Survival based

Whoa. That exploded on me. Two events piled up on top of each other like teenaged weasels caught in an illicit festival of love. I don’t think my exhaustion was too obvious, except for when I tried to check into the wrong hotel in Seattle. I knew where I was supposed to be, but somehow just staggered into the first hotel I saw and tried to believe. (Me to my friend Tina: ” How come this Sheraton has all these Hilton signs in the lobby?”) Arrggh.

Onward to Third Place Books, where there had been some sort of a misunderstanding and there weren’t enough books until Tina remembered that she had some for the Portland event back at the hotel in the trunk of her car. The events person from the store took off at a tear to get them and despite my hysteria (I was seriously upset. I mean, here I tell you all to please wait and buy the books at the events and then there aren’t any?) she and Tina saved the day and it all worked out. I was seriously flipped though. (Getting seriously flipped is a symptom of fatigue for me. This away from home thing is making me strange and worried.) Apologies to any of these knitters:

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Who were inconvenienced before we pulled it together.

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, Seattle is a knitting sort of town. The place is filthy with them. There were first sock knitters:

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That’s Molly, Carmel, Becky (who’s husband totally shrunk her first socks. Look at them. It’s terrible, although I believe they are still married.) Laurie, Adrienne, Fay (who totally overachieved, bringing a first sweater and socks) and finally Aubri, who’s first socks were rather wet as the result of a bookstore sink washing, the tragic consequence of a bottle of Nyquil coming open in a knitting bag. Poor knitter.)

Seattle knitters with knitters in training showed up in force. That there is Jen and the Gonzopants baby. (Who I was simply thrilled to meet.)

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Katie and Evelyn, who was just a bump when last I met her.

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There’s Jackie and Jake:

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Emma and Olivia

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Jennifer and Sarah

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Sarah and Elliott (sorry I invented a different name for him) (check out his cool knitgear.)

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Megan and John Henry:

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Then there were knitters in training who had begun their life’s work. Sherri brought five year old Thomas and seven year old Abby, both knitters. (I bet they were bored, but darn they were good.)

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This is Tracy (the mama) seen here with both her first sock and her first knitter, both coming right along. That’s Sabrina, age seven, a very competent knitter.

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A little older, this is Emma, who runs a teen knitter group for her fellows.

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How about McKenna? She’s our lady of the stash weasels, and a fine gal about to graduate. That sock she’s holding will be one of her culminating works. Hand spun, hand knit. Congratulations McKenna!

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Farther along the knitter continuum, there’s Anne Marie (she won one of my contests a while ago. That scarf is what she made with the yarn I sent her.) She’s awesome. I’m so glad she won.

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Karen brought me a Breastfeeding Activist (that’s a lactivist to you ma’am) washcloth (I love the way these are starting to be about causes as well as states) and Heather made sure that I had Washington covered.

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(Remind me sometime to tell you what I’m going to do with all these washcloths. It’s awesome.)

This is Cheryl. Check out that Addi turbo. Damn. When bad things happen to good needles.

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Rabbitch (we are toying with changing her name to Kali) showed up. I don’t even want to discuss where she is on the continuum.

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Finally, although this is in no way intended to imply where he may be on the continuum, my buddy Paul turned up, with his ever lovely companion Naomi.

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They are always infinitely a pleasure, and I look forward to seeing them every time that the wind blows me far enough west.

Finally,

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Oh, that’s not a knitter. That’s Frankie. Beloved (and actual real) dog of TMK and Mossy Cottage Ryan, darling friends who had Tina and I to dinner after the event and provided me with one of the THREE (Total. Just kill me.) meals that I have had in the last 22 days that was not made in a restaurant, hotel or airport. It was awesome, and would have been even if it had not been absolutely totally tasty (which it seriously was) and I am forever in their debt. I wouldn’t have told you that a salad and wicked homemade soup could save my sanity a couple of weeks ago, but there you have it. I love them. (Plus they had beer. I am so cheap.)

Right. Laundry is done, it’s midnight and I’m off to bed. I’ll try to post about Portland in the morning, before I go the airport, with my bag repacked, but to tell you the truth, I’m going to drop you like a hot rock if Joe has time to have a coffee with me.

