Hello?

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(tap, tap, tap)

Is this thing on?

If you’re reading this, then Ken is a God walking the earth as man.

Update: For those of you asking, The whole blog has been moved to a new web host. (A better closet.) The other web host was…well. We shall not speak of them again.

I know Bloglines hasn’t caught the feed yet, that should fix itself…and any other little bugs should go away too. Feel free to point out anything that seems weird or wrong to you…It helps us (who am I kidding) it helps Ken sort out anything that might still need tweaking.

You can look forward to a new post tomorrow (blog fates willing) and in the meantime, my Christmas knitting (there’s a ton of it) and I are going to a nice quiet corner with a nice cuppa tea to shake off the tension produced by running around screaming “BLOG DOWN!”

(Or, my technical skills being what they are “Blog broken! MAKE BLOG GO!”)

Boy. Did I ever miss you guys.

336 thoughts on “Hello?”

  9. Huzzah x 3 for Ken. Glad to have our Harlot back. Need my laughter and knitting dose on a regular basis to keep me sane. Lurking has its uses.

  12. I can’t comment on the test post thing – get a moveable type error – let’s see if I can post on this one….. And yes, Ken, you are a god. Without you and Sir Washie the Harlot would be up a crick without a paddle. Maybe you should become Sir Ken??

  16. Ken is a God! I waited up all night like it was Christmas, I leave the room to go pee, for crissakes! Everything happens when I’m gone!
    Ken, we love you. Well, we have always loved you, but now we adore you.

  20. Ken, you have earned your rightful place in the pantheon of ComputerGuyHelperFriends. Bravo!
    And, Steph, about this “great idea” for Knitters Without Borders…if it’s anyting like the “great idea” for the Knitting Olympics, please let us know.
    We’d like to fasten our seatbelts.

  23. When is Ken’s birthday??? We’ll have to move Christmas to that date as that will now be our Saviour’s birthday!!!
    Thanks Ken!!!

  27. I am facing north and genuflecting as I type this…All Hail Ken! Thank you for giving us back our Harlot
    diana

  28. Oh hooray. I didn’t realize how much I counted on checking in on you until I couldn’t. Glad to have you back. Lots of us don’t post but read you nearly everyday. We are Nixon’s silent majority…HA! My one and only positive Nixon reference, in your honor. Welcome back. I missed you.

  29. I hope Ken is not a god, I hope computer expertise does not equal godhood. Then, I would have to acknowledge my husband as lord and master…as well as my two teenage kids.
    Great to have you back!

  30. I believe this may require you to cook meat for him. (I seem to recall you have done this on his birthday for him.)
    We’re glad you are back and just let us know what we need to do for Ken.

  31. Hurray. Thank you Ken. Reading The Harlot is the best way a day can start. Steph I missed you dearly.

  35. Woo Hoo, Ken! Passes quality beer around joyfully!
    Now… what is this about “wouldn’t it be fun” or a “great idea” for MSF? These are always a blast!!

  39. Glad you’re back! Just finished Knitting Rules, and have Yarn Harlot on my Christmas list.
    I must say, Knitting Rules is a perfect book for a new knitter like me. I realized I *can* make my husband a hat RIGHT NOW with my rockin’ knit stitch, and not have to wait until I learn some weird arcane skill, since even my ability to purl tends to fall out of my brain with disconcerting frequency. Plus, it’s how I’ll get to go to the yarn shop on Saturday. “Dear, come pick out the yarn for your hat. Oooh, and look at this skein on sale . . .”

  40. That he is! And by the way, I absolutely LOVED the “blue shirts in the closet” method of describing what was wrong with the blog. I explain computer things to my mother the same way. 🙂

  42. HURRAH! I’ve missed you. And thank you for the translation of computer language into “normal people” talk. My husband read it so next time our computer goes nuts, he has a language I understand!! Dee

  50. yahoo!! glad to see you back. i don’t comment much, but i depend on my daily and weekly dose of your life, Stefanie.
    thanks so much.
    lisa

  51. You’re back! *dances happily* You do know you caused an international crisis with this incident, right? But thankfully it’s fixed. We shall all bow low in worship before Ken the technology god.
    Now, does he make house calls? Cause my computer Lancelot could use some help *smack* I mean I could use some help with understanding how my computer Lancelot works . . .

