I think (she says, with an air of philosophy) that one of the reasons that I like knitting is because it can be finished. You can knit on something for a while, you can work hard at it, you can make a thousand mistakes and do them all over and in the end, you can finish. You can be done. Knitting is not like all of the other stuff that I can’t finish that drives me insane. Like my children, or the laundry, or the housework or…well, I don’t know if I’m trying to “finish” Joe. (Though he would likely say that I am, but I think we mean two different things.) This week I’ve struggled to get things finished so that I can leave again with the house in good order. It’s not working. The laundry is overwhelming, Mr. Washie is limping along dejectedly, I am weeks behind on my email and I have been playing a rousing and infuriating game of “What’s that smell?” in the kitchen. (I still don’t know what it is, but I’m leaving for Kalamazoo in the morning, so it’s not going to be my problem.) Nothing is getting finished.
I have not, by the way…finished any knitting. Don’t get excited.
The Lotus Blossom Shawl (Harlot version) is coming along, but still looks like an enormous experiment in dental floss.
See? Dental floss knit on toothpicks. I stretched out a little of it for a glamour shot
and I think it will be fine after blocking. At the very least it will be pretty dental floss.
Many thanks to Ken today, who lent me his old digital camera while I wait for mine to make it’s way from Boston to here.
The sock and I (seen here reclining with the very first periwinkle to bloom in my garden)
would like to take care of a little business.
Firstly, a reminder that I will be at the Parkdale Library tonight at 7:00 to discuss…well. I don’t know what we’ll discuss, but I’m pretty sure that knitting will come up.
Secondly, many of you have asked where to find me at Maryland (I still giggle when I say that.) I am to be a mostly “free range” knitter at Maryland (again with the giggle) but I’d love to meet you and to that end I’m doing two things. Thanks to Claudia (who knows the lay of the land) I’ve picked a hook-up point. I’ll be beside the stage on the side of the “Main Exhibition Hall” at 1:00 on Saturday. (Not the side with the restrooms) Claudia says it’s a grassy area, perfectly appropriate for plunking oneself down with a coffee and some knitting. That’s what I’ll be doing. (If this isn’t clear enough, let me know and I’ll try to pump somebody for further details.)
On Sunday, I am again roaming the mecca of Maryland in search of a perfect peacock coloured laceweight, but Story Publishing has arranged (check this) to host a breakfast for any and all parties who would like a little chat and a coffee. (Or a book signed. Though I respectfully request that nobody asks me to spell my unreasonably long name until I’ve had at least one cup of coffee.)
8-9am (or later, if we’re having fun) @ Homewood Suites
8320 Benson Dr.
Columbia, MD 21045
(410) 872-9200
Someone will be in the lobby to direct you to the suite. Please consider yourself invited.
For the rest of today I will be attempting to finish as much as the laundry as possible and buying new underpants, since every single pair that anyone owns in this house have all simultaneously disintegrated. (I suspect it’s viral.)
Today…underpants and The Parkdale Library: Tomorrow…Kalamazoo!
Whoopiee! I’m thinking I’m first, for the first time.
I can’t believe I have to wait until August to see you in Berkeley. There are, however, many many vegetarian options all over Berkeley. And super duper coffee. And great bread. Surely a knitter’s nirvana.
Mr. Washie will end up missing you so much that he will do all the laundry while you’re gone. At least we can hope!
Have a great time, Honey!
Ooooooooo, I’m lovin’ the shawl…lovin’ it! Dental floss extraordinaire, I’d say 🙂
Have a great time at Maryland, you lucky Harlot you. Wish I was going!
And don’t fret too much about the underwear. If they don’t find a clean pair, they can go commando!
It is always good to know your not the only house with disappearing under-roo issues. I think they just like new ones… the spring line.
The glamour shot looks very wonderful.
Have fun.
D
I’m leaving for a long weekend in Denver with daughter and her daughter and I’m tempted to hop a plane to Maryland instead. Wonder if they would notice?
