Here we are – the shortest day! We made it! Happy Winter Solstice to all northern hemisphere readers, and sympathy for those down under. I think this would be a good point for a seasonal pause in blogging, perhaps to resume on Tuesday or Wednesday next week, in time for the New Year.

My sister wrote a Suess-like poem recently about a local (to Old Saybrook) beloved wooded spot which was scheduled to be developed into a golf course. I have (I am ashamed to say) forgotten the details of the story. The collapse of Lehman Bros comes into it, and the land is now, I believe, owned by a local trust and safe for trees and dog-walking at least for the time being.

Rachel Miles, James' and Cathy's daughter, has illustrated the poem and designed the book. My sister sent these pictures yesterday. I think it is sensationally good.

My sister and her husband are coming for a visit in the spring, when they will deliver a hard copy.

Knitting

I went back to that hole – between the edging and the border of the Unst Bridal Shawl – armed with my own logic in yesterday's blog: and sure enough, dropped stitches! Four of them! They didn't include the crucial k2tog that joins edging to shawl – that one, if dropped, unzips very promptly. They were simply border stitches which must have flown off the needle unnoticed when I turned at the end of an incoming row. They were sitting there quietly (biding their time?), showing no eagerness to escape. I have secured them with a safety pin. The hole will eventually be easily repaired with a needle.

Still no red madelinetosh, although it was said to have been posted from London on Tuesday, first class. I had a word with the postie yesterday – she is used to conversations with me about consignments of yarn. She says it'll turn up, and it probably will. And anyway, we have decided to leave the bottom of Archie's sweater unfinished and go on to the sleeves, until he can try it on for length in January. (The red is for the inside of the terminal hem.)

I got my knitting sorted out and packed for our brief trip to Loch Fyne. I'm taking the whole Queen Ring pattern, and will try to understand how the edging is done. Sharon M. seems to be saying that some repeats must have more stitches than others, in order to make the count come out right. I will try to think through a simplification of that.

And I've also packed the Pakokku socks, and another skein, just in case. Ambitious, for 72 hours.

Happy Hols, everybody. See you later.