Fleece-to-Face with Janel Laidman

Hi everybody it's Harry and I am so excited.

Because you know normally when we have a Guest Star visit Dolores gets to do the interview and all I get to do is sit in the next room in case they yell for help.

Well not today. Because it turns out that Dolores is having such an enlightened time at the ashram in Oregon that she did not come back yet and Franklin is in the room with the drawing board and the sign up that says ON DEADLINE DO NOT DISTURB UNLESS STEPHEN FRY IS AT THE FRONT DOOR NAKED AND HOLDING CASHMERE and so guess what I get to do the interview!

Our guest is Janel Laidman who wrote the The Eclectic Sole last time she wrote a book, and it was about socks. And now she wrote another book about socks which is The Enchanted Sole and when we got our copy I stayed up past my bed time reading it because it is very pretty and unusual, and so I have read the whole book. And also I am qualified to talk to Janel about knitting socks because as you know I am sock yarn.

And so anyway here is our chat which I hope you will enjoy or at least look at the pictures.

Harry: Hi, Janel! I hope you don’t mind if I do the interview. Dolores usually does them but Franklin asked if I would fill in, is that okay? I haven’t done it before but usually I get to watch Dolores so I know how I’m supposed to do it.

Janel: Well, Harry, I’m actually thrilled that you’re doing the interview. I’ve always had a bit of a secret crush on you. Dolores is all well and good with her antics and shenanigans, but I’ve always had a bit of a fondness for a guy who is clearly steady, useful and down to earth. If you ever need a place to get away from it all, I have a lovely stash you could come hang out with.

Harry: Oh gosh I am blushing! You are so cool, Dolores is going to be mad she didn't come home to do this interview! Okay, before we start would you like some milk and cookies? I made snickerdoodles and chocolate chip.

Janel: Mmmm…I’ll have the snickerdoodles, please. I mean really–snicker, doodle–how can I resist?

Harry: Excellent choice, madame. Now it's the question part so let me get my notebook. When you first tried knitting a sock, what sock was it? Was it plain or fancy? Did you think right away how cool it is to make your own socks, and dream you would make up your own sock patterns some day?

Janel: I first tried knitting a sock because I saw these really cool people called Danish schoolgirls and they were knitting socks in physics class! And somehow also learning physics, in Danish! I thought that must be the trickiest thing on earth and I decided I wanted to be a Danish schoolgirl too, so I tried knitting a sock.

It was a plain ribbed sock, and I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I didn’t even know how to knit. It came out looking like an elephant might wear it if he liked mustard yellow cotton socks. I was in Denmark because I was an exchange student and I dreamed I would someday be a famous language expert and work for the United Nations. I had no idea that my special language would end up being the language of K and P.

Harry: I understand, because I really admire Danish too except when it's prune. So you have made two books now, and the new book is called The Enchanted Sole. It has a lot of patterns, and all of the patterns are based on make-believe. Like you have a Mermaid sock, and a Pixie sock, and a sock called Licorne which is unicorn when you are speaking French. So do you enjoy make-believe stories a whole lot?

Janel: Yes, especially when they end with lots of golden coins piled up in a vault with my name on it, and fairy princesses scattering flower petals and a magical fish dinner, with a goblet that sings…Where was I?

Harry: I don't know. I kind of got lost when you said magical fish.

Janel: Well, actually I just like stories a whole lot, both make-believe and stories of “true grit." I like to work with themes as an inspiration and this particular book had a make-believe story theme.

Harry: Do you have a most favorite make-believe story? Mine is the one about the shoemaker and the elves because I think it would be fun if elves did my chores, like if I made cookies they would come in after and load the dishwasher. I like to imagine that.

Janel: I always liked the one about the talking fish who grants wishes, and the stupid guy who wishes for sausages and his stupider wife who wishes they were stuck to the end of his nose. And I also like stories that are sad and a little wistful, yet the earnest and honest person gets the rewards in the end.

Harry: That's the best kind of story! When you were making your book, how did you get ideas? Did a story make you think of a new sock, or did you maybe see a good-looking ball of yarn and it made you think of a story that you read that would be an excellent sock?

Janel: Well, both actually. Sometimes it was the story, like for example with the Snow Queen sock which was inspired by Snow Queen stories, or the Tree of Life sock - that one was definitely inspired by the many stories with a tree of life in them.

