So, there’s this problem out there. I run into it a lot. Jayme-the-wonder-publicist runs into it all the time. It hit Blue Moon like a ton of bricks. It hits yarn stores looking for business loans. You guys have encountered it. It’s a knitters problem. It is a lack of understanding (or respect) for the sheer numbers of knitters out there.
-It happened in St. Louis, where the library (despite a warning from the knitting guild and the publisher) decided how many knitters there could possibly be and ran short of books and chairs.
-It happened in MA. where all the knitters couldn’t even fit in the shop and spilled into the street and there wasn’t even room to sit down.
-it happened in Doylestown where when I arrived the shop had TEN chairs and were extremely reluctant to get more out. I kept saying “You need more chairs” and they kept saying “It’ll be Ok.” with this look on their face like they just didn’t know how to break it to me that I wrote KNITTING books, and nobody was coming.
– It happened to me at a writers dinner, where all these authors were talking about what they wrote and so forth, and I said I wrote “Knitting humour” and I could see from the expressions on their face that they didn’t think I belonged there. (Made me want to point out that I was outselling most of their books..but I didn’t. That would be petty.)
– It happened to me at a dinner party where Joe called me “a bestselling author” and someone said “well…Not really.” and Joe said “How not really? Here are the numbers” and the person said “Yeah, but it’s knitting books.”
-It happened in Portland where someone made the decision to move the knitters to the smaller store and when I arrived, there were not enough chairs, not enough room, not enough time to sign all the books and I had to insist that they arrange for a microphone. (They hadn’t. )
-it happened with one of my webhosts, who, despite being told how much traffic I get, made his own judgement about what sort of traffic would be possible when I said it was “a knitting blog” .
– it happens to Jayme-the-wonder-publicist on the phone with little tiny bookstores who want to hold knitting events and can’t understand why she won’t book me into their store that holds 27 people. They get right ticked when she tells them that although they are a lovely, lovely store, they haven’t got enough room. They KNOW how many knitters there are, and they KNOW Jayme is wrong.
– it happened to Full Thread Ahead when they asked the city for a permit because they knew how many knitters there were going to be and the city had the hardest time believing them.
– it happened at a bar near here who didn’t want to have a knitting event there because – despite our assurances that this was not the case, they didn’t believe that it would be well attended, and they didn’t believe knitters drank. (Seriously.)
It happens over and over and over again, and it’s starting to bug me. It’s not that I think that knitting is such an important thing that everyone should worship it. I don’t especially care if the muggles don’t know about us. They have their lifestyle, I have mine. It’s ok with me if we need to tell them what they need to know when they need to know it. I personally am unacquainted with the numbers and needs people who fly fish. It isn’t that they are uninformed. It is that they cannot let go of their own ideas enough to cope.
It is that when we explain to them how many chairs/ bandwidth/ credit card transactions/ books/ yarn/ microphones/ beers we are going to need and they pat us on our pretty little heads and go get the number of chairs/ bandwidth/ credit card transactions/ books/ yarn/ microphones/ beers that they think we will need and leave us all standing around without all that stuff that I start getting snotty.
There are plenty of excuses for people not being prepared. No problem. We didn’t warn you? Mea culpa. All is forgiven. How should you know.
There are no excuses for when we say “There are 300 knitters coming to your bookstore on Friday. ” and they say “Sure…sure honey. Hundreds of knitters. Uh-huh. Why don’t you go knit on your cute little sock over there while we PREPARE TO SCREW YOU OVER BECAUSE WE ARE SUFFERING FROM A TERMINAL STEREOTYPE.”
Sorry.
In any case, Jayme-the-wonder-publicist and I have come up with an idea. The new book comes out soon and since it’s a book about knitting as a destination and the community of knitters that populate it, we thought that this would be an excellent time to make a point. We would like to show the media and the muggles exactly how many knitters there are, how seriously we take it, and exactly how large a demographic they are ticking of when they discount our numbers and our buying power by ignoring the things that we tell them. Essentially, I don’t care if they think we are stupid. I don’t care if they think Sock Clubs are stupid, and I will still sleep at night if they laugh at us. I just want them not to openly mock us and impede our attempts at commerce or community. To that end, we would like to invite you to a Really Big Book Launch. The shock the muggles night event will be March 22nd in New York City at FIT, The Fashion Institute of Technology. (They have a Knitting Laboratory.) It’ll be in the Haft Auditorium, which is in the C building on 27th street just off of 7th avenue. It’s really easy to get there.
It will be 6pm or later.
I’ll talk of course, but that’s not the point of the evening. The point of the evening is to get a whole whack of knitters into one room, then invite the media to come and see. Straighten them out on the world of possibilities, provide all of us with a moment that we can point to and say “See? Do you see what I mean?” An evening of proof. (Apparently The Knitting Olympics and Knitters Without Borders did not provide the world with this proof.) Now. The auditorium holds 750 people. This means that I could really, really be humiliated here (that’s the only part I don’t like. The image of me and the media in this huge auditorium while I try to explain that there really, really are a lot of knitters, I swear it.) but I don’t think that that’s going to be the case.
There will be surprises, there will be fun stuff, there will be New York City FILTHY WITH KNITTERS that day. People will see us in coffee shops, on benches, at lunch joints, all converging on FIT. The muggles will look at each other and say “is it just me, or does there seem to be a crazy number of knitters around here today?”
From that day forward, every time somebody tries to tell a knitter that she doesn’t represent a huge cash spending demographic that needs some damn chairs, she can point to this day. She can show them pictures, and instead of a pat on the head she can get a freakin’ handshake and a business loan.
Obviously, this plan needs you. We’re planning on working some charitable action into it, we’re thinking about combining with other people (like the Craft Yarn Council) , but I would love to hear your ideas for how to make this the most fun a whack of knitters have ever had. Maybe a NYC yarn shop crawl? 700+ travelling socks posed in Central Park? Get crazy with it. Represent, knitters. Represent.
In other exciting news…the tour page has been updated. I can’t tell you how stunned I was to see Alaska and Victoria.
March 22nd….New York City….a Thursday…two+ hours away….hmmm…
I’ll try. No guarantees, because it’s a work night, but I’ll try. If I can’t make it there in person, I promise to go knit in public somewhere, and to raise a glass to the hono(u)r of knitters everywhere, OK?
OH MY GOD!!!! If the universe will work with me for a weekend, I WILL SOO BE THERE!!!! I can’t wait to see their faces.
(insert evil laughter here)
It’s brilliant. If the event was on a weekend or I had a minute of vacation time, I would seriously consider flying out there. I’m still trying to figure out if I could do a redeye and be productive for Friday.
I wish I could be there. Now, still no European tour? I’m shocked!
I would LOVE to see that on the evening news! “Knitters Take New York By Storm!” Wish I could go… I’ll be on the lookout for pictures
I would die to make the event on March 22nd, especially at FIT – what an honor. I’m sure you will wow the media and the crowd with your wit and humor and hopefully make them think twice about underestimating the power of knitters. Knit on.
Way to sing it loud and proud! Sadly, I think the true problem lies not in that we as knitters are not taken seriously by the muggle population, but that women in business are not treated fairly. Let’s face it, the fiber arts world is dominated by those of the fairer sex- and the gray suits of the business world are not quite ready to acknowledge how powerful we truly are.
In regards to the Bohus- didn’t some author I really like who writes fabulous knitting kinda books once say something to the effect of, “There are no knitting police”? Do whatcha like, howya like. Screw those unbelievers…
Oh, what about this for a demonstration? Everyone bring the leftover yarn from one finished project and we’ll put it all into a pile. Then the banks can see the amount of yarn we DIDN’T use!!
BTW, Jayme-the-wonder-publicist, make the Harlot come to Washington, DC!!
Great idea! It would be fun to watch the faces of ordinary people suddenly seeing knitters everywhere!
I am there. I am so there. Whatever it takes for our jobs. I am there…we are there. My husband loves the socks I make him and appears to ignore all other electronic communication. Fortunately, his work takes him across country and we can help him recogonize that some of his work avenues have practical avenues as well…keep us all informed…
750 people? Are you kidding? I’d be surprised if you didn’t have over a thousand. I’m so there – it’s my spring break! 🙂
Yeah…you are coming to St.Paul in April…although you can’t possibly be talking at the actual Yarnery Store, as it is an old house with small rooms. (I’ll watch for the speaking location as the date nears) Can’t wait to hear your talk…spring is nice here, but wear wool just in case!
Oh, that’s so soon! I don’t think I could possibly arrange a trip that far on such short notice. I do wish you could do some things in Denver or somewhere similar. Much easier for me to get there (only one flight then). Or better yet, VEGAS!!!!! Its the cheapest and easiest place to get to no matter where you live. I’m surprised the tourism bureau there hasn’t started handing out free airline tickets just for spending a weekend.
Good luck to you. I can’t imagine how you would not be able to sell out a 750 person room. I believe there will still be standing room only. I wonder what it would take to set up a huge knitting convention in Vegas?
Whatever we do, we have to demonstrate our _economic_ clout – that seems to be the only thing the suits will pay attention to.
I doubt if I can make it to NYC (but I will give it some thought). Is there some way to participate via distance? Can it be streamed over the Internet? Can we contribute hats/mittens for NYC’s homeless? Chicago is much closer to me, so I hope to see you then. Good luck getting through to the muggles.
I am soooo there. NYC is my hometown, I’ve been to conferences and shows at the FIT auditorium, you will have standing room only. I don’t care that I have an 8AM class (meaning I leave my house at 6AM) the next day.
As for what to do — can we make the world’s largest afghan? Everyone bring a 12×12 square (garter stitch, fancy, whatever you like) and sew it together at the event? (I can just see rows of knitters joining their squares to their neighbors square and then rows joining to rows and ……)
Or just sew squares together to make lots of afghans, to give to the homeless? It’s still cold (not as artic as where you are, but cold) in NYC in March. Many many homeless people living on steam grates to keep warm
I haven’t read the post, I’ll do it later, I’m just happy I’m in the top 20 😉
What we -really- need is cross-continent coordination, with knitters converging in both the East and West. Make the muggles think we’ve got ’em surrounded – Canada to the north and the Andean knitters to the south.
Okay, I’m FINALLY coming out of lurkerdom to say one word: HUZZAH!
A gaggle of knitters conquering New York City? I wouldn’t miss it for the world, even if it weren’t right smack in the middle of spring break (although the fact that it is certainly is convenient). I’m there!
Now, that’s good. Very good. I believe it comes under the heading of “don’t get mad, get even.”
I wanna come too. I’m not sure how I can swing getting myself and two small kids to NYC on a weekday? I’m going to have to have a think about this one.
I hear you though. I’m sick and tired of every other hobby in the universe being worthy and cool and knitting being silly. Not silly people! Calming and peacful and fun! If more folks knit, we’d have less war, I’m certain of it.
Ooooh! That really is big news!!!! I couldn’t believe it (well. . . yes I could) when you relayed the part about someone saying you weren’t really a best-selling author. How rude!!! I bet all those times you must have been slightly bemused and (maybe) more than slightly annoyed. BTW: I totally would have mentioned I was out-selling those other authors. You are a better person than I would have been in that setting. I’ve read a couple of your pieces from “Secret Life of a Knitter” to my classes when we were studying modern humorists. They got it—and believe me that’s no small thing if “just knitting humor” can be funny to 15 and 16 year olds.
I’m not a knitter, but I heart yarn and knitting blogs and socks and…. I really like the idea of a huge festooned display of colorful socks and scarves in Central Park–with all of them given to the needy at the end of the day. That oughtta open some eyes and some hearts. The shop crawl is also a good idea–bonus points if you stop traffic for the herd– or fill up a subway train or the observation deck of the Empire State Building with knitters. Wonder how much it costs to get a scrolling message on a board in Times Square. Or–how about you all storm the Letterman show? If you knit him something, he’ll have someone come up on stage and you can make your point!
Whatever we do, we have to demonstrate our _economic_ clout – that seems to be the only thing the suits will pay attention to. I think it’s significant that I (personally) would never spend more that $30 max on an item of clothing from a shop (I’m just cheap that way), but I have spent up to $80 on yarn for a handknit sweater. I’m sure others have spent more than that, easily, and do so on a regular basis. How can we communicate this effectively to the muggles?
Wish I could attend, but I live way over in California. My niece attends FIT, so I’ve emailed your event. I can’t wait to hear how successful it turns out!
I do love the way you think!!!!!
Can the rest of us (who can’t possibly make it to New York) arrange the most spectacular possible Knitting In Public events we can think of? Knit-ins at libraries? at bookstores? Take Your Knitting To Work Day? Each knitter pick their own bus stop bench and just…knit while everyone on the bus watches? We could coordinate with Jayme and report advance numbers to you….just thinkin’ out loud….
Here’s maybe a crazy thought. But what if you found a way for those of us who can’t be there in person to “ring in” from afar…Like sending pictures of ourselves with knitting or…something more creative.
Too bad sending life-sized cardboard cut-outs would be cost prohibitive.
I hope the night is a huge success – I wish I could get the time off work to join you!
If you just move the venue to Toronto, I’ll come…
Those of us who can’t make it could always send a sock or a baby hat or a scarf, or yeah, I see someone suggests a square! Good idea, but who will sew them all together. Hmm.
My hub is a physicist. Everyone knows there are lots of physicists, but they spend no money, and when they had a conference in Las Vegas, they were told to please never come back, because all they did was drink beer and write calculations on the napkins.
You’re coming to my town, again! YAY! But, Stephanie, tell ’em to book Madison Square Garden because you could certainly fill it!
“I can’t tell you how stunned I was to see Alaska and Victoria”???
Um, Alaska can get really cold, they love their wool sweaters up there.
Victoria tends to have nice weather, it is in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains (do you know of such things in Toronto?) but they have their knitters too, they are Canadian afterall.
UNITE! UNITE! UNITE!
Too bad I’m in Chicago!
AMEN!!! And I am debating the impulse to print this out and mail it to the neurology resident who saw me knitting in my hospital bed, and when I said something about my website and blog, knowing nothing whatsoever about me except the fact that he’d just met me and that I was sitting there knitting, gasped, “YOU!!!! have a WEBSITE?!!!!”
Yeah, like it’s against the laws of nature for a knitter to know how to touch a computer, dude?
Good Luck I know you can do it and so can all the knitters. Wish I could be there but since I am at work and no Holiday left and I am in the UK…..no Dice. I will be sniggering when I think of the Faces of the media.
Make like Christo
Do socks in Central Park
Is there a way that those of us who can’t make it can send a sock?
I read and am working on writing for the Romance genre so I feel some of your pain. Luckily they sell so well that they can’t be totally ignored, but there is a similar “well it doesn’t count because…” kind of attitude that annoys me. You don’t have to read romance, just don’t put me down for doing so.
Unfortunately I am on the wrong coast, or I’d totally come.
First, The ‘well, not really’ person should be smacked hard.
Second, my jealousy over your trip to Alaska burns hotter than your love for Guld. Seriously.
Stephanie, I am so with you on this one. Steve and I travel to at least a couple of conferences each year that are not “knitting related”. They may be marketing or internet stuff. Inevitably there are opportunities to either (a) introduce yourself to the group (b) network at some social event or (c) trapse through the “marketplace” of exhibitors and vendors. Option “C” is always the best, because the vendors supposedly want our money for their product/services. So, it always goes the same, Steve and I approach the booth and introduce ourselves. All they usually hear is “WEBS” and in reality, I think they only really hear (espcially the techies) is “WEB”. Then we start talking about our needs, project, problem, that we are seeking their help for. You can see their eyes now focusing on the “Yarn Store” portion of our name tags. They ask “What kind of business do you own again?”. We say (again, because they didn’t hear it the first time) “we own a yarn store”. That is when their eyes glaze over and the polite smile they had been sporting freezes faster than a cup of tea would in your yard right about now. They then pat us on the head, give us a free pen and send us on our way. They have no idea what a big mistake they have just made.
Your idea is awesome. We’ll be in Florida on 3/22, but we’ll get as many people as we can to head down there.
I’ll be flying in to NYC the next day! Grrrr! So close, yet not close enough.
I concur. Make a sock chain in Central Park – or better yet, stage a Knit In in Times Square that weekend. 😀 It’d be awesome.
And you’ll LOVE Alaska in June, not to mention that Title Wave is a GREAT little bookshop. I used to live up there, and I’m sad I don’t now that you’ll be visiting! Hopefully there’ll be a stop in Atlanta at some point instead 🙂
Been reading for months (even out loud to the family) but I’m inspired today to comment- first time- YES the head pats are infuriating, YES the looks and smiles are patronizing, YES we are greater than the sum of our parts, YES I’m SO there!
Can’t come. In Hawaii. (Can I encourage you again to tour to Hawaii? Get more of that wool you found? Get WARM!?) But speaking of Bandwidth: Can you webcast it in some way? Podcast? Imagine the hits!
Oh, I WISH!!
(didn’t read previous comments so please forgive if I’m repeating somebody else’s idea)
Why don’t we take this up a notch and plan knit-ins all over the nation? A coordinated global knit-in. Your talk broadcast live over television. Imagine knitters gathering in public places to hear you talk, everybody with yarn and needles in their hands…
Now I’ll go and check your tour dates and see if you’re coming to Wyotana (southern Montana, northern Wyoming). Jayme, if you want to schedule the Harlot in our neck of the woods I can get us set up with an auditorium.
St Paul!
I can’t wait. But speaking of lots of knitters and taking over small spaces…. The Yarnery is a lovely store, but it has TINY rooms, since its in an old house. Hopefully they’ve arranged for a much larger speaking venue? There are LOTS of knitters in the Minneapolis/St Paul area.
But I’m so there, even if I have to sit in the window!
Come back to Chicago!!! Oak Brook is too far away…
OMG, my daughter is a student at FIT. I’ve only been to NYC a couple of times in my life (us upstate NY’ers don’t get out much), but this one sounds like a must. I’ll have to figure out a way to join the party. Muggles beware, the knitters are armed (pointy sticks) and possibly dangerous and they drink too. Don’t mess with us!
Amen Stephanie! If not in body I’ll be there in spirit.
How’s this for a promotional idea? Have your friends and readers send the FIT a pair of socks. They can be displayed, and then they can be donated to a charity afterwards. If figure you could easily get 1000 socks!
We need a ride board. Cause we knitters are frugal *and* communal and like riding with others who ‘get’ us.
‘Course, maybe somebody already came up with this and I’m late to the party……
In any case, I am in Madison WI and would drive or ride……
I like that Central Park idea! Then we should all walk down to Times Square where all the tourists hang out, so people from the whole world over will feel the impact!
I’ll knit in public and direct all the muggles I know to keep their eyes out for this!
If I could be there I would! it’s just a little far for me right now. now if it were say, chicago… i’d be there in a heartbeat!
is there some way the rest of us could be there in spirit? a podcast? web video? something? that way you could say, sure, only 750 people made the trip to be here, but there were 10,000 more online…
I just had to laugh my fanny off, because my first attempt at a comment encountered a “capacity problem”!
You know, I think I can do this. Hell, I’m retired. I have a workshop with Beth Brown-Reinsel on March 25th, but I should be able to be in New York on the 22nd. Why NOT???
The HUGE problem is that I’m absolutely phobic about big cities (I live in a county with a total population of 17,000). Someone, please, please tell me what airport to arrive at, and where I should stay so I don’t have to negotiate any more of the foreign culture than necessary!
This sounds like a fantastic idea. I wish I could come to NY but I have school. And it’s even two days before my birthday!!
I’m a college student in Orlando, Florida, an obsessed knitter and a writer. I really hope your book tour comes further South this year. Escape the Canada winter and come visit sunny, wonderful FLORIDA!!! Southern knitting ladies would love to see your Harlot-ness!
Heather at University of Central Florida
In the US, that is the thick of tax season, but I’ll plan my workload carefully so I can be there.
I sometimes think it’s a woman thing. I’ve had a number of career paths. When I was a network administrator, I didn’t call a manufacturer’s tech support line until I was certain I had established it was a problem with their software/hardware. But nearly every time, I had to deal with that “condescending verbal pat on the head” before I could explain to them in technical language what was wrong and what I wanted them to do in order to fix it.
When I was a railroader, I really ended up learning how to swear so that my fellow employees would take me seriously.
You bet I’ll do my bit to represent.
You will love Alaska!! And I just had to move from there to Las Vegas, where you are not booked.
Dang it.
In the US, that is the thick of tax season, but I’ll plan my workload carefully so I can be there.
I sometimes think it’s a woman thing. I’ve had a number of career paths. When I was a network administrator, I didn’t call a manufacturer’s tech support line until I was certain I had established it was a problem with their software/hardware. But nearly every time, I had to deal with that “condescending verbal pat on the head” before I could explain to them in technical language what was wrong and what I wanted them to do in order to fix it.
When I was a railroader, I really ended up learning how to swear so that my fellow employees would take me seriously.
You bet I’ll do my bit to represent.
Lets do Central Park like Christo
Sox sox and more sox hanging from the trees to be donated
Can those of us who live too far away send sox
coincidentally, the first 5 times I tried to load this page I received:
“Service Temporarily Unavailable
The server is temporarily unable to service your request due to maintenance downtime or capacity problems. Please try again later.”
CAPACITY PROBLEMS. Proves the point, ne? 😉
Ooh. Wonder if I can talk DH into a NYC trip…
I’LL BE THERE! I’LL BE THERE!! OH THE JOY, I’LL BE THERE!!!! Not in New York, mind you – I’d love to, but funds won’t allow. (I wish, I wish!) But I’ll be IN VICTORIA THAT DAY! On my honeymoon!! Oh, I am SO GLAD we settled on Victoria instead of Montreal! I no longer have to hope you’ll end up wandering around Orlando – bless you, Jayme, and the wonderful universe that finally allows me to be in a room full of yarn and Harlot! GAH! (Now to tell my husband-to-be that one day is now dedicated to Harlotry. He’ll understand….but he’ll still chuckle.)
Could there be arrangements to make a kind of coast-to-coast (or more appropriately, and all america) launching event with video link and all? Or perhaps have LYS throughout North America, and beyond, contribute with a knitters’ support petition of some sort?
Manon
We knit in the Atlantic provinces too
I love this….I live in a little town in South Central South Dakota and get such strange looks when I knit in public. I still do it but people ask me if whatver event I’m attending is really that boring that I have to knit and purl to get through it. I won’t be able to attend the event there, but I wish there was a way for us out here to chime in on the event on the internet. I bet you will come up with an idea…have fun…I love you humor and books and blog…and on and on……….best wishes
Alas, I no longer live there, and the family needs me here on a school night. 🙁
However, I left behind two knitting groups and various knitty friends. I’m e-mailing them a link to your post. Good luck!!!
I love this….I live in a little town in South Central South Dakota and get such strange looks when I knit in public. I still do it but people ask me if whatver event I’m attending is really that boring that I have to knit and purl to get through it. I won’t be able to attend the event there, but I wish there was a way for us out here to chime in on the event on the internet. I bet you will come up with an idea…have fun…I love you humor and books and blog…and on and on……….best wishes
Victoria!!!! June 9th!!!! Me and my knitting group will SO be driving down the island on a road trip. Yay!!!
When I tried to access this page, I got:
“Service Temporarily Unavailable
The server is temporarily unable to service your request due to maintenance downtime or capacity problems. Please try again later.”
Let me see….Could it be those “capacity problems”?
Stephanie, you didn’t come right out and say so but you nearly did, and I will. When you said “they pat us on our pretty little heads” you were oh so close.
It’s because they’re dealing with women, and we couldn’t POSSIBLY know what we’re talking about, even when it comes to something that they must regard as oh-so domestic that THEY couldn’t possibly know a thing about it.
Beat them over their heads. I can’t be there – I’m in central Ohio and in charge of a music festival on the 24th.
Is there some way for you to create a flicker page or something for those of us that can’t make it there to post a photo – of ourselves or a sock or something?
Victoria!!!! June 9th!!!! Me and my knitting group will SO be driving down the island on a road trip. Yay!!!
NYC, March 22nd. I plan to fly to Seattle on April 4th from Toronto, I think I can leave a few days earlier and take a detour through NYC. Can you confirm before I buy a non-refundable ticket? Is this a definite date? Thanks!
Stephanie, I can’t tell you how excited I am that you’re going to be in Pittsburgh (there simply aren’t words)! I’ve been trying to see you for ages – I lived in Boston until last summer but was in Kansas the weekend you were there. I’ve spent most of my life in Albuquerque and Village Wools is still probably my all-time favorite yarn store. Then I saw you were going to Anchorage, where my family lives, and I wanted to cry from the unfairness of it. Until I saw Pittsburgh up near the top of the page, and laughed for joy. I’m moving to Pittsburgh in two weeks.
Sadly, I can’t make it to New York, but I will SO be there to boggle the muggles in Pittsburgh.
The stupidity of the muggles infuriates me. It’s really time to shove it in their face. Really.
I don’t think you’ll have any problem filling an auditorium in NYC with 750 knitters. Maybe we can get some of the Boston crew down for the day…
Okay, that’s big news. At least I won’t be knitting a shawl in 2 weeks… As much as I’d loe to be there, I can’t. Is there a way for those of us that can’t get to NYC to join in? Closed Circuit TV? Podcast? Anything?
Oh, and my husband is a fanatical fly fisherman. They’re underrated, too.
Great, I can go directly from my shrink appointment (26th and 8th) to your book launch. Maybe I won’t even take my meds that day to make things more fun–I am lots of fun w/o meds!
I LOVE the ‘send in a square’ idea…if we ALL sent in even just ONE square…and then they were all sewn together into one HUGE afghan…
Is there a Guinness class for Blanketing The Empire State Building? 🙂
Seriously, the afghan could then be broken down into afghans to benefit the homeless, or auctioned off to benefit…well, anything we wanted!
I’ll knit squares from now ’til then if that’s what it takes…
OK, for those of us who CAN’T be there (as much as we wish we could be) how about a t-shirt, or some other wearable to shout out our numbers. It would be great if more of these events could be organized the same night, around the country.
Perhaps The Dulaan Project or another organization with similar goals of warmth could use some knitted goods that you could display in a gigantic pile or set of boxes. It would be very easy for folks to make a quick hat or set of little mittens, etc. and add them to the pile as they enter. A visual display of the change that knitters affect on a regular basis would be very powerful.
sing it, sista!
alas, i cannot go to new york (though i’d dearly love to) so those who can please feel free to shoot down my idea.
what if the knitters brought a knitted item for chairity? hats or mitts for the homeless. hats and booties for the hospitals’ childbirth units. or hats/mitts/scarves for mums and their kids at womens’ shelters.
it would take a significant amount of organization but maybe there are a few new york knitters up to the task?
and (eep), maybe those who can’t attend could mail a project along to a new york knitter up to the task. (i’m envisioning someone’s tiny apartment just packed with parcels from all over north america and then them trying to lug them in garbage bags onto the subway.)
hopefully i can make the canadian launch.
angela
Is there any way this can be simulcasted, like on ESPN on something, so I can get it loacally at my major hometown knitting mecca, Denver Metro?
sing it, sista!
alas, i cannot go to new york (though i’d dearly love to) so those who can please feel free to shoot down my idea.
what if the knitters brought a knitted item for chairity? hats or mitts for the homeless. hats and booties for the hospitals’ childbirth units. or hats/mitts/scarves for mums and their kids at womens’ shelters.
it would take a significant amount of organization but maybe there are a few new york knitters up to the task?
and (eep), maybe those who can’t attend could mail a project along to a new york knitter up to the task. (i’m envisioning someone’s tiny apartment just packed with parcels from all over north america and then them trying to lug them in garbage bags onto the subway.)
hopefully i can make the canadian launch.
angela
Wish I could come, but I’ll have to settle for watching the news reports the next day 🙂
Think the Letterman show is a great idea. Why not drop him a line!
Wish you’d come to London, Ont on this next tour I’m sure we could find a location big enough. Our Embroiderers guild meets in a church hall that holds at least 300!
DENVER! You’re coming to DENVER! I do the dance of many joys and ask my pounding hear to take it easy on my fragile ribs.
I’ll eagerly watch that space to see WHICH Tattered Cover is hosting.
Wish I could come, but I’ll have to settle for watching the news reports the next day 🙂
Think the Letterman show is a great idea. Why not drop him a line!
Wish you’d come to London, Ont on this next tour I’m sure we could find a location big enough. Our Embroiderers guild meets in a church hall that holds at least 300!
March 22 is on a work night. 🙁
Do you think you could make it into the Washington, DC area this year? Maybe Knitting on the Mall under the Washington Monument or on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial? That would definitely make national news.
sorry for the double post. the “capacity problems” are wreaking havoc again. fitting.
Or better yet, webcast it, link it to your site, please, please girl, do something for us non-attendess….
Dude, some of us is po. Why not set up an annual event on the lawn of the House of Commons or in Central Park (alternate years) and get instant country wide notice.
Setting it up in a building and inviting the media is awesome and a great idea, but it stills gives the media the power to decide which page it goes on and if there are pictures printed.
Congregate in the hundreds outdoors where everyone walking by can see the knitting is more likely to make the first section of the paper if not the first page.
A continent wide knit-in would be fantastic!
Send press releases to the local media, highlight the multi-national aspect, throw in some facts about KWB/TSF–what’s not to love? And maybe it will be an evangelism tool to inspire folks to take up knitting.
I’m psyched, and will talk to the people at Hill Country Weavers about setting this up.
If you do decide to go with a massive charity knitting drive (blankets, squares, socks, scarves, etc.), make sure to ask everyone who contributes to send along a) the price they paid for their yarn and b) the number of hours they spent knitting it. If we need to show the economic power of knitters, by crikey, we can do us a little basic math with $$$!
What are you doing coming to Victoria a mere WEEK before I’ll be there? Criminy.
Oh I am so going. Have to get babysitting. And I’ll send a handknit something anywhere to make the point. If most retailers only knew how much money I’ve spent on yarn over the last three years…. (Good thing my husband doesn’t.)
I’m so there!!!! You are a big reason I knit socks (the other two being Wendy and Cara)and have become addicted to them.
Knitters definately rule, someday the Muggles will get it 🙂
We on the West Coast can only sigh. C’est possible that you might do a large event out here?
Careful what you wish for, Stephanie! You and Jayme do realize that NYC is huge, it is near other huge cities filled with knitters, is easy to fly/train/bus in and out of, etc. So you know that means that you might easily get more knitters than you have planned for. I sure hope you have a secret backup location for your event. Perhaps having folks register for this would be a good reality check. You know, just in case 3,000 of your closest friends and fans decide to crash your knitting party.
I will be there with bells on – can I make a reservation NOW?!?!? I want to be sure I get a seat – or at least standing and knitting room! Meanwhile, I LOVE the “750 traveling socks in Central Park” idea – it’ll be like “The Gates” only better. Also there are these weird guerrilla knitters in other cities (was it Toronto?” that go around putting up tree scarves and trees socks and things like that in the middle of the night – we could do that in NYC the week before, putting knitted mittens/hats on parking meters and fire hydrants and trees and whatever with little cards that just said “FIT 3/22” on them…NYC yarn shop /pub crawl would be awesome too… can’t wait!
Okay, I’m happy to see Victoria as well. Maybe that means there’s hope for Halifax yet? I did e-mail Jayme-the-wonder-publicist about it. In fact, I think a few of us did. We’re all sitting here with our fingers crossed, which makes it hard to knit well.
i’m definitely completely there (of course, i live in nyc so it should be pretty easy). but i’ll send the e-mail round to the stitch ‘n bitch lists in nyc and that’ll get you a hundred (or a couple hundred) just in local folks.
and i think your yarn-gates idea is great. like the gates in central park last year, but all knit. how cool would that be? i mean, if saffron flags get that much attention, what about cool socks. or it could be hats on all of the trees (and then potentially donated to a homeless organization – but the squirrels might get to them first).
you might also be able to tie into the radical knitting show at the museum of design thats up now. its been getting decent press.
I would have loved to be there 😉
But I’ll be watching from across the Atlantic. Good luck!
*dreaming of a parrallel universe in whihc it would ACTUALLY be possible for me to go to NYC.*
Oh well, I can hopefully compromoise for Oakbrook on April 3rd.
Press releases, of course. I like the video hookup idea. Maybe DIY can video it. You’ve been on Knitty Gritty. Also, how about the morning shows, like Today ? Katie Couric was really a snot about knitting, but she is gone. Put your publicist on it. Oh, and it wouldn’t hurt to mention the sock club. I suspect Blue Moon gained customers there and it would be nice to rub it in for the nameless bank. Betsy in Sacramento
I will be there with bells on – can I make a reservation NOW?!?!? I want to be sure I get a seat – or at least standing and knitting room! Meanwhile, I LOVE the “750 traveling socks in Central Park” idea – it’ll be like “The Gates” only better. Also there are these weird guerrilla knitters in other cities (was it Toronto?) that go around putting up tree scarves and trees socks and things like that in the middle of the night – we could do that in NYC the week before, putting knitted mittens/hats on parking meters and fire hydrants and statues (many in New York) and trees and whatever with little cards attached that just said “FIT 3/22” on them…NYC yarn shop /pub crawl would be awesome too… can’t wait! And did someone say Letterman? another terrific idea. We could knit a 1000 mile long scarf and wrap the Empire State Building…
I’m still reeling a bit from the fact that there’s a Knitting Laboratory at FIT. That’s… awesome.
