It has been quite an active day, knitting-wise.

The fifth ball of lace yarn finally gave up the ghost, and I have joined in the sixth to the centre of the baby shawl. I am halfway along (just), picking up one stitch from each adjacent side at the end of every row. That means that this sixth ball will finish things off. I’ll adjust the sidebar appropriately as soon as I’ve posted this.

Kate Davies’ West Highland Way pattern this week – for it is indeed Wednesday again – is another humdinger. She’s really cooking with gas. It’s a tee with another unpronounceable name, knit in Buachaille, with a travelling stitch cable pattern up front and back. It would be fun to knit, and good for layering.

AND, mirabile dictu, we have a publication date for the Vintage Shetland Project, at the end of this month. Now I can start worrying about actually getting my copy. Long ago, before her cancer diagnosis, looking forward to a different publication date, Susan grumbled about how much work it was going to be, sending out all those books. This time, we have been told that we won’t get our book unless we fill out a form confirming our address. I did that at once, but worried at the time because there seemed to be no SUBMIT button on the last page. Did she get my address? Not that it’s changed.

And “Marlisle” arrived. It’s a most interesting technique, easy to express and it should be easy to adapt. You knit with two yarns held together – two different yarns, contrasting well with each other. They will form a marled fabric. And every so often you knit a patterned, stranded section, holding the two yarns separately.

Unfortunately there’s nothing in the book, not even a hat, that I like well enough to try it out.

Some of the designs are modelled in front of an interesting-looking modern mosaic in Hackney. I showed Greek Helen, but she already knew all about it.

The final part of the new Fruity Knitting was about a shepherdess in the north of England. She doesn’t even knit!

Here is a picture of my dear cat Perdita:

Now am I going to hunker down with the first episode of the new series of “Shetland” and see if I can knock off another pattern repeat. Or even two.