Other times a handsome ball of yarn would come along and whisper what it wanted to be. The Tintagel sock was like that and so was the Atlantis sock. I knew when I saw that watery aqua color of Madeline Tosh yarn, it just had to be something about mystical water and the word Atlantis floated up into my brain. Sometimes I was inspired by the technique and then had to figure out which story it went with. Like the Traveler sock. I knew I wanted to make a sock with a secret pocket, but then I had to figure out who would be wearing that sock.

Harry: I love the one with the secret pocket! I'm going to make it for Franklin to wear when he goes to the nudist resort so he can have a place to put his room key.

Janel: I'm sorry...what?

Harry: Would you like some more cookies? I made tons and Franklin is on a diet.

Janel: Oh my, I’m on a diet too, but really it’s hard to resist. Snicker, doodle. Who named that cookie? Oh, alright, just one more.

Harry: Do you think it is a shame to make socks with pretty feet and then put them into a shoe and nobody gets to see the pretty part?

Janel: Well, I usually wear my socks with pretty feet in some kind of open shoes like Birkenstocks so I can be as much of a show-off as possible. But I think that sometimes it’s really delicious to have a secret pretty thing that only you know is there. It makes you walk around all day with a silly little Mona Lisa smile because you know that, secretly, you have princess feet.

Harry: I agree! Are there any make-believe characters that are too scary so you wouldn’t make a sock of them because while you are knitting you would get too scared and have to put all the lights on and call your best friend?

Janel: Well, usually I think the villains in the make-believe stories are more complex than they appear to be, so they don’t usually scare me too much. However, I don’t think I’d make a scary or ugly sock. I mean, there is just too much pretty out there to enjoy. I definitely wouldn’t make a sock from The Shining because that story made me put the lights on and stay up all night singing lalalalalalala.

Harry: Now these socks aren’t made out of scary stories but they might be scary to make. I will explain what mean. Like this one, Firebird, has a great big picture across the whole entire leg! If somebody is nervous about making a sock like that what would you say to be helpful and encouraging?

Janel: It’s actually not scary at all. Colorwork is a lot of fun because you can’t wait to see the picture emerging. And a colorwork sock is a much smaller project than that Henry VIII pullover by Ms. Starmore.

Most people are worried about getting the tension even doing colorwork on a small project like that. If you haven’t ever done a colorwork sock, try knitting it with the sock inside out so the floats are going around the outside, that makes the tension very even and allows for a little bit more stretch.

Also, that sock, and the other colorwork socks in the book have built in leg shaping so that they will fit the curvy part of your leg much better than a straight leg sock.

Harry: Okay, I think that is very comforting. Hey, do you only knit socks or do you knit other things, too?

Janel: I love to knit other things. It’s just that socks are kind of like potato chips, once you start it’s hard to stop.

Harry: Would you like to do more books about socks right away or do you need to rest for a little while?

Janel: My next two books will definitely not be about socks. I love socks, but I also love other items. I’m currently smitten by mittens and gloves so I think a book about those will be in order, and I’m also quite excited by lace, and textures and sweaters. I’ll come back again to socks some day, but I think my current books can keep sock knitters busy for quite a little while.

Harry: I think you're right! Janel, it sure was nice to meet you! Thank you for being interviewed. If you want you can take some cookies home as a souvenir.

Janel: Well, it was truly a treat meeting you Harry, remember what I said, if you ever need to get away for a while…

Okay everybody, that's the interview! If you want to get The Enchanted Sole you can go to Rustling Leaf Press or visit your friendly neighborhood yarn shop. And tell them Harry sent you and I said hi!

Fleece to Face with Kristen Rengren

Dolores’s occasional series of author/designer interviews continues today with Kristen Rengren, author of an absolutely splendid new book of baby knits (from the always reliable Melanie Falick Books/STC Craft) that draws inspiration from the not-so-distant past.

DVH: Hi, I’m Dolores. Who are you? I can never keep track of these things.

KR: I’m Kristen Rengren. It’s nice to meet you.

DVH: You look familiar. Wait–did you used to dance at Club Whoopee over in Sauganash? And call yourself Amber Waves O’Grain?

KR: Oh, I bet you say that to all the girls. And possibly to some of the boys.

DVH: What can I get you to drink? I just finished the last of the Dewar’s, but there’s plenty of everything else.

KR: Maybe I should just have a Shirley Temple. It looks like you’re doing enough drinking for the both of us.

DVH: This is medicinal. Like vitamins.

