I’ve said it before, but I long for the day I’ll have a little time to pick up knitting needles again.  Seriously, it’s like finger yoga.

Last night, Dan and I had a splendid time sitting and talking out on the deck, kept warm by the roaring fire.  We came in as the sky darkened, and I sat on the couch for about 45 minutes, perusing the book mentioned above.  I had seen it in a Bas Bleu catalog–bas bleu meaning bluestocking, a literary woman, a woman who reads.  The catalog is a gold mine.  You can sign up for it here, or browse it online here.

The authors met on an online knitting forum–one lives in Manhattan, the other lives in Tennessee–and became fast friends.  The book is chatty and hilarious, and it makes me want to drop everything right now and start some of these projects (especially one of their sweater coats in their second book, which you can view here).  I only wish I had the excuse that I was going to teach little L. to knit, but no such luck; she’s not quite old enough yet.

Okay, I’ve seen a lot of knitted dishcloths, but their pattern beats them all, in terms of looks.  Very cool and funky.  Don’t know on the function yet, because I haven’t made one.  Description by Kay and Ann: “Here’s the classic dishcloth recipe that goes with Peaches & Creme the way champagne goes with truffles.  Or a Diet Rite Cola with a Moon Pie, to be more exact.”  [For those of you who might not know, Peaches & Creme is a cotton yarn.]

LOVED the Bubbly Curtain, which is a simple piece of knitting that fits precisely over a window, made to simulate what it would be like to stare idly into a champagne glass, watching the bubbles travel upward in columns.  It might sound cheesy, but it’s not.  Who knows?  It may create relaxation, and how could that be a bad thing?

The Felted Boxes are calling my name.  I love small exquisite containers to keep my stash of small wonderments.  And these are stackable.  To die for.

Knitted afghans or bedspreads really is a personal-preference thing.  I’m not fond of most of them, because they’re usually not fresh-looking, but amazingly, Kay and Ann have come up with a Log Cabin one that is interesting and striking.

You poor readers who are not knitters.  Are you yawning yet?  I’ll wrap this up quickly.

Rugs, knitting projects for the kids, shawls, scarves, you name it, it’s here.  The best part is the banter, the stories, and the permission to mess up.

If you dare to learn, don’t blame me for your new addiction.  Or go ahead, blame me.  I’ve been blamed for worse.