We saw the Harlot!

Going to see the Yarn Harlot is a big undertaking, but well worth it when she's making her very first appearance in your state.

The first big decision - which knitting to take? (The "do we go?" decision was kind of a no-brainer. I'm really glad it's finals week and I didn't have to actually skip class to see the Harlot.) I've been having some bad knitting luck, but eventually settled on my Year of the Rat Socks, and a preemie cap for Obama. This may or may not have been a good idea.

We got there about 3:45, and were in the first batch of knitters to arrive. That still meant that the first seats available were about halfway back (in the batch that was set up at the time), but we discovered a nifty little sub-section on the side and got right up front.

I used some of the pre-talk time to give my sock a chance to check out the crowd. Why should Stephanie's sock have all the fun?


Somebody had thoughtfully decorated the children's section of Barnes & Noble for the occasion.


I wonder what the children thought of that.


Right on time, she showed up and gave a great talk - all about knitters and non-knitters, and non-knitters' erroneous perceptions of knitters, and Why Knitting is Good, and a whole bunch of other fun stuff. Plus she retold the story of winding up in a hotel hallway in her underwear, which is pretty darned funny when it's about someone else, and even better when the someone else is telling it, effectively giving permission to laugh at with her.


They never quite managed to put up enough chairs, but otherwise Barnes & Noble had a pretty efficient operation. I'd guess that we waited in line for 30-45 minutes, but since I had my knitting with me it wasn't a bad wait.

Two very thoughtful booksellers were waiting to take pictures, so I handed over my camera, and then handed over my checkered-flag dishcloth to Stephanie. (Yes, there's only one dishcloth, not the 7 I had planned. As it turns out, one should never say, "I'm not going to buy extra yarn, because I know I can get this stuff anyplace so I'll just run out and buy it if I need to.") I hope someone has a chance to explain to her why the checkered flag represents Indiana - she looked like she's been living on coffee and vitamin C tablets, and so we didn't get into a long conversation about the serious coolness of auto racing. (Anyone going to see her in Philadelphia? Bring that poor woman some Airborne tablets! And beer.) But she liked the dishcloth, we talked about the Knitters for Barack Obama, and she signed my book.


All in all, a trip well worth making. Now I'll look forward to her next appearance - and hope I can look slightly less manic in the pictures.