I’ve been slogging away on the Gwendolyn sweater, having just the loveliest time, while dwelling full-time and whole-heartedly in the lap of denial.
I’ve got both sleeves, the back and half a front done now, and that should mean that it was all going rather well, were this Monday instead of Tuesday, but Tuesday it is, and I’m not sure what that means to my fantasy of taking a finished sweater with me on Friday. Probably that I’m deeply delusional, but the thing is that I’m not failing epically – and that’s misleading, it makes me think it’s all possible.
Sunday night after Thanksgiving dinner, Ken and I teamed up against Samantha and my Aunt Yvonne, and we played Euchre. Other than one glorious hand (in which I ordered my partner up and went alone for a spectacular four points) Ken and I lost. We did not, however, get trounced. We managed to keep one trick from every hand, meaning our opponents got one point, rather than two – the whole way through. We’d get our arses handed to us for the first chunk, losing trick after trick, then miraculously, one of us would find ourselves holding just the right card to steal the last round, and there we’d have it. Me being me, I declared us "The Stoppers" because we were "stopping" them from getting two points in each hand. I may have even been a tad smug about it, before Ken pointed out that as fun as it was to deprive them of their full points, we actually weren’t "stopping" them from doing anything. We weren’t winning squat – we were just losing really, really slowly. (Ken, heaven love him, can be a bit of a kill-joy. Accurate, but a kill-joy.)
That’s a little bit like what this sweater feels like. I’m getting all smug because it’s all going so well, and I’m finishing great swathes of knitting, but really, all I’m doing is losing really slowly. If I only had one sleeve or something, if the sweater was getting full points, I’d have given up by now, but because I’m managing a win here and there, it makes me all smug and hopeful.
I have a front and a half to go, and the button bands, and to block it and sew it up and come up with buttons, and it is Tuesday afternoon. Thursday night is when it needs doing by – if it’s going with me on the Book Tour – and then I sort of wonder if maybe I’m really just trying to distract myself from the book tour itself. If I just keep talking about the Rhinebeck sweater and going to Rhinebeck and don’t really discuss the fact that Rhinebeck marks the beginning of two really thrilling, exciting, lucky and incredibly difficult weeks, then maybe I can just keep sitting here, knitting away madly, losing really slowly, when I should really be thinking about what the hell you take to wear on a two week book tour when you’re not really the sort of woman who owns that many pairs of underpants. Or tops. Or pants. I don’t have to worry about how anxious that much travel makes me, how I’m perpetually in a state of cramps because I worry about delayed/missing planes, how I worry nobody will like the book, how the reviews will start coming at the same time as I put my bum on a plane, allegedly in that sweater, all while worrying about whether or not there will be media, and knowing that the publisher hopes there will be, and I do too-because I do like doing this for a living, but at the same time, I wonder what on earth I’ll say to the media if any of them did show up. I could be worrying about leaving my family, about the exhaustion that travelling every day breeds, how by the end of the first week I’m almost always a wild animal that would fight to the death for a cup of coffee in some random airport, and how not sleeping in the same bed for even two nights in a row makes it really, really hard to remember where you are and where the bathroom is when you wake up in the middle of the night. I could be worrying about how I hope none of that shows at the events, because I really do like that part, and especially love meeting all of you and finding out who’s out there, and seeing people who’re coming back for the another visit, and seeing all the stuff everyone has knit and really, really hoping that the fact that I will be really stupidly tired at some point will somehow translate into some sort of gratitude and grace, because that’s what I really want to show all of you, despite having airport pretzels on my pants.
I could worry about all of that. Or I could knit, because I really do want to have a Rhinebeck sweater, and after all – it might be possible yet.
Woohoo!! First!
Okay, that was a fluke. It’s like a run–it’s hard, but it doesn’t get harder. I think you taught us that, right?
GO STEPH!! You can do it!!!
Who says you can’t take the mostly finished sweater with you and finish it on the road – in all those spare hours of free time you always have on tours???
On the other hand: Knit, Stephanie, knit! We’re all pulling for you.
