Here we go. I’m frightened. Tomorrow should be easy – Helen will drive us to the airport after an early lunch; fly to Naples; taxi to hotel; supper somewhere. Only nine more days to go.

However, at least today was a great success on the knitting front. I finished Rachel’s socks – I can take them to her when I go down for the great-granddaughter’s Christening at the end of the month.

And I woke up knowing where the pattern was for the sweater constructed of mitred triangles – Jamieson’s Shetland Knitting Book One. (There are three books in that excellent series, I think – at least, that’s all I’ve got.) My synapses are at their very best – not saying much – first thing in the morning.

What you do is cast on two stitches and knit for a while in garter stitch increasing one at each end of every other row. Stripes are nice here. One edge of your triangle is going to be the lower edge of the garment, the other, part of a side seam. When it’s big enough to go half-way across the wearer, leave it aside and make another the same. Join the two on one needle, with a stitch marker between, and from here on out continue to increase at the outer edges but decrease on either side of the stitch marker. Somehow or other it adjusts itself into a rectangle/square.

And I found my other copy of Laine, more or less where it should be, and you’re right, Mary Lou, and thank you for that: it was “Ancasta” I was thinking of. I think it’s been superseded in my queue by now. KD’s Stronachlachar is ahead of it, certainly. I think I went to see Baa Ram Ewe yarns at that EYF – see yesterday’s comment by Mary Lou – and wasn’t overwhelmed.

So – thanks to Kirsten and the Bond Knitting Machine – that’s all three of yesterday’s half-memories nailed. Very satisfactory.

Non-knit

I’m so glad you like that recipe of Jamie’s, Shandy. You can always steam some new potatoes or warm a baguette, if they want some carbohydrate. It also has the great advantage of being easy to eat, if you’re giving lunch to someone you’re not entirely comfortable with, for whatever reason, and it looks as if you’ve taken trouble.

I’ll be back here on the 21^st or 22^nd, if all goes well. A big “if”.