Yarn Harlot

Apparently knitters are the biggest users of blogs on the planet. How cool is that? Yes...we will rule the world. Muwahahaha! Another observation I have personally noted: many of the knitters who have blogs also tend to be involved in some aspect of creative writing (yeah, I'm an exception to that in a big way). My favorite bloggers also tend to be involved in book writing in some fashion. Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, also known as the Yarn Harlot, had some interesting musings about knitters and muggles (non-knitters) in general to offer up when she came to Joseph-Beth Booksellers on Saturday.


She's making the rounds at the moment on a tour to promote her new book "Stephanie Pearl-McPhee Casts Off: The Yarn Harlot's Guide to the Land of Knitting." Baby girl and I made the trek up to see Stephanie before the auction festivities on Saturday and were not to be disappointed. I was a bit taken aback by how many people showed up (silly knitter....I should have known). There were close to 100 people there. I arrived right about the time she was supposed to start speaking, and not only were there no seats left, but people were lined up into the aisles and up on the balcony. Muggles came in and looked shocked that there was someone up there talking about knitting...and there were so many others who were actually listening! There was knitting going on everywhere. Stephanie showed up to cheers and applause in her lovely Bohus sweater (which she hasn't even posted photos of on her own blog yet and, oy, the yellows so cannot be captured properly on camera...it nearly glows, it's so pretty.). We were on the periphery of the crowd and really could not even see Stephanie, but we heard her well.

Not only was Stephanie funny, she was so well spoken and completely down to earth. When it came time for book signing, she made the proclamation that pregnant women, women with babies, and those who were handicapped could sneak to the front of the line. Yay for the free pass, Corinna! I had brought knitting with me, with the hopes of whipping it out and telling her all about it, and telling her how much I love that she's so pro breastfeeding, etc., etc., but when I got up to the front of the line...I got all red and hot and nervous and only managed to pull out my sock in progress and ask sheepishly if I could take a picture of her with it. I actually got to hold her sock in progress (the one that she takes with her on her tours...and the one that has and will pass through the hands of many other talented and more worthy knitters on its way to completion) and got a picture of us together. I couldn't even manage to tell her that I've read her blog for two years now and how much I enjoy her writing. I did, however, manage to find a lone copy of "At Knit's End: Meditations for Women Who Knit Too Much" (hmm...sound like anyone we know?) and had her sign it, since the bookstore completely sold out of her current book before I got there. Corinna was awake for much of the talk, but slept through the signing part, and Stephanie remarked that she was sure to be a knitter (you betcha!). I had really hoped to hang out longer, but that was not to be, as I needed to haul my fanny off to J*ann's to get stuff to complete the nature table scene and pick up hubby so we could get to the auction.

Stephanie, me, and baby makes three. Well...except the lady in the background also snapping a photo. And yeah, my stylist cut my hair too short on Thursday. It'll grow. But look...I'm wearing jewelry. And though you can't see my feet, I actually had on a skirt and wedge heels. Stylin', I was. Corinna made quite the little koala-type accessory herself.