It’s a noisy evening. In my day, I don’t think Scotland was much interested in Guy Fawkes – indeed, if they gave the matter any thought at all, might have been just as glad if he had succeeded. But now, it’s any excuse for making some noise to advance us through the darkness. It is distressing for the cats, but must be much worse for the cats of Streatham and Sydenham.

It is nice to welcome a week in which a new episode of Fruity Knitting should appear.

I am grateful, as always, for your comments. My dr., after taking bloods, said that I was somewhat deficient in vitamin B12 – and prescribed some vitamin D. He didn't explain the apparent discrepancy. I am faithfully taking that, and also taking B12, on my sister’s suggestion, although I gather that if one is really deficient in that, one needs injections. I’d be happy to add iron, and it seems a reasonable hypothesis. I’ve done some mild Googling, and it sounds as if a small dose won’t hurt, although I note what you say, JeanfromCornwall.

I think my diet is pretty good. I am still enjoying cooking the food I like instead of invalid food, and eating it at my preferred times of day. I am tending towards a vegetarian+fish diet, and may therefore be short of iron.

Anyway, we’re here for the knitting: I finished the colour patterns on Miss Rachel’s Yoke today, and did the subsequent round of decreases. It remains but to find an appropriate circular for the neck ribbing, and rib it.

Apart from the difficulty posed by the simplicity of the pattern, there was also the difficulty that the first and last round of each six-round ribbon was knit in a single colour. In stranded knitting, and indeed in lace, one relies on the row below to keep one in order. But this pattern had to be re-set again and again.

However, it’s done now, and the effect is very good. I’ll show you soon.

Thank you for your comments about the shawl for the new great-grand-baby. I can’t quite figure out how to order the Amedro kit from the Jamieson and Smith website. I’ll go back through my archives, which are in fairly good order. If I’ve got the pattern I knit Archie’s shawl from, all I need is some yarn.