120 thoughts on “Survival based

  1. Weird–this just showed up, though dated two days ago and this is only about the 6th time I’ve looked at your blog today. But no matter, lots of knitters and babies to look at, and empathy for institutional food. Survival: never drink hospital coffee, never eat more than one meal per day of hospital food.

  2. Can’t wait to see you in Madison– Hope you get to drop us, we’ll wait but time with Husband may not 🙂

  3. Oh my, I feel like such a time traveler. I have a test tomorrow that I need more clockage to study for…help? Please?

  4. Oh, Judith, where are you getting your coffee? I still think the Java House is good! (Yes…many other places are only worth it for the caffeine…and sometimes not even that.)

  5. Goodness gracious how I love Seattle. Often, my husband and I will motor on up there for a weekend away and prowl around. If I had the time I would have gone up there to see you as well as down here in Portland, but with the space-time continuum being the way it is and the price of gas….oh well Once will have to have been enough.

  6. Go to bed – what are you doing up at 12:31 am? – and share your morning with Joe, not us . . . and may you regain energy somehow by breathing airplane air. Take care of yourself, and return home safe and whole, and even rested. Miracles are possible.

  7. Oof, the traveling, you poor thing. I’ve never gotten to trying to check into the wrong hotel, but I have found myself at the airline ticket counter in Minneapolis, telling them I was going to Minneapolis. Or Chicago. Or whichever one it is that I’m not in now…

  8. Aargh… next time you travel? Seriously come to Santa Barbara– we’ll be waaaiiiiiting with open arms cuz we’ve got a county full of knitters AND wine 🙂 Good Ravelry group in town, 3 yarn shops, all great! And SCENERY. We got it!
    HUGZ!!

  9. I think I am seriously in love with Evelyn (mother is Katie). OMG, I am NEVER ga-ga over nubile humans, but THIS one is ADORABLE. If Evelyn and Katie ever get to Iowa, come to the Country School Retreat and I will give them a free spin on the pony. What a doll. I almost started lactating….and my youngest is 13.

  10. Oooh, socks, babies, wee knitters…all very nice, but if you hear a high-pitched HUM it’s coming from MADISON on account of you’re coming TO Madison and the excitement level is getting seriously high and all vibrate-y! We from the Sow’s Ear (who call ourselves “Hog-and-Bloggers” as opposed to “Stitch-and-Bitchers” are in Happy Anticipation. Oh and say, as I recall you, being Canadian, enjoy a little beer? Have you read the statistics about WISCONSIN? We have some local brewski for yer, m’darlin’. You know, just so share around the anticipation. SEE YOU SOON!

  11. How lucky that you had TMK & Ryan (and Frankie) cooking for you and Tina. They are exquisite creatures all. Nicole, the most amazing 1st grade teacher -EVER – was so excited you signed a book for her. Thank you. Angus and I saw one of your books in a shop (since sock camp) and he recognized you and said: “Mom, don’t you know her?” Oh, my swelling heart. Travel safely and be well.

  12. Who would have thought a couple of sticks and a bit of string would bring so many squillions of people together, and ALL SMILING.

  13. Oooh, socks, babies, wee knitters…all very nice, but if you hear a high-pitched HUM it’s coming from MADISON on account of you’re coming TO Madison and the excitement level is getting seriously high and all vibrate-y! We from the Sow’s Ear (who call ourselves “Hog-and-Bloggers” as opposed to “Stitch-and-Bitchers” are in Happy Anticipation. Oh and say, as I recall you, being Canadian, enjoy a little beer? Have you read the statistics about WISCONSIN? We have some local brewski for yer, m’darlin’. You know, just so share around the anticipation. SEE YOU SOON!

  14. “like teenaged weasels caught in an illicit festival of love”
    Oh my goodness, that’s a visual that I won’t soon forget! (giggling my head off!)

  15. I tried to get my sister to go there (Seattle she lives there) and get a book for me. Because I missed Petaluma last year. She told me she was gong then didn’t. She is not a knitter she is not a spinner. She doesn’t get it. A very long rant about it on my blog.If you told people to bring you home cooked meals I am sure they would.

