Here’s a little project to keep you busy during the winter months - try knitting a despot.

Rachael Matthews, kniting revivalist and author of such books as Knitorama: 25 Great & Glam Things to Knit, has come up with a new set of patterns for 16 dictator dolls.

These include loathed leaders Hitler (Adolf Knitler) Idi Amin, Pol Pot and Saddam Hussein.

Take a close look at the picture: Knitler seems to have a bit of a gender identity crisis.

He’s definitely got childbearing hips and that pants suit looks like something out of Sex and the City.

Of course these aren’t the sort of dollies you give the average four-year-old, but I find the image of a skinhead tucked up in bed with his little Knitler kind of sweet, in a perverse sort of way.

Knitting a dictator may even be theraputic: after all, the more time you spend making and playing with dolls, the less time they have for inflicting violence on minorities.

Since this story appeared online, some bloggers have suggested that once you knit a despot you should start poking your needles into them. Great idea, but voodoo only works if you have a piece of your victim’s DNA attached to your effigy.

Shameless self-promotion time.

I’ll be adopting my DJ Liberty Valance guise on Saturday night to spin a few records at Wellington’s Bar Bodega in support of some buddies of mine who are launching their new album.

Expect a blend of blues, punk and country from me.

As for the band Neil Worboys and the Real Time Liners, get a sneak preview of them here.