Knitters of all sizes

Knitters of Portland. I have to thank you. You freaked the muggles but good last night…but good. As badly as I feel for these poor bookstores, struggling to understand what happens to them, where the knitters come from, why there are so many, what they want, why they are so strange and furthermore, why they are so rowdy…(clearly, we knitters missed the memo on being quiet and sweet, sitting nicely with our knitting.) I have to admit that I find a perverse pleasure in watching them try to cope…with this.

Portlanknitters

Crowdportland2

See that?? Hoards of knitters. Scads even. The bookstore had y’all stuffed into the stacks. The bookstore my friends, did not know the ways of the knitter and the bookstore…well. They know now.

Last night rocked my socks. I started out deciding that I should see a little more of Portland.

Portlandsk59

I went for a walk intending to look around a little bit, then hail a cab (Portland hint #1- it is not a hail a cab sort of city. It is a call a cab sort of city. If you try to hail a cab you will stand in lovely downtown Portland for ages with your arm up in the air for no reason. Eventually you will say “What the (*&^%^?” to a Portland person, and they will explain hint #1)…I would hail a cab, take it over to a yarn shop and loiter there for a bit, then walk from the yarn shop to the bookstore. Mapquest said that this walk would be 1.28 miles. This sounded reasonable to me, despite the fact that I have only metric experience and therefore, no real concept of the distance a mile covers. None. (Before you mock me entirely as a raving moron, remember that the whole world – excepting the US, Liberia and Burma, uses metric. I may be a moron, but I’m not the only one. )

To my credit, before I enacted this plan I did call an American friend and ask them how long it takes to walk a mile. She told me 15-20 minutes. I added a little time for the extra .28 of a mile, decided the exercise of a little stroll would be a pleasant change from siting in cars and on planes and set out. Firstly, I learned a mile is long. Longer than I thought. (Next time, I shall ask an American friend with shorter legs.) Secondly, it is far warmer in Portland this time of year than it is in Toronto, and I was rather overdressed. Thirdly, and this is the big one…Mapquest needs to get a topography thing going on. There is a big difference between a walk of 1.28 miles, and a walk UPHILL of 1.28 miles. By the time I arrived at the store I was hot, sweaty and rather un-composed. (I try hard to be composed. It never goes my way.) Luckily for me, the knitters were charming, and plenty composed for all of us.

Meet Elizabeth.

Elizabethweeknits

Elizabeth is four. Her knitting is on the left, my sock is on the right. I love her. I was four when I learned to knit, and aside from being a wee bit cuter, Elizabeth resembles me at that age. That wispy blonde hair, the tiny waiflike thing going on…

Did I mention I love her?

(Feel free to print out the picture of Elizabeth and her knitting to keep beside you while you knit. If that little charmer can knit…you can do anything.)

I met Monica PDX, and saw The Blue Moon Ladies far too briefly. (There is a “Harlotty” socks that rock colourway now, I’ll show you when I can get batteries for the camera, and a felted cowboy hat. I love those guys.) I saw Amanda (Her blog entry about the event is great) and Katrina, Chrissy, Chris, Lori and the fabulous Kathy who makes the best samosas ever. (I have eaten them twice now. They never dissapoint.) This is Sarah,

Sarahshop79

proud owner of Knot Another Hat. I took her picture because she was charming and owns a yarn shop. I love yarn shop owners. (That’s a very enthusiastic Sabrina next to her.) They came with Jeanine and Vonnie,

Vonnieyarn3

who gave me just the most beautiful beaded handspun. Mercy. I am outclassed by her as a spinner.

I passed Ayanna her first needles, assuring her future.

Ayannafirst

(You will note that she is beaming. This is a very positive reaction to ones first knitting needles and bodes well for the future. There is a slim chance that she is smiling not because I handed her needles, but because I am making a ridiculous face at her, but I prefer to think it a reaction to the wool.)

Finally, Laurie,

Laurielacefirtwsw8

Knitting her first lace. I took her picture because one’s first lace is a significant thing, and because having your first lace not look like arse is a significant thing. All hail the new lace knitter.

I staggered out with the Knitpicks ladies for a pint,

Knitpickspints

and they tried to force the new catalogue on me. (They had read that I may have eaten the last one to prevent future purchases.) I told them to back off. I told them I would eat 10 catalogues because I am not the sort of knitter with no backbone. I told them….

fine. I took it. I took it and I read it. A better strategy may be to eat my credit card.

Defeated, I went back to the hotel and collapsed in a heap. (Sort of. I may have drunk a fabulous bottle of homebrew beer from Tammy and eaten about 14 samosas before falling asleep with crumbs on my knitting. I would rather keep these weak moments in hotel rooms to myself.)