KR: Sure. Okay.

DVH: Now, the Supreme Commander told me the last couple of these little chitchats were too loosey-goosey, so before we start I need you to agree to some ground rules. Let me see, where's that list? Yeah, here we go: no vulgarity, no inflammatory political statements, and no trying to take my top off. Is that clear?

KR: Are those rules for you or for me?

DVH: Oh, will you look at that–you’re right. So, you’re still welcome to take your top off if you feel so inclined.

KR: I thought this was a family show.

DVH: We have a very broad definition of family. Now, let’s get the official business out of the way so we can have some fun. What is it that you brought to show me today?

KR: I just wrote a book called Vintage Baby Knits–it’s a compendium of over forty vintage patterns from the 1920s through the 1950s, all rewritten for the thoroughly modern baby.

DVH: Groovy. We love babies around here, as long as they go home at the end of the day. Is this your first book?

KR: The first under my real name. All the rest have Fabio on the cover.

DVH: You grow more interesting by the minute. These are some very classy baby duds you got in here. When Debbie Bliss sees it she’ll have a freaking conniption. I think that would be fun to watch, don’t you?

KR: Well, I wouldn’t want to ruffle Debbie’s feathers, especially if she’s got as many pointy sticks in her house as I do. Vintage knitting has taught me a lot, but I’ve picked up very little in the way of vintage self-defense.

DVH: Hypothetical situation: you’re in a coffee shop minding your own business, having a latte, and Debbie comes at you from behind the bagel toaster with a butter knife. How do you defend yourself?

KR: I suppose in a pinch I’d have to hold up the Louise cardigan from the book, and just hope that she keeled over from the cuteness. I’m not exactly a knitting ninja, but I do know how to wield some heart-stoppingly cute sweaters. And I carry some size fifteens with me just in case.

DVH: Another hypothetical: you, me, Debbie. Wrestling in a big vat full of Jell-o. Your thoughts?

KR: I think I’d like to talk about the book.

DVH: Fine, play coy. Anyway, this is obviously a top-drawer production. No schmattehs, and the babies are all good looking. Must have cost a fortune. A-list baby models don’t come cheap. Were they difficult to work with on the set? Anybody throw a sippy cup at the makeup girl? Or wee on the furniture? Come on, you can tell me.

KR: I have no idea how they got those babies to sit still for so long on the set. My initial guess was duct tape and baby aspirin, but I think my stylist just turned out to be an astoundingly effective baby wrangler.

Actually I do know one trick the photographer used – she rustled up about twice as many babies as they needed for each shoot, and then just didn’t photograph the babies who cried that day. We had a super cutie for the Christening dress in the test photos, but she apparently cried like it was The Exorcist when they put her in it on the day of the shoot, so we ended up with a still shot.

DVH: Baby diva tantrums! We loves it. Hang on, though. I see a pattern for a stuffed elephant and a lion. Are those the only toys in the book? No sheep? You got something against sheep?

KR: Half the items in here are made of sheep. I thought it would be redundant.

DVH: Nice save. You know, you have shapely ankles just like Amber at Club Whoopee. Maybe she’s your sister?

KR: I have three sisters, but none of them are taxi dancers. At least for their day jobs.

DVH: I swear looking at these pictures makes me want to push out a flock just so I can knit the hoodie on page 22. You know a good place to meet rams in this city?

KR: You don’t even need a ram anymore if you hang out in the right places. Just look at Dolly.

DVH: Forget Dolly. Can I take a closer look at your ankles?

KR: What a coquette you are!

DVH: Mais oui, ma petite! La plume de ma tante! Baba au rhum!

KR: Maybe you shouldn’t take so much medicine.

DVH: I’m sure this thing is going to be a big-ass hit, so can we expect a volume two? Or do you have other plans?

KR: I’m already at work on a book of vintage kids’ knits as a sequel. And I’d also love to write a book of vintage patterns for women. The only trouble is that ladies in the forties and fifties wore such punishing under-things. I’m working on how women can get that look today without restricting any vital organs.

At the same time, I’m also working on original designs, because it’s just too much fun to design my own patterns, too. You can expect to see a bevy of vintage-inspired original patterns from me this fall and winter – for kids and grown-ups. If you’re lucky there might even be something for lovely lady sheep... provided you’d actually keep it on, of course. Don’t make me pull that camisole down again, darling.

Other than that, it’s world domination, getting the bathroom cleaned… you know, the usual.

