Since the BBB (boring baby blanket) and I are still….well. Boring. How about some pictures from my first visit to New York City? (I told you I would get around to it. It takes me a while, but I get there. I haven’t forgotten Boston. I’ll do it soon.)
New York was one of the first things that I did for the book and I was awestruck.
I was worried because I kept getting all these emails from all these people who said “Seriously…you’re speaking at Lord & Taylor?”
Several of the more convinced and concerned suggested that I double check with Sarah-the-wonder-publicist and see if she was maybe a) smokin’ the stash (if you know what I mean) b) being misled by cruel New York Corporate types. c) Wrong.
I wasn’t worried because I didn’t know what Lord & Taylor was. (If I had, I would have been deeply concerned.)
Lord & Taylor (it turns out) is an old and established department store. The kind that sells “foundation garments on the 8th floor” and has the ladies who spritz you with perfume (if you are slow) on the way in.
As I walked through Lord & Taylor, accompanied by several official people at all times (they must have noticed me sizing up the exits) I started to worry. I knew there would be a microphone. I didn’t like that idea. I knew there would be people. Usually I kind of like people, especially knitting people, but all of a sudden I didn’t like that either. I made a mental note of the elevator location (always know the way out.) and stepped onto the 11th floor….and there were knitters. Tons. Lined up. (I will admit that for a minute I wondered who they were there to see.) I was hustled by the wranglers (Plural. I must look like trouble) into a back room where I signed about 250 copies of the book in 30 minutes. (Adrenaline. I’m sure of it.)
Now I don’t know how I looked to those knitters. (Probably pale and weird. Oh, and sweaty. Let’s not forget sweaty.) but this is how it looked if you were me.
Scary eh?
The after part was a hoot…I met knitters and bloggers and the friends of knitters and bloggers….there were so many that the world whirled quickly around me….oh, that may have been the wine.
The Ladies of the Drafty Table (the best knitting group name ever)
Our lady Kay (and a friend of hers who was completely charming, and who’s name I have forgotten. I was a little overwhelmed.)
more bloggers….Juno, Cassie and Cassie, New York fabulousness.
It was big, it was scary, it was incredible, it was….New York.
All of a sudden I feel nervous again.
Thank heavens you are back! Anticipating the west coast, are we?
— Laurie
Glad to see you made it out alive… “foundation garments” sounds terrifying. Any plans to hit Chicago with your fabulousness?
I was there, and I am here to tell you that YOU brought fabulousness to New York!
Thanks!
Well, New York will do that to you. It still does it to me when I visit, even though I was born there and lived in and around there for 23 years. You survived, New Yorkers are usually really nice when you get to talk to them, and you’re coming to California. Yay!!!
Now, about the BBB…
dee near Berkeley
That’s Phyllis Howe with me! But it was a good kind of nervous, right?
It still blows my mind that it was at Lord & Taylor. I mean, LORD & TAYLOR!
Next time, insist on Bergdorf’s. At Bergdorf’s, one lowers one’s voice and tries to look like a Size 6. xox Kay
I too thought Lord & Taylor was a weird place for you to speak, but hey.
I’ve spoken to big crowds myself (actually I think small & big are easy; medium audiences are the very worst, there’s something really awful about a crowd of about 25 people). So I’m not making fun. I have to know. Did you seriously forget, while on the way in to your speaking engagement, that they were there to see you?
Sheesh, I’m glad you survived and made it to us in Boston after all that!
I love the Cassie picture. It’s a classic. I’m sure one of them is happier about the angle of focus.
Love hearing your view of the world. I guess I’m a voyeur at heart.