  56. Obviously, godlike status is confirmed :o) Welcome back!
    re: Closets. I explained the WWW as ‘one huge filing cabinet’ and google as ‘the super filing clerk who goes off and finds stuff for you, if you tell her more or less what you want’ to my partner’s Mum last night…

  61. Seems to be working, but the most recent RSS feeds see is “Out the other side” – and Bloglines still has you flagged as a feed error. Nowhere do I see the post from yesterday saying what was going on, but maybe you took that down deliberately. Seems kind of a shame for it not to be preserved, though…..

  62. I hear you tap tap tapping ! THANKS to KEN’s persistance. Yes I too think he should be a “SIR.”
    He could have a full time job anytime getting people out of trouble with these FREEKIN MACHINES !! So glad you’re back .

  63. Let us heap praise and gratitude upon Ken!
    Steph, the closet analogy was faboo. Thank you so much for taking the time in the midst of your techno hell (one of Dante’s circles?)to find a way to write to us and make us laugh even as we cringe in sympathy.
    You are good to us and we love you.

  64. So, Ken cut a whole in the floor of the closet, climbed in, threw a bunch of blue shirts at you down through the hole, and all was better?
    BTW, that explanation yesterday was so amazing. I felt twelve times smarter after reading it.
    Glad you’re back!!

  66. Welcome back!!!! Loved your explanation of what the problem was. Why can’t all techies explain stuff to non-techies like that?!

  69. Obviously Ken is a god.
    What was not so obvious was how addicted I am to your blog! I am on vacation in Aruba (!), and I was absolutely devastated to find it down. I came back from the beach special to check. Hallelujah! It’s up! I can enjoy my vacation! (And yes, I am sitting in my beach chair in this tropical paradise knitting like a fiend.)

  70. can i just say how stressful it was not to have this blog around during my finals week?????
    yay ken!

  72. Ken, you rock! We’re so glad The Yarn Harlot is back in our midst!!!! (I also loved the closet analogy… My husband’s a techie and has a very difficult time explaining to me exactly what it is he does. I don’t mind though as long as he keeps the computer running!)

  74. I have checked back out of the withdrawl clinic where I had to retreat to reading old Black Stallion books from childhood while my Harlot was lost. Ken is my knight in shining armor.

  75. Horray for Ken!! Having been on his side of the problem before I know how stressful it can be. Make sure to treat him to pleanty of his favorite adult beverage :o)
    Welcome back harlot!

  77. Hurrah!
    I have to say, though, the closet as a metaphor for web space…dear gods, Steph, that freakin’ ruled. 😀
    Glad to see you’re back!

  80. Hurrah and sigh glad you are back , your site brings sunshine in gray and boring day!!! So what does Ken ask in payment, cookies , yarn ,I be glad to help pay. I think the guys that keep you up and running deserves lots of HUGS
    Kristy

  84. Glad to see you back! I look forward to many more YH posts. Please, please add the Blue Shirts analogy to your achives — perhaps if I could get my husband to read it, he’d know how to “speak computer” to me…

  85. Wheew — I was starting to get the shakes! Glad you’re back… Ken is truely a God walking the Planet as a Dude (with a cute tush). You are so lucky to have him on your team! See you tomorrow XX (fingers crossed).

  87. Thank you Ken. My coworkers can finally stop holding me down to stop the shaking.
    And Stephanie, I was just about to take up a collection to buy you a house(server).

  88. Thank you Ken. My coworkers can finally stop holding me down to stop the shaking.
    And Stephanie, I was just about to take up a collection to buy you a house(server).

  89. Yes, Dear Harlot…
    there really IS a Santa Claus, and his name is KEN!!
    Bowing to Ken. You are a God among knitters!
    Merry Yule over there!
    ~Suz~

  91. We missed you too! Congrats on getting this up and running so quickly (I know, it probably felt like it took forever to you). Good luck with the Christmas knitting….

  92. And we have missed you enormously. My internet is down at home this morning so I am even more sympathetic than I was before to your frustration with bloglessness. We do not know how attached we are to our (internet) connections until they are gone!
    Laurie

  93. You know, if Ken deserved pork chops being cooked in your home just for having a birthday, really he should get a nice, thick juicy steak for this one.

  94. Hi there stephanie,
    missed you girl so i’m glad you’re back. Ok you’ve been gone for some days now and then but then there were many things to read from former things you had written or what other bloggers did.
    You know, i knit while reading all that…so it was frustrating for me as well not to be able to read your blogs… ehmmm ok hope your new closset fits you perfect and may many blue cardigans have enough room to hang out and you also with the hidden wool stash here and more there….
    take care.
    kind regards.
    Valeria.

  95. All hail the KenGod!!! Throw yarn at his feet and ask his blessings upon your knitting & blogging. His computer-foo is mighty.