Shawl will be beautiful, as usual.
Kalamzoo is up to 102 reservations. If you haven’t reserved a slot (and I use the word advisedly) for goodness’ sake, do —
and dress in layers. It could get warm in here.
Besides, it will make it easier to spray you with WD-40
(this is NOT a large store, though Barb, the-only-grownup-in-the-store-and-a-dirty-job-it-is-too thinks we can seat 150.)
Stoked? Us?
Love the shawl (may have to try one someday) and I’m wishing I could spare a trip with all of the MDS&W talk going on!
Still, isn’t it nice to know you have excited friends waiting to meet you at each location? Even if it’s for the first time?
Jaggerspun makes their laceweight Zephyr in, you got it, peacock is the name of the color; I just finished knitting some up last week. 50/50 merino/tussah silk. Nice stuff. Slightly heavier than some dental floss types.
I think the unfinished business thing is cosmic…I am having a hell of a work day and as you may have already guessed…
all things are unfinished and likely to stay that way today. I hate days like that.
But at least I still have my underpants.
Please, please, if you do nothing else in Kalamazoo, take a picture of Rams for us!
Harlot Dear – Perhaps you could just whip up a pair of undies for each this afternoon – here’s a link to QueerJoe’s….
http://queerjoe.blogspot.com/2004_02_01_queerjoe_archive.html
See you tomorrow!
So if you’re going to buy them new underpants why exactly do you need to do laundry? Or were we supposed to stop thinking like that when we finished university and became ‘grown-ups’.
You’re dental floss is lovely. I wish you luck in finding peacock coloured dental floss in MD. Are you thinking of the peacock feathers shawl by any chance? I’ve just finished it (in fingering weight baby alpaca and silk; it is huge) and I really like it.
I have it on good authority that Spirit Trails will be in that main bldg. if you want to be smacked senseless again I suggest you find her (I’ve seen that her website merely says “near the fleece competition tables.”
hope to see you. I know sue will be very sad if she doesn’t get to meet you in person this time. she told me she wants her OWN copy of the book so she can have HERS signed too. 🙂
Don’t worry, Rams, we’ll come “thinking thin” and if necessary share chairs.
Oh and don’t worry I’ll see that someone gets a picture or two of Rams for posterity. 🙂
I’m all packed and ready to leave for Indiana (from there we’ll head to Michigan), Stephanie I can’t wait to meet you but I assure you my arse can’t handle a 7.5 hour car ride in one sweep.
Panties, whoo hooo!!
I hope that Twinkletoes… (from the left coast) will be there… Her turquoise/aqua/hyacinth and lavendar sock weight is beautiful and sock. Good luck on your mission. How I envy all of your right coast fans!! and Kalamazooans.
I just bought some peacock colored lace-weight from Knitpicks for a shawl I am making up that I’m going to call Preen. I can’t wait to see what you’re working on!
Ok…I am counting down the hours to K’zoo. Because it is really not weeks or days anymore, but *hours*. Rams, I’ll bring a can of Crisco(which I perfer over the WD40-nothing personal) just in case I need it. And I have two goals tomorrow night: 1)get book signed; 2)get picture of Rams and Steph together. It is good to have goals, be it new underwear, knitted dental floss, or trying to finsish the unfinishable-take you’re pick.
See you TOMORROW NIGHT!!!:o)
Hi! I am the displaced canuck who can’t wait to see you this weekend. I’ll look for you outside the exhibition hall on Saturday and keep an eye out for the some peacock lacy weight.
Oh goodness I just got so excited. At first I wasn’t going at all to Maryland and while I couldn’t make it to Lord & Taylor in NYC thought I’d miss you entirely 🙁 I was sad because I so enjoy your blog and very much enjoyed bookbookbook. Now I am going to Maryland (made the decision and reservations on Tuesday) and popped on over to see when/where you’d be on Saturday. When to my amazement the twins and I will be staying AT THAT HOTEL! We’ll see ya for breakfast on Sunday! Woooo.