I (and I’m sure, countless others) would absolutely love it if Sarah-the-wonder-publicist can get you to St. Louis (Missouri)! There’s a couple Lord & Taylor stores there…
yay! the photos finally made it! (i’m in the third one, middleish, the rear of the front table, with a green shirt (no sweater over it)
we too were confused by the locale… my friend (new addicted to knitting thanks to moi) seriously asked “they don’t sell yarn here do they?” and looked disappointed when the answer was no. ;o)
and we would have never guessed how nervous you were if you didn’t tell us!
can’t wait for you to return, hopefully next time the full bladder and empty stomach won’t be strong enough to keep me from saying hi afterwards…
Nervous, huh? New York’ll do that to a person. It’s fabulous, though. Hope you got to see some of the sights. I used to work here: http://www.petergof.com/nyc/world_wide_plaza.htm and still miss it.
The sock, by the way, looks like it is a regular New Yorker in that pic. Way too jaded to look awestruck.
AAhhhh! You’re here, at Stash, and I’m stuck at work. I am so bummed out. Sorry to miss you, but I’ll bet you get a few of my SnB girls in your photos. 😉 You’ll do well. Don’t worry, they are nice. And, it’s Berkeley, after all and no harm can come to you in a self-declared nuclear free zone. Or can it?
Hey! That’s me in the third picture – the XY choromosome in front looking like Hot Creamed Death. Immediately before I went to Duane Reade (it’s a New York thing) to buy Visine to conceal the fact (from myself as well) that I had pink eye. What a hellish week that was, but I got to see you!
I met the bookend cassie’s! 🙂
New York is wonderous. Wish I were there.
Big, scary, incredible and oh! so FABULOUS!! I was there a month ago for a few days, met the two Cassies, a Cara and a Katy, an Ann and a Nancy — and more (though not as many as you and I didn’t have to talk to them all at once! It was great to have people to lead me — I didn’t need to figure out how to get from A to B and where to eat, and they’d tell me to look when there was something I needed to see. I’d go back in a minute (and I’ll bet that you would, too). California will be a piece of cake!
I think i’m the only non-blogging Drafty Table lady. They are just a brilliant, kind, wonderful group of women and I’m lucky to have them for friends and knitting companions. As to your talk at L&T, I was one of the chief instigators of “ummmmm, are you SURE you’re speaking at Lord and Taylor???” but that was one of the most swell parties I’ve ever attended. You didn’t betray your nervousness at all. We were all so happy to be there, and it was a wonderful night. Come back (though you may wish to wait until the humidity breaks)! Not to be greedy about it, but New York misses you.
L&T looked like fun! I’m looking forward to your West Coast tour – I’m just about done with lace top that I’m wearing to your book signing on Sunday. 🙂
Nothing at all to do with today’s post (except for the notion of Harlot-esque knitting fabulousness being spread to all and sundry), but…since at least one sock has been photographed at a Toronto Blue Jays game, mightn’t you be able to convince the Blue Jays front office to follow the lead of the Seattle Mariners?
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/mariners/2002393097_stitchnpitch21m.html
C’mon, with the loyal Harlot readership in the greater Toronto area, I bet they’d have a sell-out crowd on their hands. And if they had the actual YARN HARLOT to throw out the first pitch…hoo boy.
–Kristen
the Orioles are NOT slipping; no, no, no!
i’m so happy to finally get to see photos from this event (that MAY be me and my fabulous knitting roomie all the way in the back in the third photo holding up our knitting). it was such a treat to be in a room with so many generous souls, and i am simply amazed by your technique. my brain doesn’t go that fast – i am still trying to comprehend how your hands do. if you come to ny again, i’ll brave the long line to talk to you. i was too shy.
thanks again!
There’s wine in Chicago.
And I ain’t talkin’ about the noise I’m making right now…
I was thinking the other day that I hope the parents of the baby the BBB is destined for don’t read your blog. They may end up concerned that there’ll be bad karma attached to it and be too afraid to wrap it around the wee one…
NY looks like a whole lot of fun! I was there for the first time in March of last year, and went in to Lord & Taylor with a friend of mine. We made a game out of trying to keep nonchalant expressions on our faces while looking at various price tags, or we were sure the sales people would have had us thrown out. Quite a prestigious haunt for the sock!
