Perdita was bad enough yesterday that I resorted to shutting her out of the sitting room. It wasn't just that she attacked the knitting – she kept jumping from my shoulder to the chest of drawers, amongst the Little Things which a cat could enjoy disarranging or breaking. But the mewing from without was so pitiful that I gave up my quiz program and took the knitting into the kitchen. She soon fell asleep, and I got the final Pocket Square up to a whole 46 stitches – the turning point is 62.

Now comes the part where things seem slow, but I would hope to reach the turn today.

Yesterday's comments

Thank you for your help with setting zippers into knitting. I have emailed Craftsy suggesting that they try to persuade Franklin to turn his Snip and Zip lesson into a Craftsy course. Can't do any harm. I've taken enough of their classes by now that they can see I'm a serious customer.

Carla sent me this link, to a reprint of an article from IK about an interesting no-sew zipper-setting technique. I don't think I remember the article – I must have it. The article in turn contains a link to a YouTube video in which Eunny Jang demonstrates the technique. I'm a fan of hers from Craftsy. She's a great teacher.

Hat's link is to a detailed blog entry about using something called Wonder Tape which sticks the zipper to the knitting, and then melts away in the first wash.

And this must be the one you meant, Catdownunder, where it's done with blocking wires – and with the help of a cat older than Perdita, who knows that all you have to do is make yourself comfortable on the knitting and they won't dare ask you to move.

Mary Lou's suggestion, of finding someone else to do it, is also excellent. There are a couple of little tailoring shops within easy-access distance here.

After all this, I'm going to have to put that hoodie, the one that came with Kate Davies' Machrihanish pattern, on my HALFPINT list, at least. A well-set zipper makes a beautiful neat finish for a jacket. It's just that I can't do it.

Lou, that is a most kind offer, to buy things from Lucy Neatby for me. I will now go back to her website in acquisitive mode, instead of just curious.

That's about it, for knitting. Zite seems to have entered the summer doldrums.

Knitlass, I may well take you up on that offer of redcurrants. Equally, you may well be right that Helen will get to Strathardle in time to net our bush. I have a vague feeling that in times past, the birds would take some berries and leave others for us, and everybody was happy. It's a very prolific bush, despite neglect. But now the Mileses' Red Currant Bush is clearly part of avian lore, passed from mother to son. They strip it bare, and will get under the netting to do so if there is the slightest opening.

They leave the white currants, which taste almost as good to me. But those bushes are smaller, still building up from cuttings my husband's sister gave me. They probably won't produce enough for a pudding.