  16. Go have the coffee – you deserve it! That look on Evelyn’s face is priceless, like “what am I doing here way past my bedtime?” Thanks for the shout-out, and did I tell you that Evelyn Clark was there? She had to go home to a sick doggie, so she left early but stayed for most of your speech. I chatted with her a bit and later couldn’t believe I didn’t think of taking her picture with my Evelyn. Oh well – best wishes on the next leg of your journey… I just finished your book last night and loved it!

  17. I am in Wenatchee, 2 hours east of Seattle, where it is April 24th, 11:07 PM, wondering how it is that I am reading emails sent >1.5 hours from now??? Albert Einstein, wherefore art thou?

  18. Any chance you could get a photo of the rest of Naomi’s jacket next time you go?
    Pretty please?

  19. .. I feel like such an evil person that I’m glad you’re coming here – one more stop on your tour that keeps you from Joe and the ladies!
    Nonetheless, I cannot wait to see you, and meet you!! Hope that coffee with Joe in the morning is lovely, and we’ll have to arrange yummy baked goodness to accompany your coffee when you’re here in the lovely SF Bay Area! Only a little more than a week – wish you weren’t jetting off to Utah so quickly after!!!
    ps… we have some damned fine microbrews around here as well; bottoms up!

  20. Awww, there’s my little boo! Except that his name is Elliott and not Scott, but we loved seeing you and meeting you again anyways! Seriously, Stephanie, you are a superhero for this marathon slog of a book tour! We do appreciate it!

  21. one important word for you REST !!!!!! we want you to stay healthy – not see how many cities you can get to … be safe don’t get worn out

  22. Well you would never know that John Henry had been screaming just seconds before that photo was taken (thanks to the idiotic error of his mother- the new carrier has been ditched!) You are better with a camera than you profess.
    I must say there are some seriously cute babies in Seattle. All the rain we get here makes them sweeter!
    Obviously John Henry and Elliot (Scott for the day) are especially adorable- not that I’m biased or anything.
    I’m glad you got a good meal- and for a stressed out, overly tired, jet lagged woman, you sure put on a good show! Thanks for providing a nice evening out.

  23. Yeah! A picture says a thousand words. Look at all those babies! Gorgeous babies! I agree that babies should come see the Harlot – afterall, who better to show off knitting skill than a baby wearing a handknit confection.

  24. So it’s just coincidence that that roiling image of teenage weasels heads an entry in which we get to lay eyes on McKenna? For the record, my Stashie would NEVER do such a thing (get caught, that is.)

  25. RABBIII– Oops. I mean, ‘Kaliiii!’ She’s alive and away from the dyepots for a bit! Good to know, I was beginning to worry. I hope you got a good hug. All those arms of hers must help.
    But you…yegawds, what, maybe 2 hours’ sleep before staggering awake to get together enough to fly outta PDX? Ferghussake, ignore us as long as you need. We want a Harlot who doesn’t fall sick when she gets home. We loved you in PDX; thanks *so* much for the compliments on my sock (and not fleeing the PDXKB gang); and if you didn’t manage to pack the beer somehow – I can’t imagine you had time to drink it – no worries. I figure if it came down to that, you’d be smart enough to give it to Tina, or leave it for the maid. Hotel maids don’t get paid enough anyway, they deserve a beer or two. 😉 ::hugs:: Good luck!

  26. I’ve voting for Joe and the coffee. You’ll get to us but time with your family is more important — especially right now.

  27. Just remember to take your vitamins with your coffee and your Joe…
    (I probably would have been close to death about three weeks back if I had your schedule!You are just amazing!)

  28. Cool. Looks like everyone had a great time and it’s lovely to see photos of all those gorgeous babies. Enjoy the coffee!

  29. What a lovely parade of wee ones.
    It was good the see you again. Sometime I’d like to get your reference list for the studies you cited in your talk. Like sometime after you’ve managed to have morning coffee with Joe a few days running. Ryan and TMK make sparkling meal companions, but it’s just not the same, is it?
    Would it help to stick more than one night at home in the tour at a few points? Or is it too soon to know?