I say bring it along and knit at your talks, and/or let some of us your loving fans take you away somewhere while you are in our towns (Chicago) …for a massage or quiet walk or just quiet time with other knitters…
Knit on the plane, block in hotels, you can do it!!! Go for it!
There may even be a growler of Cape Cod Beer waiting for you in Rhinebeck as added incentive.
If you don’t finish, just tell everyone you’re wearing it, and look at us funny when we can’t see it.
(Yes, I’m going. See you there. Probably from really far away.)
I’ve done that crazy travel thing too. It IS exhausting. Have you posted dates/cities yet? Oh, should I pre-order the Kindle version of your new book, or you going to do the audio version for this one?
Best of luck on the tour AND the sweater.
There are a couple of things to keep in mind:
1 – you are a smallish person, so less to knit
2 – you knit like the wind!
3 – if you don’t finish, it will be a “bonus” for folks who are later on the book tour — we didn’t get you first, but we get the sweater…
You can do it!
Euchre! Woo hoo! I knew there was something I liked about you……aside from your writing; your splendid sense of humo(u)r; your obvious thoughtfulness as it pertains to your fellow (wo)man; your keen eye for awesome knitting patterns; your sharing of your family with all of us…..and everything else I have missed. Euchre is the bomb!
To my mind, you seem to be a lot better off knitting than you would if engaging in all that fruitless worrying. Go, Harlot, go! Knit on to maintain your inner peace.
Go back & read your archives. You do this to yourself everytime you’ve got a Rhinebeck sweater &/or a book tour. You’ll be fine. You always are.
Well on a positive note you have your PASSPORT.
Hope springs eternal. Good luck with the sweater and the book tour! Sorry to see you aren’t coming near Denver. 🙁
You got this.
I am just starting the second sleeve (cabled) of my Harriet sweater. If I end up wearing one sleeved sweater to Rhinebeck I will come look you up so maybe you’ll feel in good company.
When I’m almost at the end of a project, I think I’ve got way less to do than I actually do. I blame the endorphins I get when I actually finish a project. I would do anything to get those lovely endorphins, so I delude myself that I’m almost there. Just a little more! Then I realize it’s midnight and I have work the next day and I’ve still got to weave in ends and do the damned button band and wash and block.
Knit, Stephanie. You have your passport and you can always buy knickers at an airport if there’s no running water in your hotel for the hand washing or you have the sink filled up with This Year’s Rhinebeck Sweater.
You’ve made much more progress on that sweater than I have on a really basic scarf, and in far less time. If anyone can finish it, I believe you can. (It wouldn’t be the first knit item you’ve blocked in a hotel room.) Plus, the race to the finish will provide you with blog fodder and book tour talk fodder — and a lovely sweater.
Something to make you feel smug again, I hope: My swatch LIED. LIED, LIED, LIED. Instead of having a finished handspun, hand-dyed, hand-knit sweater to wear to Rhinebeck, I shall be frogging a finished sweater this week and starting all over again. In what I hope will be a size that fits me.
Remind me again just why we like knitting so much?
The difference between a sweater and a cardigan rears its head – I was sitting here thinking, it’s a sweater, she’s done both sleeves, the back and half the front, so all she’s got left is half the front and neckband. Easy peasy for a speedy knitter like her! Oops. Fingers crossed, and enjoy Rhinebeck, with or without a knitted garment of special joy 🙂
You don’t need that many clothes if you are going to be on the move — not many people will see you twice. Just make sure you have washable/overnight drying clothes. Good luck on the tour. You’ll finish the sweater – you always do. I’ll see you there.
You can do it!!! And maybe, just maybe, I will see you when I am on vacation in Seattle on October 27 in my (as yet) newly completed sweater as well. I should probably knit the sleeves than.
You can do it!!! It looks beautiful so far— What a great fall color. Good luck on the tour. I know you will be fantastic.
Lemme know if you want to use my washer/dryer when you’re in Austin.
I would argue that you aren’t losing slowly. That sweater looks like it will be lovely and snuggly, no matter when you finish it.