Sounds like y’all will be putting the zoo in Kalamazoo! Stephanie, I hope your trip is all cheese sandwiches and window seats. Rams, I hope the happy knitters at the reading buy up all your books.
The dental floss picture is hilarious–I especially like the arty effect with the shadow. I was showing my parents my lace project last weekend, and my poor dad got the funniest look on his face. “She’s obviously very proud of this, how I can break it to her that it looks terrible?” My mom and I tried to stretch out a little corner for him to see the lace pattern, but we never did manage to convince him.
Saw you in Mt Vernon, OH last week. I was the one playing with a drop spindle during your talk. You mentioned that your next book is due out in early September.
Does that mean that they are sending you to Stitches East at the end of the September?
And in response to your comment that they don’t really teach American geography in Canadian schools. They don’t teach it very well in American schools either. On the other hand they don’t teach very much world geography either.
“I’m going to Michigan to see the sweetest gal” . . . I wish. But I was with you at Circles, so I will not be greedy (or compressed). Hey, folks, I asked at the end of last post’s comments – where is our hospitality? Why is the Harlot having to sleep in hotels and eat restaurant food???
Hmm…guess that means I have to get up even earlier on Sunday than I was already planning to…
I may just have to see if I can catch you on the fly, a two-hour drive commencing at 6 am is not terribly appealing, even if it does end with breakfast with Stephanie.
Good luck on your next leg and I’m jealous that I won’t be there. Dental floss is greatand Mr. Washie shouldn’t be overworked – it’s bad for his health. Just buy new – it’s a great philosophy.
This is to announce that as of today, 05/05/05, AT KNIT’S END has debuted on the Great Lakes Booksellers’ Best Seller list — number 10 and climbing…
(and in re: pictures of rams — for goodness sake, didn’t you hear her say it’s a borrowed camera? You want her to break it the first day into the tour?)
I completely agree about laundry never being finished – that’s definitely why I hate it!Well, that and also that it interferes with knitting time.
And I love the picture of the sock with the periwinkle but down here in Massachusetts we call that flower myrtle!
Have a blast on the next leg of the book tour, I hope to catch up to you in NH!
I’ve always wanted to say that I’ve been to Kalamazoo; and now I know that when I (eventually, just for the sake of going there) get there, they have a great yarn shop! I hope you have a wonderful time in Maryland and everyone takes lots and lots of pictures. See you next week! 🙂
Your lace is lovely! Have a blast in Kalamazoo and in Maryland. Wish I were going to Sheep & Wool. Maybe next year. As to your desire to finish things, I think most of us experience that desire for closure and the sense of accomplishment that finishing a task brings. now if i could only finish half of what I start! sigh.
wishing you safe travels!
I understand all the excitement for Kalamazoo and Maryland but can we see some love for Parkdale Library? Canadians need Harlot too! Here’s hoping I make it there tonight.
Oh, Sunday breakfast with the Harlot?! I’ll be staying with friends-of-friends-of-my-mom’s in Annapolis (not super-close to Columbia), so I’m not sure I’ll be able to escape in time. How could this be?! Rats, I say!
Phooey. Harrumph. Grrr.
–Judy
Is it wrong that I just got heart palpitations over seeing my hometown on your invite? The town from which I grew? Right there will be the Harlot???? Judy, Annapolis is 25 minutes from Columbia, and there won’t be much traffic at that time of day.
Stephanie, you will be handed a 4 oz skein of suri alpaca homespun and I won’t even make you spell your name (with or without coffee)… though you will have to forgive me for being a morning person….
Uh-oh! Does Story Books know what a following you’ve got in Maryland? I hope they’ve got a big suite and a LOT of doughnuts! Be sure to check out the booth for Kiparoo Farms, a local vendor. Proprietress Annie Kelly makes gorgeous yarns. I’m not sure about lace weight, but her colors are gorgeous and she’s delightful.
