An Experiment

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Staggering into bed last night, I was thinking over some remarkable things that were going to happen today, and was just overwhelmed with the wonderfulness of it all. 

For starters, I went to bed at 10:30 without setting an alarm for the morning.   I’ve had the most brutal cold throughout Sock Summit.  It descended upon my being like a harbinger of doom while I was on the plane last Monday- I left Toronto entirely well, and landed entirely unwell.  I was over the worst of it by Thursday  when we were really gearing up, but I’ve still been dreaming of proper sleep for days.  The irony is that naturally,  I was up at 6:30am today, but the point is that I was up because I was done sleeping, not because I had to go to work. I came downstairs and got a cup of coffee and my knitting and started to think about what today holds, and  I am just so excited.

Today, my friends – is an amazing day. Today I am going to do something that I have heard a lot of buzz about, and I’ve really, really been looking forward to trying.  Apparently sometimes, people who have jobs (and even people who have amazing, fantastic jobs like mine) have a day where they don’t do that job.
It’s reputedly pretty good.  I’m not sure how exactly one goes about it, but I feel like what I have going on right now is a good start.

I’ve got a pair of socks I’ve been working on this last week on the needles, and I think I’ll try and finish them today – I know that’s big talk from the lady on the foot of the first sock, but with a whole day off ahead of me I feel like I can do anything.  I have a blue heron to watch, cookies to eat,  Stargate on the DVD player if I get sick of my view, beer to switch to when I get tired of coffee, and a suitcase full of yarn to knit.  (Last Sock Summit I didn’t get to shop, so this time Rachel H and I pulled a crazed ten minute power-shop twice. By the way Rach, I have that red yarn you loved so much in my suitcase.  I forgot to give it to you.  Don’t worry, I won’t knit it.) 

Tomorrow is a return to paperwork, and sorting things, and making sure all the people who did all the things for us that they did get paid, but today is glorious.

Today I’m going to knit. A lot.

127 thoughts on “An Experiment”

  3. Thank you for all you did- It was wonderful. I, too, love telling my children I was in a flashmob! Relax, recoup and bask in the glory of all the joy you and Tina brought to so many people this weekend.

  4. Congratulations on a Fabulous Sock Summit!!!
    I L-O-V-E-D the flash mob!!! Enjoy your
    Day off!!!!

  5. When you get back to work, could you please, please, please post photos of the Sock Summit so that we poor non-attendees can have a vicarious experience? Thanks a bunch. And, thanks for the you tube of the flash mob. Cool, absolutely cool.

  6. How can you have such a busy week AND knit that much at the same time?! You have some superpowers to do with time don’t you? (Possibly a tardis?)

  8. Sorry I missed all the fun.
    I hope to reach the “Summit” next year.
    Thanks for inspiring me to knit socks!

  10. Enjoy your day off! What the heck, do the necessary paperwork stuff tomorrow, and take another day off! After the wonderful vacation I had at SS11 (due to ST-1 & ST-2’s hard work), you need to make sure you get your vacation.
    Bask in the glow of a job well done!

  12. Good for you and don’t you dare to change this schedule, you totally need it. Loved the flash and eh in our country there is a saying: two hours driving, quarter of an hour stop and relax. This is a new one: two hours knitting and once do the “Time of my live”dance to flexen your body. Congrats.

  14. Well, I got home last night from SS after snoozing 4 hrs on a plane and still somehow slept 10 hrs. Brain overload! Fun overload!
    You and Tina and team put on another uber-fantastic convention! I can’t even figure out how to say how great SS11 was! It was like turning a new type of heel and having the instep pattern continue up the leg perfectly, like buying a single hank of yarn and being able to get a husband sized pair of socks out of it! Like, well, SS09 plus 2! Congratulations on a job well done, and enjoy that crazy full-day vacation!
    And thanks for being so nice to stop and let me photo us together with my sock!

  15. Thank you once again for making so many knitters happy. One of my favorite memories from this Sock Summit was having a complete stranger rush up to me and say, ” Can you believe it? People are knitting everywhere you look here, I mean they are all over the place! Isn’t it just wonderful!” The look of total joy on her face and in her voice was just delightful. Rest up and happy knitting day to you.