  97. OK, somehow I think this was all my fault. last year when I went away, the NE had a hellacious ice storm. This year, that was not available (most likely due to a previousy scheduled bout with global warming), so instead of power lines down, computer lines failed. My bad. Sorry. I promise never to leave home again.
    On the bright side, I got some great roving from some mountain sheep in Austria. Not sure of the breed, but I think they were called Gunther.
    However, in honor of the new Techno-God, I am willing to rename them Ken. And keep them away from the Barbie!

  100. Welcome back to civilization and thank you, Ken.
    As for blogging…..keep remembering to hit that
    save button.

  103. We definitely missed you too. But, isn’t there a teensy weensy bit of you that kinda felt sort of free? You know, like when you get a babysitter for the kids and you can go out and do stuff other than deal with them (kids being the blog in this metaphor).

  108. My husband often walks in the door to be greeted with “I broke the internet again”. I am totally useless with anything that needs power to make it work. I can identify the box that is the firewall but it knows that I’m vulnerable and that it has the upper hand. I’m happy to see you back.

  111. Happy happy joy joy! Happy happy joy!
    Is Ken available for other computer fixes? He is a computer genious.

  118. Welcome back! I’m glad you found a new closet for your blue shirts — and assume this one does not limit the number of blue shirts you can put in there. Here’s hoping the old hosting company, um, I mean landlord, reconsiders its inane limits.
    In the meantime, your last line reminds me of the Dick & Jane series: This is Blog. See Blog go. Go Blog, go.

  123. Ahhh…. every so often I think “I can give it up any time, I don’t miss it when I’m away for a week” and then something like this happens and I am forced to recognize my addictions. Ken is a god.
    Make blog go!

  125. Glad you are back!! I agree with all – Ken is worthy. Life is too humdrum without YH as a touch point.
    I blocked my first Christmas scarves and it is amazing, with a little hot water, flatness and pins, how they straighten up and fulfill their potential. Thank you Stephanie for’Knitting Rules’.

  126. All knitters will remember where they were, what they were wearing, what they were doing, the day the Yarn Harlot’s Blog died….
    And all rejoiced when it rose again the next day!
    (Hmmmm, maybe my husband is right and this really is a cult….)

  127. I am so glad you are back. Hurray for better closets, now all of your blue shirts will fit. What a lovely collection you have, too. That was a great analogy.

  128. Having to work in the world of *techies* (and, unforutnately, being one myself), I can only imagine the fustration and utterly disbelief you and Ken have lived through the past couple of days. My condolensences. Here’s hoping the new web host is much, much better.
    Ken, you’re a God.
    Stephanie, welcome back! The crew here missed you greatly!

  133. Thank you Ken. Your efforts in fixing the blog on such short notice are really appreciated. Yesterday I was really jonesing for a Harlot fix (it is stressful times in the Harloteer’s house) and you both delivered today. Thanks.
    If there’s anything I can do for you, as a fellow knitter and maintainer of blog, let me know. If you need someone to test out all the functions, I’d be happy to QA it next week.

  135. Whew! I can breathe now. Reading the Harlot = Breathing! Let’s raise our needles in homage to Ken. Hail the Hero!

  139. loved the ‘closet’ explanation for your problems! welcome back! we missed you! thank you ken. 🙂

  141. Welcome back. You were sorely missed. I had no idea how much I enjoy your blog and how much I would miss it until it wasn’t there!

  144. Welcome back! It’s so frustrating when things don’t work the way they are suppose to. (Did you ever get the wireless router, home phone, and your laptop playing nice together?)
    Christmas knitting, what Christmas knitting? *hides from the large piles of red, green, and white yarn*

  146. Thank God for Ken. I echo Doris who said you were sorely missed – sorely like having your arm amputated in a tent as the battle rages around you. That may be strong language, but accurate. My 2007 resolution is to learn to knit cables and socks. Look at your influence. Could world domination be far behind? Not with the new web host. May they have a happy holiday.

  148. Being a nerd, I looked up your new host. (Not saying it because it’s up to you to decide if you want to advertise for ’em or not. 🙂 ) They’re pretty good most of the time — I use them myself — but they’ve had some pretty serious outages in the past year.
    If you have the money and time required, you might want to investigate looking at other hosts that provide an SLA, or Service Level Agreement. Basically, it’s a guarantee by your host that your site will be available a certain percentage of the time (typically 99.9%, I think? — about 9 hours downtime per year), and if they’re down more than that they give you back a bunch of money.
    It’s hard to beat the deal you get with your host but it might be something you want to be prepared for if they do suddenly flake out again the way they did this summer.
    Anyway. Hooray! Harlot’s back! I’m excited. 🙂

  150. Make blog go
    or I will make it snow.
    The heavens will swirl
    The winds will stir and you’ll be sorry
    So go!
    We miss our Harlot,
    pithy and fun.
    Without her blog
    knitting’s not as much fun.
    So make blog go.
    Give us back the glow.
    Ken, the (walking) god
    Make It So.

