I think I’ve decided on Abstract Expressionism, for my day in London if I get there. It’ll be crowded, all right – although that is less painful at the RA than elsewhere, in those big, high-ceiling'd rooms. I’ll aim to get there early.

Yesterday was another pretty good day on the knitting front.

I did six rows of the Uncia – I might even finish the current chart today. There’s a bad mistake – my first, I think. A stitch just wasn’t in the right place, on a right-side row. The alternatives were to pick out two rows (a day’s work at least, with success not guaranteed), or go on. I chose the latter.

I’ve come to a passage that requires a lot of one over one crosses, both knit, and I am experimenting, rather late in life, with cabling without a cable needle. It’s going pretty well. Advice gratefully received.

I’m doing the toe decreases on the first Mosaic sock.

And I did another edging point on the Hansel hap – only one to go. I should finish this evening. Helen is coming round to test my vaunted ability to watch catch-up television. She missed Sally Phillips’ much-discussed documentary, “A World Without Down’s Syndrome”, a couple of days ago. That shouldn’t require minute attention. I ought to be able to get the end of the edging attached to the beginning, and do a certain amount of tidying as well.

However, the biggest news on the knitting front was the arrival of “Drop-Dead Easy Knits” – a present from Mary Lou herself. It’s full of good things I want to knit.

--The “Star-Eyed Julep Throw” by the Mason-Dixon Knitters. It’s log cabin knitting, for which they are famous, and at first glance doesn’t exactly look drop-dead easy, but is very likely to become so as one acquires the knack of binding off and picking up stitches for the next strip.

-- Two sweaters by Mary Lou herself: “Keynote Pullover”, a yoke sweater, with the yoke done in a simple-sounding stitch pattern, no colours. I’ve been hankering for a yoke sweater lately. And “Kiawah V-Neck”, a lovely, loose linen number “to throw on at the beach”.

-- And, Mary Lou again, the “Joggle Scarf”. It’s a simple stripe, one solid colour and one self-striping. One set of stripes in seed stitch, the other garter. The idea is – would it work? – that you knit it at a family gathering and set yourself cues for when to switch from one stripe to the next.

Lots to look forward to.

There’s also tonight’s debate. Unmissable. Or is it bound to be a disappointment?