I think it would be cool if you could work out a way for all the people who can’t make it to NYC for the launch to add their part to the scare the muggles effort. Perhaps concurrent knitting events all across the States & Canada too? Webcasting? Have everyone send in an afghan square so they can be put together and donated later? I’m thinking along the lines of Hands Across America, but more like Afghan Squares Across NYC.
Let’s make this a national event – gaggles of knitters in every major city linked by Video! Alert the media – this would be crazy wicked!! BTW, Goddess of Yarn: Please come to Atlanta – I know every LYS and brewery in town.
Careful what you wish for, Stephanie! You and Jayme do realize that NYC is huge, it is near other huge cities filled with knitters, is easy to fly/train/bus in and out of, etc. So you know that means that you might easily get more knitters than you have planned for. I sure hope you have a secret backup location for your event. Perhaps having folks register for this (via an online form perhaps) would be a good reality check. You know, just in case 3,000 of your closest friends and fans decide to crash your knitting party.
KNITTERS UNITE! Sadly I won’t be able to make it to NYC but hope to see media coverage on the event! And I can’t tell you how ecstatic I am that you are coming to Denver. I’ll definitely make it to that at least – I couldn’t be happier!!
Awww Stephanie, when are you going to get your arse over here and do a UK tour? Please? Pretty Please???
Not only WILL I be there, but I’ll be getting on a plane to do it. No question about it.
As far as ideas go, I’d love to see us all knit a pair of simple socks ( I’m talking super simple. stockinette, any size – there are homeless of all ages, foot lengths and sizes in NYC. Maybe make as close a match as you can to a sock that doesn’t already have a mate? One that succumbed to SSS? Or if not socks, SOMETHING.) for the homeless. Mail it, bring it with and drop it in an onsite barrel to be delivered to a worthy organization that targets the homeless in NYC. Take a picture call the news. Alert 7 on your side. Let the sheer volume of socks tell the tale….
NYC is my hometown, I’m in the South now) has a HUGE homeless population, and if we showed up AND made even a small dent in the destitution that abounds there even in the face of BLINDING wealth??
Well.
That would show the muggles for SURE.
Too bad you are a bit far but I have faith in NY. Can you web/telecast it to different locations? One in Chicago, La, etc… To show it is not just a NY thing?
Not only WILL I be there, but I’ll be getting on a plane to do it. No question about it.
As far as ideas go, I’d love to see us all knit a pair of simple socks ( I’m talking super simple. stockinette, any size – there are homeless of all ages, foot lengths and sizes in NYC. Maybe make as close a match as you can to a sock that doesn’t already have a mate? One that succumbed to SSS? Or if not socks, SOMETHING.) for the homeless. Mail it, bring it with and drop it in an onsite barrel to be delivered to a worthy organization that targets the homeless in NYC. Take a picture call the news. Alert 7 on your side. Let the sheer volume of socks tell the tale….
NYC is my hometown, I’m in the South now) has a HUGE homeless population, and if we showed up AND made even a small dent in the destitution that abounds there even in the face of BLINDING wealth??
Well.
That would show the muggles for SURE.
Careful what you wish for, Stephanie! You and Jayme do realize that NYC is huge, it is near other huge cities filled with knitters, is easy to fly/train/bus in and out of, etc. So you know that means that you might easily get more knitters than you have planned for. I sure hope you have a secret backup location for your event. Perhaps having folks register for this (via an online form perhaps) would be a good reality check. You know, just in case 3,000 of your closest friends and fans decide to crash your knitting party.
Live in NYC: check!
Work in NYC: check!
Knit in NYC: CHECK!
I’m in.
How many squares do you think we could all knit by then? Make, donate, and distribute blankets? Make one gigantic blankie to cover NY?
We so need “Knitters Take Manhattan” T’s…
OMG! What a site this will be! I know that you will have the turnout you are looking for. Knitters have a way of sticking together and will represent!
Unfortunately, I will not be able to make it but I’m looking forward to that CA trip you have planned. I definetely want to make it to that.
You’re coming to Alaska!!!!! I’m so happy. It often feels like we’re being perpetually ignored by tours of any kind. After all, so many Americans are unaware that Alaska is a state in the union. I can’t tell you how many times a tourist has asked me what language we speak up here.
Anyway, I’ll happily drive the 366 miles from Fairbanks to Anchorage to attend this event!!!!
Okay, so let me get this straight, they will fly you all the way to Anchorage but will not put any east coast dates on this book tour. I know that there are more people in Anchorage than in Halifax but we are a major metropolis, the biggest one east of Montreal. We have knitters, we even have knitters who read and buy books. We have yarn stores too.
Yes I know I have been repeating this for the last 3 books tours and I know it isn’t your fault, but still….sigh.
Given that I have two Monday-night knitting circles to choose from within walking distance of my apartment, I’m thinking you could probably get 750 New York knitters without even working too hard. The problem, of course, would still be getting it noticed — as someone above noted, things culturally coded as women’s work, women’s crafts, just don’t get the same respect.
That having been said, I’d make sure to contact Etsy Labs, in Brooklyn, the physical headquarters of etsy.com, and shaping up as an important local crafts/arts hub already…
I’m grad student in DC, but I will seriously consider a trip to NYC…ooo, Spring Break! (Some people dream of beaches, I dream of uninterupted knitting time). And as a former Twin Citian, I’ll add my voice to the chorus warning you to find a new location in St. Paul- the Yarnery won’t hold the number of people who have commented on it so far.
Second post of the day, but I had a brainstorm. I love the ideas others have had about sending squares, hats, etc. for those of us who cannot make it. So, my question is, how many homeless people live in NY, NY? I realize it will be an astronomical number. But, given how many of us there are, could we all knit hats and distribute them to every homeless person in the city. That is more news worthy than a bunch of people wielding sharp sticks gathering in a big room.
Also, I love the idea of having this event occur across the world on the same evening. I am not a great organizer and could never pull of a global event, but if someone has insight into this sort of event planning, please share some ideas!
Okay. Done with the rambling.
Yay! I missed you the last time you were near me (me: upper Hudson Valley, NY), but I have now written the book launch on my calendar in BIG PURPLE PEN, and I will be there! You have been inspirational to me in the last eight months since I picked up my first dpns, and I can’t wait to attend a famed Stephanie Pearl-McPhee book talk, even if I will be one among many in your whack of knitters/stalkers. Can’t wait!
you just remember all that stuff you just wrote in this post: the misconceptions about knitters and how our representation transcends our reputation…word for word, everything. because i will.
i’m sure you won’t forget now that it is documented on your blog for all the knitting and web world to see.
because, my wonderful knitting / spinning / best-selling author friend, now that i’ve made that juxtaposition, i IMPLORE you to SERIOUSLY consider this: you have YET to come to HAWAII.
if you can go to Alaska, i see no reason why you cannot come here. we have knitters (and spinners!), despite the perpetual 80 degree weather. hawaii knitters are hardcore like that.
please add it to your tour. PLEASE!?
mahalo.
This is soooooo wonderful. I’ve lurked long enough! We need to have this be nationwide! Pleeeease! Streaming live, if nothing else. I love the idea of you visiting the whole country at once and the rest of us participating.
Please plan podcasting or live streaming and offer some sort of sign-ups for free or nominal fees, so we can count those of us who attend online.
Thanks 😉
Maybe those of us who are trying to fly in for the day could send our obviously USED JetBlue stubs to those silly muggles who continue to try to keep you down.
Also like the “send a sock/hat” to represent each of those who can not make it in person. Or a web-tally/streamlined something.
Sing it, sister.
Wow! I can’t make it on a Thursday, any way to make it on a weekend? You need to come up with a way for those of us who won’t be able to make it to get our voices heard – i.e., can we all send telegrams (what do people send these days?) to be read at the event – like a whole big pile in front of you that keeps growing during the event? Or that is waiting at the door when people arrive? We could crash Western Union (or whatever) with an amazing amount of messages, that would make the news! Maybe someone has come up with a good suggestion (I haven’t read all of the responses yet) on how those of us who can’t be there in person can visibly show our support. That would be great!
Would that I were anywhere near NY….
Rock their world, bay-bee!
Oh I’d love to come. I’m in SW Ontario if anyone wants to car pool, unfortunately I cannot offer to drive, the Valiant is in pieces & won’t be back together til spring & even if it was together it doesn’t go fast enought o travel the highways.
If I don’t make it & I’m sure lots of others can’t, could we make something to show we’re out here? I’d be willing to donate for the homeless in NY, how about hats with tags that give the location of the donor?
You’re going to be four blocks from my office? Darn straight I’ll be there. What time?
Can you telecast the launch? I’m just thinking that for those of us who can’t be there in person but want to help represent, if we could organize gatherings to watch via live telecast (or webcast), we could pr’bly more than triple the viewing capacity of the FIT. Of course, I’m neither a yarn shop owner nor a web tech type person, but it’s a thought.. *shrug*
Alternatively, for a demonstration, anyone who wants to help represent could knit a log cabin square to send in (I’d bed the Mason Dixon Knitting folks would help promote, too). Maybe we could blanket Central Park? Or, since it’d be easier to photograph, the National Mall in DC? (Though I like the socks idea, too!)
Dear Ms. Harlot,
Would there be some sort of virtual venue? I would absolutely love to attend this event, but it is outside of my current means.
Best wishes for this endeavour. Gale
Oh, wow, I wish I could join you. Perhaps you could have a West Coast meeting point too? And do the distance-television thing?
I’ll be there!
There definitely are a lot of knitters in Minnesota. The St Paul MN launch is at the William Mitchell Law School Auditorium. That should be large enough but I’m getting there early just in case.
I can’t go to NYC but I think Knitting in Public where ever the rest of us are is an excellent idea.
The Flicker site to post pictures is a good one too.
Ah! I grew up in Denver, so my parents still live there… but I don’t. So close and yet so far.
Oh, well. The Tattered Cover is a fabulous, fabulous bookstore, have fun!
I think a having a some sort of knit-night scheduled all over the US/Canada/wherever would be fabulous. Can you get a broadcast or webcast of your talk going? Then people from all over could get in on the action.
Brilliant idea! I love it!
I won’t be there for the NYC launch, but hopefully I’ll be at the St Paul event. (I think we should be moved by then.)
Oh, so your coming to Denver about a month before I get back to it… Fabulous. *sigh* Get Jayme-the-wonder-publicist to bring you to LAS VEGAS! It’ll be fun, I promise!
Well, Stephanie, I guess you know you are coming to Ann Arbor on Hash Bash Day, which is a big celebration here in tree town. That is where all of the hippies in these parts come to smoke in public and get jiggy with it. Anyway, I hope to be at the Public Library on that day to hear you speak and just get jiggy with it for the second time–can’t wait.
California is a big state! Only one stop? 🙂
I eagerly await the details.
Yeah, we horsepeople went thru this whole scenario one time too many. We did a survey. We sent it to as many clubs and mags as we could. Among the questions was how much do you spend? Needless to say, lots of lots of money not only on horses and their requirements but vehicles, motels and other traveling expenses. We didn’t have to gather in one place – the survey told the tale.
Let us know when this Canadian launch party will be. 😀 It might be time for a short roadtrip anyway!
Also: what a tour! I’m jealous. 😀 ALASKA
And Victoria is gorgeous. <3
I wish like I have Never Wished Before that there was a secret tunnel from Seattle to New York. A wormhole, if you like.
OK, smarties of the knitting universe, how can someone (with greater HTML powers than me, meaning nearly everyone else in blogland) set up a site where people can log on to this extravaganza remotely, hear/see what’s happening, post what they’re working on, and thus raise the attendance into the thousands…perhaps tens of thousands?
but then we’re hitting that – pat pat – we know how much bandwidth you need, sweetie (roll eyes) – issue again.
OMG! I went to FIT a million years ago. I think it’s great that the book launch will be there. I may even drive up from DC to be there.
I’m just worried you’re STILL not going to have enough chairs! Really.
I wish like I have Never Wished Before that there was a secret tunnel from Seattle to New York. A wormhole, if you like.
OK, smarties of the knitting universe, how can someone (with greater HTML powers than me, meaning nearly everyone else in blogland) set up a site where people can log on to this extravaganza remotely, hear/see what’s happening, post what they’re working on, and thus raise the attendance into the thousands…perhaps tens of thousands?
but then we’re hitting that – pat pat – we know how much bandwidth you need, sweetie (roll eyes) – issue again.
If I can get the day off — I’m there. Anyone in the Philly region who’s going, and wants to travel in a pack to scare the muggles? I’m good with the afghan square and with sending cablegrams too. Socks — only if you want someone to run screaming from my mistakes . . .
What if every knitter sends an email to one designated US news-source about the event, and the fact that knitters, you know, are real people who spend boatloads of money? I’m tired of us being placated and patted on the head — come on, I’ve spent more on yarn than my honey has on his latest deep-sea fishing rod!
Can Jayme the wonder publicist get some ‘name’ there? Heck, Julia Roberts knits, maybe some star in New York who would show up to lend support?
Let us know when this Canadian launch party will be. 😀 It might be time for a short roadtrip anyway!
Also: what a tour! I’m jealous. 😀 ALASKA
And Victoria is gorgeous. <3
If I can get the day off — I’m there. Anyone in the Philly region who’s going, and wants to travel in a pack to scare the muggles? I’m good with the afghan square and with sending cablegrams too. Socks — only if you want someone to run screaming from my mistakes . . .
What if every knitter sends an email to one designated US news-source about the event, and the fact that knitters, you know, are real people who spend boatloads of money? I’m tired of us being placated and patted on the head — come on, I’ve spent more on yarn than my honey has on his latest deep-sea fishing rod!
Can Jayme the wonder publicist get some ‘name’ there? Heck, Julia Roberts knits, maybe some star in New York who would show up to lend support?
Wow…
No way will 750 capacity be enough!
I absolutely cannot get there on a Thursday night. I probably couldn’t get there any other night either, unless maybe you did it in Boston. However. Futile dreams aside, I will knit a square, or an afghan, or a hat, or mittens, or a stained-glass window, or whatever you want, to represent. And what else?… I’m thinking, I’m thinking.
I’ll be there! Hun, you will not have enough chairs.
There definitely are a lot of knitters in Minnesota. The St Paul MN launch is at the William Mitchell Law School Auditorium. That should be large enough but I’m getting there early just in case.
I can’t go to NYC but I think Knitting in Public where ever the rest of us are is an excellent idea.
The Flicker site to post pictures is a good one too.
I witnessed firsthand the fools at the county library in St. Louis, I was forty-five minutes early and had to sit in the aisle. I will be in New York on the 22nd in spirit only, it’s a bit too close to my due date to fly in for this one, but I know you’ll fill that auditorium past capacity. I’ll see you on the news.
Brilliant! But with a call out like that, I’m not sure if you’ll have enough chairs at 750.
You know the top 10 preorder list of Home and Garden books on Amazon? Well, 4 of the 10 are knitting book.
I am excited to hear that you will be in Anchorage in June! Tidal Wave Books is not very big!
(I live 400 air miles away on Kodiak Island…)
Good luck with your New York City plan.
Sarah.
I belong to a knitting group here in NYC called Sit n’ Knit, with 686 members, and I’m putting the word out to them.
The Welcome page is:
http://knitting.meetup.com/463/
All of our events are typically filled within hours of posting, and there are other knitting groups here in NYC as well.
Don’t worry about filling the auditorium, worry about creating a traffic jam around 7th and 8th Aveneues.
Please please please, Steph and Jayme-the-wonder-publicist, PLEASE put a “down South” stop on this tour. Memphis, Nashville, Atlanta – here’s a crazy thought – BIRMINGHAM – puh-lee-eee-eeeze bring the show closer to home for us snow-deprived folks south of the MD line!!!
Thank you very much for your consideration. :o)
s
I wish one of two things would happen; either I could come to NY, or you could come to England. In the meantime, I’ll buy the book when it comes out and carry on muttering over my dpns (and poking the husbeast with one occasionally).
Hon, an auditorium that only holds 750 people is clearly not going to be enough! If you’re going to hold the event in NYC, I say you use Madison Square Garden!!!!!!
(mumbles to self):”Of course, The Garden only holds 20,000 people. Hmmm, how many does Wembley Stadium in the UK hold??”
I think the idea of sending in handmade items to show off and donate to the needy is a terrific idea! I can’t make it to NY, but I’d be more than happy to contribute.
NYC – I can’t make it! I would SO Love to tho.
I wish I could be there …
I take my knitting with me on my commute. I’m not the only one, either: there are at least three others just in my train car, and there’s crocheters too (that’s in no more two hundred people).
1. Definitely need a way for the knitters who are not there to be heard somehow. If it is sending in something to represent themselves – whether it be a postcard or charity project, you’d need somewhere to mail them to and someone to collect them all.
2. How do you plan to notify all the knit shops in a multiple state area in and around NY? The yarn shop owners I’ve talked to are not aware of the blog knitting phenomenon. I’ve only come aware of them myself in the past few months.
Oh my god, I just checked your iternerary, hoping you’d be swinging by St. Paul sometime this spring.
Not that I would be able to go, because I can’t further than 2 miles from campus.
Except that you’re going to be at the Yarnery. A mile away.
It’s hard to convey in type, but I am really very excited right now. >.<
you know, after looking at the book tour… those are a lot of really cold places you are going… i would suggest a stop in tampa, fl sometime this year…. yesterday it was, truely, a balmy 70*F…. much warmer than alaska!!
Brilliant! But with a call out like that, I’m not sure if you’ll have enough chairs at 750.
Awesome Dude!! Now, just get your amazing publicist to book you on the Today Show and Letterman. Seriously, Rockafeller Center with Matt Lauer…a week or so ago they had the nerve to have a piece on how sewing groups are the hot new things and sewing is “in” again, here’s the kicker…more “in” than knitting! When was the last time you carted your sewing machine around for some public seaming?? I’m sure sewing is cool but I’ve never heard of a sewing olympics or any of those groups raising the kind of funds you have done lately. Anyway, just sayin. Give your publicist a nudge…Oh, and Central Park…way cool.
I didn’t read through the hundreds of responses, so if someone already mentioned this, well, forgive me. I know that for me personally there is no way I can get to NY. But I would love to be represented as one of this mass community of knitters, as would, I’m sure, the members of my local guild(s). Is there something we can do, some kind of virtual (or physical) petition to show that we are there, even if we can’t be there in person? Can we all knit a square with an intarsia number on it or something and then show the world the mass abundance of knit squares that each represents one knitter? If it is 4×4 it can even be a leftover swatch from someones stash, just something to show the visual representation… you can have them in big clear containers and say how these represent the knitters who couldn’t be here… Ok I’m babbling now but if there is some way I can “be there” without actually “being there” I’d love to participate!
Jennifer – http://www.jeloca.com
Since I’m in N. California I can’t make it to NYC, I’ve already checked flights and while I’m willing to pay the airfare losing two days of work would put a serious crimp in my budget.
Has anyone suggested adding a live webinar? I would totally be there for that and would even pay an entrance fee to get on. Just a thought!
You go, girl! Wish I could attend in NYC, but alas….however if you are going to be in Seattle (and I see you will be in Portland in June) please tell your publicist to book TOWN HALL. Remember, that, TOWN HALL. If she writes to me I will supply all details. It’s where all the big lecture circuit has their speakers. I KNOW you could fill the place. Good luck. MaryB
I can’t be there – its on the other freaking side of the country! But maybe you should talk to the folks at Crocs – I tried to get them to make clear Crocs, but they said they can’t, because the stuff its made from starts out white and can’t be made clear – their loss, I guess! Have fun, and I hope you get a BA-ZILLION knitters!
I don’t work Thursdays – I’d be up for a train ride to NY from RI, see who else I could rustle up (if enough go, maybe even drive). A yarn crawl sounds interesting – keep us posted.
This just might be too far out for y’all but you never know. Years ago they did this thing….Hands Across America. I’m pretty sure it flopped but hey, why not socks. Socks toe to cuff strung all through Central Park or around some very visible place. Then donate those socks (they must come in pairs) to a charitable organization to distribute to the homeless or dis-advantaged. Now THAT would make a splash!
count me in to help. (NYC is my home town, and i have all the home town pride in it that any one has in their home town)
by the way, the Museum of Art and Design (53rd and 5th–(from FIT, walk to Penn Station, (33rd &7th), then through penn Station to A/E/C trains, (8th Avenue end of Penn Sta) take E train (to Queens–direction) 4 stops, exit to be steps away from museum (which is across the street from MOMA) Muse of Art & Design is running show on “subversive lace and radical knitting”–so visiters to NYC can kill 2 birds with one stone. (going to muse before the lecture perhaps, and reversing (taking E train from mus. to FIT)
(maybe we could even be a ‘temporary’ exhibit at the mus.?
NYC yarn stores tend to be small, (even a big store like Seaport is crowded with 10 customers!)
but there are list of every NYC store/location/hours/phone/web–i’ll go look it up and get it to you.
There’s no way I can get to NYC in March. BUT I am sending two cousins and some socks to represent me & mine in Nor Cal.
I second Lauren…California is a big state. Please, please, please make your stop in Sacramento! How’s the data recovery adventure coming?
WHEEEEEE!!!! You’re coming to Portland and I won’t be on vacation this time! 🙂 This makes my year, no my month, heck, my year! I’ll be the one holding a bottle of local microbrew and jumping up and down with glee 😀
Oh, I wish I could get there! Maybe if I tap my shoes together three times… there’s no place like with the Harlot, there’s no place like with the Harlot…
Oh, I wish I could get to NYC…
However, I note with amazement and joy that you are coming to Saint Paul – finally, my award-winning whining and pleading skills pay off! I am eagerly looking forward to meeting you. And thanking you – you are responsible for convincing my husband and teenage son that there might be something to this whole yarn-twisting obsession after all, thus contributing more than a mite to our household harmony. After all these years of failing to lure them with brilliant colors and soft cuddly warmth, who would have known that they could be caught by *knitting humor*?!!
Virtual :::SLAP!!!::: to the person who said ‘well, not really’ about your being a best selling author. Not only are they statistically WRONG, but they are wrong in spirit as well. A great author (IMHO) transcends subject matter and provides something deeper.
Your books transcend their subject. Even my non-knitting muggle friends “get” them. And laugh, and see themselves in your struggles. They come away smiling, and with that feeling a really, really good book gives you: That this was time VERY WELL SPENT.
And anybody who thinks knitters “don’t drink” is just plain nuts. Or hasn’t hung around my place. Or been to a Stitches event, for pete’s sake. Coffee, beer, wine, cocktails, soda, AND YES THANK YOU, we would LOVE to see the appetizer / dessert menu…yes, AGAIN… 🙂
if only…
…i wasn’t in school.
…my boy wasn’t finishing his Masters in Architecture thesis and having a review that night.
…i could be in three places at once.
… if only, if only.
I know it will be amazing, spectacular, fantabulous… i just wish i could join you. 🙂
Oh, too funny – I go to post a comment and I get this message:
Service Temporarily Unavailable
The server is temporarily unable to service your request due to maintenance downtime or capacity problems. Please try again later.
Anyway, I don’t work Thursdays – thinking of taking a train ride to NY from RI, see who else I could rustle up (if enough go, maybe even drive part way). A yarn crawl sounds interesting – keep us posted.
Mwahahahaha,,,I will so be there altho Hell bars the way.
Actually (apologies Stephanie) I’m using this space to communicate w/Sandra K David from Tennessee…Sandra, I tried to comment thru your blog but it didn’t seem to work. I live in NYC. Please don’t be afraid to visit us! You can fly into LaGuardia, Kennedy, or Newark airports and take a cab or shuttle bus into town. If you go to NYC.com/hotels/chelsea you will get a list of hotels near FIT. You would probably only have to walk a block or two to get to the event. Although, there are some GREAT yarn shops on New York it would be a pity to miss…hope to see you there! Feel free to email me with questions- and BTW, great sweater!!
You’re coming to DENVER!!~!! I’m more excited than I can express in poorly composed writing. Ah the plans to be made, the people to drag with me.
Oh, too funny – I, like many others, am having trouble posting this due to “capacity problems.” (makes me wonder how many have given up trying.
Anyway, I don’t work Thursdays – thinking of taking a train ride to NY from RI, see who else I could rustle up (if enough go, maybe even drive part way). Socks in Central Park sounds good (I was knitting orange socks while walking around viewing Christo’s installation two years ago!) A yarn crawl sounds interesting, too – keep us posted.
NYC YIPPEE!! I will be there. We will be a force to be reckoned with!
I will try to be there. Really want to wow the media? 750 knitters at FIT in NYC won’t be a problem (in fact I’m pondering leaving now and camping out so I can be sure of getting a seat). But I’m wondering about how wonderful Jayne-the-wonder-publicist is- could she arrange for a simulcast? Whacks of knitters in multiple cities – that’ll show them.
Maybe something also a bit earlier for those of us with kiddies to knit in public…baby knit fashion show…charity auction of knitted goods…silent yarn auction…actually, I help out with fundraising for more mundane causes, email me if you want many more ideas… 😉 Good luck, Harlot!!
Agh! Agh!
I’ve never commented before, but I thought I would to point out the extreme torture of the fact that this is happening on the other side of the country. And in another country, to boot.
I have a passport, but I just can’t justify a trip to New York at this time.
Could we have a corresponding knitting event in Seattle? Or Portland? That way British Columbians and Californians might also be able to go. Or we could all knit socks and they could represent for us. Heehee…can you imagine Customs having all these packages from Canada, each containing a pair of handknit socks, all going to the same destination?
I couldn’t open the tour page. But I’m definitely coming to hear you if you come to Vancouver, and I can maybe make it to Victoria.
No way I can make it, but love the idea. I’ve always been fascinated by the social history of knitting, especially the intersection between craft and women’s social activism (eg knitting for the war effort), and women’s economic productivity (eg fair isle and bohus knitting). What about doing something to honor the generation of women for whom knitting was an economic necessity or a contribution to important social issues (I know knitters still contribute in this way). I’m thinking of something for the many isolated and/or at risk elders in the world…we do so much for children, the physically ill or disabled. What about the people who passed this wonderful skill down to us — and other skills and knowledge — don’t mean we should only help elders who used to knit 🙂
My, I do go on…
Could there, perhaps, be a Canadian launch in Toronto? Or some way to indicate our strength in numbers the night of the NYC launch without being actually there? I dunno… people send in knitted squares or somesuch that get sewn into the biggest honkin’ afghan known to (wo)man? Just some thoughts.
Brilliant, just brilliant. I’d be there if I could, Manhattan being my home town and all, but I’ll be 3000 miles away, at home, in Northern California. I’d just love to be there. How will you/Jamie convince the media to be there, what with there being about 83 knitters in the US and all of them over the age of 75, you know …
I was amazed to see that Powell’s in Portland has been given a last minute reprieve. What are the odds that they’ll get it right, this time? That’s what astounded me last time. I mean, they did host you *before* the fiasco-of-no-chairs-for-the-knitters, didn’t they? And wasn’t that first trip at the main store? What will it take to get a clue? Will they hold it in a phone booth this time?? Enquiring minds …
If only I’d had more warning, I’d so be in En Why See that day. Here’s something to consider: remember the 300ish people that came to see you in Austin? I promise you: issue a challenge like that, and Texas and her nearby sisters will rise too. Third Coast, represent! 😉
I’ll pack my car with knitters again if need be…but something to consider: there are no fewer than nine (count ’em, *9*) LYSs in the metropolitan Houston area, at least 3 of them impressive, most of them successful. And if you made it here before the end of April, or after mid-October, you might not even melt into a puddle!
Wherever your tour takes you this year, I will devote myself to banishing all thoughts of knitters being a rare, squishy, muddle-headed type in your honor (and everyone else’s). Who says that Thursday is the only day I can knit with my favorite group of Women Who Rock It (including writers, teachers, programmers, insurance professionals, graphic designers, artists, students, engineers, and an FBI agent)?
P.S. I can’t help myself: pleeeeeeease come back to Texas!
How about coming to Seattle?? Or Edmonds? Or someplace within an hour’s drive of Whidbey Island????? Please, please, please!!!!!
Let’s see – over 180 replies to this post in an hour and 45 minutes? Think with a little notice we can fill 750 seats? Think so…..
LOL – ditto on the capacity problem. Let’s hope this makes it through. Maybe you need to make a personal visit with sharp pointy sticks in hand…. I’m *still* pissed at Powell’s. If you ever come back to Portland (please, god), we have to organize a call-in and email to make sure they PUT YOU BACK IN THE MAIN STORE! With enough damned chairs! Pretty little heads, my *arse.* And “Well. Not really”??!!!!? *Bite* me! Cretin.
If people gather beforehand somewhere, get a parade permit and have ’em walk to FIT en masse. Or, since a permit may cost money, just … you know… have everyone decide to do it. Spontaneously. [eg]
Lion Brand is in Carlstadt, NJ. MapQuest says Carlstadt is 13.2 miles from New York City. Think they might be interested in helping out?
Have an LED readerboard running above the stage during your talk. Audience members tell whoever runs the thing $ amts. spent on yarn – last purchase, in a year, whatever. Someone adds it up and keeps updating the total. People could call in or email for that, too. *That* oughtta make the media sit up a little as it goes up and up and up…
Have an AIM or other chat in sync somewhere – esp. for those of us on dial-up who couldn’t get live streamed video. Heck, have voice recognition software on a computer, feed your mike into it so we could read your talk – with some way to keep track of how many people reading. Then when you have Q&A, every so often answer a question from chat audience. AOL’s done this in their large chat auditoriums in interview format followed by Q&A since their early days. Then they put up a transcript available for download. I don’t know if they still do this, but it’s was hugely popular.
(I realize those last two ideas involve live humans who need to be paid, but perhaps that’s where LB and so on could pitch in.)
If you manage to do live streaming video, don’t just watch at home, knitters. Take over a net cafe to watch it. Ask your LYS if they could manage something if you had a Book Launch party there. See if any computer stores would like a PR opp and if they’d put the feed on a bigscreen TV and invite knitters – and the media.
How many celebrities who knit live in NY? Even if they can’t come, maybe they can mention it somewhere? As a PSA? 😉
We write up a manifesto. (You’ve done a darned good one, but there’s copyright and all. [g]) Every single knit blogger we can notify around the world – post it on March 22nd, with exactly the same title and text, word for word, no additions – the point is to keep it identical. Every. Single. One. *Someone’s* gotta take notice of umpteen thousand bloggers making precisely the same post on the same date.
I can’t make NYC, but I am THERE in Oakbrook, IL on April 3rd, requesting vacation day today.
Okay, as a pretty regular member of NYC’s SnB (um, I think I miss only if I’m severly contagious or on the other side of the country), I think we can safely say that you will have no problems hitting capacity. Anyone ever try to go the Knit Out in Union Square? You can’t get near the place. The Auditorium at FIT? Try for Carnegie Hall!I love the idea of donating a knit item for the homeless or a shelter, and can we block out seats for our groups? We could make banners or signs! T-Shirts! And please, if you’re in town on Tuesday, you must come by The Point knitting cafe….
Let’s see. You raised $320,000 for knitters without frontiers, and you’ve only got 750 seats? Where are you going to put the overflow crowd?
WOO-HOO!!! NYC in da house! I’m so there (if there’s room.)
Besides all the newspapers & magazines devoted to what’s going on in NY, we have a 24-hour cable news network that’s nothing but NYC (sometimes they’ll take a minute for “the world beyond New York.” Seriously. That’s what they say.)called NY1. Everyone here watches NY1 for at least a few minutes a day, so if they do a story on your event, it gets out to huge audience.
Maybe, since 750 seats won’t be enough, you should charge admission and give the proceeds to Doctors w/o Borders? I also love all the ideas about charity knitting.
someone already said my thoughts, but the Yarnery in St. Paul is absolutely tiny, exactly the problem you mention above….beautiful shop, but no way can it hold the crowd
So, you’re going to Pittsburgh, PA and Ann Arbor, MI, but you’re not coming to Cleveland, OH – directly in between those two cities. That hurts. It hurts bad.
Yah!! you’re coming to Denver!! I hear you loud & clear sister. Wanna come to to my side of town? I have a theater(fits 300+) with bar to boot! 🙂
Syl
Hmm
I sooooooooooooo wish I could be there sigh!! Just not on I suppose to spend over $3,000 to get there. Just think how much wool that would buy. 🙂
But how about some sort of live computer link / blog thingie [ get Ken on to it ] that people around the World could “sign in ” to on the day. Then show the results as they “pour in” on a large screen behind you.
