Wow, looks like you had a wonderful time! Glad to have you back home safe.

welcome home? or onto the next glamorous destination?

oooh.... mountains. I'm so jealous, I'm in florida, flat as flat can be. We just have palm trees. Plain old UGLY palm trees. I have to say though, for beauty, the blue ridge mountains in VA are quite a sight! I miss them VERY much.

I'm glad your retreat went well. I wish I had time to do stuff like that. ::sigh:: Maybe for my 30th next year! =^)

Sounds like a fun time. Love the idea of the toe tattoo!

Ah, I love Banff! The view from the hot springs is one of my all-time faves.

I never would have thought I would want a tatoo, till now, how funny and clever. Maybe I should try a fake one first and see what I think.

The sock tattoo idea is pure genius, and your new socks? Mesmerizing. Whoa...

Hi, I live and work in Calgary and the wall of windows in front of my cubicle at work faces west. The view of the mountains is pretty much unobstructed except for a few light poles. Mornings give the best view when the sun hits them. I think it's time for a drive to Banff or at least Canmore for a better view. Sounds like you had a fabulous weekend. Sigh.

Sounds like you had a fabulous time and what a gorgeous place!

Looks like you had a lot fun! The tattoo is a great idea.

*Love* those sock shots (all of them) and the wondeful view of the moountains - so pretty!

Looks like a splendid weekend. Perhaps you can get people to chant like that at your readings. :)

Long-time reader, first-time commenter. I had to come out of my lurking shadows to let you know how homesick you're making me! I grew up in Calgary and Invermere, which is a mountain town, and it's the geography I miss more than anything else.

PS: love your blog!

A-yup, those are mountains.

Love the tattoos, but I wear sandals too much for those to be useful and attractive haha. Glad to hear you had fun.

Love the idea of tattoos on the toes, to know when to decrease - but I'm a toe-up sort, so I'd need to have lines drawn further back. My issue is that I'm never sure where to start working the heel!

Toe tattoo! Brilliant!

Jealous of trip, mountain views, and finished socks.

"Right to left (the way knitters do it)" hey there! Don't forget us lefty-knits! We do it left to right, just like writers! (and they're not so bad, are they?)

Love the toe tattoo idea.

The Rockies are so gorgeous. I'm a little jealous. (Ok, a lot jealous.)

Awesome Mountains....I wanna go see them....*pout* and Colleen, how in the world do you get any work done????

I've heard people refer to the Catskills as "elaborate hills." Sounds reasonable to me.

I'm glad you had such a great time, and that you enjoyed Banff so much. I think you should seriously give thought to applying for an arts or writing residency at the Banff Centre for the Arts. I go up there for the short-term residencies and spend all my time looking out the window instead of writing.

It looks like you had a great time! Love the tattoos!(and the pedicures were lovely.) Congrats on such even striping on the socks.

Banff is wonderful. DH and I took a cross-country(s) road trip a few years back - west through the US and east through Canada. Banff and Jasper and all the sites in between (Lake Louise, the glacier whose name I can't remember, the lake that looks like a dog's head) were definitely a highlight. In the summer it doesn't start getting dark until 10pm, and there's so much to do before then. We had a blast. Have you never taken a vacation there? It's well worth the trip.

It looks like a fabulous time was had by all. I do hope one day to see the mountains of Canada. They do give the mountains of Utah a run for their money.

Hey Harlot,
Thanks for comming all the way to the Mountians and teaching us all the wonderful things. I'm still working on my 21-Day-Harlot-tastic-speed-knitting challenge. So far so good, and I have a few new hand muscles to show for the experience. I wish I could have spent more time talking with you, but I was trying not to be too stalkerish. I know by talking to the other knitters, that we all loved your speed and efficency class (even if we didn't enjoy all aspects). It really opened my eyes to new techniques and anyone who has the chance to take it, really should.

PS. I hope Joe likes the beer.

WOW the mountains in your photos are just breathtaking. I'm jealous! And your new socks are lovely too -- whomever is going to be the recipient of that pair is very lucky!

