No Andrew and Andrea, but a very good day with Gudrun’s hap. I’ve finished the border set-up rows, probably the hardest part of the whole exercise, and have embarked on the colours and the Old Shale pattern. If my zeal continues, I might finish in Feb or early March. I hate knitting to a deadline, but babies do rather impose them.

The border is rather shallow. The edging will then take a long time -- only one stitch eliminated from the body of the shawl for every two rows of edging. But it is an exercise I particularly enjoy.

I have decided to bite on the bullet (as we say) and purl alternate rounds. It’s not too bad, although obviously not as soothing as knitting.

The one problem I foresee is that Old Shale is so easy it’s hard. I had to tink a whole side just now. Worse than that – I saw the mistake when I was not far in, tinked back, and then thought, no, no, I was right the first time – and only grasped when I got to the end of the side that I was not right the first time, and would have to undo the whole thing. All is now well.

The patterning is only on every sixth row – I hope that next time, and from then on, I can be guided by seeing the pattern stack up on itself.

I wish I could remember the hap I seem to have knit for my sister’s younger grandson, Emmett LeCompte. It has completely evaporated from memory. If there ever was such a thing, it must have been done in 2017. I could flip through the blog. But that’s the year my husband died, and I am not greatly keen on revisiting it.

Non-knit

Here’s the avocado tree today:

I think you’ll agree that there are grounds for hope.

Having finished “Emma” I have reverted to Ruth Rendell. She’s brilliant, even when she’s a bit weak, but I need something meatier and don’t know where to turn. Maybe something Italian.

It sounds stormy out there tonight.