I also like the idea of some charity thingie as well. If we had more time we could all send in squares for blankets or socks or something. That way others , like me stuck here down under could take part as well.
I really agree with your entry today. So fed up of not been taken seriously as an artist. Way to go, go get hmm..
Thanks >^..^<
I really like the idea of everyone bringing (or sending, for those who can’t attend) their leftover yarn. Imagine the size of that pile. It would certainly make a statement about our economic clout.
Oh what a wonderful idea. How I would love love love love to go. Now I MUST comment on this tour. How is it that you don’t come down to Florida? You can bask in the sun with a nice cool cotton or silk yarn 😉
I, too, for once, am jealous of you East Coasters, only because the event is in NYC and not here in San Francisco! Can’t wait for details of the California appearance, hopefully there will be more than one. There are lots of us here on the left coast, too. One appearance is not enough!
Man…it would fall on a night when i have class!
I’ll be there in spirit…from the other side of town…where I’ll be sitting through a lecture… Phooey. =/
Do you plan on coming to Atlanta? I know it is a little warm here, but we knit too. Did I mention that we love you?
I wish I could come to NYC. It would be totally cool if the event gets webcast somehow. You’re coming to California the day after my birthday!!! Yay!!! *crosses fingers, and whispering rapidly to self:* Please let it be Nor Cal, please let it be Nor Cal!
We drink (oh yes, we drink), we buy books (I am personally responsible for 6 copies of your last one — gifts!), and we love us our Stephanie. Set up the chairs. They’ll never know what hit ’em.
Now, if you had planned that FIT thing one measly week earlier, I’d have been on a March break respite, and I’d have personally planned the bus trip from Toronto!
What a great idea! I couldn’t be more bummed I won’t be able to make it… I’ll be on my honeymoon, darn it!
I’m throwing in my support for a Washington, DC tour stop!
Knitters Unite! Count me in. I work in NYC so I can go to FIT after work. Some commenters had the excellent idea to make March 22 – Knitting in Public Day for those who can’t make it to NYC.(although I knit in public everyday). Go to a bar, a coffee shop, a restaurant and go there with other knitters and knit! I am going to contact my friend, who is a reporter for a regional newspaper and see if she might be interested in covering this event or doing a story on the “power of knitters.” Also, I started blogging and I am having fun! Please check it out if you have time: http://yarnyoldkim.typepad.com/yarny_old_kim/
Steph. Sweetie. You’re not thinking big enough. We need GLOBAL SATURATION. Knitters here in Australia (and the rest of the world I’m sure) are also getting the short end of the stick. We need to set up some sort of satellite hook-up, and have a world-wide simultaneous launch. Hell, they do it for J.K. Rowling.
We’re not a gang, we’re a club. Let’s RUMBLE.
What will you say when asked;
Where were YOU on the night of March 22nd, 2007?
Oh, no! I won’t be here in June, and you’ll be only 4.5 hours from me! (I’m speaking of the Anchorage, AK, talk. To which I would absolutely drive if I could – grrr!)
For the NYC gig: I’m wondering if there could be a way to represent those of us who would love to attend, but absolutely cannot. (Nowhere, Alaska to NYC seems to be an impossibility, even for such a good cause…) Could we send a little piece of paper? a knit hat? (to be donated to Dulaan or somewhere) or something to put out or hang up in representation of the knitters who can’t be there physically? Just to show the sheer number of us…
I dunno, it sounds like a lot of work for you guys, as though organizing all this stuff isn’t already hectic enough! but my heart will be there with ya!
You should have heard the laughs I got yesterday when I talked to some colleagues about “the famous knitter who visited our Guild the other night…” Gales of laughter. I had to ask them why they were laughing and they just held their stomachs and said, “A famous knitter!” They just don’t get it….I wonder if, for those who can’t make it to NYC on March 24th, there could be some kind of online participation that could be measured. There must be some simple technology for this…
I live in NYC – I am so there!
One way to prevent potential chaos is to sell tickets – that was 3000 knitters won’t cause a stampeed trying to get into the auditorium! (I would say “give away” tickets, but there is more incentive to show up for people if they pay something, even a nominal fee, rather than just grab a ticket and figure out if they can go later. Also, if you don’t want to charge perhaps you could make it a “donation” and give the proceeds to Knitters Without Borders…) Maybe an outdoor event connected to it as well (like your Central Park idea) to accomodate the full total of people who want to participate…
You should have heard the laughs I got yesterday when I talked to some colleagues about “the famous knitter who visited our Guild the other night…” Gales of laughter. I had to ask them why they were laughing and they just held their stomachs and said, “A famous knitter!” They just don’t get it….I wonder if, for those who can’t make it to NYC on March 24th, there could be some kind of online participation that could be measured. There must be some simple technology for this…
If it were a weekend, I’d be there. Have fun!
You totally need a way for the non-east coasters to represent. By sending something, or by webcast, or whatever. If I wasn’t so pregnant I’d hop a plane from Seattle. Just because I like to be petulant.
Please set up something – I know you are clever this way, so that the rest of us can say “we would so be there if it were within a few hours drive”.
An auditorium that only holds 750 people? I think you need something bigger. Seriously. I don’t think it’s big enough. You’re gonna have people standing out on 7th Avenue. Of course, they’ll all be wearing nice warm wool socks and mittens and hats, but they’d really rather be inside.
This Montana Math teacher won’t be able to make it cross county to be with all of you in NYC…BUT I’m hoping to see this on the Fox Eastern Satellite feed! Make it a really big yarn crawl so that I can have my students calculate the length or some other mathematical reason to let me knit in class all day. I already knit through my duty times…now to take it to all day!
As for the “not really” comments, I agree that the person needed a “brain duster” along side the head. The muggles just don’t get it.
Now I need to go read and find out when you will be in Denver. That may be the closest to you I can get…OR are you coming to Lethbridge or Calgary? I”m pert near to Alberta, so those would actually be closer than Denver!
Call number 1:
Me: Hey.
BFF: So, did you read The Harlot today?
Me (looking over the drifts of paper on my desk): No, because I’ve been working.
BFF: Well, read it when you can. I have just one comment: I’m in. I’ll drive.
Me: ? (grabs bookmark, notices Blue Shirt Problem). Site’s down. I can’t wait. You’ll have to tell me.
BFF: (brief explanation leaving out the whole Muggle stupidity part, since that’s best read for myself)
Me: Sounds good. I’m in.
BFF: I have no time or money.
Me: Yeah, me either. Deal with later.
Call 2, some time later:
Me: Hey, the site’s back, and she updated her tour page. Did you see she’s in Oak Park on April 3?
BFF: That’s a Tuesday, and you work nights.
Me: So? I can do that a lot more easily that NY.
BFF: Yeah, me too. You in? I can bring a sock.
Me: I’m in. I’ll take the day off. And I’m pretty sure I have more than one sock on the needles. So, I will post a comment that they need to bring two more chairs.
Hmm. On further thought, maybe we should bring our own.
This Montana Math teacher won’t be able to make it cross county to be with all of you in NYC…BUT I’m hoping to see this on the Fox Eastern Satellite feed! Make it a really big yarn crawl so that I can have my students calculate the length or some other mathematical reason to let me knit in class all day. I already knit through my duty times…now to take it to all day!
As for the “not really” comments, I agree that the person needed a “brain duster” along side the head. The muggles just don’t get it.
Now I need to go read and find out when you will be in Denver. That may be the closest to you I can get…OR are you coming to Lethbridge or Calgary? I”m pert near to Alberta, so those would actually be closer than Denver!
How about a coast-to-coast simulcast? I’d find a way to be there if there were anything within spitting distance of San Francisco. Heck, I’d fly to NYC if I had the money . . .
While you are in NYC, check out schoolproducts.com. It is right by FIT and they have some wonderful goodies!
I can’t make NYC, but I am THERE in Oakbrook, IL on April 3rd, requesting vacation day today.
If I lived across the pond, I’d be there for sure!
Here in Germany the overall knitting situation is even worse. I haven’t come across a decent knitting book in German, they all look like they’re straight out of the Eighties even if they’re not.
And knitting magazines? I just learned that one of the larger ones (of the very few ones, actually) won’t be released any more. Actually, that doesn’t matter so much as the patterns inside weren’t that great anyway. Dull colors, boring patterns (mostly)… no wonder so many knitters in Germany take to English-language books and magazines.
I’m on the phone right now trying to line up a set of grandparents to come babysit so I can hop on the train in DC and join you!
I haven’t a snowball’s chance in hell of being in NYC on March 22, since a) I have to go to work that day, and b) I will be four days away from being full-term. However, I am certain beyond certain that you will not be disappointed by the turnout.
(Damn. It has just occurred to me that I might be in labour when you have your Canadian launch. Wouldn’t that be just craptastic.)
Stephanie, the girls from “Knitting in Hell”, Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood
(west side of Manhattan between 34th St & 57th street) knitting group will be there,
wearing our Knitter’s Olympic badges.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/knittinginhellskitchen/
I’ll be in the Adult’s Only Devil Hat from Knittyville.com!!
Also, be sure to see the exhibit “Ralph Rucci:The Art of Weightlessness” at the FIT Museum
across the street from the lecture hall- it’s FREE
I really really really want to go! Hmmmmmmm. I am going to see how I can do it!
I really really really want to go! Hmmmmmmm. I am going to see how I can do it! Anyone one from South Jersey? We can all hop on a Greyhound bus together to and from the even from the Mt. Laurel station. This could be exciting!
Damn, I’m coordinating a conference that begins the next day (and entertaining the featured presenter that very evening). Your event sounds like SOOOO much more fun!
Oh My Gods
The Yarnery
St Paul, only 20 mins away from me. I get to meet the Yarn Harlot (Yay!!!!)
Long time reader, infrequent commenter
WOO HOO!!! Visiting Alaska!!! I am sooo there.. even though it means driving 360 miles to get to Anchorage.
Oh dear lord, I am going to gather all the women in my life and form a caravan. I love the idea of 700 socks in Central Park, that’s a picture that would go around the world. I agree that 750 seats may be a small number. You can probably fill that with knitters from NYC alone. Power to the knitters!
I organize Sit n’ Knit New York – we have 680 members! You bet I will make this an event for the group and do our best to fill a portion of the auditorium!
honestly, if i weren’t already flying to California on that date to go to my brother’s wedding, i would hop on the fung wah from boston (yes, risking my LIFE) and would be there, knitting in hand. i GUARANTEE that the 750 seats will be full- i just know it!
I organize Sit n’ Knit New York – we have 680 members! You bet I will make this an event for the group and do our best to fill a portion of the auditorium!
http://knitting.meetup.com/463/
*CHEER*
YES!
Denver! Finally!
*happy dance*
(I’d totally come to New York, if I could.)
Well, Steph, if I can raise the cash for the plane fare, I am there! AND the yarn crawl could be awesome as there are 24 yarn stores in Manhattan(http://www.jackie-blue.com/knit/index.php/nyc-yarn-stores/). I wonder if we should warn the cab drivers? Well, if anybody can get the media’s attention, it’ll be you. Can’t wait to see how it turns out.
Hell yea! I’ll start planning now for this event.
I agree with Elizabeth that part of the problem is simply that women aren’t taken seriously, and knitting is seen as a women’s activity. I was watching the McLaughlin group on PBS last week and they were talking about the Democratic primary hopefuls. They kept referring to Senator Edwards as “Senator Edwards” or “Edwards”, Senator Obama as “Sentaor Obama” or “Obama”, Senator Kucinich (who I admire greatly but who hasn’t a prayer)as “Senator Kucinich.” But every single time any of them (including the female commentator) referred to the front runner, double-digits ahead in the polls, easily the one with the most political clout and the biggest campaign war chest, did they call her “Senator Clinton?” “Clinton?” No. Every single time they referred to her they called her “Hillary.” I’m still fuming, a week later.
Maybe you should invite Senator Clinton to your book launch. We’ll give her pointy sticks. She’s going to need them. And if she is in New York instead of DC on that date, I wouldn’t be surprised if she showed up.
I can’t make it to NY, but I love the idea. Maybe squares from absent knitters would help show our numbers as well as do a good deed.
You are a wonderful writer. I’ve given your books to non-knitters just because your books are a great read and can be applied to other creative outlets.
Any chance of your coming to Ohio – in particular the Cleveland area? I’m so jealous when I read that you’ve visited so many other cities.
OMG…I have been waiting, and waiting, and waiting for you to come to Denver. I see it’s on your new tour page for April 5th. I’M MOVING OUT OF DENVER ON MARCH 8th!! How could this be happening to me? AARRRGGGHHHHH…I’ve read all your books, am a faithful reader of your blog, spread the knitting word and your wisdom to anybody and anyone who will even show a glimmer of interest (like making eye contact with me while on line at the post office) and when I finally get my wish? I’m leaving the state the month before. Can I just offer a little begging that your California trip be somewhere in the LA/Orange County area? That way I could still have a chance to see you live and in person.
Waaaahhhh! No Seattle stop on your tour this time! I promise chocolate, coffee, AND great beer (Snoqualmie Falls Brewery) if you visit. I’ll even drive you around in hubby’s little red corvette (we can go topless – the car – not us!).
Even worse, I’m not a member of Blue Moon’s sock club. I wanna go to camp.
However, June 9 and 10 in Victoria??? Sounds FAB!! I just may have to take the Victoria Clipper (and risk seasickness again) to make that date. Bee Hive Wool is a great place to prowl. And there are awesome places to buy books and tea! And there is the ReBar, a great vegetarian restaurant that makes a great breakfast. Oh, I am so going to Victoria again this year!
I’m thinking you could probably launch the book at Madison Square Garden, if not a stadium, and fill the thing! I’ll be there in spirit from Southern California. [Can’t wait to see where you’re visiting in June!]
Oh! Good Luck, Good Luck, Good Luck! I would love love love to be there, but I am likely to be stuck in a labor and delivery ward that day! (“Cupcake” is due on the 29th, but the C-section isn’t scheduled yet, and of course, I’m not sure what I would do with her big sister “Peanut” that day, if I were to decide to travel across nearly five BIG states) But, I will be there in spirit!
Good luck!
Please, please, please do a video podcast of the event!!
oooohhhh…. too bad it’s not on a Friday night. Maybe pictures from absent knitters, a swatch from the missing, a variegated knit ribbons – some visible indicator of those that could not attend.
1) I go to NYC for work all the time. I will do my utmost to be at The Launch and join efforts to defy the hugely obnoxious, oh-so-conventional “wisdom” about knitters.
2) Can’t you please come to the Atlanta area, specifically Decatur, just east of downtown, which is a very cool island of liberalism and creativity also chock full o’ knitters. Think Niche or Why Knot Knit are great stores. We would welcome you w/open arms and great backdrops for sock photos.
It’s getting better in St Louis. I was on the local news!
Look here for a news clip!
http://timothy.org.uk/blog/2007/01/did-you-see-it.php
And another thing…Steph there is no friggin’ way I can get to NYC and I don’t want to miss it! What if we do the Flat Scout trick where we emply Flat Harlot in multiple cities books stores and do a simultaneous launch across North America. We could get all the podcasters to podcast live from the venues. We have the technology. All the local knitters who can’t make NY, go to their local launch site. Create a Flickr tag and let the cell phone cameras loose. Have I lost my mind or what?
I find it hilarious that my favorite Canadian knitter is scared of Alaska in January, especially in the face of her current -20 degree weather.
Wish I could be at the Big Thing!
And another thing…Steph there is no friggin’ way I can get to NYC and I don’t want to miss it! What if we do the Flat Scout trick where we employ Flat Harlot in multiple cities books stores and do a simultaneous launch across North America. We could get all the podcasters to podcast live from the venues. We have the technology. All the local knitters who can’t make NY, go to their local launch site. Create a Flickr tag (KnitFIT?) and let the cell phone cameras loose. Have I lost my mind or what?
How about a giant yarn sculpture in Central Park? All day knitters bring leftover balls of yarn and knitting needles. It starts out with a ball and a couple of needles, then someone adds another ball and needles, before you know it, it’s the sized of a snow bank, then a hill, then a mountain! Must arrange ladders if it is too be piled high – or it will just meander down the pathways, like a wall that only reaches as high as we are tall… All this yarn, connected with knitting needles symbolizing our connections to each other!
Oh! Good Luck, Good Luck, Good Luck! I would love love love to be there, but I am likely to be stuck in a labor and delivery ward that day! (“Cupcake” is due on the 29th, but the C-section isn’t scheduled yet, and of course, I’m not sure what I would do with her big sister “Peanut” that day, if I were to decide to travel across nearly five BIG states) But, I will be there in spirit!
Good luck!
Good Luck Stephanie.I will be thinking of you all.Please come to Australia.
It’s only because I live 3000 miles away that I won’t be there… If you come up with some way for those of us who can’t attend to represent count me in!
I was at the Full Thread Ahead event – fabulous!
I will be there! It is on my calendar! So, unless something unexpected pops up at work – count me among the 750+ knitters!!!
So, My sister in law has been bugging me to come and see The City for quite some time (she’s a grad student at NYU) and I think that you just gave me the perfect opportunity. If I am pregnant, I’m not that far along, so it’s the perfect time to go. The closing date on our house is after that, so we won’t have to move yet, and besides we’ve built in a month of rent with which to move anyways. And I believe that my yarn budget will have rectified by then and I can afford to buy some yarn. Nay, I will have to buy some NY yarn.
I missed you when you came to Webs because I was a bridesmaid in the wedding from hell (seriously, I’ll tell you about it sometime) but I will NOT miss this! Oh, just wait until my husband comes home and I tell him.
I whish I can be there, but is a bit difficult (I live in Spain).
I feel myself so identified with you.
Kisses
Well, it’s about time. I’ve marked the day on my calendar, St. Paul will do you proud.
http://beadslut.livejournal.com/169689.html
Sooner or later the muggles will realise. Wish I could be in NYC on the 22nd but alas! Too far away – only about 24 hours on planes plus connections… And you are going to the wrong Victoria!
I am there and bringing a couple more. We’ll show ’em.
My knitting group is so planning on attending in full force!! Bring on the knitter-power! http://knitting.meetup.com/463/
Do we need a ticket for the NYC event?
Hey, I go to FIT! I’ll be there!
Dude. I’m there. I’ll bring others.
Come to Houston in January. June’s too hot!! We’d love to see you out here, and I cn arrange for a whole of knitters to be there. We won’t have a whole lot of wool, but we’re fun just the same.
I’m afraid I can’t make New York, much as I would love to…but if you come to Cincinnati, Dayton, or Columbus (or even Indianapolis – I could get to Indy), we Midwesterners would be happy to show you a whack of knitters in one room! 🙂
i will definitely 100% be there. how exciting!
i’ll let my bosses know now not to expect me at work 🙂
even if i weren’t already in nyc, i would so be there. but i’m a little worried there won’t be enough seats…
I am totally there. If anyone needs a ride from the Rockland County area, let me know!
Rock on, kid. New York is but a mere five hours away, and if this ice ever melts, I am sooooo there.
Argh! That night is Parent-Teacher conferences and I have to be a teacher! Maybe I can convince my Principal that it is a good field trip for the Knitting Club. Hmmm …
Knitters without Borders
Please, please, please can you include the date of the last on the left with the running total.
Thanks muchly!
Knitters without Borders
Please, please, please can you include the date of the last on the left with the running total.
Thanks muchly!
PS I would love to come to NYC but its a good 30 hour travel from here and several thousand dollars – GOOD LUCK
OK sure, so I move, and then you go to Victoria. bah. Any plans for Calgary?
you definitely need to have people “register” when they get there so you have record of who traveled furthest, etc etc. get all the “evidence” you can!
You had me checking plane fares, but I just can’t afford the flight. I will see you in St. Paul, I’m driving down from Fargo! I’m in for any remote participation everyone comes up with.
I’m banging my head on the table right now because the closest this tour even comes to me is PA. I have friends in New York…I wonder if I could convince them to make an appearance for me. lol Man that’d be awesome…March 22nd you say? Maybe…maybe.
WOW! That sounds like the most amazing thing to be at. Except it’s on the wrong coast! 🙁
I can’t wait for the new book to come out!
Not enough chairs. Not enough chairs.
OK, no way can I be there from Texas, but… I pre-ordered your book, Ms. McPhee, knowing full well I would be a sucker for it the first time I saw it on a bookstore shelf anyway. (See, I don’t even have to hear you speak to want it!) Anyway, I really like the idea of blanket squares. There are those of us who are (ahem) sock-challenged as yet. Just give us the specs for the squares and pretty much everyone is set!
Point the idiots who doubt you & the power of the knitting community to you Tricoteuses Sans Frontières totals. That’ll set ’em straight.
I’ll be there, but jeez, Steph…F.I.T. is thirty-two whole blocks from where I work. Can I get reimbursed for this ;=)?
If I could get to New York from England I would. Good luck to you and your wonderful knitters with attitude idea. Let us know if there is any way we can join in from the other side of the Atlantic.
Ok, I read the post. I’m not gonna be able to make it to N.Y 🙁 but I would like to participate one way or another. The idea of doing a knit-out sounds great! I also like the idea of making the world’s biggest afghan, but I think it would be easier to knit scarves, hats or things that don’t need finishing. Whatever you decide on I’ll be showing my support.
OK, then, how about a simulcast here on the West Coast? If the Met can do it, so can knitters. Have your publicist talk to your contacts out here – maybe Full Thread Ahead? – & see what they can come up with. Ought to have a sympathy rally, at the very least.
You go, girl!
Please come to Southern California…Pleeeeeeeze! Make it a bar in Southern California (San Diego to be specific). We’ve got great margaritas!!!! 🙂
Well, I wish I could make it to NYC to knit with you guys, but I’ll have to be content to catch you in St Pau. I will most certainly be there. I actually jumped out of my chair and squealed when I saw that you were coming.
Are you actually meeting at The Yarnery? It’s really small.
Here’s a scary thought: is there some way to simulcast the event, or even just promote it by knitting get-togethers on that same evening across the country? A wave of knitter gatherings sweeping across North America in one evening….
Ok, maybe too scary.
Even though I will be coming off the redeye–I would love to come to FIT since you are coming to speak in my hometown. Maybe I can even change the flight and come in the day before so that I will be awake for it. There have to be a lot more than 750 knitters in NYC. Look at how many people came to Union Square last Fall.
I can’t make it to the event, but I’d be happy to contribute a square, if you take up the suggestion of making the World’s Largest Afghan. Who will call the Guiness people, to verify the record?
I’ll be there, needles flying!
I will be there,have to be there!
I’ll be in the at the FIT in spirit.
Please o please come to Cincinnati! I’ll be your street team and pass out flyers 😉
Wish I could come to NYC but that’s just not an option.
Stephanie…I know you’d have a huge audience in Indiana…any chance of getting to Indianapolis sometime soon? I would love to see you, but have no funds to travel any distance where I’d have to stay overnight. I spend every spare penny on yarn and books (I just got another one of yours for my birthday on Valentine’s Day – Thanks to my darling hubby!).
If it were within a 6 hour drive, I’d be there. Unfortunately, it’s much more than that for me 🙁
But I would love to go. LOVE to.
Great idea to send in hats, afghan squares, etc. I bet the Warm Up America folks would be DELIGHTED to ‘take charge’ of the squares – that many will needs resource for receiving-storage-display-transport etc.
I would so be there if I could, but being in CA makes it impossible right now! I can’t wait to see the results!
The only problem with the plan is what you are going to do when 2,000 knitters show up…
I have to work that night — right down the street. Argh! I’ll make it a KIP day, though. We’ll show those muggles!
Glad to see you’re coming to the Twin Cities proper this time round. Hope to see you in April!
I just saw that you are going to be in St.Paul!!! I couldn’t make it last time when you were in WI, but I will definitely be at this one. I don’t have an excuse since I live in St. Paul. The Yarnery won’t fit all of us though.
I live in Japan, so… yeah, but can we send stuff? hats? scarves? I want to represent!
There is a youth hostel at 891 Amsterdam Ave, New York, 10025 – (212) 932-2300 which is really not expensive to stay at and is really pretty nice. We stayed there with kids and it was ok- if anyone is looking for places to stay. It gets a pretty good rating and is run by Hostelling International.
Feck Yeah, I am absolutly there.
If your comming to VICTORIA, what about VANCOUVER!! Please, please consider making a stop in VANCOUVER on your way to VICTORIA. We even have a Fibre Fest in ABBOTSFORD in May filled with knitters who would love to meet you. Come on out and I’ll buy you a Granville Island Lager or two!!
Rhonda
PS Urban Yarns in VANCOUVER has TWO locations now! The new location is in NORTH VANCOUVER.
Wowsers, how I wish I could get to NYC… On the other hand, I do work with the community relations manager at a sizeable bookstore in Florida (where it is currently a bone-chilling 50 degrees F right now). Stephanie, could you pretty please tell me who I need to bribe, coerce or blackmail to get you to come visit us? I promise we’ll have enough chairs. 🙂
No time to read through 300 comments to see if someone has already said this: Maybe everyone involved in the knitters march on NYC should wear a signature color so as to provoke attention in the city–if that’s possible in NYC. Good luck with your excellent project!
Oh, I am SOOO there! Knitters unite!
700 seats? I was briefly contemplating an el cheapo Airtran ticket and a night at a hostel when I looked at the seating capacity and started giggling. The earliest flight out of Atlanta would get me into Manhattan around 9:45 a.m. and I suspect all those 700 seats will be long spoken for by then. 7,000 seats might be a whole arseload more realistic. But if someone wants to organize socks or hat knitting to represent those who can’t come, I’m in.
Come to Atlanta, PLEASE?
Amen. You are making me wish I still lived in NY, cause then I would be there.
You will LOVE Anchorage in June. I grew up there, and June is the best month to go. It is before the heaviest loads of tourists come. 🙂
Portland and Victoria. And me smack dab in between in Seattle. Well, if you see me in both places, don’t worry, I’m not stalking you. Really. The restraining order is totally unnecessary.
How about a world-wide knit-in on that date? Everybody could park themselves somewhere in public and knit?
I signed up for a beginning spinning class today and bought a drop-spindle. My journey to the dark side commences…
Oh, oh, oh! Yay! You are coming to Anchorage. You will love it! The flowers will be blooming, and the sun will be shining, and you can get the best fresh made ice cream right next door to Title Wave at Hot Licks! We consume more ice cream per capita here in the frozen north than any other state, you know!? I am so excited and my sister is so jealous!
Can we just fax in our support and have it noted in the record like I do for the (Albuquerque, New Mexico) City Council meetings I can’t attend?
Give me a fax # or an e-mail address or an online chat and you have my virtual participation. Haven’t been to NYC since I was 12. Wish I could make it, but budget, kids, & work, simply won’t allow it.
oh please oh please oh please hold a West coast version of the Big Book Launch! (In San Francisco, if possible!) I would love to drag my husband along and watch him freak right out.
We are knitters, hear us roar. In numbers too big to ignore… Oh, heck, what are the rest of the words to that song? Wonder if I can get to NYC in March.
Dang–I won’t be there in body, but I will be there in spirit! I will definitely make sure to KIP that day at least! Go, Harlot, go!
I second the commenter who mentioned Las Vegas. You would think we could get a knitting/crochet/fiber convention here!
Oh, I’m there, all right – I’d have gone pretty far out of my way for this, and here you plant it right in my back yard! You bet I’m there, hands and needles at the ready. Socks across Central Park? check. Hats for the Homeless? check. Connecting with the Subversive Knitting exhibit? check. Simulcasts and simul-knits? check. All great ideas, and if you need local volunteers to facilitate, count me in.
Only – I agree with those who say 750 seats aren’t anywhere near enough. Also with those who say you need pre-registration – and if you did have pre-registration going, I guarantee you I’d already be too late. Get a bigger venue. Please. I suppose the muggles pretty much deserve to see just how ugly it could get around 27th and 7th when thousands of knitters are turned away from the door… but said thousands of knitters don’t.
Oh, and regarding the jerk at the dinner party, I hope she/he had a really nasty case of indigestion for the next week!
I wish there were some way that those of us from across the country could sign up and have someone who’s going hold up some sort of a cardboard representation of all of the rest of us!
Anchorage! Yay. Except that I live in Two Rivers, which is closer by far to Fairbanks. We’ve got lots and lots of knitters here… Wonder if the Wonder Publicist could work out a visit to Fairbanks? It’s nice in June… The mosquitos aren’t out yet and stuff has turned green…
I think Danny Ouellette’s idea is great. Rather like what was done with Latvian Mittens and the attendees at the NATO summit.
I see that Owen Sound is not on the tour list. ::sigh:: It would be so wonderful to have more than 4 knitters come out to an event.
Do you think I’m the only guy in the area who knits?
I simply cannot make it from Kansas, much as I would love to. I also think having photographic representation of those of us who want to attend but cannot would be a great idea.
A knitting event on my birthday? You shouldn’t have! While I am honored you chose the day of my birth for your “stick it to the muggles night” I am sadened that this year my birthday falls on a Thursday and therefore I will not be able to make the 5 hour drive to NYC for my big birthday party with 1,000 of my closest knitting friends. 🙁
I do promise that if you come to Massachusetts, Northern Conneticut, Rhode Island, Southern Vermont or New Hampshire or Maine anytime before August 13th, I will be there!
I am also insanely jealous that I cannot go to your camp in East Sound, WA. Is it in the same location every year? If so, can I sign up now for 2008?
-Carissa
I am so totally there. Maybe I’ll take the day off work and just hang out on the steps at FIT knitting. Keep in mind that March 22 in NYC can either be -10 or 87 degrees. Not that it would matter….
Now I am reading through all of your 300 messages and it just occurred to me – if I am going to send in a pair of socks, for Central Park & charity, I’d better get knitting! Bye!
I can only be there in spirit as Idaho is just too far away and NY too expensive for me to get to. I “global” knit in would be so cool though.
How can we get that arranged?
If the flight weren’t so long and expensive, I’d definitely be there. I can definitely relate to what you’re talking about as far as knitters not be respected. Definitely true on all points. I’ll be there in spirit and I’ll be looking for the stories in the news (it’s a shame the Tacoma News Tribune never showed up to interview you for Madrona . Just another example of people not understanding how big your name is!).
Hmmm, couldn’t we do something in Chicago too that day? (I wouldn’t want to coordinate it, but I’d sure be there if someone else set it up.)
Also, the tour URL shows 2005; needs to be changed to 2007…
So who will be organizing the Million Knitter March on Washington D.C.?
We won’t just intimidate yarn stores and loan officers… we could change a nation!
Okay–I can’t make it to New York, but I have no doubt you could get the 750 knitters you’d need. But what I’m thinking is, for all of us who, say, live in California or whatever, you have a wall of FO’s…you can even head it ‘FO’s’ (We will know what it means:-) Where we send you images of Finished Objects–either multi-media or old fashioned polaroid and you do one of those impressive things where, while you’re talking, you’ve got these images of knitters, representing, behind you. So it wouldn’t just be the people who could make it, overfilling that room to capacity, but the people who would love to make it, standing up with you…
Just a thought…(And I bring my knitting into my staff room full of male English teachers who once had an entire 40 minute conversation about, no lie, scatological adventures (i.e. honest to crap crap!) and who laugh at MY intelligence because I knit…I’m so tired of being pat on my pretty little head…I’d love to be able to shove a big fat news article in their faces and say ‘so there!’)
I think that is a fantasic idea. However, I really doubt I’ll be able to make it to NYC.
So, my idea is this. In other metropolitan areas to organize similar events. Perhaps we can link some kind of video feed so that your talk and the like can be broadcast to the other events/gatherings. That way we can all be a community at once and really blow them away.
You’ll have the media in NYC for the larger story and perhaps the more local gatherings can persuade local media to cover it as well.
I think the goal should be 750 seats filled in each and every metro area, not just New York.
Just an idea.
Woo and Hoo! You’re finally coming to Denver. I’m so excited to finally be able to meet you! Whee! If you want someone to take you for a beer or dinner, I’d be happy to do so. Just drop me a line. I’ve got a group of friends who would love to take you for a drink or a meal.
How about making a photograph of 750 socks fanning out in concentric circles around the Imagine mosaic at the John Lennon memorial in Strawberry Fields, Central Park West (between 71st and 74th)? http://gonyc.about.com/od/photogalleries/ss/strawberryfield_3.htm
March 22 in New York City might be raw, but will likely be snow-free.
Can’t we please have a web cam so those of us that can’t get to NY can still be with you? (You’re going to scare the Muggles…)
Go Harlot GO. for all those like myself that cannot get to New York city for this event maybe we could all knit a small angel that could be hung on a line behind you when you speak. The place where it came from typed on a small card and atttached to it . The angels could go to a childrens hospital for an angel tree for Christmas time. This angel would have to be small as I have no idea how they would all get there. It’s a thought anyway. If the muggles just opened their eyes and looked at how many yarn shops there are that are only in a very thriving buisness because of the knitters it would be a BIG awakening for them. Sounds like a FUN time and I wish I couold be there.
