04.06.07
More Knitting Travel!
I considered spending the whole of this first paragraph apologizing for not having posted for three weeks, but I decided that that’s boring and that none of you have been irreversibly harmed by my semi-extended absence. I will tell you that April-June is the busiest quarter at my job, plus I have taken on a hefty freelance project that is eating up my evenings and weekends, plus I seem to have gotten a poorly timed but powerful urge to play The Sims again, which means that my blog posts will remain erratic for the next couple months. I thought about taking an officially declared hiatus, but I think I’ll stop short of that. So just leave me in your Bloglines and we’ll see each other when we see each other.
Now for some out-of-date content! Some of you may recall that several presidential administrations ago the Yarn Harlot launched her most recent book in New York City. I, along with the 500 or so bloggers who managed to post about the event within an ice age of it happening, was there. I am lucky enough to travel to New York for business every few weeks, so after the launch was announced, I planned a work trip around it and found myself a date. I also joined the New York Sit n’ Knit Meetup when said date tipped me off that the group had somehow obtained an assurance of priority seating. Pleased that whomever was approving membership requests didn’t scrutinize my home state information too carefully (though I did once meet someone who thought that Rhode Island was one of the five NYC boroughs), I RSVPed that I would attend, arrived an hour and a half early, and thereby secured three seats in the second row. I used that hour and a half to royally screw up my Go with the Flow sock.
Many have described the event already, so I will be brief. I was more impressed with Stephanie than I expected to be. I was far more impressed with her sweater than I was when I saw it on her web site. I was not entirely enamored of the knitterly audience, which I found to be a cross between a Jerry Springer-type talk show (lots of booing and hissing at the mildest prompting) and a very receptive church congregation (I don’t think anyone said quite the yarn equivalent of “praise Jesus!” but the sentiment was there). Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind audience interactivity, but some of the chatter bordered on foolish and herd-like, in my curmudgeonly opinion. The “Q&A” was even more annoying. Let it be known, people, that “question” and “testimonial” are not the same thing. Nor are “question” and “obsequious fawning.” (By contrast, “Rachel” and “humorless crank” do seem to be synonymous.) Anyway, Stephanie handled every single comment with a grace and humor that made me like her even more.
The best part of the evening, though, was my date, Minty! Minty and I had such a nice time together that I was surprised when I realized, after we had parted ways at the end of the night, that it was in fact only the second time we’d ever met in person. In my mind she had become firmly established as a plain old friend, not merely an internet acquaintance.
Minty and I kicked off the evening by taking several bad pictures of ourselves. We then moved on to knitting our squares for Warm Up America (she finished her seed stitch one in about the same amount of time it took me to knit half my garter stitch one, so as punishment for being so much faster than I am, I made her finish mine while I selfishly knit my sock). Then we went and poured out our souls for hours over edamame and sushi, then walked back to my hotel, then went up to my hotel room where we marveled at the hotel’s “pillow menu” (I was offered the choice of goose down, buckwheat, hypoallergenic, or Swedish space-age superfoam or whatever it is). Finally we forced ourselves to say good night, though I was tempted to invite her to order up the pillows of her choice and sleep over in the other bed (after some pre-bedtime knitting, of course). Maybe next time. (Does this paragraph make it sound as though Minty and I almost hooked up? Because as far as I know that wasn’t the case, but I can’t seem to write that last part of the evening without that overtone. Maybe it’s something inherent in going up to someone’s hotel room. Or maybe none of you were thinking that at all. Until now, of course.)
I am going to wrap this post up here, but with the preview that my next post will also feature Minty fairly prominently. You see, not all is happiness and light in my acquaintance with Minty. In fact, Minty-based strife is threatening to tear my family apart. I kid you not. Okay, I kid a little. But still, stay tuned.
Mintyfresh said,
April 6, 2007 at 7:42 pm
Every blogger meetup should begin with bad pictures and end with inappropriate pillow ordering!
Thank you for the belly laugh at this post (and the anticipation of what I sort of know is to come)–I had a rough week and definitely needed to relive the happy memories. xoxo.
Mintyfresh said,
April 6, 2007 at 7:44 pm
And to let everyone know: Yes, Rache’s hotel room was about exactly the same size as my apartment, total square footage, and the kitchen was TWICE as large. This is why I had to follow her upstairs. No, really!
Ashley said,
April 6, 2007 at 7:47 pm
OMG Minty is a total homewrecker! I knew there was something off about that girl. (I kid, interwebs, I kid.)
