215 thoughts on “While on the train”

1. Oooh! Am I first? Really?
   The beading looks beautiful.

2. WOW, love the bead work.. have been wanting to try it one of theese days.

3. WOOT!! Beading!! 🙂

4. Any picture I take before 10 AM is blurry as all get out. I must have caffiene tremours imperceptible to everyone but my camera!
   Wish I could come to Kingston!

5. Recently started up the whole knitting with beads myself. As if being addicted to just plain knitting wasn’t enough…now I must buy fiber AND little round sparkly things…
   Looks great! Can’t wait to see the finished pair!

6. Kingston? Sorry, too far for me. 😉 Since you like train rides so much, is there a train ride across Canada? Maybe VIA Rail will take you to Victoria – OK, Vancouver at least. 😉 Hope to see you on the left coast soon.

7. Well that Olivia is as cute as they come! 🙂

8. Seriously? The Yarn Harlot is too shy to approach another knitter? Lordy I hope if you ever see me knitting (unlikely) you’ll stop and say Hi.
   fwiw – even if one is not the harlot, I believe it’s always ok to ask what a knitter is making, as long as the query is not followed or preceded by the dreaded “are you expecting?” line.
   Beads scare me too.

9. See, we told you things would be alright. Wow, glad Christine is alright — but not able to knit!?! Oh and blurry photos? Check the digital camera — I had blurry photos and it turned out my lens was defective and not focusing properly.

10. i’m coming–see you in 2 hours!!

11. I love that the beads are prestrung just so, they work with the pattern perfectly and all that. Okay, I’m easily amused.

12. I’m sending my Mom to the Kingston reading in my stead – she has instructions to listen carefully, call me when it’s over and repeat everything she can remember back to me. Good luck and have fun.

13. I’m glad to hear you had a good time in Granby. I had a horrible cold that day, brought on by exhaustion, I’m sure. Major bummer that I missed you, but I did buy a ticket and thereby supported the cause.

14. Were the chatty seatmates engaged in fibery pursuits?
    When I used to commute by train, I embroidered and was always happy when a fiber-friendly individual sat next to me. We briefly admired each other’s work and then quietly pursued our projects. That was much better than the high-strung stockbroker with his giant newspaper and dangerous cup of coffee.

15. pretty, pretty beads… and thanks for the link to Christine’s stash… I’m hoping to help her out a bit!

16. Kingston? Kingston? Your’re going to be in Kingston? Ah, wait- it’s Kingston CANADA, not Kingston NY! :(!
    There are way too many towns with the same name in this part of the world. Can we rename these somehow, so we can differentiate? Since you are the first, you B Kingston Eh, we’ll B Kingston B, “see” how this works…
    Coming to a border town near you soon….

17. Long time reader, first time commentor…
    I concur with the earlier person who said that you’re getting blurry pictures in dark places because when it’s dark, the shutter has to be open longer, which leaves more space for anything to cause a blur–like breathing.
    As a compulsive commuting knitter, my yarn and I (currently some fine laceweight on “Kimono Shawl” from Folk Shawls, doubled with Habu A-1 on the garter stitch borders) can be seen on busses large and small, trains, and any other thing with wheels that might get one from Oakland to San Francisco.
    In part, I know that in doing this, I am become the Knitter, Preacher to the Unconverted. Also, I have no shame. If you–generic–are toodling along with a textile and any appropriate number of sticks, I figure that by doing so in public you are implicitly asking for some surface-level commentary. Otherwise, you’d just do it at home, in private, right?
    *ahem* So, yeah. There’s that whole secret sisterhood vibe going on, and if she was confident enough to use teensy yarn and teensy needles in public, it was probably worth asking.
    Aaaaanyway, while I found the idea of a pattern that came with yarn that had prestrung beads on it fascinating, when I had to knit with beads I didn’t have any such at my LYS’s, so I did this instead:
    http://extravayarnza.typepad.com/extravayarnza/techniques/index.html
    –thread a biggish bead on a teensy crochet hook, and use the hook to pull the loop you are about to knit through the bead. Voila!
    Hope that inspires future projects–I dearly loved working through your “Snowdrop Shawl” but figured you are too deluged by pictures to do as the pattern suggested and send you one.
    — Lorrie

18. You probably already did, but check the “lookie spot” (lense)on the camera. My kids are old enough to know better, but I still found a big fingerprint on mine the other day when I couldn’t take a decent picture 😉

19. I’m a quilter, cross-stitcher and crocheter, but still just a wanna-be knitter. However, I’ve been enjoying your blog for some time now and am VERY excited to meet you tomorrow in Kanata! For you, I give up Survivor. I wouldn’t do that for just anyone! 🙂

20. No one will notice. And no one will care! (you don’t happen to have the cowboy hat with you, do you?).

21. I’m guessing that knitter on the train would have loved to have a chat with you.
    Yay for provisional cast-ons which behave!

22. First, now I want to know what she was knitting, too – I think there is always space for asking, even if you don’t plunk down next to her. Knitters LOVE to talk about their projects.
    Second, I have been so close to the lotion episode it’s not funny. Glad to know I’m not the only one.

23. I wish I could be there…I would dare someone near me to comment loudly to everyone on how great your hair looks tonight! Then I would sit back and enjoy the ensuing mayhem.
    I’m in awe of the beading…beautiful!

24. Wow, that sock is awesome. Hurrah for beaded knitting awesomeness. Can’t wait to see a finished pic!
    And oh man, lotion in the hair. I’m sorry, but your continued hotel misadventures are so amusing. (Though I can still breathe after this one, I cannot say the same after your locked out of the room in your underpants episode however using the small towel for cover.) Curly hair with oil = yuck. No one will notice I’m sure. Unless of course they read your blog first before coming to see you tonight. (I’m jealous, wish I could be there too!)

25. As someone with very serious hair issues, I can tell you that a little lotion will just cut down on frizz, but not do any major damage. Also, hotels rarely provide conditioner, but generally provide shampoo. If you’re really worried about your hair, you should really find travel versions of a brand you like. Hotel shampoo sucks.

26. I once put vaseline in my hair thinking it was styling gel. It took a very long time to get it out. See, you’re not the only one who does these things.
    The Kitri socks look lovely.

27. In the never ending battle to tame my crazy 1/2 curly, 1/2 wavy but very fine, frizzy hair, I have tried everything under the sun including a dab of lotion to tame the frizz. There was also the adventure with olive oil and on a separate occasion, egg whites as gel. Oh yeah, mayonaise. The list goes on and on.

28. Your story about the lotion hits pretty close to home for me. A couple of friends (one that I had just met) and I went to a conference in Shreveport. While F#1 and I were “shopping”, F#2 was left in the hotel room by herself. When we got back she just HAD to know whose lotion that was and where did we get it because it was just *wonderful*. F#1 told her, no lotion, just shampoo and conditioner. lol Steph,you are so not alone. :o)

29. My new big-ass camera has anti-shake. I could sit on a freakin’ riding lawnmower taking pictures and they’d come out perfect. I’d look into that for your next camea, my little shaking leaf.

30. Awww…you should have asked her what she was knitting. Now we’re all dying of curiosity. Besides, knitters like to tell you what they’re working on, and it might have given you a chance to expound on the virtues of recognizing the work you put into your knitting (like you said about the beautiful wedding shawl).
    The socks look great – can’t wait to see the finished product!
    Sorry to read about the whole lotion thing, too… I’ve begun to bring my own shampoos and the like when I travel. I sometimes get nasty surprises when I use the stuff provided. Plus, I am also in deep trouble in the shower without my glasses! Maybe everyone will rave about how your hair shines, and you’ll start a new trend?

31. Love the lace. Wow. I need that sock kit… after Christmas… maybe FOR Christmas… too many sweaters to do before Christmas.
    Lotion… look at the bright side, it’s good for your scalp.

