Book now published and available from bookshops etc. Cover price £9.99.  £7.99 from me (postage £1.50).  I am doing a signing/demonstration at Borders Brent Cross 2.00 on Sunday 22nd November.  To order send an email to susette@susetteknits.org.uk.  You can pay by cheque or Paypal.

There will be a book signing for my book ‘Cozy Gloves’ 30 different patterns for knitted gloves and Mittens, at Borders at Brent Cross (the bit across the road from the main shopping centre) on Sunday 22nd November at 2.0′clock.  A perfect Christmas or Channukah present for a knitting friend.

I have just received a preview copy of my book, ‘Cozy Gloves’.  Very exciting.

Just back from Oxford. Great Summer School and an enthusiastic class doing lots of different projects. I have  photos and will hope to get them on the website susetteknits.org.uk soon. If anyone out there is thinking about Christmas (or other)presents the website is worth checking for needlecases and decorative scissors as well as needles etc.

I have now got the proofs of my book which looks good-but is 154 pages to check by Friday!

My Cozy Glove Book is on its way to the publishers-really glad that deadline is out of the way. I feel the need to knit something quite different from the 30 pairs of gloves I had to do for the book! Hopefully it will be published for Christmas.

The last Council meeting before the end of the Council Year discussed the removal of wardens from sheltered housing.  The Conservative administration remains adamant that it is not needed. It is.  The Lib Dem group feel strongly that it is a needed and valued service.

I understand that the Conservative Party in Barnet has different ideals to ours. What I cannot understand is the apalling way that they giggled among themselves while this serious item was being discussed.

An appeal to the Mayor brough no reprimand to them, just the suggestion that “Cllr Palmer should go back to her knitting”.

How did they get to be so arrogant (and so wrong).

If you are going to knit this you will need to crochet an edge on the loop ’stage 2′ to get the effect as shown in the picture.

Social Mobility and the Library System.

I was called to make an intervention in the social mobility debate at Lib. Dem. Conference in Bournemouth this week. I drew attention to the OECD report which shows that children who read for pleasure are more likely to better themselves. Repeating my words to Barnet ‘s last Council Meeting I reiterated that the free library system was wellplaced to interest children in reading from the charity Baby Bookstart through baby rhyme time (my grand-twins love it) and storytime schemes, to summer reading challenges and teenage reading groups in their own part of the library.

In Barnet I paid a special tribute to the Children’s librarian Hannah Richens, reminded members that we were one of the first Children’s libraries and congratulated library staff on their efforts. I also suggested it was high time that Cllr Mrs Bannister without whom none of it would have happened was awarded a plaque in Hendon Library.

“It is essential”, she ended at Bournemouth that we use the Library system “It’s free, it’s there and we should use it to the best advantage.”

PS Those eagle eyed among you would have seen me knitting in TV shots of Conference. It is a very nice Susette designed beaded glove. Pattern on request! No problem with needles this year!!

These are the areas dear to my heart.  Barnet has , this year achieved 7 green flag parks.  This is good.  For very unusual reasons I, as an opposition COuncillor, chaired the meeting of the committee dealing with parks, when we didn’t have any green flags,  and was able to get agreement for a resolution to go for Green Flag parks asap.  However I did not intend that this would mean taking park-keepers (also reinstated as my policy when Chair) away from other parks for large proportion of their time.  I do think that more attention needs to be paid to some of the parks and open spaces in the Borough and am putting forward an amend ment at next weeks COuncil meeting to say so.

Libraries come up at that meeting as well.  The Administration are proposing a voluntary reading scheme.  It sounds good but hope to get more information.  Meanwhile , in the minutes from last time, Cllr Coleman berates me for objecting to the disgraceful charge of £1000 for shops to use the curtilege because I complained about the cafe Nero’s cigarette stubs (they have since cleaned up their act.)  “THis gives us the power we did not have before to deal with it”, he says.  THIS IS RUBBISH. The ward officers (abolished by this Tory Administration.)were able, and did take care of it under existing legislation.  He also takes a swipe at my knitting.  Since my knitting is the most constructive thing to come out of COuncil Meetings as they are now constituted I can happily take this in my stride.

For those interested my current project is a book of glove projects.  I am working on a DK glove in Rowan Tapestry.  A simple but effective lace pattern.  For more about my knitting see www.susetteknits.org.uk