10 March Finally. 112” of actual sewing, with an actual needle and actual cotton. By hand. That’s more than nine feet, three yards, three meters. Finally. Less than a week for the knitting, more than a month for the finishing. IT IS DONE!

5 March Steek has been reinforced but on the “wrong” side because I ran the floats across the back over it. Top tip - run floats on the right side across the steek so you can see what you’re doing when you reinforce it. Hood hemmed. Ends darned in. Entire garment is now blocked and drying. Will be steeked and zip sewn in when dry.

23 Feb Yes, it’s true. The combined sewing-loathing and steek-dread have had me in a nasty state of stasis for too long. Some ends have been darned in but that’s about it. However I have NOT allowed myself to start anything else. So I’ll just have to bite the bullet and get on with it. Meanwhile the birthday is tomorrow so there’s no hope of completion in time, particularly when you have to factor in 10-14 days in the post. Bah.

11 Feb Knitting done. Zip (28”) ordered. Darning ends, hood seaming and steek sewing to be done.

7 Feb About to start on sleeves. Is it possible? (yes it is) - I didn’t make a tension square. So this is coming up too small, unlike the cobblestone which came up to big. I see vicious widthways blocking in my future. Also realised (DUH) that I can’t get a zip until I know how long it is.

This is basically the Óðinn pattern with “Frosting” - a steek for a zip up the front and a hood. Using smaller needles rather than fewer stitches for ribbing borders.

Must get zip.

Audiobooks - the Bryant and May series by Christopher Fowler. Most of them. It took that long. I love the premise and the extraordinary heterodox learning as well as the passionate devotion to and evocation of London throughout history. They’re also slyly witty and I occasionally even, yes, laugh out loud.