I’ve started the first item for the book, even though I haven’t heard back from the agent yet. I figure I may as well get a jump on it, because even if she doesn’t accept it, someone will. There is a market for this, I know there is. 65 MILLION knitters in North America (not to mention however many across the globe), some of them have to be less than 5’2″ or have small breasts or just be skinny or know people who are. I’m planning on making this a “wardrobe staples” type book. 5 sweaters, 5 tanks and t-shirts, 5 skirts, 5 pairs of socks and 5 “one size fits all” projects like a bag, a hat, etc. for a total of 25 pieces that can be mixed and matched and worn with all manner of things. One example is a sweater I have in my brain. A gorgeous jewel-tone merino/silk blend (more silk than wool, I want it to shine) that could be worn with a black taffeta skirt for a prom or company holiday party or with jeans and high heels for a date night. Most of the patterns for smaller people that I’ve seen come from “teen” knitting books, and all of the “teen” knitting books I’ve seen are full of fun fur and neon colors and drop shoulders and ponchos. I think they’re all designed by people who [a] have forgotten what it’s like to be a teenager and [b] haven’t looked around at what teenagers are wearing these days. Teen girls are, for the most part, quite fashion-conscious and none I know would be caught dead wearing a sweater that looks like it came directly from the skinning of a Muppet. Not to mention that no one over the age of 25, at least not anyone with any good sense, would wear an oversized tangerine-orange drop-shouldered sweater with a rolled hem and think it looked good. *shudder* I came into my own, fashion-sense-wise, a bit later than most, but I’ve got a good eye now. While I usually stick with a well-fitting t-shirt (black or grey) and well-fitting jeans (light blue, low-rise, boot cut), I’ve seen enough episodes of “What Not to Wear” and sighed enough times at my mother’s own disasters that I’ve got most of it figured out (just a hint: leopard print belongs on pimps and gals in Queens, not on vest-and-tie combos, and CERTAINLY NOT at a wedding, and please for the love of all things holy stop wearing socks with sandals. One or the other. And tevas do not belong with slacks).

Now that’s out of my system (wasn’t planning a rant, but there you go), I want to propose a knitalong. I’ve decided that I’m going to make Baudelaire socks for my sock it to me swap giftee, and I want some company. There was a Baudelaire-specific KAL last July, but the link is down for whatever reason. So if you have some yarn kicking away (haha I slay me) in the stash and want to make lace and/or cable socks, not just Baudelaire, but perhaps something else, I’ll make a button today and we can have check-ins on Fridays, starting next week.

OH!  And one more thing: First pattern for the Allison/WhyMommy charity drive is 95% done.  It’s a doll, bigger and differently shaped than the ones I sell now, knit in one piece from the top-down.  I have to finish writing instructions for the clothes, and then it’ll be ready for y’all to snatch up.  I didn’t get any test knitters yet, so there’s no pictures in the pattern, but I’m sure someone will come through for me!