Saturday, April 12, 2008

Favorite Things

Many other Twin Cities bloggers have already left their posts about seeing the Yarn Harlot this week. Well, now it's my turn. I heard about the event from another blogger right on the first day tickets were being offered so I hustled off an email and got 2 tickets without thinking about who I would bring. I ended up inviting one of my new knitters.


A has been knitting since late January and took to it like nobody's business. Since she started, she's made several "ugly scarves", blanket for her daughter's baby doll, and has started a pair of the generic garter st/1x1 rib slippers. The reason A makes what she terms ugly scarves is because she has a VERY tight budget. Husband health problems and a daughter in college have sucked their budget dry. Nothing leftover for yarn so she takes any scraps she can find and knits with them. She loves knitting and needed a good evening out so - I invited her.


I work south Minneapolis area and we live in the north Minneapolis area. The event was over in St Paul. That a bit of driving. Usually not too bad but I had to do it in rush hour and at the beginning of our strange and awful rain/sleet/snow storm. Left work at 3pm got up to the north side and stopped by my house to pick up "The Sock that would not be finished" (The Maizy sock for my SIL - still not done!) Anyway - grabbed sock, camera, directions, changed out of company logo shirt and into a knit vest and I hustled out to A's house. Picked her up at 4:30 and off the Subway to grab sandwiches. Then we spent WAY TOO LONG driving through nasty weather and traffic and finding very creative side roads to St Paul. We got to the door at 6pm exactly when they opened. After that the evening was warm and cozy and delightful - everyone forgot the weather.


Everyone sat around knitting, talking about the weather, trying to figure out who was who on Ravelry. Pretty much a huge knit night until 7pm.



At 7pm The event started with The Yarnery Family Singers. They delighted us with their versions of - How do you hold a Knitter like the Harlot; Favorite Things and Stephanie (sung to Edelweiss tune). There are YouTube versions of these if you do a search on "Yarn Harlot Yarnery". Once they were done entertaining us we all sang Oh Canada.




Then Stephanie came. She delighted us with her stories and told us about how knitting can help prevent Alzheimer's (that's how I got my friend to start knitting!)

She graciously signed many, many books and held socks of people while people held her sock. She smiled the whole way through. I can't imagine how tired she must be with her current schedule. But - she is the Harlot and we all adore her.



I'm holding the traveling sock while Stephanie is holding A's first slipper and "The sock that would not be finished"

4 comments:

NerdGirl said...

Wow. It sounds like you had a fabulous time! I am officially jealous.

Toni said...

How fun! I've ordered her new book, but she's not coming to anyplace near me. OK, I'm a tad jealous....:)

Giddy said...

What fun, and how sweet of you to take your friend. I'm on my umpteenth pair of socks right now. I love knitting them. I started knitting classes last year and have become fast friends with my classmates.

Jill said...

Ah, sounds like you had a wonderful time. I can't wait for my turn. She comes to Webs on the last weekend of the month, and I'll be making the hour and half drive, for sure! So jealous....