Wilson resumes work on his invention

Wilson has decided that his toy camel (now called Colin) is 'too valuable and fragile' to entrust to the Post Office, and has asked me instead to drive up to London to deliver it to Baby William in person. I think I'll be seeing William's grandparents later this week, so I'd prefer to just give it to them to save on the petrol.

W thinks his BookPatch™ (pat pending) fragrance has 'matured' sufficiently to use, and he spent the morning injecting it into empty ink jet cartridges he'd fished out of the Wilson Vermilingua OBE Museum of Old Stuff and a Robot. (He never throws anything away!)

In other news, my Ink Jet Printer seems to have stopped working.

A responsible job for Antony

Wilson is packing William's toy camel, using tissue paper, a home-made gift box and a sheet of brown wrapping paper. 

I suggested that some decorative gift-wrap might be nice, but he said that brown paper is much more practical where babies are concerned. Also he has a lot of it.

Antony is the Designated Person In Charge of the Sellotape Dispenser, handing W strips of tape when requested, while Johnson Minor looks on, dreaming of the day when he has such a responsible job…

An ideal present for a baby...

Everyone gathered in the kitchen to admire Wilson's just-finished present for Baby William. 

'It's lovely,' I said. 'Ummm, it's a hat, isn't it — with cute little ear-holes?' 

Wilson's face darkened. 'Obviously not. Guess again', he replied, stonily.

Polly silently mouthed something to me, but I couldn't make out what she was trying to say — Apple? Mammal? Enamel? I took a chance and said, 'It's a mammal!' 

Wilson nodded warily, while Polly burst out, 'Just look at those lovely humps  it's a Bactrian one, isn't it?'

'It's a camel?!' I exclaimed. I thought this sounded more uncertain — disbelieving even — than I'd intended, but it satisfied Wilson.

Tension mounts...

Wilson has returned to knitting Baby William's surprise gift, which is now almost completed. I don't think it's a scarf after all. Unless scarves have arm-holes?

He's reached the 'casting-off' stage, which is very tense operation. Accordingly, Johnson Major has been sent away and only Polly remains — as much to keep Wilson calm as to offer advice.

I'm keeping well out of the way until he's finished...

Hanging

Wilson has taken a break from knitting to hang his newly-framed portrait. 

He told me that he hadn't given up on Baby William's gift, it's just that the magenta wool was making his eyes 'go funny' — everything he looked at was turning green.

As for his portrait, though, he's sounded me out about installing a picture light 'so my portrait can be lit in the way it so obviously deserves'.

Wilson starts work on his new project...

Safely back from the village with his wool and his picture frame, Wilson has settled down to start knitting a 'little something' for Baby William.

W has only knitted one thing before — a scarf — and his Big Sister Andrea had cast-on and cast-off for him, so starting from scratch is quite a taxing task for him.

However, he does have Polly on hand (who claims to know all about knitting, having once met a spider who was good at it) and Johnson Minor who is always ready with an unsolicited suggestion.

I hope Johnson Mi doesn't pick up any new swear-words from W!

The perfect choice

Wilson was quite surprised by the variety of frames on offer, but he eventually narrowed his choice down to a simple black, narrow frame with a broad white mat board which he said would perfectly complement the elegance and spareness of his portrait while giving it the gravitas it deserved.

The simplicity of the frame was not reflected in its price but, as W always says, you have to pay for quality.

At least, he always says that when he's got my VISA card in his paw.