I went to NYC on Thursday and took this picture:
which is totally my proof that I did not woosie out and take a cab but actually got myself on a bus from the airport and saw a little more of the city this time. I know that a picture of Grand Central Station is not actually proof that I took a bus since I just could have walked past it or something, but I didn’t. I took a bus.
The bad news is this. Here’s our lovely Cassie, my charming companion for the 4 free hours that I had in NYC.
Take my word for it, even though the camera wouldn’t focus on her, she is lovely.
Here’s another shot…
oh, dear. Same problem. I wonder if the camera is working?
Hmmm. It focusses on me when Cassie takes the picture.
Perhaps it is my skills then. I’ll take a picture of something else.
Bingo. It’s working. Must have been a quirk. I’ll take another picture of Cassie.
That’s odd, isn’t it?
Me holding Socks That Rock,
Cassie holding Socks that Rock.
Cassie…
Cassie on the street…..
and thus the bad news. Cassie has, since the last time I saw her and managed to take perfectly good pictures of her…had something go dreadfully wrong that means that her image cannot be captured. I don’t want to imply anything, and I only spent a little time thinking about it…but doesn’t it make you wonder if she has a reflection?
On the upside, the book is almost done (I swear it. A few more days and then regular enthusiastic blogging will continue without the gratuitous use of extra photos to save on writing time.) a big party is coming…
(That’s this Thursday. You should come. I’m bringing a friend, and I’ll be reading my story from the book.)
…and I can totally knit a scarf in two days.
Nice scarf. But definitely something wrong with your camera, or your technique!
oh, poor Cassie. I trust she looked more crisp in person. Lovely socks and scarf though.
Pretty scarf, never doubted you’d finish it.
Those pictures really are something that make you go hmmmmm.
Have fun at the party, wish I could be there but the commute is just a little too long.
Liza {who notes the only place she’ll be traveling to this week is the auto repair shop~again}
I think you are right about Cassie. I checked her blog. No clear pictures of her face to be seen. Only one side view and the rest of the photos were shot from the neck down. Makes one wonder??? Love the socks that rock!
Have fun Thursday! No, I did not see a glass of wine in your hand or on the table. I’m sure it’s a camera glitch 😀
I wish I could be there at the party! At this rate, the closest I’ll ever get to the Harlot is that my essay is next to hers in KnitLit3.
No need to reply, but I just wanted to tell you that I LOVED “Yarn Harlot.” What a beautiful book! You are a talented, talented lady, and I’m glad a publisher recognizes it! Thank you for sharing your passion for knitting, babies, and all things yarny.
I always thought there was something ethereal about Cassie. Thanks for the proof.
The last time I had camera problems, somehow I had managed to set the camera in “movie” mode rather than still photo. I lost several would-have-been-gorgeous photos that way. I don’t know, Steph, but it looks like maybe you just need new glasses. Or maybe your camera does. The scarf is great!
Ever seen any of The Ring movies?
Better question. Has Cassie recently seen any of The Ring movies? O_o
(On a less creepy note, the scarf really is lovely. I like the subtle changing of colours in it.)
Ha! I guess it couldn’t be that glass of wine you were drinking could it?
😉
Weird…maybe it’s her knitter’s forcefield. We hope it’s not terminal, anyway.
Congrats on maneuvering public transportation. I remain so impressed with you. (doesn’t take much, does it?)
I don’t know what you’re talking about. She’s perfectly in focus for me.
Haha. Thanks, I needed that.
Poor Cassie! She seems to have some sort of magnetic field around her. Perhaps it’s some sort of Jedi thing… or maybe that mystique that true New Yorkers have. 🙂
You ate food off a metal thing with a metal utensil? My god, you must never have had braces. My teeth will vibrate for hours.
Does Cassie’s force field extend to protect her wool?
And the bus? you are brave.
Poor Cassie. Maybe it’s the camera. It’s in awe of Cassie and it’s little computer short circuits when you point it at her. Yeah, that sounds reasonable. I love the scarf. The colors are unbelievable.
I never thought to check… perhaps Cassie doesn’t have a shadow, either!
My little boy who thinks you are funny saw your book when we we in Weaving Works the other day. He picked it up and asked me if it was yours – he pronounced harlot “har-lot” like ro-bot. I guess we need to have a discussion, beyond pronunciation.
I don’t know if I should be worried about Cassie, or you.
I’m feeling rather mysterious. And maybe just a little bit evil. 😉
Beautiful scarf, I see you managed to remain faithful for the two days. Next time you come to NYC, fly into Newark and take the train to Manhatten. – Super easy and faster than the bus.