  30. Every week or so I say to my sister “i really hope the Yarn Harlot survives her book tour”, and I still hope so! I am glad you got a homemade meal and a bit of respite at home in the last few days.
    Seattle looks like tons of fun, as do the Seattle knitters. And I’m sure the hotel mixup would have happened to anyone!

  31. Started the morning sputtering when I read about you checking into the Sheraton with all the Hilton signage. My last job I traveled an un-godly amount (and before I knit…need I say more) but I would get to my hotel and not remember what room I was in. Sometimes I would even ride the elevator up to a floor, get off, and not know where to go.
    You have my total sympathy and empathy! Who knew that one would look so forward to left overs in the kitchen with family? Hope you get home to some soon!

  32. One day I’ll get my Seattle based sister and my nephew (both knitters) hooked enough that they go to see you in person at your next signing. So far, they’re content with letting ME be the wacko in the family.

  33. Yep! Coffee with Joe takes precedence – every time. I love reading about these things and seeing the photos (especially Rabbitch!), but I don’t envy you the schedule (except for the Sock Camp). Just think how restful Home will be when you get back to stay.

  34. Please take care. Hard to do, I’m sure.
    Love the babies and the very young knitters.

  35. I think I’d probably just be bathing in coffee at this point. I’ve had to travel insane amounts for work and you have ALL my sympathy.

  36. You must really be tired if you’re wasting time trying to decide between Joe and The Blog.
    We are the hot rock. Drop us.

  37. Yay! You are coming to see us who lives in the New England!!! 🙂 Can’t wait! And hopefully, you dropped us. Having coffee with the husband is way more important!

  38. Such beautiful babies! It almost makes me want to have another…almost (The last one was 9lbs [4.08kg] and I have hip trouble). I wish you good solid sleep sometime soon!

  39. I need to find a job where I get to travel around and take pictures of adorable babies. Although preferably without the exhaustion.

  40. All that youthful cuteness! Makes me want to borrow one to bring to your next appearance – the natives here are 17, 15, 12 and 9, and although they are cute in their own ways, they would no doubt lose in a cuteness duel with any of those babies you met. Now if the competition was between baby pictures they would all have a reasonable chance (no, I am not prejudiced at all!).
    Take care of yourself.

  41. I SOOOOOO hope you and Joe are having coffee together. It could very well help you survive the last leg of this trip.
    I believe- carrying out the labor analogy I made previously- that you are probably glad to finally be able to push. Don’t forget to breathe.
    Be well.
    PS- just wanted to say I’m off to visit your beloved Lettuce Knit- and it’s reknowned knitters after the Frolic… already had contact with a number of them- quite nice those Canadian Knitters;) Even sweet enough to adopt an american for a day;)
    Knitters- gotta love them.

  42. One look at the sweaters on Paul and Naomi and there was a sharp intake of breath at my desk. Lovely. Just lovely.
    There is snow on the East Coast this morning; I hope that wherever you are, the sun is shining and you’re not in the wrong hotel.

  43. Even better, here’s hoping that you and Joe have an opportunity to act like teenage weasels…
    (I can hear your girls going eeewwwwwwwww now…)
    Sorry you’re going to miss the Frolic tomorrow. Is RachelH going to be there? Should I look for her in the bead booth?

  44. Good to see that you are still alive and kickin it. Truly I would start to become unatached at the seams to if I were in your position. I hope the knitters are helping to keep you level.

  45. Seattle is my favorite place in the whole world. I go as much as I can. How exciting that Rabbitch showed up. She is a classy wonderful amazing lady.

  46. I’m so glad you had a nice, home cooked meal that you didn’t have to clean up after (added bonus). Eating out gets old very fast.
    See you in a couple days…Madison :). Hang in there….

  47. You poor dear! I can’t believe the grueling schedule and time crunch you’re under. After one evening (Portland) of yarn fumes, laughing and minute amounts of travel I’m still exhausted three days later. Adding the pressures of public speaking, remaining charming and air travel would make me crazy… whether I had knitting with me or not. Hope you get to enjoy that cup of coffee with Joe.

