The v-neck vest passed its trials with flying colours, making me feel actually happy about the re-knitting. The narrower shoulders look good, and don’t want be augmented by much in the way of sleeve-hole ribbing, which is fine by me. I’ve done the first sleeve-hole, it looks very tidy, and have started picking up stitches for the second. Two more sessions should finish this baby. The higher starting-point for the v-neck opening is a great improvement, too. It can have a bit more in the way of ribbing if it wants.

I’ve enjoyed thinking about a Concept Scarf for next year. Standing on the doorstep every morning at 8:15 and looking upwards is quite enough in the way of daily discipline – I don’t want to add the requirement of having to go anywhere, even across the road. So what about the garden just outside our kitchen window?

(You’ve seen it before. It is tended by a Little Old Man and Little Old Woman who are endlessly out there tweaking it. “It’s a wonder they have any garden left,” my husband said the other day.)

Picking up your suggestion yesterday, Gerri, it could be divided mentally into seven sections, one for each day of the week. Or, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays could be devoted to the most striking current colours, and the other days to representing greens. [Currently, there is a conspicuous blue flower just below the steps, to the left. You can scarcely make it out, in the picture.] I think the Shetland yarn stash – so far untouched by the current purges – will produce a good range of greens. That would be essential.

Here is the Sky Scarf. Helen said when she was here for Archie's "taster" week at Merchiston school that it looks much better in real life than in its photographs.

Horticulture

I just stumbled across a reference to garlic mustard in one of the blogs I read. Have I ever heard of it? It sounds delicious. It looks rather like a nettle.  I gather it is a serious, invasive weed in the NE of the USA. It seems to be widespread in the UK, too, but perhaps because we’ve got so many other weeds, no one seems greatly agitated about it. It prefers a heavy, calcareous soil. Strathardle is light, sandy, and acid which may be why I don’t know it. I hope I can keep it in mind long enough to look it up in Sturtevant’s Edible Plants of the World when I get back there.

Thank you for your comment, Anonymous, about the wonders of the Internet (comment, yesterday). Yes, indeed. And how easily we have come to take its miracles for granted.