The shawl looks somewhat yellowed, but it always was slightly like that and perhaps it just seems yellower than it did, in contrast to the Princess shawl yarn.

I didn't get the income tax papers moved, but I will have to do that willy nilly before we leave, as they are obstructing the spare room and Helen and her family (currently in Strathardle) will spend a night here while we are away. Her husband arrived from Thessaloniki yesterday. We had a pleasant 20 minutes with him before he caught the train north.

I did order the Bavarian Travelling Stitch books -- Meg didn't seem to have them, so they're coming from the Needle Arts Bookshop which I am glad to be in touch with.

And what should surprise and delight me by turning up, but the fall VK! When I used to read the Knitlist, I would know often weeks in advance that a new magazine was out, and on its way. Now it comes as a delicious surprise. This is clearly a rich issue, although I wonder if there's going to be anything there for me when all is sifted. There's a last pattern (a shawl) from Barbara Venishnik, with a nice tribute to her. But I don't like the shawl much. I was briefly struck by the Koigu medallion skirt -- Helen Ogden? No, I would be nuts to attempt it and I doubt if she'd like it.

I got a full repeat of the shawl edging done, so #49 is nearly finished; and the purl bump line is in place on the Wallaby.