  48. Hmm, the technology fates may have been tempted in wierd ways lately… me thinks the system be buggy…..
    That aside, I love the shrunken socks. I no longer feel alone in the universe. My hubby shrinks socks too 🙂
    My socks now fit my five year old who WILL NOT wear socks. sigh. Is it creepy to save them till I have grandkids?????

  49. Have the coffee with your husband! Does he ever get to travel with you on these trips? Northern California is a great place to bring him to see the wonderful sites and visit with us!
    Ruthie

  50. Pauls lovely companion Naomi, is there any chance at the pattern for that fabulous sweater? Seriously love it!

  51. I certainly hope Joe has time for more than just coffee!!! (Nudge, nudge, wink, wink — say no more!)

  52. Hang in there Stephanie! You’re just proving to the world that knitters are the toughest people in the world, what with this road-warrior-book-tour that’s going on!
    And those babies are just utterly adorable.

  53. Dear Harlot,
    thank you so much for the posts and the pictures. All those babies and kids–just a joy to behold (my 7-year-old neither knits NOR smiles, it seems, so it’s nice to see someone else’s kid do it!). I hope Joe has coffee with you instead of doing something else this morning. Stay well and know that many of us in the blogosphere feel akin to you and wish you strength and health for your arduous journey onward.
    Lactivist–awesome.

  54. I am so bummed that I missed you in Seattle! My own fault; next time I’ll remember to write it on the calender.
    I plugged you in my blog today. Hope you’ll have a chance to stop by and read my funny knitting story, “Knitting, by Simplicity”!

  55. I love reading about your adventures! I am happy to be dropped for a date with your husband. I hope it worked out that way. We’ll read about Portland later.

  56. I’m glad they got more books at Third Place Books. I overhead the staff say that they were almost out and I know lots of us planned to buy books at the event. I don’t think anyone could tell that you were out of sorts.
    I’m glad I finally got a chance to get to one of your events. It was great fun.
    And thanks for identifying Naomi. She sat in the row in front of me and I was amazed by that sweater. Beautiful work and beautiful colors.

  57. I love the pics of your various stops. You really need to come down to Texas. It’s 90 degrees down here, and I wouldn’t mind in the least if you brought some winter with you–we see so little of it.

  58. Know what is so cool about the pictures (besides the fact that it is Knitting Worldness) is the baby and mom pix. I can stare and stare and stare at their similarities and no one will think I’m a stalker wierdo. And, I just love seeing babies being wanted and enjoyed.

  59. Here’s to hoping I’m a hot rock… coffee with Joe is way more important than almost anything else could be…
    I hope your continued travels are uneventful and the knitting events are always lovely.

  60. Here’s hoping we don’t hear from you, and you get the “coffee” with Joe (wink wink).
    On a totally separate topic my daughter knit her first stitches today! I’m just a little excited.

  61. I know this is totally self-centered of me, but I really really want to bring my 2 year old to a Yarn Harlot event because you’d fall in love with her–and with her 13 year old sister who knits:-) (The 4 year old boy you may reserve judgment on–I love him madly, but we don’t call him the Cave Troll for nothing!)
    Hang in there, darling–have that coffee–I’m betting Joe misses you like he’d miss a lung that decided to fly off to Seattle. (I couldn’t do it–you are such a strong person to be able to do all that you do. I’d melt, thaw, and resolve myself into a dew if I was separated from my family for that long. Take care of yourself!)

  62. Steph, Thanks as always for taking the time to update us on your travels. Mckenna, I aspire to what you’ve accomplished. I hope we’re hot potatoes in the morning.

  63. You get the best pictures of the wee ones! I’m duly impressed by your skill. The absence of yet another post makes it seem that you must’ve had time for coffee, and I’m glad. I hope that you enjoy the rest of this frantic adventure safely and that you get more home-cooked meals along the way. Still can’t wait to see you here in the SF Bay….