  152. Oh, thank goodness you’re back! it was as if the earth had shifted eversoslightly on its axis…
    Hope the new people understand the overwhelming need for blue shirt storage, massive thanks to Ken; and good luck with that Christmas knitting (only 8 items to go for me; and counting…)

  153. Kiss Ken!!!! Yééé!!! And boy, did we miss YOU!!
    (how would Ken take it if ALL the bloggers kissed him???)

  154. Sorry, impressed as I am by Ken’s abilities, I’m not sure about the God status. But I do think he’s a Jolly Good Fellow. (And so say all of us.)

  155. Congrats on the “blog go” 😉 I am doing my own happy dance as I say the current score in MY house, “email, 25….Colleen, 26!” I’m trying to get MY blog up, finally, it’s not there yet, but my email, associated with it, as of this morning IS. I finally figured out why I could get email, but not send it through that address…earthlink seems to block something called ’25’, but Eudora (my email reader software…free, and you can set up GREAT filters) has little checkbox for “port 587”, which fixes that problem. Once I checked that box, all worked! AND the canned help from 1and1.com even said this, and was right! Imagine that…help actually HELPED. Good luck on your Christmas knitting! I have 3 pairs of slippers and one Jane dress from Mary Poppins left (ok, that dress is sewn 😉

  156. Awesome! Go Ken!!! Do you mind if I ask who you host with? Kristi and I are having blog server issues and are looking for a new host / closet.
    And I finished those Fleece Artist socks! I love that yarn. Totally smitten.

  159. Stephanie, I got the new blog! Our cable server does not offer the DIY Network, so there is nothing I can do about missing your show, but I can read your entertaining analysis of everying knitting and otherwise, and perhaps that’s ultimately better. Happy knitting.

  160. All hail the great and powerful Ken!! That man deserves double what you’ve been paying him–like more hand spun yarn? more cozy sweaters? more lace shawls??

  161. Go Blog Go. All chocolate to Ken, and what a relief, welcome back! My hubby keeps pressuring me to allow ads on my blog in order to pay for a back-up server (he needs it way more than my blog will anytime soon–he hosts various local disaster coordination entities, a good cause, and does lots of Red Cross work.)
    So good to see you coming back!!!

  163. Oh mana tuk tak to all involved in the resurrection of the blog o’ de Harlot! Blue shirts rock! Let’s hear it for the new closet!!!! Seriously, dear, our collective stress level has fallen dramatically, thanks to Ken.

  166. seeing your blog up has made my day!!that and the cleaning woman being here that is….
    Cheers!!!

  167. seeing your blog up has made my day!!that and the cleaning woman being here that is….
    Cheers!!!

  169. As along time lurker, only the absence of our Harlot was enough to get me to comment. I was so upset, things were being thrown across the room, my usually tight gauge was nearly impossible to knit and my husband went and bought all the Harlot books to try and appease me. I am much calmer and now have two copies of the books.
    Welcome back, Steph– you were missed.

  170. Glad you’re back! The thought of finishing Christmas knitting (not tomention christmas everything else) with no Harlot break was not such a happy one. Congrats on the new closet and many blue shirts to come!
    Go Ken!

  171. Thank goodness for Ken. I was starting to twitch a little without my daily fix. (You think I joke, but it’s true – my husband still hasn’t forgiven me for booting up the computer to check for a post on our anniversary. Come on, it’s not like it doesn’t happen once a year!) Phew. I can rest easier tonight. Welcome back and a big thank you to Ken!

  172. The MSF number seems weird. I has two dollar signs and I would swear the old number started with 171, but I could be way off on that.
    Welcome back to the world.

  173. And Ken said, “Let there be blog,” and there was blog. (Thank you, Ken!)
    Congratulations on the successful closet surgery (chainsaw through the floor?) and subsequent move to the new blue shirt storage facility.
    We missed ya. I must’ve checked the site about 57 times in the bast coupla days to see if you were back.

  177. It sounds as though Geordie may have beamed down and helped Ken out a bit. Ken still deserves elevation to god-like status, though. Glad you are back up and running – I missed you!

