I finished Thomas the Elder's socks. There they are. Maybe I'll even get 'em wrapped up for posting today.

London

I have been deeply touched to learn that people did look here on Thursday, to see if I had posted something right away, about the bombs. And pleased, too, to know that people agree with me about Bush's behaviour on 9/11. I don't think I had ever read any criticism of it, and I don't think -- or was I dozing? -- that there was any reference to it in the film Farenheit 9/11, after the famous shots of him reading a story about a goat to some schoolchildren as he got the news. That could have happened to anyone. Many thanks to all who wrote.

At the risk of conducting an egg-sucking class for a group of very knowledgable grandmothers, I'll add a word more about the song "Jerusalem" which I mentioned yesterday. It is Blake's famous and rather nutty poem, set to music by I know not whom. That's the poem with the lines about building Jerusalem "in England's green and pleasant land" -- the source, surely, of that phrase. It is much sung at schools at the end of term, and perhaps on no other occasions. Certainly the only times I have ever sung it were at my children's schools. That's what Hellie and her mates at Streatham High School for Girls belted out on Thursday morning, after they had been told what was happening, and why there would be no Leavers' Ball or Prize-Giving.

It must be nice for Prince Charles to have a wife he can take about him at last (they visitied hospitals yesterday) -- and one who won't devote the occasion to seeking the best camera angle for herself.

Our corner grocer, Mr Murtaza, says that someone -- an apparently respectable customer -- shouted abuse at him yesterday, you-people-should-all-go-back-where-you-came-from, sort of thing. Mr. Murtaza was born in Edinburgh. He said it had never happened to him before. I was touched that he told me.

Knitting

The Princess Shawl edging has reached repeat #22 -- a quarter done. I happened to glance at the picture at the beginning of the pattern again yesterday, and realised that 1/4 of the edging, although a start, is only that. There is a long way to go. The first striped Koigu sleeve is rattling along, too.

Mary Morrison (http://morcatknits.typepad.com/) has an interesting list of her nine favourite knitting designers in her Blog this morning. I agree with most, haven't heard of one or two. Who would I add? Candace Strick, Elizabeth Lavold, Shirley Paden, the late lamented Barbara Venishnick. Of those four, I have only actually knit a Strick.