Brief today – I am going for a walk with our niece, C.’s eldest daughter, as we occasionally do. The weather outside the window at the moment is pretty dreadful, and the forecast for the rest of the day, horrendous. Especially as we plan to head south, towards Peebles.

But we are tough cookies, and it’s June for heaven’s sake, and I long for that delicious tiredness as opposed to the everyday drag.

I was still working Alexander’s second sock on two circulars yesterday, and found I had a different number of stitches on the two needles, and that the difference seemed to increase the more I tried to make modest adjustments, so I ripped it all out and started again. Started again twice, I think.

My final effort is brilliant, if I do say so. A lovely smooth band of knitting wraps the toe without a beginning or an end. Fleegle says the Turkish Cast-On is the one she always uses, and I can now see why. Once you’ve got it, it’s quick and easy, too. I must now move on to Judy’s Magic one, with Candace’ provisional-cast-on sock in the more distant future, but the Turkish Cast-On can join the Sweet Tomato and the Stong-Fleegle heels in the category of things-I’ve-learned-that-I-wouldn’t-mind-going-back-to.

Comments

China Doll, I phoned the contractor yesterday. He hasn’t yet had the all clear on Dryness from ChemDry. I’ll pursue the matter next week. I wonder if a water-proof layer would be possible? I will certainly ask. And as a fellow double-cataract-operation-experiencer, I sympathise. I have been near-sighted since childhood, and was very used to being able to take my glasses off and hold work up close and see it clear and enlarged. Doesn’t work, with plastic eyes.

Catdownunder, fancy there being anything at all to do in the garden at midwinter, which is where you must be! Thanks for your very kind remark about tidiness – my patch looks pretty awful to me.

Angel, in that brief period when we were considering leaving the old ceiling up and just re-papering it, Mr ChemDry came and said they deal with two or three Edinburgh ceilings a year which just suddenly descend – as your parents’ one did. And the reason is always a previous inundation, neglected. So we went ahead. I’m glad your parents are OK!

Snood Knitter (hi!), it’s funny how gardens differ. I put in some runner bean seeds to replace the plug plants which were delivered too early and promptly perished. They’re up, looking a bit chilly but untouched by the sinister slugs which have made off with smaller seedlings, lettuce predominantly. Whereas you’ve got courgettes – I assumed mine fell to cold, but slugs are also possible – but no runner beans.

And Knitlass, yes, it’s best to keep trying. I sowed some kailaan earlier this week, a miracle oriental veg with which I have completely failed two or three times. I thought it might like going in at midsummer. We’ll see.

Now I must press on – and this post is as long as usual, although link-less.