  178. I think we should have Ken sainted for his fine work with the evil technology bastages! Missed you, hugs all around and party beverages!

  180. I think we should have Ken sainted for his fine work with the evil technology bastages! Missed you, hugs all around and party beverages!

  182. Betcha Ken could break into Fort Knox if he wanted to. 😉 Hurrah for Ken! And for having the Harlot back – you were missed. 🙂

  183. I’d been getting really worried, so join everyone in cheers and god-acclamations, cheers and welcome back.
    Since I’ve sort-of threatened, make that discussed, with my boss, switch me to part time or I might have to run off and join MSF (he looked puzzled, and asked whether they paid), I am looking forward to your Idea. Boss hasn’t made me part time yet…

  185. Yea! I missed ya. I was so worried that I wouldn’t ever get my dose of the Harlot. It’s good to have you up and blogging.

  190. YAY!!! You’re back! I missed you 🙂
    Totally off topic question, how do you know when you design something if it has been done before or not? Is that your job as the author/designer or the editor/publisher’s job?

  192. WOOHOO!! Did we ever miss you! Now I’ve gotta pop over to Ken’s blog and explain how (after only recently recovering from my first crush on him) he is back at the top of my Most Wanted list. Then back, to seek out that archived entry I wanted.

  194. It feels like I got a birthday present from you when I checked in and found you were back! Other than that, it has been a fairly ordinary birthday. That Ken is a wizard!

  196. I’ll bet it didn’t take Ken nearly as much time as it felt like it did! I nominate ‘Saint’ as Ken’s title…lower than God, but higher than the washing machine.
    I also related the blue shirt analogy to explain things to my husband. Not that he wouldn’t have understood the technical version, but he was pretty charmed by Ken sawing through the floor of the virtual closet. (Wasn’t so virtual two days ago, though, was it?)
    If each of us knitted a 4-inch swatch for Ken from our favorite yarn, I’ll bet he’d have enough for a king-size sampler bedspread.

  197. Glad to have you back!! Glad to have you back knitting.
    I’m down to the Christmas crunch — with felting and knitting and no skid bottoms of slippers sewing to go….. Breathe!
    Bigs hugs to Ken and you for making it go again — and just on general terms for making my computer a happier place.

  200. glad you’re back!
    um, has ken noticed that chicks dig him? i’m going to say he could have his pick of any number of women clad in wool.

  201. Awwww. We missed you, too! Glad you found a new closet for your blue shirts. (And thanks for explaining it to – at least some of us – in very small words!) Tell Ken thanks from all of us!

  202. :::Bows down to Ken in worship::: All hail the mighty tech god that is Ken! Definitely started going through Harlot withdrawal.

  205. YOU’RE BACK!!! YOU’RE BACK!!!
    Thank WonderKen for us a MILLION times over…from all of your codependant knitting pals the world over.

  206. Thank you Ken! Well, this certainly made me realize how addicted I am, and that maybe I need to join Yarn Harlot Anonymous or something. I was so worried you lost all your archives or something, which I haven’t read yet, and I kept checking and rechecking to see if you were back up yet. Whew!

  208. DP to lauren, who is on the roof brandishing DPNs:”Honey, its okay! You can come down now, the blog is up!”
    Okay, maybe not that melodramatic, but you were missed. Three cheers for Ken!

  210. Welcome back. I missed you too. I think Ken deserves his own holiday. He is a god and we should all be very grateful for his technical skills (I’m with you – no knowledge except the knowledge of who to call to fix it).

  211. Egad! You were down for how long? A day? Why did it feel like weeks??? What a relief to have you back! Talk about addictions…don’t know we have one until it’s denied us. I also loved your explanation with the shirts. I hope you can keep the archieves (I haven’t checked yet) it’s fun to go back and read them, and I’ve gotten some great pattern ideas from going through them (like the boy friend sweater, I finally have a copy of the pattern and can’t wait to get started!) Glad you’re back! Give Ken a pat on the back.

  214. WooHoo!!! my day is complete you are back. Could you send Ken down to deep south Florida we promise to take good care of him. We need someone to convince our boss that internet service is a good thing, especially when people want to make reservations for boat tours. Welcome back

  215. It’s all very well and good to confirm that Ken is a god (old news.) The question is…which?
    I’m voting for Coyote, myself…

  216. Did I miss all the posts about the Christmas knitting? What ARE you knitting for Christmas? It’s like the Olympics–will she break the record? Will we witness the agony of defeat? Glad you’re back…

  217. Yay! You’re back!!
    If you have issues again, I *highly* reccomend Dreamhost. They’re inexpensive, and they provide excellent service. I’ve hosted my message board/website with them for ages.
    Looking forward to seeing you on Knitty Gritty!
    Merry Christmas and good luck finishing your knitting!

