I hate the darkness of the next two months – I’m always a little bit afraid that whoever is in charge up there will forget to throw the switch, and we’ll just go on getting darker and darker. I said this to my sister-in-law once, and she said, Are you still on about that? so I never mentioned it to her again, but that doesn’t stop me grumbling to you.

(Jan and Feb are just as dark, and colder, but one can sense the returning light soon after the solstice and I love those months.)

But I also love this 25-hour day. In the Good Old Days we used to be able to enjoy several in succession, sailing home from Southampton to New York.

We had a good birthday lunch with Archie yesterday, at l’Escargot Bleu on Broughton Street (very busy, I’m glad to report; excellent, as usual). He seems – he feels -- fine. He’s still sitting up half the night playing computer games with friends far from Lancaster. His father deplores paying as much in tuition as a term would cost at Eton, for so little actual tutor-contact. Archie says that there’ll be a lot more next year.

The news from the US is bizarre. I am reminded of our Cardinal O’Brien, on the point of leaving for Rome for the conclave which elected the present Pope, accused anonymously of unspecified crimes of a sexual nature. It brought him down. The precise offence and the names of the accusers remain unknown.

Knitting

Not much, yesterday, but I’m getting back in the saddle with the half-brioche. I think you’re right, Commenters, that I should proceed to the Tannehill madtosh sweater for my husband, for various reasons. The downside is that the yarn is so similar to the Roast Hatch Chillis element in the half-brioche.

I knit him a successful madtosh sleeveless pullover last year, so I’ve got the numbers to cast on with, and can design from there, if design is the word.

The Kaffe Fassett socks are doing nicely, initial ribbing finished.

And here’s the Uncia. I’m terribly pleased with it, and hope I will post it to Ravelry, with a comment saying that this is not easy, not even moderately easy, but immensely gratifying. As you can see, I hope, I have pinned out the scallops at the end – which means that Perdita has to be excluded from the dining room again – but otherwise have just patted it into shape like a sweater. The dimensions match those specified -- indeed, are very slightly larger.