32. Perhaps a good book on various braiding techniques is in order? Corn Rows maybe?
    My brothers suckered me once by putting some kind of oil in my bottle of hair conditioner. The textures of the two were similar enough that I didn’t notice until it was too late. It took MANY shampoo sessions to finally be rid of the oil. I had waist length hair.
    One of them gave me Brylcreme to brush my teeth with when I was too young to read for myself which tube was correct.
    Have I mentioned that I’m not too fond of my brothers?

33. Never fear, Stephanie. While in my shower here at school (very, very cramped, by the way, and I’m one tiny girl), also not wearing my glasses, I unconsciously put shower gel into my hair instead of shampoo. Didn’t affect my hair as bad as yours did, but it did smell very nice 🙂

34. Oh ya done this myself..except on purpose! In high school i read some article on DIY beauty that stated olive oil was good for curly hair. Uh..no it’s not..unless you are planning for said hair to stick to your head. And it takes forever and a gallon of vinegar to wash out.
    Btw are you knitting a hat for Rabbitch’s hats for homeless thing? http://hatprizes.blogspot.com/
    ( that was a shameless bid to hopefully get some more people over there, ignore it cuz i know you are a busy bee harlot already :>)

35. You have just given me my first true out loud laugh of a very long day at work and my 4 year old is wondering what’s wrong with me. Hope everyone loved the lotion look – it sounds like something that I’ve done on many a rushed occasions to wash my hair.
    good looking out on those beads.

36. Take the little shampoo bottle home with you. Trust me, it’s OK. You’e going to save the universe many many bottles in the future. Refill it with your own brand and pop it in your travel bag. Do the same with the conditioner bottle at the next hotel you stay in. Then you’ll know what you’re using, even with your glasses off and water in your eyes and everything.

37. I feel so excited when actual knitters ask about my projects. When the opening line is “is that crochet?”…. well, I know the conversation isn’t going anywhere.

38. Thank you for that story.I REALLY needed to laugh just then and this totally worked. And I don’t think too many people will notice, we have lots of greasy haired people here in Brooklyn and they have done it on purpose.

39. Um, Miss Harlot, I’m sorry to hear you put lotion in your hair, but the times I’ve been to a hotel they usually have the 2 together. Not that I’m trying to excuse they’re actions, but I just thought I’d report my findings. And frankly, I’m so blind I’d probably do the same thing;)
    The beading looks faboo! Be careful, beaded knitting is addictive!

40. I agree with everyone who suggested that the other knitter would have enjoyed a conversation with another member of the fellowship. I knit on the subway often, and have had many wonderful conversations as a result, with other knitters and muggles alike.
    Sorry about the hair thing. I often forget which bottle is which and start w/ conditioner, but realize it as soon as the damn stuff fails to lather. I’m sure your hair survived, though, and probably got some fabulous deep conditioning in the process…

41. I’ve forgotten to take my socks off before entering the shower before, but I’ve never used lotion as conditioner before… I am sure no one will notice!

42. I’ve done the lotion treatment myself at a hotel. It’s a very weird thing. At least you didn’t get stuck in the hotel hallway with very little on!
    I was just thinking in the shower the other morning that shampoo manufacturers are really missing the boat on labeling. They should do an ad campaign touting their LARGE TYPE for the visually impaired. People would be crazy for it. I can’t read anything without my glasses – especially in a steamy shower.

43. We have got to get you some nerve tonic. For all your travels, talks and knitting/spinning accomplishments, I can’t believe (I do) that you get so nervous! You are one gracious and well bred woman! I can see the lotion thing though, after I stopped laughing. Lessons learned the hard way. When I shop for groceries without glasses, I come home with all kinds of weird stuff. Good luck on the rest of your tour, you know we all love you!

44. I keep waiting for a comment from that train-knitting lady — something along the lines of, “I saw you, too, and was too shy to speak.” Or possibly, “You talk to huge numbers of knitters on a daily basis but you wouldn’t talk to me? Am I that scary? I can’t believe I was one seat away from the Yarn Harlot! I’ve never been able to attend any talks and I’ve given up hope of ever meeting you! How could you not talk to me?”

45. I have such wild hair that I have used lotion as a taming method. It works. You will be fine.

46. I’ve never taken a train for a long ride in NA before. Like I’ve done subways and trains in Japan/Taiwan, but never here. Are they bigger with less people? I hope so…
    Aoub that hair thing: put your hair up in a ponytail OR put it into a bun. That’s what I do when something like that happens to me. And it does happen a lot at hotels, which is why I read those labels first. But my hair is straight and doesn’t curl, so I’m not sure how that would work out for you.
    Mini-tangent: when I had a recital, my brother thought it would be funny to put lotion in my conditioner bottle, and so I used it and discovered that something was seriously wrong. I poured water over my hair to wet it, then put it up into a bun, shoved two pretty chopsticks into it, and tied a ribbon on one of the chopsticks. No one knew the difference. Just that I smelled like lotion. =)

47. Oh gee, I wouldn’t be able to find the store without my glasses. Heck, I wouldn’t be able to find my truck to get there.
    Oh, how glad I am I only had sons and (moreover) that my sons never wanted to dress up as tinkerbell. Hey, can’t take anything for granted these days.

48. Lovely pictures of knitting and knitters, but I’m still waiting for the wedding photos. I’ve been dying to see you in your red dress and Joe in his finery. Come Stephanie, give ’em up.

49. As long as you smell good….it’s all good. That’s my stay-at-home mom policy anyway. Not sure if it works at speaking engagements away from home though. Sorry.

50. What knitter wouldn’t want to be asked about their project? Next time, ask, lol but stand till asked to sit next to…
    The lotion? lol nothing new, daughter put Nair in a different bottle and her hubby thought was body gel…. He is a Marine MP, lol Needless to say.. she never changes bottles anymore, lol, roflmbo…(sorry that still makes me lol)

51. You have oddly got the worst hotel karma I know of or perhaps it’s just that you’re the only one who’ll admit this stuff. Hope the lotion comes out easily when you DO get a chance to wash!

52. Dear Yarn Harlot,
    I am a longtime reader of Your Yarn Harlottyness and it was you who inspired me to branch out and try new things — and it was your blog that inspired me to create my own. So I have a plea to you and your readers: I have been challenged to a blog duel by the writer of a football blog at the newspaper where I work. He has insulted knitters everywhere and implied that a knitting blog can not hope to get as many hits as a football blog. In response I am going to host a photo contest complete with fabulous knitting prizes to prove him wrong. Please come by and say hello — and prove that knitters will not be insulted!

53. In case anyone else runs into vaseline in the hair (or their kids, do), baby powder will get it out. Put it in, it attaches to the vaseline, you brush it out, and wash. I imagine cornstarch would work as well, but I don’t know for sure. We know this works because my BIL did the vaseline thing as a kid, and MIL tried everything before trying the baby powder she had been advised to use first.
    Next time, talk to the knitter.

54. The socks are turning out beautifully, can’t wait to see them completed. I was going to mention the baby powder trick too.

55. I am so incredibly glad that I am not the only one who has smeared lotion on her head like that. Seriously, though, I have no idea why they would possibly put those bottles together in the bathroom in containers that look EXACTLY alike. I am pretty sure that we should start a petition.

56. wonderful. now you and i have both learned beading. gee..your hair smells wonderful too.and WHY do the instructions on the bottles have to be so tiny?

57. I can’t believe you were nervous! You were awesome! I’ve already gushed over you 100 times more than when I went to the Prince concert and that is saying quite a bit!
    My camera doesn’t do well with inside photos either, which means I never have any good band photos of my girls.
    I really like Lisa and Christine’s sweaters too – I remember seeing them both!
    I hope that you come back to CT for your next book tour!

