I love publishing day.

Self-indulgent, I know, but amongst my favourite days are the days the new edition of KnitNet goes online.

Today is one of them. Inevitably, I feel humble and grateful that my email box fills with nice messages from readers.

Today's first message was from Gina, who said

Just when I think you can't possibly put out a better issue...you come up with this one! If this doesn't get every knitter out there subscribing, they just aren't paying attention! Great job!!

I've already thanked Gina for the kind words and I'd really like to take some time to bask in the glory. But, in fact, we're well into the development of the December edition, which is all about luxury. I've got a deadline to meet by the end of the day or I won't get much of a weekend.

Sic transit gloria mundi, as my old Latin teacher used to say when he was handing out exam results.

By the way, this entire edition is free to everyone. Go to the Sampler and click "start here" to navigate page by page through the whole edition.

old technology meets new

We're always crowing about new media and new technology.

After all, they've made KnitNet possible.

I was reminded today, however, that people using old technology can work wonders.

The phone rang and the screen said "Bell Relay". I couldn't imagine what that meant.

As it turns out, a KnitNet reader who is deaf wanted to ask me a question. She types into a device and the Bell operator -- Bell Relay -- reads what she says. I responded verbally and the Bell operator types what I said back to the reader.

After I finished each time, I had to say "go ahead" to signal that it was the reader's turn.

It was a very interesting experience, all around, for someone who lives, for the most part, in a world of pixels.

too cute

These way-too-cute baby socks are joining the Christmas-sock-knitting queue immediately!

I found the free pattern at elann.com . They're Fortissima Socka Fair Isle baby socks, designed by Jo Ellen Haustein for Skacel Collection.

Being a knitter, I don't make a list of people who need gifts -- I make a list of knitting I want to do and then try to figure out who to give it to! Fortunately, there are two babies-to-be in my families -- one in my blood-related family and one in the KnitNet family. (Shhh....)

great ideas

Knitters have such great ideas.

I was doing some work on KnitNet's "yarn stores and more" feature today and noticed that one of our advertisers, GreatKnittingYarns.com offers knitters a 10 per cent discount for orders placed on their birthdays.

Inventive and useful!

it's a legitimate question...

The famous knitlist recently included a discussion -- albeit short -- about Gromit, of Wallace and Gromit, knitting.

The knitter posting to the list wondered why Gromit held the needles "overhand". Is there a technique she doesn't know about?

A responder explained that since Gromit only has three fingers, overhand might be his only option.

Putting aside the fact that we are, here, talking about a cartoon character, it seems reasonable enough to me.



That said, it does beg the question: why does Wendolene Ramsbottom, who, like Wallace, is a person, presumably with four fingers and a thumb, also knit "overhand"? Maybe Nick Park needs knitting lessons.

no time to knit

Every two months, there's a week during which I have no time at all to knit. Ironically, it's the week we shoot KnitNet.

The shoot itself is long and physically tiring but, oddly enough, energizing and fun. For a knitting magazine, it's the point at which the rubber hits the road.

This time out, the crew included models Amy and Marcella -- Days of Our Lives fans will recognize Danielle Forenza as was -- with Phil as art director and, as always, Dougal, our brilliant photographer and publisher.

By the end of the day , the couches -- chesterfields to Canadians -- and beds at the furniture store were looking pretty inviting!

One of the things we were after this week was a photo to illustrate the poster KnitNet is providing -- as a PDF -- to knitters who want to start a knitting guild.

Phil thought a shot of Amy and Marcella actually knitting would be just the ticket.

Now, of course Amy and Marcella are both knitters, but I wisely insisted on providing the knitting projects. If I wasn't going to get any work done on my Christmas sock projects this week, at least I could arrange for a few rounds to be knitted at the shoot!

By the way, the shawl Marcella is wearing is worked in a brand-new Lily Chin Signature yarn, Central Park. The pattern will be published in the October edition of KnitNet.