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See that bit of embarrassing memorabilia? I compiled that list in March 1964 when I was 13 years old and engaged to marry Paul McCartney.

Yes, there was a bit of an age gap but I was certain he'd wait for me . . . true love being what it is and all that.

Who knew that I'd actually marry before he did?

Yes, for a brief period in time I was a crazy, screaming, head-over-heels-in-love-with-a-total-stranger Beatlemaniac. A fangrrl, although we spelled it g i r l back then. (What's with those double Rs anyway? Power? Strength? A variation on the outbreak of e e cummings-itis that's all over the web?)

I pretty much went temporarily insane from February 1964 to February 1965 and loved every second of it. I saw the Beatles perform at Forest Hills. Chased after the Rolling Stones. Went to more dress rehearsals of the Ed Sullivan Show than I can count and saw Gerry & The Pacemakers, the Dave Clark Five, The Searchers (be still my heart at the merest memory of drummer Chris Curtis), The Supremes, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles -- I pretty much saw everyone.

And then I grew up. Sort of. Kind of. Maybe a little. Singers were . . . singers. Rock groups were terrific and I loved them but my friends and I no longer haunted the streets of Manhattan praying for random sightings of Really Famous People.

So imagine my shock when I came back into the knitting fold and discovered that my latent fangrrl gene had reawakened and turned its energies toward Knitting Goddesses.

And imagine my excitement when some of those Knitting Goddesses turned up in our comments section right here.

THE Wendy! I mean, this is THE Wendy of the amazing lacework and fab toe-up socks and clear beautifully elegant instructions and her book and Lucy. I don't have to tell you why you want to read THE Wendy. You already know why.

Dawn Brocco of the incredible baby blankets, sweaters, and scrumptious shagged socks. (Not to mention Pickles.)

And, in case you missed it, Bonne Marie of ChicKnits stopped by and I swear to you I actually hyperventilated. Bonne Marie is one of the very first Knitting Goddesses I read and if you want the world's clearest description of how to attach a zipper to a knitted garment, Bonne Marie has a fantastic tutorial on her site. (Lots of fantastic tutorials, btw.) You've seen her work in Knitty (the famous Voodoo Wrist Warmers, for example) and there are more terrific, beautifully designed patterns available for purchase on her site.

Which leads me to the other two Chicago knitbloggers I read and love:

Theresa, aka The Keyboard Biologist, who not only writes wonderful blog entries, her tutorial on applied I-cord is prizeworthy.

And Franklin, The Panopticon. For the knitting, the laughter . . . and Dolores. Sheep on a Plane is classic.

(Is it the water in Chicago, the pizza, the snow? They seem to have more blogworthy knitters per square foot than any other geographical area.)

And I can't forget Liz at House Arrest who proves knitting is alive and well in Brooklyn.

Those are my Blogs of Choice. I love 'em. Absolutely love 'em.

In fact I love them enough to say something I never thought I'd say (something my Jets-loving Goldisox better not hear): "Go, Bears!"