I’m within a row or two of finishing the five inches of basic two-colour brioche at the beginning of the Soutache, and advancing to the exciting bits. Increases and decreases, and even cables, sound straightforward, chart-reading rather more difficult. We shall see.

AnnP (comment yesterday), I’m sure you’re right that it would be worth learning how to fix mistakes, at least that most common one where there is an unwanted bar of the wrong colour across a stitch. (I have managed other, more adventurous mistakes.) I’ve bought Marchant’s “Knitting Fresh Brioche” (to add to “Knitting Brioche”). It includes a very useful-looking page on the subject – and, as you say, there’s YouTube. I like Marchant's reiterated advice to lay it aside and go to bed -- fix it in the morning.

Comments

And Ann, yes, I had already started, at least, to listen to the Susan Crawford interview on Mason Dixon Knitting. Someone else had tipped me off. But it soon proved to be an old recording, made in the happy summer of 2015 when she was full of delight about the success of her crowdfunding venture. It might be worth listening to more to see what she says about the timetable, but I didn’t.

We crowdfunders had a message from her the other day – provoking great, but brief, excitement. She showed us the cover of the forthcoming book. She made it sound as if she is working away. But no timetable. Not that we haven’t had plenty of timetables before, before and after the cancer diagnosis.

On a happier note, yes, Mary Lou, the Marie Wallin Shetland piece on MDK is wonderful. That must be Belmont house on Unst in the background. I believe there is a two-day (or even three) lace course up there, part of Shetland Wool Week, where the participants are put up at Belmont House. As soon as this year’s Wool Week is over, I must start investigating the possibility of booking myself in for next year. Although goodness knows how I’d get there – I don’t entirely fancy driving.

Cats

Thank you for your encouraging comments. I’m glad that Perdita isn’t worried yet. It says somewhere in the Sunday Times today that domestic animals are incapable of jealousy. I don’t believe it. And, Joan, yes, this is very much like bringing the new baby home. I remember getting Rachel up for her late-evening pee (as was my wont) when the labour which was to produce Alexander had already started – he was born at home. And wondering how I could possibly love anyone as much as I loved her.

She was not entirely pleased with him, in the morning, although she didn’t hiss. And I managed the loving.