You just might be winning more slowly than you intended.
b-r-e-a-t-h-e, stephanie. it’ll be ok:
hotels have steam irons, so maybe a full-bath-and-pin-out-for-days blocking won’t be necessary, just a little steamy coaxing.
consider a temporary (or permanent) modification: crochet a narrow border rather than knitting a true button band and brazenly wear gwendolyn buttonless.
also, if i can manage a MONTH in mexico with only a carry-on and just two pairs of handmade socks, you can deal with the undies problem. (hint: nylon underwear plus hotel hair dryer.)
have a great tour! (any hope of a later visit to indianapolis? you STILL haven’t seen the children’s museum’s dinosaurs, y’know.)
See, for me this is a win-win. Either you finish the sweater at the absolute very last possible second and have to ask random strangers at the airport if they have any cute spare buttons (very entertaining), or you don’t finish and suddenly you have to pack for two weeks on the road in five minutes complete with bra (also very entertaining).
No problems here. Carry on.
Good luck in your endeavor – I’ve never completed anything in time to wear to Rhinebeck, so hence, no hand knits are worn at all!!! See you there!!
I look forward to seeing you modeling your sweater at Rhinebeck! I am confident that you will compete it in plenty of time. You are the fastest knitter I know!
Blogless Mary Lou
I’ve seen you pull it out of the fire in less time so I have complete faith in you. Plus, you could still wear it without a button band. It would be an interesting way to carry your WIP but it would totally work.
Tell the media your stuff about how there are more knitters than golfers. I’m tired of people thinking knitters are so rare and remarkable.
And for the hotel bathroom? I have to leave the light on and leave the door open a crack. Helps a lot in orienting yourself in the dark.
That is all the wisdom I have today. It may be all the wisdom I have period. Ah well.
Hey Steph- finish the sweater on the plane if you have to! And don’t worry about a thing, except for your passport, which I am sure will stay glued to you forevermore. Have a wonderful trip; wish I could show up at one of your events but I am in the midst of mine. May there always be cheese in your sandwiches.
I love that you play Euchre! I’m a transplant from Michigan now in New England and all I want to do sometimes is Euch it up but can never find three other people willing to learn.
For you, it is totally possible. You might have to sew it together on the plane, but you can do this!
Have you seen Pearson lately? You’ve got loads of time!
Oh, gosh, my brain is gone. I meant the knitting, not the worrying. Do the knitting! Onward and upward, and you’ll be fine. I think you need it to take your mind off the other stuff… That’s just too much.
If anyone can finish that sweater, it’ll be you!
Knit like the wind! You can doooo eeeet!
For once, Stephanie, do yourself a favour, relax, and take the sweater with you as a project on the go (it can’t take up that much room–you’re little, right?) Everyone will love to see you working on it.
More important, everyone will love to see and hear you. You’re what matters, not finishing the damned sweater, even if it is gorgeous.
You can do it, Stephanie! Don’t worry about packing…you can buy clothes when you get there – just KNIT!
You can do it!
I recommend packing some powder detergent. Because, that way, you don’t have to worry about what to pack. As you point out, you aren’t staying anywhere more than a day so it won’t even matter if you wear the same outfit two days in a row.
And the sweater is lovely. Though I may be on the Stoppers team for my wedding planning which is, incidently, in two weeks.
Wow!!!
Do whatever it takes to stay calm(ish) and relatively sane. As good as going on tour to promote the book that you wrote AND is published sounds, two weeks of perpetual travel does not sound all that great. Enjoy what you can… knit what you want.
You need a nice, longish LATE calm night with some beer and dark chocolate and reruns of Stargate or Dr. who or something to keep you happy and going. You can sleep on the plane. (OK, I am joking, since no one actually sleeps on a plane except the guy with adnoids who wants to lean on your shoulder, but one can always dream…)
So -missy- you are a wonderful knitter if you finish it by Rhinebeck or not but would selfishly love to see it at Powell’s. Take lots of vitamins and huge hugs sent your way for a wonderful Book Tour. Personally your book is my Christmas gift to many of may family as I know it will be wonderful.
I didn’t know Canadians played Euchre too. I’ve found that drinking decreases Euchre performance, and it is surprisingly easy to teach Chinese people Euchre. It’s like some poker game there.
