I feel sort of mean, going on with boring pictures when so much of interest happened last week, but tradition is tradition. Above you see the latest state of Rachel's striped Koigu -- there are a couple more inches on that sleeve than there were the last time you saw it, honest.

The potatoes pictured are not the ones that won second prize in the Three Potatoes class in the Home Industries tent at the Strathardle Highland Gathering. I didn't photograph them on the show bench for some reason, and by now we've eaten them. The ones you see are the runners-up from the time when I was sorting through the crop looking for three relatively unblemished potatoes of uniform size. They are genuine Picasso's, I might add.

Knitting

I did a full repeat of the Princess Shawl edging yesterday -- 65 done, 20 to go. I made a couple of small mistakes, more wounding to the old pride than visible in the result. I did most of the knitting in the evening with a televisual background. Today, I'll try to pinch more time from what should be the productive morning hours. Productive of other than knitting, I mean.

The pouch is half-fused to the body of the Wallaby, all the tedious counting done. We'll soon see if done correctly.

I looked out some Koigu for a Baby Surprise. It's rather garish, all the more tasteful shades being in Strathardle for incorporation into the sweater pictured above. Never mind -- a November baby needs things to be bright and cheerful. And I've retrieved the tattered pattern -- I'll have to copy it today; it's far too precious to take to a venue as flaky as a hospital. And I'll also have to cast on and knit a row or two.

The pattern is a mimeographed sheet I sent for from the Sunday Times, 19 years ago. I think the article they printed was the first time I had heard of EZ. They offered an adult version, and I cannot imagine why I didn't send for that as well. I now have the original Adult Surprise pattern -- but I wonder whether the Sunday Times version may not have been slightly different.

Because the Baby Surprise is a variation on the original, being double-breasted. I have knit the original once in the intervening years, but I prefer the double-breasted version, which I have knit many times. The tattered sheet is inscribed with the Pregnancy Code Names of many a grandchild, beginning with "Bernadette Ogden", now known as Hellie and about to go off to Newcastle University.

The double-breasted version isn't quite perfect, as the original is. When buttoned, the sides pull forward a bit. But one doesn't notice that at all with a small plump person inside. I suggested to Meg once that this version might be re-printed in Woolgathering, but when I sent her the pattern and the Sunday Times article she worried that the alteration meant that she would be violating another designer's copyright. A pity.

Life

I can't get any e-mail this morning, or late last night. I can cruise the internet fine. I'm now old enough and calm enough to believe that this is because Demon is having trouble with it's SMTP server and that all will soon be well, but I feel dreadfully cut off from the world. Judith, thank you for your comment.