For now I am in Eugene Oregon, having had a fabulous night at Books Without Borders, and I would tell you all about it, but I have to get up at 4am to head for Salt Lake City. I’m really happy about the Salt Lake City part. I’d rather not discuss 4am.

Until tomorrow.

112 thoughts on “Knitters of all sizes

  1. Thanks for an evening of laughter. I know I already sent you the email (and wow, you emailed me back)…
    Just fabulous!!
    (am i really first?)

  2. Holy cow! Are you getting enough sleep? A few of my buddies and I from Sacramento can hardly wait until we see you in Palo Alto. I liked the picture of little Elizabeth and her knitting. My advice to her, “Get started early – there’s so much yarn and so little time.”
    Sending you warm regards from Northern California.
    Elizabeth Risch

  3. Wow, so this is how to be among the first to comment (stay up til 1 am and have to check for a Harlot update)! It lookes like you’re having a wonderful time. You are going to need to sleep for a week when you get home though! Can’t wait to see you in Ottawa…please come to Ottawa! Please?!

  4. I’m glad I’m not the only one falling asleep on my knitting! As for Knit Picks…maybe we should start a KP-anonymous club…”Hello, my name is Heather, and I am an addict.”

  5. Had a great time last night! It’s always good to shock the muggles… I’ll ask my mom when I see her whether there’s any chance that our St. John’s Dunphys could be related to your Corner Brook Dunphys.

  6. I’m totally sympathetic and in agreement on the U.S. metric thing, but I have to point out, having just moved to England, that they still do distances in miles. Roads, hiking/biking paths and speed limits are still posted that way.
    PS When are you going to give your European fans a chance to hear you?

  7. Waaahhhh!!! I wanted to be in the crowd, really I did! *pout* *pout* I’d have been the one dragging along 3 kids under the age of 6, only one of whom is even interested in knitting and who is just 2 years old. Why did my DH have to go out of town when the Harlot was in Portland??? Oh Why????

  8. I love Seattle and I adore Portland, Oregon, but my absolutely favorite place in the world is Eugene, Oregon–that’s where I raised my boys. I will be forever grateful that my boys were able to grow up among these beautiful people.
    I hope you get the chance to explore Eugene.
    See you on 9/17.

  9. Next time you encounter a distance of 1.28 miles, just remember that it’s slightly over 2km. Then factor in the hills, if present.
    Do you have plans for Rhinebeck? If so, I may have to work kilt into my wardrobe for the event.

  10. I was so excited to meet you tonight. I knew you’d be funny, but you were all warm and nice and stuff too — amazingly so, considering the lack of sleep! Thank you for an incredible evening.

  11. Reading your blog always makes me smile. I was thrilled when I saw you on Sunday at Third Place Books in Seattle. I have pictures of Icarus to prove it!!! HA!!! There be many a jealous knit blogger out there for sure!!! You rock! Thanks for the smiles! I hope you get some sleep somewhere in there as well!!

  12. Yay for babies getting their knitting future assured!
    This may be the first (and probably last) time in my life I’ve started a trend.

  13. As a member of tonight’s audience (Eugene), I can say that you were absolutely lovely. Unfortunately I made plans for after and wasn’t able to stay and chat and possibly get a little sauced with you. Having moved here a few months ago from Oklahoma, I was amused by your description of your visit to OKC and very excited that I was going to get to see you in person here. My friend Stephanie owns a knitting cafe in Tulsa where I first discovered your books, and I know she’s going to be soooo jealous when I share my good fortune of seeing you in person.
    Thanks for the evening of entertainment! You are truly an inspiration! I’m going for the GOLD!

  14. I’m looking forward to seeing you on Saturday in Los Altos.
    For NorCal weather, I highly recommned layers… although it’s supposed to be in the low 80s (Fahrenheit, that is), so it may still be a bit warm for you this time of year. The problem here is we have microclimates… drive 10 minutes in any direction and you’ll come across different weather (there are days when there’s a 10-20 degree difference between where I live and my LYS 20 minutes away). So, layers… take off stuff when it gets too hot, and put it back on when you enter an air conditioned building. 😀

  15. You have to come to Vegas, it would be so awesome. The sock desperately needs to have it’s picture taken on the sphinx. I can hear it sobbing from here…okay okay I’m just hopelessly jealous that I can’t make it to SLC tomorrow. Instead having to return to my mind numbing soul crushing job. I hope you have fun though.
    Kyrie

  16. What a 2am treat. I love Portland too – it’s my fantasy move-to spot of the moment. Sweet Dreams~~~~

  17. I hope they put you up in a nice hotel here! I am so EXCITED!!!!
    I’m bringing you some mead, and another set of purty rosebud needles. Yay!
    Man if the hospital puts me on-call tomorrow night….

  18. My question is, did the KnitPicks ladies give you a set of the Options needles? Or did you already order them? How can you resist. I gave up and ordered!