Meanwhile, I also have to say that there was vey much the air of a revival meeting when I saw the HArlot too (”Yes!” “So true! So true!” “Amen!” “Preach it, sister!”) but I just chalked it up to the frenzy of the 6-hour wait. Interesting that it is a more widespread phenomenon…
PS I want a pillow menu. Also maybe a pillow sommelier, to advise me on my choices.
Kimberly at Some Bunny’s Love said,
April 6, 2007 at 10:24 pm
Holy smokes! I was sitting behind you. I recognize that pink sweater — that was one of the Boyletown folks from PA Stephanie mentioned. To think, another RI person was actually attending!
=:8
Elinor said,
April 7, 2007 at 6:15 am
Minty as a home wrecker? I’m intrigued!
You are the first person I’ve ever heard write about obsequious fawning of the Harlot. That is *exactly* how I feel about it, even though I like the Harlot and think she’s a pretty talented knitter and good writer.
Glenna said,
April 7, 2007 at 7:00 am
I really enjoyed reading your comments on the NYC event – interestingly I heard similar smaller-scale things from a friend of mine who went to one of the booksignings on the Knitting Rules tour. Knitters can be an odd bunch en masse, eh? I’ve never been to a Harlot event so this actually makes me intensely curious about them from a social perspective ;)
JayJay said,
April 7, 2007 at 8:47 am
I guess people respond to a celebrity pretty much the same, whether it’s a movie star or a knitting star.
A pillow menu! I guess that hasn’t caught on yet a the Holiday Inn Express, where I usually stay.
I can’t wait to hear about this Minty-based strife! What really did happen in that hotel room? ;P
Amy said,
April 7, 2007 at 8:50 am
Ha! See, here in the Midwest, we are too reserved for booing or testimonials. The Q&A time was actually Q&A. Friendly questions, but not fawning. We know how to behave ourselves in public. :-)
Leah said,
April 7, 2007 at 8:59 am
Truthfully, the Springeresque quality of the crowd would have annoyed me too. Probably my polite southern-girl upbringing. The rest sounds like a blast though, and I’ll be stalking bloglines for the next update.
Adriana said,
April 7, 2007 at 9:04 am
You’re alive!! I was starting to get worried.
It sounds like you had quite the adventure in NYC. It must have felt really cool to be a part of something big like that.
My fave part of your post was about your almost hook-up with Minty ;)
hpny knits said,
April 7, 2007 at 9:04 am
never mind the Harlot- Minty-based strife- keep us posted!
:-)
oh, and I am with Ashley- I also want the pillow menu with the pillow sommelier, to advise me on my choices.
in fact- why don’t we all have a slumber party at Rachel’s hotel room next time she is in town…
Carrie said,
April 7, 2007 at 9:15 am
That is a fabulous picture of Stephanie – you can really see how beautiful her sweater is.
And also, this post made me laugh out loud, especially this line: (By contrast, “Rachel” and “humorless crank” do seem to be synonymous.)
hee. You are so NOT a humorless crank. :)
Carole said,
April 7, 2007 at 9:17 am
Minty and family strife? I sure hope we don’t have to wait 3 weeks for that post!
Sonya said,
April 7, 2007 at 12:12 pm
I was of the same opinion of the knitterly audience when I saw the Harlot on her first book tour. Frenzy-ish. But she handled it all with aplomb. I would not be able to stifle the eye roll.
I echo Carole in hoping that the juicy details that you’ve foreshadowed will be forthcoming soon. You know how we love to read about family strife!
Sparkles said,
April 7, 2007 at 12:19 pm
I just love how you tell it like it is. Or, at least, how you feel! :) I’ve gotten to see the harlot twice now and I’m not sure if there just wasn’t any springer-esque knitters there or if I just tuned them out…I think our crowds, while large, were smaller than yours?
I was in the same boat with the sweater. Those types don’t actually impress me much, though the more I hear the second hand information about it, the more I rethink it. Probably not enough to actually ever knit one myself (unless my style of dressing changes drastically) but enough to be impressed. :)
Good to see you back! (and, yes, I totally owe you a decent length email and stuff)
Angela said,
April 7, 2007 at 12:55 pm
Now that I know you’re a curmudgeon and a humorless crank, I like you even better. I hope you don’t make us wait too long to see what happened with Minty. (Did she get fresh? Ha ha.)
projektleiterin said,
April 7, 2007 at 1:03 pm
He, he. :D They will excommunicate you from the knitting blog community now. :D Sometimes I wonder if I should not be more carefully when I criticize something, because – will people still love and adore me then? But then you see someone state his honest opinion and you think it’s cool.