58. Sounds like the train was fantastic! Congrats on the beading and provisional cast-on working out. Sorry about the lotion 🙁

59. Hahahahaha! I laugh out loud- not at you, but at the fact that I did the exact same thing with the lotion the day after my wedding. And then I had to drive from Rochester, NY to the Ice Hotel in Quebec where we DID NOT shower because it was just too cold. What a way to start a honeymoon! BTW- when are you coming to PA? And what about a stop in Erie… Socks look great, too. 🙂

60. The beading looks great! I haven’t tried that yet, but maybe someday in the future I’ll tackle it.
    I have also put lotion in my hair instead of conditioner, except that I didn’t have the excuse of no knowing what it was. I was in my own bathroom with my own shower supplies. As soon as it hit my hair I realized what I’d done, but still. I had to work a bit to get it out. So yeah, I feel your pain.

61. I just spewed green tea all over my monitor after reading about the lotion. Sadly, I have also done the lotion in the hair. Think of it this way, you will have no frizz, and if you are suddenly attacked, you will slip right through their fingers. And you smell April Fresh!

62. An interesting solution to the dry, itchy scalp problem. That is, if you had a dry, itchy scalp.

63. I am blind as a bat without my glasses/contacts. I am also not a morning person. This has been very scary several times when I have realized that the green bottle in my hand is not the contact lens solution I thought I grabbed, but my hubby’s hair gel. Luckily there’s that self preservation part of the brain that takes over and stops all activity before I can do myself harm. At least so far so good… excuse while I find some wood to knock on.

64. Hello (new commenter here)…never done the lotion thing, although i did use dog shampoo by mistake once. Cleans just the same but let me tell you…there’s no mistaking that smell even once it’s dry. moral of the story? never bathe your dog where you bathe yourself.
    The socks are looking amaing…I can’t imagine doing that kind of knitting (yet)!

65. Just wonderin’
    Why does “The Sock” always look like it’s sortof the same sock? Sometimes it’s almost done sometimes it is just started….but it’s always the same colorway. How much of that yarn do you have?!?

66. Steph, not only have I conditioned my hair with Oil of Olay, I have also washed it with mouthwash. And in case your wondering, yes, mouthwash hurts on your scalp too.

67. You’re just super sleek this evening. And workin’ the “rehydration pack therapy” treatment on your hair tips. *nods*
    So much pretty in this post! It’s fabulous!

68. Oh My Gosh, I laughed out loud (and am still chuckling) about the shampoo/lotion mix-up! That is something I would totally do. I can’t figure out why they don’t give conditioner, don’t most people use it?

69. I will thank you to not make me guffaw loudly in the library at school. Everyone is staring at me and I’m squeaking “lotion!”

70. My mom asked me to tell you that she once brushed her teeth with Desitin (the diaper rash stuff).

71. Ok, you have now put voice to my worst nightmare. I am sitting on a train knitting and, unbeknownst to me, two rows behind me is the Yarn Harlot. She wants to come up and spend some quality one-on-one knitting time with me without my having to battle 10,000 other knitters for a slice of her time. AND SHE DOESN’T EVEN COME UP AND SAY HELLO! Ok, I want to wake up now. For cryin’ out loud Steph – next time go say hi!!!

72. I’m very much looking forward to your Ottawa visit! I’m bringing my own sock to show off. I’m proud of it, accidental increases and all.

73. Might I suggest you tote along a small (3 ounce) container of a 2-in-1 shampoo (properly sealed in a 1 quart ziplock baggie, of course)? This isn’t the first time you’ve had difficulty with hair washing… Of course, you could just be happy that you don’t have the difficulties of Mary in “There’s Something About Mary.”

74. Many tasks can be re-learned after brain damage, really truly. It’s always worth a try.
    Glad you enjoy knitting with beads. Tell me when you’re ready to try hard-core beadwork.
    When I see another knitter (can happen every day around here) and am feeling awkward, I go sit next to the person and let him or her speak first.

75. Check out Sarah Peasley’s blog to read about her “hair product mishap”. She posted it, so it’s fair game :).
    I’m coming out across the city to see you in Kanata tomorrow, and am totally excited. It will be so great to actually meet you after reading your blog for the past year. I hope you brought your wedding shawl.
    Enjoy your train rides. I love travelling by train – lots of knitting/sleeping time and you don’t have to pay attention to any traffic. So glad you haven’t had any mishaps with the beading. The socks are stunning! See you tomorrow!

76. The beading is just divine.
    Have you heard of the Curly Girl book? There’s this book that says that women with curly hair shouldn’t use shampoo. And a lot of people are doing it. So you might be onto something with the lotion/conditioner. My hair is curly, too, so if it works, let me know.
    Staci

77. is the lotion controlling frizzing?? if so, i’m willing to give it a try! wish i was up in canada to drop in, but i’m stuck in illinois.

78. Are you by any chance staying at a Coast Hotel? I almost did the same thing last Monday while at the Coast Hotel in Vancouver! I think someone with a wicked sense of humour is in charge of purchasing decisions for that hotel!
    I think I might know what the lady was knitting. When I was at a Chapters in Ottawa in August I saw a book on knitting angels for Christmas. They were beautiful, and I was sorely tempted to buy the book. It seemed like a nice intro to lace knitting, but in a rare moment of self-control I decided against buying it. Of course, ever since I have been kicking myself. Anyway, it involved very small needles and very fine white yarn.

79. You go girl! The lotion thing made me laugh out loud–know you have to wash your hair and too tired to read the label because it is another hotel room in another city and don’t they know enough to give you both shampoo and conditioner????

80. Oh, the beading is LOVELY! Makes me want to pick up my needles and try some!
    I had to laugh out loud at the lotion story. I’ve been guilty repeatedly of taking shampoo and lotion into the hotel shower only to discover at the last minute (usually while I’m cussing at the bottle trying to figure out why it’s so tough to get the contents out) that I did not, in fact, grab conditioner.

81. Ohhhh, lotion. So sorry to hear that! The knitting is gorgeous as ever, though!

82. I’ve never lotioned my own head, but I put baby lotion instead of baby shampoo in my daughter’s hair once. I don’t think there was any serious trauma.
    I love the beading. And congrats on the provisional cast-on. The knitting gods must have been in a kind mood today.

83. Deep conditioning, not lotion. 🙂

84. Be glad the lotion wasn’t Nair!
    A new passion/obsession for the harlot. I was never a real fan of socks until I found beads. I have over 2 dozen pairs now, just waiting for Christmas so I can clear more of my stash. Now I need more drawers to store beads. It’s a wonderful obsession.

85. I agree with Dorothy! Go Say Hello! I’ve never found talking to other people who actually KNIT to be any bother Ever.At.All. while KIP. It’s not like you’ll ask some inane comment like whether it’s crochet, for heavens sakes.
    The last hotel that my husband & I stayed in had the same thing. Two bottles next to each other that looked for all the world to be shampoo & conditioner, until I read the small, fine print on the second bottle.
    By the way, my Hidcote Garden Shawl is done, if you’d like to stop by my blog to check it out. I’m really thrilled with how well it turned out & I’m looking forward to knitting another one of Miriam’s shawls soon. (I’m saving casting on as a reward for getting the house ready for the holidays, so that I can relax while I’m knitting it.)

86. I did the same thing myself except it was my own bottle. I couldn’t wash it out either before I went out for the day. Totally gross!

87. It’s so funny to hear you say that you’re shy. And an idiot. You really are neither.

88. Those of us who can’t see without their glasses often have this problem…tiny bottles=tiny print. At least your hair will be extra-conditioned!
    By the way, I often put a bit of lotion on the ends of my hair. It really seems to help, especially in the winter.

89. Your not an idiot for putting lotion in your hair instead of conditioner. I’ve put conditioner in my hair and then forgotten to rinse it out. Yes, that means I was out of the shower drying off and then realizing that I still had conditioner in my hair.