You aren’t delusional. Finishing that sweater is totally in reach. You can intersperse packing with rows of front. The neckline makes it shorter work than the back. : )
Molly : )
I believe the trick is to pretend it is Christmas and knit like a fiend. You may not actually finish, but then, it would be just like Christmas, eh? And foibles are rather charming sometimes.
Good luck!
If there’s anything we can bring you, please let us know. We can show up with beer, coffee, alpaca….
Knit like the wind! And if you don’t have it finished when you leave, take it with you and finish it on the road (although I can’t quite figure out how you are going to block it on the road — maybe steam block it?). And then when you finally wear it at a book event, everyone will cheer like mad!
My husband and I argue over this all the time. My husband says he is an optimist with that glint in his eye hinting that he thinks (therefore) that I must be a pessimist. To which I reply,”Realist, dear”. I think you can be both, though, so choose to hope for the very best, and, well… prepare to wear an old sweater 😉
I really really really want to see you when you are at Barnes & Noble in Old Orchard (Chicago) because I am always one day early or late to the events you have been at for the last 2 years!
But i cannot deny that my son will be coming home on a pre-deployment visit starting on the exact day (Oct 20) that you will be so close to my home. Makes an adult woman want to cry!
Good luck on your tour, my knitting friend! You will be fabulously gloriously successful! We all love you and want to see you succeed.
Blessings.
YOU CAN DO IT!!!! No eating or sleeping—just knitting and drinking (must keep hydrated!)
I can hardly wait to see it–you are a speed knitter after all:):):)
There’s more to California than Los Angeles – like Sacramento for example. Yes, Sacramento (bloody hot in the summer and no snow in the winter). What a great idea to bring yourself and your charming new book to Sacramento some time. Think about it please. (Sacramento, Sacramento, Sacramento)
GO GO GO !!!!!!!!!
For goodness’ sake, if you’re going to have to stay up all night to finish this thing (and we all can see that you want to :-0) don’t wait till Wednesday to do it. Go ahead and do it tonight, then you have time to make up sleep and take care of all those other last-minute things. Good luck! I’m off to look at your tour schedule now. I missed you when I lived near Seattle, then again when I lived in Chicago. Hope you’re coming to San Antonio!
I have no doubt you will win. But just in case, do you have a sweater already knit as a back-up ; )?
you’ve always looked put together when i’ve seen you, which means either a) you’re lying and you know how to look good b) you might have been bad at looking good at some point, but you’ve gotten better at this or c) i have really low standards.
i think i like b best, don’t you?
thanks for giving me hope on the sweater front since i still have yarn TO SPIN for my vest.
i’m still hopeful.
Everyone will love the book, don’t panic.
Also, you’re really good at these things – I saw you in London and you rocked it. Speaking of which, any plans to visit the UK again? (Sorry, the idea alone will probably give you anxiety dreams!)
Take it with you – this is what you do and part of who you are. Oh – I love the book even though I haven’t read it yet!!! I have Barnes & Noble on notice that my copy better be there when received on 10-18. Can’t wait!!!!!!
I have preordered the book as have many others. You will have the sweater knitted in time because that is who you are. Euchre is a great game that I get to play only when I go back to the midwest to visit family. I miss it! No one knows what it is in California….
Just remember that all along that book tour there are knitters who would be more than happy to loan you anything you need. Wish I wasn’t going to miss you in Dallas, I so enjoyed listening to your last talk here. It will be a wonderful trip, just as I’m sure it is a wonderful book. I am headed off tomorrow to pre-buy one for you to sign while you are here!
I second the comments to just bring the sweater with you and finish it along the way. One lucky city will get the debut. On another note, I checked your tour schedule and don’t see any stops in Michigan. I hope you will make it to Ann Arbor or somewhere close. I’l wait to buy the book from whichever local bookstore sponsors your travel here.
You can do it SuperKnitter! Why not go ahead and block all the parts you have ready now and steam block the last front tomorrow? Or just steam block them all tomorrow and sew them up. Well, it will be fun to see how it comes out. See you in Seattle, on tour!
It’s only a little knitting. You can do it. Just keep at it, and keep your mind 100% occupied with it. After all, knitting is better than fretting. Ask me how I know…
You can do it.
