With maturity comes responsibility.

My new coat arrived this week. A proper winter coat, 100% wool and brand spanking new. I've spent most of my coat buying years in second hand shops but this time I decided to forgo the glories of other peoples' clothes and get my own. This has nothing to do with Archie picking me up from the station last week wearing my usual winter coat - a fabulous second hand Crombie. It suits him so much better than it ever suited me. So it has nothing to do with that whatsoever, obviously.

A proper new grown up coat is a tricky business, for one thing, it cost me a lot of money so I won't be able to fling it to the floor or watch unconcerned as it slides off the seat in restaurants. It makes me look smarter and already people in shopping centres have tried to sell me credit cards. I'll have to hang it up properly and not sit on it to save me from damp park benches. Much care will have to be taken to prevent food spillages. I'll have to avoid white cats. I hope this sudden rush of maturity is worth it.

Over on the Ravelry site, I've signed up for the Stash Knit Down Knit A Mile challenge which, as the name suggests, means that you try to knit a mile of yarn from your stash in a month. So far I'm on about 300 yards out of about 1700. Still a good while to go though. I have a sickening feeling that more time will be used trying to work out how many yards are in my yarn than will be taken up with real knitting. Still, if it gives me more cupboard space I'll be happy.

Before the coat arrived and changed everything I made some marmalade, the recipe called for the grapefuit to be boiled whole till soft and then left in the water overnight. Even if I hadn't made it as far as the marmalade stage it would have been worth it for the beautiful smell from the boiling fruit. The house is a bit sticky but our toast has been wonderful.