DVH: In addition to all that would you be interested in dancing at Club Whoopee? I know a guy. I just need a good picture of your ankles.

KR: If you saw me dance, you’d tell me to not quit my day job and to stick to my knitting. I promise.

DVH: You’re being way too modest. Let me put some James Brown on the hi-fi and we can get down and funky. Here, I’ll start.

KR: Gosh, will you look at the time? I have to…go…wash my….eyes.

DVH: You’ll be back. They always come back.

If you'd like to enter to win a free copy of Vintage Baby Knits, click here to learn more about the contest being run by STC Craft.

Author Alert

The house is all a-twitter at present because we're having company: my friend Carol Sulcoski, whose splendid book Knitting Socks with Handpainted Yarn is presently perched at the top of the charts.

Carol's going to be at Loopy Yarns tomorrow (Friday, the 16th) from 5:30–9 p.m. signing books, and if you have handpainted yarn languishing in your stash (and who doesn't?) come over to meet her and get your hands on a copy.

It's been quite some time since we've had overnight guests and I'm afraid this little auberge was found to be sadly in need of a wash-and-brush-up. Harry, brave soul, has spent the better part of the afternoon in the freight elevator, moving Dolores's empties downstairs to the recycling bins.

Speaking of great messes, I must dash. There are still dirty dishes in the sink, and I must explain to Dolores that Carol will not be sharing her cushion tomorrow night. The money she spent on new satin sheets, rose petals and pillow mints will be for naught, but there are certain things up with which I will not put. This is a respectable establishment.

Or so I keep telling myself.

By the Way...

I've just found out I may have a chance to visit Raleigh/Durham/Cary, North Carolina late next month. If I do go, I'd love to work in a signing and/or a class. If you have a favorite shop in the area, wouldja please drop me a note at franklin at franklinhabit daht cahm? Thank you kindly.

Another Sneak Peek

Since you liked the top-secret prototype Ravelry remote, here's another sneak peek from TNNA.

I was sitting around with Clara Parkes and Cat Bordhi in the food court and we were talking about which "Sex in the City" character we most resemble (I'm totally Samantha, while we agreed that Clara is, like, so Charlotte except when she gets all Miranda) when this lady walked by with a big plate of soba noodles and Cat said, "I wonder how those would knit up?" and wandered away and while she was trying to persuade the lady that her lunch would make a kickin' pair of lacy socks, Clara and I accidentally rummaged around in her bag and found this.



And my dears, just wait until you see the centerfold.

Sports News

No, seriously.

I have word that it's not too late to get tickets to this year's Chicago edition of Stitch 'n' Pitch. That's a baseball game plus knitting. The "White Sox" will play the "Tigers" on Wednesday, August 6, at 7:15 pm.

You can get ticket forms at these places:

1. Arcadia Knitting (Chicago - North Side)*
   
2. Loopy Yarns (Chicago - Loop)
3. Three Bags Full Knitting Studio (Northbrook)
4. My Sister's Knits (Chicago - South Side)
5. Chix with Stix (Forest Park)
6. String Theory (Glen Ellyn)
7. Wool and Company (Geneva)
8. Windy City Knitting Guild*
   

Sources with an asterisk also have the form available online for download.

A portion of the proceeds from every ticket will go to the Night Ministry and the Helping Hands Foundation.

No, I won't be there. I'm afraid that living within screaming distance of Wrigley Field hasn't done much to alter the sense of helplessness and despair that overwhelms me when I contemplate spending a couple hours held captive in a stadium seat.

And while we're on the subject–this is a lifelong, very personal shortcoming. It has nothing to do with being gay. I wonder how long it'll take for that stereotype to die?

While hanging around with Tom I've undergone a crash course in baseball and football, because his best gay friends are all sports nuts–the scary kind who own season tickets and quote stats and wear weird necklaces made out of buckeyes. They've all made the effort to learn the difference between merino and cashmere, and have listened attentively to Knitting Camp stories, so I feel it's only polite to respond in kind.

There has been progress. A couple weeks ago at Crew I successfully deduced that:

1. the game on the screen was baseball and
2. the Cubs were "at bat," and
3. the guy holding the "bat" had just "struck out," and
4. this was not a nice thing for the Cubs.

It was akin to the scene in The Miracle Worker when Helen Keller finally makes the connection between water and W-A-T-E-R.

G-O-C-U-B-S-G-O.

