The new Awesome hat is getting along very nicely – I should reach the crown shaping by the weekend at the latest. Someone asked – I can't find the comment, and time presses – what it was, exactly. It's just that: the Awesome Hat. I hope that link will work. The hat is by Eskimimi. You can find it by searching for Awesome Hat in Ravelry, but, alas! a lot of hats claim to be Awesome.

The Awesome-ness of this one lies mostly in the beautiful crown decreases. If anyone knits it: the pattern says to put in six markers right at the beginning. They aren't needed until you start shaping the crown so this time I have left them out, except for a beginning-of-round marker, and things are going that little bit faster and easier.

I don't think I knew that the way to do a turn-up ribbed brim is to have a fold line, knit all the way around, and then reverse the ribbing – knit where you were purling and purl where you were knitting. I know now.

I bought this yarn (madtosh Roasted Hatch Chillis) for a sleeveless vest for my husband, replacing the one lost to the NHS, but he was a bit alarmed and chose Whiskey Barrel instead. He agrees now, seeing the half-done hat, that it would have made him a splendid vest.

I have much to say about your helpful suggestions for the Koigu and the ten-stitch blanket, but the day already threatens to overwhelm – I'd better post this much.

I promise to tell you every word Perdita speaks on Christmas Eve – but what if she speaks in Polish?