The stitch count came out right – I’m on the right track for attaching the centre of the Mourning shawl to its edges. There was some trouble last night on the left side. It still looks messy, and this morning I found two errant border stitches just waiting to break away and create big trouble. I’ve secured them with a safety pin and I’ll have to fudge something at the end.

So this morning’s picture is of the right-hand side again, with a reappearance of the initials. It's those vertical panels, just below the diagonals currently being knitted, which gave so much trouble. I'm sure they'll look better when blocked.

I’ll check the stitch count again at the half-way point, including checking to see whether I’ve got the same number of stitches still-to-pick-up on the one side as on the other. I’m sure not. There’ll be some tweaking needed at some point, but at least I know it won’t be major. A great relief.

Yesterday being the first day of the month, I turned the page of the Grandmother Calendar Rachel made for me last Christmas – and

look at that! I take it as a Sign.

It shows Thomas-the-Elder and James-the-Younger on Games Day, presumably in ’10. Thomas is sitting on the Pillow Fight bar. You put one hand behind your back and try to knock your opponent off the bar with a pillow held in the other. It can get pretty violent. None of us went in for it this year.

And Thomas is undoubtedly wearing his Cocoon scarf. I must have observed it at the time, but had completely forgotten. (Within living memory, the Fourth Saturday of August has been uncomfortably hot in Strathardle. But in recent years, global warming has put a stop to that.)

The Mourning Shawl must be finished in ’11, I feel – but there should be plenty of time for that as well as a Christmas scarf. This new – or is it not yet out? – book of Weekend Hats looks as if it has some good things in it, but I think members of my list may already be saturated with hats.

Amazon has written to tell me that “Knit, Swirl” has been delayed. It was due at the end of August. I can wait. That will affect the project-after-next, at best.