May the knittin gods be with you to finish your sweater in record time. It is very beautiful.
As for the book…..they will LoVE it! As a lucky Canadian who got one of the 1st scores. I’m still laughing and my sides now really hurt. Safe travels Stephanie.
See you at Brookline Booksmith!
Your kharma count is huge !! see all the comments above and feel the love. And to quote another lovely lady “Knit on, with confidence and hope, through all crises”
Oh, we’re supposed to wear something we knitted when we see you on tour? Nine days and knitting (like mad).
“airplane pretzels on my pants”
Another Harlot image forever in my brain.
Sweater or no sweater, your next couple of weeks are full tilt! May someone meet you every day with a large cuppa in the morning and a large glass of wine in the evening. May there be abundant chocolate to eat and babies and socks to hold and hug. All will be well because you are, after all, the Yarn Harlot. She can do anything. So the sweater will probably be finished in time, too. Love Gwendolyn. Will have to try it myself sometime, once I can manage to knit a sweater that fits.
Like Val, please know my washer/dryer is yours when you’re in Baltimore. And my charming children would load it up for you and make it go. They even know not to toss in the handknits!
Oh, I miss playing Euchre. It was such an institution where I grew up in Indiana, and here in NJ people have never heard of it.
Just thought I would leave a comment from a not very experienced knitter who really enjoys your books and blog – holey moley – it would take me a year (maybe) to knit a sweater that complicated and beautiful so maybe cut yourself some slack…looks like when it is finished it will be something wonderful and so maybe it doesn’t matter if it is finished by Thursday (maybe).
I AM COMING TO SEE YOU IN CHICAGO!!! I AM SO EXCITED IT! It’s TOTALLY on my Google calendar…
Love the sweater, the colorway and yarn!!! I’m adding it to my queue. Many thanks for a wonderful idea for a sweater.
You know you’re going to complete this sweater with some fabulous finish that will leave the rest of gasping in awe and astonishment. And perhaps wondering about your sanity…
I’m still sad that I won’t see you, but to distract you from all of the what ifs… could I convince you to share your recipe for the muffins mentioned in Twitter? And I’m also curious about these brussel sprouts that are a “must” for Thanksgiving… do you roast them?
You know you’re going to complete this sweater with some fabulous finish that will leave the rest of us gasping in awe and astonishment. And perhaps wondering about your sanity…
Ask someone to get you a night light for the bathroom. . .
Doesn’t it have a hood?
If anyone can conquer this sweater, it is you.
May your travels be peace filled and deeply satisfying.
Really, really looking forward to seeing you in Pasadena! As someone who travels alot for work, I want you to know the bookstore you’re speaking at is right across the street from a large Target store. And you know what they sell there, right? Very large packages of colorful underwear. You’re covered, literally.
Ogden Nash rocks. My dad had all of his writings. The sweater – I have faith in you. As for the book, it is terrific. Don’t worry, if (when) you write it, they will come.
OOOOH. I love euchre! Wish I were going to be home when you come to STL and Left Bank Books (going to Philly for a getaway with my daughters). I’d say,”knit the sweater; forget the packing; when you come to St Lou, I’ll take you to all the best Goodwills and resale shops for wardrobe replenishing” (except for the undies, of course). Have so much fun!
But my dear Harlotta, you will be coming to Baltimore next Wednesday in those two weeks. And we will be there. And we don’t care if the cardigan comes or if your hair is combed. We LOVE to hear you speak.
For years, I thought that euchre was just a midwestern US thing – I had no idea you have it up there in Canada. There’s no better feeling that having a game-winning loner to snatch victory from your opponents.
Who needs a sweater when you have your beautiful gray and white shawl? (Which will look lovely with your charming knitted skirt.) Did you forget to put Ohio on your tour?? We LOVE to knit in Ohio.
I already ordered your book so you have a check in the plus column – and you should go buy more underpants! Then you will have one less thing to worry about! Enjoy.
It’s a gorgeous pattern in a gorgeous color. My question for you is–what does one person do with so many sweaters? Maybe it’s because I’ve been knitting them for 20 years longer than you have, but I don’t know what to do with them all any more. I’ve given away more than I’ve kept over the years. There is no more space! And yet, I can’t stop…
You can so do this sweater.