Liz K. said,
April 7, 2007 at 1:51 pm
I think what you observed is a certain loss of perspective about knitting that crops up here and there with us knitters. While I am deeply interested and passionate about knitting, I do not think it has the power to change the world. And while I admire Stephanie as a person, writer, and knitter, I do not think she is any different than me, except that she is Canadian and has a book deal. I love yarn, but it is not diamonds. I love knitting, but it is not the cure for cancer. Tthe Yarn Harlot is not Bono.
Marie said,
April 7, 2007 at 2:56 pm
The obsequious fawning and tent revival atmosphere would have rubbed me the wrong way too. There’s just something about celebrity…some people seem to lose all ability for rational, independent thought…
Aaaanyway, can’t wait to hear more about Minty and her home-wrecking ways! And I too, covet a pillow menu, possibly with a hot pillow sommelier.
laura b said,
April 7, 2007 at 2:56 pm
Oh no! Not the Sims! I realized that I had to stop playing that game when I was taking care of my Sims’ homes better than my own home. Why is it so fun to keep their homes neat and tidy? It was also too weird because I would be raising my Sim children while my own daughter was napping.
Chelle said,
April 7, 2007 at 3:37 pm
I’m checking out your blog again for the first time since Amazing Lace last summer. Your hair is looking cute after that short cut you didn’t like! And I ignored the Harlot for a LONG time before finally caving and reading her first three books. I agree with you and the other commenters that the celebrity fan worship around her seems a little odd. I’d rather just hang out with a bunch of grounded (or “humorless crank”) knitters! And I hope that the Sims’ don’t pull you in for too long as I now feel emotionally invested in the rest of the Minty story. :-)
Heather said,
April 7, 2007 at 5:49 pm
I knew you were the shiz-knit! I have actually avoided Harlot events for exactly the reasons you describe in your post. I like her and what she’s doing, but I guess the Holden Caulfield in me can’t deal with the obsequious adoration that seems to reign at such events…call me bad attitude teenager!
Janet said,
April 7, 2007 at 7:00 pm
ahhh, i’m so jealous that you got to see the Yarn Harlot!!!
Heather G. said,
April 7, 2007 at 7:38 pm
I didn’t notice anything like that when the Harlot visited London (ON), but maybe that is because we are only 2.5 hours from Toronto. Kinds takes some of the celebrity out of the equation. That, and Canadians just seem less excited about these things. A country of self-deprecating, humorless cranks. Come on up!
Nice to see you back, I commiserate on the pull of the computer game. It is like alcohilism (in a completely un-serious way)… you think that it has been so many months, you handle just playing for one hour… that’s all I need, and then I will stop. Suddenly you blink and its next Tuesday and the cats are eating your hair.
Sue Hird said,
April 7, 2007 at 8:39 pm
Lucky girl getting to a Yarn Harlot event. I wonder if we can lure her down under? Hmm, might have to send her an e-mail.
Never gave a thought to other than friendship between two females in a bedroom. lol
Shelley said,
April 7, 2007 at 8:40 pm
Sounds like you had a great time in New York! Man, I haven’t played the Sims in ages…if I get hooked on it in the near future, I’m blaming you ;o) LOL! Time just slips by so quickly when playing that game. Maybe when school is done in a couple of weeks I’ll sit down and play Sims again…if I do it now, there’s no turning back and then I’ll fail my exams – don’t want that!
Marti said,
April 7, 2007 at 9:59 pm
So glad to see a post from you. I was just thinking yesterday that you must have dissapeared or something! glad you got to see the harlot. What a great time you must have had.
Theresa said,
April 8, 2007 at 9:13 am
Define irreversible! I’m going to have to come all the way to RI to get my Rachel fix one of these days . . . Still very happy to see the fancy socks, though!
MiniLaura said,
April 8, 2007 at 3:24 pm
So you planned your work schedule around a Harlot event, huh? I guess I wouldn’t be so crazy to drive three hours (each way) to meet Amy Singer, right? (I’m still debating the saneness of my plan. I have until 5 days before the event to cancel…)
I’m beginning to think that you like Minty more than me. But if I do convince Peter to run the NYC marathon, I expect you to meet me there. If you don’t, I will know that your heart belongs to Minty and I will cry and cry over the socks you made for me (which I happen to be wearing right now) and then I will take you off my bloglines because I couldn’t stand the pain of reading about all your Minty-love.
