This is true. If I were to charge minimum wage for Odes to Tools, lord knows how many hundreds it would cost.

Lovely socks. After my own attempts at knitting, $199 seems like a fair price. Best wishes.

There are hand knitted socks for sale here http://www.greenerpasturesfarm.com/RealSocksPurchasing.html for $199.00 a pair. But as the knitter points out if she was paid the minimum wage for making them they’d be $422. Sock-making is not a trivial undertaking. But then neither is book-making.

I’ve seen pictures of her handiwork, too — they’re likely to be beautiful as well as warm. Perhaps you could interest her in a copy of your book?

Clive, email me your address and I’ll send you a signed copy.

The unsigned copy can be found a good home with a poetry-loving friend.

No, I’m doing great on socks.

That’s a very kind but entirely unexpected and rather scary thought upon which I shall have to cogitate further. You sure you don’t need a pair of socks?

Well, if a certain former Africa correspondent for the BBC were willing to be a guest on the podcast and regale us with stories — and knitting tips and geekery — that would definitely be worth a chapbook!