Someday, I'm totally doing something like this. (Not the teaching part, the being a student at a retreat part.) That looks like so much fun...

Speaking of the mountains, did you get to go back to your friend's cabin in the summertime? (I know you were ridiculously busy this summer, but just asking.)

Are you planning another trip this winter?

will you clear up a mystery for me? I, too, have used your sock recipe using 2.25 needles, lightweight yarn, casting on 64 stitches and the socks are too big for me yet the gauge is right.
Can I decrease the amount of stitches to make them fit?

What is The Fall Retreat?

We had a fantabulous time with you! You had us all in stitches and I enjoyed having you in my yoga class.

Will never forget the interpretive dance of how knitting is like breastfeeding and your knitting and feminism topics were fascinating.

You were an integral part of a wonderful retreat!

Oh, how I love that area! And you are right...no other mountains compare...and I have seen a lot of mountains.

Awesome beautiful Mountains!

...and a place where you can really-really use some good warm socks...

Beautiful mountains, lovely socks & the knitters to go with. I think that makes it a hat trick!?

Green with Mountain Envy, here. I just showed my husband your beautiful photos and he went all misty-eyed too - we spent our honeymoon three years ago in the midst of those mountains.

I love the way that yarn striped on your socks!

So no close encounters with wildlife, then? Too bad.

And also? That's some seriously crazy intense dedication to sock knitting. Wonder what the tattoo artist thought?

[Edited to add: Do the other family members have them, too, for when they want socks?]

Wow! What gorgeous scenery (both the mountains AND the socks)!!

I thought those mountains looked sort-of familiar, having lived at the foot of the Rocky Mountains when I was a child, and boy were they awesome! Your photos brought back memories...

Thanks for the photo and comment about the toes. You helped with my secret wish for my tattoo to be semi-famous! Glad you had fun in Banff. Cheers, Tracy

Look at all the snow!!! Guess it's coming soon to Ohio! ;)

OH OH I think you have the mountain bug . I dare to say that now you will always want to go back again and again see more of them. So glad you had time for a side trip and enjoyed it all.

apart from all the fab pictures (thanks for sharing!), i just HAVE to know.... what's it like having small feet??? sigh.......

I'm pleased to report that Cookie made her flight with 3 minutes to spare before the luggage cut-off. Phew.

Your trip to Banff sounds like the Amazing Race for knitters~!

Ridiculously smart teacher makes ridiculously smart students. You rocked.
My husband however couldn't take his eyes off me knitting last night and then said "what are you doing?"
"Lever knitting - the Harlot taught us". End of conversation.

Wow! Those mountains look like they're even better than the Alps!

Best. Tattoos. EVER.

That bear has the exact look on his face that most people get when forced to hold knitted socks and they don't know why. Sheepish and friendly.

Way cool.

What an awesome trip! The Canadian Rockies are a wonder to behold. One of my absolute favourite places to be in Canada. Add knitters to the mix - heaven!

Oh, lovely! Sounds like you had an awesome time. :)

*adds Banff to the list of places to visit ASAP. :D

I love love love the Canadian Rockies. Been to Glacier NP and the Canadian Mountains are better.
Unless you get up real close to Denali, it isn't better either.

Never seen the Alps...

How did you get the stripes in your socks to match each other like that? Too cool.

Symmetrical socks are the true socks that rock-

Wow! I've never been up to the Canadian Rockies but as a Norwegian/PacificNorthwesterner I appreciate a good mountain. (tough to find here in Virginia, though the blue ridge has a serene kind of beauty)

Great socks! Love how the striping worked out.

The Rockies are gorgeous, aren't they? Looks like you had a fantastic trip.

Love those tats!

OH! Those Rocky Mountains are beautiful. I drove across America last summer and my pictures of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado and Utah don't even begin to do them Justice. Its one of those "Pinch Me" moments to see if its all really real... That was one of the most beautiful and exciting times of my life!

Thanks again for joining us this weekend. And as one of your students, I have to say I think the teacher is the one who is wicked smart. I believe what I learned on Friday (spring-loading) will help me sort out my tension issues.

