You’ll have noticed the change. I ordered a ha’pworth of tar from Heirloom Knitting yesterday, that’s what it was.

To elaborate: I went off and had my bath after blogging yesterday morning, still thinking hard about jabot-knitting. It occurred to me that if what I want in the result is fullness and fruitiness, perhaps a gossamer yarn is not the best choice. I have ordered two balls of Heirloom’s Merino Lace yarn in Bright White.

I thought it proper to change the TickerFactory progress bar before I sent in the order. When I finished doing the latter, I found Grannypurple’s comment already in place. It cheered me up a lot.

The yarn is slightly finer than Shetland cobweb, the Heirloom website says – not exactly chunky. I know and like it. In fact, I started my Princess in it. I had eight or ten edging repeats done when I stopped and blocked – a very unusually conscientious step, for me – and established that the resulting Princess was going to be (even) bigger than the pattern predicted. I was sort of thinking of eliminating a couple of “feathers” in the border pattern.

I must have blogged about it, because Sharon Miller herself rang me up to say, Stop! Her Gossamer Merino was brand new then. She sent me a ball to try, and the rest is history.

I can’t find that aborted effort – it must be somewhere amongst the stash. But even if I could, one incomplete ball might not be enough.

Orders from Heirloom Knitting are filled with something like the speed of sound – I should be able to start again later this week. But it was no use going on with my pretty little edging yesterday, so I re-started the Mystery Project and feel much more cheerful about it. I will be able to correct a couple of small flaws in the first attempt, as well as size. Donice (comment yesterday), I love the use you made of the Doris edging.

I had noticed the hand-knit jabot you mention, Tamar – including a four-tiered version – on offer at the Scottish Tartans Museum gift shop. It is the same one – Joannie Newsome’s design. Either she is offering to knit them herself, or has given her pattern to outworkers. The price is steep enough almost to make it worth the knitter’s while, although I suspect if you divided it by hours-needed-for-completion, you would still get a figure far under a living wage.

I had also thought (in that same bath) of starch, as you suggest, Tamar. I have heard of starching knitted lace – is there a reference to it in Gathering? It sounds bizarre, but I will explore the idea.

Not entirely non-knit

I don’t think I ever told you that the Calcutta Cup match this year was a draw. So James-the-Younger will have to wait at least a year, and probably much longer, for his CC sweater. (See my blogging of March 10 for elucidation.) Draws are relatively rare in rugby, but there is no provision against them – no extra innings or extra time.