I am so looking forward to going home again, even though there is the whole horror of the flight to get through. I also did something which might seem rather strange and checked on the dates of the Islamic Haj! This is because last year I travelled back to Cyprus after Christmas holidays with 300 people en route to Mecca, and it was not what you might call comfortable in the airport departure lounge, plus it took an hour to board the plane. Fortunately it seems that the Haj and I do not coincide this year.

Last night I finished my Echarpe Harlequin, and I am wearing it right now - it is quite admired by David and Alec. I have threatened to have compulsory knitting lessons for my colleagues after the holidays. The boys from Singapore actually need them, as they have no warm clothes. I suggested to one of them that he buy some shirts with long sleeves, and he looked at me as though I were mad, and said, but when would he wear them, and was the rest of Europe as cold as Cyprus? It is a good 20 degrees here most days, fine and sunny mostly, but he was serious. I don't know what he will do when he gets sent to Minnesota or somewhere like that in winter. They are going back to the apartment every night and turning both heaters up to 30 degrees, which is the maximum and leaving them like that all night. I turn mine off overnight, although I do have them on for a short while in the evening. Actually I suppose they have three heaters, as their apartment is a two bedroomed one.

Re the Echarpe Harlequin, I used the nicest needles, Clover Takumi, only about 20cm long, but single-pointed - just perfect for scarves and other little knits, I hate narrow strips on great long needles, and I am not one of those people who only ever use circulars. When I get back to Paris, I am going to start my next scarf, or maybe some Hundertwasser socks. Also finish Catherine Agnes (she is airplane work on Saturday as well), and if I still have to do any of Motif Florentin.... then I can have some new starts, I think!