I am enormously grateful to Southern Gal and Holly for the time and trouble they took with my computing problems yesterday. I don't understand much of what was said, except for the kindness which shines through. I will certainly try the external hard drive with the new computer today, to make sure that the trouble doesn't lie there.

As for my dear old programs – re-install? You mean, from disks? In some cases, notably Quicken and Word Perfect, I know I don't have disks. They were downloads. In most of the others, I've probably lost them. It's been a long time. In the case of Quicken, it doesn't even seem possible to buy a new copy – Intuit abandoned GB a long time ago; eBay and Amazon offer endless American copies, nothing else. It would cost rather a lot, but I could get a new Lotus Organizer.

Google seems to offer two programs which claim to do the job of moving programs across (not just data) – Laplink and Zinstall. Laplink is cheaper, priced in pounds, and I have happy memories of using it for simpler tasks decades ago. It would cost less than getting a Man In -- unless it didn't work, in which case I would have the expense of the Man plus the cost of Laplink.

For the moment, I will do nothing except, I hope, for tidying up this desk and its immediate environs in case I wind up getting a Man In. I'll seek advice from Alexander and Ketki this weekend. They both know their way about computers, even though Alexander has gone over to the Dark Side (=uses a Mac).

Knitting (a much pleasanter subject)

I learned about herringbone stitch from Franklin on Craftsy yesterday, and have decided that I can go on to the next lesson without trying it out. If I ever want to use it, I can go back. Knitted-on edgings are much more my thing, and that's what comes next.

I've reached the shoulder shaping on the back of Milano/Relax3. It didn't even occur to me until I got there that the stripes will add an interesting new element to the short-row section. We shall see. I think the effect will be acceptable.

And I'm well along with the final rank of upside-down rams, on the Rams&Yowes blankie.

I had a considerable struggle wuth myself yesterday about that cabled cardigan (No. 22) in the new VK and the heavenly Poems Silk yarn it requires. I think November is my dangerous month for reckless stash enhancement. But I think I'm going to be able to hold out. Viewed in this mrning's cold light, the result is a bit too colourful for me, and risky to knit for someone else without prior approval.

That was an interesting remark of Barbara Walker's, in Meg's article in the new VK, about the difficulty of finishing: not in the sense we usually use the word, but simply getting things done. I know what she means, I used to have LOTS of WIPs, but I don't think things are quite as bad as she says, overall. Maybe we all get more sensible with age. Her own knitting career must be unique – starting so comparatively late, rising so high, abandoning the whole thing for other pursuits.

Non-knit

Thanks for the help with weaving rubber bands. The granddaughter in question is one of the ones in Beijing – I don't know her well. It sounds from your comments as if it might be prudent for me to think of something else for her.

One disk I think I do have is the one for the camera.Soon we'll have some pics beamed to you from the new computer.