  64. there is a very old song that
    popped up in my head after
    reading the postings
    show me the way to go home
    i’m tired and i want to go to bed
    i had a little drink about an hour ago
    and it went right to my head
    where ever i may roam
    on land or sea or foam
    you will always hear me singing this song
    show me the way to go home
    i guess one could sing i had an event

  65. I hope you had coffee with Joe.
    This post is out of context because your post about children has been over-run with comments. I just have to say that you’ve converted me. I don’t have children, never wanted children, am, infact, a little afraid of children, but at last I see. Because of what you wrote – so eruditely – and because of the replys that were posted, I have had a change of heart. I will strive to no longer wince at the sound of a crying baby, cringe at the screaming of a child in the supermarket (well mostly), get angry at the parents of children running wild in the restaurant (who am I kidding?), but I will stop and try to see the child’s side. Maybe if the parent would hang up the cell phone and answer the little dickens, or just take him home for a nap, he/she could cope a little better. See how I did that? Shifted the blame from the kid to the parent. Maybe I just have anger issues???
    What I do believe is that children are not little adults. They are children, at a special and once only time in their lives. As adults we are here to guide them through the growing up process as helpfully as we can. Maybe the only thing we can do is set an example, but we should set the best example we are able.

  66. This was all supposed to be in April, right? You’re almost done with it all, right? Hang in there! And hey, Joe, thank you for holding down the fort for our heroine.

  67. So cool that you had (“real”) dinner with TMK and Ryan! Very nice.
    Looking forward to seeing you again next weekend at the Maker Faire. If my insider is wrong about your presence, well, there will be blood. And I’ll have to drink the beer I would have given you.

  68. I think Naomi’s jacket is a variation on the Mola Jacket in Patricia Werner’s “Dazzling Knits”.

  69. Hope you were able to have coffee with Joe! 🙂 You’ve been moving at a killer schedule, Stephanie. Don’t know how you do it. Sending you good energy.

  70. Just wanted to say thanks for coming to Seattle. This was my first time at one of your events and it was fantastic! You didn’t seem at all tired or flustered, which is beyond amazing given the crazy schedule you’ve been keeping. Hope you got a little rest and coffee with Joe!

  71. Steph, I think the breastfeeding awareness washcloth would make a great baby shower gift! Where can I find the pattern? Thanks!

  72. whoo hoo! adrienne, aubri, and jen representin’ the capitol hill knitters from ravelry!! why is it so exciting to see people you know on a “famous” blog? man, i’m a dork… wish i could’ve made it but they told me my truck was going to be ready to be picked up from the shop, and then it wasn’t! grrrrrr.

  73. Blerg. I didn’t make it to the Seattle event. I remembered the next night that I had missed it. I was so hopped up on teaching my brother to knit for his birthday, I totally lost track of time.
    But thanks for the picture of the corgi. I will have to show that corgi to my two corgis (Nisa and Ernie). They will love the pink ruff.

  74. Lovely as it is to ‘have you back’, I’m rooting for Joe. Any woman who has only had 3 real meals in that many days deserves coffee and time with spouse.
    RE: Hilton/Sheraton. Hey, this is the woman who once took her whole class on a field trip – on the wrong day….!And I didn’t even have the excuse of time zones.

  75. Woof! What a schedule!
    What a woman!
    And thanks for the gratuitous corgi shot. We lost one of our corgis a few months ago and I’m soft on them at the moment. I mean, even more than usual. Yeah.

  76. So I get online today with the anticipation of seeing the Portland gathering and I see Seattle and a lecture about having children in public places. Obviously I don’t know the whole story. And if someone was awful to you here in Stumptown I apologize. but no comment at all…Were we that bad. I couldn’t go but still… whats going on?

  77. Okay, I’m exhausted reading about your schedule. But enjoying the holy heck out of the stories and the pictures and the babies and the socks….
    Speaking of socks, this blog has made me want to try them. Can anyone point me to an *easy* pattern for them? (I know this question has been asked before, but I don’t remember seeing it answered. Maybe cuz Stephanie gets *so* many wonderful comments, it’s hard to read through every single one…)

  78. Hey! That’s me! And my shetland triangle!
    Thanks again for the yarn, Stephanie!
    And since I won this yarn for having recognized the theme to Hockey Night in Canada, I think it’s appropriate to say that while Stephanie was talking and signing books in Seattle, the Habs won… Go Habs!