And you know, decaf is good stuff. 🙂
You can stop worrying about finishing the sweater by the Texas portion of your book tour. It was 88 degrees Fahrenheit (31 degrees Celsius)here today. We’ll all be thrilled to see you no matter what!
Oh, screw the sweater. We want to see YOU. You help us laugh, cry, think, be better knitters/parents/women/citizens. I am sorry to see us all you have to haul your exhausted behind around the whole damn continent….but let me tell you something:
After working 32 hours of nights this week in a NICU, attending a full day conference on breastfeeding and psychoneuroimmunology, co parenting a child with fevers up to 42 degrees C, cleaning guinea pig cages, and frantically knitting my heart out to finish an Aidez, well the mere thought of getting to lay eyes on you and thank you for what you mean to our community is keeping me upright. You couldn’t disappoint. No. Really. See you Saturday (and apologies in advance if I fall asleep in mid sentence).
i’ve seen you pull off crazier stunts in less time. you can do it!!
P.S. If you want a small detour to Vermont, we will wash your underpants for you and feed you cider doughnuts after you nap.
Have a good trip, your sweater is great, and take a battery operated candle to put in the bathroom as a night light.
Wish you were touring somewhere near Ottawa……..
I hate knitting on deadline, but I always get a lot more done. I bet you finish (just in the nick of time)
I cannot wait to read the rest of the book. The part you read in Detroit was superb. Even if that was the only good part, I know your book will be another great read. I love what you do for a living.
And Gwendolyn, you’ll get it done. You work miracles with yarn. It’s just a sweater, not like a baby garment every day.
When oh when are you going to start taking yourself seriously, Stephanie? You knit wonderful things. You knit quickly and evenly. You write books full of humor (humour) and knowledge. You are loved by, what, several thousand people around THE WORLD. Take a deep breath and remember that YOU ARE LOVED!
I burst out laughing and smiling over and over reading that. Pants pretzels! Love it! Thank you for putting yourself out into the Universe the way you do–laughter is love carried on the air currents. It’ll be a breeze.
Go for it, Knit like the wind…. you just might make it.
Whether you show up wearing the sweater, working on the sweater or, in the face of all evidence to the contrary, denying that there ever WAS a sweater…it won’t matter a whit. People will be delighted to see you.
Take a deep breath, get some sleep and have a wonderful trip!
It seems to me that you could call the sweater Buford and it would be lovely whenever you finished it. Your name could be Esmerelda Fink Woodcock and I would still read every word you write, and ooh-ah over your knitting and doings for just the same reason. Thank you for your loveliness. No bullmuck.
And to think that you took all that time out to write such a long post just for us! Thanks, mwah!
Stop blogging. Keep knitting. We’ll celebrate with you when you post pictures of you in the completed sweater at Rhinebeck.
You know your recipe for washing handknits, complete with wrapping them in a towel and standing on them to get most of the water out?
It also TOTALLY works for undies!
Have a wonderful Rhinebeck and a super tour and I do hope it isn’t as bad as it sounds. Try to remember everyone who comes to see you loves you and is totally thrilled to be there. Sweater or no sweater.
In what universe can knitting a sweater like that be considered ‘losing’?
P.S. I preordered your new book on Kindle. Money for new undies coming your way 😉
Knit on woman! It will all come out alright one way or the other. The book will sell, people will come to see/hear/meet you and two weeks will be over in a flash.
The sweater, by the way, is looking amazing!
Knit beaded lace on planes, block in hotel rooms, and knit beaded lace and sew buttons on while waiting for my next flight. That’s what I’ve done on normal work travel which doesn’t rely upon me wearing a knit-by-me garment while I give my seminar. That’s just what I’ve done on normal work-related travel to get my Mom’s birthday sweater done. So if I can do that (after all, a last-minute birthday gift can always be substituted and the sweater given for Christmas), you CAN do this. And I’ve had the chance to see you knit in person — you knit about 20% faster than I do. CAN DO, mon vieux!