  218. A blog-broken Harlot named Steph,
    Howled a word that began with an F,
    Till a Deity, Ken,
    Made it all work again,
    We’re so glad! Welcome back! Is Ken deaf?

  220. Thank God . . . I haven’t spit my coffee down (because I was laughing) the front of my computer all week!

  222. YEAH YEAH YEAH…. Missed you soooo much.. SOoooo glad Ken is a good computer carpenter..hehehe… welcome back.. *whewwww ok ,I’m calm now,, will knit & read.. thanks soo much..

  223. With Ken’s elevation to diety, must we now pray?
    “Oh Great and Glorious Ken,
    Keeper of the founts of all blog knowledge,
    We, who are not worthy, humbly thank thee!
    Yea, we thank thee for the Harlot, who maketh our coffee run from our mouths!
    Yea, we thank thee for thy vast experience in the language of the angels (HTML)
    Yea, we beseech thee to keepeth the blog going, lest we be lost! In yarn’s name we pray….
    A-Women!
    (I am SO burning in hell for that! 🙂 )

  225. Besides “Tickle Me Elmo” and PS3, I hear what most people want is a nice pair of green socks. : )

  226. To Karen: I want green socks MORE than Elmo! And yes, Dear Harlot, you’re back, perfectly clear, and I, at this time, elevate Ken to stand among the great Lares, those strong and noble Protectors of Hearth and Home. May we all find Lares, should we have such problems in future. (Some people have “Larrys”…that’s different, although I understand there is one known to “git ‘er done”.)

  228. Oh, *man* did we miss you! Geesh, talk about withdrawal symptoms; I was moping around as if there were no blogs left anywhere, a’tall, a’tall. It’s just that no one compares. Welcome back, Steph! Have a Screech and chocolate and coffee and silk/cashmere to spin and whatever will stop the tension – it’s awful when you can’t write, I know. And it’s a good thing we can’t all give you a welcome-back hug at once, except virtually. You’d be squashed, poor thing.
    Ken, I pour libations to you, of the finest Falernian. You are indeed a god, and worthy of worship. An altar is being set up as we sp– er, type. Thanks much!

  229. yippee, great to have really useful and amusing men in our lives!!! Good for you and great for us. And don’t worry, Christmas is like almost 10 days away. go girl.

  231. So, do we get to know who your previous web host was, so we can avoid them like the plague? I don’t believe it would be an abuse of your position–companies with customer service that lousy (and I believe I’m speaking euphemistically here!) need to be known so they can reap the consequences of their [ahem] poor customer service policies.
    But I’m not going to get started on customer service. I’ll just close with two words: post-consumer economy. (Or is that three? lol)

  234. seeing your blog up has made my day!!that and the cleaning woman being here that is….
    Cheers!!!

  236. Are you (and Ken of course) feeling the love thumping back at you from your screen? We, (the admiring hoards), have been impatiently checking our computers like a bunch of chickens when the feed has just been thrown down, hoping with each passing hour that THIS would be the time we’d find new Harlotisms to make us laugh and spit out beverages. Without your blog, this thing we all stare at is just an expensive, annoying hunk of plastic.
    And I’ll second the idea to submit a 4″ swatch for the benefit of Ken.

  237. Excellent work, Ken! Is there anything the man *can’t* do??!?
    Good luck w/ the Christmas knitting!

  240. Wow! Ken does nice work. Love the spacious, roomy, BIG, new walk-in closet. Lots of room for more blue shirts. As we say on the East Coast, “Well done Ken good on ya b’y “.
    Now let me see if this comment is blocked by the blog police.

  244. And there was great rejoicing throughout the land! Blessings upon Ken! He is greatness itself. (The closet analogy? Genius.) Also, good idea switching hosts–the old one sounds, um, unprofessional at best. All parts of the blog appear to be in working order.
    Wow, I’ve missed you, Steph, and we’ve never even met.

  245. Welcome back! You’re a fortunate woman. There are a lot of people in this world who don’t have someone like Ken to help them out. I’m really glad to hear you’re all fixed up!

  247. Good job, Ken! If you’re looking for a low paying, long hours job, I expect I could find you something. In the mean time, send an address, I spent the downtime making dark chocolate truffles.
    Steph, glad to have you back.

  248. WTG Ken! He deserves at least a sixer for this one. 🙂
    Didn’t realize how much I’d miss my daily dose of the Harlot. Glad you’re back, Stephanie.
    BTW, the whole closet analogy–priceless!