My first post, but I’ve been reading for a long time.
I have to figure out logistics, but I’m so there.
Oh, and I’ll settle for DC, but someplace slightly further south would be awesome. Maybe Charlotte NC?
I will SO be there if it’s even remotely humanly possible — if I’m not flying that day for my job, I’ll be flying that day to confound the muggles. What fun!
Thursday!? I never could get the hang of Thursdays.
I would love to come to New York and be part of a gaggle of knitters. But Thursday?
Sadly, I have this job… 🙁
I LOVE the idea and I’m thrilled you’re doing this in NYC (since I live here). But can NYC and environs provide 750 knitters to fill the room? Do we need to ship folks in from outside the metropolitan area? I think I have floor space for two or three….
I also think that knitters don’t show off their presence/popularity except by wearing their projects. Exciting to us but not as noticeable to non-knitters. Do we need to wear a little more bling? Gold knitting needles in our hair? Spinnin’ rims on our yarn winders and swifts?
What a delight to see you’re coming to Anchorage! I’m the Alaskan whom coincidence dropped in Montreal the same time as your appearance there last fall. We’ll be happy to provide whatever you’d like on the Last Frontier–microbrew, yarn crawl, tour of the musk ox farm–you have only to ask.
Yeah, I’ll be there! And I’ll pass this along to every knitter I know. As for catchy ideas, how about if each person gets a sticker, and on it they write their annual fiber-related budget instead of or along with their name. Numbers talk.
Q: what are you going to do about book signing? I mean, how long (and painful) will it be to sign 800 books in a row?
Oh yeah, and everyone should wear a twist of yarn or something so we can recognize each other on the street before/after.
I’m so there. I might have to take that Thursday-Friday off from work.
So, will there be a webcast?
(Just kidding!)
Sounds like fun! Wish I could be there.
I think the Letterman idea is great. Also sending over socks ,or hats, one hat for every head that didn’t make it? They would make a nice charity donation. A giant afghan, unrealistic, because who is going to spend ALL that time sewing it together? It would never be done in time to make the point. Also a live internet broadcast (when they see thousands of people logging into this thing at the same time what will they say?) or if you could finagle a live broad cast over a cable channel of some sort. (Hello DIY or HGTV? are you out there?) It needs to reach mass media. Maybe a march of knitters down Times square followed by a knit out/in in Times Square? Whatever it is, it needs to say, “We are knitters, we are here with sharp pointy sticks, there are many of us and we want our elbow room!”
Denver! You’re coming to Denver! Yay! I’ve emailed Tattered Cover to find out which one you’re speaking at. Mi casa es su casa if you’d rather not stay in a hotel.
Will do my level best to make a long weekend out of it or at least make a nice train ride (during which to you-know-what) up and back Thursday night! For a stunt I say we form a human/knitten item chain in Times Square.
altho i would love to make it to NYC, i highly doubt i will (my husbands head would probaby explode is i told him i was leaving him with the girls (5 and 2 1/2 years old) for an overnight trip).
please please please come to vermont on this book tour? i’ll bring what ever you want to the reading-beer, maple syrup, you name it!
I just had this funny vision of all of these knitters with “weapons of mass construction” — too funny!
What about Washington DC – seriously. We have knitters!
PLEASE!!!!!
I second the request for some kind of long-distance participation: satellite KIP sites, send our pictures, send a sock, something. I’m an 8-5 working girl, and 3,000 miles isn’t doable, especially when our spring break is the following week.
Don’t worry about filling the seats – if you blog it, they will come. 🙂
Preach it woman! I understand how you feel. I wish I could make the NYC trip, but alas I am on the other coast. I’ll definitely be grabbing a copy of your book. And I will read the book at the Dr. office, at the mall, at the park…and people will wonder why I’d be laughing while reading a book about knitting. And then maybe they will pick up a copy and they will “get it” too!
Well as if the Subversive Lace exhibit wasn’t enough of a lure to make it out the Big Apple – I guess March it is then! And I have to get the contact info of Jayme-the-wonder-publicist. I see from the tour dates, that CA is to be determined. The yarn store where I teach in San Francisco doesn’t hold 750, but it would hold much more than 27. She can talk and I can understand.
We here in the South (U.S.) love you too! Wouldn’t like to visit us in the winter? 54F is tomorrow’s forcast!
In other news, must now try to find a cheap round-trip ticket to NYC…..
I was one of the knitters occupying one of the chairs at Full Thread Ahead that the city of Los Altos didn’t believe would be there; I’m one of the knitters who gets sick of people asking me what I’m doing, and in the same breath, say that “no one does that anymore”. I’d love to be in that auditorium in New York, and while there’s no chance that I will be able to be there is there any way to do simulcasts (is that how it’s spelled?) in other cities at the same time? I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and would be able to attend something inthat part of California if it could be arranged. Regardless, even though my body won’t be in NY that day my knitterly consciousness will! Good luck, and show’em how many of us thre are!
mly
No Wisconsin on your travel list? Wisconsin is HUGE on knitting ( at least in Madison).
I usually don’t post once the list gets over 150, but, wow!, you’re coming to Pittsburgh and that’s only 2 1/2 hours away. I can’t make NYC but I am already off on March 31. Hee hee hee.
I’ll be sending the Sister-in-law to FIT.
OMG. What a coinkydink. We just finished planning on being there that weekend exactly. When the universe conspires together like that, you don’t argue. We will be there, very happily there!
Oh, and… about the “charitable action” – as with the MSF fund drive, if you’re looking for premiums to give or raffle to donors, please put us down for a sock kit; Kitri? or the Learn to Kit Socks kit? – or dealer’s choice, really.
First: I would be there in a heartbeat, if it were not scheduled for a weeknight, the second week of my new job, and 3+ hours away. Make it a Saturday or Sunday, and I’m there.
Second: That boor at the dinner party should have been slapped. To be so completely rude and disrespectful of anyone is simply unconscionable.
Hmmm, Denver huh? I feel a road trip coming on!
If things are stable, I will come. I am making my reservation right now at the Regency.
Why’s it gotta be a Thursday, YH? Why’s it gotta be Thursday? I’ll do my best. Also, we could all got to the radical lace/subversive knitting exhibit at the Museum of Arts and Design, and the Gail Rothschild exhibit at Stitch Therapy.
Wow, I’d love to be there. I’ll TRY to be there, really! That would be INCREDIBLE!! Even if I don’t get in, even if I have to stand outside, it would be worth it! Anyone want to carpool from Philly?
And I love the fact that upon linking to your impending book on Amazon, I see that you can buy your book with More Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch – it’s like even Amazon knows you’re a sock knitter!
And another thing! We knitters uphold the economy. If we stopped buying yarn and knitting books and yummy Addi turbos, the world economy would just plummet (I know, I have the receipts to prove it)
Mary
*delurks*
I live in B.C., but will actually be in Ontario that day. Unfortunately I have work-related obligations, or I would be SO there. 🙁
I reeeeaally want to sent a piece of knitting to attend on my behalf. You could put them behind you (in a huge pile) and mention how many knitters they represent. And the knitted items will take up less room than the same number of knitters. . .that’s good use of space, and I think you’re going to need all the space you can get!! Go knitters!
So, what’s it gonna be? Hat? Scarf? Square? Let me know ASAP, so I can get going on it!!
OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, YOU’RE COMMING TO ALASKA!!!!!! That’s so far from NY I can’t even tell you, but we’ll rock Anchorage that night. Welcome north! Tidal wave is cool, but you might want to warm them as well.
I am with the group ideas:
Why can’t it be a Saturday night?
Could you have a site for potential people to say they were coming so there was a vague idea of how many?
OR could this be a warm up for something more global in the spring? I like the idea of multiple city parties with television hookup.
I do like how you have big ideas instead of small ones. And how proud you are of us. As we are of you. Let’s show them the power of sticks to make something out of not much except muscle and sticks and string and time. And how much time is wasted by people doing not much of anything. Oh well. A rant is coming on.
Think even bigger Stephanie!
Sorry for the double comment, but I just saw the “Weapons of Mass Construction” remark.
You HAVE you use that – it’s just too perfect.
And the London event will be where/when :o)))
I would LOVE to come to the FIT event in New York, but I’m afraid you’ll have to do without my ample behind on a seat on that day. Good luck. I’m sure you’ll fill the seats without a problem.
I would like to see another event for knitters across the world on the same date. Perhaps an effort for all knitters to purchase your book on the same day. I realize that you would not tell everyone they need to buy your book on March 22nd because that is not your style. Perhaps you could offer a set cash donation to Knitters Without Borders for every person who purchases your book on that day as a way to encourage mass buying power on the same day. Just a thought.
Out here in Oklahoma we’ll dedicate our regular Thursday night KIP to the cause!
You need to set up a place in San FranSocksco! There are so many of us just in the Bay Area who would be more than happy to skip a day of work to webcast with our knitsisters in NYC!!! Think about it! I would so be there!!!!
Yeah! I will so be in Victoria to see you. I’ll bring the wine!
Not on a Thursday! I live in NYC. I work in NYC. But I work until 7pm on Thursdays. What to do? What to do? What to do?
(Deep breath)
Oh well, what better way to use a vacation day.
Oh, man, nobody rants like the Harlot! Did you see the article in yesterday’s Chicago Tribune? I quoted it on my blog entry, but the article itself listed quite a number of knitting groups. I wonder how many there are all together. And I wonder how many are in New York. How I wish I could join you on 3/22, but I’ll be there in spirit.
I’m willing to set up a meeting in the MidWest in conjunction to the one there.
Otherwise I’m not totally opposed to the idea of selling a kidney for a plane ticket. 😉
Title Wave bookstore in Anchorage? Wow, you live right. Thank your publicist for that one! Title Wave is an amazingly awesome bookstore with both used and new books. The art/craft section is the best I have seen anywhere. Make sure you leave some time to browse! That said, there may still not be enough room for the Alaska knitters! 😉
well, first of all, let me say that i did not come see you on your last tour through pittsburgh (where i live) only because i knew i’d never get parking or a seat! you spoke at a yarn store, though it was a pretty large one. i’m SO excited that you’ll be at a big bookstore this time–no way i’ll miss you this time around.
second, the bookstore where you’ll be speaking is directly across the street from pittsburgh’s largest goodwill store, if you do get any charity knitting ideas 🙂
i love the idea of a nationwide knit-along and think that ALL of our cities have homeless people who could benefit from our knitting–and by us each donating to a single charity in our hometowns (say, the red cross, goodwill, or the salvation army, one nationwide organization that might be willing to track nationwide donations–or knitters without borders?), we wouldn’t tax the logistics of one center in nyc.
so, that said, i whipped up a few things in my charity shop (i.e., zero markup, everything at cost) on cafepress, if folks were serious about us all wearing stuff in solidarity at the same time 🙂 the shop url is at http://www.cafepress.com/lisabe
Glad to see Portland back on the list. Hopefully Powell’s will put you back in the main store this time. (glad I got there early last year, I did get a seat!)
That’s fantastic that you get to go to alaska! Super-cool
Well, I can’t make it to NY, but I’ll see you April 1st. (Yay!) I vote for some way to let ageveryone everywhere participate. (“What are we going to do tonight, Brain?” “Try to take over the world!”)
This whole thing reminds me of an ongoing discussion I’ve had with my muggle boyfriend. He said once that there isn’t knitting in popular culture. I pointed out the thousands of knitting books and blogs. He said those don’t count as popular culture. WTF? Ok, then what about all the newspaper stories about how popular knitting has become in recent years? He said those don’t count as popular culture. Sigh…ok, then how does the dude define popular culture? Movies and tv. That’s IT? That’s his entire definition of popular culture? Seems rather narrow. And he knows I don’t have a tv, so I couldn’t tell him whats on any tv shows. But I proceeded to name several movies with knitting in them. But he hadn’t seen those movies. Or he had seen them but didn’t remember the knitting.
I named a movie he had only seen a few weeks earlier. He didn’t remember any knitting in it. I had to describe the scene in great detail before he remembered it at all. It just didn’t register. It wasn’t important to him. I had seen it and thought, “hey! someone knitting!” He just hadn’t thought anything. And he can’t figure out why I still keep naming more movies with knitting in them. He thought the discussion was over, and thinks I’m being “defensive” now.
Oh My God! I just made my summer plans! Noone ever comes to Alaska! I will definatly be there! It is only 365 miles!
I have noticed something about bankers and other professionals of the sort , it’s not impressive til it’s on paper. Insead of the whole square , sock knit thing , how about just a nice simple name list of all the knitters who wanted to come to the event? Plaster the walls with names. After everyone is in the auditorium , roll out lists of names in the aisles. Then those of us who are there in spirit are represented.
HA!You’d have to start collecting and printing now. Oh and pick up a load of notebooks for guest books. Before you start you can snap a pic that can be printed up on shirts and with a donation to whatever charity you deside to do this for. Ok I shut up now, my mind has ran with this whole concept.
don’t forget to have yourself booked on the today show while you are there.
Yes, knitters unite! Great blog, but I’m on the wrong coast.
but, but, BUT only ONE day in ALL of California. Have you checked out how big this state is? You better be coming to the Bay Area or I’m really, really going to be bummed!!!
I rarely comment because it takes so long for your comments to download so I can scroll to the bottom of the list (g), but…. Of course I can’t make it to your event, being on the other side of the planet and all, so wouldn’t it be cool if you could have some sort of internet link-up thingy happening so that the media could also see that there were hundreds of knitters around the world interested in logging on and joining the fun, even if only in a virtual sense. Hope the event is a HUGE success.
Surely there must be a way I can get to New York City from California without going broke … I tried pointing out to my husband (he loves my socks!) that since it is my 60th birthday, this would be the perfect place for me to celebrate it (after all, a 60th birthday is just too depressing to think about, but in front of the Yarn Harlot at FIT, why the mind boggles!). So far, no luck, but I’ll be celebrating with you in spirit, if not in person. Have a great time!
anchorage? YAY! I LOVE TITLE WAVE! the are awesome and have excellent coffee shop. now I just have to figure out a way to get there…… it’s only a hour flight.
WOWOW. This is terrific – I’m sure there will be more than the room can hold. I’m not sure what everyone has written above – however in this day of Ken the wonder computer guy and the wonder publicist – how about a way those of us who just can’t fly in can register our virtual attendance? Something that would show tallies quietly rising on a screen or wall (just need a laptop and projector). Oh, and a site where we can start logging in or clicking in at the start time of your speech…EST. That will blow the myopic brainless prejudiced muggles’ acrylic socks off.
CRAP! I can’t GO!!!!!!!
We leave the next day from Chicago for our annual ski trip.
Holy cow. You’re going to be in Pittsburgh (where I used to live, and which is only a 3 hour drive from me now), on my birthday! I am sooo there!
YOU GO GIRL! I will be knitting from the west coast in solidarity!
If there was ANY way possible, I would fly from Vancouver to be there in NY! As it stands, I’ll be looking at your Victoria date (any chance you’ll be in Vancouver?) and continue my knitting-in-public campaign. I’ve got it to the point where everyone at work is asking about the progress of my first pair of socks, and my husband is attempting his first project.
And I’m with Cecelia…I’d log on! Any chance you could do a webcast of the event?
NYC, filthy with knitters? Sounds like a blast! We’d also love to see ya in Raleigh, NC….hint, hint….:)
I wish I could come.
I am looking at flights right now…. Maybe, just maybe I can make this work.
Okay, I’m done dancing around the room and hollering now. My eleven-year-old just said to my oldest (19), “Steph, is mom crazy? She’s scaring me!” (While looking at me and laughing, so I don’t think she’s really worried. Her mother does act a little oddly at times…..) You’re coming to Victoria, and I could not be happier! If Jayme was here, I’d hug her and then she’d be wondering about my sanity, too.
I like the idea of cross country events, or of everyone knitting something and getting the lot together to show the world that there are many, many knitters, even if they don’t realize it. I understand where you’re coming from, especially the whole patronizing attitude that we so often encounter. It’s more than a little irritating.
Let’s knock their 97-cent mass-produced synthetic socks off! (No love in those socks……)
Um, isn’t NYC one of the population centers of the world? And didn’t you get more than 300 knitters for an event at WEBS in Western Massachusetts, which is a rural area dotted with small towns? Doncha think you’re going to need a BIGGER space?
I was quite disturbed to see that there is only one day earmarked for California. Your publicist does realize that there is Northern California and Southern California, doesn’t she? Please tell us that you are coming within striking distance of Santa Cruz. The Central Coast is lovely in June!
Oooh I am definitely there! Sounds like fun.:)
I’d love to be there, but I don’t live anywhere near NYC. But M.J. Rose, who writes about book marketing, needs to hear this story. You can write her at: mjRoseAuthor at aol dot com
Believe me, she’ll be sympathetic to your story about other writers not thinking you’re really a bestselling author!
Steph, It would be so cool to also set up a website link somehow that all of us who are not able to go could link in and show our support and numbers!! bets
Can’t get to NYC, dammit! We have to do something to show how many of us there are in other locales, tho’. I like all the ideas, leftover yarn, pictures of those of us who can’t be there, distance learning feeds (I especially like that one!) I’ll knit in public whenever I damn well please, and in continuing legal ed seminars, and dr’s offices, etc., etc. And anybody who pats me on the head will draw back a nub! Since when does knitting = an IQ of 10? Makes me sick! You go, girl!
Julie
I’m in the whack of knitters that would appreciate cross-country get-togethers…
I’m also volunteering for web-support of whatever way we can make this world-wide, let me know how I can help!
I weep that I live in the San Diego CA area and do NOT fly…I would arrive with my 3 ton yarn stash draggin’ behind me in a lovely bag…knitted of course! However, what if your genius publicist arranges with XM Radio, local PBS stations, DIY Network, HGTV, Discover Channel, whatever, and sets up some sort of video/audio simulcast of the event with big screens where cameras of the Greater Knitting Kingdom can send shots of the populace knitting while watching/listening to our Leader??
Hell yeah girl! See you there.
Then again, what if we were to NOT buy something and go buy yarn instead..just for one month..something we would ordinarily buy..like some over-priced but “absolutely necessary” cleaning product. If some national brand drops and yarn sales suddenly rise…..
No, that would be mean…
The simulcast w/video is the way to go!
I will be in Victoria, for sure! I live in Vancouver and wish you’d come here too, but I’m sure I could swing Victoria with the Rabbitch (if she’s up for it)!
Yes, somehow people think we’re in the “quirky news” category despite you having been on National Radio and raised more money in a single request than most Hollywood Stars at charity events.
Now if Bravo tv channel (they do Project Runway and Design Star) would see FIT to include you in a show, and knitters with their WIPs thrust in the air, this continent would understand our economic power and massive sway.
You could give a lecture tour about the “long tail” economic effect. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Long_Tail Hehehe. Then show those muggles how to cast on via long tail.
Anchorage ! Yaaa. It is 250 miles from my house. Can you fit in a stop in Fairbanks? Thats only 120 miles. Have fun in NY.
You go girl! Wish I could get to NYC, but um…yea…not gonna happen. 🙁
BUT….I DID notice you had a “vacancy” in the tour (I believe it said, “to come”?) on March 31. As you’ll be in Pittsburgh on the 30th and Ann Arbor on April 1, may I humbly suggest you stop by the TOLEDO, OHIO knitting guild for a visit?
Seriously – we’re right on the way! Only 3.5 hours-ish from Pittsburgh and only 45 minutes from Ann Arbor! Plus we’re cool! (Home of the world-famous Mud Hens, Tony Packo’s Hot Dogs, and glass capital of the world. Not to mention we have the highest ratio of restaurants:people anywhere in the USA! Food and knitting – what’s not to love?)
So anyway, if you ever get through all eleventy-bajillion posts you have and actually read this post, please consider Toledo! (We really do rock! I swear!)
I can’t make it to the East Coast, but here is what I’ll do – I’ll go to Amazon.com and order 2 books. I actually was in the process of doing it, forgot my password, tried to “fib” that I was new, amazon busted me, said nope, we’ll email your password and now yahoo is having trouble w/their mail. ARRGGG. So, I’ll pre-order 2 books to properly represent!! CAn’t wait to see what stops you make in California – or perhaps Reno, NV!!
As you said, we did the Knitting Olympics, we raised more money then we hoped for for the Doctors without Borders……so why stop at 700 people ?
Wish I could participte……seriously considering moving to the US or Canada……I wish ” knitting & yarn ” was a valid reason for consideration by the Emmigration Services……
A very lonely knitter….
Angelika
Mexico City
That is an awesome idea. Unfortunately, the $12 in my bank account won’t let me join you in NYC. I’m hoping that maybe I could talk people into going to Portland, OR. I do work in a yarn shop now (I feel so cool saying that), maybe I could convince my boss we should all go as a business trip.
March 22nd is eldest DH’s birthday! AARGH! Also, I’ll just be coming back off vacation…I don’t think they’ll let me take another one that soon! But I am SO with you in spirit or squares or hats or socks, or whatever you and your wonder-publicist can manage! Just let us know! Or, maybe a NATIONAL webcast, at bookstores around the country? With ravening hordes of knitters? Call Time Mag, but just be sure that they don’t call us “couch potatoes” again! (see Knitting Olympics!)
P.S. We’d love to have you back in TX! Just make sure that your publicist realizes that it is really, really HOT here in the summer! You nearly melted in Austin, last year!
KNIT ON!
YES!!! I was at your event at the library in St. Louis – I sat on a table. How dare anyone underestimate us?!
Can’t make it to NYC either, sadly. But I’m marking the Portland date on my calendar right now. Did last year’s event finally persuade Powell’s that mabye, perhaps, possibly you *really* needed to be in the BIG store instead of the dinky sattelite one? Laughing heartily here. They never knew what hit them!
I’ll bring samosas 🙂
Rock on sister! I wish I could be there but work, kids, husband and all the miles between Memphis and NYC…..
Muggles beware! The Knitters are coming! The Knitters are coming!
Hilarious idea, I can’t wait to see pictures. I’m on the other side of the continent so I won’t be able to make it though. Any news on more canadian stops on the yarn crawl?
How about a West Coast Event. Even better a Pacific North West event!! I can’t fly out east but if you choose to host event in Portland or Seattle I will be there with bells on!!
Love Ya’
Dawn
I keep waiting for one day for you to come to the deep south. We have knitters here too.
I hope you blow the media out of the water!
If it wasn’t on a Thursday (silly classes), I’d totally be there. I can’t resist a trip up to NYC.
p.s. While you’re there, check out the Museum of Arts and Design (http://www.madmuseum.org), they have an exhibit up called “Radical Lace and Subversive Knitting” which I am dying to see.
p.p.s. Come back to Philly soon! I missed you the last time you were here.
I’m becoming midly cranky as of now.
I do not see an Iowa date on that calendar.
And I might point out, yet again, I help coordinate and run conferences for my day job and having been doing so for almost 12 years now – there will be plenty of everything when you show up or I will maim others in getting enough of everything (that’s the perk of my kind of job – if Genghis Khan had had me, y’all be speaking with different dialect – I’m just sayin’).
BTW, you will notice there is no “if” in that sentence.
ohhhh….how can I get to NYC in March??
It’s not at all likely, convenient, or sensible. But I still want to.
How can I get there?
Yeah! A harlot encounter someplace close to ME! I’m so there. And I’ll bring a date!
Hooray, hooray, hooray – you’re coming to Oak Brook – yay I get to see you in the flesh at Border’s & buy your new book. I’ll be there with bells on!!! And, with luck with darling daughter in tow (& almost certainly still nursing baby granddaughter – maybe even the brothers).
Yeah! A harlot encounter someplace close to ME! I’m so there. And I’ll bring a date!
How about a live feed from other cities? Smaller venues that people could gather at, and then we could all hear you speak and they could see all of us. To complicated?
I won’t be able to make it (like others have said), but could we send socks or something to represent us?
If I could do it, I’d knit a me and send it along. 🙂
aaargh! just as i get my blood boiling at the injustice of it all, just as i hear the trumpet call of “into the valley and o’er the hill we surge” in all our double pointed glory…..i scroll down to the event location AND….new york city. maybe some of you jetsetting knitter-types can pop over to the big apple on a whim, but how can a tied-to-her-humble-yet-noble-calling of teaching pop off at a whim from southern ontario to the bright lights of NYC and on a weeknight no less? waaaaaah, i don’t wanna miss the party. sigh. well, those of you who can attend, at least do us proud!
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do an event in Toronto, too. It seems unfair that I live in Toronto and you do too but I have yet to hear you speak. All the far away places get the big events! I bet we could host an awesome gathering of knitters in Toronto, too.
I think that it would be SO COOL if you had a webcam on the event and a little counter that said how many people were viewing.
waving at you from JUNEAU ALASKA here
and loving my knitting cant get enough of it 🙂
wont make it to your NY showing but i am here with you on line check in everyday to see what is new 🙂 you go gf letm have it and let know us knitters are out here keeping them warm 🙂 with all our knitting
How I wish I could go, especially since I’ll be as far south as southern NH on the 24th!! But I’m unable, as that’s both during the week and I’m not the one driving.
Any chance you’ll come east for a tour?? I’d love to see you at Gaspereau Valley Fibers or somewhere in Halifax, maybe. *wishes really hard*
Like Lynne said…….. you are going to the wrong Victoria. The knitters here in OZ are feeling very left out.
I will be there. No matter what. I will be there.
Well, you made a believer of most people who were down town Los Altos when you came to Full Thread Ahead – the city still talks about it.
And Hollis won’t have a problem with the city anymore, believe me, they KNOW now.
Very well said, Harlot. I love the idea of sending a knit item to represent yourself for those of us that can’t make. Then pack them all off to Dulaan or elsewhere to keep sharing the knitterly love.
Think bigger. You can get 750 people with no problem in NYC, because in NYC, massive numbers of people gather for seemingly no reason to hear people far less inspriring, witty, and down-to-earth as you. Please do consider the live audio/video feeds to get massive numbers of people in cities across North America (the world?) and help show the muggles what we’re made of.
In any event, thank you for doing the launch in NYC, because I can go!
And props to Joe for sticking up for you. We all know he’s a good man, but it’s so nice of you to share the evidence.
You want to feel ignored, unappreciated, unwanted, and like a total interloper? Dress up as a man and walk into your LYS any afteroon. You’ll be stared at, whispered about perhaps even pegged as a would be robber.
I appreciate your sentiments, that knitting is an under appreciated skill, that deserves it’s day in the sun. But, at least you have your gender on your side.
I actually got dissed by a FELLOW KNITTER not long ago. Our play group has an annual Christmas party so the mums can ditch the kids for the night and lift a glass together before the holidays. I trotted out my knitting at the table, and one of the other mums, who is happy to show off FO’s on her kids called me “Knitting Nanna”. WTF? Can we not get a little solidarity even amongst ourselves?
Definately need a webcast so those of us on the other side of the planet can partake. (When I was telling my muggle about NYC, he wanted to know if 750 seats would be enough. He may not knit, but at least he gets it.)
Also, is that really the intended cover art for the new bookbookbook? Because its coming right down to the line and I’m still seeing Lotion Hair on Amazon. Just saying.
Drat. It’s a Thursday night and it takes 13.5 hours to drive to NYC. Um, and that night is the 2nd session of a three-week class I’m teaching in Lansing. Do you think my students would go for a 2-day marathon driving session? I have Friday off.
Looks like I’m teaching the day you are in Ann Arbor, too… but I might be able to drive to Oak Brook, that’s closer to 5 hours and I have a few days of wiggle-space that week.
Toronto is as close as Oak Brook… that would be even more fun. Crossing fingers…
There is no possible way I can be at NYC, I’d love to, I’d love to win the lottery and hang out, following you around like some sort of sock knitting Deadhead, but as long as I have to work I will sit at home, getting a good evening of knitting in and wishing I could get to see you “live and in person” even if there are 400 knitters and only 10 chairs, it would still make my year. Perhaps there is some sort of webcam that could be set up and the number of hits you get for the webcast could count somehow?
Deb
Maybe you could have your talk broadcast live on the outside wall of the FIT so that all the folks who *don’t* fit in the auditorium can still see it while they block the street with their knit-in?
(Either way, let us know where to send handknit donations!)
Um, Stephanie, I’m on bed rest (sickly) and can’t fly to NYC. Can those of us who cannot attend in person send Flat Stanleys of ourselves? Maybe limit it to an 8.5″ x 11″ x 1/2″ size per knitter, mailed to Jayme by a certain date??? I’ve included the 1/2″ thickness since we might want to give the cardboard selves a knitted scarflet or hatlet??? It would have to be a corporate maildrop since the volume will be, well, in excess of what most loan officers would expect…
If I didn’t already have an East Coast trip planned earlier in March, I would be checking flight prices from Los Angeles right now.
Montana. You need to come to Montana. New York is a lovely place, I’m sure; but there are more knitters, and quilters, and fabric arts persons per capita in Big Sky Country (okay, so our capita isn’t that big; but golly, we’re worth it!)
Encourage Jayme-the-wonder-publicist to look west, please!
oooooo, sounds nice. I live close enough (an hour away?) to come. I’ll do my best!
HOOO-RAY! An event in the Twin Cities. I am even now planning my work schedule to be there!
(The Yarnery is really small. Is the event really going to be IN there? They should know how many knitters there are…)
Can’t do New York, but I can sure do DENVER!!! Can you see the excitement on my face??? I can barely contain myself! Stephanie is coming to Denver!
What if those of us that can’t make it, each sponsor a seat in the auditorium, proceeds to go to MSF? It could be for a nominal amount, say $5, or discretionary, but it would be a way for us to get our ‘bums on seats.’
I love it when knitters rant, they are so much funnier than anybody else. Certainly all of us can put “Knit In Public” on our calendars even if “trip to NYC” can’t be there. 750 seats? That’s all? I’m looking forward to hearing about this event! All you people who are planning to go, it’s a good time to start a blog! There are going to be so many good stories from this event, and I want to read them all!
I live in Oregon and I am thinking about the trip… WE ARE AMAZING KNITTERS AND THEY WILL LEARN!!!
Oh my gosh, did you hit a nerve with my pet peeve! I wish I could be there–I am so tired of people at parties asking me why I knit, or being surprised to learn that I knit–and then looking at me like I’m not quite safe to be around.
It makes me want to say something extremely rude to them, or inquire about their hobbies and loves and ridicule them very loudly.
I hope it’s a rousing success! Raise your needles for me.
i’m in the middle of the country. NYC is just not doable. and i’ve also noticed you never go to kansas city. i could so do kansas city (it’s 3 hours away, i could make ARRANGEMENTS. (we’d probably caravan, i have a 7 seat minivan, lol)).
i will be watching towards summer though, as hubby and I are taking our honeymoon (at least it’s only about 7 or 8 months, at that point, and not the 7 or 8 years i’ve seen before).
I have less of a problem with this than most people, probably because in the great state of Maryland, not only do most people know about the annual Sheep and Wool Festival, but quilters have been known to picket, so militant knitters are about par for the course. And I’ve KIPped in pretty much every hospital ER waiting room in 4 counties, and other than the usual “you knit wrong” comment from knitters who freak at me knitting combined, it doesn’t so much as raise an eyebrow.
Now, if Jayme the wonder publicist can book you in our fiber friendly state, I’ll be a happy camper but I’ll represent by KIPping on the great date.
Please Please Please consider a webcast. I have no way to NYC but if I did my happy little face would be there in a show of support for our chosen craft!! Even if you can’t webcast, I promise to be knitting, in public, in solidarity at the same time as your talk!
I now have to explain to my muggle family that I’m not crazy for belting out screams of joy over learning that STEPHANIE is officially coming to Victoria.
I can knit but not too well (I primarily crochet). I LOVE yarn. I saw you at the October 2006 Knit-Out in Union Square (NYC). I’m sooo going to be there on the 22nd. I’m telling everyone I can about it (there are a couple of knitters in my office).
I am right now going to tell my boss that I need March 22nd off. I’m a couple hours away from NY, but I can take the train (knitting time!)
Anyone up for showing up at one of the morning shows (Today Show/GMA/Early Show) and KIPing in the crowd outside?
I read through many of the comments, but not all….
This sounds like a fantastic idea!
I won’t be able to make it, but I really think the ideas of all of us who can’t make it sending some knitted item to be donated to the homeless at the end of the day is a *great* idea.
I can’t make it to NYC due to the fact that it’s halfway across the country (although that doesn’t seem to be stopping some people! ROCK ON!) but I’m all for the idea of having everyone knit something and send it along. Let’s shock those muggles right out of their narrow minds!
I’m also all for the idea of a webcast/other method of getting to see your talk, but I realize the staggering technological resources it could take.
750 seats? Puh-lease. They clearly don’t know who they are trying to trifle with.