  79. Stephanie, I know you may not see this in time, but could you post a note on the tour page for the SLC event indicating whether there will be books for sale? It’s at the library, not a bookstore, so we’re not sure whether we need to buy books ahead of time or perhaps someone will be selling them to benefit MSF. Thanks.

  80. L.Stephens, to answer your question may I direct you to the last line of the post you’ve just left a comment on:
    “I’ll try to post about Portland in the morning, before I go the airport, with my bag repacked, but to tell you the truth, I’m going to drop you like a hot rock if Joe has time to have a coffee with me.”
    and suggest we can assume that Joe had time for coffee this morning. Portland will come when Steph has time to do it justice.

  81. Great pictures and it was so nice to meet you in Seattle! For the record, I am still married to my husband (he who shrinks socks). I even made him a pair of socks for Christmas, although with superwash wool so he cannot shrink those.
    Thanks too for the post on babies and children. It seems like it is really hard to be a mom sometimes, especially in areas where dogs outnumber children (like Seattle), but I am glad to know that so many people do like children!

  82. I love Frankie! What a great dog for putting up with such an outlandish (but fun!) collar! My cat (that might just be a cat thing though) would kill me in my sleep for making her wear such a garment.

  83. It’s always about the little things that make life really fun and worthwhile. Amazing as it is, it doesn’t make you cheap, or at least, I’m cheap right along with you.

  84. What is Sarah’s ‘Elliott’ wearing? It’s SO CUTE! I want to know so I can make it for my little guy. 😀
    Enjoy your coffee with Joe!

  85. based on your talk, i had no idea that you had had so much crap to deal with in seattle – you hide it very well (or knit the stress away?)
    hope you got your coffee with joe…

  86. Thanks for all the great baby pictures – I enjoyed them tremendously! My baby’s sixteen… sigh.
    This is off topic, but I just had to tell you about a story on my company’s employee web page. One of our employees, upon learning his wife wanted to learn to knit, got some sheep, learned to care for them and shear them, and learned to spin. Really. (I don’t think they’d make that up.) What a guy, huh?

  87. Hi, I met you at the Seattle event and I was with Emma, the leader of the teen knitting group. I thought of a million better things to say to you as soon as I got home. I told you I felt like I was meeting someone famous. I should have said I was meeting someone famous, because I was! I wanted to compare you to someone, and I thought of who. I am not a fan of Harry Potter at all, but I felt like I would if I was anybody else in the world and met J.K. Rowling. As it is, I would not be that interested if I really did.
    Also, your voice is so amazing! I thought you would have a normal voice, because you are a normal-looking person, but your voice is so smooth and glamourous! It reminds me of ebony! I had to go out and buy both your audiobooks, just so I could hear it again.
    I hope I am more memorable now that I have said some semi-intelligent things.

  88. Steph, remember to rest, m’dear. Don’t make yourself sick.
    McKenna, congratulations, and Karl says hi! He’s been faithfully guarding my stash and having a grand time playing in it.

  89. Stephanie, how do you remember the names of all the people you photograph for your blog while you’re on tour? Do you have a bionic memory?

  90. “(Remind me sometime to tell you what I’m going to do with all these washcloths. It’s awesome.)” Hmmmmm . . . sew them together to make a giant 50-state afghan? Open a state-washcloth themed B&B? Squish a heck of a lot of hair spiders?

  91. I didn’t respond to your entry yesterday because I hadn’t decided where I fell on the love-babies/
    hate-babies-whose-parent(s)ignore-their-behavior scale. Incidentally, there were NONE of the latter at the Third Place commons.
    Childless by choice, I was sitting, shy, at a table in the back and left early because I couldn’t hear…but I knew perfectly well that I had the choice of moving up at the side.
    You inspire so many of us in so many ways.
    (Not to mention the wild laugh-outlouds 🙂
    Thank you.

  92. You love Seattle? Thanks a bunch! So, what are we here in Portland? Chopped liver?
    I was sorry I had to work, and miss your event in the Rose City. Not one comment? No photos of your loyal fans here? Harrumph!!

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