So, I’m home. Home, home, home. It’s dirty, disorganized, full of people and a cat who resent that I ever left at all, and I have a ton of work to do and an inbox that’s so scary that I can’t hardly look at it, but I’ve never, ever been happier to see this little hovel. This morning marks the first morning of the rest of my life, it feels like, with the book tour over, and just a few little stops (The North York Public Library tomorrow, Philadelphia Book Fair, A retry (I hope) of Chicago, BEA, TNNA….) left to go, like there is tons of room in my life, just as soon as I get caught up…which I know is unrealistic, but I could be closer…right? Right. First steps, getting caught up on the blogging. I owe San Francisco a post about the Maker Faire and Salt Lake City a post about how wonderful that was, so I’d better get a move on.
San Francisco. I love that place. It’s home to two podcasts I know and love, Stash and burn
Oh look…It’s Nicole and Jenny! We found a quiet corner of the hotel and did a podcast that I think went pretty well. (Neither one of them looked angry when we were done, so I think I did an okay job) both of them are lovely and super nice, and when they were done they handed me off to Stephen and WonderMike from YKnit, and I did another one…which sort of came apart at the seams a few times, but there’s only so much I can do in the face of their particular brand of silliness.
(By the way? We went to dinner after at Millennium. Go there now. After a month of hotel and airport food Stephen and Mike can both verify that I almost wept into my dinner out of sheer relief and joy.)
The next morning I got up and got in a car to go to San Mateo, where the Maker Faire was at. The Faire is a seriouly cool undertaking. It’s just a whole fairgrounds of people….making. Making all sorts of stuff. Music, art, tools, sculpture, code, toys…. It was very, very brilliant to see knitting lumped in with that sort of crowd.
I took a bunch of pictures of some of the Makers. You’ve just got to click to embiggen.
There was tons of fibre related stuff too. Aside from the free range knitters and spinners who were everywhere, there was this guy who was knitting and drumming at the same time, which was totally cool except he looked miserable.
There was a lovely booth with Tactile and A Verb for Keeping Warm (which may be the best name ever)
and I saw Imagiknit and Lion Brand were both there, and I talked to the Yarn Craft blog gals for two minutes… I saw cool knit tats,
along with Ceallach Dyes, who was out in the sunshine, making what she makes, which is solar dyeing of yarn. (Beautiful yarn.)
I saw a multitude of knitter/makers. Although they were a little hard to photograph, because there were these lights shining on me that were like looking into the sun.
They were easier to see afterwards. Knitters came (of course) with babies and little kids, since this was family/kid heaven. Meet Cindy and Zoe (she’s wearing a fabulous sweater), Elizabeth and Nathan (Nathan is showing me his monkey that his mama made for him at sock camp. The pattern for the monkey is up and available here.) Michelle and Katherine, Kimber and Sarah, Anabel and Freya. There was a young knitter too, Kelsey, but she was a very pretty 12 years old, and 12 years old isn’t old enough to understand bad pictures of yourself on the internet. The photo I took was nowhere near as lovely as she was, so I skipped it.
Team Unraveled, walking the three day. (That link will take you to a place to pledge them)
Carrie brought her monkey and her Monkey Kaw Kaw
Shane came for his wife, Amanda
and Jessica knit me a beer. (Two of my favourite things in one combo.)
There was the first sock brigade: Anne, Kelly, Katie and Jan (Katie’s the one with the first sock) Yellay, Rhiannon, No-blog Rachel, Julie, Sue, Ruth, Sarah and Jennie.
and there were even Washcloths (I do love the washcloths) from Lynne, Robin and Madeleine.
Whew! I’d love to write about what happened next, how I went to Salt Lake City (still has no air there) but I’m two hours gone working on this blog entry now, and frankly, I need to clean the house for at least that long just to get it to it’s usual level of squalor. I’ll write about SLC tomorrow.
If you’d like to come to see me at the North York Central Library tomorrow, (May 7th) I’m speaking at 7:00 as part of the Uptown Authors series. I’ll be doing something a little different for this event, more discussion and interaction with the audience, which I think will be smaller and more intimate than other events. If you’ve been burning to ask me a question and you live anywhere near Toronto, here’s your chance to pester me publicly for an answer. Call 416-395-5639 to register, and I’ll see you there.