There’s no way I’d be able to make it, but maybe, if Jayme-the-wonder-publicist is willing to set up in St. Louis, again…
Sounds like a great plan! I wish I could be there. I fairly certain that I couldn’t convince my husband that flying from California with two small children to make a point is a good idea. 🙂
I’ll just have to hope you’ll be nearby again! Maybe Los Altos will believe Full Thread Ahead this time. 😉
Drats it’s a weeknight. But hmmm, I could go to NYC on Wednesday for a Rangers home came. Stay over for Thursday and come home on Friday.
Unless that’s when the husband will be out of town — then I’ll have to stay home with the girls. Let me work on this. What would be better than a night of hockey followed by a night of knitters.
Oh, I can almost forgive muggles for pooh-poohing the idea of lots and lots of knitters, but your list had yarn shops on it! That’s unforgiveable! (Well, unless there’s a really good sale on sock yarn — anything gets forgiven for a good sock yarn sale)
Because the fact that there are close to 500 comments on this post alone right now isn’t proof enough. Silly muggles. Do they have any idea of how many people globally listen to knitting podcasts? Probably not. Silly muggles.
I like the idea of the traveling sock display! And I wonder how much it is to get a flight from Houston to NYC.
Speaking of Houston, I wrote Jayme but didn’t get a response. We would LOVE to have you here. In a winter month, so you don’t melt. Also, still interested in doing a podcast interview for the book release?
I’m out here in California with small kids, so I can’t be there in person. But if there was a way set up to log in or send a sock or some other way to shout out from other parts of the world I’m totally into it.
Thanks for all the laughs and the great books and the lovely life-affirming blog that makes me smile.
*hugs*
So many of us won’t be able to make New York, sadly, but what if someone had a place we knitters could visit online, that we could click to register our existence. The total number would maybe give all these muggles some idea of our great knitty population!!!
Ok, so now I have to beg my brother (who works for Continental Airlines) for a buddy pass…or his friend (who works for Delta) for a buddy pass….that’s all I need. All my vacation just rolled over for the new year. Haven’t even touched a day yet!! Wonder how long it’s going to take to wear my brother down…. ::grin::
Stephanie, I thought you were a quick study and learned stuff fast but now I’m not so sure, though I still love you.
750 seats. New York City. Knitters. You’re in trouble and so is the city. Better find a bigger venue asap. Remember what happened with the fundraiser…
In order for the non-knitting masses to understand, I think you need to do more than blanket the city with knitted socks. I think you need to put knitting in an economic framework. I like the idea of a huge billboard adding up the money we spend every year on our craft/art/hobby/passion right there while the event is going on. Some people would have no trouble understanding that part right away.
Surely this also has the potential to become (at least in part) another übersuccessful TSF fundraiser – please?
My heart just skipped a beat. We will be in NYC the whole of March. The baby and me will so be at FIT. And representing.
Stephanie… I have midterms… four more days and I would have been all over it, I love NYC for Spring Break. I would say all you student knitters knit in class, but some professors have, opinions about that, and those kind of opinions can effect your grade in a very negative way. pooh! Oh well, I’ll read about everyone’s wonderful time.
How about — and I truly am serious — setting up a satellite beam so that those of us who cannot make the journey could gather in other places around the country and watch the event. Likewise, you could have video equipment at the auditorium so that you could see the off-site groups. Maybe we could get Diane Sawyer to be the reporter saying — back to you in New York, Stephanie. That would be so incredible. You also might want to see if you could get some knitting celebs like Julia Roberts etc. to show up. Pretty soon you’re going to need a red carpet.
But, also, congratulations to you, Stephanie, on your sales. You’ve done such amazing things as a knitter and for the knitting community.
I can’t begin to read 470+ comments to see that other people have already said this and I doubt anyone else will and see that I said this but..
are you not even a little bit afraid that now that you’ve spread the word/issued the challange, 750 seats won’t be anywhere near enough? didn’t you say 300 knitters in portland? haha.. nah, I made that up (it’s late.. I remembered portland and 300 and I checked, both of those are up there.. just not together. 🙂 ) but still.. it’s NYC and the harlot and heck, you just dared us to show up!
NYC is a sufficient distance to require air travel and I have a kid in college so me and NYC aren’t likely to happen until one or the other of those things changes but if either of ’em did between now and march 22nd, I’d be there.. and NYC is a huge place, there must be a million or three knitters right there already! if 1% of ’em show up you’re gonna be in trouble before the imports even hit town!
This is SO cool! I made a trek once to see you in SLC with some other knitting buddies from Montana. I only wish that it wasn’t in March in NYC because I’m going to be there three months later in the middle of June. That would be so aweome to be part of the giant gathering of knitters. But another trip to NYC is not in the cards for me.
I was just thinking that exactly a year ago I was deep in the midst of knitting olympics. That was fun to be part of something bigger that just your own little sweater……
I was in Los Altos on the day of the Full Thread Ahead event. I hadn’t signed up for the reading so didn’t get to attend, but wandering around downtown Los Altos did feel like the muggles were outnumbered. Lunch at the Mexican restaurant–knitters present. Ice cream at Bascon Robbins and knitters were 2 to 1 over non-knitters.
I remember thinking, what if everyday was like this? More knitters every time you turned a corner…
I just got into serious knitting last year. I got your book last week, Knitting Rules.
I totally enjoy and learn from it. I work as a resturant server. When customers annoy me at work, I zone out with a smile and think of your happy book and how I can read more of it when I get home that night. Tips have been great this week, thanks!
The auditorium only holds 750 knitters??!!?? You’re going to need a bigger building.
Fantastic idea, Stephanie! I’ll be there in spirit for the NYC event. So glad to hear you are coming to Victoria – I’m looking forward to seeing you!
There is no way I could possibly be in NYC on that day (because I live in the UK) – but I would so love to be there to see the look on all their faces – and be part of a great knitterly event. I’ll be there in spirit and I can’t wait to see the photos!!
Dude, you rock. For so many reasons. Here’s hoping there’s standing room only (if that) for the launch. I’m seriously tempted to cash in some miles…
Damn. If only that wasn’t my husband’s birthday. He loves me and all, but something tells me “honey I want to go see the Yarn Harlot in NYC” won’t be his birthday wish.
I hope you make it back to MA, I’ll be there!
Can’t wait to see the results of this launch!
Can Jayme the wonder publicist set you up with Stephen Colbert to talk about the book and the accomplishments with Doctor’s without Borders….
Portland Oregon, I just wanted to let you know that the Powell’s, on Burnside will still be to small it will only hold about 75 people if that.and it getts very hot. You need them to get you the BAGDAD THEATER & PUB
3702 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd.
Portland, OR 97214
It is just across the street from the book shop you came to last time you were in town…centrally located and holds hundreds and has beer and food And Powell’s has gotten it for other authors when they come to town.
Last year about the time you where here they had 3 writers talk there.
This is a great event! Thank you for your courage to take it on. Even though Italy is only a 6 hour plane ride from NYC, I’m afraid I won’t be able to attend in person. Is there some way that all of us far-away-from-NY knitters can attend without actually attending? There must be a techy way to do that. Perhaps you could have your blog open on some big screen and we can all post a comment while you are speaking? You’d probably have to notify your blog service though….
(I didn’t read ALL the comments above, but) my first thought was to get a plane full of knitters from FINLAND to participate too! More to toss for media and those muggles.
I sooo wish I could be there, but living in Australia and all has it’s disadvantages.
By the way, have just learned to knit my very first sock, and I couldn’t have done it without you.
Any chance of a live webcam, for the rest of the world? Much as I love you, I can`t afford to fly over from Scotland.
Fantastic! Brilliant, first class. Shock ’em all. Just one thing? PLEASE find a way for those of us who just can’t be there (cos we live on the other side of the pond, for example) to join in? I love the idea of sending socks or blanket squares, and especially for those to be given to homeless people struggling to stay alive out there, let alone warm, and how about a podcast? Webcam? some way for us to see you? We’d love it! And I’m sure you could make that a charity winner too, somehow. Knitters without borders donations?
And get on and arrange that European tour! We need some Harlotage over here too!
FOCUS, PEOPLE! I have read at least half of the comments above, and skimmed over most of the rest, and NOBODY GETS IT!!! This is a BOOK LAUNCH, folks! A KNITTING BOOK launch by a FEMALE AUTHOR! The WHOLE POINT HERE is to show how many people this female author can sell HUMOROUS KNITTING BOOKS to, as well as how many will/can show up to see and hear her in person and get their book signed by her. VERY SIMPLE SOLUTION. Not only simple, but easy, inexpensive, and IMPRESSIVE. EVERYONE find a way to order Stephanie’s new book on the same day, at the same New York book store, or on Amazon. Stephanie’s publicist needs to coordinate this and have Stephanie post the information on her blog, say two weeks ahead of time — or one week — and let everyone who cares know how to do so in order to make THE BIGGEST IMPACT EVER to show JUST HOW MANY PEOPLE AND $$$ SHE HAS THE POWER TO ATTRACT as a FEMALE AUTHOR OF A KNITTING BOOK. Anything else, such as flooding the world with bits and pieces of knitting, no matter how much good they would do — and those wonderful ideas should all be used later — will only add more fuel to the fire of head pats for all the nice ladies who knit. After all, WOMEN are SUPPOSED to do charity work. If you want to impress the world with your love for Stephanie’s books, and her, then BUY THE BOOK on THE SAME DAY as she is giving her launch, and have her publicist demand the sales figures from around the world for the record books. I can only think of Amazon US and Amazon UK as having the ability to handle this, but if her Jamie person can think of anything better, fine. And if Steph is coming to a launch near you, fine; buy the book then, too, and give one to your local library or retirement home. I can just hear the fun the late night shows would have with a ton of socks or squares all over the place; but there is NO WAY they — any of them — can make fun of hundreds of thousands of books being purchased all on one night. It worked for J.K.Rowling, and it will work for Stephanie. SHEER SALES NUMBERS, folks, in books and dollars, are all that matter. If you love this woman and her books, as you all profess to do, then do this for her, as well as for the rest of the knitting world in general. It is the ONLY LANGUAGE the “suits” understand and respect, and the ONLY WAY to stop the patronizing. Simple, easy, inexpensive, and EFFECTIVE!
And after that, I suggest everyone go to the next all-day-until-midnight book store party for the last Harry Potter book, possibly in costume, and sit together, knitting H.P. scarves, until the “witching hour” of the last release arrives, midnight of July 21st. That will REALLY attract a lot of attention; plus, it allows you to take your kids along, and you will get your book besides. But you had better get your book order/reservation number ASAP at whichever book store you choose; although, they always have plenty of books on hand for the daytime customers following the party, and you could just all keep knitting until the crowds leave and buy your books then.
It probably says more about my type of crazy than I should admit to, but it wasn’t until I remembered that I really can’t get time off, that I live in the UK, that many transatlantic flights still kick up a fuss (especially in that direction) about knitting needles, and that its a lot of yarn money to spend on a trip, that I came to the conclusion I can’t come. Is there any way of broadcasting on the net so those of us knitters on other continents can be counted and join in the fun? (and yes, another vote for a European tour!!)
Could it be broadcasted live over the internet for us knitters overseas? Well, of course then you would have to argue about bandwidth again…
Oh, if only! But, since I’m the only wage earner in this family of seven, I’m afraid I can barely afford my yarn, let alone a mini-vacation. Plus my sister’s bridal shower is the next week in Ottawa and I’m kinda expected at that one (she’s a muggle and wouldn’t understand if the matron of honour ditched her because she spent all her money in New York…for knitting’s sake).
Go Steph! Those of us here in the UK are wishing we could join you (as you see) – so I’m thinking we need to arrange our own event of some kind. Anybody who wants in, email me!
And Terry – good point about the book launch. But that in itself isn’t going to be such a sexy story for the press. Tie it in to worldwide crazy knitting mobs, and it’s a bit more interesting. While the mass book frenzy adds the economic weight to the story. Synchronicity!
I co-run a London knitting group who meet weekly and manage to swing around 40-50 knitters a week. Knitting is becoming quite a radioactive Godzilla in our fair city. You have to, have to, have to come over to London. I can promise you the 500 knitters on our mailing list will be called on for a start and we know quite a few other groups too.
We’re putting a Giant Scarf on the Trafalgar Square Lions in late March for Cancer Research UK. I wonder if we could get a load of knitters to come to that?!
Any of you ladies up for it. We could fill Traf Square with knitters.
If anyone has any thoughts on it see our website at http://www.stitchandbitchlondon.co.uk
Hats of to our Knitting Siblings across the pond!
Lauren x
Stitch and Bitch London
“Knit fast, purl young”
How about having live hook-ups in other places–with the media instructed to come and take pics of the crowd? I’d be happy to do some of the work to make that happen in DC if let me know it is possible to get the feed coming in. Even if we couldn’t, we could have some sort of party at the same moment….
Where to begin?!
!!it happened at a bar near here who didn’t want to have a knitting event there because – despite our assurances that this was not the case, they didn’t believe that it would be well attended, and they didn’t believe knitters drank. (Seriously.)
Clearly, they haven’t met me.
I’ll be over here patting my pretty little head until I can accuratley express my ire.
I don’t knit. For this event I would be willing to take it up again (always wondered how socks were made). Sadly, I don’t live close enough to NYC to be able to attend but listen, it’s not just knitters who are treated this way. You should see how folks look at needlepointers!
Every hand craft is treated to condesention and contempt. Except quilters sometimes. Must be something to do with the tens of thousands of dollars modern quilts can go for. Money = respect I guess.
Let’s have kniiters = many and maybe the next part of the equation (knitters = many = large dollar amounts) will become clear to the handwork challenged.
Mark your calendars everyone.
It’s happened on just about every knitblog I’ve ever read, where there are ALWAYS problems because of the number of comments and then the server goes down… I think knitters have crashed more servers than hackers have! I can’t make it to NY, but count me in on any related ‘movement’!
Just let us know where to send squares or hats or mittens. Those of us how can’t attend can still make our numbers known.
We are having a first time Knitting Connection in Columbus, Ohio this June. They have already had to change the venue from a hotel to the downtown convention center because of the numbers signing up for the classes and seminars.
Can’t do New York, See Ya in Pittsburgh. Can’t Wait…………………………….
J
Great idea! But just a wee bit to far (like an ocean)…
It would be great if I could watch CNN on March 22nd and see that you guys have knitted the world biggest afghan (idea from Rachel) with left over yarn (idea from Mobishobel) and dress the statue of Liberty in it (or another big, well know statue/ building)?
Or you could knit a stuffed animal for every kid that has lost a parent on 9-11; you could dress a whole lot of celebreties/ models in knitted garments (you’ll be sure to get the attention from the press)… or you could just follow the brilliant idea from Terry and use the only language muggles get: $$!
Love how you think, make it big, make it happen!!
Sounds like there are many of us who will be there in spirit if not in body. Definitely need to build in a charitable contribution element, so everyone can participate. Squares, socks, doesn’t matter. Let’s just do it!
Oh, maybe someone should let Oprah know?
Hon’, you’re going to run out of room.
Too bad I can’t go…have fun!
You are going to need more chairs! I think the sending of a sock (or pair) in one’s place is a great idea if one is unable to attend in person. Then they could all be donated for charity.
Sounds like a fun idea but I don’t know if I can get to NYC on a school night. I second all the commenters who say “come to DC!” Maybe we could set you up in Bethesda’s Cinema and Drafthouse.
Never fear YH, you will not be sitting in a cavernous auditorium. I already know 10+ knitters planning to be there, from 2+ hours away. And that’s just the small group that I know. Multiply that by ????. The mind boggles. I know we probably won’t even make it into the FIT but we will be there to try!
I am SOOOOO coming down for this.
Alice and I will be there – Right on girl!!!!!
I’ll do my darndest!! Gosh darn muggles!
You have me considering how to afford a plane ticket to New York City in a month, although the baby I’m still nursing doesn’t have a passport, and it’s too short notice to get one in time. Could I wean her in time? Now that’s when those who know me well say, you’re talking crazy talk again. And anyway. I still haven’t learnt how to knit a sock. Just crochet so far. But the idea for ordering or buying your book on that day, in lieu of attending is very good. Thanks Terry!
Ok, I’m an idiot. My inadequately caffeinated brain forgot that the Cinema and Drafthouse is no longer in existence. You should still come to DC, however!
I vote for a webcast. I doubt if Harlot will ever get to Ohio (Jayme..if you are listening…there is a wonderful book store in Dayton called Books & Co). Harlot, have you ever thought of sending a regular newsletter to email subscribers? It would be wonderful to open my email and read about your exploits. Of course, to do so you would probably need to hire an assistant (if you don’t already have one). Where do I sign up?
I love the idea but do you think there is some way that people that can’t make it to NYC could participate or help out. Someone with the media that we could all email on that day or something?
I think what disturbs me most about this is that yarn stores have not believed you … YARN STORES!!! … how can they have a store and not be aware of the numbers of knitters there are out there?
I vote too for somehow letting Oprah know, and having some ‘satellite groups’ for those who can’t do NY. I’d love to see you have cameras in various cities to show these other groups who just couldn’t get that far. Show that we are M A N Y, and not just in NY, but across the nation/world.
I vote for having massive KIP events other places, too, for those of us who can’t make it to NYC. And like someone said, let Oprah know. And Rosie from The View–she’s crafty, she should support knitters.
I just checked the tour schedule…previously you had planned to come to Pittsburg, PA on April7. My friends and I have a road trip all planned and now I noticed that it has been moved to a different date (March 30, a Friday…may harder to travel 3 hours on a Friday with work and all). Is there a reason it got changed? Can Jamye The Wonder Publicist bring you to State College home of Penn State Univ. We are a Big 10 school, there is plenty of room (and bars)…maybe Jopa would let us use Beaver Stadium…at the very least there are lots of big auditoriums on campus. I was so looking forward to seeing you..this schedule change really ruins my day.
Won’t be enough seats. Carnegie Hall?
I would love to be there, but…a Thursday? Maybe.
Wish I could be there – I’ll be on my way to a knitting retreat in New Hampshire that week end. I’m sure the muggles will never believe how many of us there really are.
I love the image of the muggles muttering to themselves – ‘there seems to be a lot of knitting going on today’ (scratching head curiously)
Any chance you can also do a simultaneous podcast so that those of us who cannot be there in person can log on (they can track those numbers too you know)?
And we can all promise to take our knitting out in public for a little stroll that day, where ever we are.Local stations can be notified – muggles beware.
I’ll be there with knitted bells on–can’t wait!
I thought that it would be awesome to come but no way I could as I live in KY, but it just so happens that I will be in town. My brother and sister are on a World Series of Pop Culture Team and the tapings are that week. I’m so excited for both!
I will be in NYC that weekend to give a reading of my new poetry collection, so you bet I’ll be there!
Terry is absolutely right. Money is the language that the suits understand best — especially in New York. So I’ll buy my book on March 22. Heck, I’ll buy more than one, and share the extra copies with “muggles” in my life. Knowledge is power, too!
And as cute and fun as the idea of mobbing Times Square with knitters may sound, I can assure you that the NYPD will not tolerate it. I work in Times Square, and the police are out every single day running drills and keeping a very close watch on the place. If you don’t have a protest permit from the city, “fuggedaboutit.”
Yay! Yay! Yay! You’re coming to Denver just two weeks before my baby is due. This baby better not come early!
Really like the idea of everyone preordering the book on the same day (as if most of us haven’t already.) Then showing up on launch day at the bookstore to purchase that book (or if your store only has certain days that it receives books some other Yarn Harlot book just to add to her sales #’s for that day) This will be noticed by the suits in the chain bookstores. It’s important to buy the book on the same day for the impact to show on the sales numbers.
Here’s my suggestion for NYC impact.
All of us who can’t attend because of distance or timing knit “Hats for the Homeless” (or scarves or mittens or a square of a certain size) and send that with a picture of yourself either knitting or reading one of Stephanie’s books. The group in NYC has a knitout to sew squares and attach the photos to those trifold poster boards used in science fair projects. Then group shot somewhere scenic showing all the knitters/poster pictures and the boxes of knitted articles to be donated to whatever organization Jayme the wonder publicist and Steph pick out.
The next day everyone storm the stores again but this time your LYS and buy at least one skein of sock yarn. Knit something with it and donate that article along with a Yarn Harlot book to a local shelter. That way the suits sees #’s in books, bodies and YARN!
P.S. Looking forward to sock camp.
P.P.S. Also loved the idea of a Harry Potter launch day knit-in. Wonderful way to combine two things dear to my heart. Knitting and books.
How about a simutaneous KIP continent-wide demonstration? Local yarns shops all over the Northern Hemsphere can arrange for knit-outs at the same time that you are doing your gig at FIT. Press Releases sent out before and after could help make the point.
Thanks Terry for bringing us all back around to the book (a long entry above with some bits in CAPS – worth looking for!)
Steph, I think you need to presell tickets and probably need a bigger venue (which ticket sales would justify). Even a nominal amount (say $5 or $10 US) would be a nice KwoB donation.
Please come a little more into Missouri next time? KC??? Please!
Oh wish I was in America on that day, over on the wrong side of the pond in the UK.
I’ve just won At Knits End as a prize in a knitting KAL and it’s brilliant.
Will be looking out for the new book when we can get it in the UK.
I’ll be there!!!
Another great idea, Stephanie. I’ll have to be there in spirit only .. but as the other bloggers have said, you probably still won’t have enough chairs.
With MAJOR apologies to all the men who knit now and have knit in the past, is this because (grumble!) once again it is perceived as a woman’s craft??! And therefore not serious?
Roar, Stephanie!
Stephanie – I don’t know if ANYONE will read down this far (has ANY blog on ANY subject before EVER had *OVER* 500 comments?) but… PLEASE,organize a Knit-In at the same time EVERYWHERE! I’ll talk to my LYS (The Sow’s Ear, brilliant fabulous people) and we could have a LOT of cheesehead knitters and sympathisers. AND send squares (easier than socks, more people could do one) — imagine 50,000 12×12 knitted squares arriving. The NYC knitters could, over the months, put them together for their shelters, hospitals &C. Please? We can’t all be there, but we all WANT to, so let’s join in in spirit….!
You are seriously underestimating how many people will come. You got over 200 knitters (I think) in Ann Arbor MI. AA has only about 200,000 people in it. (I can’t remember if that includes students or not) New York is a huge city of 10 MILLION that is very well connected to Boston, Philly, DC, etc…in the most densely populated area of the US. I think 2 or 3 thousand is a lot more realistic. You probably should pre-sell or pre-register so that you guys can prove the turnout and make other arrangements if you need to.
Be there? Oh, hell, yes, I’ll be there. I might even take the afternoon off from the box factory just to sit around in the lobby of the auditorium and watch the crowd grow. Had I not already had plans to go to D.C. the weekend of the 30th, I’d be headed out to Pittsburgh to represent there, too.
My book is already on order, but I’m completely on board with the idea of buying another one on Launch Day. (Thanks, Terry!) And I can’t deny the allure of a combination yarn crawl/flash mob. Ideally, I’d love to just have us commandeer a pub (“sorry, pal, but we’re going to need a *lot* more beer”), but for reasons I don’t entirely get, Thursday has become the new Friday, and the bars in NYC tend to be crowded on Thursday nights, especially if the weather is nice. But have no fear: there is a big noise to be made, and we will make it.
Please add me to the chorus of “well done” on your post. It’s like a diamond, sharp-edged, clear and brilliant, in both content and form.
Sounds as if the building won’t be big enough. I wish it was going to be in Vancouver BC. Maybe you could do a “Sock for the poor Tour”
Good Luck
FRAN
Oh what fun! Your ideas for the event…especially a NYC yarn crawl and 700+ traveling socks in Central Park…EXCELLENT! Perhaps you could include something a bit like an AA meeting, where a variety of knitters (and we are a HUGE variety…age, background, economics, etc…get up, introduce themselves and admit to the most embarrassing, excessive, sort of things they have done in their love of knitting (e.g., took out a loan to add a wool room to their home; ate Ramen Noodles for a month so they could afford that oh-so-wonderful 2 oz. of Quivit to knit a smoke ring; had carpenters in to re-inforce the floor beams that were being crushed under the weight of their knitting libraries, etc.). I can’t begin to understand why muggles don’t understand that non-muggles are many and obsessive in their love for knitting. Perhaps you (not you personally) could decorate the walls of the room in handknitted items, you know, like an art gallery of knitting. Sign, I know I can’t attend, but my heart will be with you.
Would love to make NY, but probably can’t. On the tour schedule … STILL no SE US — Carolinas! Georgia! Somewhere!
I live in a suburb of NYC, about a half-hour train ride into Manhattan. I’ll see what I can do to drum up some local support!! And I’ll also make every effort to get there myself.
We had a big knit-in in our town a couple of years ago in our train station (which had a tea bar at the time, and is a fairly nice little place). Lots of people showed up to knit/crochet squares for baby blankets to donate to a project in NYC making blankets for HIV+ babies. We had a LOT of people there, maybe 100 during the course of the day. It was a great vibe and lots of fun. That’s just from one medium-sized town in New Jersey, mind you.
I think the idea of a nationwide Knit-In is brilliant and an idea whose TIME HAS FREAKING COME!!! Let’s show the muggles our power!!
Your insight, and your ability to say what needs to be said…well, can you bottle it? Ever since the BMFA fiasco, I’ve been wondering why I feel like people don’t take knitters seriously. It’s because THEY DON’T. Even after you went on TV to say that Knitters went bat-poo crazy with the MSF donations. Even despite your warnings and requests at libraries and bookstores. Do we need a pride parade?
No, I’m serious. Do we need a pride parade? “We’re around, we’re about! Shut up and let us count!”
I can’t make it to NYC (it’s several hours away). Even if I could, I have Something Against That City and am short on funds, but will try to get to some other whistle stop near me.
I would love to go to NYC, but I’m having a hard enough time trying to figure out how to get to Denver the night you’re there (which Tattered Cover? They have a few stores in Denver.) Are you sure that 750 seats are going to be enough seats in NYC? Do they have room for the extras to spill out into?
THIS New York City knitter will be there. I love the idea of posing with knitted socks and saying, “We’ve knocked your socks off!” Ha ha.
I have booked my flight from Nashville to New York, will arrive a couple of days early to see the sights, (have never been to NY!!). Now if I can come all the way from Music City surely people north of the Mason Dixon line can make it!!
T.
Damn. I’ll be in Asia working (I may be KIP that night with the local group i meet up with actually!) I’ll let my circle of knitters in NYC know about this though! Thanks, and Cheers!
I’m coming from North Carolina. I can’t miss this!!!
Nancy
I can’t be in NYC on the 22nd, as I’ll be at a conference in Chicago, but can we do it as a video podcast? I’ll be sure to be KIP whereever I am, I always do…
Freaking out the muggles… always a wonderful occupation… in Science Fiction fandom, we call it freaking the mundanes.
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah! What Maureen said! Those of us who can’t come – I’m in Washington State – can knit pairs of socks, send them to FIT by oh, March 15th or so. They can be piled on the stage next to you, and then, all the socks can be donated to a charity (or several, if the response is anything like I think it would be!) What a terrific visualization of the size and POWER of the Knitting Nation! Say the word Steph and the socks will come flying in!!
Squee!!! So glad to see you coming back to Ann Arbor!!! Must remember to get there early again to get a seat!!!
Wish I could be there – There’s got to be a way that we can stand with you nationwide – some way to flex our knitting muscles & bring a some recognition to this wonderful sport. I just checked out your tour schedule and I’m so happy you’re going to Eastsound, WA. You’ll love it there. It’s a beautiful little town on Orcas Island, in the San Juans. You and Cat Bordhi together. . . Ahhhh!
How the H.E.double hockey sticks am I ever going to get a passport in time?? Gotta try, gotta try. This will be too good to pass up!
When are you in Victoria? I’ve read your list twice, but want to get my travel arrangements in order.
When are you in Victoria? I’ve read your list twice, but want to get my travel arrangements in order.
Stephanie,
Finally you will be in New York when I am here. I missed you last fall as I was in Korea…knitting and teaching, but not teaching knitting! Hooray! I will be there!
Sarah
700+ knitters should be easy peasy for you … This post of yours already has well over 500 comments from KNITTERS!
KNITTERS UNITE and kick some muggle @ss. 🙂
JUNE 9th in BC!!!
I am so thrilled I can hardly tell you.
I am booking time off work ASAP – lucky for me my brother lives in Victoria and his girlfriend just learned to knit.
Oh man. I can hardly believe our West Coast luck!! (though it pales in comparison to the back East luck of having you as a resident knitter and author extrordinaire)
The NY convergence sounds incredible. I am so jealous….that’ll teach me to clog up my credit card with online yarn purchases!
I agree that if more people knit, there would be less violence in the world. The kids they train in the Middle East from early childhood to be terrorists should be abducted and taught how to knit and listen to peaceful music. They could learn how to create nice things, not destroy them.
The world would be a better place.
On another note, please come to California (northern) on your next tour. Now that I can walk (post foot surgery), I will be there.
The West Coast simul-web-cast is an awesome idea! What a great way to DOUBLE the numbers. If we can support over a dozen yarn stores in the Bay Area, we can certainly represent for your book launch. Can Jayme-the-wonder-publicist arrange something of this magnitude? Wheeeee!
I was mocked at a job interview for the knitting content of my resume. And I didn’t get that job, either. Hm.
I didn’t take the time to read all the comments and suggestions, though I hope to. My first reaction was “Is one room going to be enough?” I fully believe you can get more than 750 people come to see you…
Second: There are SO. VERY. MANY. of us who want to participate but cannot because of the distance (I’m in Atlanta). Soooo…. can we get this broadcast and linked up to other locales? Big cities can host the same event and get the feed run in? It’s very technologically possible. Logisitcally? dunno. But isn’t it worth looking into?
I’m making the trip to NYC, but I have to agree with the other comments — Stephanie, you need to get a poll up so people can vote on :
A – Coming to NYC and FIT
B – Coming to another stop on the tour
C – Cannot come, but want to participate / donate
You need a head-count estimate, because you’re going to get many more people than 750, and you need to have overflow plans in place.
Also, if you go with the ‘donate socks / hats / blocks’ ideas, the charity should prepared to be slammed with a mountain of knitting. Choose a flexible charity, and warn them well in advance.
This will be such a great event!
I was at the Portland book signing (loved it of course), stood up for over two hours because of lack of chairs. I hope you get WAY more than your 750 people. Can’t imagine you wouldn’t. Being from the left coast I can’t spare the money from stash building to fly to the event, but will be there in spirit. Show those muggles! ! ! !
w00t!
I’m SOOOO there!!! This time, I’m not going to miss you! Tons of knitters to meet! Tons of socks to knit!
WOO-HOO! I will SO be there, and if I ask real nice, I bet my husband will come along(he’s heard enough about you!) I only skimmed the other comments(500-plus by now) but I gather there’s plenty of enthusiasm and support and lots of great ideas for getting the word out. I’d love to help in any way possible(I live in NYC)…Make sure Jayme gets in touch with Letterman and Colbert. Can’t wait!!
my knitting group meets on Thursdays, so we’ll just move over a few blocks!!!
567, now 568 comments on one blog post in less than 24 hours. A post about knitting. hmmmm.
Wish I could be there, too far. sigh.
The event sounds terrific! I just wish I didn’t live in the other side of the country.
I understand that this event is big–can you arrange or your publicist arrange to get the people from the DIY network (yeah, call Vickie or Sonya) and see if they would be willing to broadcast this event for us that live far away.
You can show also how many knitters there are that couldn’t make it to the show due to distance.
Isela
purlingsprite.com
I looked at your tour page. And Alaska is very lovely you should see more of it than just Anchorage. We have a very nice knitting shop here in Juneau and south east Alaska knitters would love to get a chance to hear you speak.
I am calling my travel agent first thing Monday–please, please move your launch to a place big enough. Carnegie Hall, maybe. Or the Gardens.
But for out of towners to travel far & not get in would be sort of disappointing. &a zillion socks in Central Park sound just right. Looking forward to it..–and to beefing up the Canadian presence.
still no southern tour dates? (or have I just managed to miss checking the tour page and you never wrote about it so you were down here and I didn’t know – knowing my thought processes lately it really could be)
Don’t you want to come someplace it is WARM (or at least warmer than there?)
Aria (the librarian who has neither enough vacation days nor enough money to come to NY on the spir of the moment (well somewhat spir of the moment – enough so for a person who is a planner and not a spontaneous person) – I didn’t even ever get to go and see Jane Eyre on broadway, nor any of the other 50 million times I have tried to plan any semi-spir of the moment trips to NY – I have just given up on me and NYC cooperating enough to get me there ever again…)
Bah to them! May bearded dragon excrement rain down on their heads! (bearded dragon feces stink really, really, badly.) Those muggles don’t know who they’re messing with.
Please ask Jayme-the-wonder-publicist what it takes to get your new book on the NY Times best seller list…and let’s all make that a goal! I’ve already pre-ordered your book — but I’ll buy more!
oooh, STEPHANIE! I WISH I could make it! I’m in NYC every other weekend! Alas, a Thursday I cannot make. 🙁 I hope you KICK SOME MOTHER F’IN’ ASS THOUGH! I know you will!!!