  19. Thanks for coming to Portland! I so enjoyed your talk and the contagious enthusiasm of the knitterly crowd. Here’s a good rule of thumb for the muggles: decide the absolute maximum number of chairs you think you could possibly need, then multiply that number by 5 and set up that many chairs. Can’t wait for your next book!

  20. I can’t wait till you (and all the knitters) descend upon Los Altos, CA. It’s a nice place (the Village of Los Altos is the license plate holder of choice) but a bit staid. Lots of BMW’s, blond children, expensive clothes, well preserved women – and men. They don’t get a lot of excitement. I used to be part of a Mummer’s Play and when we paraded through the downtown to lure people into the children’s bookstore we nearly got arrested. This should be fun!

  21. Isn’t Eugene a lovely spot?
    You are having the best tour! Meeting the most incredible knitters – that little one is inspiring. Knitting at 4?!!
    Please, please, please tell me you are going to stop on Canada’s West Coast.
    Vancouver, Victoria, Whistler? Surely you have a need to go to Whistler (though Victoria is nicer!).
    Maybe even Squamish? Hmmmm? We are right in between Vancouver and Whistler. A case could be made Stephanie.
    PS – ‘Freak the Muggles’ = BRILLIANT!

  22. Yipes! Seattle, Portland, Salt Lake City, and THEN the San Francisco Bay Area?! You think that’s a lot of knitters in Portland? You are going to be in the Bay Area on a SATURDAY! Every knitter for 60 miles (we have about a dozen and a half yarn stores, in the area, just to give you an idea of how many knitters are in a 60 mile radius) is going to be there on Saturday. I believe people will be camping out for most of the day at event site just to get a decent seat and a signed book before 11pm. Oh, and charge those camera batteries.
    Can’t wait to see you again!

  23. Sure, you may not be able to hail a cab, but did anybody tell you about the free yellow bikes?
    I am a northwesterner living abroad and deeply, deeply envious of your exploits in Seattle and Portland. Ohhhh.

  24. Well, shoot. I had my first lace with me when I saw you in Chicago. I should’ve gotten brave and whipped it out and waved it around a little (purple alpaca; yum). I grabbed your idea from _Knitting Rules_ and am making it in two halves to graft together so that the lace is not upside-down on one end of the scarf. It’s what Barbara Walker calls “Oriel Pattern”– and imagine my surprise when your close-ups of Icarus revealed that this is the pattern used for the feathers at the edge!
    And no, I was not knitting lace while listening to you talk. I was knitting a plain stockinette sweater– I only have so much brain to go around! I brought the lace with some crazy notion that I could work on it in the car while my friend drove, but it turned out that rush-hour Chicago streets required the navigator’s attention almost as much as the driver’s. I cannot hold conversations, watch TV, or listen to music while knitting lace. I must focus on the lace.

  25. I’m sorry to tell you after you left, but Portland has the most fabulous button store. Your schedule for the next few says is absolutely insane, but I’ll see you in Eau Claire and I hope you aren’t too jet lagged. I also hope you get some of those frequent flyer miles, because you are going to need a trip to HI when you are done. (I bet Honolulu has knitters.)
    I’m warning you, a large number of Minnesota knitters are turning up and may not be able to resist trying again to get you to come to see us in our home state. I know of a van of 6, a party of 3 and a party of 1 or 2. And I just moved to Minnesota in July, so there is no way I have the skinny on who is going.
    (I hear the main issue is finding a yarn shop with interest and space. You are too popular for your own good and your publishing company needs to try some of the small colleges in Minnesota like Carleton or St. Olaf.) It’s absurd that we can’t find you a space here. Minnesota is knitting central. We have a knitting guild. We have a summer knitting program at the University of Minnesota. We have a map on frappr that shows 46 stores and they aren’t all on there.
    Anyway, I look forward to hearing you talk in Eau Claire.

  26. Mmmm … havin’ a pint with the ladies sounds good. Yes, eat the credit card(s), it is the most zen thing to do.
    Good luck with SLC.
    ~firefly

  27. you were fabulous in portland! we were truly packed into that powell’s – i personally was wedged into the cookbook section. and sorry about the miles-to-metric issues. please don’t hold it against us.

  28. Elizabeth is too cute! I learned to knit at Elizabeth’s age too. My yarn was red and I had yellow needles, the ones with brown buttons on the end that had the size number molded in.

  29. You are outclassed by no one. Hail the Harlot! Can’t wait, I am on my heel on my Koigu, Harlot socks. Hope you can catch a quick nap on the plane!

