Last week, I wrote to you about my birthday.
This week, I’m writing to you wearing considerably fewer layers.
What a difference a bit of sunshine makes.
London has been glorious. The trees are green, the parks are full, everybody is sitting outside pretending they always eat lunch outdoors, and for a brief moment Britain has collectively forgotten how much it enjoys complaining about the weather.
I have been trying very hard to be grateful for it all.
Grateful for sunshine.
Grateful for good health.
Grateful for friends.
Grateful for knitting.
And, perhaps most importantly this week…
Grateful for natural fibres.
Now I know that doesn’t sound especially exciting.
But when the temperature rises, natural fibres really come into their own.
One of the remarkable things about wool, cotton, linen and many other natural fibres is something called moisture wicking. Very glamorous, I know.
In simple terms, they help move moisture away from your skin, making you feel more comfortable when the weather is warm. Which is why a beautifully knitted summer top in the right yarn often feels far nicer than people expect.
It is also why I find myself increasingly fascinated by the summer collections from LANGYARNS.
There are hundreds of summer patterns available, knitted in wonderful blends of cotton, linen, silk, wool and other natural fibres, all designed for real people living through real summers.
And the lovely thing is that when you order a LANGYARNS knitting kit from McIntosh, you don't just receive the pattern.
You receive the beautiful printed pattern magazine, and you can choose whichever colour you fancy from the full shade range available in that yarn.
After all, colour is a very personal thing.
The pattern may belong to LANGYARNS.
The colour belongs to you.
And with holiday season arriving, there is something rather wonderful about planning a project for a train journey, a flight, a cottage, a caravan, a cruise ship, a beach hut, or simply a deckchair in the garden pretending you're in the South of France.
Talking of people adjusting to new routines...
Since his big birthday in January, Dr Thomas has been spending a little more time at home. He is not ready to retire.
This is lovely. On both accounts.
Mostly.
The challenge is that after decades of being an exceptionally busy consultant physician, he isn't entirely sure what to do with himself on his days off.
So naturally he has started working through a notebook.
Now this notebook contains a list of jobs.
Many jobs.
Years of jobs.
The sort of jobs that apparently become invisible until a doctor has a free Tuesday when I happen to be in mid-flow of orders.
The notebook itself is written in handwriting that appears to have been developed specifically to keep pharmacists employed.
I can read approximately three words.
One of them might be "cable".
Or possibly "cabbage".
It's difficult to tell.
This week, however, one item was successfully decoded.
Apparently we needed better internet cables.
Why?
I have absolutely no idea.
The internet was already working.
But before I knew it, floorboards were being lifted, holes were being inspected, cables were being threaded through mysterious places, and words like "bandwidth" and "latency" were being used with great enthusiasm.
I nodded supportively.
As one does.
The good news is that he seems very happy.
The less good news is that I now live with a semi-retired doctor who has discovered DIY.
Please keep us in your thoughts.
New this week at McIntosh
One of the most exciting arrivals this week is the new Ginger Cubics range from KnitPro.
These are currently available for pre-order and are due to launch very soon.
Ginger has long been one of KnitPro's most loved needle ranges, combining warm laminated birchwood with a wonderfully smooth finish.
The new Cubics version keeps everything people love about Ginger but introduces a square-shaped needle profile.
Now, there is currently no academic evidence proving that square needles help with hand discomfort.
However, what we do hear, time and time again, from customers is that many people with sore hands, arthritis, stiffness or reduced mobility find square needles more comfortable to hold and easier to control.
Everyone's experience is different, but the feedback over the years has been remarkably consistent.
Whatever you're making this week, I hope you find a little sunshine, a little colour and perhaps a quiet moment with your knitting.
After all, a stitch becomes a breath.
And sometimes that's enough.
With all best wishes,
James
James McIntosh – the one man band that is McIntosh and Dr Thomas my sidekick who's just taken a drill out of the cupboard and asked me if I have any rawl plugs - why would I have those?
P.S. If anyone knows how to tell whether a doctor's handwritten note says "network cable" or "replace kitchen", do let me know. I feel this could become important.