I GASPED! You are coming here!! I frequent Title Wave books almost daily, and I am here to tell you that although the store is fairly large, they DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH ROOM FOR YOU AND THE *WHACK* OF KNITTERS THAT WILL COME!! You need Jayme to contact our guild or someone in Anchorage to arrange a larger venue..and talk to some of us who are involved in the knitting community…We’ll try to help. I’m so excited!!!
I third, fifth, (or seventh by now)The Letterman ider. I WOULD venture to Babalon for that. Yes!
Why don’t we just send all our mittens, hat, scarves and afghan squares to David Letterman ?
To pass on to the needy of course……
Once he is inundated and made aware, I bet most of North America will be aware….
I mean this very seriously…….
If it is not acceptable….where do I send those afghan squares ?
Or a big warm shawl, or socks, or ……please, I want to participate….in some way !
Angelika
Mexico City
Terry is right: simultaneously-spent money talks. Everyone should pre-order, or order the book on March 22. (What’s the title?) And when the figures are in, make sure the wonder publicist sends the news out to the papers, radio, etc. The moment the preregistrations hits capacity, send that news out too – I’m sure it will be in advance.
The other person is also right: NYC will require a permit for anything that is organized for outdoors. Hiring the hall is okay, but any _organized_ outdoor stuff involves permits (and time limits to get them). I think you need (1) an overflow hall and (2) simulcast to that hall so they can at least watch you on the screen.
Big thing: yes, you will need to have people reserve seats, and _have_a_waiting_list_posted_.
If nobody had counted them, nobody would have realized how many people signed up for the Kn*tt*ng Olymp*cs. So get someone else to
keep the list updated and have it up on that billboard that shows the mounting numbers of how much people spend on yarn – maybe have the registrants include a figure for yarn money per year, so you can have a running total. People could sign up on the “waiting list” even during the event, if it’s linked to a website, and it could really be a running total, changing as people watch and listen.
Bum! I won’t be in NYC until May!
YH, you are such an instigator. Love that. This is like the Million Knitter March, only in NY instead of DC, and only not a million–but wait, maybe we could do a million…
If only it was not on a thursday night I would take a night bus to go! But I can’t skip 3 out of 4 classes near the end of the semester… Maybe the next next book could be released on a friday? 🙂
If there can be any sort of live webcam/podcast thing for this then I’d love to watch you from the other side of the planet.
Failing that, can I send my ex-husband (who is conveniently in NY) along to represent me?
Maybe you could hook up with these guys: http://www.madmuseum.org/site/c.drKLI1PIIqE/b.1506945/k.3AD7/Radical_Lace__Subversive_Knitting.htm
They have a show at the Museum of Arts and Design (in NYC) right now called Radical Lace & Subversive Knitting. Sounds like the perfect fit, no?? You are proposing a radical action, after all.
Shoot!! We are going to NYC on April 26th. One month too late. I really want to go to St. Paul to see you, since I missed you when you were here in Eau Claire. I really hope that the media will “get” it now!!
I’m thinking about the Latvian mitten project that was inspired by the Nato meeting. Why not have an enormous knitalong for the next month and everybody send or bring at least one item: afghans for shelters, chemo caps, preemie booties, red scarves for foster children, mittens for the homeless, helmet liners, stump socks, etc. They could all be collected in New York and distributed to the appropriate places. A mountain of charity knitting would be impressive.
I’ll be there and tell my knitting group about it The Upper East Side Knitters http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UESKnitters/ with me. I don’t think you’ll have to worry about empty chairs. It’s New York City-there are a lot of knitters here and plenty more will be able to come in from Jersey, Connecticut, Long Island, Westchester, etc. Several times when Starbucks customers see my group knitting they say things like “I’ve never seen anyone knitting in years.” When I tell them it’s a huge trend and there are lots of groups they look at me in disbelief. This should go a step towards showing them. Maybe we can get into the real Olympics next year!
Do you mean to say that even though you have almost 600 comments here by the time i am posting, The Muggles are still in disbelief?
*walks off shaking head, in search of a beer and some knitting*
~Suz~
Oh Harlot,
If you come to Anchorage you MUST make it up to Fairbanks. Oh please!) We will get you to the Silver Gulch Brewery for beer tasteing on Friday if you can make it. Fairbanks is not that much further. Take the train even. 12 hours of knitting while Alaska passes by. We have several lovely yarn shops and many knitters who would love to meet you.
Sharon
It’s a train ride away, I’m there!
You…Go…Harlot!!! Of course you will get a huge number of knitters in NYC. I live in Seattle so I can’t be there, however you pleaseohplease have to come to Seattle on your book tour…Please? I’m not above begging. Melissa
OK – Steph – some problems.
1) A Thursday Night.
2) Only a month to plan.
3) Canadians now need passports to reach the US, and vice versa. The Passport office has a 2 month waiting list.
May I suggest the following:
Do the New York Thing. It is good. It will be a warmup.
THEN
Plan, with a city’s help, a HUGE ASS KNITTING CONVENTION. In the winter. In, say, Ottawa.
They have the hotels, and the tourist coordination set up. Make it a weekend thing, one that doesn’t conflict with other events and holidays.
Plan for…5000 knitters. Restaurants, hotels, and the Ottawa Convention Centre.
And make it…*gasp* informal.
No registrations. Just book a hotel and invade.
One rule – if you see someone else knitting, make room at the table.
What about doing a telecast? Pick a few other major cities that you can broadcast live to, that way those who can’t make it all the way to New York can still “represent”.
It’s a little far for me….but if you’re going to be on the west coast again, I’ll definitely be there!
I think that this event should definitely be worked in with “Knitters without Borders” in some way. Maybe you can raise whatever the ticket price was going to be by $5. That small of an amount shouldn’t put the event out of monetary reach of anyone who intended to go anyway, and with 750 seats that means $3,750 more dollars for KWB. This will double serve your purpose to make the muggles realize that we are powerful by 1) filling those seats and 2) raising EVEN MORE MONEY to the already staggering KWB total.
Dude, I think you’re going to need a much bigger venue…. maybe Madison Square Garden? 🙂
Wish I could be there, but I’ll be there in spirit!
So sorry I can’t be in NYC, but I like the idea of a concerted nationwide/worldwide purchase of your new book. Ask Jayme to develop a plan so you can let us know when to order. I hope the plan will include purchasing or preordering copies at local bookstores on a given date, as well as online.
Just as we patronize our LYS, we should also patronize our LBS, for the same reasons: we want them to stay in business because we love to go there, enjoy the ambience, see and handle the merchandise, meet the occasional author, and benefit from good advice and conversation. LYS and LBS are equally part of our culture, which we should try to preserve.
Re: your next tour, how could you do this to me? I had to miss your last Ann Arbor visit, and this time when you’re in AA, I will probably be in San Francisco to cook meals, clean house, and help my daughter and son-in-law care for their first child/my first grandchild, whose due date is Mar. 31. You’ll just have to swing back through Michigan later. 🙂
A Man’s Experience:
——————–
Dear Harlot, I share your frustration! As a man I began my journey into knitting in 2001. Having dedicated the last 6 years of my life in pursuing this passion, I share your frustration and applaud the New York effort.
Whenever I talk about knitting I always hear…’grandma’s don’t use computers’.
As a man in the knitting world, I get snickers and disbelief. I wonder when people will wake up to the new face of knitting. Knitters are no longer your typical grandma on the front porch knitting all day. I have entered a business plan competition, and am onto the next round. If I could get everyone to send an email to the judges proving that knitters are more sophisticated now than ever before. That would help to dispel the assumptions they have about us. If you would like to help please send an email as follows:
To: tiequest@gmail.com
cc: husein@smartpatterns.com (optional)
Subject: Knitters Speak Out
Body: We are knitters and we use computers.
Please sign your name and state/province/country
Thank you for your support in advance. It nice to know that I am not alone in the knitting world.
I agree with Terri…way above…we need to WOW them with the $$$$$. Mass purchasing of the book is the way to go….sending knitted objects far too cumbersome for Jayme to deal with…Web Cast, good idea…bigger room, a must!
oh man.. oh boy.. the wheels turn.. if I could get there,I dream.. but knitters could build a house couldn’t they? they could.. if they knew about it.
think CNN.. I have an in with Soledad O’Brien..
I have a 3.5 year old and live in Mobile, Alabama and can’t make it to NYC! Can you have a satellite so we can watch? And, can you come to the south for your book tour? Pretty please?! We will make you some really good Southern food!
We would love it if you came to northern California on your new book tour.
Hey, there are muggles in the UK that need teaching a lesson or three you know! Our beer is not so good, but we do import. We buy the books, yarn, magazines – can we borrow the yarn harlot please?
aah.. If air tickets from Australia were not in the thousands, I’d be there with bells on.
Will you ever be heading Down Under?
I’m so there! East Village knittaz REPRESENT!!!
I can’t make NYC, but you bet your wool I’ll be there when you hit St. Paul, MN. I’ve already blocked the day on my calendar and told my non-email savvy knitting friends about this. Woohooo!!
Firstly, some serious smacking is in order for the low-life pond scum who decreed your work “not really best-selling.”
Secondly, many of us would love to be there, but can’t. Is there a way that your computer guru can hook up a live feed (with hit counter) for those of us far from the Big Apple, so you can say you have a 750-head auditorium overflowing AND a gabillion people watching/listening on live feed?
Thirdly, as many others have pointed out, this is another episode of women not being taken seriously, and add to that, “people engaged in activities that most mugggles consider arcane not being taken seriously.” Your experiences remind me of a herpetological conference I went to in the ’80s, before “herpetology” was a household word. The hotel had no choice but to believe there were hundreds of snake scientists — after all, we had filled the hotel. But the local bars, restaurants and other venues allowed for “a small bunch of nerds who probably don’t drink much.” Every place we went for drinks, tourism etc. in the evening after conference hours …. every single place … was prepared for about 25 people. Argh!
Those of us who can’t make it to your talk in person should “be there” if a live feed is made possible, and if not, we should all knit in public on that day at some venue COMPLETELY AT ODDS with the expectations of the suits. No ladylike, demure knitting in the library or coffeehouse! Dress up to the nines and go knit at the most upscale cocktail lounge you can think of while you treat yourself to a glass of wine. Wear your sexiest outfit and go knit at the tire store, the techie-gadget store, etc. Hang out at the Harley store, admire the bikes, and knit. Knit at Home Depot. You get the idea, peeps. Do it!
ah, my alma mater! hanging out in the knitting lab was my life for 2 years!
i will so be there! and i will tell all my nyc knitters to be there too!
Oh My Gosh! I have to make it even just for a day! 🙂 somehow i will figure it out.. and next time J books you for Phoenix.. make sure it is sometime before June 1st or after September 30th!!! 🙂 you will feel much better in the cool evenings and the wonderfully warm days with that bright sunshine.. and don’t forget to bring your great cowgirl hat! I’m going to tell as many people as I can to get those public fingers going on March 22 if they can’t be there! 🙂 hugs Karola
Is there time to set up some regional events with local press witnessing it? For I am sure there are many people like me who can’t get to NY that day…perhaps Austin, Chicago and San Francisco too? We could all hook up via the internet and knit away.
This Canadian girl will be at the Pittsburgh launch on March 30th, and I’ll be knitting up a storm.
Woohoo! A western Canadian date.
I read part of this out loud to Domestic Partner, who said, “Yeah, I could take a week of vacation. We could totally go to New York that week if you wanted.” Is that a sock-worthy muggle, or is that a sock-worthy muggle?
Nevertheless, I will second (or is it eleventh? fifteenth?) the opinion that this could be a bicoastal, simultaneous knit-in event. Also, I bet you two dollars to doughnuts that you are going to need a bigger venue.
How about a list, petition style, of all the people who would have come if NY wasn’t so durn far away…like me in Alberta. Maybe with a pic of each of us to show we really exist?
Barb B.
Will totally be thinking of you in Ireland on the 22nd! But will definitely send in any afghan squares, socks or whatever you deem is Represent-worthy.
Knit on, Sistah!
NYC?? I am so in!!!!
I was a young Paramedic student out there.. yup, knitting and coffee in between jobs!!!!
Can’t wait!love the idea of the charity knitting, or a “sock-in” in central park.
Carolyn
Can you get KWB involved in this? In addition to a $5.00 donation in addition to the ticket cost, let’s have a phone bank (the PBS TV stations are all set up for these) and raise $$ for KWB. I bet we can make today’s Third-of-a-Million raised to date look like diddely-squat(that means nothing). Get JTWP (wonder publicist)
to work on this. Totally worthwhile. Totally doable. I’m in.
A lot of people have asked for a way for people for who can’t make it to NYC to participate. I have a suggestion: web conferencing. Companies exist today entirely for the purpose of holding web seminars (just google web seminar or webinar). I just did one with a client–people all over the country were able to participate.
Yarn stores around the country could log in and have group knit-ins. It could even be international–the web doesn’t care if you’re in Australia or England. One nice thing is that since you have to log in, the site tracks the number of online participants. You’d have solid data to inform the press–like, we had 750 (or whatever it ends up being) in NYC plus 2000 (or whatever) at yarn shops around the world.
And if you ever want to come to North Texas, the knitters of Fort Worth would be thrilled to greet you! (And don’t just go to Dallas, ‘kay?)
Rock on Yarn Harlot, this book launch is going to wake a few muggles up!!!
I hope everyone has a great time on the 22nd. I can’t make it cos the bus fare is a bit expensive (from New Zealand) and my BFF’s wedding is the next day. If you ever make it down to NZ or Australia I will so be there.
I am putting your new book on my Amazon wish list, and I vote for a video podcast or youtube page too.
Second commenting….brewgal, how about Blob’s Park?
Knitting and polka….a dangerous sounding combo.
Hmmm, no, you know, Jayme the wonder publicist needs to call up Politics and Prose, which regularly schedules book signings and speeches around town. They’ll organize the heck out of a signing for you. And they have Knitting Rules in stock.
And if that doesn’t work, how about one of the halls out here in PG land like BRAVA in Bowie or heck, we could all MARC to Baltimore for something at the Maryland College Institute of Art.
oh, I’d love to make a trip to New York. that’d be fun. not sure if it’ll happen.
we had lots of knitters at the Knit Out at the Mall of America today. you should have been there. (alas, you weren’t. I did find a Knitting Rules bumper sticker at your publisher’s booth though. and I thought of you while squeaking some cheese curds. yes, there’s a cheese shop in the Mall of America).
happy to see you’ll be hitting the Twin Cities this time around!
FANTASTIC! I’m so glad you’re coming back to NY, especially, since I’ll be here then too. And, health permitting I shall be one of the hundreds at FIT. I don’t think you have to worry about filling the space.
Someone mentioned going on Letterman that night. I think that’s a great idea. If that doesn’t work out, maybe Conan? And what about Martha? They all tape here.
I am sooo looking forward to this! I do hope I get in the door.
I’ll be there – and I’ll try to get my SnB to come, too!
Anchorage AND Victoria!?! Wonderful! You will love both places. Anchorage in June is beautiful – I hope you’ll have time to get out and enjoy it. Of course, it won’t get dark, so you’ll have lots of time!
I’ve just moved from AK to Victoria – just maybe I’ll be able to come see you talk!
As someone who has proudly knitted on AF1, I’m all for knitters showing the Big Apple who’s boss! I will do my very very best to be there (my friends with sofas have been warned)!
Harlot,
I run a meeting planning and event planning business in NYC, if I can help please drop me a note. I haven’t been able to read all of the comments here, but if I can add any ideas for you, I’d be happy to.
You should really see if your publicist can get you hooked up to do Letterman or another late night show. THAT would be great publicity!
I would be there, but it’s a 16 hour drive for me and I have a 5 month old son who may get a little bored in the car.
Show them the comment count!
GEESSSEEEE PETE!!
Around here we call this the “I’m the professional and I know what I’m talking about” attitude. We’s hates it!!
Alice
Hmmm… a day before my bday…sounds like a wonderful weekend get away 😀
For those who are able to attend, here is another event going on at the same time:
Radical Lace & Subversive Knitting opened on January 25, and the exhibit will be on view through June 17, 2007, at the Museum of Arts & Design. If you will be in the NYC area, you can view some of the over 40 works of art. To find out more, go to: MADmuseum.org
I like the idea of knitting squares — simple enough all knitters can do them easily and quickly. Plus, I think it’d be cool to see a photo of two piles side by side — one of squares of those who attend and a second of squares mailed in by those who can’t come (as long as the second pile is bigger, anyway 🙂 ). And if stitching them together at the event is impractical, they can still be donated to charities such as Warm Up America or to yarn stores that are willing to host joining parties. Oh! Maybe people could sign up to have squares shipped to them or take them with them after the event to make afghans for their local charity. That way, it’s automatically affecting people nationwide and you’ll have the stats about the number of squares, cost of yarn, number of blankets/charities, number of people who joined them, etc.
I’ll be there with bells on (it’s only a subway ride away, for me). And clapotis on. And mittens, and hat, and sweater on. If only there were room for our stashes – that would really convince them we spend $$. Of course, we can’t exactly carry our stashes on our backs… And I agree with the folks who are saying 750 seats won’t be nearly enough. I predict you’ll be well over 1,000. You might get 2,000. Love the idea of a knitters crawl.
PS. I belong to a Sit and Knit group in NYC. I can alert them, too.
You are the reason I’m going to make my wisdom teeth removal the weekend *before* your talk, so I won’t be too doped up to take the train into the city and hear you talk!
I’ll try to bring two of my friends and my mom (all knitters).
Holy crap! 636 comments?! Dude. This event sounds fab. I’m on vaca. so I haven’t taken the time to read what (the hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of) others have written. Three ideas came to mind at once. Sorry if these are repeats.
1. Encourage everybody to “cast off” at the event, simultaneously, in honor of the name of your book.
2. Incorporate the Knitters Without Borders donation tally somehow
3. Do either a simulcast or a followup live event on the West Coast for all of us who live so, so far away from NYC. San Fran, maybe?
Ok so obvioulsy this is at the bottom of a very long list of excellent comments. However, being a college student and knowing that the college crowd is beginning to boom I think a demographic should be added to the submitted items. Like a tag reading for myself “Lauren, age 21,” its generic but it gets the point across. It proves to all of those silly muggles that knitting isnt just your grandmother’s pasttime; knitting is a hobby for the masses! I def think the age added would be very helpful though. Knitting with furvor!
~Lauren at VT, the school not the state
I see 638 comments in 32 hours. ‘Nuff said?
I can’t be in NYC, but I can Knit In Public!
Oh and in response to someones idea about stashes…how bout send a pic of your stash with your square and name, age tag. If your stash spans several rooms submit several! Knit on!
Lauren R
You are totally right. I’m a senior in high school, and I used one of my five days to go to a book signing…who happened to be a knitter. My principal laughed in my face. I’m not even joking, he mocked me, and obviously didn’t get it. I’ve been knitting for awhile, and let’s just say…I’ve got a resume that could beat his. Freakin’ muggles!
Oh dear. I’d even make arrangements to conveniently lay-over there but unfortunately that date is whack smack in the middle of when I’ll be overseas on business. I’ll drink a belgian beer for you and eat a not trivial amount of chocolate – and if you email me, I will even send you some chocolates – Best of luck on filling the Auditorium! If anyone can do it, it will be you 😀 I’m off to sneak a peek at your tour dates – I hope you’re coming to visit again!
My calendar has been marked … I am there and I will spread the word. This sounds like a bit of knitting history in the making!!!
I want to go. I need to go. But I can’t go! It’s opening night for the show I am in…
now I am really upset! I will be there in spirit, though.
I graduated FIT! I’ll so be there. Already tried looking on the website. Nothing yet. Will keep trying!
While I know I cannot make it to FIT, I want to make myself know along with the other 600+ comments (and growing I’m sure).
What about all of us that cannot attend sending a knitted item to donate (ie-hats, scarves, blankets, etc.) to FIT so the items arrive while the rest of you are there? Then we could add our voices to the cause even though we can’t be there?
I will be knitting in public, maybe I will have my own knit-in on that day!! Hmm, there’s another idea! National KIP day!!!!
I’ll be there! And please say you’ll come visit String during this visit!
I can’t be there, but I will take a moment of knitting silence at the start of the lecture in solidarity of the cause!
The sheer number of comments says it all. BUT WHEN ARE YOU COMING TO HAWAII? Maybe in the winter months? We can wait. Will KIP on the big day. Aloha!
Dude, you drew a couple hundred people in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, a city of 61,000. I just did the math (hey, I’m an accountant, what can I say?) and if you drew an equivalent number in The Big Apple, a city of 8 million, that translates to (are you ready for this?)…
26,229. Knitters. All together.
But clearly NOT in an auditorium that seats 750.
Sure, in Eau Claire many of the audience were not from that city. My buds and I drove an hour and a half to get there. A large number came from the Twin Cities, two hours away. But how many knitters live within 2 hours of the FIT? More than 750 — way, way more.
I hate to say this, but you and Jayme and the FIT have succumbed to Thinking Small. You need a bigger venue, a MUCH bigger venue. Madison Square Garden seats, depending on the event, somewhere between 18,000 and 22,000, so it might be big enough. (I know we all smiled at the commenter who mentioned the Garden, but once I did the math I began to think differently.) Please, please try to convey the enormity of your community to the event organizers.
I’ve only read about a third of the comments above mine, so maybe someone else has already pointed this out. If so, good. I am totally on board with everyone knitting something — socks, hats, whatever — and making some humungous displays of the them for the NY tv stations to goggle at. Jay Leno. David Letterman. The Today Show. Good Morning, America. You should be on ALL these shows. Even if they aren’t interested (cue the condescending pat on the head) before the event, if we can all make a big enough splash, they WILL be interested afterwards. Please allow some time in your schedule for those appearances.
Please try to make this a continent-wide event. You know how many knitters are out there and how much they care — we will knit in public, we will knit stuff and ship it anywhere there is need, we will drive hours or buy plane tickets or brave the wilds of Manhattan to serve our cause. Tell us what to do and we will answer.
We on the west, the side with Hollywood, smog, rabid fans, and a host of other things need you too! I know that Toronto is closer to the east coast, but we have better weather!
WE MUST BE REPRESENTED!!!!!!!! MAY THE MUGGLES KNOW WHO WE ARE!!! *RAWR*
I find it hard to believe there are over five hundred comments for this post.
Why oh why did this have to come around exam time? Oh boy do I want to go. I feel your pain! I feel it every day.
650 comments… nah, how will you *ever* find 750 knitters to fill a hall in New York? Couldn’t happen.
Maybe you’ll need a bigger room *grin*
European tour! Come to Oslo! You can stay at my house!! 🙂
If the event took place between March 5-9, I could be there but I’m in school, darn it! However, I WILL be in Ann Arbor. That’s close!
655 comments!!! Way to go! (how will you ever read them all?)
What a great idea! I wish I could come – but I don’t think I can afford a day-trip from over here sadly 🙁 I suspect I’m going to face a similar problem in a couple of months if my little part-time thing works out as I’m sure all bank managers will laugh at me when I apply for a business account and tell them (or show them) what I’m making. I doubt I’ll make a fortune but then I’m sure lots of ‘hobby’ businesses don’t either. I’ll have to go armed with a few print outs from your blog in my defence! Good luch with the event – I’ll be there in spirit for sure.
I am conveniently a New Yorker, the Event is On My Calendar in INK. I will be there.
If I hadn’t just an hour ago spent $400 for tickets to see my mother in Maryland this summer, I would have completely bumped her for this! Actually, she would have probably met me there and she’s not even a knitter! I send her links to your blog all the time.
I had to take a photograph of all my yarn to discourage me from buying more. It covered my whole dining room table. What did I do? Donated a bag to charity and when I went to visit my mom in Warwick RI I went by the Beadz Go On and spent a hundred dollars on yarn!
Not only do knitters represent a huge market, yarn is addictive! I bet more money is spent on knitting than crack in the US! Hmm..now that would be an idea, get drug addicts addicted to yarn and knitting….I swear I get high off the smell of alpaca wool.
I’m all for knitters making a mass donation. But what about knitting dollar bills to represent every hundred dollars worth of yarn, needles, notions and books in our respective stashes? And then make scarves out of it? That would be a good visual cue as to the market power in being a knitter! If you pile up thousands of “hundred” dollar bills I think that would send a nice message to the fat cats who think we’re just a bunch of poor ol’ grannies (much love to the grannies out there!). And to knit a couple green 6 x 2 swatches would be easy to do.
What if everybody who can’t possibly make it to NYC sends a “regrets” postcard to you, and you take the barrel of postcards along to the meeting to show how big the audience would be if it weren’t for the geographic difficulties.
Marlyce in Windsor, Ontario
Will be there in spirit! Please come up with a terrific idea so that those of us who cannot attend can show our support!
As I live in SoCal, unfortunately I will not be able to attend. Damn.
I suggest that each ne of us who can not make it to NY on the 22nd send a telegram to FIT (do they still use those?) that day offering our congratulations and well wishes.
so if you get to message 664 here is my idea
in BC the BC Children hospital fund rases every year by having “jeans day”. You purchase a button for $5, wear it at work on that day. Raises tons of money, this is how it could work for us who cant attend:
Because of time frame, come up with a logo directly picked up from the knitting olympics medal, make it available online to “pay/print” for $5, charge to…. We print it, wear it on march 22nd, all over the world…. and the donation goes to knitters without borders. For the ones that cant be there it’ll make us participate, the numbers could be stagering, we all know that knitters do shop online….
Great idea, keep them coming
Valérie
I hope that the Tattered Cover is ready for a big crowd in Denver! See you then 🙂
Stephanie, I think you also need to make impact with large impact follow-ups to the New York event regionally across North America — and perhaps the UK. Don’t you (or even Jayme?) have any pull in Canada to get some high-impact folks like the Queen involved in this? Seems to me she has an awful lot of knitting history in her lineage.
Regretably, a New York trip is out of the picture for me right now — or I’d BE THERE! …but I will in love.
Dude! I’m so there 🙂
Please provide us with an e-mail address or fax number for FIT where those of us who are unable to attend can send our support from afar.
Make sure they load up a lot of paper in their fax machine.
I look forward to reading your new book.
When will you be in Calgary?
While I have no real way to make it to NYC, I will see you at your next stop which is here in Pittsburgh. I called to attempt to make a reservation for space/book and wouldn’t you know I got the “We only do reservations for really big things. We shouldn’t run out of books” I pointed out that we’re talking about YARN HARLOT here, hundreds of knitters. I got that nervous giggle and an unbelievable “We’ll be prepared”. Just means I’ll need to do some initial prep to get there early and save a space.
A couple of ideas: 1) You need a way to have other states organize knit-ins and beam them to huge screens in NYC the same night as your event. Like the jumbo trons at ball games that show you what’s happening at some other ball game. 2) If that’s way too much for muggles to do, then video blast white sheets on the walls with photos of other huge knitting functions. Surround the 750 seats with hundreds of other “attendees.” Yep, back in the day, I majored in PR.
A couple of ideas: 1) You need a way to have other states organize knit-ins and beam them to huge screens in NYC the same night as your event. Like the jumbo trons at ball games that show you what’s happening at some other ball game. 2) If that’s way too much for muggles to do, then video blast white sheets on the walls with photos of other huge knitting functions. Surround the 750 seats with hundreds of other “attendees.” Yep, back in the day, I majored in PR.
Dude, 670 comments so far, they had better order more chairs. I have the biggest, hardest test of my life, CAIA Level II, that morning, I’m thinking that an afternoon flight to NY is the perfect way to celebrate the test being over. I’m checking JetBlue right now.
Must post – the numbers are intoxicating, and the more we post, the more we prove your point, fearless leader woman!
You set the house on fire, all right. There is going to be some fibrous congestion in NYC come April!
I’m going to cast on for socks now, because I’m very slow, and regardless of what y’all decide, I have to send something to show I’m in on this.
Holy piles of handknits, Batman! Wheeeee!
Please, please come to Southern California!
Not to sound bitter or anything …
More men need to learn to knit.
If more men knit, then knitting would be a sacrament (and we’d probably have fewer wars).
I can’t be there (I’m in Florida), but I’ll bet my sister would be interested…
Dearest Stephanie,
This sounds like a ton of fun, an excellent opportunity for knitters, but it’s in the wrong place. Do it in Austin. Please? 🙂
Why not have events all over for those who can’t make it to New York?
Oh my god, I wish I could be there. Look at the response so far! I’ll be in Oak Brook on April 3rd, though. And I’m already plotting a knit-in at my local library on March 22nd. Plot, plot, plot.
And if you want to collect hats for NYC’s homeless (or tell us where to send them), I think we are all poised for action with needles at the ready. Anything to show the muggles our power.
West Coast Ladies….we need to REPRESENT! Be it socks, or hats, or scarves or squares……Hey! Wait a minute….why does this need to be a one day, one shot thing? How about at each tour stop, someone (besides Steph, of course!) volunteer to go to the event as the official “collector.” To collect, socks, hats, scarves, afghans, whatever for donations. There are a ton of places that accept donations, Dulaan, Afghans for Afghans, local hospitals, tons of other locations. I would love to be in NYC myself, but why should we limit a display of our power to one city and one day? Let’s start a movement! I got big boxes, packing tape, address labels and a hubby with a UPS business account! Ladies, and the wonderful gentlemen who knit, stand up and Knit!
I will be swing 🙂 dancing in MA that weekend, but I will bring knitting to the table, and be a one woman “satellite” knit in event. Promise.
Anyone want to join me? In action if not in situ?
I went to a pro choice rally in DC about 20 years ago; there were 750K people by DC police count (all though media only reported 500K; no one wanted to admit that that many women could organize and CARE: see a trend here?). What touched me most was all the signs that said (“I represent 10/20/55/100) women, in effect *represent*ing MILLIONS! The point got across.
BTW: 750 in NYC is not huge. I’m guessing you will break triple zeros. Easy.
Good luck, and may the force be with you.
I don’t know why but I cried and cried when I read this (perhaps because I’m hung over, perhaps because I miss my kids….who knows). I want to smack those stupid condecending people upside the head.
Don’t you DARE have your Canadian launch when I’m away. Don’t you DARE. Just my luck.
Socks in Central Park. A whole forest of them…picture it!
“…Yeah… But it’s New York…”
Ok, so it’s frustrating to belong to a demographic that is undervalued. However, I suspect that there are two things that Knitters will need in order to be taken seriously, Lawyers (Blue Moon, did I hear “defamation?”) and a book discussing, seriously, the economics of knitting.
Anyone want to do a Brooklyn yarn crawl and a lunch at Nathan’s or Junior’s before the event?
I love this idea, and I’m definitely trying to work out a schedule to be there as well!
Also, it seems like there are TONS of people who would like a way to still be involved. I was talking online to some other ladies and one had a suggestion (it may be in the list of comments already — there are WAY too many for me to look through) of knitting squares as a way for others to “remote represent”. We can lay out all the squares somewhere during the event. Then, after the event, I’m sure you could find enough volunteers who would be willing to assemble them into afghans. (It’d be cool if it could be done beforehand, and lay out the afghans at the event, but that might be a little too optimistic considering how close the even is).
Those afghans could either be donated directly to a worthy cause, or auctioned off on ebay, putting the proceeds towards Knitters without Borders.
Just a thought!
you may just need to rent the music hall
wish i could be there i like the idea of
afgahns warm up might heart and stiches
likes hats
mufflers for the presidents
on our mountain out west now
if london can we can
you may just need to rent the music hall
wish i could be there i like the idea of
afgahns warm up might help heart and stiches
likes hats
mufflers for the presidents
on our mountain out west
now theres a project
Halfway into reading, I remembered going to New York about thirty five years ago for a gathering of people who shared a love of something considered obscure. We had fun. We spent money. We were noticed.
Star Trek was dead in 1969. Look what the conventions accomplished.
Give everyone who shows up a memorable name tag and let them loose on the city.
I love your books and I read your blog every time you post something new. I have just read again the blog about the Fiber Trends Felted Clogs. I live in Italy… could you or anyone reading this give me an Url where I could get the pattern, either buying it or for free? I knit so much I have a beginning of RSI and I love felting too. Can you please help me Stephanie? YOU are GREAT and and INSPIRATION to me.
i copy the idea of “Juliet” @ 6:40
I think that is a fantasic idea. However, I really doubt I’ll be able to make it to NYC.
So, my idea is this. In other metropolitan areas to organize similar events. Perhaps we can link some kind of video feed so that your talk and the like can be broadcast to the other events/gatherings. That way we can all be a community at once and really blow them away.
You’ll have the media in NYC for the larger story and perhaps the more local gatherings can persuade local media to cover it as well.
I think the goal should be 750 seats filled in each and every metro area, not just New York.
holy smoke…690 comments!! Holier smoke…750 knitters in the same room! The muggles will need to find several changes of underwear once they see all the pointy sticks flying around. 🙂
not sure I can make it…but I’ll definitely see you at Joseph Beth Booksellers on the 30th!!