  252. Whoooooo Hoooooooo!
    Running around the room doing the “wave”, dancing a jig and smiling…..Whooooo HOOOOOO for Ken the computer God. Zap those nasty N.A.R.F.s right back under their little rocks. Or in their closets.
    Glad to see you back!

  253. Thank you, thank you, thank you Ken.
    Stephanie – I think I’m in at the 250+ mark here. Obviously you were missed.
    Next question – What’s the great idea for Knitters Without Borders?!! Don’t keep us waiting!

  256. Wow! am I glad you’re back! How else am I going to stay sane during this pre-Christmas knitting frenzy if I don’t have your blog to make me laugh at things only knitters understand? Blog on! Thanks Ken 🙂

  258. Ohhhhh Ken, Ken, Ken….You freakin’ ROCK!!! Steph…I had no idea how attached I have become to your blog and all the responding knitters who now feel like a community…I feel like I can take a deep breath…however, I did get a LOT of Christmas knitting done. Did I mention Ken that you really ROCK! Bless you kind sir.

  260. server down? oh, i thought you were over with your bleach head neighbor, making some cookies and knitting her some undies….
    welcome back!

  261. Missed you, too Glad it’s all up and running again. You can never have too many blue shirts.
    Jen (frantically knitting hubby’s Christmas sweater while he is out)

  262. What a horrible time for all of this to happen. One of my favorite December traditions is “watching” you try to complete an insane amount of knitting on a rather impossible schedule! It would make a great reality show!
    Love ya!

  265. All hail the great and mighty Ken. He fixes stuff and makes it good! ALL HAIL KEN!
    Welcome back online Ms. Harlot! Glad things are better. The knitting will soothe and the tea will energize you to blog another day. *big grins*
    Glad you’re back up! I understand your frustration…trust me on that one. I see the world through Ken’s eyes in my job everyday!

  267. What timing! I found the blog up and running just when Burl Ives’ voice sang out over the radio, “Have a holly, jolly Christmas…” & now that you’re back, I will =)

  268. Yay Steph! You’re back! And I want you to know that your experience has given me a little hope… I’m about to spend over a week on Christmas break in a house with no computer… no internet… nothin’. If you can be without a blog, I suppose I can do it!

  270. Excellent work Ken – I know you understand how much we appreciate it.
    Now Stephanie – where can I get me one of those Kens?

  272. make blog go….heheheh. I have a brief window of opportunity* to say, yes! Ken rocks!
    * still have power even though wicked storm is coming onshore here in Oregon…

  275. You know the sound you hear in the movies when the submarine is under attack? That high/low siren screaming? Well, THAT is the sound I heard when I read “Blog Down.”
    Glad to have you back. All hail Ken.

  279. Ken can fix computer problems AND knit?? Oh wow! He may have just replaced Hugh Jackman as my fantasy man!

  280. good to have you back(thanks ken)! off to my own attempts to warp space/time…I think you, Stephanie, are the one I have to thank for this new obsession. Merry Chritmas and may you avoid the dreaded IT…
    Kathe

  281. GO KEN!! (bowing and scraping)
    Completely wonderful to have the Harlot back online. Did you have any idea when this all started that you’d come to mean so much to so many? Thanks again for letting us share your world.

  282. Whew!! We love Ken! I didn’t know how much I depended on your blog till it was gone!! I am soooo happy you are back!!

  286. HURRAY!!!! THE HARLOT IS BACK! We missed you! Aren’t computer geeks wonderful to have around? I liked mine so much that I went and married him LOL! (That was a long time ago, but he was a computer geek even then!) Can’t wait to hear your new idea for Doctors Without Borders. Hurray for Ken and the Harlot!!!!!

  294. Boy, did we ever miss you! You are very fortunate to have a web guru at the ready. Glad everything is back to normal. Seriously, a hosting company that won’t bend way over backwards to help you, miss 3000+ subscribers and I don’t know how many bizillion hits per hour, doesn’t deserve to host you. Glad you switched. Hope everything is seamless for you now. I need that daily fix:)
    Ang

  295. Steph, Have you offered to birth a child for him?
    This act of greatness certainly warrents it!

  297. I am so glad you got your blog problem fixed. I have mised reading your blog. I hope you got a lot of knitting done while it was down. I have.

  300. I think the metaphor was glorious. I tried running my own blog on f2o, and I actually paid for typepad when it took more than 8 tries per post for more than three weeks to put anything up. Not that I am really better now about posting, but at least it is not completely aggravating!

