Armed with Pointy Sticks

Ericka Meets the Yarn Harlot, and other stuff

Ok, I should be going to bed.  Its been a very busy weekend, and I have work in the morning.  But, aw, what the hell.  I'll let you in on it while I set up my shot.

Firstly, the weekend started on Friday (most do, you know?) we went to a Dresden Dolls concert.  Many of you probably don't know who they are, but let me assure you, they are magnificent.  Long live the Punk Cabaret!  Their shows always have an element of carnival about them.  The people are fantasic.  During an intermission (between the sword swallower and the hula-hoop stripper, I think) I took out my sock to knit.  These people...

Who were all very interesting people, looked at me like I had four heads!  How great is that?  No really, kids, keep the makeup at home, sock knitting is the real punk rock.

(so it's noted, I did not take these pictures.  I was so set on just going to the concert that I forgot the camera in the car.  A lovely LJ user by the name of youve_lost took these.  They capture the spirit of the Dresden Doll fans wonderfully)

While I was knitting I realized that I should have started decreasing two inches back.  So I frog.  In the Orpheum.  This just multiplied the Punk Rock-itude of my sock by three.  Add another ten points because as you can see, the sock is fine.

Chris and I shagged ass after the concert (which was fan-fricken-tastic!) to a hotel in Chicopee, Mass.  Why go all the way home just to drive down to Northampton the next day?

What is in Northampton?  Well, in its own right, Webs is in Northampton.  Webs is fantastic.  Webs is probably equal to a yarn Disney World (Laurin, you missed the Magic Kingdom of yarn.  Don't you feel silly?)  Webs has a big, beautiful shop front.  Everything is well organized, well presented, and the selection would make your legs weak.  But wait!  Just as soon as you think you may be able to handle this without making a public spectacle of yourself, you realize that they have a warehouse out back, and yes, you are allowed to go out there.  You then make a public spectacle of yourself, but everyone understands, because they all share your love of yarn.  Except for the husbands.  They have a holding pen for them up front.  Ok, there's comfy couches, but there isn't a tv, or magazine rack, or nuthin'!

Don't believe me?  Warehouse!  So it's on it's side... I can't figure out how to flip it from here.  Trust me, when it's right side up, there's even more yarn!  There are about 12 isles, just like this.

So yeah, Webs is pretty frickin' awesome.  But do you know what makes the Magic Kingodom of Yarn even better?  Our very own Knitting Micky Mouse equivilent!  That's right, our favorite knitting celebrity (don't worry, Steph, it sounds perfect to us.  Knitting is long over due for our celebrities) Steph, the Yarn Harlot,  was there.  Well, not there, down the street.  They had to get a hotel conference room, because there was just too many of us.

If you read Steph's blog, you know that she is one funny lady.  She would not disappoint you in the least.  Especially if you had to own up to being a drunken lace olympian.  Shit, I still have to have a drink everytime I even think about that shawl.

So, yes, we get photographed with the sock (it takes several pictures, there are a lot of us.  In this picture I am standing near the center of the room.  There are almost that many people behind me.)and Steph spends the next hour keeping us in stitches.  Things are better appreciated when they're for a niche market, don't you think?  Things like the inside of a fair isle (olympic) sweater?

After the wonderful talk it was back to Webs for the book signing.  Thrown in with yarn petting and shopping.  Disney World, I tell you.  When I finally got up to Steph (started out back in the warehouse.  Actually rerouted the line so we could be next to the Regia sock yarn that was on sale for 6 bucks a ball.) I was so happy.  She was tired, you could tell, and I have a sneaking suspician she was wondering how much yarn shopping she was going to get in between the last book and her plane flight.  But she was delightful to talk to.  She signed all of our books (to ErickaJo and Chris, Drunken Lace?)  And I got a picture, but only because I'm lucky enough to have such a wonderful man.

So, yeah, that was my weekend.  I actually didn't finish the Dresden Dolls/Yarn Harlot sock.  Its funny knowing that whatever else they may not share, the two will share this sock forever.  No, I've actually set it aside for another sock.

I guess there's a little Harlot inside all of us.

The Weekend to Start

Looking around, I realize that this isn't much of a blog.  I don't post often.  I don't have a whole lot of substance. Pictures are lacking.  I could use some more buttons.  This HTML?  Not even real HTML.  All faux.

But I like it.  The same way I love my 100 dollar sectional and my Salvation Army clothes. 

Tomorrow we go to listen to the Yarn Harlot speak.  I'm really looking forward to it.  As are the cast of many that necessitate the renting of a hotel presentation room by Webs.  So much for the smaller gatherings that I envy in other cities.  Oh well.  I still get to meet Steph.  And buy yarn.  Oh yes, I am buying yarn.  I don't think it would even take the magic powers of Steph (as outlined here in Moth Heaven) to get me to go crazy tomorrow.  I am craving sock yarn.  Yes.  More sock yarn.  Bring it forth and make it dance!

Mmm, sock yarn.  And maybe yarn to make Rouge.  And a pony... of yarn!

And uh, maybe I'll throw up some window dressings on my blog now, while I'm waiting for laundry.  Just remember, the whole thing? Merely HTML <i>plated</>

Magic Loop Rocks my Self-Centered Universe

Well, I never did hear back from Ms. McPhee, but that's ok.  She will be at Webs (motto: "Don't you wish YOU had thought to register yarn.com?") and I was planning a trip down there this month anyway (annual sale and all that).  So, the Yarn Harlot, and a yarn sale.  I think I just peed a little.

I've been designing tshirts for my knitting group. We'll wear them on that weekend, and other times when we go out in force.  We do that often.  Its hard (and dorky) to make one that everyone agrees on.  When everyone agrees on something, very few people love it.  So I've designed like 5 different shirts, and I come up with more every now and then.

On the knitting front, I rediscovered socks.  I hadn't done any for awhile, because the next sock I was going to do was going to be with the Magic Loop method.

So I learned the magic loop method.  God, how hard does this rock?  I have no ladder!  I just started knitting the heel.  After this one I'm going to stash the yarn, putting the second sock on hold.  I have a giftie pair of socks that I need to knit, and now that the experimental, sacrificial first sock with ML is out of the way, I'm ready to do it.

The day I went to pick up the needles to do ML with (size two addis, a whopping 47 inches long) had been a long one.  So I bought myself some sock yarn.  Gooood sock yarn.  And yet I still feel that I need to procure several skeins of Socks that Rock, because it would please me.  I'm worth it.  Sock yarn doesn't count.

And beyond that... sewing.  I've got to do a bag for the Sew? I Knit sew along.  I thought it was a blog for knitters who wanted to learn how to sew, but it seems to have an awful lot of "I've been knitting for two weeks but I've been sewing since I could sit on a chair and reach the pedal and here are the four bags I made before I went to work today!".  Its a little jarring.  But I chose to make the Amy Bulter Ultimate Craft Bag. (yes, that's the best picture of it anywhere.  I'll post something better when I'm done.  No promises on retinal scarring.  I love lime green) So far... I like the pieces that I've cut.  I like the fabric that I haven't cut.  I should take pictures. I'm so lazy with the pictures.  I'll fix it, I promise.

Well, I'm going to take care of a few things before my dearest comes home.  We're going out for a lovely dinner, and then we start the holiday weekend.  I think I'll finish the sock.

I could wax about socks, but I'm sure you've read it somewhere before.