Not madeleines – nothing so Proustian. Macaroons.

We had a very good visit yesterday. Again, I needn’t have worried. C. is making progress. She is tube-free, and told us that her clamps? or clips? were out? or off? They had previously been “holding me together”, she said. Is this something modern surgery uses instead of stitches? She isn’t managing to eat much, but she’s trying, and she knows – and better yet, her doctors know – that she needs to build up strength. She had a visit from a dietician yesterday – that’s very good news.

She was alert, relaxed, cheerful. We didn’t talk about pain, or any medical issues other than the ones just mentioned, but both of us came away with the impression that she is comfortable. My husband is happier, to have seen his sister so. Our niece phoned later, after evening visiting, sounding very happy herself. She said that of the little poke of five macaroons we had taken in, only two remained! And that her mother had actually gotten out of bed and to the bathroom under her own steam.

So that’s good.

Now we must think about Strathardle. I think we’re aiming for Thursday. The forecasts speak depressingly of snow, the one element we really are a bit too old to deal with. Getting the car uphill from the house to the road is the problem. At Christmas time, there'll be folk about to push.

Knitting

The new VK turned up yesterday. My cup runneth over. At a quick first glance, there are some good things, although nothing that makes me want to fling current knitting aside and cast on.

I had sort of destined that pinky Araucania yarn in K*rkmichael for an IK cardigan whose name I can’t currently think of – begins with J. I even swatched for it. Looked good, fun to do, but adjustment was going to be necessary, and enthusiasm is now waning. Should I return to the half-knit rugby shirt in which the yarn is currently involved? Or what? I like it very much, and it has the considerable distinction of being the only yarn I own of which there is enough to knit a whole sweater in one colour. I need to be gripped by fervour, and it’s not happening.

As for actual knitting, I went on with the hat yesterday, out of sequence – and I think I’ll continue with it. I don’t like switching back and forth. And I need the hat first. The scarf is for someone who will be part of our solstice jollification. It can therefore be done up to the very last moment, although I hope that won’t be necessary.


The hat virtually needs to have two rounds knit for every one round added to its length. What you see are five wurms, each involving five rounds of reversed st st. They are separated from each other by four rounds of st st, but as you see, those are completely submerged. Is it going to end up looking a bit Rastafarian, shape-wise?