Musings

On Patterns:
Today I posted a new pattern, the Royal Crown Hat, on Ravelry, and sold one within the first five minutes. I had someone test the pattern, and she was so kind:

"In reference to the pattern, anyone should be able to do this pattern. It's well written and if you follow the directions as written, it will be no problem at all. Flawless. Just read it.
This was a fun knit and I am sure will be a huge hit with little kids or even bigger kids too.

Thanks for letting me test it. I wish all patterns were this clear and easy to follow."

Here's her hat:


As you can tell, I'm feeling pretty good about that right now.

So I decided after not working very much tonight to try and link the pattern to my blog with a Paypal button hosted through Ravelry. And it worked. And then I decided to create a list of my patterns in the sidebar, with links to those entries that have the "buy now" button in them, and that worked too (see the new gadget over in the sidebar?). It remains to be seen whether actually purchasing a pattern from here works.

On Books:
I'm reading a wonderful book, Magnus, by Sylvie Germain. It is in French, and I don't know if it's available in English, but if it is I would really really recommend it to anyone who recognizes the author over there in my list of Literary Muses, and especially Umberto Eco. I just realized that I need to add W.G. Sebald to that list. And anyone who has read Sebald should read this novel, even if they have to learn French to do it.

Why those authors? Because this is a novel that explores memory, and the construction of memories, both individual and cultural. And the horrors of World War II in Europe play a big part of that. I am just starting on this one, but Germain had me within five pages. Magnus is the name of a teddy bear that belongs to a five-year-old boy who lost his memory to a terrible fever and whose mother builds his memory again by telling him stories. There is an incredible moment early in this novel when the boy's father's occupation is revealed in a subtle and devastating way.


On baby and knitting:
Last musing. . .for tonight. I've been doing a lot of knitting lately, and a lot of it is happening as I drink coffee after breakfast or dinner, with my youngest next to me at the table doing his puzzles or coloring. It's been quite pleasant actually, he's developed his own words for my knitting. "Orie" is for "orange," the color of the socks I knit for my mother-in-law, but it also appears to mean "socks that mama is knitting," even if they're green (like the socks I'm knitting for dada). "Row" is what mama has to finish before she'll do what Gavyn wants. But this is the part I love: The other day he was in my lap as I quickly checked a few blog updates (not my choice, but his father came in and dumped him on my lap). Every time he saw a piece of knitting he said, "Row," with a big smile. And he said it again, and again, and again. Well he's two now, you know how that goes.