Liza {who's issue is that she doesn't really have any tension~in her knitting anyway}

Um when I looked at the mountain pictures I started looking at all the glacial geology features show...sigh...only a geologist...

I really wonder if PGR ever has the same problem.

Am I allowed to be jealous? Looks like you guys had the best knitting weekend, the most fun and most definitely saw the very best mountains. Wow!! Why can't you come down this way and do likewise? I could promise you a bunch of very enthusiastic knitters........

Another place to see before I die.

Love the tattoo... except, being a toe-up gal, I need one where I start making the short-row heel.

i heard that cookie made her flight cut off by 3 minutes.. phew.

so all is well.. nancy is now teaching a wonderful class, and we here shall miss you forever. thank you for being so.. regular.

Beautiful scenery--great post. Even though I am not a fan of tattoos, those do serve a purpose and make it almost tempting. Of course, I make socks for so many others, I'd have to have ten lines on my foot. I guess the tape measure works well enough!

That picture below "The Rockies are THE mountains"? When we drove through the Rockies 20 years ago, I'm pretty sure it's the one we called it The Sleeping Dragon. Have no idea what it's actually called, but it looks like a dragon.

You have just made a Calgary girl horribly, terribly homesick with those pictures. I even have a painting of Castle Mountain in my living room here in California. Hardly desert appropriate, but it makes me smile! Glad everyone had a fun weekend, one of these days I'll get to go on a knitting adventure myself.

It makes me wish I was back there, spent a few years living/working at the Banff School of Fine Arts, theatre wardrobe department. There's nothing else like it. Glad you enjoyed the west.

This Texan has been to Banff a couple of times, but always in the summer. Love the place...You are right about the mountains - They will spoil it for any other mountains you see in your lifetime.

Love the toe-line for decreases tatoos.

Party on...

I agree. The Canadian Rockies are incredibly majestic and beautiful. I also love, with every heartbeat, the beautiful Appalachian Mountain range of the U.S. in which I live. It's very, very old. It's survived for so very long, eroding from its previous "rocky" ruggedness into the lovely, undulating and gentle folds that are so reminiscent of the Scottish Highlands. One day, these Canadian Rockies and, indeed, the U.S. Rockies will look as the Appalachians do today. Perhaps, the Appalachians will be the new Dust Belt of the U.S.

There's beauty in both. I love both.

I've been to Banff (and Jasper, etc), and you are right....they pretty much spoil you for all the other mountains you'll ever see.

Mr. T and I honeymooned in Banff and Lake Louise, so your photos are giving me great memories :) We fell in love with the area and can't wait to go back. I feel most at home around mountains and lots of yarn, of course.

Well, thank heavens you found that other sock. I was losing sleep.

Interpretive dance, dear?

I know you have been having a wonderful knitterly life and all, but no Yipees on the USA's new President-Elect? I'm still celebrating. I hope you are inside too.

WOW! Banff and the Canadian Rockies is where I head for vacation (again!!) next summer! The big question however: Did you make it to the Qiviuk store in town? Best hand knits in MUSKOX! You must return...

Those mountains are breathtaking! How awesome. Thank you. Now I have to get to Canada and see them for myself. The socks and retreat look great too.

Is there any possible way that those of us who couldn't go and be your student could learn how you knit with Speed and Efficiency? Perhaps a tutorial? I'd be willing to pay quite a few dollars....

My husband's oldest sister lived in Banff for quite a few years, and we visited her there many times. I always loved browsing through the beautiful shops in the Banff Springs Hotel, and just walking around the town enjoying the scenery, and avoiding the temperamental elk. Apparently during mating season they can be quite unpredictable and dangerous.

Holy cow!! Those ARE big mountains! And I spent several years in Denver as a kid, but Banff has their mountains beat (even though it's the same range.) What a gasp-inducing picture that first mountain pic is.

The trip sounds like it was a blast.