I’ll be driving to Ontario this Thursday, however after a 9+ hour drive I don’t think I can go to the party. If was any other night after Thursday I would be there.
In the spirit of experimentation, I think someone else needs to take a photo of Cassie with your camera, and you need to take a photo of someone else. This would help answer the is it the a)camera, b)Cassie c)your skills question.
Now that you’ve broken Cassie, d’ya think you could put her back the way you found her?
Any chance your camera was in macro mode? (Does your camera have a macro mode?)
Hey–those photos look good to me . . .
I didn’t attempt to take a photo of Cassie but she did go into two knitting shops without even really thinking about making a purchase. Maybe she’s been taken over by aliens or something.
No….actually I makes me wonder if you were taking the pictures through wine goggles. After all I did see a wine glass there….;)
Juno’s coming to Toronto? Seriously? This Thursday? I AM SO THERE! That store is walking distance from my house! Cool!! (which is not to say I wouldn’t have been there just for you, you know.)
But Steph, um, lemme take the pictures, ‘kay? You’re already going to be seriously disoriented being that far north of Bloor…
the totally two day scarf is lovely and maybe cassie should have had one less glass of wine?
And no moaning over the variegations on the scarf yarn? No pooling or blotching? Hmm, your variegation-fu has been strong lately. Nice!
I told Cassie that giving up the ability to be photographed in a solid form was a kind of steep price to pay for her sock-knitting super powers, but she just wouldn’t listen…
Funny about Cassie and the camera . . . Was she maybe on cold medicine or something? It often makes me feel fuzzy….
ewwwww! someone already mentioned the “the Ring” movies….that’s what comes to mind when looking at the Cassie pix. Nothing that serious, I hope 😉
Nice scarf, though!
Cassie. Is. POSSESSED!!!!!
But if I close my left eye, she looks about as good as everything else I look at.
Which eye were you using, when taking the photo? 😀
Is Cassie a Pixie? (No, not the band, silly.) Because I thought Pixies didn’t like getting their photo taken…
It’s your new fangled camera, Steph. It obviously has performance anxiety.
What a lovely pattern on the scarf! I always think it’s so magical to see how different yarn is when it’s knit up versus skeined.
Stephanie…what pattern did you use for that scarf? I’d love to know…so I can duplicate it. 🙂
Maybe it’s just the beams of light emanating from Cassie’s aura that caused the photos to be blurry.
Perhaps it was Cassie’s doppelganger who you attempting to take a snap of instead of the “real” Cassie…did the doppelganger show an ability to knit?
The scarf is lovely, I am drooling over the colorway…
Cassie can be such trouble! Looks like you had a great time with friends, however.
I think that the DT’s from too little coffee affected your ability to hold the camera without movement. You must keep those caffeine levels up (she writes while drinking her sixth cup of coffee today)!
Perhaps dearie Cassie is like the Amish. 🙂
Looks like a great time. Wool, wine and friends. What more can we ask for really?
Well, *I* could ask for *ME* sitting with you also, but….
🙂
I think you’ve been drinking too much coffee Steph and your hands are shaky!
I LOVE the scarf! Is there a pattern for it somewhere or did you just wing it? It might be just the pattern I am looking for for some x-mas gifts!
Where the heck were you two eating, the shelter? The mess hall, perhaps? Stainless divided trays and all that…
I can only guess the photos were the result of the wine on the table, but having had drinks with you, I’d have to say you can hold liquor just fine…hmmm…maybe Cassie had a really strong aura that day.
It’s certainly a very pretty scarf. I have a question, do you have the address of the Mary B. I was supposed to send my bracelet to? My computer died and ate the e-mail, so poor Mary has been waiting for her braclet and hasn’t got it yet.
Hehe That was pretty funny!
How cool is it that you’re listed as a “special guest” on the KnitLit3 flyer?
And I totally knew you could push out a scarf in two days.
(I’m just killer proud of myself; I finished my Very First Sock! Now to start on the second.)
It’s New York. Everything is crazy there, and I’m not surprised to learn that includes electronic equipment.
blame it on the wine.
ps – pretty scarf!
I hung out with Cassie and a few other knit bloggers awhile back and I took quite a few pictures. Invariably Cassie was bending down, turning her back or just off to the side. Not one good picture of her in the whole batch. Makes you wonder doesn’t it?
Nice work on the mas transit! I live in NYC and have never managed that. I hope you enjoyed our fair city.
The scarf is lovely, and I must tell you (albeit belatedly) how beautiful the baby shawl was/is. Really, really special.
