As some readers already know, I am an admirer of Herbert Hoover. He was one of the most principled Presidents we’ve ever had, and although he made mistakes, he was very intelligent. He had the unique (in this century anyway) ability to look beyond his own ego and work for what he believed was good, regardless of which political party was involved. In ordinary times, he and FDR would both have been ordinary presidents. The extraordinary time of 1930s and 1940s turned one into a villian and the other into a hero — but neither would have earned such labels in other eras.

So imagine my joy when, while perusing the new issue of Knitty magazine, I found this pattern for a lovely baby blanket based on one Lou Henry Hoover designed. And me, in need of a baby gift too! The story that accompanies the pattern is interesting, perhaps even to non-knitters.

The new Knitty is pretty good — there’s at least two patterns I can’t wait to work on!