Another very cold day. One of the perks of age – there are a few – is that I probably won’t be in the first car to Kirkmichael in the spring. It’s after winters like this that pipes spring leaks, no matter how carefully drained in the autumn. 1782 steps – I’m slipping. And it looks as if I won’t get out tomorrow, either. I’ll have to try harder.

 

On the other hand, I’ve finished tidying the shawl and am ready to block it. First thing tomorrow. I think maybe there’ll be room on the spare room bed, if I extend it down the sides a bit. Here it is:

 

 

By the time the cleaner left this morning, Perdita had curled up on the shawl for a nap. I’m at my best (such as it is) first thing in the morning, anyway. It’s funny about the puffiness in the centre – I hope it’ll block out. The decrease round which I neglected to include was at the very end, just before the edging – so it couldn’t be that, I don’t think.

 

Then I went back to the Evendoon – found the pattern, found the yarn, figured out where I was when I stopped – and got on well with it. I now have only a single cuff and the neckband to do. Barring a last-minute disaster, I can finish it before I start knitting the Polliwog, even if the yarn is in tomorrow’s mail, which it won’t be. Just as well, because it’s a cosy yarn (Kate Davies’ Schiehallion) and will be of more use on someone’s back now than if I finish in May.

 

And I’ve been thinking about post-Polliwog and Calcutta Cup knitting. Wee Hamish first – he’ll be easier than leg warmers. I was slightly surprised, and very pleased, to find that I put my notes on Alexander’s vest away where they should be. They’re not very intelligible, but may supply a gauge. I went to the Jamieson & Smith website and find that they have a child’s Fair Isle pattern, aged 2-3: but it comes in a kit with the yarn. I also found their blog, in which they publish several recent examples of a project of Ella Gordon’s. She’s a young designer of some distinction, who works for J&S.

 

She has been putting together colourways based on bits of Shetland landscape. For each one, bless her, she gives not only a photograph of the landscape and one of the five or six balls of yarn she has chosen, but also the catalogue numbers of the yarns. I think I might as well lean on her for my colours. The only remaining problem: which one to choose?

 

Leg warmers are going to be harder, because of my complete inexperience. That’s an interesting idea, Karen (comment, Tuesday) to knit one large, steeked tube. And as Tamar points out, a certain amount of shaping would be possible in the seaming. But there would have to be two long seams, wouldn’t there? Plenty of time to think, while I knit these other things.

 

“Sense and Sensibility” isn’t terribly good, but it’s got some good characters.