I do have a suggestion for you. About seven years ago I invested a modest amount of money in a wrinkle-proof travel wardrobe. It consists of a black and moss green knit jersey skirt, a pair of slacks, an unstructured jacket and a t-style top — each item is reversible, and it came with an alternate top, sleeveless, also reversible, with a teal/moss print on one side and a rust/moss print on the other. Other color combos were available but I chose that one because it looks best on me. The set, which I found at SteinMart, set me back about $150 but I have found it indispensable for travel and it has lasted me for years. I generally pack those five items — yes, five! — and add a shawl and a couple of coordinating sweaters for winter travel. Toss in underwear, toiletries, etc. and I can pack for a week in my carry-on bag. I wear jeans and a seasonally appropriate shirt, jacket whatever for the actual train or plane travel. I immediately wash my travel wardrobe upon returning home and hang it all together in a plastic garment bag from the dollar store until it is needed again. As I am normally a jeans-and-top kind of gal, because my job does not require a polished, professional look, this little wardrobe has saved my sanity more times than I can count. Seriously, give such a travel combo some thought.
Keeping my fingers crossed for you. I have started my holiday knitting. Only three sweaters and five pair of socks and a couple of scarves to go! :-/
Hello,
You can do it on the sweater. Just relax and enjoy the knit and it will fly by in no time. Worry is pointless.
How about if everyone who goes to the book signing brings Stephanie a new, clean pair of undies? Wouldn’t it be funny if you got 500 pairs?
Enjoy your trip…
Julie
Sort of off topic, but are you going to record an audio version of the new book? Please say yes!
The tour will happen anyway, whether you’re ready or not. The sweater, on the other hand, won’t knit itself.
Displacement activity – don’t knock it. It’s the only way I ever clean the cupboard under the sink although I have to be avoiding something really difficult to stoop that low.
I believe that underwear will be sold everywhere you’re touring. Maybe you could start having knitters throw panties onto the stage? Perhaps Tom Jones started with a bad tour-packing experience and it just grew.
Sigh! Euchre! Played about four-six times a year for 15 years and then the other team divorced. Miss it and them. (We’re Californians. The other team taught us, but have no idea where he got it. And that guy wouldn’t play anything else.)
i second what christie said at 9:33 p.m. i work across the street from the BEST cider donut shop in vermont and i’ll buy you your very own dozen. (then you can have cider donuts on your pants instead of airplane pretzels.)
Delusional knitting seems like a perfectly sane way to deal with pre travel jitters. Maybe you’ll get it all done with the exception of the buttons, and you can buy some great buttons on your trip. But do grab a bag of socks/knitting from the stash closet (or two) for your trip. You know you’re going to need airport knitting….
I still think it’s totally doable. If you finished the first front last night then today you need to train your cat to put things in your suitcase for you while you look on supervising and knitting the second front. Then grab a plastic needle to sew up on the plane and a bit of hotel iron steam when you arrive and there you go. Good Luck!
Steph…
Bring your exhaustion, worry frustration, undone sweater and pretzel pants to Rhinebeck! We will all give you a group hug and make everything okay…although, we may have to pass on the helping get that sweater done…so quite fretting and KNIT!!
Hurry! You can do it!
You can do it. You always have. Although writing about it is half the fun. Love the colors and cables! Never give up!
Just put down the sweater and walk away. You’re already so stressed that you don’t need the pressure. Sit back, have a cup of tea, and think about the sweater being ready for Christmas. Then pack your bags for your glorious book tour. You’ll be glad you did.
I have full confidence that you will have the sweater done, BUT just in case you don’t–take it on the plane (bring buttons) and maybe you might get it done on the trip. This gives you the opportunity to “show & tell”. Your fans would love to see your work-in-progress. Anyway, lots of good luck; have a great trip!!
What wonderful love and support you have from us all. I agree with the suggestions to take it on the road and block it as you travel. Harder? Yes. But this way, if you’re not quite done, you haven’t surrendered! hahaha
Happy Touring…I really enjoy your books! Thanks for sharing yourself with us!
looking forward to seeing you in Austin — although i don’t think it will be cool enough here for the sweater! so no worries.
