That was a successful day – the oculist could find nothing else wrong except the cloudy plastic in my right eye, which she agrees is very cloudy indeed. So I have been referred for laser treatment and we can but wait. She says the sight should be fully restored. Meanwhile the “bad” eye is clearly punching above its weight and she volunteered the comforting information that I can still legally drive – the licensing people specify the line on the oculist's chart which you have to be able to read. I'll confine my driving to supermarkets and Mass in broad daylight until I get my right eye back, however.

And I later had a nice time with my elderly friend above. She's up three steep flights of stone stairs, and there are already 13 steps from the pavement to the front door of the tenement. I don't see how she ever gets out, but she does, rather more than I do who live more or less at street level. I took the Pakokku socks along, but didn't knit.

I had another good evening with Archie's second sleeve. I am now set fair for the decreases – every fifth round 24 times. The Sirka is set. It is simplicity itself to use, just slightly fiddly at the very beginning when all the tabs are in the 12 o'clock position. It is comfortingly firm; nothing is going to slip. No pegs are going to vanish under the coffee table. It is perhaps slightly expensive for a plastic gadget, but highly recommended.

I suddenly got worried about what I am going to do when this sweater is finished – not long now. I've got plenty to do, as you know. The pocket squares. The Parson Jack Russell for our friend to match her dog. Finishing the Unst Bridal Shawl – that doesn't really count as knitting, but it's got to be done. But there are times when one needs chicken soup knitting, Jewish penicillin knitting. Archie's sweater is perfect for that and I will miss it.

One thing you could help with. Tamar, you're brilliant at this. I recently saw a sweater, the sort of thing with lots of positive ease which you drop on over an outfit. Uneven bottom hem, deep neck, interesting cables I think. What was it? Where? I even remember wondering, would there be time to knit it before I go to Greece? I could read through the blog from the beginning of the year, it's there somewhere. If I find it again, I will at least nail it into a Ravelry queue so that it doesn't get away again. I know exactly where to find the Tokyo shawl, at least.

Now, pocket squares.I am tremendously grateful for all your help.

Ellen, I've found Quince & Co “Sparrow” at Loop. There are several blues. I could always ring them up again and ask whether they think any might qualify as “navy”. And I am grateful for offers to help secure the Louet. Mary Lou, if you are satisfied with the colour described as navy blue, and could secure a skein, you could send it to my sister in CT who could bring it to me in April (comments, yesterday). I can reimburse you with a dollar check (from the account which, alas! wasn't used a year ago to buy the Woman at Prayer).

I think perhaps I'll take this evening off Archie's sleeve and use the Rowan linen to knit Grandmother's Favorite Dishcloth, a pattern which an old cyber-friend referred me to yesterday. That will tell me something of how I like knitting with linen, and if the result is worth sending to London, their reaction will tell me something about how strongly they feel about “navy blue” (which the Rowan certainly isn't) and also provide a platform for discussing how much pattern they'd like in the squares. And we'll get some idea of the fabric and its fold-ability.

Someone else has offered to send me some left-over Jaipur silk, so I can try another square in two strands of that held together.

So there's a plan.