Gorgeous mountains, clever tattos, knitting nand knitters... sigh... I'm so envious... my knitting retreats are on the couch after dinner...

The realest of all mountains north america are in Alaska! Where you should visit and do a talk one of these days!!

Tattooed.
To tell them.
When.
To start.
Decreasing.
For the toe.

...

Genius.

Simply genius.

That bear looks like a pretty accomplished knitter. Must have been the influence of all those famous knitters in one place.

I absolutely love the Basan socks - what a perfect fall colorway!

When I got to the picture of the bear, I sort of lost it. Thankfully, I had already finished my mug of cocoa or I wouldn't have a laptop left.

That would make a great cover for your NEXT book!

Welcome home!

Are Nancy and Cookie wearing Armistice Day poppies?

Cool toes! Must have hurt though.

Amazing mountain shots. And nice to put faces to the Make One team. Nice to know you had fun up there.

Karen, those are Remembrance Day Poppies. This article on Wikki seems to be relatively accurate description:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remembrance_Day#Canada_2

I'm glad you had fun in the Rockies, lucky you! Beautiful socks? Are they Christmas knitting? Did you plan your schedule yet?

Aren't the Canadian Rockies lovely? They are really cold (-18C) in another month though. Absolutely loved them - much more craggy than the Colorado Rockies (granite vs limestone, both vs water, limestone loses).

Only seen the Rockies out of Denver and they were breathtaking there. I guess they get better further north. Show off.

I love the poppies!!!

My Father first saw the Canadian Rockies in 1956. He is still talking about them.
I bought my poppy last week on Market Street in San Francisco. So I'm ready for tomorrow.

Awww, the bear looks so happy to be holding your sock!

I spent just over a week in Canmore, Alberta,this summer, and, upon seeing your pictures wish I was back there again. Coming from a very flat section of Ontario, (and I do love Ontario) it is just so breathtaking to see the beauty of our Rockies. I was in awe and will continue to be every time I visit there.

It was great being in one of your classes at Kananaskis. Lovely to meet you, and be on the receiving end of YOUR cleverness. Your message that we knitters share passion and intelligence validates and uplifts us all. Heartfelt thanks.

I love the Sierras, but your mountains are spectacular. I've been by the beach too long, time for some mountain air.

I had the privilege of working at the Calgary Olympic Winter Games. Lake Louise, the hot springs, and especially the mountains are completely unforgettable...... it has been twenty years. (And yes, I have seen most of the US mountains. Banff has that Ansel Adams photography look when you see them in person.)

knitting is like breastfeeding! now, that's an analogy i really wanna hear! do tell!

Stephanie, what fun we had! Thanks for the great recap! I have photos of you taking photos of The Sock. Look for the blog entry in the morning. xoxox

Yes banff is gorgeous... come for a visit to Kelowna BC it is pretty gorgeous too.. we have several knitting shops...Big White & Silver star mountains ... many lakes ...over 75 wineries and golf courses..yours to explore..I'll put the wine in the fridge.. cuz Di

The mountains are amazing. Of all of the road trips I've taken in my day, (cause I am ancient) those were the best.

Oh, I am soooo jealous. I LOVE the Canadian Rocky Mts. I live amoung some pretty tall Mountains here in North Idaho,but you want BIG MTS Go to Banff, Jasper, Waterton Lakes, Lake Louise...Now those are big. Great pictures. I so wish I could have gone. This working for a living sucks big time...except I have more to spend on stash.
Did you pet the Musk Ox yarn in Banff? OMG is all I can say

Crew! Crew! Crew crew crew!

(Can't access my normal email till I get home next week, by the way.)

The Rockies certainly have an impressiveness to them, but I suspect the Himalayas would still make them quiver. That said, the Appalachian range is, I believe, the oldest in the world, which gives it its own solemn majesty.

Are those socks part of your Christmas knitting or a birthday gift for someone who celebrated last summer?