Sometimes, in strange hotel rooms, I leave the bathroom light on, and close the door so that only a little crack of light shows out. That way, when I wake up in the night, my eyes will be drawn to that sliver of light and I can know immediately, even in the fog of sleep, which direction to move when I wake up needing to be in that room.
(I hate hotel rooms that are set up so that sliver of light shines in my eyes when I sleep…that makes for a tougher decision about how to manage…annoying light v. total disorientation…sigh…)
It might not be cool enough to wear your sweater in Austin but, finished or not, bring it anyway. We would love to see it! Can’t wait to meet you!
It will be so cool to see you again in St. Louis, whether or not you are wearing your new sweater!
As much as it might only be sort of maybe possible for you to finish the sweater for Rhinebeck, it is always nice to be hopeful rather than a killjoy or curmudgeon. I wove in 560+ ends in 5 days last week. I thought it would take many days more, but my ability to zone into the project meant I finished that much sooner. Anything is possible!
If you don’t get it finished, at least you’ve got a really good head start on next year’s sweater 😉
I am hoping I can come out and see you (and your new book) at Powell’s in Portland. Good luck and safe travels.
Late, but–you could block it and seam it before knitting the buttonbands, theoretically, thus making it possible to take it with you without having to block or seam on the road.
Hey Steph!
Tilley (Made in Canada!) makes excellent travel underwear that dries overnight in your hotel room. http://www.tilley.com/Women.aspx
Expensive, but might be a good investment for your travels, and you’d only need to pack 2 pairs.
Maybe if your sweater is not quite finished, you could delight your audience with a WIP, where each stop would have a little more done, until you finished during your trip. Happy Travels, and thanks in advance for the new book.
You could finish the sweater with invisible thread (this really exists. I know. It’s at Vogue Fabrics near me). You’d have to wear something underneath of course. But you’d be wearing it! Then when you’re really really ready to seam it. Out comes the invisible thread! IN goes the real matching yarn!
Yes – I concur with the solution to the underwear dilemma: either the Tilley undies – or 2 pr. of SILK ones from staplesonline.com in beautiful Vancouver. Pricey, but they’ll spoil you…dry overnight…AND take up virtually NO room in your luggage!
I find that knitting does help to keep your mind off of the more pressing and more stressful things in life 🙂 Good luck with the sweater, I have faith that you can pull it off in time.
Silly, that’s like saying “I’m not living; I’m just dying slowly.” I mean, my goodness, you’re still knitting, right, it’s not so bad.
I played the devil’s advocate and told you that I solved my Rhinebeck dilemma by CROCHETING a shawl. I must now tell you that I am seriously impressed by your progress, and I will be very surprised if I don’t see that sweater in person at Rhinebeck. You have an extra day since I will be there on Sunday. Don’t give up!
Steph, I can’t believe that you actually worry about nobody liking your book. You are a fantastic writer, you have made the NY Times bestseller list, and you entertain us constantly. I pre-order your books as soon as I hear they are coming out and I have no doubt that the next will be just as wonderful as all the others.
Oh man, do I miss Euchre. Hardly anyone out east plays it, or even knows what we’re talking about. Luckily there’s another Ontarian expat family close by and we get together to accuse each other of table talk and trumping each other’s aces.
Oh, now I want to play euchre! No one here in Atlanta plays. Not fair of you to bring it up and flaunt your loner!
I’ve found knitting to be a stress reliever, so as you meet all those new people and the stress takes over KNIT! and before you know it, your sweater will be done.
Very interesting points. Thanks!
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You have not traveled too much until you arrive at an airport, stare at the departures board, and a)cannot remember what city you are currently in and b)cannot remember the city to which you are heading. That’s when you know you are overscheduled.
Have fun!
Is Euchre popular in Canada? I have never heard of it before I moved to Cleveland (back in 99 when I started college), but it’s pretty popular here. My husband loves it, but he went to high school in the Akron area.
Have fun at Rhinebeck! We went last year for the 1st time, but have to miss this year because we have a wedding to attend tomorrow. (I’m not sure why she didn’t notice this conflict a year ago. 😉 Eh, non-knitters.)
Don’t worry about the sweater. It’s 90 today in LA and i hear you’re coming this way