So I never did find my copy of my book before I had to leave, and in the end I panicked and went to my local bookstore – fingers crossed that it would be there. My mother in law and I went straight to the knitting section and I held my breath, because I really had no plan for what I would do if it wasn’t there.

But it was. (For the record, should you ever write a book, I thoroughly recommend going to the bookstore to see it with someone who loves you. Carol made me feel like this book was the most incredible achievement in the world. You would think it was winning the Nobel Prize.) It’s funny seeing it there, looking all proper and book like. I bought one (which is a really bizarre experience), Carol bought one (which is also very weird) and I left for the San Francisco airport and then a drive to the pretty place of Santa Rosa… although things there are totally weird.

The nice lady who drove me around, when I commented that everything was sort of “brown” – said “Oh, yeah, everything gets brown in the summer. It’ll be much greener in the winter.”

I spent 10 minutes trying to wrap my little Canadian head around the idea of things getting green in the winter. What a statement. Behold. The thing that is the same everywhere. Knitters.

Then there was Kelly and Roko and Justin and Susan. (I love the babies. Look at those smiles.)

(As always, click to embiggen.)

There were young knitters, meet Melody, Amelia (she’s only 7) and her brother Andrew (who is only three and would knit if he could). Melody’s mum also gave me some info about The Fleecy Fun Fiber Foray (Sunday, October 11th, 10-3 at the Sonoma Community Center. (When you go, ask them about the Redwood Empire Handweavers and Spinners Guild too.)

There were washcloths from Kat and Darcy, Christina and Lorraine….

and the first sock brigade… Ashley (who thought that was the real size of baby feet. Can all the mothers give me a big “I WISH”), Carol, Kendra and Petala, representing for the men. (Was that your first sock Petala? Can’t recall.) Karen with her daughter Andreas socks…

There was Kara, with socks that knocked me out of mine.

Just about quit knitting when I saw those. Very clever knitter. Another clever knitter – and friend to many, far and wide….

It’s Alison, author of Wrapped in Comfort and giving knitter extraordinaire.

Speaking of clever… if you don’t know her already, this is Romi (aka Rosemary Hill.)

She has a pretty pattern in Knitty right now, the Waves of Grain scarf, (which would be an excellent project to learn beading on) and a book coming, and she showed up covered in the coolest stuff. She always is. Check out her necklace up close…

and how about her earrings!

You know.. I think it’s the diversity of knitterly brilliance that stuns me the most. Every time you think you’ve seen the coolest thing that knitting has to offer… somebody shows up with those socks or that book or that jewellery. Knitters are the smartest people I know, and I know some smart people.

Looking forward to more brilliance (or maybe just some sci-fi geek knitters, the place is filthy with them) in Seattle tonight at Third Place Books. (Free event, no tickets.)

PS. I forgot to mention it before, but if you’re coming to one of these events, (or one of Ann and Kay’s – or anybody else) I would love it if you considered buying your book there. It’s a nice payback for the store, and it keeps the knitting events coming and reinforces that knitters are a market share that’s worth investing in. It’s a win/win.