Half-way through stripe three, of six. I’ve reached the point where it gets boring – I’ve done it, so to speak. Now it remains but to grit my teeth and go on doing it. One substantial consolation is that very soon, I will actually finish a ball of yarn. That happened often during the knitting of the Grandson Sweater, and I think I finished some red in the construction of the ear-flap hat for Beijing (which still hasn’t turned up there). Otherwise, not. No wonder the stash stays the same size.

And if I go on from here to Kaffe, the same situation will prevail.

And, Jean, yes, it’s going to be a bitch to block. My hope is that with a pin in each of the external points, and the whole thing stretched, the internal points won’t need individual attention, I can dream. It’s not terribly complicated, catdownunder. Feather and fan stripes, with the ingenious twist of semi-detachment.

And, yes, Mary, I’m afraid the doorstep was wet when I took yesterday’s picture. It wasn’t actually raining at the time, and the moment was brief. I don’t think any harm was done.

Non-knit

We sat down yesterday to face the question of going to London – my husband remains keen, although I’m not at all sure he’s up to it. He’s very short of breath, these days. I’ve been sort of dragging my feet and preferring to talk about something else – I don’t like leaving my vegetables this time of year, anyway.

However, he is determined. And when we sat down with the list of London exhibitions, and had nearly decided to go in June which might never happen, he kept sighing for the Gorky expo at Tatmo which goes off soon – so we’re going this week. Rachel, unfortunately, has room for us, in her household which involves much coming-and-going. I’ll go up to the station this afternoon and negotiate tickets.

I will try to fit in a day trip to Strathardle, all by myself, in advance of this. A couple of hours in reasonable weather (which we’re more or less having) should let me water in the nematodes – they expire on May 10 – and plant some or all of the remaining potatoes and perhaps a few seeds. So if I’m suddenly not here for a day, that’s where I am.

London should let me finish off Ketki’s socks and start another pair – some relatively boring ones for my husband next, I think, to make the KF yarn last longer. I noticed the last time I wandered around the yarn dep’t in John Lewis that they didn’t seem to have it any more, and tried to suppress a feeling of panic.

And Rachel has Free Cell on her computer.