I’ve suddenly run out of things to say.

Will the knitting belt arrive today? There are four more skeins to wind for the Milano, and I had best press on remorselessly until all are incorporated in the garment. Once a colour is in its place for the first time, it can be identified from the Stripe Sequence in the pattern – “curry” distinguished from “Dijon”, “buff” from “sand”, for instance. While still in the skein, they have their names on the band. But in between, they are just balls of yarn in my untidy sitting room so I am deliberately not getting too far ahead of myself, winding-wise.

n      The Norwegians, that mysterious race, have started screening  “slow TV” – a cross-country train journey, lasting for hours; the construction and lighting of a log fire, lasting even longer. Now we are promised an evening of people knitting. So far, other nations do not seem to be joining a bidding war to show these programmes, but knitting may provide the break-through.

n      Stashdragon (comment yesterday), a remarkable example of  what we were talking about, the freedom of traditional knitters who know their materials and their limitations, is the work of Marta Stina Abrahamsdotter, a 19^th century Swedish pauper. Her work is now in museums. I found it in Britt-Marie Christoffersson’s book “Swedish Sweaters”. That book is high on my very select list: Books I Own That I Have Never Knit From but Mean To One Day Real Soon.

n      Else (comment yesterday), I tried to teach myself English Parlor Style knitting 60 years ago – it is said to be very effective in showing off pretty hands, not that I had any. But I couldn’t do it. I am anxious, on that account, as to whether I’ll be able to master knitting with the belt.

n      I mustn’t forget that there’s a fiddly, silly, secret thing to be knit for Christmas. I'd better tackle it soon.

 Non-knit

My husband is doing better with his modern computer, although he still hates it. I have forgotten which of you it was who taught me about Ctrl-Z. I hope you’re still reading, and will recognise yourself with a glow of satisfaction. That one has got us out of a couple of nasty holes in the last couple of days. And I think my husband has taken on board my warning that the Ctrl key is dangerously near the Shift key. He has stopped (for the moment) suggesting that we get a Man In To Explain It All. That’s progress.