  30. Are you sure that’s Laurie’s first lace? My lace still does not look that good.
    I see you are coming to CT, which is close enough to MA to give me hope…

  31. Unfortunately you absorb catastrophe (I’d never say generate) and it comes out humor, so you will never get appropriate sympathy for hot-sweaty-panic-death-marches. (I’d have gotten you in the same trouble — with 27″ inseams, I’m the queen of the twenty-minute mile. The hills. Well.)
    So Powell’s put you in a dinky location on their second experience of you AND cut you off at the end? I am now officially unimpressed with Powell’s, block o’ books or not. Phhhht.

  32. No one could have resisted those KnitPicks ladies. Especially after having been “softened up” already by that adorable little girl and a 1.28 mile walk up hill.
    I think you did well not to just break down and order “one of everything” right there on the spot.
    Good luck with your further Western travels…

  33. I agree with Stephania Fregosi! While everyone loves to have you in a knitting and/or book store, those locales just don’t have the space for you (and, of course, us).
    By the way, when are you coming to Ohio. We knit in Ohio. We are just south of you. I do think that I’m going to have to convince my DH that a trip north is needed. SOON!
    I hope the remainder of your trip is safe and fun!
    Mary Lynn

  34. Please give my dear friend Margene a big hug….I was supposed to be in SLC last weekend for their first fiber festival but family got in the way. She is buying her first wheel from me…my Lendrum! Also hugs to Anne and Susan and the grrls from the Stitch ‘n Bitch!

  35. Adding extra time for the .28 of a mile was smart. Not figuring in the fact that the friend I suspect you called has a stride length 2.5 times your own, however…

  36. It sounds like you had a *FABULOUS* time. People don’t realize that knitters really are obsessive compulsive types with raven personalities “ooh! shiny – *stash*.” (I’m paraphrasing you, btw.)
    We’re nuts. We can’t sit still and that’s why we knit. We are easily distracted by shiny objects, including each other. And you, my dear Harlot, are a very shiny object. (Which, of course, I mean in the nicest sort of way).

  37. I just love that knitters show their roudy side! Actually, how can we not?!! I hope your tour continues to go well…so many wonderful knitters and places to see,yarn shops and beers to try! If that ain’t heaven I don’t know what is! We love you Steph! (looking forward the the next time your in AZ…Northern AZ is not as warm as southern….I’ll buy the beer!)

  38. You know what you need, Stephanie? A lackey. Someone to carry your yarn around, call cabs, and do topography surveillance.
    I hereby volunteer for duty. Just toss a fresh KnitPicks catalogue and credit card my way periodically, and I’m good.

  39. I’m looking forward to your visit to Brooklyn. I actually stopped by the Barnes & Noble and asked if reservations were required (because I am witness to your photos of these ENORMOUS groups of knitters). I was told “no.” Hmmm. I really don’t think they understand. I’m just glad it’s a big bookstore!

  40. Have you ever noticed that people that work with yarn all have hair that either stands straight on end with lots of frizzy curls, or lies straight and smooth like a sheet of falling water? What *is* that? Are we curly-haired people staticky? Are the smooth-haired people lanoliny?
    I was tickled to see the faces behind KnitPicks. My husband’s sex life has improved thanks to them. (My husband and I have a deal about sock- and lace-weight. It’s kind of a reward structure system.) They look like the kind of ladies who would Understand About All That ™.

  41. I promised I’d teach Neatnik to knit when she’s four – this milestone rapidly approaches. I’m glad that it (apparently) wasn’t a bad decision on my part to promise this to her.

  42. Wow!
    If you like breaking stereotypes, wait till you are in NYC.
    We promise you lots of big, bold, brass knitters. Actually, we promise you lots of big, bold, brass everything. The only difference; knitters are allowed weapons (those little pointy things- NYPD hasn’t figured it out yet..)
    See ya soon!
    g.
    P.S. There are microbreweries near where you will be. With food even (if required). For medicinal purposes….:)

  43. I guess you’ve never seen the episode of “Peep and the Big Wide World” where they learn about different ways to measure distance–hops, wiggles, steps…but a rabbit’s hop is different than a duck hop, and a worm’s wiggle is different than a robin’s wiggle…
    One mile is 1.6km. I may also be Canadian, but for some reason, measure most distances by miles.
    Our school board, while having a deficit in the transportation budget, has the longest ‘must walk’ distances of any Ontario public board. My 3 year old ‘must walk’ the one mile to school. If it were just her, it wouldn’t be bad. But add a 9 month old, and a 6 year old with a developmental delay that involves low muscle tone…and the fact that they switched from every other day kindergarten to every day….we make three trips to the school every day! So we drive twice and walk once. So I am quite intimate with what one mile feels like, LOL. But hills are fun! Keep your back straight, chin up, and you’ll have buns of steel in no time. Too bad you live in flat T.O.!

