I hadn't realised that Kate Davies' Deco cardigan was a re-run. I'm not complaining: it has been brilliantly re-knit in the new yarn, and that's what we're looking for. What yarn was suggested in the original pattern? That might be a useful pointer to other patterns suitable for the new yarn.

All well here, except, not much knitting. I can't see the Dunfallandy blankie being finished this week after all. That cat actually came and sat on it and my lap yesterday – and she's not a lap-sitter, that cat – in order to stop me knitting. One thing I hope to learn in London next week is not the sex of the promised child, but whether it's expected in early, middle, or late March.

I wandered around Carol Sunday's website for a while yesterday evening, as I often do. I am rather taken with her pattern called Chrysalis, a sort of shawl with sleeves. And with her yarn called Nirvana, with a touch of cashmere in it, for knitting it with. I think the six weeks on either side of the winter solstice are the ones in which I am at my most vulnerable to yarn-buying temptations.

But I haven't bought this one yet.

I'm also rather taken with a Twist Collective pattern called Channa. Perfectly simple with what I think is called a boat neck, a feature with which I am suddenly rather smitten having seen it on the dentist's receptionist last week in dark navy with a crisp white blouse underneath.

There's plenty of knitting to do here already; I don't need reminding. And plenty more planned.

Non-knit

London plans are moving forward. Time enough for absolute terror tomorrow. We are going to see Guys and Dolls! I love it almost as much as I do My Fair Lady and it has the additional advantage of recalling the NYC of my youth.

I felt I ought to have a political shirt of some sort for 2016. I have a Kerry one, and an Obama of course, and I think maybe there was something before Kerry. It'll be in a drawer in Strathardle, if so. I was hard put to think who to go for this time, and have finally ordered a Bernie Sanders sweat shirt.

I'm sure Hillary will make a very competent president, but I am sad to think that the first woman to hold that office should have got in on her husband's coat-tails. No worse than Indira Ghandi and Benazir Bhutto, I suppose.

My mother would have been terribly keen on Sanders, I think, although she was also a strong feminist and might have been torn. My parents had a cat named Norman Thomas when I was born (I'll leave you to google that one) but he didn't like me and soon left.

Perdita is fine. She still walks with a slight limp when she remembers, but for all practical purposes is scampering about as before.