Count me in. Barely a hop and a skip from my office–so there’s very little that could keep me away!
Count me in. Barely a hop and a skip from my office–so there’s very little that could keep me away! I attended your signing at B&N in Brooklyn–the one where they tucked us into the smallest possible corner of the shop? By the bibles and the witchcraft books? With maybe 30 chairs? Oooooh, I’ll SO be there!
I can’t make it from California, but would love to send a sock or be involved in some way to show support. Please keep us posted if there’s some way we can help show the muggles the light!
You’ll have over 750 comments alone any moment now. I can’t be in NYC, BUT Thursday night is Community Knitting Night at our LYS in Salem, MA. I suggest we all knit a square and maybe you can arrange a group there in NYC to receive all the squares from all the groups around that WORLD that get together & knit at least ONE 6″ square per person that very night & each send it out to the NYC group willing to put the squares all together for charity of some kind the following day. I don’t know if anyone has suggested this yet. But if they did … I 2nd it! Maybe we can have our own local media or someone in the group take a picture of us all together & send it out with the squares. Proof that knitters are a force to reckon with, so to speak. Anyway, I’m cheering you on!!
Finally coming out of lurkdom to comment. I think this is a great idea. That whole Blue Moon deal just blew my mind. I’ll be flying back from Las Vegas that day,, so there’s no way I can come,, but I’ll certainly be knitting on the plane. Will be interesting to see how many other KIP-ers I’ll see who wish they could be in NY with you!
I will definitely participate long-distance in any way I can.
Hooray! I can’t tell you how much I’ve hoped to see your tour come to Alaska. And now you’re even coming to my favorite bookstore! (Which happens to be around the corner from my favorite yarn shop – woo!) I look forward to seeing you (and your sock) in June. 😀
Oh, I know your pain! It’s so annoying when People Who Should Know Better not only DON’T know better, but seem not to know anything at all. I dealt with the same stupidity at one of my former jobs (different stereotype, though).
I found that the one thing that has any hope of breaking through thick heads is the power of numbers. Tell them X number of people in the area read your books, and Y number of people read your blog, and, based on past statistics of markets the same size, Z people will attend. If you can rattle off such numbers quickly in a matter-of-fact tone, people seem more likely to hear it.
Failing that, publish the phone number of the place and have everyone who plans to attend call them and let them know they are coming!
California!
Multiple stops. San Diego, Santa Clara, SACRAMENTO. This is a BIG state, guys….
There’s a TON of knitters over here in the foothills who can’t make it to the ‘chic’ San Fran area–so beg Jayme for SACRAMENTO.
Please?
Where do I send my square? 🙂 🙂
I wish I could be there physically, as it is I will have to be there in spirit only. That being said, I am totally with you.
Too bad it’s a weekday, and I’m stuck in PQ… Whatever tele-representing way is chosen, count me in.
If it’s knitting a square for an afghan, I’ll mail it, just tell me where. If it’s a gathering per city, now is the time to get organized and call the press. Once we define “feasible” cities, all we need is a gathering point in each city, precise address (I’m thinking cafe with internet hook-up) and meeting time, a sort of “sign-up” list of who will be there per city and a tech-way to stay in touch. One great side effect of this could be the birth of new knitting circles!
Montreal anyone?
Delurking to say that this Kansas City knitter will be there in spirit. Please let us know how we can participate from afar!
OK Kristin? the event planner who posted last night(sat) at 9:35 PM? count me in. I like the idea of a local advance team, and I bet I’m not the only one who’d like to volunteer! visited your blog, btw, tried to contact you that way, but don’t have/want a google account and didn’t see an email link….sorry.
nice blog though!
KMKAT is right – when you do the math, you’ll need Carnegie Hall at least and the Garden at most, or Radio City… we’ll never all fit at FIT! Too bad it will still be pretty cold (not by Canadian standards of course) and possibly raining or you could pick an outdoor venue. And all the knitting for charity ideas are great – but that would need a massive organizing effort. All those who can’t come to NYC clearly want to send something. Perhaps to the Mayor’s office?! THAT would get some attention! And lastly I totally agree with the idea of reservations or tickets or something – otherwise you’ll have knitters camped out in the street the night before, like at the Yankees games (of course, publicity-wise, that wouldn’t hurt either. We can all bring lawn chairs, afghans, chocolate, wine, and of course our knitting.) We await your orders, Harlot!
The magnitude of this and the spirit of all of the people posting is incredible. You have ignited a wave of positive energy that can definitely be put toward a good cause. I’ve been telling my husband about you, Stephanie, and the incredible influence you’ve developed (a “knitting-books author”!) since I saw the crowd you drew at Third Place Books in Seattle, the amount of money raised so quickly for MSF, and the huge number of posts to this blog entry since Friday. I congratulate you and am glad to be connected to you and the knitting community in some small way. Enjoy NYC!
Speaking of doing the math, I’ve never seen over 700 comments on a blog posting before—that’s got to be some kind of record, eh? Yeehah and way to go, Yarn Harlot!
first of all, oh queen harlot. please pick a bright primary color for all the knitters in New York to wear and for all us supporters who can`t attend to wear in solidarity with our knitting sisters and brothers.
second…. please set up a fund for all NON-ATTENDEES to send XX dollars to doctors without borders so that we can show the world how much money can be collected from people who wanted to go, but couldn`t.
finally. get a time change chart for knitters around the world to be in tune with.
oh yes – I totally agree with jan from Nagasaki.
I´m living in Germany and know several other knitters who would just love to contribute somehow even if we cannot make it in person.
So PLEASE find some way to let us throw in our weight as well!!
Greetings
Birgit
Go to Oprah’s website. Find the part where you submit an idea for a show. Let her know she needs Steph!!
I LUV your idea…bu we can’t all make it to NY. Why don’t we make it an international thing-people could go to local coffee shops (yarn stores aren’t public enough, sadly) and KIP in massive amounts. Knitty in the City!
Oh Stephanie! What have you started? This makes the Knitting Olympics pale in comparison!! Wish I could go – – will continue to monitor the progress.
You go Girl!
Add me to the list of people that can’t make it to the event of the year! Ever heard of Australia? Long way away, populated perhaps a little sparsely with knitters compared to America but we do have awesome WARM weather, pavlova, Tim Tams and ME!
I love some of the suggestions made for being represented at this event and think that the knitted squares and donations to Doctors Without Borders are superb ideas. Count me in!
I’m in! And I’ll bring as many of my knitting posse as I can!
What a way to launch a book. Smart girl. Why not do a simul-cast on all 7 continents like Gore.
If we take a leaf from Bob Geldof’s book, can we get a big screen and broadcast live via satellite. They did for the Olympics and the Tennis. We have to do it for the book launch. I want to fly to New York but will have to settle for KIP in Sydney.
Oh my god, girl. What have you loosed upon the world?
I’m there! If the media can cover the NASCAR Championship event in Dec in NYC (which has a bazillion fans who don’t spend as much $$ as we fiberist do) they can come see what we can do and how much we impact the economy. I’m so fed up with the ‘grandma knitting’ attitude. I work and choose how I spend my money and the muggles need to feel the impact of us.
Nothing could stop me from being there. With my sock.
I think everyone who comes should try to calculate the annual sum they spend on knitting-related products (yarn, tools, books, magazines) and we should give that number to somebody with a laptop/PDA by the door, so that by the opening of the event the person with the laptop can tell the media the total sum of money this tiny chunk of our community represents.
Well, you got more than 720 comments so far. I am SURE you will have enough people showing up.
I might book a train down from Albany 🙂 Who’s in?
HEY – a fantastic idea. And on my birthday too!!! Wish I could be there to help celebrate. I’ll have to settle for vicarious knitting here in Ontario. Maybe someone could take some webcams…….
I’m in, BUT I want a ticket to assure I get in! I think more than 750 will show up. (And if I have to skip work & take a vacation day, I would really really like to know for sure that I will get a seat).
So in true Harlot Fashion, do you think you’ll have a brand new cardi-sweater knit up to wear for this shin-dig? There’s plenty of time, right?
I live way to close not to come so count me in, but is there a prize for the knitter who travels the furthest?
Can’t wait to see everyone, and really looking forward to the picture from the podium of ‘the sock’ looking out at all of the socks (or other projects) ‘looking’ back.
gwynivar
As I type this, there are 724 comments – that alone should tell the muggles. Don’t piss us off – we will unite and take over the universe.
I so wish I could come! I hope you have thousands!!! You should have vendors!
My Dad recently came to one of the shows where I was vending. All of a sudden, he asks me about my knitting, my business, and my art all the time. He finally understood. It didn’t hurt that I didn’t have time to even hardly say hello when he came because I was so busy!!! 🙂
They will learn then they will want to take over our businesses!
Good luck!! Come to the SouthEast as soon as possible.
Holly
Sorry for the second post.
I think you need to book Madison Square Garden.
Do everything Jan in Nagasaki said. And:
Launch on a Saturday, so more people can come. Book a bigger venue. Announce your official yarn crawl. The crowds will follow. And if everyone brought a preemie cap, or an afghan square, or socks for donation…oh the possibilities!!
I’m a 60+ who is just learning to knit – as in K2 P2 K2 P2 – with extra stitches showing up within 4 rows. Sigh. I have 2 daughters who have knitting addictions so I can only assume that this hobby skips a generation. My mother knit with a vengence.
The most important thing that I have learned to date is that you can’t drink wine and knit.
Will the YH be at the 2007 Book Expo in Toronto? I certainly hope so.
Timing and location (western Kansas) will keep me from New York but I’m in for almost anything to join in the spirit…Oprah, Letterman, simulcast, or even just a time frame to KIP. With this kind of response to the blog, there has to be a way to show knitting unity!!
Oh- I wish I could make it. I will be in tech week for a play.
We will ignore for a moment that my cash flow will not allow for a ticket from CA to NY- I will blame it on my job! Yeah . . . that is what I will do.
Is there a way we can be there in spirit?
Ok, so with 700+ responses, I doubt you’ll get the chance to read this. But, WOW!!! That will be SO awesome! I wish I could be there. Just amazing. I can’t wait to read all about it!
Can’t wait! I’ll definitely make it. My only concern is that the place may not be large enough. LOL.
Bugger! In the wrong hemisphere again. Any chance of a trip Downunder? Can someone take a sock/square/remnant of stash on my behalf (the lifesize cardboard cut out sounds like a good one but postage prohibitive and not sure there’s enough time)? There in spirit but I will knit on the day and look forward to seeing the pictures in our newspapers. Hope the place is big enough.
If I win the lottery between now and then I’ll be on a plane over…
Allowing the knitters from around the world to participate would be great, be it sending a square(12×12, 6×6 – whatever)a pair of socks or mitts or showing support in any way.
Have you heard about 200-meters long orange scarf,started by Ruslana,the Ukrainian singer,and then continued by people engaged in the Orange Revolution? Just a few stiches everyone in America (I’ve read that there are about 35 MILLION knitters in the USA alone) ,and you could wrap it around the Rockefeller Center with a huge bow in the middle of the skating rink:)
The idea with Oprah’s show also seems great:)
Stephanie, I can’t be there (I live in Israel) but I am with you in spirit. I have all your books and will be ordering your newest. Organize KNIT-IN WORLDWIDE…GO FOR IT! Toni
A pity that it is so far away from my place! When do you come over to Europe? Munich(!), Amsterdam, Paris, London, Kopenhagen, Oslo, Madrid, Rome, Vienna, Stockholm, Helsinki…have I already suggested Munich? Your books (and your blog) are very popular over here too!
YES, FINALLY. I will be there with bells on!!! Maybe we can meet in Central Park with our socks and break some kind of Guiness Book record – most people knitting socks in one venue – sort of thing. I can’t believe I am finally going to see you in person!!! I am so Psyched!!!
I really really really really really want to show solidarity in some way, but there’s just no way I can get to New York from London…maybe if I had more time to plan and to save for the trip…
But still. I want to do something…if you and that brain-box of yours can think of something that those of us who can’t make it can do to show we’re there in spirit then I will do it! It occured to me that maybe we should each knit a sock and send it to to you and you and all the hundreds of knitters in New York can string them all together and form a giant sock-chain spanning the wilds of North America from Coast to Coast, but I don’t really see that happening between now and March 22nd…but something would be nice!
I thought that maybe those of us who couldn’t come could make a donation to MSF, but also that might not be the best way to show the world how many of us there are as they ahven’t really been convinced by MSF so far, have they…hmm…I have no plans. It’s my feeble brain. Sorry. 🙁
Anyway…I’m 100% sure that you’ll get more than 750 knitters at that thing. Seriously. 750? That’s nothing! 🙂
My.. you’re but you’re getting pretty full of yourself these days… wasn’t there a quote i read somewhere about pride goeth before a fall? You couldn’t just mention the lack of space once or twice, or in general.. but you seem to be making great notes of how popular you are. Oh goody.
I used to enjoy your blog when you were real and about knitting.. not it’s about your own self promotion… as a great author with occassional moments to share yourself for a worthy promotion or charity…
Sorry.. I had to be the one to say it but I’m sure there are others thinking the same thing.. but hey, to each their own. Enjoy your fame.
Doctors Without Borders
Knitters Without Borders.
And now Ego Without Borders.
Wow.
I wasn’t going to post a comment but then I read the two above. “Girls,” as my mother always says, “if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.” Oh, and anonymous comments? Grow up!
I was so happy to read that you are coming to Denver that I visited Tattered Cover to ask how they were going to be seating for the event. They sometimes hand out tickets because of the size of the audience. When I asked when I could get a ticket I was told that they would only use tickets when they anticipated a large audience. I felt it was only fair to warn them. I don’t think they believed me.
I hope this makes you feel better about snotty authors… I was listening to a NPR interview with the Bridge to Terebitha author, and she said she gets asked when she’s going to write a real book from authors who write “adult” books. Please. The woman wrote some of the most influential books of my childhood, and they want her to write some novel that an adult will only read once! (I need an eyerolling, head shaking, sighing smiley right now!)
I’m so going to try to get a plane ticket to NY. VIVA LA REVOLUTION!
I wish I could be there. When are you coming to Belgium?
Any way there could be a sister event in Toronto on this day? As much as I’d live to go to NYC it isn’t really an option. I’d fully round up the troops for a Toronto event!
Sadly I can’t go, but will be there in spirit! Too bad the media never takes note of that.
If there’s is a list or something of would-be-here’s I’ll be glad to add on to it.
Habu Textiles is only a few blocks from FIT–maybe you can contact Takako there for ideas. She’s brilliant. Also contact all the US morning shows, they all originate in NYC, and all connect to the national evening news as well. If you do some kind of charity knitting event, the media would be interested. Also contact WNYC, the local public radio station. AM NewYork and METRO New York are free daily papers that would be a good place to get the word out to every human riding the NY subway. See you in NY!
YEAH!!! You are coming to Michigan again!
I have also been thinking a lot about this issue. My aunt of 90 just passed away, and she was a knitter her whole life. I was lucky enough to get her patterns, needles and assorted other fiber objects. Her notes were meticulous, and seeing the amount of what she produced over the years was amazing – from cabled afgans she made for herself and my cousings, to icelandic mittens, socks and to complicated intarsia sweaters she made in the 50’s when her kids were young. Seeing this spread out on the table, no one could look at this body of work and not be in awe of her talent as an artist, yet in my family it was never acknowledged as art – it was craft, and thus not as important as the “art” her sibling, a designer produced. I feel very lucky to be a part of that lineage, and to have to opportunity to give voice to the power and validity of it.
I left a comment last week, but when I checked on your site again this morning, I read it again, and it just made my blood boil all over again.
Steph,
Don’t let the naysayers get you! I’ve read a couple of comments that I know would upset you, and have only this to say to them…. GROW UP! Just because THEY aren’t doing this doesn’t make it an EGO thing. You are probably the least ego involved person I’ve ever met! Keep on keepin’ on, knowing that we absolutely appreciate all that you do for our world! Let Muggles and Naysayers beware! 🙂
I own a yarn shop. Recently non-knitting friends said, “When you’ve taken all the write-offs are you going to close the shop?” Then they laughed when I said I was thinking of expanding and asked why I would do that!
I can’t be there in NYC (I just started a new job and don’t have the time off yet), but, I WILL see you in Pittsburgh at the end of March.
I think that taking over NYC is a fantabulous idea, but, what about a gaggle of knitters overtaking each stop on the tour? Why stop at just NYC? Make it one big gathering of knitters the whole tour! 🙂
Steph,
I got an email from my friend in Ann Arbor this morning. Seems she was checking your web page and noted that you’re going to be there April 1st. April 1st is traditionally Hash Bash (the annual Marijuana protest). She believes that you’ll have more people at your event than show up for Hash Bash.
She’ll certainly be at yours…
Now I’m thinking “It’s only 600 miles.. and I could meet Stephanie AND visit with Roxanne.” I’ve certainly done 600 miles for less…
To those less-than-positively-helpful anonymous posters, I say this: trying to bring an art that many take seriously more into the awareness of the general public is not about an individual’s ego. As a performing musician, all I can say is, if you don’t invite people to a concert by advertising, you’ll play to an empty hall. If you don’t invite family and friends to your birthday party (which I’m sure you have done – shame on you for asking folks to come celebrate YOU, what a self-centered thing to do!) you’ll sit at home alone. Let he that is without sin among you cast the first stone – ever heard that one?? OK, I’m done. And rock on, Harlot!
Wow… You will definitely fill the FIT and probably need more chairs. Haha, just imagine the looks on their faces!
I notices that I did not see Florida as a stop on that list. May I suggest Orlando? I would love for you to come here.
Have a great day!!
I think the idea of a NYC yarn shop crawl is fantastic. I was recently in the city and did one of my own – based on stores you mentioned here in your blog. I was particularly excited about Purl, in Soho; where a sizable collection of Koigu was on display. (We can’t get it here in North Carolina.) Other favorites were The Yarn Connection, and Habu Textiles (which I never would have known about or found unless you’d mentioned going there to enjoy the yarn buffet.). Do it, do it!!!
Whoopee! I feel like a college student again (our own little “demonstration”)! I will be there.
I have had two cups of coffee thinking this over and was just going to let it slide …..apart from the fact that it embarrasses me that I have made four comments on this posts…….but I will come out and say it….
You there….anomynous person…….!
Who do you think you are ? I will tell you…….you are a coward.
It is really easy to criticize and then sign as anonymous….it is also spineless.
Haven’t you heard that it is one of the great priviledges and rights of the free world to speak ones mind and do so proudly.
What you did was cowardly and even though you exercised your right in expressing your opinion, it did not really count.
I am sorry for ranting, but I am tired of people who do not want to stand behind their opinions….
Angelika
A passionate knitter and German, who lives and works in Mexico, helping ( in a professional way ) to make the Democratic Process work….
I’ll be there. They’d better put the Garden on hold (or at least Javitz Center) just in case…
I wish I could be there. I think the number of comments on this post proves the point of the post perfectly.
I guess I am post #760 which is stunning in a good way and wondering if you’ll actually read all these or will go nuts first. Anyway I like your idea a lot and would certainly be there if I had the money. I wish I could be seen as supporting you on this in some other way that goes into a tally. Will you tally all the people who blogged saying they want to go but cannot? I think this is a good power to wield because by and large the knitting communitiy does far more good than harm and it needs to be a more visible presence in western societies. I happen to work for a company that collects and sells data about people (totally legitimately before people yell at me). Anyway we literally have thousands of bits of info on folks from what antacids you take to your spouse’s preferred hobbies. Knitting is in the list but only minimally. I tell you if we can research all the meds a person takes and all their other crap why not put knitting out there more? :>)
RE the April 4 appearance at the Yarnery in St. Paul. PLEASE verify where you will be actually speaking, as it certainly isn’t the Grand Ave address. The shop cannot contain any numbers much grater than you and the shop staff. Lovely shop, but definitely “cozy”.
Go girl go ..I want to see it on the news over here !
Re: how to make a statement in New York. You were partly there, with 700+ travelling socks posed in Central Park.
How about socks displayed à la Christo’s “The Gates”?
Or around “Imagine” in Strawberry Fields?
Love your post! Alas I cannot make it to NY for the grand kick off, but the SnB group that I knit with meets Thursday nights. So we will knit, loud and proud and raise a cup of coffee towards the east and smile as we think of NY swarming with knitters for the ocassion.
See you in St. Paul in April and ditto on the warnings that others have already posted re: the space capacity at the Yarnery.
I’m going to be in NYC on March 2nd. I won’t be able to make it! Can I send a digital picture of myself and you can pin me up on the wall?
Knitting stereotype is a pain. I used to get comments at work..that is until I fixed a paper jam in the copier with an old and trusty #2 aluminum needle. You would think that muggles would have more respect for people who carry around pointy objects.
I can’t make it to NYC, but we should try for some global action. We do need some global (or at least national) viewing action. With some very charitable afgan square action thrown in.
Do you think you could make it to the DC/Maryland/Virgina area ever. We would so love to host you!
Rock on knitters!
I can’t make it to NYC, but we should try for some global action. We do need some global (or at least national) viewing action. With some very charitable afgan square action thrown in.
Do you think you could make it to the DC/Maryland/Virgina area ever. We would so love to host you!
Rock on knitters!
Is there a national knitting day? If not this would be a great start to an annual event to rock the muggles right off their high horses!
I was curious about how many people would respond to your post. I knew it would be alot, but 767? And that’s just up to now. You are amazing! No one else I know could get this sort of response. I am seriously thinking about a quick trip to New York…
I think we should start “knit-ins” start showing up at major events with media and sit on the floor and knit. We will pay no attention to the muggles as if they are not even there, just knit. And let them see our numbers.
I think something that would fill the national mall in DC this summer would be a good idea!
Milly
Years ago, I experienced something quite similar, but almost opposite.
I worked at one of the big chain bookstores with their headquarters in NYC. They booked Peter, Paul and Mary into our store to do a signing for their new kids CD.
We warned them that PP&M regularly sell out the local extremely large open air theater that is “unselloutable” due to its massive lawn space. They said, “its a kids CD, don’t worry about it”, we said we’ll probably have well over 100 people, they said, you’ll be lucky if you have 50.
It continues like this, as we got more and more calls. We quickly realized that we might exceed 2-300 people they said we’d be lucky to get 25 . . . etc.
We ended up having to turn people away after we had exceeded the maximum people the store could hold physically (let alone legally). We had many hundreds, with about 150 pieces of total product (there was a Video tape and a CD).
The Store was wrecked, we didn’t have enough security and parking. It was certainly an “I told you so” that I never wanted to be right about.
Umm, what about Canada?? I think you should do one of these in TO!! then I could actually come too!
I third (since it was already seconded 🙂 ) that you should come to Cleveland! I see that you have a date open right between March 30 in Pittsburgh and April 1 in MI. As has already been pointed out, we are right between the two locations AND we have a beautiful Joseph Beth Booksellers on the east side of our city, as well as numerous lovely knit/yarn shops all over the city which are owned by very smart, hip people who understand exactly how many chairs they will need when the Yarn Harlot comes to town!! Now, I promise to do all I can to get to NYC on March 22 if you promise to try to fill that date (or any other on your tour) and visit us here in C-town!!
I can’t get to NY for the event and I know there are a lot of people who are in the same boat. I didn’t read all of the comments, but I don’t know if someone has suggested simulcasting yet or not? If the media is involved, maybe they could get their sister stations/papers to cover it. I know our local paper would have fun with it and would publish something on it. You could do big hubs like Chicago, Vegas, San Fran, Nashville, stuff like that so that no matter where you are, you may only be a few hours from a knitting block party of sorts. My two cents there :oP
Just so you know–I am booked from London, Ontario, and my best knitting buddy is booked from ZURICH, SWITZERLAND–that’s how awesome this will be. We have our tickets already!
See you there, indeed.
I wish I could afford to fly out from Seattle. I will definitely see you in Portland though! You rock!
I read about the 1000 knitter’s march at the Tsock Tsarina’s website. In an effort to spend time with my own kind I called a local Starbucks that was reported to host a knitting night. Phone conversation went along the lines of “I don’t know what night THEY appear” “THEY just show up and order coffee” “I don’t think that THEY are organized”. I love being a “they”. The best time was when I had jury duty and was told that “you people” (knitters) would give your needles to prisoners and they would escape. Which is the logic behind why knitting needles are confiscated when one of THEM enters the court house.
Wish I could join you – I’ll be there in spirit.
If this was on a weekend, you know I’d be there in a flash!
Of course, I’ll keep it in mind… It would be hypocritical of me to completely say no, seeing as I bought tickets this weekend to a concert in Norway in August….
Yesssss…..I like the designated color idea. Maybe totes/shirts/hats for the event from CafePress…with procedes to the designated charity. Then they REALLY would see us. Muggles have such bad eyesight/hindsight/foresight….
YEAH BABY!!!
Steph! Wait. I’m in Nashville, and I think our Meet-Up group would be willing to meet that night down here as a sort of satellite in the same spirit. I don’t think we’d get 750…but it might be press-release worthy if all over the country knitters did this…
I am probably causing you trouble with this idea though…
The anonymous posters envy your fame.
Baltimore? Do I hear a Baltimore leg? Can I? I don’t think I could make the NY one… Possibly the Philadelphia one… I did see that didn’t I?
I’ll just bide my time… one day…
Just like the comment on Gray’s Anatomy, about stitching up a wound is not really being a doctor, it is just like knitting a sweater.
I had to yell to the tv (yes, I know I’m not supposed to do that!), “Well smartypants, I can do both! Stitch up a wound AND knit a sweater!!!!
Honestly. Like doing something handmade is beneath the rest of the world.
Back to lurking
Ann in Annapolis
I think the Oprah idea would be great! Isn’t she all about the power of women? If there were charitable donations involved, I’m sure someone in her organization would especially take notice!
Represent this: Get as many people, attending or not, to bring/send in a piece of knitting for donation. Use a large space at the FIT, like a lobby or auditorium, and display all the items for donation, perhaps clothesline-fashion (so to speak) and maybe allow attendees to hang their own items. It would be good publicity for FIT as well as the knitters of the world. Not sure if there’s time to pull this off, but it might be worth a try.
I’ll think of you while you are there although I cannot be there – I will either be with baby or be in labor at that time. BTW – the muggle comments – love it!
If I weren’t stuck here in California, but were anywhere near the east coast, I’d be there for sure. Knitting my travel sock.
Knit on! 🙂
RE: Ann Arbor / Hash Bash.
Nothing to worry about on the first. Hash Bash is the first Saturday in April now on the Diag.
Though it would be fun to freak out the stoned muggles….
Oh…..I wish I could be there! (New job. In Providence, RI. ;-p)
But I will round up all my knitting pals in the City, and raise a glass from Not New York.
About Ann Arbor in your tour….say hello for me. If you have the time, go to Zingerman’s for lunch. It’s in Kerrytown, within walking distance of the library. Anyone at the library can point you in the right direction. Zingerman’s food is so good that New Yorkers go there. On purpose. (And it’s a deli.)
Joe is awesome. AWESOME. FIT sounds exciting!! And you get to go to Alaska… hopefully it will be warmer there when you go then it is in Toronto now.
I LOVE the idea of a yarn crawl. And you’ll solve your bar-won’t-host-a-knitting-event problem if you make it a yarn and pub crawl. Warning: March 22 has the potential to be yucky weather in NYC (I live in Manhattan) so a nighttime event in Central Park could be pretty uncomfortable (cold/muddy/rainy). No matter what, I’ll be there, though.
I love the enthusiasm! I recently learned to knit after being inspired by your blog and book. Hopefully I can make it to your California event.
NO WAY!!! victoria !!!! yyyYYYYAAAAYYYYYYYY!!!!
I wish i had the money to make it to New York tho
🙂
Man, I wish I could be there, but we’re saving to move out of state the month after. If it weren’t for that, I literally would give it a try, got family that lives 3 blocks away so wouldn’t even have to worry about lodging. With y’all in spirit!
NO WAY!!! victoria !!!! yyyYYYYAAAAYYYYYYYY!!!!
I wish i had the money to make it to New York tho
🙂
God! Wish I would have been MORE ALERT, b/c I would have there at Doylestown. Ten chairs?
What kind of stand-in could be developed for all of us far from NYC who wish, wish, wish we could be there? Maybe each of us who wants to, but can’t make it could mail you a ball of yarn as our “proxy” Line up a few thousand balls of yarn on the stage to show them our true numbers across the globe? I have some hideous red acrylic I’d be happy to send as my stand-in.
What about a stop a the martha show?
Just counting the fiber art books in my immediate area I see that I have spent more than enough money to pay for a trip to NYC for a week! I WILL be seeing you in Portland in June.I hope the anonymous posts don’t make your hair explode.
It is difficult for the world to understand fiber passion. For several years I traveled to needlework conventions and heard stories of how the hotel/resort industry just didn’t understand when 700 needleartists signed up to come to a hotel 95% would show! Not the usual 50-60% of most conventions. Fiber passionista’s are very involved in what they do and are very social and sharing. We want to be together and we find a way for that to happen, whether it is via the Internet, in coffee shops, at book signings or hanging in the park. We’re there in droves.
Anyway, you have brought us together in a very public way and you help to spread the word to the muggle world faster than anyone else could. You are our ambassador to the world at large and can help us all bridge the divide. World dominations thrives.
Reading “Anonymous’s” derogatory comments above actually made me chuckle. I can think of no better illustration of how knitting got to be regarded as trivial and inconsequential than reading those comments. Often we view women who are assertive and risk-takers as being egotistical–they intimidate us. We think they have stepped out of their “place.”
Accusing The Harlot of having an “ego without borders” is comical. She is an author, she works hard, she has found the pulse of what makes us all enjoy this craft so much and she writes about it–she has touched us all with her wit and humor. I doubt she’ll be making a fortune in this pursuit–but if she does, good for her. I know this: she’s not doing it solely for the money–she’s writing the blog (for free, I might add, and yes, it is always about knitting!) and her books because she loves what she does. I can think of nothing better than giving her the support she deserves. By doing so, yes it will spread her name, but we will be elevating our craft and thus, helping us all.
Sorry to write this like you’re not in the room, Stephanie, ‘cuz I know you’re reading it… and I AM signing my name.) MaryB
I’d like to put in a third (at least. Hard to read > 800 comments) vote for an Orlando stop. It’s a good cross-roads spot, and I’d bet you get people from as far away as Gainesville, Jacsonville, Tampa and Ft. Pierce (at least) (that would be the 2-hour-drive radius).
To Anonymous and A Former Reader (who are perhaps the same person who thought he/she had come up with a clever put-down):
If you bothered to read through the comments posted within, you would have seen NOT ONE OTHER person who read this blog and got the sense that Stephanie’s frustration was a result of her massive ego. Her concern was for the knitters who show up for these events and cannot be accommodated because the muggles condescendingly refuse to believe that anyone who writes about knitting could draw more than a few old ladies. If anything, her final comments about the fear of having to play to an empty auditorium display her lack of ego. No one of the nearly thousand people now responding to this blog had any doubt that she will fill it.
That said, concerning making squares vs. hats/mittens/scarves, etc.:
1) Given the amount of people who want to send things,
2) given the short period of time, and
3) given the lack of venue to stitch together the probable thousands of squares that would be generated by this knitting movement
I would suggest that making something complete that could be donated to some of the many local charities and given out directly might be easier to manage than piecing together squares to make afgans.
I am in New York City and I am absolutely excited to be able to go to this event.
And to throw another 2 cents in…there are 50 million knitters in North America (according to USA Today). According to Wikipedia, there are about 515 million people in North America. So…9.7% of North Americans are knitters. If we assume that that number is constant across borders (which I’m sure it isn’t, but let’s just run with it), that’s over 28 million knitters in the U.S. alone. In 2005, 2.23 million Americans got married. 4.12 million American babies were born. Heck, those numbers barely signify when you compare them to the knitting population! And yet we get short shrift. *sigh*
I got a bit behind and just read Feb 12th’s blog. I am a Canadian trapped in North Dakota. To be fair the weather is really not that different. It got to 30 degrees here today and everyone was contemplating shorts and t-shirts! But I saw the link about buttertarts and almost hated all of you for being able to just stop and get some! I have been here for 20 years and never found them. They are such a pain to make. I will be at the Yarnery in St. Paul on april 4th, you can have anything that you want but for the love of all things Canadian pick up a dozen before you cross the border and bring them with you!!!! Can’t wait to read the new book!
I’ll be here in Melbourne barrackin’ for you guys…sock it to em..hehe
LOVE…LOVE…LOVE that you are heading West, young woman! Looking forward to seeing you in Victoria! And be forewarned, there’s a microbrewery (or three) in town 🙂
I majored in Ceramics at Lewis and Clark College, and graduated with a 3.9. To this day when I tell people they say “you majored in CLAY?” Like it is a big joke, like I may as well not have even gone to a prestigious college. I have met only a handful of people who understand ceramics as a fine art and not a tacky craft. And to make matters ‘worse’, now I am a ceramicist who knits, right?
yeah, I have 2 degrees in violin, have been earning a living as a musician for over 20 years, and I still get asked what my real job is. The upside of that it, I guess, that I’m so used to it I am inured against people being surprised by the KIP thing….