Fleece to Face with Carol Sulcoski

Franklin's note: Good morning from Toronto. This interview with Carol Sulcoski, one of the talents behind Knit So Fine: Designs With Skinny Yarn, is part of the fantastic new book's multi-blog tour (click here for full itinerary). It should have appeared yesterday, June 14.

Unfortunately, guest interviewer Dolores Van Hoofen, who had begged for this assignment back in May, disappeared shortly after we cleared customs in Canada and only turned up again this morning, wearing nothing but her glasses and a hockey sweater of unknown provenance.

As we have been unable to revive our girl reporter sufficiently to complete her assignment, what follows has been reconstructed by Harry from her notes and rough draft. We offer our apologies to Carol, Interweave Press, and Knit So Fine's legions of fans.

DVH: I'm sitting here this morning with my dear friend, Carol Sulcoski, one of women behind one of this season's biggest new books, Knit So Fine: Designs With Skinny Yarn. The other two, Laura Grutzeck and Lisa Myers, couldn't be bothered to show up. Carol, good morning!

CS: Hello again, Dolores.

DVH: What can I get you to drink, cupcake?

CS: If you've got some of the Krug Clos du Mesnil '95 I'll have that. Otherwise I can slum it with Perrier-Jouet.

DVH: Right you are, pretty lady. Tequila coming up. And would you care for some snacks? I got soft cheese on Triscuits, toast points with anchovy paste and these fabulous Crispy Hay Nibbles I picked up at Trader Joe's.

CS: Thanks. Just had breakfast. How about we just skip right to the interview?

DVH: It's kind of warm in here. Would you like to take off that sweater?

CS: Actually, I made it myself so I would prefer to keep it on.

DVH: Were you this difficult before knitting stardom, or has success made you so stand-offish?

CS: Well, I–

DVH: Doesn't matter. Moving right along. Let's see, "Question one, ask subject to tell something about self, such as when she started knitting." Carol, tell me something about yourself. When did you start knitting?

CS: My mom taught me when I was seven. She always made us mittens and scarves–it was the seventies, so they were usually avocado green Wintuk. I convinced her to teach me to knit and started a scarf. I didn't learn to purl, though, for about twenty more years. When I was a young lawyer in Philadelphia, I started knitting again to help deal with all the stress. I remembered how to do the knit stitch, and bought a little booklet to teach myself the rest.

DVH: Fascinating, Carol, just fascinating. And you have very nice rack, by the way.

CS: Well, okay. Thanks. I hope this isn't too forward, but since we're asking personal questions can you tell me what your micron count is?

DVH: Why don't you have a little feel and take a guess?

CS: Never mind.

DVH: Ah, East Coast girls. So prim and puritanical on the outside, such seething cauldrons of passion just under the surface.

CS: Does this have anything to do with my book?

DVH: Oh, right, we do need to have some book chat or Franklin says I don't get my fifty bucks. Knit So Fine is all about skinny yarn. What do you have against fat yarn?

CS: Absolutely nothing. But just as the yin needs its yang, just as a delicate Brie provides an alternative to the tart Cheez Whiz, I find that skinny yarns provide a great counterpoint to chunky ones.

DVH: I'm just teasing you, cupcake. It's my way. Honestly, that Colinette Tao you sent me–the stuff you used in one of your patterns–is divine. Pure silk always makes me think of Rita Hayworth in The Lady from Shanghai. What drew you to it?

CS: I was entranced by the luster and feel, as well as the sense of luxury and glamour it evokes.

DVH: Well, I did a wee swatchie with some of mine, and knew exactly what I wanted to make because the drape with fine silk yarn is so incredible. Guess what I made with it.

CS: Um...A Clapotis?

DVH: No, guess again.

CS: Véronik Avery’s Beret Gauffre?

DVH: Wrong! Guess again.

CS: I didn’t think so. But I really like talking with un accent Québecois.

DVH: I’ll give you a hint. I’m wearing it right now.

CS: A camisole?

DVH: Wrong! Show and tell time. Lacy knickers! Perfect for summer! Look!

[Long silence.]

DVH: I think it’s definitely hot in here. You’re flushed. Why don’t you take off that sweater?

CS: I’m...fine. Besides, one of my editors, the wonderful Anne Merrow, warned me quite ferociously to keep all my clothes on during interviews.

DVH: Well, excuse me for living. So, little Miss Famous Author, why should people buy your book? Doesn’t it take forever to knit stuff with these little tiny yarns?

