I finished the border pattern of the Mourning Shawl, and have done the first of the four transitional rounds. I have also made a good start, in Stitch and Motif Maker, on charting “MCRM”. In fact, if I can figure out how to duplicate the “M”, I’ve nearly finished.

The picture shows a non-Fleegle corner, marked by a curtain ring, and is as usual far too pink.

Very exciting.

iPad

And I had another good day with my iPad. James has found me an app for banking on-line with the RBS, which I normally do from my desktop. I’ve secured the app, and when I feel strong enough will try to figure out how to introduce myself to the bank.

Mostly I just peacefully read Ruth Rendell, which is a very good way to come to love and trust the machine. I have discovered the Kindle “Home” button, thanks in part to your tip yesterday, Tricia. It appears briefly when I first start reading, but it can be persuaded back, as you say, by tapping the screen with two fingers. And there is Julian Barnes, waiting to be read next!

Thank you for another day of helpful tips. I’m not going to bother connecting iPad to camera, for the time being at least, since an extra gadget is involved. But I’m glad to know how.

Yesterday I happened to hear a Radio 4 programme with Ruth Rendell herself, talking about the very book I’m reading. Her voice sounds old. The programme went on to talk about Ira Levin. (My mother was slightly acquainted with him in the 50’s or some such decade, in her thriller-writer capacity. I’ve forgotten what the connection was.) I have read, and I think re-read, and hugely admire “A Kiss Before Dying” and “Rosemary’s Baby”. I have seen – alas, only on a small screen – “Stepford Wives”. What I didn’t know was that that, too, was an Ira Levin novel.

Off I went to the Amazon Kindle store – where I found it for 99 pence. Less than you’d pay from a table outside a second-hand bookseller. So I bought it.

This could get addictive. My excuse is that Waterstone’s has shut their local branch, where I used often to drop in and buy unnecessary books. There are still two branches in Edinburgh, but they’re not in dropping-in-range for me. Expenditure on unnecessary books has fallen dramatically – until this week.

Back to knitting

Thomas-the-Elder is not going to be at the Games next weekend, alas! Not only will we be deprived of his company, but I can’t measure him for his electric red sweater – Jared’s Brownstone. If he is not careful, he will lose his place at the head of the HALFPINT queue.

Fizz, thank you for the link to the Glasgow knit-thing. I didn’t know about it, and there are some interesting classes on offer. It might just be possible for me, if Alexander and Ketki could be lured away from Loch Fyne to their Glasgow base to look after my husband. There is usually art of some sort for him to see in Glasgow.