My square is in the lower right hand corner, two spaces below the “N” in “chosen.” The one with stripes of yellow, pearl grey, and black-and-white checks. It was inspired by the classic sleeve for Ze Records disco 12-inches, and is dedicated to the memory of my friend Robert Penland and all the other groovy queens I lost to AIDS in my early adulthood.

I finished my first pair of socks!

I should not come as a surprise to anyone who knows me, or has read United States of Americana, that I am crazy for crafts. (And crazy really is the right word, as I detailed in this article for The Stranger a few years ago.) So between knitting and needlepoint projects, but before I haul out the Christmas card-making supplies, I am taking a respite to sign books and visit with friends at the Urban Craft Uprising Winter 2010 extravaganza this weekend. 

Complete signing schedule here. I’ll be there Saturday from 3 to 4 PM, and Sunday from noon to 1 PM. Shop indie, shop local!

I’m going to be hanging out with Marty Riemer and Jodi Blau next Tuesday morning, Nov. 2. Tune in via www.martyriemer.com at 9:30 AM Pacific and listen as (hopefully) hilarity ensues. I did an event with Marty and Jodi as part of the Bumbershoot 40th Anniversary earlier this fall. They had me in stitches, and didn’t seem the least bit freaked out I was wearing the homemade hat shown above, so I’m looking forward to a very lively discussion. And if you miss the show live, fear not; you can download the podcast from iTunes afterward.