CS: Dolores, hon, you managed to knit yourself a pair of size XXL lady knickers in just a few weeks, so you can see that fine yarns don’t take that long. Besides, one of the biggest advantages of fine yarns is fit. Fine yarns fit better and they are more flattering to one’s figure. Even a zaftig Romney will look much more svelte and slim in a sweater knit in fine yarns.

Speaking purely hypothetically, of course.

DVH: Can you give us a little peek at the future?

CS: Sure thing! Right now, I’m finishing up a second book with Interweave Press that is scheduled for release in January. It’s all about how to knit socks in handpainted yarns, and patterns were contributed by some of the coolest designers in the business – Nancy Bush, Ann Budd, Priscilla Gibson-Roberts, Véronik Avery – as well as some newer names, too. Laura, Lisa and I are also talking to our editor about a sequel to Knit So Fine: I’d love to do a follow-up that features designs for men and women. And maybe sheep.

DVH: Exciting! Can you give me a little peek at your rack?

CS: You'll have to wait until Mardi Gras like everyone else.

DVH: More tequila?

CS: No.

DVH: Fine, we're done. Franklin, where's my fifty bucks?

Fleece to Face with Shannon Okey

special to The Panopticon by Dolores Van Hoofen

Knitter, spinner and author Shannon Okey, also known to the blog world as knitgrrl, is presently on the road shilling her new book Spin to Knit (Interweave Press).

Spin to Knit is a cheerful, lavishly illustrated guide to spinning your own knitting yarns.

Newcomers will appreciate the comprehensive, step-by-step text, which covers everything from fiber selection to the idiosyncratic behavior of handspun knits. Established spinners will find inspiration in fresh project suggestions and interviews with fiber lovers across the country.

I caught up with Shannon in between stops on her multi-city tour. Which was not easy, because when she first saw me she tried to run away. I love it when they put up a fight.

DVH: Shannon honey, that chair's very uncomfortable. Why don't you come sit over here on the sofa by me?

Shannon: Um...okay. I thought Franklin was supposed to interview me.

DVH: He had to go to a prayer meeting. You want a drink, cupcake?

Shannon: It's a little early in the day, isn't it? Oh, alright. If you insist.

DVH: Groovy. So, "Knit Grrl," is that some kind of Esperanto or did you just make a typo and stick with it?

Shannon: Before there were a million knitting and craft books to choose from, when the craft section of the bookstore was a wasteland of baby quilt books and dusty copies of the Woodstock Craftsman's Manual, and Bust and Venus were a blink in their editors’ eyes, there were Riot Grrl and Simple Machines. Their supporters promoted the DIY ethic before it was fashionable. Simple Machines distributed tens of thousands of copies of their self-publishing how-to book for musicians. Riot Grrl influenced thousands of women my age to go out and be the change we wanted to see in the world–make our own books, records, art shows, you name it.

Gosh, Dolores. How much tequila did you put in there? I’m having 1992 flashbacks.

Anyway, it was a deliberate homage to Riot Grrl. I wanted to encourage new knitters to learn, spread the knowledge and make their own creations rather than dress just like everyone else.

DVH: And now you're all over the damn place. I checked out the new Knitty, and there you are. I opened Spin Off today, and there you are. I'm afraid to open the frigging medicine cabinet because you might fall out. What's it like to suddenly be America's Sweetheart of Spinning?

Shannon: Is that anything like the Courtney Love album America’s Sweetheart? I hope so. I’d rather be America's Sweetheart of Spinning than "the Donald Trump of knitting with better hair."

DVH: Do you have groupies? Stalkers? Hangers-on waiting by the stage door?

Shannon: Not yet. But if they show up with fiber they won't be waiting by the stage door for long. Amy Singer and I almost stalked Tracey Ullman this weekend, but we lost our nerve. Once Tracey called Amy "the Bono of knitting," it was girl crush city.

DVH: Girl crush? Really? Say, can I freshen up that drink for you?

Shannon: Thanks, but I'm fine...Did you drink that whole thing already?

DVH: I was feeling dehydrated. So, your first spinning project involved "a saucy ram named Eddie." If he's the same Eddie I know, you're a very lucky lady. Did you get to know him a little before you picked him out of the flock, or was it just an anonymous quickie?

Shannon: Well, I petted him for a good long time.

DVH: Ahem. Are you sure I can't top off that cosmo?

