I just finished knitting the pieces for a handbag made from Rowan's Big Print. Took about 2 hours. I'll put it together in the morning when the light is better. I used Brown Sheep worsted weight doubled for the handle because it will wear better. And besides we didn't have any of the Biggy solid colors. It's cute but anything smaller than a dictionary will probably fall through one of the holes. The pattern doesn't call for or recommend any lining.

I'm waiting more and more impatiently for my copy of Norsk Strikkdesign to arrive from Crafter's Choice. I hadn't planned to order this book until I saw some pictures on Katy Bird's blog. (She's a fabulous knitter, by the way.) Now I'm really looking forward to getting this book. I had enough bonus points to pay for it so I only have to pay the shipping charge. And today I was reminded again that I don't have it yet by a reference in Theresa's post. It's been a couple of weeks since I ordered it so maybe next week.

Ann Mary got some additional shelving today so maybe tomorrow we can begin putting out more of the new yarns. The weather has cooled a lot this week and people are beginning to think about Christmas. So it would be good if we had this stuff out.

I was helping a new customer today with some questions she had about the sock pattern she had bought at another store. The book had been translated from German and the phrasing was a little awkward. Everything was going fine until Carole came in an announced, "Hey, that's pretty good considering you don't know how to make socks!" I don't think the customer was all that bothered but I was a little embarrassed. I don't knit socks and maybe never will. But I can read a pattern.

I've never seen a heel worked like this. (Sorry, I don't remember the name of it or the pattern book.) But it was made by putting about a fourth of the stitches on a holder, then separating the remaining stitches on three double points. Work back and forth doing a yarn over at the beginning of each row, working one stitch less each time until all the stitches on the two outside needles have been wrapped with a yarn over. Then work two rounds including the stitches that had been on hold, working the yarn overs with its partner knit stitch. Put the same stitches back on a holder and work the heel stitches again starting with the center third, wrapping one stitch at the end of the row and then one stitch from the adjacent needle. Do this until all the stitches one the side needles have been knitted up. Then resume working in rounds, again working the yarn overs with the partner stitch. The yarn over wraps serve the same purpose as wrapping stitches in short rows. There is a diagonal line on each side of the heel but that's the only thing you see. The stitches from the leg just seem to continue into the foot. No heel flap or anything. Anyway, I thought it was ingenious. People who knit socks all the time may be familiar with this and think it's so last week, but I enjoyed it.

I got a little finishing done on my current project, and we had pizza for lunch.