  44. Sounds fantastic! I’m so sorry I couldn’t make it to your Chicago visit this last time. I love the picture of the 4-year old knitting, makes me excited to teach my son in a few years!
    BTW, I can’t put a URL in this post I bet, but you’ve got to check out “canadians 4 global warming dot com” without the spaces and with a . instead of the dot. The cartoon is hilarious. THought of you!

  45. Oh man, the KnitPick ladies… My husband hides their catalogs. Fortunatly I have a snitch. My 6 year old loves sweaters… a lot… and he tells me when the new “sweater stuff catalog” comes in. I’ve started the christmas-season “it”. I just bought wool from the knitpick folks for 2 sweaters for my sisters for christmas… yeah… right… one knits, though, so she may get a sweater kit!

  46. Oh my gosh! Up at 4am after posting this after midnight? I hope you get some sleep soon! It was a pleasure to meet you yesterday, and I am so, so glad I came (almost didn’t, as I wasn’t feeling good). But it was totally worth it and you made me forget for a while, I was just too busy laughing and enjoying myself!
    I hope you liked the beer, if you do, they have McMinnamins in several places in Oregon. They even have a lodge or something, where you can stay at (beer/knitting retreat, anyone? ^_~).
    I hope I’ll have the pleasure again in the future, of hearing you speak. I don’t care what your kids say. To me, you’re very cool!

  47. Whew! Thank you thank you thank you! I think I’m still coming down from that high – it was like a really great early 3-0 bday present! And I too was totally UNimpressed with the grumpy Powell’s folks. What is their deal? Stephanie, you rock, and well, thanks.

  48. Wow – what fun you are having. And Ayanna, the cute baby, made my morning – a knitter in the making. I’m sad to miss you while you are coming to Wisconsin this weekend -hope it does not disappoint! We are known for beer and cheese, be sure to sample a little of each!

  49. Hoards and Scads and Whacks even !!! Looks good on the muggles for underestimating the knitters of this world.I’m so glad so many turned out for you and may we multiply!!! MUGGLES WAKE UP to the fact that the knitters are a HUGE group of fun loving people. Enough said. Have a safe and happy trip to Salt Lake, can hardly wait to read more of your knitterly, book travels

  50. I turned my first heel yesterday, trusting myself and the future of my sock entirely to the wisdom of the Harlot.
    Stephanie, you ROCK.

  51. Ha ha harlot, come back home and your Joe’s wife, the “knitter”.
    Leave the home fires and you be a FRICK’N ROCK/SOCK STAR.
    It’s so cool. Lorraine S. came to S.nB this week girlfriend, and I made another bridge. A RachelH. meets Lorraine S. bridge. Spinner of Greatness meets wheelmaker to be.I so good.
    So ……..Rachel H. if you don’t smell like sawdust soon, I will drug you in your sleep at the Rhinebeck and give you a big ass tatoo. and start a blog in your name.You have now met the Great Spinner of Greatness, lath away baby.Never mind that day job,poo poo it.

  52. Thank you for coming to Portland! You were so witty and funny, my face hurt from laughing so hard. I can’t wait for you to come to town again. Maybe next time they’ll set you up in the much bigger Powell’s store downtown on Burnside?
    I posted a picture of you and me on my blog if you wanted to see it (www.hereintopeka.com). I had the best time–thanks again!

  53. Open the new KnitPicks catalog…….open the new KnitPicks catalog…….It is FABULOUS!! They have their own line of knitting bags now! And they are reasonably priced! Way to go Knitpicks!
    Powell’s in Portland scares me, it is huge. It is monumental, it is an entire city block and THREE stories high. I never made it past the first floor. But I have to admit, freaking out the book people is fun…..granted, Powell’s knitting section is larger than most stores, but it is still not large enough (are they ever large enough?) But it is about time we take out plan of world domination to the next level..
    I am Knitter, hear me ROAR!!

  54. Ah HA! So that’s what those evil, evil women of KnitPicks look like. “The devil hath the power to assume a pleasing form”, indeed. (I just spent $250 at KnitPicks and prefer to transfer blame for budgetary indiscretions to others. It’s a character flaw.)
    I love the KnitPicks lines. The luxury designer yarns are like…dessert to me. Tasty and sexy and all that. But that KnitPicks Merino, for example, is good old steak and potatoes. Beautiful, tasty, fulfilling, and NOT $600 for a 4′ scarf.

  55. So sorry I have to miss you in Los Altos! Can’t get there until tomorrow… 🙁 Won’t you come back to CA soon?

  56. *sigh* it sounds like so much fun. I wish wish wish your publisher or whoever would arrange for you to come to the maritmes 😉 I would go anywhere in the maritimes to see you I swear. Out side of the maritimes becomes just too expensive and cuts into the yarn budget which unfortunately had to be cut back already *tears welling up in eyes* … I love your blog, I love your books, I quote your book to denfend my stash ALL the time. 😀 thanks for that by the way.