At first I was okay with not going to Maryland (I’m laughing, but I don’t know why) because we Minnesotans have our own sheep and wool fest going on the same weekend. But now I am not so sure. I mean, I just had a dream about meeting you! (Is that sad, or flattering?) Now I’m all jealous of those who get to meet the Harlot Herself, and will have to settle for looking for her (your) book at the sheep fest, rather than for a (crazy?) lady trying to knit a sock while drinking coffee (without putting the coffee down, of course).
Go get ’em girl!! Have fun but don’t forget to come home. I have been knitting every night and have created many gifts -baby sweaters, ponchos. a chic sweater for me,and many of those striped socks . I love that part and hope the receivers do, too. Forget the laundry . They will survive. k1,p1,
I just got back from my local Barnes & Noble, where I saw bookbookbook on the ‘Our Staff Recommends’ shelf!
Hello, my mysterious harlot. I can’t begin to tell you how much I’ve been longing to find a place in your heart. I weep tears of desire and fury knowing that you give so much of your time to that wretched Mr. Washie. Why do you spend so many cold, passionless nights with that metallice excuse for a man? What does he give you in return for pouring your soul into his bottomless pit? Truly, my harlot, I don’t understand why you would want to spend anymore time with such a high-maintenance, effeminate wuss when you could have me….Mr Crockie.
Yes, I may not be as large as Mr. Washie, but size doesn’t matter. I’m easy to please. You may dump ingredients into me with utter abandon, and know that I will work tirelessly for many hours to please you. Contrast my earthy ceramic roundness with his angular steel. I can warm cocoa, or mulled wine, while all he can do is chew up socks and hack up feltballs. It’s nearly impossible to burn me. Once you taste the buttery velvet texture of my all-night French onion soup, or the exotic zip of my chickpea cocnut curry, you will never desire another major appliance again.
I await you, harlot, because after all…would you rather have Harrison Ford? or Dana Carvey?
I’m sure the undies thing is viral. It happened here too!
One day, their drawers were full of whole, clean, well.. drawers.
Then, as I’m sorting laundry, I’m realizing that only 10% were wholely whole… the rest were holey. Holy Disintegrating Undies Batman!
Lucky for all of us, they come in 6-packs.
Helen, pining away in Illinois, wishing for a way to see the Harlot. I think you should make an appearance at Stitches!
It’s those dang underpants gnomes!
Stephanie, you are gonna love K-zoo. It is a sweet town, with super nice people. Great breakfast restaurants.
As for laundry, my biggest problem: putting everything away. Also, remembering to move the day’s last load to the dryer. Also, ironing. Too many steps. Same goes for dishes. And cleaning bathrooms. Really, cleaning in general. Its enough to make a person go postal. I used to feel guilty about knitting when I “should” have been cleaning, but then I read this quote about “You can’t just cook and clean; you have to make something.” It works for me.
I so understand the allure of being able to…finish…something.
I tried to talk my 22 y.o. brother and K student into coming to see you… I don’t think I was successfull though. Hope your tour continues to rock!
Have a wonderful trip! I won’t be seeing you until you come to California. 🙂
I want you to know that this, my First Big Knitting Field Trip, is to see you in Kzoo. I am so looking forward to it. Travel well!
Maybe the undies thing isn’t viral, but rather it’s a seasonal issue. Seems like a lot of us are dealing with this problem right now. I’ve just had to replace an awful amount of underwear in this house, male and female varieties. Or maybe it is viral, since the problem has also spread to many, many socks.
Please come to the UK. We have really good knickers.
Man, I am soooo jealous! I want to go to a huge fibrefest and meet the harlot.
Guess I’ll have to settle for reading the bookbookbook before bed.
