I’m sure I had some left-over tidbits about Saturday’s book launch to tell you – but all I can remember now is that Tom and Bruce weren’t there. They had stayed home to get the books in the mail. And that Kate herself looked younger and fresher than when I saw her last, at the EYF.  I was puzzled, once, as to why there should be a download option included with an order for the physical book, but now I see: so that everybody could have it on the same day.

I am glad I wasn’t faced with the agonizing choice of whether to wait for the post or have just a peek at the download.

I think my choice for first-one-to-knit is certainly Lucy Hague’s Uncia. I have an especial bias towards patterns that begin “Cast on 5 stitches. Row 1: Knit all stitches.” (Although, of course, the attraction of the Uncia goes further than that.) TomofHolland’s pattern begins with a 172-stitch crochet chain from which 162 stitches are picked up. As a provisional cast-on, presumably. I would have to do it differently as I have yet to distinguish those “bumps on the rear of the chain” and have experienced the agony of getting it wrong.

I have given a bit more thought to my newly-projected pattern of life, namely knitting nothing but haps from now on. You’re absolutely right, Ron: not having to worry about fit is a big attraction. By “haps” I mean anything you can wrap yourself in, large or small. The Neap Tide shawl qualifies, and so do the other projects I have left from the EYF: Mary Lou’s Bidwell shawl, and “Cameo flower” from Knitty, and Carol Feller’s “Yorkshire Capelet” from IK.

In alternate weeks, I will knit shawls and scarves of fine lace.

I think there are four sweaters in my queue – I’m afraid to look, for fear I’ve forgotten one or two. That’s four sweaters for which the yarn has already been bought, as it has for the projects mentioned above. I’m counting the partly-knit half-brioche and the yarn my sister will bring any moment now for my husband’s basic v-neck, long-sleeved sweater, but not counting Alexander’s Fair Isle vest commemorating the Scotland’s next victory in the Calcutta Cup.

That’s not likely to be next year, as the match will be at Twickenham. Still, miracles sometimes happen.

Looking at the pictures in the new book, I began to wonder seriously about wearing a hap instead of a sweater. It would leave the arms free-er. It wouldn’t bulge embarrassingly over the bosom. One would need a good belt to tuck it into, but that shouldn’t be insuperably difficult to achieve.

I spent some time yesterday sorting and filing papers, in a vain search for last year’s MOT certificate. The car is going in for the new one on Tuesday, and if I can find the old one, they can run consecutively. Otherwise, I’ll lose 10 days or so. Well, that didn’t work – where on earth could it be? But I found Meg’s DVD on how to knit her Fair Isle vest. I didn’t have the slightest memory of acquiring that.

So all we need is the Calcutta Cup.