90. I made the Knitpicks kimono sweater too, but Lisa’s is prettier.

91. You made me LOL about the lotion. I had to read it to my husband because he was now curious.
    The socks are looking great. They are going to be soooo pretty when they are finished. Hooray for pre-strung beads.
    Ok I am curious about the gift for Mr. Washie?. What would you use magnets for in the washer? I need to know the suspense is killing me. 😉

92. I hope Christine does well with the re-entry into fibre obsession.
    If people notice that you put lotion in your hair, they will be too polite to say anything about it. They may look at you a little oddly, but that’s no biggie is it?
    You probably are moving the camera a little since you are only using one hand to take the picture. As you push the shutter down, the camera is moving down a little too. I always make a mess of any pictures I take with one hand unless the camera mashed up against my nose for extra stability. Also, someone has probably already told you this, but a camera always tries to focus on the nearest object, which would be the sock. Which will be blurry if your camera is not on the close-up setting. Why not get the person sitting in the seat nearest the aisle to hold the sock up over her head and to the side, then pass it to the person across the aisle so you can take a picture of that side? It will be a knitter, so they will take good care of it.

93. It all looks great, really. Including your hair. OK, so I am guessing about that last part, but I know I’m right.
    What is it with you and hotel rooms?

94. At least it was lotion and not baby oil that you put in your hair. Be thankful for the little things.
    Told you the beading would work out just fine 🙂

95. (Imaging evil, maniacal laugh here). You are OURS! The world of knitting with beads is now a part of you that you will be unable to resist. Just succomb. All resistance is futile.
    To add insult to injury we here at “beaded knitting” are self-torturing enough to knit with 00, 000 and 0000 needles (yes they DO exist).
    Check out some great beaded bags at C2knits.com
    You will be unable to resist. Cute little beaded bags that look like something Daisy from the Great Gatsby would be holding. Who can resist that?????

96. OH! You’re meant to put the stitches on your needle BEFORE you unzip them! Duh!! I’m such an idiot! That could have saved me hours of squinting and swearing, had I only known!
    I love that bit about your hair; I just snorted and laughted so hard my man thought I was choking! I did that too! Lotion + curly hair = sticky mat. Knit yourself a hat. Quick.
    And for the love of all things fluffy – next time go talk to the knitter on the train. It could be me!!!
    …of course, you’d have to be in New Zealand for it to be me, but I’m working on that!

97. ahh stephanie, you just made my evening. what a hoot. i laughed so hard that i frightened myself with the decibel level.

98. Way cool! I went to see you tonight-and I AM the Deb that you responded to about wearing my entrelac sweater in Kingston(unfortunately, the menopause goblins were particularly busy today!) Had a great time-so did my mom (she kept on saying what a nice young lady you were- well spoken, too)

99. Not only have I used lotion as conditioner; I have used conditioner as lotion. On purpose, even. As long as it’s a relatively light one (i.e., if you aren’t suffering from Harlot Hotel Luck) the crossover act works very well in both directions (as it should, the chemistry being very similar), and it’s always a relief to me to find I’m supplied with one when I run out of the other. Not to mention that it leaves my skin shiny and tangle-free.
    Nice going on the provisional CO and the beads! I had a feeling you were addictable. The beaded lace looks lovely, and I have to admit it is very cool to see it working so well in, um, real life… I mean, other hands… I mean… I mean… well, anyway, it’s a wonderful thing and you’re doing it beautifully and I can’t help kvelling.
    BTW to those who have suggested the crochet hook method of beading – it’s a great approach, but it isn’t always appropriate. It passes the beads over both legs of the stitch instead of on one strand, so they lie/hang differently in relation to the fabric. It has its place – I love it for the center stitch of an eyelet pattern, like Snowflake Eyelet for instance – but you couldn’t use it for the picot clumps in this design, even if you had a crochet hook that would fit 10/0 seed beads.

100. OH MY LORD– I got to touch the shawl AND hold the sock!!!!! Eat your heart out !. What a beautiful , charming hilarious and talented woman we all have to admire in Stephanie . No wonder you have a whack of knitters following your blog and going to see you Stephanie. Thank you Thank you Thank you for being you . P.S. Joe you have GOOD judgement in a woman for your life partner. Thanks again for stopping in Kingston

101. Stephanie, it was so great to meet you tonight. You are much cooler than you give yourself credit for (in my humble opinion 😉 )I linked my blog for you, and I will try my damnedest to update it soon. Thanks for the help with the shawl too.

102. I laughed at the lotion story. With you, not at you….my hair seemed a little heavier that day than usual…I didn’t figure it out until the day after.

103. First–you should have asked the knitter. Because you wouldn’t have made her want to kill you by first asking, “Is that knitting or crochet?” I get asked that all the time and it makes me want to throttle the inquirer.
     Second–You’ve got to start traveling with your own hair products. And maybe a laminated card with the steps spelled out in very large type (I remember the time you forgot to rinse). I figure, if you haven’t got this skill down by now, you should probably make it easy on yourself!
     Thirdly, NOT A SINGLE PERSON will who sees/saw you in this condition will care AT ALL about your hair. They will be dazzled by your personality and their main impression will be that you were fabulous. Trust me.

104. I read the bit about the lotion to my husband. He used to travel a lot for work, and guessed the punchline. He’s done the same thing.
     I carry my own toiletries when I travel, because of multiple allergies.
     I once washed some scratchy wool in conditioner, to make it nicer to work with. I was pretty proud of myself, for cleverness, until I realized I had just invented fabric softener.

105. I learned how to walk and stay (more or less) upright after my car got smashed. My neighbor Katie after a 16-day coma had to relearn her fluteplaying from scratch, and plays it differently from how she used to, but she’s back to performance level; it did take much time, much effort, and being willing to put up with its being really hard when it feels like it shouldn’t be. Me, I still take a tumble sometimes–well, you’ve seen me–but at least I can walk now. Re Christine’s knitting, there might still be hope, then? I’m hoping!
     (Look at that beaded knitting! Gorgeous! I have GOT to try that!)

106. I was away for a weekend once with friends, and we all forgot our conditioner, so we got the great idea that lotion would work just as well. It was a horrible experience, and I know just how you feel. Dish soap (I prefer Dawn dish soap myself) will help get it out if you can’t seem to get it to stop being oily.

107. You were so funny in Granby. We couldn’t tell you were nervous at all!

108. I work with marine mammals in my other life, and it’s true– rescue workers use Dawn to remove spilled oil from sea otters. Just saying.

109. Lotion huh? It was a man stocking the items in the small bottles. Love the sock. I think I need to look into the beading.

110. The beading looks awsome! …Blurry pics could equal camera-shake. Some people press down on the shutterbutton VERY hard so the camera is moving when the shutter opens. It could also be the autofocus being fooled by the ambient light in the room. Most autofocus cameras have a small spot the system is “looking”, usually indicated on the viewfinder lens as a broken circle like a bullseye, only very small, right in the center of the focus area. If this spot is aimed at a darkened area, the shutter will stay open longer, to allow more light in. Of course, this also means there is plenty of opportunity to move or breathe and blur the shot. Try braceing your elbows on the podium and then snapping the shot. ( It can’t get any worse, can it? )

111. Loved hearing you up in Granby this past weekend. I missed you at Webs earlier this year due to illness, so I’m glad there was another opportunity (and such a good cause too.)
     You were delightful!!

112. Lotion, eh? Maybe you could write a clever little song about it. Just sayin’. 😉

113. Re: the lotion….you’ll look very sleek. :o)
     Re: the beading….way to go.
     Re: the provisional cast on….you give me courage.
     And those are really going to be very hot socks!

114. I nearly fell off my chair I laughed so hard about the lotion thing in the hotel. You make every day life so delightful, Stephanie
     Nita J

115. OMG somebody else’s mom brushed her teeth with Desitin? My mother did that too. That stuff is made with cod liver oil and it took her days to get rid of it all. Sorry about your hair mishap, but I don’t think anyone will really notice. I have curly hair too, and I notice it always behaves better if I go a day or two between washings. Just sayin’. . . .

