The front page of yesterday’s Scotsman. It’s extraordinary that we could have slept through it all.

No one was hurt, Sheila, and the fire was confined to the sitting room – “drawing room”, they apparently call it over there on the south side of the square – although the rest of the house had a lot of smoke and water. The Linklaters and some guests were in the room when it happened, and they had (unlike us) a fire extinguisher. It must have been one quick fire. They all got out, and Magnus Linklater went up and roused the people in the top flat. There wasn’t time to think about the cat. When the Linklaters got back to their ruined house, they heard a cross little voice from half-way up a chimney on the upstairs floor. The cat is fine, and the Linklaters must have felt rather as Pandora did when she found Hope at the bottom of her box.

Thank you, Lorna and Janis, for advice about back-ups. I like the idea of keeping a dissertation in the freezer! I am currently at work translating my husband’s work, file by file, into Microsoft Word. I’ve done 250 so far. When I make a CD for the publisher in a week or so, I’ll make a second one for us, and take it to Strathardle.

Knitting

Sheila, you’ll love the Round Trip jacket. I’m so glad you’re going to try it. I think the pattern in the magazine suggests unwinding the yarn so that you can start at the same point in the colour sequence for each sleeve. I have a friend who did that when she knit the jacket, but I didn’t bother, and I modestly think it looks fine as it is. And no yarn wasted.

Vivienne, I’m going to look into the matter of a steamer from Argos.

I think I’ve got the decrease-increase business worked out for the bottom of the Communion Veil, after a few shaky rows. We should be about ready for another picture tomorrow. Today’s job is to chart those lacey initials, and maybe even get started on them.