Welcome home 🙂 and thanks for sharing your adventures with us.
Whew! What a whirlwind! Take a breather, and know that I think I speak for all of us when I say thank you for making all this happen! Even though I won’t get to see you this year, I love hearing about it all.
LOVE the tats! : )
A knitted beer?…you can’t drink it…and that is an EVIL looking squirrel that appears to be reaching for it… with your history with evil squirrels I’d be suspicious…
Good luck cleaning the squalor. And have a great day with your family – let them remind you of why sometimes it’s good to get away (again!!), and always better to come home.
Enjoy your time back at home! Your trips sound ever so wonderful. What will you be doing at TNNA?
It was great to meet you in San Mateo! I hope you enjoy the alpaca yarn. And thanks for holding my hat.
AK! NY central library?!?!? Get me to the bat-phone to find a babysitter!
alright. So I was wrong. (and for once, I’m glad I was;) I thought for sure this tour would at least wreck you…if not kill you or drive you nuts, but you have survived! I am so relieved.
Rest up- goof off- just “be” with your family;)
PS- survival this time doesn’t mean you should try this kind of schedule again.. just sayin;)
Enjoy home! Reading about your travels has made me realize I don’t ever want to be a successful author.
Kick off your shoes and find a few minutes to take a soak in the tub. You deserve it. Kick the cat out of the room this time, though, maybe?
So nice to meet you at Maker Faire! And thanks for the link; I think more than the usual 3 will visit my blog today. 🙂
Welcome home! I love all your books, adventures and your audiobooks too, I cannot wait for more!!!
XOXO
Normally when I catch you this early I try to beg you to come to London but finally!! there’s no need! We can’t WAIT to see you in September and show you a British welcome (whatever that might be). Ooh. It’s going to be So Much Fun!
nina x
Welcome back! I’m glad for you that you get to return to a less-airplane-trip sort of pace.
I’m so excited to see you talked to Stash and Burn and Yknit, they are my two favourite podcasts and I’m currently all out of archives and waiting for new ones. Can’t wait to listen.
Over two hours to go 1.1 miles. We couldn’t get near, much less into the Faire. We tried SO hard.
Next time. But don’t think about more travelling, just enjoy home. Glad you made it back.
You should write about the unusual array of items that people gifted you with on the tour. Another thing that makes me curious is just how much swag do you receive from companies, designers, and others just to entice you to try them and possibly blog about them? This would be an interesting post to the blog.
Glad you are back safe and sound. Thanks for sharing all your fascinating travels with us. I went to the monkey link because like many others, I think it’s really cute, but I was shocked at the price of the pattern. Socks That Rock must know that hundreds of knitters will want to make this now that you’ve blogged about it, and it seems like they are being a bit greedy with the price. I guess I’ll give it a miss. Anyway, thanks for your great blog.
It was amazing to meet you at the Maker Faire — you are funny and lovely and gracious in person, just as you are on your blog. A real treat!
Thanks for being so sweet as I blubbered all over you — my friends are still teasing me for being so nervous.
I’m so glad you liked the beer! It was wonderful to see you in the Bay Area again, I loved your talk and am looking forward to the podcast interviews. Stephen and WonderMike are a laugh riot. Gotta go check out Millenium now, too.
P.S. The squirrel shirt irony was lost on me until the car trip home. I’m certain however that he was fooled into thinking that the fiber was actually beer, and was thus uninterested in stealing it. 🙂
Is the weather still cool enough in Toronto for RachelH to wear her big girl boots?
Welcome home! The city has been a bit lacking in its usual spark and verve. Clearly, such an extended absence had ripple effects into all of Toronto.
(yes, you have that much power ;))
So glad you are home safe and sound. Chill, go to that theta zone please. Enjoyed seeing and hearing you at Maker Faire. I finished the Somoko sock that you held, (and cast on the mate); Sean is happy to have a famous sock.
Glad you’re back home! I’ve had so much fun following your travails/travels to a few places I’ve been and lots of places I haven’t (and now can’t wait to check out). Not only that, it was great to see so many knitters out with their needles! As knitters often travel incognito, I often wonder where they’ve all gotten to. Now I know.
