That would be my BKFF, Chris.
She surprised me on my birthday with a copy of Twisted-Stitch Knitting, an absolutely brilliant book that had somehow never made it onto my radar. This is a reprint by Schoolhouse Press of a book that was originally published in German and that offers a grand assortment of traditional Austrian knitting stitches and patterns for sweaters and hose.
The designs are all charted using a system rather different from what I’m used to, so I find I need to rechart them to be sure I really understand what’s going on, but that’s all part of the fun. I’ve already designed my first pair of socks using this book (to be cast on only after I grade today’s requisite number of student papers). I’m also imagining a sturdy, aran-weight cape with a high, buttoned neck.
I just can’t say how happy it makes me to discover new stitches I haven’t seen before. Even when I’m not really thinking about them, they’re there in the back of my mind, weaving about one another, creating new combinations, and generally keeping me both happy and distracted. Heaven!