  304. Yay! You’re back! Way to go Ken!
    Have you ever thought about displaying ads? I know some bloggers don’t like to, but I figure you’re a professional writer – why not make money off your blog? Or at least let it pay for itself? Now that I’m living abroad (Israel) and can’t access knitting mags easily, I find I like knitting ads more and more. Just a thought.

  312. What’s the going rate on a Ken? Id like to purchase one for christmas. The mac using, Knitting, blog fixing, model. Just bill me. Thanks.

  313. Ken rawks!
    Your “Make blog go!” reminded me of a funny thing.
    Several years ago a friend of mine worked at a particular sandwich shop named after a popular form of mass transit (ahem), which had the most craptastic oven ever. Which was bad, since this sandwich shop made a big fuss about how their bread was all fresh-baked and the like.
    My friend, then, developed a habit of calling his store manager at home whenever the oven decided to go on the fritz, to say, “Dave! Oven go thud! Demons come out! What do?”
    (NOTE: No actual demons were ever observed exiting or entering this oven. It was just an expression.)

  314. Good; you’re back. Give Ken a smooch for me. I had a panicky moment or two without you, thinking about Christmas coming up without you entertaining me with your whining, er, commenting forcefully about how much knitting you still have to do. Or that despite the fact that you KNOW there are 47 rolls of Scotch tape in that house, there are none to be found when you’re wrapping presents.
    Not to mention the scissors.
    Actually, I’m just blathering on here because I want to boast that here it is a week before Christmas and all but one-half of the five scarves and one hat handspun and handknit by me for presents are done. Blocked and everything. If that isn’t a sure sign that the world is off its normal kilter, I don’t know what is.

  315. Woooo hooo! Glad you are back..
    Please anyone who reads this comment.. click on my name to go to Knitters Build a House..
    I am not above shameless plugs when it is for a good cause.. keeping a family from being homeless is a REALLLLLY good cause in my book!!
    Thanks!!
    And Thanks Ken for giving Stephanie back her sanity!! She needs it to get her holiday knitting done!

  317. Hurrah! I second the motion to knight Ken. He should be Sir Ken the Technologically Magnificent and receive the Order of the Garter Stitch (the highest honor in the Kingdom of the Harlot, to be sure!).
    (Yes, I’m cracking myself up here – clearly I need more sleep.)
    P.S. Ken – The LiveJournal syndication feed is working normally, too – that’s how I knew to come here. 🙂

  319. Welcome back! The geek speak helped me understand the situation but the blue shirt analogy helped explain your frame of mind.

  320. Ken Dandy to the rescue! Go Ken Dandy, Go!
    Oh people, he’s not a god, a saint, an angel, or even a “Sir” – he’s just “white ‘n’ nerdy”! (All the best guys are!) So let that be a lesson to all you young ladies out there. Go check the computer lab when you’re looking for a hot guy to date!

  321. Thank you for going through all the hassle to get back online. And THANKS TO KEN for being a god. My guess is that he’ll be up to his neck (and beyond) in knitted goods if his address ever goes public.
    My world is back in order.

  323. Ken, you are a God! Thanks for getting Harlot up and running again. Steph I am doing the knitting crunch thing too. *hugs*

  324. Welcome back!!! Great big thinks to Ken for helping out. And thank you for putting things in terms of blue shirts–those of us who only speak in ssk and k2tbl appreciate it.

  326. Upon reading the rest of the comments, a holiday for Ken sounds wonderfully appropriate. Would that be December 13?
    Don’t worry, we will all remember.

  328. Steph, it’s good to have you back. Even a couple of Harlot-less days is super sad.
    Ken… We’re not worthy! We’re not worthy! (Wayne’s World style.)

  329. Yabba Dabba Doo!!!! SO glad you are back. Not having your blog to read was like not having my morning cup of coffee…I was not fit company for other humans.
    Congratulations and Give Ken the God a hug,
    …Sari

  332. Even though we sometimes disagree politically, I am always amazed at your overflowing compassion for the less-than-fortunate, your generosity of spirit, and your ability to mobilize the troops.
    Much Love.

  333. I have been looking around for days for a virgin to sacrifice to the Ken-God, but with the virgin shortage … well, ya know.
    Anyway, all hail Ken!
    We all owe you a beer.
    That’s a LOT of beer.
    You can keep it in the closet, OK?

  336. I ran across this site looking for instructions on a short row heel. I found a posting from June 2004 with the most gorgeous sock yarn. What is it and where can I get it. Love the site and I have saved it.

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