Wow, 810 posts! So many knitters can’t be all wrong!
Stephanie, you are one smart cookie, go to it!
I’m taking a day off from work and making my husband take off too! (He doesn’t knit, but he’s the only way I’ll be able to find anything in the city.) Yay!
Blast! If there were anyway possible for me to get to NYC that night, I would, but alas, I’m just a little too far to make it.
I think Pittsburgh is a much better location for this. . . just sayin’. . .
I promise to do my absolute best to be there with yarn, pointy sticks, and an equally pointy attitude.
I’ll go for a central Florida, north east would better but can do Orlando.
How I wish I could be there! (Maybe in another life, with fewer kids . . . or just later in life. ;o) Considering the INCREDIBLE population density in New England, and the proximity to Eastern Canada, I have a feeling, O Yarn Harlot, that you will be overwhelmed at the attendance. Just to reassure you, how about a post for people to comment on who are definitely going to the launch? Or a Frappr Map? Now that would be cool . . . for that matter, someone could make a Frappr map for all of us to post on, to give you some idea of how many lurkers there are out there. :o)
I can’t wait to see the pictures. This is going to be awe-inspiring.
jeez, do you actual read every one of these? you are adored, my dear.
i guess you are getting too popular to come give a talk at knit wits (a lovely little knitters guild run out of the anna templeton centre in sin jawns).
that would be lke getting bono here! nar chance! although you should consider it. hold off until the snow goes, there’s a bitter blizzard raging out there now.
if you head this way, i, a muggle, will knit some socks for the occassion.
How in blazes do you find time to read all of your comments? There are at least 122 “page down” keystrokes on my monitor–and I’ve got a pretty sizable screen. . . .
Just one more comment today. People will always have negative things to say about anyone who is sucessful. And on your blog you ARE pround of yourself. But I read the blog everyday and I not only see a sucessful author but a sucessful mother, wife and friend. Someone who gives to a community of people. You should be proud! We live in a country of free speech but I certainly hope that reading the “speech” doesn’t get you down. I wonder if this person has people that care about them this much? Keep on plugging away and doing the work that you do so well!
I am getting shameless….my 5th post on this subject…..
Just a comment to Liz about the sheer numbers of knitters in North America comment……
I hope that America Today counted Mexico into that….it is after all a part of North America and not of Central America as so my from ” up North ” assume.
Of course it would really screw up the numbers: more then 120 million Mexicans and maybe a handful of knitters……if that.
But I would like to be counted , please…..especially since several yarnplaces ignore me and have told me that they did not mail yarn to Mexico, because they only mail within Continental North America and Hawaii……go figure….
Sweet dreams all….
Angelika
Mexico City
Just a thought, what if we as knitters, were to all send a knit item, to New York, that could be shipped to our troops overseas. All of our countries, USA, Canada, Britain, Australia, (to name a few), have men and women that would love to receive a hat, scarf, blanket, socks ect. That way, every one would have time to do something, and could knit at their own level, and speed. If all 800 people on this blog did that, plus passed it on to at least 2 knitting friends, that would be amazing.
And of course, we all order our dear Harlots book on the same day too!!
If Angelika can post 5 times,I dare to post my second comment:
Wikipedia gives the number of over 12million(and rising) of knitters under 35.
So,Mexico is NOT a continental part of North America? Well, if they can see it that way,they can freely disregard any amount of knitters in the part they DO consider continental. No problem.
We need to do this in London at a similar time (blast. That would be about midnight).
Stuff it. We need a mass gathering in London at a similar sort of time. Am pointing the Cast Off people in your direction.
xxx
I’m delurking because I would like to second Jane in London’s call for a London event on the day, if not at the same time. I am a solitary knitter (I haven’t got up the courage to go to an S’n’B yet) but I would totally be there!
In answer to Elizabeth’s comment about economic clout, could everyone at the various events perhaps write down the amount of money they had spent on the project they are working on (needles, yarn, markers, project bag perhaps) and then add that all up and post it on the blog after? Just a thought. I mean, even if the project was just a pair of socks, you are probably looking at $10, right? Of course, for us UK-ers it would be more like $15!
I’m waiting for a gig in Virginia, DC, Southern Maryland or even Northern North Carolina.
Have you considered a tele-conference? We do them at work all the time. Saves travel costs for training and meetings. We have this wild set up in our conference room with cameras and a speaker phone. I think the big boss watches all of us with a bank of tv screens and we all get to watch him and a few of the other bigger offices. I’m not tech savvy, but it seems like there is a way to do this with a web broadcast.
Any chance the tour will include Newfoundland?
I plan on being there – however, I have a slight concern: Before I purchase a non-refundable airline ticket and reserve a hotel room, it would be nice to know if I will actually be able to get in.
So, here is my suggestion (maybe it’s already been mentioned?? I just haven’t had time to read the 800+ comments):
Why don’t you offer them for a donation? Say, minimum $10 — and the money goes to Knitters w/o Borders or a NYC charity. That means, if 750 show up, you’ve got $7500 (at least) that would go to a cause — how many book launches provide that much to a charity? I’d even be willing to pay more.
Maybe the folks are XRX (Knitters Magazine/Stitches events) could handle the ticket logistics (i.e., internet commerce, processing and distribution of tickets) — they’ve got experience in doing such things for their events.
I would guess that there are folks like me who want to go, are willing to take some (unpaid) time off of work, shell out some cash to be there. But I want to make sure that those efforts actually will allow me to worship at the feet of the great Yarn Harlot.
On another subject, I’d loke to communicate with Jayme-the-wonder-publicist about getting Ms. Harlot to Cleveland.
Sometimes uninformed muggles are a good thing. The Fire Marshall of Ada, Michigan would have called a halt to the 50% off all yarn sale at the Clever Ewe on January 27 had he known that it was so packed it took 3 hours to check out! Best three hours I ever spent (pun intended).
Sometimes uninformed muggles are a good thing. The Fire Marshall of Ada, Michigan would have called a halt to the 50% off all yarn sale at the Clever Ewe on January 27 had he known that it was so packed it took 3 hours to check out! Best three hours I ever spent (pun intended).
Good god, I think I am something like the 831st commenter. I don’t think you have to worry about filling that auditorium.
But in any event, I’ll be there with bells on. Possibly even with some non-blog-reading knitters in tow.
I have the vacation time and would love to participate. NYC is only 2 hours away. Need details though… and perhaps I can drag a few of knitterly friends with me. The recruiting effort is underway!
I went to Borders to order your new book, and the woman at the counter, who doesn’t read you, and doesn’t knit, immediately recognized your name because they have more then 20 advance orders for your new book already, and this was 2 weeks ago. She said she was going to read it because of the orders!
You go girl!
Cathy
I have the vacation time and would love to participate. NYC is only 2 hours away. Need details though… and perhaps I can drag a few of knitterly friends with me. The recruiting effort is underway!
Here’s what my coworker wrote in graciously agreeing to sub for me that day so I can take the train down from Poughkeepsie:
I really hope the headlines that day are, “NEW YORK CITY, FILTHY WITH…..KNITTERS?”
Yes, indeed, NYC was overrun today by hoards of resolute knitters. Determined to no longer be taken lightly, roughly one gajillion angry needle clickers took to the streets, yarn raised in tight fists over their heads. The usual urban cacophony of car horns, stolen-watch hawkers and desperate cries for cabs was lost in the tumult of their shout: “We’re here! We knit! Get used to it!”
CLEVELAND, OH – Do you have some time to squeeze a visit to Cleveland? I hope so! We’d love to have you!
re. having your business taken seriously
If you don’t already, I think you need to start sending a package to prospective hosts, explicitly outlining your requirements for holding a book signing.
Document your past readings/signings/knit-ins for your last tour: numbers, sales that night, facilities. Outline how underestimating your ‘pulling power’ has hurt those shops that misjudged you.
As for the fine sock-club folks; I really, really hope they documented this astonishingly bad business decision of the bank, and sent Annoyed Letters To People In Management, not to mention to the local and national paper.
I think a lot of papers would jump at a story about a ‘womens business’ undermined because bankers don’t knit, or don’t think knitting is a valuable craft industry.
How about pulling together some stats, comparing yarn shops to other specialist craft shops (boatbuilding, remote-controlled aircraft, model trains, board games, miniatures)?
Find out what their turnover is like, and see if they had trouble getting bank support.
In all seriousness: craft and hobbies is a huge market, for men and women both. A bank that isn’t willing to deal with a small business needs some eye-opening.
Wish I could knit-in with you – it’ll have to keep until you start your European tour, starting with London. You’re welcome at my flat!
E. Brown
former Torontonian, now abroad
I agree with a world wide event. I’m also on Spring Break, however I’ll be stuck in Oklahoma that day. I’m saving my money for Maryland Sheep and Wool. However, I would be up to doing something towards a cause.
I agree with a world wide event. I’m also on Spring Break, however I’ll be stuck in Oklahoma that day. I’m saving my money for Maryland Sheep and Wool. However, I would be up to doing something towards a cause.
thank you for this post! i never post usually but just had too. i really think this doesn’t just apply to knitters but any crafters out there. people just don’t believe that a) it’s serious and b) there’s alot more people out there like us than you think!! woo! i hope i can come to this, being an nyc’er. and you’ll fill that auditorium! if i’ve learned one thing about nyc. no matter WHAT it is, people will come to it…alot of people! the only thing preventing me from coming is…an actual crafting conflict (woodblock printing). ha!
Please please please…..I hope your CA stop is here in the lovely San Francisco bay area, we have several fabulous yarn shops and it would be great to meet you–love your books and your blog!
Put the event on my MySpace Calendar now.. I run the Knitting Circle at the Rodeo Bar, Upstairs, 27th and 3rd Ave, NYC on Sundays..
We’ll be there! Heheheee!
I hate to be a wet blanket (even a knitted one) but 750 people in New York City is, like, the number of people who work on the top three floors of my son’s office building–a proverbial drop in the bucket. Far more impressive is the third of a million dollars raised for drs. without borders. Still, I wish we could fill the Javits Center . . . .
I would so be there, if I didn’t have to save for my trip to Scotland, where I will be on the hunt for kick butt yarn from the ancestral homeland! what a GREAT idea!!! man, I wish I could win the 649 and go…..grrrrrr…..
I was just reading some of the comments, and I am so in agreement with Toni K. If everyone who can’t make it donates 1 knitted item like a hat, scarf or gloves for the homeless than it could really show the muggles all the moola they are losing by being condesending idiots!
I think we conscientious knitters have to be careful in how we use the word ” Muggles ” ( non-knitters, I assume borrowed from Harry Potter ).
Not all ” non-knitters ” are ignorant and condecending towards our craft and us knitters.
If we use the word Muggles to generalize in regard to the non-knitting public in a condecending way, we are indeed no better then those we accuse of being unaware, generalizing and ignorant of our craft and the buying power we represent.
I think we always need to be just a little bit kinder, more intelligent, funnier, co-operative and accessible then they are…..luckily our Harlot is a good example to follow…..
Angeelika
Mexico City
Please please please…..I hope your CA stop is here in the lovely San Francisco bay area, we have several fabulous yarn shops and it would be great to meet you–love your books and your blog!
I wish I could go! I highlighted this post at my knitting forum (click on my name on this comment)so anyone who is near New York might be able to see it.
Here’s one way to give the muggles a whack-on-the-head measure of the economic impact of knitting: Ask each member of your launch audience to write down an estimate of the total amount she/he has invested in yarn, needles, notions, bags, lessons, workshops, books, magazines, trips to fiber festivals, etc., etc. in the past year. Collect the estimates at the door, and have a handful of number-crunching volunteers right there with calculators, so you can announce the estimated total during the event. With an audience of 750, I’m guessing you’ll be well over a million dollars (US).
This post makes 850, so far…
You know… there are muggles which know that there’s…something… going on, and then there are muggles that think that anything they don’t like/get/interested in is not worth liking/getting/being interested in… Those are the ones that can’t see past the end of their meager little lives.
Of course, they are also the ones that don’t understand why Santa doesn’t stop at their house, and why these few knitters (HA!) would donate to Knitters without boarders, regardless of the total.
This reminds me of the “Nurse In’s” when the passenger was kicked off of the plane for nursing her baby, and breastfeeders everywhere went to local airports.
We need to schedule a “knit-in” day, and everyone… we’ll get multiple blogs… will sit in public and knit all day long… whether at a restaurant, or on thier way to work, or wherever our daily lives take us, we’ll knit!
I’d really love to come. Really. I’ve enjoyed your books. I’m glad I found knitting. I’ve spent a LOT of money this year on this endeavor. Just not sure I can swing another $300 – 500 on a jaunt to NYC. Still crunching the numbers… we’ll see.
Angeelika, a non-knitter who “gets” knitting is just a non-knitter. Muggles are people who do not knit and who are also very, very dense and who mock our craft. You know how when Carlos Mecia talks about “dee-dee-dee” people? He is NOT mocking mentally handicapped people. He is mocking people who actively DECIDE TO BE STUPID.
Like my granny used to say, “An ignorant person doesn’t know. A stupid person doesn’t want to.”
Seriously, I hope Stephanie gets a crowd far, far larger than will be accommodated by FIT. Get the crowd out on the street, wrapping around the block, meandering down the avenue like a broadway opening. That’ll show ’em.
For the folks who are saying unkind things about Stephanie, I truly believe she is angry that KNITTING and KNITTERS are getting short shrift, NOT that she isn’t in the spotlight — as if she needs to worry about that. She does actually care if there are enough seats for those who attend the event.
This isn’t about Steph’s “ego.” It’s about knitting and knitters getting the proverbial and condescending “pat on the head” from those who consider knitting un-cool, un-sexy, un-hip, un-edgy, un-art. It is sexist (knitting is dominantly a women’s craft) and age-ist — the muggles’ concept of knitting as “un-cool” or “un-sexy” is linked to its presumption to be a craft of elderly women, and therefore not worth consideration, which is horribly AGE-ist, and therefore just as bad as sexist or any other class prejudice.
Problem is, the North American media is enamoured at present with what I call “Stripper Culture.” Is it shiny? Is it fake? Is it made of silicone? Does it flash its genitalia whilst exiting a taxi? Does it look trashy? No? Then it’s not worth the media’s attention.
I love the idea of leaving items on parking meters and low-hanging tree limbs with tags reading “FIT 3/22.” Add to the tag: “take me if you are homeless.” Use a ribbon to tie the item to the meter or tree so it can be undone without damaging the item. The item should be a one-size-fits-many stocking hat, so the homeless can help themselves to a nice warm hat. That way the knitting statement is made, and nobody has to go collect up the promotional stuff after the event, and no one needs to assemble or ship things (as with aseembling afghans).
Oh. My. God.
I wonder if the hubby would be okay with NYC and a yarn event for our first wedding anniversary… 😉
I am so there! A mere two hours on the train to shock the cr*p out of some muggles – oooo that sounds like SO much fun!!
If it were a fortnight later I’d be there, and I live in *London*!
Hi Steph,
Wonderful idea about the book launch! I wish i could go, alas I’m already giving up arms legs and kidney’s to pay for college at the moment (better that then my Yarn stash)
Any chance that you might have a live podcast of the event? (By live I mean recored it as is and post it soon (however long “soon” is to you 🙂 after?) Two of the biggest Harry Potter fan sites have done this before (in New York) to great success (talk about people who understand muggles!)
But if not please be sure to take lots of pictures of the shocked faces of the muggles when they see the huge lines of Knitters! 🙂
hummmmm……
i live in virginia, but ill try to swing it.
You’re coming to Denver! I’m so excited! And it’s the day after my PhD dissertation is due, so I can actually make it. My mom was thrilled to hear that you were coming to Anchorage (I’m an Alaska transplant), but totally depressed that she would be out of town for work that day. Now, she can come for my dissertation and your visit to Denver.
(P.S. This comment was edited to remove several exclamation points to try to up its maturity level, but I had to leave in a few.)
I rarely post, but always read, but this time I am so greatly offended and hurt on your behalf by the anonymous post about your ego. Don’t listen, as I’m sure many have already said. You have given us a voice, a voice that we need and love. You are a remarkable woman and your “ideas” know no boundaries eg. knitters without borders is truly remarkable, as was the knitting olympics. Don’t let anyone tell you differently!! Keep doing what you are doing, we love it all!
I was in Doylestown that day and it was ridiculous the amount of space that was given to you. I was so horrified by the Blue Moon caper, that I put myself on their sock of the month list, thinking that I would never get in, I just wanted to give support and lo and behold I’m in.
Yesterday I was in the Dr’s waiting room knitting, waiting my turn and the young man beside me asked me what I was knitting, and then told me that a family member had knit. His knitter had passed away 4 years ago, but I could see the memories flooding his face of his knitter as he watched me knit. A muggle with some knitting knowledge that was touched however small by my knitting and reminded of someone wonderful in his life. Just keep on Stephanie, just keep on!!!
Tricia
Even though all of the positive comments that have been coming out of this discussion need to be emphasized, I have to go back to the one about having a limitless ego.
What in the world is wrong with a healthy ego? Mountains get moved by nothing less. As the guy I caught on NPR yesterday said, you don’t get what you want in life unless you BELIEVE.
Celebrate the possibilites.
Can you recommend a cheap but safe hotel for the night?
*delurks for the very first time*
for a flitting second, i actually considered spending money on a plane ticket to fly to NY just to be a part of this.
of course, you have to understand that i’m from asia and a plane ticket would cost me over US$1000 (aka a lot of yarn). sigh…
i’ll be there in spirit.
*back to lurksville*
I’m just commenting in the hopes that the post will reach 900 comments!
I can’t wait to see how this event turns out. I’ll be too far away to attend.
Coming from my side….
I was a yarn store owner that was promised that you would appear at my shop on a specific date (by your “wonderful publicist) and I bought tons of books for the occassion. Lo and behold when I wrote to your “wonderful publicist” about not seeing my shop on your calendar (even though I had spoken to her on the phone a month ahead) I was told you were just stopping by to say “hi” and you weren’t doing a book signing or giving a talk (and I had planned on more than 10 chairs)
Your publisher on the other hand renewed my faith in people when she talked to me on the phone and told me that I wasn’t nuts and took back the books that I had ordered.
I think that perhaps you have let this all get to your head. Would you rather that shop owners stopped having you if they have 10 chairs? What happened to you?
Please come to Britain, we’ll make you lots of cups of tea and feed you cake.
Hi Stephanie!
I rarely drop out of lurkdom, but the first thing I thought of when I read your post is “HELLO, KNITTING OLYMPICS!!” And you bet I will be there too with the rest of the folks in New England!
=:8
I just sent an e-mail to your Pittsburgh venue. If all who are planning to attend could do this, maybe there will be enough seats for everyone? I know I’m way down the comments, but it seemed like too good an idea to keep to myself.
Might I suggest that the measly 2.5 acres of Strawberry Fields (usually pretty crowded anyway) will not be enough room for the planned assembly?
What about http://www.centralparknyc.org/virtualpark/thegreatlawn/greatlawn or http://www.centralparknyc.org/virtualpark/southend/themall ?
Great job.
Cannot get to NY on March 22.
Love the idea of sending a hat and/or scarf and/or gloves to be donated to a local charity (there are many).
I vote for a Cleveland function, we are not that far from your home and we have many wonderful places that could easily accomodate the faithful knitters.
p.s.to the store owner that was disappointed, it is clear that the issues that arose were addressed, so put a sock in it.
Knitters don’t drink? *snerk*
If I could make it halfway across the country I would, but in liu of that all I have to offer is mental support. My town is small (Fort Collins, CO), but has something like four yarn stores (including Lambspun of a certain knitting-related-mystery-series fame that I haven’t actually read because I’m a bad Fort Collins knitting community member) and seems to have some sort of idea as to how many knitters are around. Maybe.
An event like this would sure be fun, though.
Can’t wait to see you next month, if I can even get close to you with all the knitters suurounding you. I do like the idea of leaving handknit items around New York City with the FIT 3/22 tag attached. I would suggest that FIT coordinates with the NYPD to have sufficient security and traffic personnel around to handle the crowd. Somehow, I think that NY’s Finest would have a hard time believing that so many knitters could assemble in one place. Let me know if I can help with permits and I will make some phone calls…
Can’t wait to see you next month, if I can even get close to you with all the knitters suurounding you. I do like the idea of leaving handknit items around New York City with the FIT 3/22 tag attached. I would suggest that FIT coordinates with the NYPD to have sufficient security and traffic personnel around to handle the crowd. Somehow, I think that NY’s Finest would have a hard time believing that so many knitters could assemble in one place. Let me know if I can help with permits and I will make some phone calls…
Suggestions:
1. Set up some kind of sign up for volunteers. I work in NYC and would love to help out somehow (maybe that would guarantee me a spot!)
2. Organize some kind of meetup board – believe it or not, I don’t know one other NY knitter in real life. I’d love to hook up with someone random and go together!
wow! sounds like an awesome idea! i’m about 100 miles north of NYC and i’ll have to see if i can make it!
can you do something for the younger knitters? b/c i’m in my 20s and i get crapped on almost daily by people of all ages for having such a “weird” hobby… everyone keeps telling me “you’re too young to be knitting” grrrrrr! makes me want to poke them!
i run a local knitting group and i’ve only found one coffee place that can believe that there are a lot of knitters in the area.. but then they are a block away from an LYS and one of the owners is a knitter.
good on you for the idea and i hope to see you there!
It’s a do-able drive from Washington, D.C. I’d love to try and make it a long weekend with a group of knitters. Honestly though, aren’t you concerned that 750 might be too low? I haven’t even attempted to read any of the comments but I’m sure this points been made – if knitters blew away the Doctors Without Borders pot I’m convinced you’re going to need either a second venue or a second appearance!
Ahh, I work uptown from FIT! I think I will get on line as soon as I leave work at 4 to make sure I get in, because I know that it will be standing room only! How about everyone who comes gives something for Doctors Without Borders? The power of knitters is not to be sneezed at.
I live in Central Jersey – I will be there!!
I had already posted on this thread but wanted to comment on ‘the ego posts’.
One of the reasons I love Stephanie’s blog is because it is about a _real_ knitter living a _real_ life. The ups and downs of the Harlot’s life are shared and it is a sharing between equals. There is no ego involved. Through the blog I see pride in what she has achieved, both from her and from her family (reading between the lines 🙂 ). That pride is absolutely justified. To be a best selling author in _any_ genre is impressive and worthy of both respect from others and pride in oneself. But I am pretty sure Stephanie (and her ego *g*) would fit through my doors still, should she ever come to New Zealand.
In any case this post was not about ‘self’ – it was about the lack of respect with which people treat knitters as a group.
EnnaVic
Yippee! In MY neck of the woods… I recommend you try for Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show. He LOVES authors — and his audience is young — all the better to spread knitting…
Totally off-topic, but I just finished my first ever pair of socks. They are my sixth knitted project, and there is no chance I would have ever knitted socks, except that Knitting Rules! was my first and only knitting book purchase. Your missionary style is effective and enjoyable. I loved your pattern, because it explained to me why each step was required. It was very easy to alter. I had almost given up on knitting; I felt like I wasn’t going anywhere. But you introduced me to an entire subculture, just bubbling under the surface. Knitters are invisible to muggles. Now I see them everywhere. There’s no way I’ll make it to NYC, but Vickie Howell is coming to Phoenix, and the only thing I want to ask her is, “When are you airing Her Royal Harlotness?”
Nobody would second guess trekkies, ah Star Trek enthusiasts, on their numbers. Rock stars have fans (groupies) so do authors. Why not an author that writes bestselling knitting books? Hey, do you want some groupies? I know where I can find some for you.
I love that you’re coming to St. Paul in April. That’s twice in this area in about a year. You were in Eau Claire last year. I’m going to see if I can get a bus trip together.
of course we get doubted, ahhh well well show them, I’m in and I’m bringing all the knitters I can get my Hands on…..I’ll post up a few flyers around the craft and yarn shops in my area for you.
ooooh come to New England, please!! New Hampshire, Vermont, northern Connecticut, Massachusetts, southern Maine, just pick a state and I’ll be there (with at least 5 other knitters, and probably non-knitter friends who support and try to understand us). And if you can’t fit us in, do another book tour!
ooooh come to New England, please!! New Hampshire, Vermont, northern Connecticut, Massachusetts, southern Maine, just pick a state and I’ll be there (with at least 5 other knitters, and probably non-knitter friends who support and try to understand us). And if you can’t fit us in, do another book tour!
ooooh come to New England, please!! New Hampshire, Vermont, northern Connecticut, Massachusetts, southern Maine, just pick a state and I’ll be there (with at least 5 other knitters, and probably non-knitter friends who support and try to understand us). And if you can’t fit us in, do another book tour!
YEAH! I LIVE IN GIRDWOOD (30 MILES SOUTH OF ANCHORAGE) I AM SOOOOOOO EXCITED! I will buy you a beer at the Bear tooth after Title Wave. How long will you be up here? Are you brining the fam? If so, check out alaksawildland.com I can help you arrange an awesome trip! I have a sticker on my car “northern knitters do it to keep warm”
Glenda
i love it: the million yarn march! how funny cuz i am coming down on the train to nyc for the radical knitting show at mad museum along with a slew of other knitters. we are taking amtrak and knitting the whole way down. BUT, we’re leaving on the 23rd. you can be sure we’ll be representing all the way! woo-hoo!
Wednesday’s Fargo (ND) Forum had an article about our LYS (Yarn Renaissance). The best part? It was a business article! Read it here – http://www.in-forum.com/Business/articles/157251
I’ll be there. I just hope there’s room!
March 22nd…can’t think of a better way to celebrate my 54th birthday!
I’ve decided I’ll be there. Let’s storm the city!
I can’t come, but I will TOTALLY be sending a hat or whatever it is that we should knit to represent. Just the other day, a “friend” made fun of me for knitting for three straight hours- I finished one of eight squares for a bag I’m working on. “A square? Three hours? What a waste of time.” This’ll show him!
P.S. Please come to Winnipeg! I know it’s the middle of nowhere…but there are knitters here!
Given that people are talking here about giving to a charity, I would like to suggest Sue Rock Originals (http://www.suerockoriginals.blogspot.com/). Sue comes to my local knitting group (http://www.boozeandyarn.com, where I highly suggest you guys go on Wednesday night if you come into town a day early) and she works incredibly hard to make knitted items available to women and children living in shelters as a result of domestic violence. I can’t think of any charity more appropriate or worthy!
Wow. I just moved to the NYC area but I can’t swing a week-night anything. And I’m a tad bit of a crowd a phobe.
Thanks for writing about irony the next day because hon, I’m Alaskan born and raised and you’re NOT going to fit into Title Wave Books.
I have the opposite solution. Come to Australia! You will probably only need 20 chairs at your book signing, but I promise they’ll be filled with the nicest knitterly people. In this country, all those muggles would be right, just as frustrating to the really passionate knitter (no yarn shops, entire ranges of 100% acrylic catsick in the craft chains, open derision when knitting in public), a tiny voice in an ocean of muggles. And you’re guaranteed a relaxing holiday.
I have the opposite solution. Come to Australia! You will probably only need 20 chairs at your book signing, but I promise they’ll be filled with the nicest knitterly people. In this country, all those muggles would be right, just as frustrating to the really passionate knitter (no yarn shops, entire ranges of 100% acrylic catsick in the craft chains, open derision when knitting in public), a tiny voice in an ocean of muggles. And you’re guaranteed a relaxing holiday.
Please come back to St. Louis. I think we have them cowed into submission now…
Or maybe Myers House will let us have an outdoor event under the pine trees. Skip the library people and Left Bank Books people altogether. We need a fiber festival in this town; no reason why we couldn’t make a whole day of it.
Considering I’m now in Butt-end-of-nowhere, AR at the moment, NYC is a bit out. However, should your publicist be really brilliant and bring you back to Memphis, TN, I can personally promise you a startling number of brilliant, enthusiastic, photogenic and all around fabulous knitters from at least 4 states. Also, I would bring you cookies. Or, you know, chocolate and red wine. Whichever.
You should see me when I talk about going to my stitch and bitch here in New Zealand. I thought they freaking *invented* knitting down here but in reality, they don’t know what the hell is going on with the rest of the world. There is not ONE decent knitting shop in the WHOLE COUNTRY. WTF? Everytime I think of opening a store they all look at me like I have 2 heads.
Since I’m on the other side of the pond, I’ll be there in spirit if not in the flesh! Great idea, you go girl!
And please, please, come to Sweden!
I wish I could be there but but 3450 miles each way is a bit far on a school night. How about a UK tour? Good luck for the night.
I can’t be there but my knitting daughter can be. This is great!
Do you know about what the City of Chicago is doing RIGHT NOW in downtown Chicago?
It is their 2007 winter tourism campaign called “Winter Delights” and the main attraction housed in the headquarters is called the Stitching Salon. It is a place for all things handmade. The main thrust of it is knitting. The Windy City Knitting Guild (a Chicago guild with about 300 members) was invited to participate (along with a lot of other artists, knit shop owners, and instructors).
Our guild is hosting something called the Fiber Circle Project. It is an interactive knitting project we developed, where anyone can come and knit, crochet, sew onto, or do anything they want to embellish it. “It” is a dress form I dressed with a knitted bolero over a crocheted vest over a shiny shirt. Her “skirt” is the part you can stitch onto.
Being the primary in charge of this project, I was terrified that no one would sit and stitch on Polly (I call her Polly E. Cotton, E for Ester). On opening day (Jan 5) right after a press conference, the public was invited in. Almost immediately folks sat down at the round table on which Polly is installed, took up needles and yarn, and started in. It hasn’t stopped.
The Stitching Salon has broken all records of attendance for any winter or summer tourism event the City has sponsored. In response to numerous demands, the City is extending the Salon from its original close date (Feb 28) to March 31!
I would like to see Polly tour with needles, yarn, buttons, and whatever else. I want others to experience what we have done in Chicago.
If you can get to it, come stop by the Stitching Salon, 72 E. Randolph, Chicago, IL. The Salon is open 7 days per week until March 31. Help make history in Chicago at this unique venue. See more about events hosted there at:
http://www.winterdelights.com/stitchingsalon/index.html
BTW: The Stitching Salon is open March 22. Perhaps this is a Chicago venue to host a gaggle of knitters?
Crowds make me crazy.
I have a previous commitment.
I hate what’s happening to the neighborhood around FIT. (Damn ugly condos, overpriced restaurants, upscale chain stores for hedge fund wannabes.)
I never go out on weekday evenings.
Yeah, I’ll be there.
I work in the neighborhood so I will definitely be there!
I will sooo be there!! What a fantastic idea!
I know the town (not city mind you, they call themelves a town) of Full Thread Ahead [mentioned early on].
That town is so straight laced, up tight, etc. And that’s being as polite as possible.
Margie who grew up on StatNisland [part of NYC for those who don’t know} but now lives far away
My friend and I will be there. I’ve also forwarded your link to the KnitWits group here at work (where today someone is coming to film a knitting group at the office on behalf of a local yarn shop for something on cable).
Starfish – there’s a large group of knitter’s who meet every Wednesday evening at the Citibank building atrium. And of course the NYC Knitting Guild.
I don’t know if anyone is ever going to read this… but Steph and everyone… I am planning on going to the Today show in Rockefeller center to represent..
Check out the blog in the next couple of days for more information… I can’t wait to show up with signs and hats…
🙂
Oh drat! Why did it have to be on the day that I’m going to be spending on a plane flying halfway around the world? Because I don’t care if it’s a five hour drive, I would totally be there to represent! If you make it to Baltimore or DC or anywhere remotely nearby, I will finally, FINally make it to one of your readings, and I will bring with me as many knitters as I can wrangle!
Of course I had to move 7 hours away! I’m trying to find one of my ole’ cohorts to bring a representational attendee to the event. Remember back when I had a disastorous college entrance interview for FIT. Was just so overwhelmed with the “idea” of attending I couldn’t get a complete sentence out. ;)to be young and inexperienced.
How about those of us who can’t make it to New York on a Thursday night have “satellite” KIP party and invite the local media? Anyone in CT interested?
oh how i wish it were the same here. i live in hobart, tasmania, australia and in my city (being the capital city of this state) there is ONE wool shop. my husband and i are hoping for a trip the the states in either 2008 or 2009 and one of the things i am promising myself is to find as many wool shops as i can and ship wool and paraphernalia as i can home. i do not doubt the amount of people who are interested in knitting in your homeland. i just am just soooooo jealous. LOL
regards
and may you continue to make those short sighted people wonder at your success.
marik
Very interesting website. Keep up the outstanding work and thank you…