The ruffle cardi is now sitting in the freezer, alongside the Aunt Bessies Yorkshire Puddings*, a bag of frozen turmeric root and some indigo bark brought back from the dye workshop in Luang Prabang last year.

Defrosting something for lunch in this household can be a risky experience.

* Yes, even though I'm a Yorkshire girl, Aunt Bessies Yorkshire Puddings are so good that it's not worth bothering with all the hot fat to make my own.  Even my Mum bought them, after years of practice meant that in our family, hers were the gold standard.  She'd have been 84 yesterday, incidentally.  Bless her.