116. Well, you could do what my husband did on vacation. He brushed his teeth with atheletes foot cream. We had to call the EMT at the hotel to make sure he had not done permanent damage. She of course, was hoping it was the cute ten year old. Nope. It was the 45 year old………who still gets foot in mouth disease anyway.

117. I’m with you on the dangers of showering without glasses. I washed my hair with conditioner and there was no time to fix the problem until the following evening. Of course I’ve sprayed foaming tub cleanser thinking it was air freshener too. First thought “Wow – you can see it working!”

118. You know, my stepmom once told me that, when one did not have any “product” available for one’s hair, lotion would do the same thing.
     I doubt, however, that she intended for one to use lotion as a conditioner…I’m sure there’s a threshold you’re not supposed to cross or something.
     Anyway…you’re doing all this touring, but when are you coming back to Seattle? Knowing you were on your way might give me some incentive to finish that insane wedding ring shawl I’ve got going on.

119. See! I had faith in you and look how you’re rockin’ those socks with that provisional cast on unzipping like a charm and those beads just working out so well.
     Go you!
     Also, blurriness happens without flash. But with flash you get really dark pictures, particularly if you put the sock in the foreground. So either find a podium to set your camera down on and set the timer so you can get the sock in with the crew (no flash!) or find some kindly knitter (aren’t we all just super kindly anyways?) with photo skills and a steady hand to take a non-flash picture.

120. Can I send you my doctor bill for splitting my side and falling out of my chair? I’m so sorry though, I always did find that a little odd about putting them together, and they never give you enough shampoo!

121. ROFLMBOOOO….I can just picture this happening to me or my sister. Just tell folks it’s a new, exotic treatment for unruly hair, and they can use it to soften their hands while knitting too. One stop shopping. At least you didn’t brush your teeth with diaper ointment, like one of my friends did during the sleep-deprived first months of motherhood. That stuff really sticks! Have fun on your trip, and enjoy those beads. Very cool.

122. I have a knitting etiquette question (unrelated to the Blog of the Day, although I did read it): Is there anything wrong with being seriously preoccupied with knitting? Here’s the scenario. I am engaged to a very nice guy from a very nice family. About the time that I was meeting his family (they live 2 hours away) for the first time, I was also rapidly becoming knit-obsessed. Since I’m shy, anxious, and not the best conversationalist, I just kept my knitting with me the whole time, and this didn’t seem strange to me at all, especially since my boyfriend plopped himself down on the living room couch with a book for much of the visit. (Reading. Yeah. I used to do that.) This has generally become the trend for us when we go there. He reads. I knit.
     Now that I’ve known them all for quite some time, I still knit, although I look up every now and then, and I actually talk occasionally, which I was too paralyzed to do before. Trouble is, I’m starting to pick up these…signals. I think they think my hobby is a little odd. I can’t tell them that it’s the yarn that keeps me sane; that would make it worse. I’ve tried offering to help in the kitchen, etc. but my future mother-in-law likes to do everything herself (in fact, she sounded a little annoyed last time I asked) so there’s really not anything else to do at their house. Is this rude or lazy of me? Am I overdoing the knitting thing?

123. It is a scary thought for me to realize that there might be knitters out there who see me knitting, wanna talk, and then don’t go on that feeling. Accost all of them, even the ones with a look that might send you through a brick wall. (Usually it’s just their way of being defensive of their knitting. I gave the same look back when I didn’t have experience under my belt and thought for sure the slightest distraction would cause the next ten working stitches to just jump right off the needle.)

124. I knit on the metro. It made one scarf and half a sock last week. It’s funny to observe the reactions of fellow passengers. Elderly ladies always say something nice along the lines that it’s good to see that the young people do something constructive, ask me about the yarn (sometimes I have some crazy stuff dyed by myself or something) because when they were young and knitted, there was nothing like that. The other day a guy in his twenties came, asking, what i was, uhm, crocheting? doing? and whether it’s difficult and stuff.
     I’m knitting damn lot these days. My appartment was robbed and among the things missing are my computer (where my half of my thesis, half of a translated book and several other writings were lodged), my camera and other useless little thingies, such as christmas gifts… so everybody will get socks. Handmade. I’m in a state that I cannot afford to buy food. They didn’t touch my stash, luckily. This unlucky incident has one interesting coincidence from the sociologic point of view: The local people (meaning Czechs) commented it, with three exceptions, like You should have done this, you shouldn’t have done that, how come that you have windows thru which one can break in, including many people from the faculty who should have some idea how long it takes to write a decent paper, not speaking about a thesis… whereas my friends from abroad (mainly Finland) asked whether they can help and started sending material help like CDs, candies, books and knitting patterns. (Harlot, I have one for a sweater, in 19 colors, should you be interested;-)))
     And on converting: yesterday I was meeting a friend in the cafe at the faculty and another joined us later. I was knitting a sock (plain garter stitch on the foot part, wool and cashmere blend) and both of them wondered how is that thing done and that they’d like to try so I promised them a knitting workshop………….

125. I have been knitting on the NY City subway (#2 train) for over ten years. I have been charmed by opening remarks such as “My mother used to needlepoint.” to “Who knits socks any more.” (I do.) During my commutes, I have given impromptu knitting lessons to four year olds and great grandmothers. I”d be surprised if someone didn’t comment on my knitting. If you had come and sat down beside me, we would have had a nice chat after my anxiety attack. When you see another knitter, don’t be shy. Plunk yourself down and ask him/her what’s on the needles.

126. Those socks – oh those socks are brilliant! I want!
     Sorry I missed your talks but it was a bit far to go – like half a world away. 😉

127. Yay on the provisional cast-on! Those suckers have always scared me too. 😉 One of these days I’ll have to try one for a Moebius scarf. And hah – beads have bitten. Watch it; next you know, you’ll be making jewelry. [eg]
     As to lotion-in-the-hair, LOL, oh dear. I had something of an opposite problem in one hotel. While they did have conditioner, it was *so* ‘extra body’ that it made my straight, straight hair snarl up in tangles. I mean it. My hair’s about a foot or so in length. With that conditioner, I could barely get a wide-toothed comb through it; a first-time occurrence after using conditioner. When dry, I was *still* cussing and (gently) tugging through multiple tangles for ages. By the time I’d combed all around my head, the first section was tangled again!
     Talk about a conditioner that did too good at giving body. Yes, I stopped using it after the first day. No, it didn’t stop the problem until about 3 shampoos (sans conditioner) after that. Yikes. I’d’ve taken lotion any day over that. I kept eeping at the amount of hair left in my comb during that stay!

128. Great Sock! I knew you have no trouble.
     Lotion in your hair, girl look on the bright side maybe it will be tame for days.
     I remember when I saw you in Kitchener, I thought her hair isn’t as wild as I thought it would be from her blog & next day we got the conditioner-no-rinse story.
     Lets just say I no longer read your blog with a cup of tea in hand, the keybord was a mess.

129. Seems to be the week for putting lotion in one’s hair. I did it this morning. *BEFORE* I read your blog. Obviously, I am channelling you in some sort of very scary manner… ~x~

130. Oh please let there be a picture of the lotion hair today! Did it fall in perfect Sarah Jessica Parker curls or did it stick to your head? Is that her name? You know who I mean… that Sex in the City actor.
     Beaded lace looks very very (surprisingly) tempting…

131. Love the beaded work – I am going to have to check back and see what this is.
     I want to see Sir Washie’s magnets and how they move around. I might want some for my washer without a name.

132. I’ve done the lotion in the hair thing at hotels too . . .
     I’ve also used shampoo as conditioner or vice versa when at HOME with my glasses off so don’t feel bad at all.

133. Re: lotion on hair in hotel – been there, done that.

134. stephanie i love you. im so sorry you put lotion in your hair. and your readers may notice but they wont say anything for they know you:) and expect nothing less than pants that are too long and hair that is mussed 🙂
     hugs i hope all goes well.