I’m having a hard time stopping myself from singing out a rousing chorus of NEW YORK, NEW YORRRRRRRK!
STITCH & PITCH!!!!! Sorry. Saw that in the comments above and got a little excited.
New Yawk cannot be that scary…except for the fact that you can’t see the sky and the trains are a little confusing and there’s SOOOO many people…but I love it 🙂
Hope to see the sock when you visit us here in luverly Seattle!
Libby
WHEN ARE YOU COMING TO BOSTON????? Not that I’d stalk you or anything…it’s just that Boston is sorta close.
Julia–don’t worry, I think the Harlot’s appearance at Stash is next Tuesday [unless there’s another yarnstore named Stash, in a different area…]. I’ll have to miss it, though, since it starts at 5 and I work until 530…so sad.
New York does that to me too, and I live only ’bout half an hour out!
Can’t wait for you to come to my end of the continent! Berkeley here i come…
http://joknits.livejournal.com
Oops, I should have warned you about Lord and Taylor, the spritzing and ladies foundations. It is a venerable institution and they even have a number in little ole CT. It would be sooooo much better if they sold yarn, needles, knitting mags and books and the like. I hope you told them that before you left the city!
The sock looks a bit overwhelmed. Is it better now that its home? Looking forward to meeting both the sock and its maker next week in Los Angeles 🙂
When you get nervous, just remember that knitters love you and won’t hurt you in any way. Well they may get a little over excited and make you think they might just paw you at any moment. But they just want to hear what you have to say and then to be able to brag to their friends that they met you.
Lucky dogs.
🙂
Yippee! What a nice flashback. That was just a lovely evening. Although a bit intimidating from your angle…wow, there were a lot of us!
I just developed a roll of film (so old fashioned, eh?) and the first few shots are of this very event. There’s one of us together! DH said to DD, “Wow your mom is with the Yarn Harlot. Look how happy she looks!” He was able to recognize you w/o prompting!
Not knowing what L&T is made me burst out laughing… no wonder you didn’t over-react like the rest of us. But really, it was a wonderful venue. Do you have any pics of the extremely cute waiters?
O.K. so you took on the Big Apple and triumphed, so how about taking on the Minne-Apple. I know it’s the publishers that decided where you’ll go but maybe you could put in a word for us here in the Twin Cities. We are awfully nice here, sweet as pie, no where near as intimidating as New York. You wouldn’t even get homesick because the weather here is nearly identical to Toronto’s. Really hot in the summer and really, really cold in the winter. Well, think about, If you come, I’ll bake a cake, how ’bout that?
Well, hopefully you’ll come back to NYC again, since I had to miss you the first time around, much to my chagrin and dismay! But I scored a signed copy of bookbookbook at Knit Happens in VA, so at least that’s good!
If New York is the Big Apple…well…I’m not sure I want to know what we might call Montr�al, but you’re welcome here any time. Wine’s good.
The picture of Cassie to the power of three is just awesome. Juno is almost never seen in a photo and I just don’t understand why, because she is Drop Dead Gorgeous.
I’ll trade you a whole lotta wine and some really nice dinners for plying lessons…
😉
that was the event that started my addiction to this whole world of knit blogging! (I was up on the raised, fenced-in area at the right of the picture. apparently at the same table as the Mason-Dixon folks.)
and this is my first comment. hmmm.
and now Lettuce Knits will have a new customer when I to go to Toronto in Sept.
wonderful technology….
Ah, what a lovely evening that was. Not only did we get to meet you for the first time, but we also were wearing jackets. Remember when it was cool enough to need a light jacket? Remember when you could go outside and actually move comfortably and breathe freely? Sigh…
There’s only one other Drafty with me in that photo (Jackie, on the right. Valentina is technically a Splinter–confusing, I know) and I have NO idea who that woman with the striped pants is, or the woman next to her, but the Drafties were indeed well represented that night and we do adore you. Why didn’t anyone tell me my hair matched my shirt that night? That really shouldn’t be allowed…
So, is that a vision of an angel on the side of that dark rectangular building? See the white wings? You know, like the weeping Madonna sort of thing? Maybe it’s the angel of knitting! It’s a miracle. (o:
Sorry, couldn’t help myself. I was overcome with sacriligious fervor.