  57. Hollis of Full Thread Ahead said there’ll be 400 of us seeing you on Sat! The mind boggles (especially on where to park!), but at least we’ll be outdoors. And we’ll have nice fall weather – SF Bay Area style, that is. So looking forward to your visit.

  58. I love the rowdy knitters 🙂
    And what’s even better, is that I am (eventually, as I am still in school) going to be a librarian knitter 😀
    Even Rowdier 😀
    I love your blog, thank you for making my day!

  59. that is freaking awesome.
    but i have a question.
    my daughter steals my knitting needles (she is 18mos old) does that mean she is going to knit also?
    i think she is – she has a fondness for yarn and soft fuzzy things and she steals my needles. it doesnt matter what size from my dpn 2’s to my 13 straights even my circular 7s
    whatever knitting project i am working on if i dont put it out of reach a needle will be pulled out.
    she will also steal my crochet hooks
    i find it frustrating and entertaining all at the same time:) she always gives them back btw.
    hugs hope salt lake is fun!

  60. Wow! That is the greatest compliment that I have ever received about my yarn! I can’t wait for the next book so that you’ll have to come and visit us again. (btw my husband said that if they had put you at main Powells there would have been a lot more room and they stay open until 11. What were they thinking?)

  61. Wasn’t that a crazy night? Powells was packed to the brim – and no, we were *not* at all quiet. Glad you got there in one piece despite the long, evil walk. Great talk, as always. And glad you liked the samosas 🙂

  62. Just had to comment again about the precious little girl and the knitting–she is a beautiful sight for sore eyes and what a wonderful memory she will have in later years of
    seeing and meeting “”The Harlot”
    Laurie–that is one ausum looking lace project for the first one . Love the look of it and GL. I just finished a small lace scarf and now THINK I might go to something bigger because of you.

  63. I had such a good time listening to you the other night! You described my world perfectly;). My employees were so excited I was sneaking out of work. What fabulous cooking magazine editor was I going to see? Yes, the final word I heard as I snuck out the back door was…”Dork” I’m a proud one too!! Unfortunately I had to get back to work so I did come up front, but you made my night:)

  64. Okay, now my knitter’s high is coming right back looking at all the great pics… Thanks for the shout-out and, again, thanks for such a fabulous time!!!

  65. errr, did anyone happen to find a size 2 dpn there at Powell’s?? Anyone?? One of mine seems to have gone missing. (sigh). I mean, good that it was the “extra” one and not one of the four with sock stitches on them … but STILL ….. I hate to think of it out in that Muggle World all lost and lonely…..
    p.s. OH. Thanks, Steph, for such a great time! You’re such a hoot!
    The Rene Descarte Joke Chick

  66. I am delurking today. I have been lurking for an awfully long time because so many people have been speaking their appreciation for your work loudly and I didn’t think they needed help. But I hope you enjoy Eugene, I lived there for a year while I went to school and it was a lovely (if slightly damp) place. I wasn’t a knitter at the time and I wish I could go back now and explore the yarn shops that I missed!

  67. It was great to see you in Eugene! My little one asked you what the first thing you knit was and you had already told her about the yellow acrylic potholder. I asked her why she asked you again and she said,”Well, I didn’t know what acrylic is and that you knit it!” I love her so, my little wool-baby! You were funny and great and I was way too shy to say much more than “Hi!”. but I just want you to know how much I have enjoyed your books and blog! You are an inspiration to me! (Now, my bigger one has to explain why she didn’t do her homework! I told her to remember it’s a “Niche Market”!)

  68. Now, now. We shouldn’t freak the muggles. We should convert them. On second thought, maybe not – that would mean less yarn for us! Yes, Heather – we are all addicts.
    I hope the wonder-publicist is sending these pictures to your publisher . . .

  69. Stephanie, way to make me faint – I’m happily reading along, and there you say, “I met MonicaPDX’. ::THUD:: Thank you! I came over here to read before finally posting my blog entry about Wed. night, with a bunch of pix. After seeing that, I had a hard time being coherent while writing. 😉 Now I’ve gotta check your links for what other PDX bloggers reported; I’m sure there’ll be some great reads.
    Love the picture of Elizabeth – what a great pic, that kid needs to be the poster child for knitting. And I’m smacking my head for not having the smarts to mention in a comment beforehand about the cabs here in PDX; it’s one of the things I always tell people coming here: “You gotta call, and the only place you’ll find taxi stands is by hotels, if then. Or the airport. And always use Radio Cab.” (We hardly have any takeout delivery, either, for some odd reason, except from places like Domino’s/Pizza Hut. I’m always envious of other cities, and scream at TV shows where people get Chinese food and such delivered all the time. That’s just rubbing it in. [g] Hills ain’t the only strangeness around here.)
    Thanks again for such a great evening, and providing the opportunity to freak the muggles. It was a hoot. Next time they’d durned well better learn from experience, and not only give you plenty of room, but *time*. I also appreciate you letting me take some pix when I was one of the last few people in line, after you’d faced down flashes all night long. Very gracious of you, and I’m extremely glad to hear you got some beer after a lively night. 😉 Looking forward to your next post – hopefully after you’ve gotten some rest in between all these events. Hang in there!