  16. I showed my husband the flash mob video yesterday. You’d think, by the title, he would get a clue, right? He had no idea it was a skein of yarn every was holding, until everyone started shaking it, and he took a closer look. To say the least, he thought everyone was pretty nutty.
    We’re both big fans of the blog though, and he would always tease me if we see something Canada related. Enjoy your day off, and thanks so much for your blog! You’re a huge inspiration, and I’ve decided that as I can get some knitting gear and teach myself, I want to make socks for the entire family, haha. He thinks that’s pretty nutty too, and I’m sure he’ll think twice after I get it all figured out. Have a great day!

  19. Enjoy your day off – you most definitely deserve it!! Sorry the offer of cough drops came too late to save you that miserable sore throat, but I hope that today’s a day of sunshine, knitting, and calm.

  22. Stephanie, I want to sincerely thank you for Sock Summit. My friends and I had a BLAST! We are all still talking about it at work. (Even the Muggles. They still find this activity weird.) I saw you several times at SS and wanted to thank you personally but you looked (forgive me) a bit rushed and harried and I didn’t want to interrupt anything. (What’s the point of thanking someone if you piss them off because they are interrupting in the process?)
    So please accept my belated thanks. I (we) loved it. I (we) will be back. You deserve a break and you should take one!
    Sandy

  24. What is it with air travel accelerating colds? Same thing happened to me when I went to France. Enjoy your day off!

  28. i had a really bad day at work today, came here, followed the link to the flashmob video in your last post. It made my day 😀 thankyouuuu

  30. Watched the flash mob——–go knitters. Best song ever,too!!!I am sure it was a fun time for all.

  31. That sounds like an awesome day to me. I spent the weekend doing enough cooking and cleaning stuff that I needed a weekend from my weekend. If I felt bludgeoned after just a few days, I cannot imagine surviving the marathon that putting together the Sock Summit entails. So, obviously you deserve a WEEK off!

  33. it was an amazing experience. I am so happy that I was able to go and share it with my best friend and over 6,000(!) knitters! 🙂 Everywhere I went in Portland was a knitter, Powell’s, Food carts downtown, the Max, It was awesome! Thank you ST-1 and ST-2! here’s hoping for a 2013 Sock Summit!
    Enjoy your day off, you deserve it 100x over!

  38. Every darned time you mention Port Ludlow (or Sock Summit), I get envious. My sister in law lives there and I keep hoping to visit and attend one of your workshops. So glad the Summit was another huge success!

  39. A day off to knit! Great idea. I think today should be international day-off to knit day. Enjoy the day, the rest, the view, the beer!

  40. Yarn coveting overtakes me from all the skeins held high by the flash mob. Well deserved down time now- think I’ll buy some Envy Green yarn.

  41. I hope you totally enjoy your day off – whether you get your socks done or not. I haven’t attended SS, but you can’t be a Knitter and not hear lots about it anyway – (meant in a positive way) 😉

  44. You deserve this day off more than anyone, except Tina of course! This was my first SS and won’t be my last! I loved every minute of it and that was due to all of the hard work ST1 and ST2 did to keep it all organized and wonderfully fun! Thanks again and enjoy your day(s) to relax!

  45. Now see, when I hear you say that you are going to try to finish a pair of socks that you started this WEEK, I just wanna either burst into tears or smack the daylights out of you. It is so totally unfair that you can knit that fast (and I can’t). But fine. I’m a bigger person than that (usually).
    One word for the cold, dear. Airborne. Pre and post trip, regularly and often. No, they don’t pay me to say that either. 🙂

  47. Have a spectacularly wonderful day off, enjoying your knitting and coffee / beer. Lord knows you deserve it. I know how hard it is to give yourself that kind of day when you’re self employed and basically feel like you should be working ALL THE TIME! But, really, the world doesn’t end if you actually take a day to kick back and relax. 🙂

  48. And that, I think, makes a grand finale, and I hope for Tina, too: kick back, knit, relax, and know that even those of us who didn’t get to go love what you pulled off to make so many people happy. You did it! Thank you!