135. I can’t believe youcontinue to stay in hotels. FIrst the cowgirl underpants, now the lotion in the hair. I don’t want to know what will come next.
     Love, love, LOVE the beaded socks – going to order some now…
     My Aunt Denise is coming to your talk in Ottawa!! The same aunt who came to spend a week with my Mom while she recovered from her surgery. Who saw my knitting and decided to pick it up again! I love her and hope she gets to meet you.

136. 1. Socks look great
     2. Christine OMG!
     3. Hair, don’t worry too much about it, and go and have someone at the hotel deliver some conditioner to your room while you’re out.
     My Grandma Louise was going out for the evening and was applying some more hairspray (it was the 70’s people). The hair spray smelled strangely lemony. When she looked at the tin she realized that she had just Lemon Pledged her hair.
     http://www.thevogelstitcher.blogspot.com

137. I say this with admiration, but only you could find the lotion instead of the conditioner and slather your hair with it. The cuff of the sock looks beautiful. Enjoy the rest of your journey (btw, I’m totally jealous you get to take a train)

138. I assume that beaded top folds down over the sock? My beading adventure, though filled with good intentions, has not happened yet. We live in the middle of nowhere but do have a bead shop right next to the yarn shop. Unfortunately she does not carry any beads that will fit on to yarn. What is she thinking? I’ll have to clue her in. Have a safe trip.

139. stephanie, your hair looked great.
     you did a great job in kingston.
     can’t wait to hear you again sometime.
     Ann-Marie (from Picton)

140. Stephanie, I love you too – and I love the commenters. Having held The Sock (in Eau Claire) I proudly announce myself to be a member of the Sisterhood of the Travelling Sticks (which garners strange looks, to my delight). I have a worse story about wrong use of a product but it was in the ’60s and doesn’t bear repeating. I put down my knitting (a toque, of course) to ply a lucet at a workshop last weekend. The thrill wore off fast, and I’m diligently back to my toques, but oh how inspired I am – I’ve started a pair of socks too. Not quite up to beads, I have to get through heels first, but that’s yet another way in which you inspire. Every day is a good day when I start it HERE.
     (PS you even kept me merry during our horrible pre-election period, that’s something!)

141. You’re blog makes me delirously happy…which is a good thing since my friend just told me I’m yarn OCD! I am obsessed with finding one skein of any color – NORO – Big Tubu! Can you lead me in the right direction? I’m rather new to the joys of knitting and it’s quickly become out of control (which I think is a good thing)! I know someone has a skein of it sitting in their stash somewhere – how do I find it? Thank you for your daily inspirations!

142. I think I speak for everyone when I say..If YOU see me knitting, please please PLEASE come and sit next to me. If I don’t die of embarrassment or pass out from the shock, I would LOVE to talk knitting with you. As a person who knits on a train every day, there is no possible way you could ever be considered an annoyance.

143. Silly girl, they keep the conditioner at the front desk so you have to ASK for it. Apparently shampoo, lotion, those little soaps, and the bathing caps are practically free but if they put conditioner into every room, well, the chain would go under in a flash. Same reason they don’t put a tea bag in with those coffee packets, even though they can put a caff AND decaf pack of grounds along with eight kinds of sweetening.

144. I have definitely done that with the lotion before. And then walked around all day wondering why the hell my hair felt so oily. And then went home and looked at the bottle. No judgement. 🙂

145. Laughing hysterically over the lotion incident! That WAS kind of mean of them-putting them together in the shower that way.
     Glad your socks worked out-I knew you could do it!

146. When are you coming out West??? Knitters of Edmonton are waiting…..

147. Hee. I’ve done lotion in the hair on purpose. I’ve done vaseline in the hair by accident. (I’m now one of the no-shampoo Curly Girl converts. The key is no silicone products in the conditioner.) But the one that tops it all is when a coworker told me (some years ago) about her mother stopped by and had used what she thought was “feminine spray” (ick) before going to her gynocologist. Turns out the woman had inadvertantly used her granddaughter’s glitter hairspray. That’s a big oops.

148. I have also put lotion in my hair instead of conditioner. And it’s usually completely my own fault. I put both of them in little bottles for travelling and then will end up with shampoo and lotion instead of shampoo and conditioner. Once they’re in those little bottles I can’t tell the difference between them.

149. My husband recently did the “lotion as conditioner” thing. This is a man who never uses conditioner, as his longest hair is probably 1/2″ long, but for some reason decided that he must condition at the hotel in Vegas. Needless to say, he has a deadly fear of conditioner now and will probably never use it again.

150. Oh, Stephanie, you, too, have fallen for the lotion-beside-the-shampoo shenanigans. I did that before a formal event abroad. I told people that it was a new “texturixing lotion” that I will never recommend. At least you won’t be the stinky one at the event. 😀

151. I did the exact same thing with hotel Shampoo and Lotion while on a business trip in September! I was so shocked! Luckier than you though, as I figured it out while still in the shower and just re-shampooed. But WEIRD…to have no conditioner. Wonder if it’s the same chain of hotels? Enjoy the rest of your trip!

152. I have also put hotel lotion in my hair thinking that it was conditioner.

153. Stephanie: If you ever spot ME knitting any place whatsoever, I DEMAND that you plunk yourself down next to me and talk my ear off. Promise! 🙂

154. Laughing about the lotion in hair. For future reference, hotels almost never give people conditioner, just shampoo (or a two in one) and lotion 😀
     I bet the other knitter was a reader of your blog and would have been glad to explain about her knitting project to you! Next time, just ask.

155. Regarding your blurry photos, how about asking for a volunteer from the audience to snap some photos for you of the audience as well as you giving your talk? I’m sure many of the lovely knitters there would love the opportunity to help the Yarn Harlot!
     They’d then get their photo taken with you … a great thank you/souvenir of the event!

156. I really enjoy your postings–your clever/witty insights are so much fun.
     Shyness is a strange thing, isn’t it? I bet the woman on the train would have been thrilled to have you approach her, and yet you stopped yourself because of your own previous tapes of people boring the life out of you when you can’t get away, and you’re squirming like a worm on a pin. I saw a woman at the train station the other day, she was knitting pepto pink phentex on large wooden needles, and I meant to talk to her, but talked myself out of it. And yet, yesterday, from across the parking lot at Costco, I spotted an ecru poncho trimmed in brown boucle, and I hobbled over to the woman who was getting into her truck–I managed to tap on the window before she started up–yep–she had knitted it herself, and I could tell she enjoyed my appreciation of it. I guess the with the poncho I didn’t have time to talk myself out of doing it–just had to act. So shyness can be overcome with rash impulsivity.

157. Whoo hoo hoo hoo! (Note to self–don’t read Yarn Harlot while students are engaged in silent reading. It makes you look crazy–I’ve terrified about twenty 15 year-olds–hey, maybe that’s funny!) The socks look really cool! I’m “designing” my first pair although I’m pretty sure someone has already come up with the idea. I guess since I haven’t seen a pattern for what I’m doing it’s fair game. . .right?
     What does “WOOT” mean?

158. I just want to thank you for having the proper priorities – you didn’t have time to shampoo the lotion out of your hair, but you MADE the time to come back and tell us about it.
     And that is why we adore you.
     🙂

159. Yeah….if I was that knitter, I’d have been thrilled beyond words to have the Yarn Harlot approach me about my knitting. Being famous means you can get away with being curious.
     I’m like you though and don’t like to approach knitters in the wild. Instead, I’ll try to clack my needles a little louder in hopes they’ll glance up at the familiar sound and make eye contact. Which is probably why I have no knitty friends. Hmm….

160. Lotion? OMG. Lotion.
     It’s NOT that you would do it. THAT makes total sense (being yet another mostly-blind-without-my-glasses-knitter). Have they taken leave of their senses?
     Your beaded lace is gorgeous. And now I feel SOOO much better about my provisional cast-ons ALWAYS having to have some portion of it clipped. Unzipping them isn’t MY strong suit!
     (((hugs)))

161. I echo everyone else when I say that they beading is gorgeous.

162. Ponytail. It’s the only way to salvage this. (Don’t ask how I know this – just don’t, ok.) And as fast as you knit, you could probably whip up a scrunchy on the ride from the hotel to the meeting/talk.
     P.S. I am sure no one noticed unless you told them.