  70. I’m a dufus. You’re not going to Los Altos until tomorrow (I thought it was weird that I thought today was the 9th). But still no dice- I’ll be in Memorial Stadium in Berkeley from 4 until nearly 8. Boo-hoo! Please come back to CA!

  71. Transportation: No, you’re right, Portland is not a hail-a-cab kinda town. Portland is a ride-the-bus kinda town. If you’re in town again, I’ll get you a few day passes for the bus system. There’s one that runs straight down Hawthorne & would have made short work of your 1.28 uphill miles. Thanks for mentioning my little blog. It was so cool to get to see you in person. (Next time I’ll bring along my sainted mother, if I can.) Did I mention that I’m employed by the local bus provider?
    Enjoy your tour. Get some rest.

  72. Can’t wait to see you in NY! I turned my first adult-sized sock heel thanks to your book too!!
    much love!
    ari

  73. I wish i could see you in person! I guess that I’ll have to wait! I do find it funny that even that the States were one of the first countries to go metric, though!

  74. Seattle and Portland are my two favorite cities. I think I like Portland just a tad more. Mostly because of Powells books on Burnside. Wow!!!
    Knitters are NOT shy, retiring, little granny types. Who in the world thought up that stereotype anyway??? Next time Powells, THE BIG STORE!!!
    Sorry I missed both Seattle and Portland. I just couldn’t get away from several family affairs in North Idaho.
    Loved the baby knitter photos and the fish guy from Pike Street.

  75. Everyone keeps saying “next time” at Powell’s. They hosted Stephanie before and sound to have been ungracious (and dead to hints in advance) this time. Why should they get a third chance?

  76. I can’t wait to see you tomorrow! I’m making my mom take me, and my sister said she might come too–she wants to know what all the fuss is about.

  77. Ok… I take offense!
    The Yarn Harlot has been to every place I have ever lived in, BUT NOT EVEN NEAR my current residence in fresno, california!
    If this poor college student could, I would drive to the bay area to see you, but I have spent too much money on yarn.
    I demand that Fresno be placed on the next book tour!!

  78. Oh, honey, if only Sacramento would be placed on the book tour…although I think the thing is that Fresno and Sacto are hot sticky places with temperate winters… only the truly enlightened understand the pull of the wool… my pain is that, after months of planning to go to Los Altos to see her (150 mile drive, that), I’m going to have to bail… I cannot fully explain my pain… travel on, STeph, it makes me happy just knowing you’re out there…

  79. Some amazing bands were at Bumbershoots this year. I’ll bet your teenagers are jealous as can be.
    I have talked my sister into a bit of madness involving Full Thread Ahead in Los Altos, CA and 6 hours of driving from opposite ends of the state. Scrounging local chocolate and coffee goods before the 5 am drive tomorrow; you’re a lucky lady. 🙂

  80. Looks like you’re packing ’em in in the Pacific Northwest! At least you feel wanted. Now that you’ve got the miles vs. km thing worked out, remember the beer in Utah is not very strong so order two at a time…just saying. Pretend a friend is coming…
    See you in Los Altos.

  81. I’m so disappointed that I missed your trip to Portland. I’m reading your book ‘Knitting Rules!’ and love it! I hope to catch ya next time around…. But hey! Your on your way to Salt lake and that is where my best friend (and zephyr buddy) lives and maybe she can catch you and tell me all about it. Have a great time in SL!

  82. rams seems pretty upset with Powell’s! I hope they didn’t treat you badly. (You know, besides being stuffed into a tiny room in Southeast.) I think it’s great you “freaked out the muggles!” Maybe next time Powell’s can rent Bagdad Theater across the street. There’s beer there. 😉

  83. No wonder that I’m still waiting for my yarn order! Pack in the yarn, not the hops!
    Here’s to hoping that you’ll make a stop in Florida soon. We’re saving up the humidity!

  84. Here in Wisconsin we are counting the hours. btw, Eau Claire is most definitely NOT a “hail a cab” kinda town, either. I’m not even sure you can “call a cab” there. (Google has now shown me the error of that last statement.) Yellow Dog Knitting has wisely moved your talk venue to a Masonic temple in the next block, although I think the book signing is scheduled to occur at the YDK shop. I predict there will be a line w-a-y out the door. Have fun, don’t lose your voice, get some sleep, have a beer, (is it possible to all those things simultaneously?) and we’ll see you Sunday!