Thanks for bringing us along for the ride!
I bet Mr. Washie is glad to see you.
I’m so glad you made it home safely and that you’ve met so many wonderful people on your book tour/adventure!
We can knit anything, knit beers for all the guys in my life this Christmas, they’d like that amazing idea.
That’s SIR Washie to you, cursingmama!
OMG! I know that knitting drummer! He’s my husband’s friend, Cory! This is the first time I’ve ever seen any one I know mentioned on the Yarn Harlot’s blog and it’s soo cool! I’m going to have to ask him why he looks so miserable…
Glad you’re finally home safe and sound, Stephanie.
Aw, poor Kelsey. We so enjoyed your talk — loved the theta zone thing. We ran into Kelsey’s computer teacher and he said, “Oh, your here for the crafts, how nice.” It felt a little condescending, and I wanted to say something smart, but all I could think of was was, “Well, we’re here for the geek stuff too.”
I didn’t know that you were going to be in San Francisco. San Mateo is close to where I live and I would have loved to gone and see you. That’s the closest event in my area that you’ve ever done. I didn’t see it on your tours page.
“If you’ve been burning to ask me a question and you live anywhere near Toronto, here’s your chance to pester me publicly for an answer”
Oh the possibilities…
“There’s no place like home…”
thanks for sharing your adventures with us
Welcome home. Isn’t it funny how when you’re gone for a long time, that a disorganized home looks sooooogreat? But if I’m home for a long time and it’s disorganized, nothing is more irritating. Ah perspective.
I’m so sad I didn’t get to see you!! I tried really hard, but got stuck on the freeway off-ramp for TWO HOURS. I saw you a bit later while you were in the Craft Corner and Kinnear-ed you. 🙂 But I was so sad to miss your talk and the book signing. I even had my own travelling sock in my purse.
Still – I’m glad you enjoyed our beautiful city and the wackiness of Maker’s Faire!
Dear Lord. The NORTH York Central Library. I read it as “New,” of course. On the one hand, my kid works there. On the other hand to mention it so casually meant you were to where we call the nice men with the no-knitting jackets.
Imagine how relieved I am that we only have to think of good questions for Rachel (and Denny!) to ask you in public.
I am in love with that knitted beer! How ingenious!
Looks like you had a fun trip!
Thanks for including the link to Team Unraveled, who are walking the 3-Day Walk for Breast Cancer. What a fantastic cause, and how great that they are representing the knitting community!
Welcome home! Squalor or no, it sounds like it’s good to be back.
Whaaat? I missed you in SF? Dammit! I must have missed an update somewhere. I guess I’ll have to wait for the new book to come out.
Get writing!
Yay! I thought I missed out on all the Harlot fun as I was out of town for the official book launch. I just called to register for your talk tomorrow night in North York!!! As for cleaning, remember that life is too short to keep a spotless house….
To Harriet at 12:30pm, I looked at the Blue Moon website and the sock monkey pattern is $6. It seems like a pretty standard pattern cost to me. Is it possible you only saw the price for the kit which includes a bunch of their very fabulous yarn?
I can’t imagine how much it must wear you out to tour… while also energizing you from the awesome knit-energy…
Book tour…over? Does this mean that your Texas stalkers don’t get to see you this year? 🙁
There must be some mistake.
You see, May 7 is my birthday. I’m sure the gals at the SnB I run managed to commandeer your publishers’ ability to schedule you to appear everywhere but Iowa – and they were having you come for a bday celebration (with beer and everything) here in the Quad Cities.
I could see where there would be some confusion of North York Central Library for Bettendorf Public Library, Canada and Iowa being so much alike and all…
We have loads of sock yarn. And beer. And cake. And homemade food. I’m just sayin’…
I am so glad you got a photo of the drummer/knitter. He did look so unhappy, but we were fascinated by him. Thanks for coming on the podcast! You were fantastic. Sorry I missed you at the Maker Faire. I kept hearing your name invoked, but I couldn’t find you.
Aren’t Stephen and Michael the best? I’m very much looking forward to hanging with Stephen again at the Men’s Knitting Retreat in a week and a half.
Were you lucky enough to get any sweet kisses from Janie Sparkles, too?