163. Funny hair experiences. My brothers’ dark brown hair kept getting lighter and lighter until it was a lovely red. After about a month his daughter confessed she put peroxide in the shampoo bottle. He buzzed all his hair off.
     At least shampoo will fix your problem.

164. Dear Harlot, where is Christine destashing? How can we see what she’s selling?

165. Oh, so glad to see I’m not the only one to say I’ve done that too! I have straight fine hair so lotion really made it look nasty. Sigh.
     Have fun in Ottawa, I lived there for four years and have many fond memories. A pretty city.

166. I hope that you had fun in my hometown, and that my fellow Kingstonians treated you well. Don’t feel bad about the conditioner. Something like that happens to all of us. I once did my hair, turned out pretty well, and then, instead of spraying it with hairspray, sprayed with leave-in conditioner, and had no time to fix it. I feel your pain! Hope you make it to Denver.

167. I’ve done that before….you’ll need to wash as soon as you get back as you won’t be able to stand yourself pretty soon.
     At least you smell good, I think the lotion I used was Jergens or something and just smelled…well, lotiony.
     Lovely beading!

168. I once slathered conditioner all over my legs, and that was how I realized I’d put lotion in my hair…

169. Caution: Do not read this blog on your lunch hour or while eating food – I just choked on my lunch reading about the woman who brushed her teeth with Desitin! I need a good laugh at work, but now I chew first!
     Stephanie, you don’t have to be nervous – we all love you. In fact, the audience is not a group of nameless faces – we are your friends. We love having the opportunity to come and see you. Please be sure to say a big “Thank You” to your family for us.
     🙂 Katherine

170. Okay… the beading is lovely, and the people look like a lot of fun… but to make you feel a little better about the lotion on the hair, I’ve got to tell you that I’ve got hair much like yours (extremely fuzzy kind of hair…needs-it’s-own-zipcode sort of hair…) and that my beautician just gave me a product to calm it down that looks, when I put it on, very much like…lotion on my hair. Tell people it’s ‘product’–they’ll totally believe you.

171. Beautiful sock…
     I once knew a woman who poured baby oil into her
     hair to condition it, and it made no visible
     difference. (Now, _that’s_ frizz.)
     The hotels I’ve been in usually include conditioner _and_ lotion, but the tiny print makes it hard to tell them apart. Let’s start the movement for Bigger Print On Hair Product Bottles!

172. If you ever see a brunette sitting in/on/under/over/around a train/plane/automobile knitting a sock/afghan/sweater/sock/purse/sock and don’t plop yourself right down and chat/inquire/observe/knoodle…well, I’m not sure what could happen, but for heaven’s sake. We are all of the same weird and twisty knitters world. Come on over, and make yourself at home…and PS – I one time was camping and used baby oil to wash my hair. What a mess! No one to call for help. The “cabin” our boat, was off shore. What a hoot!

173. Dear Yarn Harlot,
     Okay, so we need you to do a reality check and a reset on this “I was too shy to plunk myself down near her and ask” thing. For cryin’ out loud girl, you are the *GEORGE CLOONEY* of the knitting world!!! Do you think that any knitter would be upset or annoyed if George Clooney sat down next to them and asked about their knitting? Noooooooo, of course not!
     If I’m sitting in a public place KIP’ing, I love it when other knitters come up, say ‘Hi,’ and ask questions. And if the questioner turned out to be you (or Franklin), I’d be *delighted*. It would make my WEEK. It would be BETTER than having George Clooney sit down and ask what I was knitting.
     After all, I doubt that George knows much about knitting. 😉
     Dina

174. Yep, count me in. Steph, if you ever see me anywhere knitting, please come ask me what it is. I promise to be nice!

175. As noted, Curley Girl is the best book in the world, but she advocates hot water, friction and conditioner, not lotion. Wonderful book.

176. You are not the only one to have done the lotion in the hair thing. It happened to me too at a conference for work. I tied my hair up and got through the day. Why are all those bottles exactly the same? Not to mention that the print on the labels is tiny and fake. Doesn’t bear thinking about how many times we’ve used conditioner as hand lotion, does it? Ever run around for hours with shoes from different pairs on each foot?

177. Hmmmmm…the conditioner I use says on the bottle that it can also be used as lotion if one wishes. I always get tons of compliments on my hair, so what does this mean??? Am I basicaly putting lotion on my hair but it is somehow working for me?? I hadn’t really thought about it before 🙂

178. Those things always seem to happen in hotel rooms. Years ago I was with a choir that sometimes went places together. This one time we were packed four to a hotel room and one of us decided to brush her teeth while we were between having to be someplace and getting an opportunity to eat. (This was on of those hotel rooms where the sink is in the room while the toilet and tub are in their own tiny rooms.) We couldn’t help but hoot with laughter when the one brushing her teeth suddenly spit violently and then exclaimed, “Ewwww! I just brushed my teeth with Vagisil!” (It’s only funny when nobody gets hurt – she wasn’t poisoned and is still absolutely fine.)
     And Murphy’s law being what it is, I wouldn’t be surprised if you got compliments on that hair.

179. Reminds me of the time I brushed my teeth with yeast cream. Oh well, it cured thrush.

180. I see your lotion in the hair and raise you the time I took a shower at my grandmother’s house and used what I thought was shampoo, only to find that it was…wait for it…baby oil. Seriously. Baby. Oil. There were no babies in the vicinity of her house at the time. What, in the name of all that is good and righteous in this world, was baby oil doing in the shower?

181. Yes, indeed, I have conditioned my hair with lotion. I’ve used bottles labeled conditioners I liked less.
     I think introducing your knitting to another knitter’s knitting is always polite. Most knitters really are just waiting for an excuse to talk about it, I think.

182. That is too funny about the hair washing – I’ve done the exact same thing! Tee hee!

183. I laughed so hard about the lotion! It’s kinda late here and others in the house are fast asleep. I hope I didn’t wake anyone. But don’t worry if I did and they mention it I will come up with some stupid story about having a funny dream or something. I won’t try to explain to them why I laughed and then who you are and what kind of books you write, ect, ect, ect. 🙂

184. You and hotels and hair incidents! LOL LOL LOL At least that’s ONE really big plus about the kind of curly your hair is, you can do that and it’s ok. My kind can take it a little, it just depends on the weather.
     I think I would go crazy if a tumor stole my knitting! OMG I started screaming when I read that! that’s wrong. Well I hope she can spin like crazy.

185. HM… recalled a storz that happened to my cousin’s friend.. he wanted to dye his hair green.. there’s a washable spray for that… but he bought a color for metals and the like, acetone-based….
     And aunt’s co-worker, with long hair, for that matter, was painting some metal railing.. overhead… and the can with the paint fell on her head. Lotion isn’t the worst, I use it on purpose from time to time because I have dry hair.
     By the way, Stephanie, I tried to reply to your mail and there’s something going wrong, the mail returned to me several times….

186. My son once used conditioner in the shower, instead of shampoo, and wondered why he wasn’t getting any bubbles…so he used more… He was a bit put out when he got out of the shower.

187. Wow! Those socks look great, and you take amazing pictures don’t let a couple of blurry shots fool ya. Those keep us humble and keep us from thinking we should take up another hobby like photography so be happy when a couple are blurry.
     Can’t wait to see those socks done & on ya! Lisa says she wore hers the other night with black leggings – awesome. All I have some sweatpants… not quite as awesome I suspect, to do those socks justice.

188. *LOL* You know what? I’ve done the same thing with hotel lotion. I don’t know why they think lotion is more important than conditioner.

