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The December edition is newly up, and the topic is what to do when youre a knitter who doesnt feel like knitting. Its also about what to do when youre a weaver who doesnt want to weave, a crocheter who cant be bothered to pick up a hook, a tatter who is shuttle-weary, etc.

Sewing on Ethels dress continues apace. The bodice is now complete except for the high collar, the hook-and-eye closures at the back, and of course the lace trim.

I havent settled on tatting or knitting yet for the lace. There was a comment (I believe in jest) in the comments for the last entry that I do it in crochet...unless I subscribe to the notion that crochet is inherently ignoble. 

For those of you who appear not to have caught the tone of that commenters comment, I want to be perfectly clear that I do not hold any such ideas about crochet. In fact I am publicly on record in many places (including one of my own columns) as saying that I find the modern custom of keeping knitting and crochet in separate, armed camps is stupid. Neither do I believe one is superior to the other.

The lace wont be crocheted because at present I havent got the chops to do it well at the required gauge. Im learning, but Im not up to crochet with thread just yet. The kind offers to do it for me are much appreciated; but to paraphrase Hotspur in Shakespeares Henry IV, Part I, shes my dolly and Im a grown man and I have to do the work.

Im about to go on the trip that is, remarkably, not for work. I wont have Internet access for any of it, so this is the last entry until just before Christmas. The important packing is complete, which is to say I know which needlework is coming along. Im particularly excited about whats going to happen to this...

Its Shibui Staccato (merino and silk fingering weight) in Blueprint and I would sit here and stare at it all afternoon if Ethel were not reminding me that she expects a skirt sooner rather than later.

See you in a few weeks, kids. Be good.