I had a nice time with Helen in John Lewis's yesterday. I didn’t much fancy the new Rowan book she had come to buy – too much Kidsilk Haze, which I have eschewed for life. Some nice KF stripes in there, admittedly. Neither of us bought any yarn! Although we were glad to note that the department seemed busy.

She was wearing the Stacked Wedges scarf from “Knitting New Scarves”, and I think that’s going to be my choice. I’ve been browsing the KNS Knitalong, however – the variety of things people choose to knit is a great tribute to the book – and am (a) tempted by the general enthusiasm for Shag and (b) tempted back towards Drifting Pleats by the happiness of the one blogger I read who had finished it. Maybe next time.

And next time is likely to be the Swiss Mountain cashmere and silk I have had my eye on for a while. I think it might lend itself well to pleat-drifting.

So that was nice. Although I'm no further forward on the question of how to add an active button to my sidebar.

Lindsay, the JL Rowan lady, lent me “Knitting America” which is extremely interesting. So far I have been mostly browsing the pictures, for it is truly lavishly illustrated, but I’m going to have to double back and pay strict attention to the text. I don’t think it’s quite as solidly scholarly as Bishop Rutt’s excellent book, but I’ll let you know. [Too many adverbs in that paragraph.]

And the news which Lindsay and Helen were talking about – and which I myself had an email about when I got home – is that Glasgow’s K1 Yarns is to open here in Edinburgh. No date yet, but the site is chosen. Back when I had the choice, I preferred our own HK Handknit. But now that that option is closed, it is great news that we are to have another specialist yarn shop here.

Since I seem to be flitting from Odds to Ends this morning: I followed Franklin’s link to Meg Swansen’s knitalongs yesterday. I tried the Conch Hat myself once – it’s tremendous fun, but mine came out sized for a premature baby, or perhaps a cat. I think maybe one would have to get the Sheepsdown yarn specified, and I’m not currently tempted, amidst my other temptations. But I’m going to sign on for the Kliban Hat, later on, even without a cat to knit for. It includes instructions for “adding color stripes in ribbing without producing a wrong side”. Wow!

Politics

Hillary says that the five million dollars she lent her campaign was all her own money, not Bill’s. So how did she come by five million dollars? If that much money sticks to subsidiary occupants of the White House, no wonder people are willing to put themselves through this ordeal to get there.

There was a depressing article in the Telegraph yesterday, rude about the whole process – “the whistling, yelling crowds….look dated, and somehow at odds with a country with as many difficulties as this one” – and about all the current participants. Most rude about Mrs Clinton, least rude about Mr. McCain.