Knitting

Half-way through repeat #34 of the Princess Shawl edging. Complete mastery of the pattern is within my grasp, I feel. It's a 20-row-er, Rows 17 through 5 are easy-peasy now. That's nearly half. Rows 11 and 14 are both pretty easy, and the others are really beginning to fall into place. I'm even getting the slightest twinges of anxiety about the yarn -- Sharon Miller mostly kindly sent me a ball of her new gossamer (an apt description) yarn when she learned from a post of mine to the Heirloom Knitting group that I was attempting the shawl in a heavier yarn. The gossamer yarn is perfect, and I'm delighted with it -- but it's not on sale yet. What if I run out? Poor Sharon is having her Kitchen Done (an affliction that has struck a lot of people I know lately) -- that may be slowing things down. This is a needless anxiety. I've got plenty of yarn, and this sort of silly knitting will slow down dramatically from tomorrow, when Helen arrives from Thessaloniki late at night with three cross boys, and the summer truly begins.

The striped Koigu should have its second sleeve attached today, and thus be worth a picture tomorrow. Meanwhile, what you see above is a somewhat off-centre picture of my new saucepan. I love saucepans, but haven't got room in my unreclaimed kitchen to indulge my passion often. This one was on sale in Jenner's yesterday. I haven't cooked anything in it yet.

Blogging

I've added Today in Iraq http://dailywarnews.blogspot.com/ to my Favourites list. It really seems to be updated daily. I also like Baghdad Burning (http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/) which seems to be a genuine diary-type Blog from Baghdad -- but she doesn't write very often. On a lighter note, You Knit What?? (http://youknitwhat.blogspot.com/) keeps up a remarkable standard.