Well, we won. It was a very exciting match, but curiously unsatisfying. England were the better team for much of the time. A lot hinged on a “penalty try” awarded to Scotland near the end – I didn’t know there was such a thing. Here is wee Hamish, dressed for action:

 

I am pleased with the result. It’s big enough that there’s a remote chance he can wear it next year. And, as I had hoped, the uneven neck – one shoulder partly opened to make room for his head – is concealed by his shirt collar and hardly matters.

 

Dawn, you can’t imagine what pleasure your comment gave me yesterday.

 

So now what? Next is the jacket for the forthcoming great-granddaughter, and after that I’ll knit the legwarmers. Will I label them “’21” as originally intended? Or “’22”? I sort of feel ’22 should have something of its own. A sweater for Helen’s son Fergus, for sitting next to Stuart Hogg on that airplane? And Rachel has put in a bid for socks. Ginger Twist has sent the yarn for Mary Lou’s “Aroon”. It’s a wonderful dark red and I no longer regret not ordering grey. I got it wound yesterday, as well as the old Ginger Twist skein for the contrast – a useful rugby activity. 400 yards takes quite a bit of winding.

 

I have to confess that I have also ordered some rather elegant-looking needles. So I’ll go on knitting Machu Picchu for a couple of days, hoping that they’ll turn up. If not, I’ll rout around and find something here.

 

I’m enjoying Kate Davies’ new club, and am much taken with the vest which is this week’s pattern, done with travelling stitches (I’m keen on them) to produce an argyll effect. Lots of things to knit.

 

And today, of course, is the 70^th anniversary of the Queen’s accession to the throne. Pretty remarkable. I remember that day, as I fear I have often told you. I was a sophomore at Oberlin. I remember leaning forward in Mr Kennick’s 1:30 philosophy class (before the class started) and saying to the man in front of me, “Is it true that the King is dead?” I was struck at the time with the fact that I said “the King” without clarification. I have no memory at all of how I actually heard the news. I remember it as a bright and hopeful early spring day, but I don’t think I can trust memory on that one.