Amy said,
April 8, 2007 at 10:23 pm
I’m so jealous! Blog friends, the Harlot, scrumptious pillows….sounds like heaven.
Minty will be a hard act to follow if ever you make it down to Houston.
Thank you for the well wishes and the vote!
Amy
Rain said,
April 9, 2007 at 8:21 am
Sounds like you had a good time for a humourless crank. I think I’d be in the same boat as you, I’m all for admiration where it’s due, but not in such a manner.
stacey said,
April 9, 2007 at 8:42 am
sounds like a fun time – interested to see “what happens next” in the Minty saga…. :)
Debby said,
April 9, 2007 at 1:01 pm
So glad to see a post from you! I attended a Harlot event last year, and while I enjoyed her talk, I don’t think I need to go another time. There’s something uncomfortable about her audience hero-worship that turns me off too.
Minty seems like a kind, friendly person, offering to knit your square and all…you’ve got us curious!
lomester said,
April 9, 2007 at 1:47 pm
As soon as I read “i invited her to my hotel room” I gasped out loud. And I am supposed to be working. on spreadsheets. Numbers are not supposed to make you gasp. Co-workers are concerned about me, especially when I kept reading and started laughing uncontrolably. Maybe they will send me home.
nova said,
April 9, 2007 at 2:23 pm
I have always wondered about Stephanie’s author talks. There was a chance to see her somewhere around CT and I didn’t know if I could sit through all the fawning and testimonials. I am all for constructive questions and on point observations but not so much the general talk show chattiness that can sometimes happen at these sorts of things. I suppose there is a little bit of the New England crank in me as well…. That sock looks fantastic by the way, what sock your are you using?
Keanalee said,
April 9, 2007 at 3:30 pm
OH I missed her in Pittsbrugh becaseu I was in DC I am so jealous you & so many other people got to go. Good for you. Yeah, I was kindof waiting for you & Minty to hook up at the end of that paragraph. HEHE. It was starting to sound a little risque’!
Gia said,
April 10, 2007 at 1:52 am
HI!
I, too, live in NY. I just moved here from KS, and want to know where you see the posting of all these great events – I am 25 mins north of a train ride.
Love your site
** long time reader – first time poster ** hehe
Love
Gia
Emily said,
April 11, 2007 at 8:57 am
No apologies needed, if it makes you feel any better: I’ve only knit about three inches in the past week because I have been building a Deli in Second Life. My Bloomin Foot Partner will have no socks, but small digital animals can get an imaginary turkey sandwich. Don’t mention this to anyone…my shame is too great.
Allison said,
April 11, 2007 at 8:03 pm
I was laughing uncontrollably through your story about Minty-love and the pillow menu. For one thing, I kept thinking, “Would you like to come up to my room and see my…pillows?” in a really smarmy voice (like The Todd from Scrubs, maybe, or that one personals date from Kissing Jessica Stein). My husband came in and asked what was so funny. I thought for about thirty seconds and said, “I just don’t think you’d get it.”
I think I must be a curmudgeon, too. Maybe worse than you since I barely read Yarn Harlot’s blog anymore what with all of the posts about the tour, which I find boring. Uh oh, am I going to be exiled from the knitting community? I think she’s very funny, and I like her knitting-related posts, but all the fawning seems extreme.
And you’re not a humorless crank! You’re a crank with a sense of humor :)
Phoe said,
April 13, 2007 at 9:31 am
I do like The Yarn Harlot but I’m not so much for the fawning. But I am enamoured of her Bohus, that sweater is amazing.
As for the Sims, step away slowly. I’ve just gotten Seasons and I play for an entire year just to see snow and lightning.
earthchick said,
April 17, 2007 at 11:32 pm
Ah, a curmudgeonly humorless crank – I knew there was a reason I liked you! I think I would’ve felt the same way about the crowd as you describe – glad, though, that you got to share the experience with Minty, and that you were more impressed with the Harlot than you expected to be.
But the image of you almost inviting Minty to order up her own pillow and sleep over, after some pre-bedtime knitting, is what really had me laughing while reading this post. Humorless, you are definitely not!
Lickety Knit » Two Good Excuses said,
May 4, 2008 at 11:26 am
[...] the uptake (no, you don’t have to admit who you are), I will tell you that last year at the Yarn Harlot book launch in New York, a knitter in the audience asked Stephanie whether she’d ever heard of knitting [...]