  49. I hope to attend Sock Summit one day. Seems like an amazing time was had by all. I was thinking of you while finishing some projects. Enjoy the day off! 😉

  50. Have a lovely day off!! Your “plans” sound wonderful. Relax!!
    PS- I had another FANTABULOUS time at SS!! It was a blast. Lots of applause (and hugs) to you and Tina and ST2! Thank you so much!!! 🙂

  54. Wait … wait … don’t tell me …
    I used to have these days, once in a rare while. The concept is that you don’t do anything you don’t WANT to do. You CAN do something you do as part of your regular job as long as you don’t HAVE to do it. For example, on those kind of days when I worked at the animal shelter, I would play with my own, personal pets, at home.
    It’s called a day … out? No, that’s not it. A day … down? No, but close … oh … wait … I remember ….
    It’s a day “OFF.”
    Enjoy it! I would love a day “off” exactly where you are sitting: outdoors, on a mild day, with my feet propped up and a view of a harbor full of small craft on a lovely day, and a table whose texture mimics the peaceful waters. I find few things more restful than a harbor view.
    Enjoy your day.

  55. Having your own business makes it REALLY difficult to take a day off, but after what you just accomplished, I think you should take off TWO days! Love your view and the sock. So peaceful…….

  60. Just been re-reading ‘Yarn Harlot’, and thought I’d remind you: Christmas is coming. You might want to get an early (earlier) start on it this year. Fool your family – don’t have a near breakdown this Christmas day.

  61. Loved the FLASH MOB, and I can’t wait to see pictures of the sheep to shoe (or whatever it was called) AFTER you have a good rest.

  62. Thank you Stephanie, Tina, SS1 and SS2 for another AMAZING Sock experience! I have been on a fiber high for days now. It was more than perfection; it was nirvana! Thank you so much.. Bask in the glow.

  63. It was a wonderful experience in every way. On behalf of my posse of friends, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for an unforgettable Summit!

  64. What a great show! I’ve decided to take 15 minutes here a morning there off. I can’t quite commit to a whole day. But I’m guessing by friday I’ll surrender. Great to see you and great work as always. I can’t say enough about the volunteers that helped. So amazing

  65. Hope your day has been lovely. I got to sleep in my own bed last night after a couple hours nap during the 6 hour drive home. Woke early unpacked a bit, went to an appointment, bagged the meeting, came home and had another nap. Knit a bit on my sock wip.
    SS11 was lovely. F2F was an adrenaline rush all day long. I took 2 more great classes with amazing teachers.
    Thank you seems too little to say in return for such a great birthday week.
    Thank you Stephanie, Tina, ST-2 and all the teachers, venders and helpers. I was blown away again.

  67. Yay for a day off to knit and watch a heron! Good job. Next week is my birthday and I’m going on a yarncrawl with my BKF (best knitting friend). Couldn’t get to SS11, so we’re here out east, representing locally.

  70. Hurray for you, enjoy your day off! Oh, I’d like one of those myself. 🙂
    I just spent the majority of my last few days spending significant time reading two of your books, which I enjoyed tremendously. Thank you so much for giving words to all the knitterly feelings I have so much difficulty in explaining to the non-knitters in my life.
    And now I want to cast on for a sock. You’re an inspiration! Hee hee.

  73. Sounds like a perfect day coming up but… what happened to the baby blanket and please, oh please, what is that sock yarn? So pretty!

  74. We call those days off “Mental Health Days”. Mental Health Days ensure I keep on the right side of the crazy line. I had one the other week due to a computer malfunction at work and it was fabulous. I got an amazing amount done around the house without rushing and even got a chance to just sit and bask in the winter sunshine. And knit – there was definitely knitting involved. No beer however as I don’t like the taste. Scotch however is another matter…

  75. Yeah, for you!!! You most definitely deserve a day off. Hope you are enjoying it. I look forward to one day coming to Sock Summit.