  85. Oh fie on Powell’s. Sometimes they forget they aren’t the only game in town. Next time, come to the big Borders at Bridgeport–of course, you’ll need to warn them in advance that people will be sitting in all the aisles….
    I didn’t make it there (boo) but I see a pix of my friend Helen–she’s the gal with the big smile standing behind the mom & baby w/needles. (Okay–either it’s Helen or she has a twin she never mentioned.)
    Rock on, Harlot!

  86. Hi there,
    It was so nice to meet you, if just for a second. I can’t understand what Powell’s was thinking or expecting. You have been to Powell’s before. Everyone in Portland knits; it’s required. Duh. But it was so fun to overrun the store and knit in the stacks while peeking at you through the homebrewing selection.
    Oh, and I’m kind of off the knitpicks people, since they stole you afterwards. I’m sure I’ll get over it someday and open that damn catalog.

  87. So very cool! This tour sounds like so much fun. Maybe the bookstores should phone the next place to warn them… then again why spoil all the fun?

  88. My knitting group meets at Barnes and Nobles every week and sometimes we have as many as 25 knitters there. Yep, we get kinda loud. Sometimes you can hear us on the other end of the store, teehee.

  89. Wow that scene reminds me of the time we happened to visit a Border’s on the day Emeril Lagasse was signing his then current book. We had no idea what was going on until we asked a staff person. So I can sympathize with the muggles a bit. I’ll have to show the picture of Elizabeth to my grandsons. The older one (four – five on 11/01) & I have been talking about his learning to knit. I think he’s ready. (If you saw the amazingly detailed pictures of tank engines he draws, you’d agree.)

  90. Stephanie,
    Don’t know if you’ll get to read this, as I’m rather long in the queue. Your tour is most impressive. Seriously, you are racking up some major mileage. Hopefuly you’ll get to take the family on a great vacation.
    I was bummed to see you’ll be in Los Altos on the 9th. Can’t go, due to two soccer games, one tennis match, and a charity yard sale. Try to get to San Francisco, a great city, if you haven’t checked it out yet. It would be worth a visit.

  91. Well then. You had me good and confused. “Muggle” is what my 78-year-old Mom calls a marijuana cigarette — even in her own house, and not in public, it is also spoken in a stage whisper, to wit: “One of the neighbors caught her son smoking a MUGGLE!”
    So I looked it up on Dictionary.com — Webster’s doesn;t do slang — and discovered it means “an unskilled person.”
    Love it.
    Thanks for the vocabulary, Steph!
    The looks on the faces of the muggles when presented with more than one knitter in a public place is funny enough. I’d love to see the reaction to HUNDREDS of knitters.
    What a treat that must be. It must make up for all the blank stares when you say … “I’m a knitting humorist.”

  92. Stephania’s right…we can totally find you space in Minneapolis!!! (Or maybe you’re just avoiding us on purpose because you are simply overwhemed by our vast amounts of yarn.) Either way, Knittybaby and I will be there in Eau Claire on Sunday. Looking forward to it!!!

  93. Yes, “muggle” has a long history (in the middle ages it meant a man with a tail); in the roaring twenties it did mean marijuana. If Stephanie’s usage catches on, the O.E.D. will have to add another meaning.
    And Stephanie? Make time for sleep. Being sleepy lowers your effective intelligence, and that could lead to frogging.

  94. Thanks for the great evening! I almost didn’t come because I didn’t have a sitter for my son. I brought him though and he was such an angel that I have many comments on my blog to prove it. 🙂 Now I’ll just have to show them to him if he becomes a normal toddler. (crossing my fingers that doesn’t happen) Have a great time on the rest of the tour and try to enjoy the whirlwind….there’s time for sleep later. 🙂

  95. Hi there! I am so excited that Elizabeth, a friend of mine, was able to go to the signing in Los Altos and have you sign a book for me.
    I really wanted to come, but had a five hour surgery on my foot (a long and winding explanation) on Friday; and was not able to go anywhere but home on Saturday.
    But the good news is that the surgery and the problem that led to the surgery are behind me, and I am very glad I finally had it done. To be honest, I was thinking desperately of coming there in a wheel chair, after all, it was “same day surgery” –ha.
    Anyway, I shared your quote of St. Francis of Assisi that is in your Knit’s End book with my podiatrist. It is about the labourer, the crafter, and the artist. He thought he was a labourer because he works with his hands. I thought he was quite the artist. He was as artistic as any knitter when it came to restructuring my ankle and arch.
    Thanks for all the wisdom and entertainment. We readers are truly blessed. (And I promise the next entry will be shorter.)
    Oh, and ps: I have confirmed the principle that the more you try to fix a major error by ripping out, the more the risk of making new errors while knitting back up becomes “exponential.” (especially while freshly post op.)

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