Maybe everyone in your house ate “butterfish” and now they have no undies…
I will be looking for in Maryland, but I fear that you will be surrounded by thousands and even if you are not, I am kind of shy. If I don’t find you, I at least wanted to say that my 14-month-old loves your book: she thinks (from the yellow knitting on the cover) that it’s about bananas. Hee hee! I am enjoying it very much myself!
if your looking for a p.a I’m the one for you ;0)
I was worried that I would miss you at the festival since I will not be able to be there most of the day on Saturday, but I am planning on the breakfast! Looking forward to it…
So that’s a periwinkle!! We’ve had those my whole life, and they usually start to bloom right around my birthday, but I’ve never known what they were called! Thanks, YH!
Admittedly, this is off topic, but I was scrolling through entries in a community I belong to and felt that you would appreciate the beauty that is http://www.pisadesigns.com/GangstaKnitter.htm. It would be wise to not be drinking while you watch it.
And it reminds me more of a spider web than Dental Floss knit on toothpicks. Either way, it’s beautiful.
Stephanie: My mother feels your pain. Or rather, I feel your pain! She left for 3 weeks holiday with my father may 4.th and left behind 5 kids aged 10-23 plus two teenaged boys, 16 years old, who have taken up my little brothers invitation and seemingly have moved in here while my mother is gone. It is a struggle to keep all this together, two women (sister-in-law and I) against 4!! ‘boys’ and a teenaged, always-opposite 10-year-old-girl.
I’m sure when my mother comes home she will play “where’s the Mr. Washie”-game, and “Where’s the floor”, too! You’re not alone – other mothers feel you pain 😉
today its raining…no its sideways pouring here in tidewater va which is to say that we are in the midst of a may nor’easter…i hope that it will be dry enough for you to be outside tomorrow or any day this weekend for that matter…bring your galoshes and rubber ducky!!!
i hope to make it up to see, meet,have you sign book book book,ect.
i still don’t know if i will be able to make it yet…enjoy your stay!!!!
Wish my dental floss knitting would look like that. Stephanie, it will look beautiful! Looking forward to seeing you in L.A.!
The shawl is lovely. Are you keeping this one? I can’t wait ’til you come to Seattle!
STEPH —
DIDN’T THEY TREAT YOU WELL IN NY? … OR BOSTON? YOU HAVEN’T POSTED ANYTHING ABOUT THEM WHICH LEADS ME TO BELIEVE “IF YOU CAN’T SAY ANYTHING NICE, ….”! I’ SO DISAPPOINTED NEW ENGLAND — WHICH IS KNOWN TO BE A TOUGH AREA FOR TOUGH PEOPLE, WHERE SARCASM AND CYNICISM ARE THE BASIS FOR HUMOR — DIDN’T OFFER IT’S WARM KNITTY SIDE TO YOU. I’M SO BUMMED YOU EVIDENTLY HAD TO EAT ALONE AT SOME POINT. YOU SHOULD HAVE COME TO WESTPORT CONNECTICUT AND I’D HAVE TAKEN GOOD CARE OF YOU! YOU COULD HAVE TO COME TO THREE STORES IN THE AREA – KNITTING CENTRAL, KNOTTY GIRLS (NOT THE WEBSITE) AND JANET KEMP. THERE ISN’T LOADS OF SPACE IN ANY OF THE STORES, BUT I KNOW FOR A FACE THAT YOUR BOOK IS AT KNITTING CENTRAL IN WESTPORT. THAT’S WHERE I FOUND MINE AND HAVE BEEN LAUGHING, GUFFAWING, SNORTING AND DROOLING EVER SINCE! HOW WAS THE RECEPTION IN NEW YORK? I WAS SO BUMMED I COULDN’T GET THERE, BUT THOUGHT I’D SEE GREAT THINGS POSTED. BUT NOOOOOOOOO – AS JOHN BELUSHI WOUD HAVE SAID. YOU COULD HAVE COME TO NEW HAVEN, WE WOULD HAVE HAD A GREAT TIME! EVEN THE RUG HOOKERS I KNOW WHO I HAVE TURNED ON TO YOUR WEBSITE (THE WOOL DISEASE ISN’T LIMITED TO KNITTING ALONE) WOULD HAVE GIVEN YOU A GREAT RECEPTION! AM I WRONG? I HOPE YOU DIDN’T EXPERIENCE THE NEW ENGLAND CHILL.