I'm still in the midst of my Rocky Mountain High! What a fabulous weekend! To be able to spend the weekend with such great people (instructors and participants alike) was truly as spectacular as the views. You toe-tally rock :)

The Canadian Rockies really are spectacular. My husband and I were just in Banff last month. It was my first trip, and I just loved it. The best way to see the Rockies is with a geologist (my husband). That way you know what all the different rocks are and why the formations are the way they are. Great fun.

I'm missing it all today...what a fabulous and inspirational weekend. Thank you so much for your wit, wisdom and willingness to be part of such a crazy-ass group of knit-obsessed women.
You rock!

Ste-eph, Ste-eph, Ste-eph...

The mountains were breathtaking,
and the tattoos were delightful,
The joke about polite people
Proved most insightful
The socks were amazing
The company groovy
All of that talent
In one SUV--
No need to worry
'Bout breaking down in the snow
Should you all blow a tire,
You'd just knit one to go!!!

What clever tattoos! I can't get over it.

As an American Knitter who just recently went to BANFF, I completely agree. Amazing scenery! And, as a geologist, I was excited to see that I think I recognized the mountain in your picture! yay!!

any idea why your blog isnt making it to my bloglines? makes me sad. thanks!

Siiiighhhhh...knitting and the Rockies. I am emerald green with envy - spent the year 1994/95living in Calgary with the Rockies on the horizon and I still miss them every single day.

I have seen the American Rockies, and the Canadian ones......
and for sure the CANADIAN Rockies TOTALLY RULE!!!
They do spoil any other mountain views....except for perhaps the Himalayan Mountains?
Beautiful! Thanks for sharing your view of them!

The Andes have spoiled me for mountains and if there had been knitters there, it would have been even better. By week two, I was chasing butterflies at 4,000 meters (but not catching any) and I quit passing out when we'd go up to 5,000 meters. Never in my life have I been so near the clouds with my feet on the ground. Amazing!
I totally understand the plentiful lack of oxygen. You think, "How does anything live here with no air?!" and yet there's life EVERYWHERE!
I strongly considered kidnapping an alpaca, but since I was pretty sure I couldn't get it through customs, I just took pictures.

You know, as I look at all your wonderfully choreographed sock photos I'm brought back to this most recent election. It fills my heart with joy because...Obama held the sock! :D

Those mountains are breathtaking, literally, between their majesty and that dreaded lack of oxygen.
Wonderful sock shots! I love that bear.

I worked in Banff for a month about 20 years ago and I'm still in love with those mountains. Had an up close and personal experience with a deer one day, both of us walking down the hill on the same road. I think I'm going to have to add "knitting in the Rockies" to my life's to-do list :)

Love the socks! And of course the mountains and the group! Some day I have to sign up for a conference like that. It looks like a lot of fun!

Thanks for letting us know you found the Basan sock. I was still looking for it.

I am trying to work out exactly how knitting is analogous to breastfeeding. Except for the "football hold". And maybe the lanolin.

Knitting + geology = rocks.

That toe tattoo is great. The bear, on the other hand, is freaking me out.

Ah yes, the Canadian mountains. I live in PDX. We think we have mountains here. I thought so too until I got up into BC near Prince Rupert where there are rows and rows of big pointy white mountains. Really. Rows of them, not just one here and one wayyyy over there. We're fooling ourselves here in the US thinking we have mountains. You Canadians, *you* have mountains!

Wow, I missed several of your posts. Bloglines isn't showing your new posts, don't know why it's being such a bugger.

The bear's expression is very similar to Greg Kinnear's when he was holding Carol's sock & yarn - 1 part "the things I have to do being me" and 1 part "hey, this sock is kind of nice!" (to paraphrase).

NBC has taken the Greg Kinnear(ing) episode of Conan O'Brien off its website, btw. I finally have a computer with a sound card and I can't get the episode. ::Wahhhh!!::

Yesterday's post made me run to my ski vacation photo collection. Guess I'll be revisiting my own pictures of Banff again today!

My grandparents used to take me all over the United States during the summers when I was young. One summer they decided to cross the border and we went to Banff. Of all the places I've ever been, Banff is definitely the most memorable and beautiful of all. Thank you so much for showing those pictures.

i'm jealous!! we honeymooned in banff and it will always be one of my favorite places in the world!

