Thank you for everybody’s kind messages yesterday. I’ve written to Mary Lou to take her up on the offer of getting a Holiday IK for me.

It feels as if all the Bloggers I read are going to converge on Rhinebeck this weekend. What the world is waiting for, is the second picture of Mel in his kilt – the first one is already available on his website. I am stunned with admiration at his courage in embarking on such a project. It is sort of like deciding to build your own cathedral. And it looks as if he’s succeeded.

I didn’t know that Bletchley Park is now a museum – thanks for that, Elizabeth. I think I’ve spotted some Xmas presents for grandsons in their shop. I’d love to see the real place.

And I love that Pirate Sweater, Knititch, as I am sure Carl will. When I used to read the Knitlist, I was saddened every year by the people – I’m sure they’re still there – who worked themselves into frenzies over Christmas knitting. That time of year is tough enough and stressful enough, for those of us north of the equator, without depriving ourselves of the comfort of knitting.

I often give knitting as presents. I have occasionally – daughter Rachel’s 40th, Sister Helen’s 70th – given special presents of knitting, starting them months and months in advance and finishing with weeks in hand. But mostly I just hand things over when they happen to be finished.

I floated happily on with the Earth Stripe Stole yesterday. It is ethereally light. When it’s finished, one is supposed to go all the way around with a row of single crochet. When I first read that, I thought, no thanks: what about attached i-cord? But now that I am involved with the project, I wonder if i-cord might not be too heavy. I may have to hunt out a crochet hook after all.