189. You are such a goof 🙂
     Um, yeah… I’ve done that myself… at home, no less 🙂

190. Dude, love the photo of you and Alden Amos over at the SOAR blog. And no offense, but unlike Dina, I’d choose George Clooney. I don’t really give a damn if he knows anything about knitting or not.

191. I love you, Steph. When I am feeling like crap, you write something so breathtakingly honest and sidesplittingly funny that you take me right out of my funk. I owe you one.
     (And I really, really love that you actually admitted to “conditioning” your hair with lotion. You are awesome.)

192. Being one who needs glasses to read also, before I get in the shower I line the bottles up in the shower in the order in which I am going to use them. So, shampoo comes before conditioner. It’s sad to admit this, but I have been far-sighted all my life, so reading does not get easier. Just my thought. Betsy in Sacramento

193. I am so EXCITED I can hardly stop grinning. I got in! I got in to your Friday night mentor session at Madrona Fiber Arts. I promise I will try not to embarass myself in your session. I’ll be grinning really BIG though.

194. You are not the only one to have done that. When I was working in West Palm Beach last month (80 hour week) I conditioned my hair with lotion until the last day when I was finally awake enough to notice the writing on the bottle, and only then because it fell out of my hand and I had to pick it up. Yup, I lotioned my hair for a week before I figured it out! Hotels really should not put those two products next to each other…or I should try sleeping more!

195. I would be unbelievably heartbroken if THE Yarn Harlot saw me knitting and was too shy to talk to me! It’s your duty, as Harlot, to reach out to the knitters you find in unexpected places.

196. M’kay. Just listened to the CBC radio gig Lee Ann told us about. That oh-so-casual ‘you could use 30 DPNs in a really big project if you wanted to’ made me queasy. I mean, I like DPNs as much as the next knitter (unless maybe the next knitter is you) but 30? The nausea lingers. You’re lucky I haven’t eaten lunch yet.

197. I think hotels try to save money by buying “shampoo plus conditioner” that looks for all it’s life like it’s pure shampoo. But by claiming that it’s “plus conditioner” they don’t have to buy conditioner and you can just walk around with tangly hair. Or lotiony hair, as the case may be. 😉
     Love the beading! And the color combination of the beads and yarn is perfect!

198. I’m terrified: I didn’t know losing the ability to knit was possible. It’s wonderful that she is going to take up spinning. I wonder if she could weave.

199. My absent-minded older son washed his hair with baby oil once when he was a teenager; I keep a bottle of it in the shower to use as an extreme moisturizer in the dry, dry winter. He would have just gone to school like that for days if we hadn’t insisted he wash it out the next day. Absent-minded and a total lack of vanity.
     I’m pretty sure the blurry distance photos are from hand shake in less-than-brilliant light, since your closer photos are fine. In the first crowd shot, above, both the crowd and the sock are fairly clear while in the second both are blurry; that would indicate that the problem is (probably) hand shakiness rather than a focus problem. I have an idea: if you, like me, are most nervous when you begin your talk, postpone taking the photo until the beginning of the Q&A, when you have calmed a bit and the audience has evidenced its lack of desire to eat you alive, and has, in fact, shown a distinct fondness and affection and enthusiasm for you and your topic and The Sock. Just an idea…

200. Stephanie, you are too freaking funny!!

201. About that blurriness problem (and forgive me if someone has said this before; I did look but not really exhaustively…) – I think there’s a combination of factors at work. Except for that one occasion with Cassie, which was just plain ol’ hoodoo, the problem seems to be at its worst when you’re shooting in darker settings AND at greater distances. Your camera is therefore contending not only with low light but also with a depth-of-field problem. Your shot includes one object which is very close to you – the sock – and a group of objects at a distance, i.e. the audience. To compound that, since there’s light focused on you and/or the lectern, the close object is fairly brightly lit and the distant ones are fairly obscure. The poor camera can’t figure out what to focus on! and so between two stools it falls to the ground. You’ve probably already set it for “infinity” (i.e. maximum depth of field) – if not, try it; it may help – but even at that setting the problem is that the camera is simultaneously confronting all the things it knows how to compensate for, and those compensations are mutually contradictory.
     This would explain why you have much less trouble in an evenly lit room than you do in a large auditorium.
     It’s possible that there is no solution to this. You might be able to mitigate it a bit by asking for house lights when you take your sock-&-crowd shot – that should even things out a little. Worst case… just keep taking the blurry sock-&-crowd shots. They’re not so blurry that we can’t get a sense of what the sock is seeing; they’re iconic; their significance transcends their technical attributes. We all Get It. We also know that you take beautiful close-up and macro shots (so clearly the fault lies not with you), and those more than compensate for the blurriness of the big pictures.
     Then again, another possibility is that the camera senses the blurriness of your mind at that particular moment (I know mine always goes blank and slithers down into my stomach at the beginning of a lecture appearance! so I suspect it’s normal) – maybe it’s just faithfully reporting your feelings.

202. ROFL! You used the lotion, thinking it was conditioner? Been there. Done that.I am so sorry! Some hotels use a combo shampoo/conditioner. I wonder how many maids have made bets about the number of guests who use the lotion, thinking it’s conditioner?
     Your socks rock!

203. I missed you on the train by one day! I had to ride from Windsor to Cornwall on Tuesday, and spent 8 lovely hours knitting my heart out.

204. Dear Stephanie,
     Lotion in the hair instead of conditioner?? How about thinking that the shampoo was body lotion?? I couldn’t figure out why I was sticky and a bit foamy!!!

205. Laughed out loud then made my spouse come read. even he snickered.
     Years ago in college, a friend was doing her hair in the communal bathroom, and put some mousse on her hair. The stinging warned her in time, thankfully. It was NAIR mousse. Fortunately everything came out in the end.

206. When are you coming to Washington, DC?

207. Oh no, lotion in the hair is not good! I use Oil of Olay body wash that has some sort of lotion in it and my son poured it all over my daughter’s hair one day and it was very very bad. It took days to come out, her hair looked like it was wet all the time. I really didn’t think it would ever come out, I would wash it a few times a day and I was getting close to using diluted dishwashing detergent or something but it finally came out. Even the tub was caked with the stuff for days.

208. You did it again. I snorted pop up my nose.
     Thanks for the good laugh!

209. Oh my gosh . . don’t know if you’ll get this since you have twenty million comments 🙂 Ok, I exaggerate. But anyway, I was in a hotel with my sister once and she got the hotel lotion and was slathering it on her feet and then got this odd look on her face . . . looked at the bottle . . .it was CONDITIONER. That is too funny that you had the opposite experience. The funniest thing (to me) about my sis is that she had used the “lotion” the night before too. I’m laughing out loud (quietly so family doesn’t give me odd looks) just thinking about it!

210. OMG! I laughed so hard that I cried! The lotion is just the kind of thing that I would do. Love your blog!

211. I have had that happen to me several times and I am convinced that there is a ghost knitter in my house that feels “the itch” to knit and just can’t help her (or him) self and takes what ever is lying around. And in my house, there is a lot of choices just choosing from what is lying around!
     About the show, I am an avid Knitty Gritty watcher and very excited that you are going to be on the show. The reasons are two fold: One, I get to see you in action 🙂 Two, there is actually going to be a new show on instead of the same old reruns!
     Love you Steph! You Gotta Come to Denver! We have the largest Yarn Store in America! Check it out! http://www.showersofflowers.com
     Marly

212. Fun! I would have liked to join the party!!! You’ve got to get yourself to Brockville one of these trips (between Kingston and Ottawa, squeeze us in). We’re the Craft ‘n Chat ladies who meet at the Brockville Museum on Mondays between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. We have good coffee and sweets. We knit and felt and make teddy bears. We’d love to meet you.

213. The no conditioner at hotels thing is a pet peeve of mine. The reason is men don’t use lotion! If you take a close look the things they put out are really for men. Altough I think some hotels have gotten a bit better. But, as you discovered, clearly not all.

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