  76. Good for you! You deserve it. Everyone on the ST’s were running their little tushies off all weekend. Enjoy the part about putting your feet up. Thanks for a great reason to visit Portland, you’ve earned this day off.

  77. Sounds to me like you have the right ingredients for a ‘day off’ – I do hope you’re still in PJs and plan to stay this way all day (send children out for provisions or order in)
    Really glad to hear you’re taking a day!

  78. Wait. You mean, you just take a day, and you don’t work? I mean, you don’t do your job at all? Not even a little bit? And you’re not sick in bed or anything? How does that work?

  79. Only ONE day off??? I would need at least THREE. Why not take the next two mornings to write thank you’s (they’re supposed to be ‘timely’, I know) and then use the afternoons for…more KNITTING! more COFFEE!….more BEER! Real life will catch up with you soon enough.

  80. good for you – sounds like a lovely day and the kind of day I wished I’d had!! And, really, get tired of that view?? Really?????
    And where is this again?? LOL After the disastrous “debt deal” debate going on here in the States, today I was threatening to move to Canada…. 🙂 I hear Halifax is very nice.

  81. I couldn’t imagine a better sock summit than the first one, and you surpassed it! It was wonderful. I didn’t talk with any unhappy person. I had a fabulous time.
    You deserve a long rest and some real personal time. We’ll wait for you to come back refreshed.

  83. Sock Summit was incredible. Thank you to the SS Team for all of your work. Enjoy your day off. Bask in the glow of a job VERY WELL DONE!!

  84. Thanks for the wonderful knitting extravaganza! My sister and I enjoyed every minute. I will never forget my sister’s face after running up to tell me that she met Kelley Petkun and was invited to sit down and knit with her!!!! But my favorite moment was when I heard a really famous teacher tell an ST-2 that “today was one of the best days of my life. I know it sounds weird, especially since I’ve had three husbands, but it is still true!”. My sister and I just stared at each other, and then we cracked up.
    Thanks again!

  85. There are not enough words to thank you and Tina and the whole ST-2 team for a Sock Summit of epic proportions. Tuesday to Sunday were glorious days filled with lectures, classes, knitting, volunteering, shopping, meeting knitters from EVERYWHERE, eating, drinking, and the piece de resistance, the Flash Mob. It’s going to take a while to come down off the high. You and Tina are splendidly and wonderfully phenomenal. To the next event-cheers and red wine, Hazel.

  86. I really want to come to the next Sock Summit even though I have never completed a pair! I love to knit and love to read about your crazy lovely knitting life! Thanks for being awesome and I hope you enjoyed your day!

  90. I’m curious about this thing you mention, “Apparently sometimes, people who have jobs (and even people who have amazing, fantastic jobs like mine) have a day where they don’t do that job.”
    If describing this occasion doesn’t violate the premise, please do so at some point, so that others of us might have a chance of recognizing one if it comes within range.

  91. You SO deserve a day off!
    I’m glad your cold is going away; that will help you feel better about finishing everything up – TOMORROW!
    Enjoy!

  93. Enjoy!
    I’m wondering what you’re feeling feels like. Between work and home, I never feel that way. Maybe I need to figure out a way to do that. Occasionally.

  96. The day off…sigh. I have these. They tend to be filled up abruptly and with no warning with a thing I call Familias Interruptus. I make plans, the universe says HA!
    I hope your day went as YOU planned…it looked like you had a wonderful start. I will try not to be jealous from where I sit: The summer school clinic.

  97. Work just exploded, but looking at the coffee/sock/Port Ludlow photo is calming me down.

  98. Congratulations! Maybe this will go so well, you’ll do it a couple times a year – hahahaha! I’m totally envying your view, btw.

  99. This event was everything I had hoped for. My only regret was not being there from beginning to end – two days of it was not enough. You all did a incredible job pulling this together – well done!! I hope there will be a 2013 Sock Summit – I wanna do it again!

