I’ve reached the little six-row pattern at the top of the second sleeve. Oh horror, horror.

That will still leave a few rows of facing to do, but there’s little doubt that one more session will finish it off. Pagoldh says to baste the sleeve in place, then mark its position, then remove it and proceed as EZ instructs. I do not see how this is physically possible. But I’m willing to try anything to delay the moment of cutting open the sleeve hole, so I’ll work on it a bit. And next will come your question, Else -- how to deal with the neckline? I don't know, is the answer at the moment; but that one worries me less.

But it’s ear-flap hat, today.

As the End Nears, I have been thrashing about with even more anxiety than usual, thinking about the future. Koigu, in particular. I spent some time yesterday with the Painter's Palette book, but nothing is jelling. Could I contrive vertical stripes, like ribbons? There’s a pattern for something like that, I think they call it a French blouse, in a very old Vogue Knitting Book which I may try to find today.

I think what I will actually do – maybe after turning the Grandson Sweater swatch into a hat, EZ-fashion – is swatch some brioche and maybe knit a sweater for a small boy.

But, Angel, I do particularly like the EZ jacket you mention. (Third pattern from the top – well worth looking at, if you don’t know it already.) I’ve been admiring it for some time – your comment has pushed me nearer the edge. I have some Araucania Multy (actually green) which might just stretch to it. It wants to be 6 sts to the inch. If I loosened it up a bit to get the gauge specified, namely 5 to the inch, it would, of course, go farther. Might try swatching that.

Judy Sumner’s sock book turned up yesterday. It’s great to hear from her, so to speak, and her enthusiasm for Japanese patterns has sent me back to my own little stock. There are indeed some wonderful things there. When Judy got the very books I have, she didn’t just say, oh, that’s nice, and put them on a shelf – she puzzled out how to work the patterns, and then used them for socks. She’s as old as I am, at least, and her eyes are no better.

I’ve signed up for a day of Japanese knitting with D*nna Dr*chanas in July at KnitCamp in Stirling. Has anyone else signed up? I’m a bit worried that I haven’t had anything from them on paper. The payment has appeared on my credit card statement all right. I’ve been following D*nna’s blog in recent months, and I am also worried that she never mentions Japanese knitting.

The things I’d like to try would need yarn purchases – solid colours in sufficient quantity, a recurring problem. But that’s no reason I can’t zero in or two or three particular stunners, add them to the HALFPINT list, do a bit of preliminary figuring-out.

JennyS, your comment yesterday deserves the Commenter’s Gold Medal for blistering speed. I had just posted, and had gone over to GoogleMail while gathering myself together to stand up and cross the square to buy the newspapers, when it appeared. I would very much like the Rorem lace alphabet sampler pattern. Do you have my address? Email for particulars, if not.

I don’t think Sunday without cider is going to be any worse than Sunday with.