April 2, 2007

Cleveland Rocks

Writing this from the airport in Detroit, though I can hardly tell where I am or what I'm doing anymore. (I'll probably hit "post" on this badboy when I make my way to a hotel tonight....and boy, do I hope that hotel is in Chicago. (There's a story in there, about the relationship I've had with the city of Chicago and it's distance from Detroit over the last 24 hours, but it will wait for the next post, I'm trying to stay in order. I'm sure all the Ann Arbour knitters know just what I mean. There's a huge post coming about it, the experience will take me time to write about. It takes time before some things are funny...if you know what I mean. ) Where was I? Cleveland. Right.
(I feel badly about how out of control my note taking is... Not enough sleep, I think.) I had a drive from Pittsburgh to Cleveland, and arrived to the hotel with just enough time to sigh hopelessly at my hair, gaze fondly at the bathtub and shoot out the door again. I did a quick interview at the bookstore with Northcoast Moms and then tried to gather myself. There was some excited muttering from the staff about "books" and "chairs"....and then I staggered to the mike. Behold. The knitters of Cleveland.

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You will note, as the Cleveland knitters predicted, that they are less blurry than Pittsburgh. (Not that I'm keeping track or anything, but I'm sensing a little Cleveland/Pittsburgh rivalry there...) They were and awesome crowd, and even though they were short a few seats for them, they were goodnatured and funny. (I felt badly for the lady from Joseph-Beth. Every time a knitter said "you don't have enough chairs...she said " These are ALL OUR CHAIRS!" They were even scrounging chairs from the staff room.)
Meet Rebecca....

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and Sara

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both contributing "Ohio" washcloths to my "States in the US washcloth collection. (Try explaining that to people. Try explaining that you think it's hysterically funny...not strange.) Here's Shannon Okey and Heather Brack.

...both of whom appear dreadfully pained. Sorry about that.
Here's Lisa...

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our sacred and fabulous hat lady for Cleveland...(I still need people to take charge of the hats in other cities...anyone? ) Lisa sent me this picture of the hats Cleveland knitters contributed....

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Dudes. You rock. (We knew that. It's Cleveland.) They are ridiculously beautiful. I love the idea of someone who has nothing else owning something this beautiful. One of the saddest things about being poor is that everything you own (if you own anything) is discarded crap that nobody else wanted. Imagine owning a hat as beautiful as this that someone else made for you? It would feel fantastic, as well as keep you warm. Lisa's address is on the represent page, and she would be happy to keep accepting hats, should you wish to send them to her.
Here's Sue

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and Elaine brought her powerful first sock mojo.

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(What is up with all the fabulous first socks? My fist sock resembled larvae.) Here's a design hero of mine:

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Anne Hanson. (If you don't know her designs, go look. Everything around her is beautiful. She knits beautifully, she breathes beautifully. When I grow up I want to be Anne.)
Behold the wonder that is Jean and her snowdrop shawl.

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It's a real pity that this picture doesn't show you how beautiful the yarn is. Jean dyed it herself and it's just stunning. I'm constantly surprised by the talent of knitters. I can't believe that we look normal to other people. Don't you think there should be a faint golden glow around all the best of you? (The Snowdrop shawl is a free pattern in my sidebar. Look on the right of this page.)

I had a wonderful time...and there were tons of bloggers there that lack of sleep won't let me remember. Shout out in the comments, will you? I can't do the linking or I won't be able to get up at 3:30am to do the interview I've got. (A moment of silence for what it takes for someone like me to get up at THREE THIRTY AM would be appropriate here. I swear I am not built for this. I am more likely to be up at 3:30am because I have not gone to bed yet than I am to be up because I am...well. UP. )

After the signing I allowed myself to be kidnapped by Shannon. She seemed like she had a good plan....admittedly, I didn't really ask her what the plan was, I just heard the word "beer" and decided to get in her car. Shannon drove me across town to Cleveland proper, and on the way we picked up Annie Modesitt (!) and Lily Chin (!!) and we headed for dinner. I instructed this coterie of knitters that I needed to be a very good girl, since I had to be up at 3AM the next morning to catch a flight (oh...the humanity) and I didn't let them corrupt me. On the way to dinner I realized that I didn't have a great Cleveland sock picture. What could I show the sock? Night was falling...darkness was coming and try as I might to carpe diem and stick the sock out the window of the car...inspiration did not strike. Well. It didn't strike me. It struck Annie.

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Yo. Knitters in the alps of Cleveland. There's Annie and Shannon, really getting the hang of the gentle art of the sock picture. (It is there...clutched in Annie's hand.) Annie is yodelling...Shannon is...I suppose she's frolicking in a Heidi-esque manner...and Lily?

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Lily was not playing along. (Lily is a New Yorker. They do not frolic in the mock alps with silly knitters and socks. They certainly don't let other knitters take pictures of it.) I told her that if she didn't play along, then this would be the picture. Lily makes her own choices.)

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I think we may have scared her.
I had a single beer, was back in the room by 9:30, my head on the pillow by 10:00. Good thing too...since the next day was....

Challenging. Thanks Cleveland!

Posted by Stephanie at April 2, 2007 6:12 PM