1. Celebrated my darling Joe’s 40th birthday. He’s a good egg.

2. Decided, with Denny and (Lettuce Knit’s owner) Megan, that Denny and I are going to actually do what we said we were going to do last year, and have a “How not to buy crappy fleece at the Royal Winter Fair” class at Lettuce Knit, the morning of the fleece auction. The Fleece Auction is on the 16th of November, at 2:00 in the afternoon. Denny and I will begin to hold forth on how to choose a fleece (what’s good, what’s bad – we have samples of totally crappy fleeces we have bought in the past so that you may learn from our mistakes) from 10-12 (am) at Lettuce Knit. Then we can all make our way – together or apart (Denny and I will be taking the TTC- you’re welcome to go with us) down to the Royal Winter Fair where we will all look at the fleeces at auction and attend the auction. It should be bags of fun, especially since you get the value added of watching Denny and I try not to buy more fleece since we didn’t use up the fleeces we got last year (or maybe the year before that too.)

Call Lettuce Knit for more information about how to sign up, and what it costs and all of that. (Remember too that you’ll need a ticket to the fair as well, but it’s well worth it just for the butter sculptures.)

3. Started a new scarf. Waves of grain, which I am knitting in the exact yarn ( Royale Hare alpaca lace in Moravian Barley) that the pattern calls for because Romi made a gift of it to me when I was in California.

I know it looks a little scrambled, but it’s lace in alpaca. It always looks especially rough before blocking. I have faith.

4. I could start that because I finished the vest.

Adding one more repeat gave me all the length I wanted, and I’m happy with the width as well.

(There’s a squirrel in the tree next to me) I feel like it fits well, and is another piece I can add to my “could wear it to work and look knitterly without looking so knitterly that you’re over the line” collection.

Foxhill Farm “cormo cross” (I love this yarn. Super cushy, tons of life, but I expect nothing less from the incomparable Alice Field) in “Chestnut”. I used three skeins, although I have enough left of the third skein to make mittens. Pattern was “Diamond Rain” from Purlescence. Knit the medium, added an extra repeat of the diamonds for more length, otherwise knit as per the pattern – right down to the single crochet around the armholes.

5. Remembered that one of the reasons I crochet like a drunk howler monkey on smack is the difference in terms. I get messed up with the whole “single is double if it’s American” and remembering who’s double is treble? (Or is it the other way or do they just want me to chain around the edge?) I ended up following the directions for American single crochet because I figured that was the right thing to do, since it’s an American pattern, but I really wish we could get an international ruling on crochet terms. It makes me nuts.

6. My book has finally arrived at Lettuce Knit – and I’ll be celebrating tomorrow evening at knit night. If you’d like to buy a copy or have me sign a copy you have…. I’d love to.

8. I made a very, very good banana bread and realized we are very sick of banana bread. One bunch comes every week in the Wanigan box, and nobody here really likes eating them out of hand. Any ideas besides banana bread?

9. I started another scarf.

I feel a scarf phase setting in.

10. Has anyone seen the sock I was knitting out of Basan? Can’t find it. Making me nuts.

(PS. If you’re American, please go vote. The suspense is killing the rest of the world.)