I’m still wondering what you have planned for all those dishcloths. o_O
Damn, I miss San Francisco. I think I just figured out what I want to do with today’s blog post…
I’m glad you’re home, the relief must be astounding. As for Millenium, I saw they’re in the Hotel California–do they really let you check out but never leave?? How many socks did you have to knit for them?
I kept hearing traffic reports on the radio talking about how the freeway was a mess due to the Maker Faire. But I knew it was really because of all the people who were trying to get there to see you! Enjoy being at home – you deserve it!
I like the way laser beams are coming out of everyone’s head, and Shane has “eccentric cubicle” perched on his noggin to balance his cardboard wife & dog – if I were Shane, I’d be mighty proud of the existential weirdness of this photograph. There’s a kind of trippy trompe l’oeil “only the sock is real” vibe to it.
Glad you got home safe and relatively sane, now rest and let the other occupants figure out the laundry! And did I read that right — someone KNIT you a beer?
I can’t have read that right.
So glad you made it through!!! I can’t wait to check out all the cool links on this blog post. It will be almost like being there. Thanks for showing us all these cool photos!!! And “WELCOME HOME”!!!
Glad you’re home safe and sound.
Laundry can ALWAYS wait. Well, almost always. How many underpants do you have left?
I feel bad about my half-done first sock in the picture, but I finished it last night! http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Snowpaws/my-first-sock
I have only been to one knitting gathering. When I think of all the creativity and goodwill in one place, laughing along with you, I get a little teary.
Have a good relaxing time. No blogging. Just knitting and house cleaning. You deserve it. Put your feet up and breathe deeply. Do not embark on any adventures equivalent to hiking 14 km in snow, cold, ice and wind in Ontario. Sit in the sun and replenish your Vit. D.
you don’t have to be downtrodden by the horrors of airplane food to weep over millennium. that used to be my favorite restaurant in san francisco when i lived in the bay area… there was some kind of savory “napoleon” dish that was fantastic…
My apologies for being a supreme dork when meeting you at Maker Faire. I followed the lovely baby Katherine who, aside from being one of the cutest babies there, was covered in handknits and had a mom who brought you vegetarian food. That’s quite an act to follow. I didn’t bring anything and wanted you to sign multiple books. (I chickened out on having you sign the third one). I felt seriously like sinking into the floor and I was nervous to meet you, having never met anyone famous. Thanks for the great talk and encouraging all of us knitters by validating our need to carry emergency knitting at all times. Enjoy being home!
It was so great to see you again Stephanie! The Monkey KawKaw socks are done now too! Glad to hear you had a great time in SF, but I bet you are soooooo glad to be home finally! Come back and visit us again!
Wow, after traveling all month you deserve a well earned rest and pampering.
I saw you in Salt Lake City and thought your talk was great. Thanks for still being able to stand up and be coherent. 🙂
I have the Millenium cookbook. That’s the closest I’ve ever gotten to the restaurant. Color me jealous!
Lordy lovely lady I’m hoping your house looks better than I know mine would. I wouldn’t be able to GET TO the wash machine for all the clothes piled in the basement, the children would be wearing adult t-shirts belted at the waist as a “fashion statement”. The litter boxes would be overflowing, and not with peace and love. Fridge? Empty. Beer? Gone. Bathtub? Frightening. Lawn? Tall grass prairie. Vaccuum? Couldn’t find it.
There’s just no place like home.
It was so wonderful to see you, I’m glad you made it to Madison–I hope you enjoyed the Holy Grail Ale and goodies. But most of all, I hope you have time to relax and enjoy your family…it’s been a lonely month for you, despite all us crazy knitters. Just the glory of your own bed and pillow….luscious….
I love the knitted beer. How Imaginitive! But I am wondering What are you doing with all those wash clothes youget at all your events
I LOVE the “stet” t-shirt you were wearing!!! I hope an editor gave it to you, although I expect it was a fan. (Saw it on the Stash & Burn web page.)
Ooh, I made the blog! Yay me! LOL
Great meeting you at last. I’m not a very good stalker, having missed you at three previous events now.
I can’t imagine how tired you must get – all I did was crawl out of bed 2 hours early two days in a row and do Stuff All Day Long and I am still whacked!
