I have been having the kind of month when I am constantly running behind myself. I think this is called Modern Life, but hopefully I can retire to my Absolutely Old-Fashioned Life once Christmas preparation is well under way.

• I have been running a lot of Christmas crafts demonstrations and workshops lately. One of the least expected (and totally new favourite) outcome is my Christmas Pudding pin cushion. I shall need to show you.
• I have been busy designing a new shawl pattern. The charts kept mocking me, but I am back on track. I ran a small Twitter giveaway in which people could win my new pattern which proved to be a lot of fun.
• Meanwhile the Old Maiden Aunt knit-along is nearing the final stage and people have been posting heaps of finished Karise shawls. I get this really funny feeling in my stomach every time I see another one. I'll need to show you a selection of my favourites too.
• I have managed to injure my wrist by knitting too much, but once I recover and also find time for some personal knitting, I'm pondering knitting another Kim Hargreaves cardigan in some more Baby Alpaca DK. Because I actually love wearing my Red Cardigan of Doom. It is the warmest, cosiest thing I own. Am I totally insane?
• We have been watching plenty of films in Casa Bookish lately. They have no been particularly highbrow films, but I really enjoyed watching X-men: First Class and Centurion. On a slightly more high-brow note, I am still enthralled by Mark Cousin's The Story of Film and have just begun watching the second season of The Killing (the Danish version, natch).
• No books since my double whammy of Jane Eyre and Virginia Woolf's Flush. I have a mind to read some Djuna Barnesnext, but we shall see.
• I have been doing a lot of Christmas shopping online and hardly anything has shown up despite me ordering things ages ago. I know it is only end of November, but I am usually done with my Christmas shopping by September, so I am antsy.
• I have been listening to a lot of Nick Drake lately (because I'm that kind of aging hipster). Saturday Sun may well be my new favourite song.

I am well aware that I have not been blogging as much as I would like. Partly it is because I have been rather stressed and partly because I am hoping to unveil a new look Fourth Edition in the new year. Being a one-woman show is not all that it is cracked up to be sometimes!