I didn’t see the glass of wine in your hand either, Steph! Nothing to do with the shaky photos, though, I’m sure. 🙂 Hey, hanging out in the Big Apple is enough to make anyone shake.
Dontcha just love Fleece Artist (and Handmaiden). I made the same scarf in a different colourway – I think it is called Lily Pond – and my client loved it too.
Oo. Buses in NY are a challenge. Subways are easy but buses… buses are difficult. And they want to be. They want you to know pain in that moment of connection with a foreign mass transit system. So a brief sit-down of victory as the bus pulls into traffic and a photo of proof is perfectly, perfectly reasonable. In my view. But then, I take photos of metro station maps on my vacations.
The scarf is lovely. I’m exhausted just reading about your schedule these days!
People sometimes have stronger magnetic waves about them. Some people like to say it’s part of a person’s aura. Whether that’s true or not, I don’t know. But often the magnetism affects the clarity of pictures taken at a close range.
Lovely scarf! I’ll look for that book.
Is it me, or did they serve your dinner on a cafeteria tray? Maybe I don’t get out enough, but I’ve never heard, seen, or thought of anything like that before. A real bonus if you don’t like your various portions minlging with each other, though.
Referring to my previously comments about your knitting, reading and writing speed, may I suggest that the problem is you’re taking photos faster than the speed of light- even technology can’t keep up with you…
Oh, Stephanie. Are those woozy pics a sign of what happens to a Canadian in New York? Since I’m heading to the BIG APPLE for another knitting-related event, should I drink more wine or less?? Now I’m nervous. Suppose my camera won’t work? Suppose I won’t work?
Aghhhhhh!!!
Good luck on your next book. Your writing is fabulous!
http://janethornley.com/journal_knitters.php
It’s good that the other pictures you took were sharp and focused, ’cause I was going to suggest that maybe you had too much wine. Not a bad thing, but I’m just saying…
i know a few people who are unable to have their picture taken clearly.
i hope everything is ok with her.
Hmmmm, I’d say that you have a problem with unsteady hands. too much knitting and too many late nights working on your book and christmas presents. Try holding the camera absolutely still. And, don’t push the button too quickly, give the automatic focusing time to focus. Push half way down, then when you see your subject of choice in focus, continue pressing down. And, if this doesn’t work, it’s Cassie’s bad Karma.!!
Lovely scarf. What CITY is the book party in?
Damn, I wish I could go see you, but it ain’t Thanksgiving here, and Qu�bec schools frown on yanking kids out for knitting events. Even when they include good wine and fuzzy photos.
If Alice had been sitting on Cassie’s shoulder, the photos would have been crystal-clear…
I vote that Cassie is some sort of etheral being…
I’ve known Cassie for a long time. You have learned something important, Stephanie. Just pay attention. She is much, much more than she seems to be.
I am a photographer and at first I was going to say that perhaps the lighting was really bad for where she was sitting. Then you went outside. I mean that could have been bad lighting outside too, if you flash didnt go off, but yes I think it is very strange.
Harlot, could the fuzzy picture have something to do with the ruby liquid in the photographer’s glass??
Just a wild guess
greetings from the whose flock is short a few sheep, to use your words.
Can’t wait for your book to come out.
Stephanie,
I’m the white haired lady who met you at Indigo on Thursday evening. (Although I prefer to think of my hair as Platinum) Sadly I didn’t have “Yarn Harlot” with me, but I bought your new book, sat down and read it. Laughed out loud more than once.
Re: your reference to knitting a pair of socks at the same time, pulling them apart, and having them caught by “one stinking stitch”. I have been combing the web for double knitting sock instructions. I found the one by “Mrs. A. Reeder” (ha ha) from 1918 Needlecraft Mag, but she’s a little vague for me. I guess everyone was a knitter then and knew what she was talking about.
If it’s not too presumptuous of me to ask, (having just briefly met you, but I do like you a lot, feeling that I know you through your books) could you post a link, or send me some instructions?
(It may sound as though I’m making a polite request, but actually, I’m begging.)
I have my 5 dps at the ready, and four skeins of yarn, two red and two ecru, so I can knit them in two different colours which may be less confusing for me initially….and then I have to knit two pairs (hmmm…isn’t that worse that just having to knit another sock?….perhaps I haven’t thought this through..)
Thanking you in advance!
Barbara Gooch
AKA
Babs
AKA
“the knitting bag”
aaahhh Grand Central Station, one of the few buildings in Manhattan that makes my heart come to a screeching halt in my chest and the reason why I will never, ever be able to take a train into the City. (I’m scared to death of high ceilings – wierd, but true).
I hope Cassie is able to get her aura back in focus ;o)