(And I was only out of the house for two days and my husband had piles of dishes and dirty washing all over the place – not like he can’t put stuff in the dishwasher or run a washing machine or anything.)
Oh my. I ever do so love seeing all the husbands and children of knitters who show up in their stead. :3
Joining the queue of nervous blubbering knitters… it was nice to meet you. Steve really enjoyed the talk, too. I will now resume theta activities (-:
The Drumming Purler (or was it Purling Drummer?) was unhappy because he was “requested” to move from inside the building to just outside the door – due to noise complaints. (Clearly he is a very polite and accommodating person.) His beat was a bit erratic, but it was really unusual
entertainment.
Add me to the list of blubbering idiots that met you at the Maker Faire. I couldn’t get two thoughts straight in my head, much less have them make their way coherently to my mouth! My husband says that I’m smiling so much that I look like I just met Mickey Mouse in the picture with you! Thank you so much for including a link to our 3 day page — that was incredibly kind of you…
the lady is to home
now perhaps we can all settle in and
get some knitting done -i live in florida
too late for a trip up to ask questions
i think i shall knit a rum and cola olay
Ah, Steph, I wrote an entire blog entry about what my family and I did when we had to bail out of completely stopped traffic not FIVE MINUTES from where you were speaking. But we’d been in traffic for over 45 minutes, and, well, I had short people in the car with me and…
We went to the zoo instead. I’ve got a very good zoo picture of 3 out of 4 children, all wearing hand knits that mommy made them wear because they were gonna meet the Harlot.
But I’m soooo glad you had a good time, and I’m glad you get some time home. Sleep lots. Pet the cat. Knit something easy. Sometime I’ll be able to see you, I promise.
Hi – just wanted to say thanks for a fascinating talk at Maker Faire. (I’m a non-knitter, but a knitting friend took me. She says I’m a tolerant non-knitter.) As a mathematician, I *know* what you do is complex, so please don’t think we are all snobs.
Does anyone else think that Jessica could be one of your daughters? ….or is it just her glasses? Loved you in Lexington, I’m the one who asked about the grape leaf socks and I certainly understand what Josie said, there I was right up front to get my book signed, took your pic and forgot to tell you how great the book was! Sheesh…Welcome home, enjoy yourself and family.
Can we phone in our questions? Cuz seriously I need to know when you’ll be heading to Phoenix.
What I want to know is – how are all of those knitters making those incredibly beautiful first socks?? Mine looked like socks, sure, and I wear them to bed (where they fall of my feet because they are too big,) but they didn’t have fancy stitchwork or anything. There’s been a revolution in sock knitting, Harlot, and it’s all your fault!! Enjoy your time at home, and don’t spend it all with Mr. Washie.
Rachel H: GO FOR IT!!!!!!!!!! And post the answers aasp……..
I’m glad you’re home… I miss your knitting projects! Ü
Little Zoe’s top is so cute. I wish I was a better, quicker knitter already, with heaps of time. Sigh.
Carrie is such a pretty girl! The perfect disguise for the evil Socks that Rock enabler that she is. I bought both the KawKaw and the Sock Monkey pattern because of her. Never mind the 4 hanks of STR I got at MDSW. She’s evil. In a good way.
There is no better sign of being a beloved and valued parent than sensing resentment of one’s absence upon one’s return. Congratulations on the end of your long, long journey and the confirmation of your status as indespensible at home!
So glad you ate a Millenium, one of my favorites. That place made me want to be a vegan (well almost…..)
There would have been even more of us there, except it turned out to be really hard to get into the Faire… at least I finally got some Tactile Fibers!
So I asked my husband why Cory looks so miserable when he’s knitting/drumming and he said ‘oh that’s just how Cory looks. All the time.’
huh.
Hey, I don’t think the drummer’s that unhappy, he’s just concentrating! Just have a close look at people who are really concentrating hard and you will see that most of them have a peculiar look on their faces as IF they’re unhappy. Way out.
You just try drumming and knitting at the same time. Ok, most of us would be unhappy with all that concentration…gg
Thanks for linking to Stash and Burn. I’ve subscribed and am thoroughly enjoying the podcasts. Also, I LOVE your “stet” shirt!