I've reached (just) round 94 of the borders of the Unst Bridal Shawl. 93 was a slow one – no fewer than 6 k3togs in every 36-stitch repeat. My ambition for the day was just to get around, and I did. There will probably be even less knitting today – one event per day is about all we can handle (and that, not too often). Today we've got two, a dr's appt for my husband and the visit of old friends at the end of the afternoon.

I went back to the Awful Library Books site – link yesterday – and left a comment in defence of “Royal Knits”. I would be delighted to find it on the knitting shelf of any library, and said so. I agree with them that one volume of an encyclopedia (another entry, above Royal Knits) is not much use, but am taken aback that they seem to think that an out-of-date encyclopedia is useless per se.

Jared has been publishing interviews with the designers in his latest collection, most recently Kyoko Nakayoshi. And I must say if I weren't totally obsessed with Shetland lace, her drapy cardigan would be high on my wish list. (Knitting seems to be drapy everywhere at the moment – I was riding the crest of a wave without knowing it, when I knit those three Relax's.)

And Joe is off to the annual Men's Knitting Retreat, an event I always enjoy vicariously. He has promised to blog every day – and he takes good pictures.

Non-knit

“Eeny Meeny” seems to have sunk slightly in the Amazon listings overnight, despite your purchase, Shandy. Thanks for that. (Follow the link, if you've got a moment. Shandy is always worth reading – and looking at.) No, I don't remember the character named Hellie! I will make enquiries. I thought the author was particularly good at handling a large cast without creating confusion. I am much prone to losing my footing and having to double back to remind myself who someone is, but it didn't happen in that book.

Lizzie has finished classes and exams at KU and is about to leave forever, first on a westward tour to take in Las Vegas and San Francisco, then home to South London. She has made good use of her year. To mark the departure, she staged a mock graduation with her friend Logan, who is also leaving, and may be surprised to find himself featuring in an Edinburgh-based knitting blog.. Another friend contributed a mortarboard. They walked under the bell tower and down to the football stadium, which is what one does at KU on one's graduation day. I feel my old eyes misting with tears.