  100. I wish for you to have a wonderfully long day off. You and all of the STs deserve it. Well done!

  101. I’m leaving my job this fall and moving to North Carolina, and I’ll actually sort of not be doing a “real job” for a while, so I’m already planning to finally get to Sock Summit next year! Meanwhile, enjoy your entirely-deserved day off (I’d take 2, I think).
    The yarn on that sock is just the perfect yarn for thinking about a nice, cool, autumn day.

  102. Thank you ST-1 & ST-2 for all your hard, hard work to throw us such a great party. We had a blast. Get some rest, you all deserve it.

  104. Sock Summit was incredible!!!!! All your hard work paid off. My thanks to you and the whole team. My cross country vacation was one of the best I’ve ever had. Enjoy your day of rest – you deserve a week at least!

  105. The flash-mob clip really made me laugh out loud! I just wish I could have been there.
    Now rest!and knit, of course.

  107. Thanks for putting on such a great event! My classes and instructors were awesome. I couldn’t have asked for anything more. Except maybe a larger income so I could take more classes and buy more yarn. You & your team did a great job.
    Thank you, thank you, thank you!

  108. Enjoy your day off! Now I feel like I should finish my socks too. ‘Cause I only have one toe left.

  109. Enjoy your day off. I am going on vacation Saturday night and will really need it by then. THere is something glorious about a day with nothing that you have to do.

  110. You and your cohorts certainly know how to throw a party. Can’t thank you all enough for the epic good time.

  111. two of my best knitting buds went to ss09 and i was happy for them but jealous. this year, i got in and it was wonderful!!
    my roommate — a knitter i didn’t know before ss11 — and i already have decided we’ll be back for ss13 (please, ohplease, ohplease let there be ss13!! i promise to bring endangered species chocolate bars.).
    thank you (and tina) SO much for all of your hard work, your imagination and your wonderful sense of humor through all the knitting madness!!
    and if any of the ss11 team captured video of several canadians and this yank (who’s spent too much time at hockey games) singing the alternative words to “o, canada,” i hope it will be posted. i’ve already cracked up dd with the flashmob video, but she’d like proof that all my years of voice lessons have paid off so well.
    8- )
    now i have to just wait for my pre-ordered copy of your next book . . .

  113. What a Summit! The climb to the top, the learning & shopping & meeting new friends & seeing such beautiful handknits – well all that was wonderful. The view from the top – the flashmob – was priceless!!! Thank you, Tina, and all the terrific ST2s for one of the best weekends of my life!
    Now… Knit On, Harlot! Knit on!

  115. Hope you had a beautiful day off! I’ve been loving all of the happy knitter posts about the Summit!! Well deserved rest & hope your boss gives you an extended holiday.

  116. Enjoy your day off! You and Tina certainly deserve it. From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU for a wonderful experience. I truly did have the Time of my Life 🙂

  117. yay! a very well-deserved day off to relax relax relax and eat cookies and knit some pretty yarn into some pretty socks! Enjoy it!

  118. What a wonderful view. I could knit in front of that anytime. Make it later in the day I’d swap out the coffee for a mug of cold beer. Ah, the taste that refreshes.

  120. Sounds glorious and you deserve it!
    I had a do-nothing day yesterday and it was glorious, but I didn’t get as much knitting done as I liked. How did it go with the socks?

  122. So, does that mean you finished the baby blanket? Or does that poor woman have to hold it in a bit longer?

  123. Mind-blowing experiences at SS 2011:
    – seeing a sheep being shorn (wow)
    – participating in the flashmob (so fun)
    – seeing hand-painted yarn turn into a plaid pattern (still shaking)
    Never before has a knitting event left me so moved. Just me and my sister! One of the best weekends in my life! Thank you!!

  124. I had the most amazing time at SS 2011! Family demands cut short my time there so I didn’t get to listen to as much as I wanted but what I did see/hear was just wonderful. My daughter (age 17) had even started knitting AND spinning after going with me and finding a trindle.

  126. Rest well, you hard-working, tough soul I’m proud to see represent Canadian knitters! (Also, do I recognize “A Paler ST-1”? Beautiful!)

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