Happiness is...

A new knitting book! My thanks to Jellyknits for enabling this particular choice. Once I got my mitts on her copy I was powerless to resist!

I ordered it from my local bookshop, Bridge Street Books in Wicklow Town. (Tel/Fax +353 (0) 404 62240) and they got it for me in double quick time. Thanks Hilary, Joanne and Sandy!

They know that I can't wait to get a new book once it's ordered. They're so good too, they let me babble about each book when I pick it up and I make them look at all the patterns! That takes patience for non-knitters as we know.

I guess they think I'm safer off the streets for a while so they're doing a social service for the community.

Anyway, back to the book. I haven't had time to read it in detail (I'm looking forward to an uninterrupted moment - probably sometime next March!) but it looks as if it doesn't assume that you're a lace whizz and it holds your hand while you try out the lace patterns.

To be honest, some of the pieces are unfeasibly large, would take YEARS to complete and are probably quite unwearable. Tablecloth? Bedjacket anyone?

On the other hand, it's definitely all about the lace and it's really really beautiful.

It's also sumptuously produced, with fantastic photos, historical locations, and best of all, lots of knitting and social history, which I love.

Just holding this book is a pleasure. Boy, have I got it bad!

I'm not predicting when I'll actually have time to tackle any of these projects, but it does bring me joy knowing that they might be in my future.

I'll settle for that.

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Edited to add: Here's the scarf from Grumperina which began my journey to this book last year, until last weekend when Jellyknits sent me over the edge - and it's the most likely project I'll someday take on. Fabulolus.

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