Current affairs

(a) The EU has imposed a ban on the importation of Indian mangoes, starting today. The Alphonso mango season is about to begin, and they are one of the year's brief treats, like British asparagus and Jersey Royal potatoes.

The best Alphonso's come from Pakistan, not India. I was worried, hearing the news, for fear sloppy journalists were saying “India” when they meant “India and Pakistan” but I've just google'd and it would appear that Pakistani imports will go ahead (they come in a bit later than the Indian ones, and are even tastier). The ban has been imposed by the EU only, and has something to do with fruit flies. Indian mangoes are still being shipped to all the rest of the world, including the US where they tend to be fussy about such things.

Are we going to have to vote for Mr Farage after all?

In Edinburgh, at least, you have to go to a Pakistani corner shop for Pakistani mangoes. The supermarkets have fewer, inferior ones at a great price.

(b) People had to queue for hours yesterday at airports and ports because a computer failure meant that the details of everybody's passport had to be recorded by hand. My sister was due to arrive at Heathrow. I haven't yet heard how she fared.

But her shawl will be ready for posting today. It's a poor job. There are a couple of loose ends to deal with, and a hole to mend, and I must pack it before I go out to lunch with one of you because I might as well take advantage of the fact that we are meeting at a Japanese restaurant which is most of the up-hill way to the post office.

I also got 3/4s of the way around round 69 of the Unst Bridal Shawl, and the fourth ball of yarn finally breathed its last and has been replaced.

That means I am proceeding at the rate of one 25 gram ball a month – not exactly a stash-busting pace. I cast on the edging of this thing at Loch Fyne in that still week between Christmas and the New Year. My hunch is still that two more balls will finish it and if so, it'll be done some time in the summer, even allowing a fortnight for grafting the edging to the body. Fortunately I like grafting. Sharon Miller had me order nine balls – that would take us into the autumn.

Health

I am attracted by your theory, Jean, Pattie, and Knitlass, that osteoporosis pills were behind the whole spectrum of my 2014 symptoms. I googled the drug yesterday – risendronate sodium. It's clearly serious stuff, and you're not meant to take it after 80 anyway. (Why not?) It lingers in the body for an unknown length of time, since its job is to do with bones.

Knitting

Somebody on Zite this morning is enthusiastic about String Theory Colorworks and their self-striping yarns. I've just spent a pleasant few moments there, There aren't as many different-coloured stripes per colourway as there were on Lizzie's London Transport socks, but the colourways are enterprising and the Zite enthusiast suggested combining two (in fingerless mitts, which I will certainly not attempt).