Can O' Grammar Worms!

We can always learn something new about the people we love. Sometimes, these lessons are painful.

This morning, while I was explaining reasons why my style and another person's style are incompatible, I mentioned that this other person does not use the serial comma (also known as the Oxford or Harvard comma).

filceolaire said, "I hate the Oxford comma!"

Oh, my friends, I was distressed. I may need to re-evaluate my relationship status. At least he liked The Princess Bride, which is another one of my criteria for marriage. I guess I should have had this 'oxford comma' discussion sooner, eh?

While there are places where I might not use the serial comma, I find that I use it in almost all the places I might. I think it makes written language more like spoken language, and I believe that it makes a lot of potentially ambiguous things, well, less potentially ambiguous. Now, I am generally against the overuse of commas, and I can't stand when people use a comma when they need a full stop or a semicolon, but I am generally an Oxford Comma Fan.

How about you? Answer the poll! :) I welcome discussion on this topic.

[Poll #1176247]

ETA: I have made this poll public, because I'm curious to see what people not on my friends list might have to say. :-)

Norwegian Purl Stitch Class at iKnit London, This Saturday! [xposted to brit_knits]

Hi, folks--

I just spoke with Gerard at iKnit London, and it turns out we don't have many students at all for my Norwegian Purl class this Saturday at 4:30pm at iKnit London.

If you're interested in learning this fascinating technique from somebody who's been using it regularly for years, please consider ringing the shop and signing up! It's £10 for the class, which should run about an hour and no more than 90 minutes, and you get to spend time at iKnit London, the only knitting store in the UK that's also a licensed bar. :-) (They also have great wool, a great space, and friendly and personable shopkeepers.)

The owners were away over the weekend, and their newsletter didn't get out for this week, so here is the blurb for the class, in case you're interested:

Saturday 26 April
Hermetic Secrets of the Norweigian Purl Stitch -- Are you a continental knitter? Do you hate to purl? Here's a purl stitch you can make that won't break your rhythm.

Norwegian Purl students should be comfortable with all the basics: knitting, purling, casting on and casting off, and there will be detailed handouts to show all the steps. I will also provide links to online videos if folks would like to see examples of people going through the technique after the fact. While a swatch is not technically necessary for this class, it wouldn't hurt for folks to bring some knitting already on needles.

I'd love to see some of you there!