I just wanted to mention that, in case you should think this sort of thing is silly and unimportant, consider that I learned to knit more some 40 years ago, right in the middle of Carnaby Street days, when Macy’s in San Francisco had some sort of international promotion and I was magicized and fascinated by the Ireland display and immediately decided I would knit an irish sweater. No scarves for young me, o no. And I did it, too. And then when subsequently Macy’s had a promotion for those giant knitting needle thingys that were just then coming in and there was a knitting contest, my Irish sweater took 2nd place because 1) they thought my mother, who didn’t knit, helped me 2) the girl who won used the promoted giant knitting needle thingys and 3) I’d sewed mine together using bobby pins instead of a yarn needle so that part was a little irregular. Yeah, well I was 12, but mom and I got to go to an award luncheon for the contestants at The Palace Hotel’s Garden Court in San Francisco and I was hooked (needled?) for life! So probably you are doing your bit at L&T to snag (ouch) the next generation as well as entertain this one, never fear.
It was a very fun night of meeting the Yarn Harlot in person! Lord and Taylor is a classic grand shopping experience but that night the room was filled with knitters who wanted to be there to meet you! (We waited in line and we didn’t mind cause we knew we were in for a real treat!) Hey – so long as we are on major department store kicks …what about a knitting balloon float for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade???? You could have friendly knitters ride with you. We could make scarfs during the parade and raffle them off during the month of December raising money for your favorite charity…now that would really rock NYC!!!
I love New York but it is true the city never sleeps.But did you get any wool?
Had to share….tomorrow night one of our local fabric shops is sponsoring their first and hopefully annual “Stitch and Pitch” at a Mariner’s Baseball game! Funny, I have been holding my own personal Stitch and Pitches at Mariner’s games for over a year! Perhaps we will get our own designated section!
Oops! Suppose I should read ALL the comments next time. Didn’t mean to step on your toes Kristen! Stitch and Pitch would be great to go to, but I am likely going to the game the next night. But I assure you, my knitting is going with me! Hubby doesn’t mind me knitting at games as much as he used to mind me reading at games!
Alyson, no toes stepped on at all! I’m not a Seattle resident or native (sniff!), and I can’t even claim to have found the link on my own; it was posted to a listserv I read, and the Harlottian possibilities leapt instantly to mind. Wish I could be there on Thursday to share in the fun!
Ah New York. Love it or hate it there’s no place like it. Thanks for the virtual visit.
What an adventure…. I love reading about your visits to different knitting groups, yarn shops, etc and seeing all the places that the sock has visited.
You can come visit me in Seattle any time, Kristin, and we can have our own personal Stitch and Pitch at the game. We have great seats behind home plate. Now if they could just win once in a while…..
I am enjoying seeing the photos of your tour. One thing stands out. In photos of your audience, I rarely see anyone wearing anything HANDKNIT. They all look as if they are enjoying meeting you, which is more important.
wow, doesn’t that seem like so long ago? ^_^ i just checked back on my blog and flashed back to all of the knitting (EVERYONE was knitting), people admiring work – finished or current projects (i think a good percentage of people were wearing a clapotis), and just the size of such a DIVERSE group of people! really, it was amazing.
another thing i’d also like to say about the event is “thank you.” even though only half of the room were bloggers, the posts after the event led me to meet up with a great group of knitters that i now get together with every friday. we have become such a close group in such a little time, and we have your book to thank for that!
Joy and I were there together and I second her heartfelt thanks… we did indeed get a group together (including Katie and Amanda who are to the leftof Valentina is your pic!) after your visit and all points cross at your signing. The book is terrific; my husband also enjoys it immensely. “hey hun, listen to this one…” HA!