The Australians do some beautiful hand-dyed threads, but some of them aren’t easy to get hold of if you’re not in Australia. One of the companies producing these variegated and multi-coloured pretties is Cottage Garden, and – of great interest to any Hardanger enthusiast – they do perles. #8 and #12 to be precise, so particularly good for 28ct or 32ct fabric; they’d probably work on 25ct as well as long as the contrast between thread and fabric isn’t too great.

The wonderful thing is that I will now be able to try that out for myself, since a very kind fellow-stitcher sent me two shades in both thicknesses – what a lovely surprise this morning when it turned out that the postman had brought, besides the usual bills, a parcel from Australia out of which dropped a gorgeous combination of pink and green! And just when I had been struggling with my email program which had managed to lose all its data and do the same to the main backup (good thing I keep a second backup). Tracy-from-Australia, you’re a star; thank you for brightening up my day with your kind and thoughtful gift!