I knit a couple more inches on the plain-stockinette part of the Zelda Pull while reading on "The Little Ice Age" by Brian Fagan.

It's really interesting. And, as is typical when I read books about the Middle Ages, I'm really really really really really grateful I live now. Because of little things - like, when I got up this morning, I could go to the kitchen for a glass of orange juice and a big bowl of Cheerios, and know that when I ran out of Cheerios, I could just go to the store and buy another box. And for the fact that my house is heated by an appliance I just have to pay to run, instead of having to chop wood and feed a fire and all that. And that I live a very parasite-free existence. Stuff like that.

And here's a "What th'???" for Friday:

Viking Chicken Hat.

warning to the vegetarians who are vegetarians partly 'cos raw meat grosses them out: this is not a hat for viking chickens, nor a viking hat for chickens, but a viking hat made to resemble a raw chicken. So you might not want to click there, if the thought of wearing something that resembles a raw chicken on your head grosses you out.

If, however, the thought of raw chickens on your head strikes you as something amusing in a camp or social-commentary sort of way (or if you're just into Monty Python type humor), you can get a pattern for it (free) here. Alas, apparently it's just baby-sized, but I suppose one could modify it to be adult-sized.

The link was found on Alexandra's blog, she of the Fibonacci sweater (which she e-mailed me about - because I commented about making it here on the blog - to tell me there were a couple corrections. Wow. I'm impressed by that; most pattern designers wouldn't bother). She's also the woman who created Pasha.