Wow. Dental floss. Who would have ever thought! I guess anything is possible these days! I had an idea a few years ago to knit with some twine of sorts, but never got around to it!
Good luck on your next round of travels. I hope the underwear turns up somewhere… Hmm, viral. Once again, anything is possible!
While standing in that terribly long line for t-shirts and such at S&W this morning there came an announcement over the speakers that Ms Pearl was NOT on the grounds (this followed an earlier one saying that they had gotten several questions about your whereabouts and if anyone had a clue to please let them in on it).
At about 1:00 today I was on another terribly long line inside the main exhibition hall (alpacha for $2.50 a skein – who could turn that down??? I hear tell the gentleman sold 3,000 of them this morning!).
Wish I had known where you were going to be – I had my bookbookbook with me and was hoping to find you!
And somebody please tell me it’s not like that every year!!! This was my first S&W and it was just packed with people… Almost crowded enough to not be enjoyable at times. Is Rhinebeck like that too? Now if I can just figure out this drop spindle I bought today…..
Hi Stephanie,
I really enjoy reading your blog. I presently live in Orlando, FL. having moved here two years ago. Prior to that we lived in NH where I was a committee member of the NH Sheep and Wool Festival. My wonderful husband surprised me with a ticket to NH to go to the Festival. I will be working with the Festival chair. I am looking forward to meeting you, as well as picking up several of your books.
Rhonda Colcord,
Orlando, FL
We loved having you in Kalamazoo! Everyone was so very excited, and it was a great moment for the knitting community here. We’re rather fragmented, but you got us all together under one roof–and that was awesome!!! There were so many knitters there!
I just wish you’d had more time to see how nice our town is, to get to walk the Mall during Art Hop (that was going on during your visit), and to eat at Food Dance. *Sigh* Maybe we can get you to visit my shop this next year in Battle Creek long enough to show everything off. 😉 Come back during cherry season or blueberry season or even asparagus season (late May to early June, usually, so you were too early), and we’ll take good care of you!
Stephanie,
Today, on the TV show CBS Sunday Morning, they did an article/piece on rock bands who’s members are all Mothers. They featured several all-Mother bands, and one of the bands had a camera shot of the audience. Lo and behold, there was a woman, sitting in the front row, KNITTING!!! Yes, she was knitting in public at a concert!! It was awesome! May the movement to KIP keep growing and growing…..
Rock on Moms and Happy Mother’s Day to one and all!
HAPPY MOTHIR’S DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just wanted you to know that I was in the Indigo at Yorkdale today, and not only did they have about a bajillion copies of the bookbookbook, it was on a SPECIAL DISPLAY near the cash! ;o)
(My copy is in the mail….can’t wait for it to get here!)
So sorry that I missed you at the hotel. I was staying at the same one! Guess I should have checked all my blog listings BEFORE I went to Maryland! Oh well, maybe next time!
Hey Steph,
You’re going to really like this – I think.
I got an email the other day from an old online friend, someone I had been thinking about lately. She got my email addy from looking through your blog and comments. So, you helped in re-uniting us. Thanks!!
And folks think it’s only knitting .. tsk tsk
Your philosophy on knitting as something that can be FINISHED has put into words why I end up most evenings on the couch, knitting, instead of working on the laundry, cleaning the kitchen, organizing the random piles of paper, etc.
At the evening’s end, I can see the tangible progress in my knitting. If I spend the same time on the above – it barely makes a dent.
Am I a horrible housekeeper? Or a devout knitter? Or just cursed with two males in the house who can’t figure out how to put anything back where it belongs???
I just got into blogging and I absolutely love it, so thanks, I keep track of this blog as well as 5 others so far.