So I hesitated before I showed this to you. I really did. Because I know it looks like a crumpled mess at this point. But I also know it will be ever so much more fetching once it gets a little block. And I've truly come to believe that a lot of folks think their knitting isn't very good when in fact it's their blocking that is, perhaps, less than polished. And it's actually really easy to get better at blocking. Getting better at blocking is about 90% DECIDING TO ACTUALLY BLOCK, 5% getting the fabric both all the way [...]

Can you knit a baby hat in a day? Well I mean that probably depends a lot on you, the baby hat, and the day if we're being honest. But if you happen to manage to set things up such that you're using lovely fat yarn and a fairly quick pattern and you're not too bothered about accomplishing much else that day, it's certainly at least theoretically feasible. Though my elbow doesn't really recommend it. And it's absolutely for sure going to take longer to dry than it does to knit on a chilly, drizzly late October day in Maine. [...]

Have I sewn the purple, curly-tipped hat to a hair clip? Yes. I regret to report that after much egging on by the rowdier element amongst us, I have succumbed to peer pressure and/or my baser instincts and done exactly that. Is this the right way to do it, the way you're supposed to do such things? Folks, if you can use concepts like 'supposed to' and 'right way' when it comes to an activity like sewing a tiny, pointy knit hat to a hairclip, we have such wildly different concepts of authority and permission that I may not be [...]

Ok, so we talked about the box option for the insides yesterday, today let's look at the tins.⁠ As I said in the previous post, you need...something...to go inside your book and be the 'pages' (ahem, and also the wee tiny compartment where you hide your treasures, but I assume you know that bit already). We talked about boxes last time, but I suspect most of you are going to use tins because they're even easier to find and tend to accumulate in the dark corners of desks and closets. At least they do in my house, you could have [...]

Huh, ok, you folks are as enamored of the books as I am. I mean I probably should have known. We knitters do tend to be a bookish bunch on the whole. But it's always lovely to find out for sure!⁠ So, normally I'd do this a little closer to the release, but since folks are excited, I figure maybe I'll start now. To build these little books you need some...stuff to go inside. I want to give you plenty of time to track that stuff down so you can cast on when the pattern comes out if you're so [...]

So I know I said no more books, but apparently there's a tiny part of my soul that is just determined to prove me wrong! Yes, they open. Yes, there is a tiny secret container in there to put stuff in. Yes, they delight me in ways that are difficult to put into words and even more difficult to explain to anyone who has an easier time passing as a respectable adult than I do. And no, no I am not sorry at all. If they delight you as much as they do me, the testing call is up on [...]

Here's your monthly reminder that abortions are good, I am staunchly pro abortion, and if you support me, I will absolutely give some of your money to causes I believe in. My very first patreon goal was to set up a recurring donation to help pay for abortions, and that's what we're doing here. Aid Access provides abortion pills by mail to people in all 50 states. Abortion pills are safe and effective and give people the ability to terminate their own pregnancies at home without going to the doctor. You can order them right now, even if you're not [...]