I've been to Nancy's place in Salt Lake. It's the !Canadian! Rockies, bar none. C-Rockies Rock!!

both tatooed with a line on their foot that tells them to start decreasing for the toe.

Bloody brilliant!!! I know just what to put on my Christmas wish list - toe decrease tatoo! My kids will be amazed and appalled and I will not be "impossible to shop for" this year.

We all had so much fun with you this past weekend and there are so many parts of me wishing that it was not yet over (although, regular is good too). Thanks again for all the help with the sweater and the life lessons.

p.s. I accomplished one of my three goals this weekend - one of which was to see if your needles smelled any different than the rest of us non-armpit knitters... they don't!

Had to comment again: The toe tatTOES are very clever. I just hope they never decide to make knitted bras!

Your bear seems to have the same expression as Greg Kinnear ("How much do you love that expression?" - October 3rd post)

rats, lol - I wrote that at 10am but didn't hit post until now, so Lynne in DC beat me to it - good to know I am NOT the only one who sees it...

as an american who visits the Canadian Rockies every chance I get... I wholeheartedly concur that they spoil you for life. I'm partial to Yoho, myself.

Even I think those are some really good mountains and I live in the Himalayas! But 5100 feet? Come on now, that's practically concave.

Even I think those are some really good mountains and I live in the Himalayas! But 5100 feet? Come on now, around here, that's considered practically concave.

India Joy
Rewalsar, Himachal Pradesh

Those are gorgeous pictures! It looks like the entire thing was a hoot.

The arm waving thing makes me remember my con experiences in the past. We would have con reps come up and say, "Hi, I'm [first name] [last name]," and we would all say in unison, "Hi, [first name] [last name]." It just became the thing and we were still doing it at the last one I attended (and will probably do it when I go again in the spring).

You are 100% correct! Once I saw the Canadian Rockies, I had exactly the same reaction as you - they are THE mountains every other is compared to, forever. Spouse and I were on a business trip to Banff Springs (Banff Springs Hotel) in the early-mid 90s and it was wonderful. We even had a visit to a glacier! Thanks for the pics and triggering my hunger to revisit that beautiful area. Next time, Lake Louise!

Wait ... tatoo tatoos? Not doodled on with your pen tatoos? That is Brilliant!

My daughter, who lives in Calgary, and I sometimes compare "her" mountains with "my" mountains here in Colorado!!

I hope you got a chance to drop into Jacques Cartier in Banff to see all the qiviut yarn, clothing, etc. It's heaven on earth.

The Basan socks are really pretty.

What??? You were here, and didn't even let me know? You had a gathering, and I wasn't invited?

Now I'm hurt. I'm gonna go sulk for a bit.

Gorgeous mountains! Still, I was spoiled by the Bavarian Alps in my formative years, but these are nonetheless breathtaking. (I'm an Army brat, with a dad who was stationed in south Germany twice.) Glad your trip was, to all appearances, a real hoot and glad you made it back without being detained by air marshalls after what would have been an ill-timed round of arm-waving and shouting!

You went to my favorite place in the world. My husband and I honeymooned in the Canadian Rockies five years. The place just gets imprinted on your mind. I could name every mountain in your pictures. This girl from the flat lands of Indiana is so jealous.

We went to the Cascades of Washington and Oregon this summer, but they didn't inspire the same kind of awe.

Now that is a tatoo that I might be able to live with-what a unique idea!!!

We were just in an airport and overheard two men (strangers to each other), talking about skiing. One of them said they had been to a really good mountain north of Orillia. I nearly choked. LOL.
On one flight, the attendant grabbed my knitting and said she had to checked the needle points!! Cause some are long and pointy she said and not allowed. Not according to TSA, I said. She seemed not amused. Then made us take off our NOT PLUGGED IN headphones for take off. They were vintage Canada 3000 sets and there wasn't anything on the plug-in sound system anyway!! And yes, she was even Canadian, that was the shocker!