Shannon: No. Really.

DVH: Suit yourself. You have a lot of great information in Spin to Knit about fiber selection for beginners. How do you feel about...let's say...Romney?

Shannon: Romney’s what I learned on. Raw fleece, none of this preprocessed stuff.

DVH: Raw and natural. Woof. My kinda gal. What do you think of my fleece? Would you spin this?

Shannon: Um...well...

DVH: Go ahead. Have a feel.

Shannon: It's very nice, Dolores. What do you use for conditioner?

DVH: That wasn't much of a feel. Have another go. Maybe a little higher.

Shannon: I think I'd like that second drink now.

DVH: So, we're friends. Let's get personal. Panties. Are you a cotton print or silk-and-lace sort of girl?

Shannon: Who said I’m wearing–Cotton. Yeah. That’s it. Cotton. Can we talk some more about the book?

DVH: The what?

Shannon: The book. Spin to Knit. That I just wrote.

DVH: Oh, yeah. Sure. What made you decide to write it?

Shannon: Interweave asked. And when Interweave asks… short of concrete-booting someone into a river, I’m there. Linda Ligon had the original concept, Betsy Armstrong (the former books editor) asked me for an outline and it was in her hands 45 minutes later. I was excited about it from the start.

DVH: I bet you're cute when you're excited. Did you learn anything new while you were working on it?

Shannon: Definitely. I traveled around the country–over 6,000 miles by plane, train, bus and car over the course of a month–and met up with the featured spinners in their own studios and working environments. I learned something new from everyone… Laura and Sarah dye with lichens, Symeon’s husband built her an electric spinner from an old sewing machine. You name it–there was a learning opportunity around every corner.

I don’t pretend to be the greatest spinner on earth, or the most technical spinner. But I love fiber, and I’m enthusiastic. You can learn something new from almost anyone if you pay attention.

DVH: Do you think anyone can learn to spin?

Shannon: Oh, yes.

DVH: Even Britney Spears?

Shannon: That depends. Is Sean Preston on her lap?

DVH: Celebrity gossip time! Tell me something really juicy about the people at Interweave.

Shannon: If it ever came down to it, certain authors would mud wrestle to have Ann Budd as their editor, myself included. Tricia Waddell has the hottest shoe collection on earth. They call Anne Merrow (the editor for my felting book) and Ann Budd “the A-Team,” since they share an office.

DVH: Is Amy Singer as hot in person as she is in her picture?

Shannon: Scorching. You have no idea.

DVH: Oooh. Another drink, pretty lady?

Shannon: Is Franklin coming home soon?

DVH: Franklin who? Oh damn, the silly little bottle's empty. Let's spin it and see who it points to.

Shannon: Wow, time's up! Gottagobye!

A Night Out

Apparently it's my turn to give the recap of Stitches in Britches, so here goes.

The group assembled as usual at the Argo Tea Café that's just spitting distance from Marshall Field's, and managed to secure a good table on the first floor in spite of the usual crowd of moms-n-daughters grabbing a quick latté before the performance of Wicked next door at the Oriental Theater.

We were honored to be joined by wit, raconteur, and bon vivant Joel, aka Faustus, MD. Joel is all too briefly in town from New York City, where he works as a freelance blacksmith in between seasons with the New York City Ballet. In fall 2007 he will dance Giselle. Joel and I were at university together, so he knew me when I had a full head of hair.

This is Joel, working on his own version of the Regicide Scarf. He is much cuter than this (sorry, Joel), but he already has a steady boyfriend so he's off limits anyway.



Andy was knitting the cowl from Last Minute Knitted Gifts using what's left of the yarn from his 20-year-old unfinished object. He brought along his completed Noro hat and scarf, presents for a niece. They are absolutely adorable. I didn't manage to get pictures of them, but I took this picture so that you can see that he hasn't had a manicure this week.



Aidan was there but he was on the other side of the table and I don't have any pictures of him. Sorry, Aidan. Aidan was knitting socks and had two pots of tea.

Jonathan, who enjoys the sort of knitting that would make other people cry, is knitting two fancy-ass multicolored, textured socks at the same time on a circular needle using the Magic Loop method. I would rather singe off my nose hairs with a butane lighter, but to each his own. The socks are awesome.



Isn't he cute? But he's not only straight, he's got a very nice wife, and the socks are for her. So you just keep those sick fantasies to yourself, thank you very much.

Oh, and Buzz came to visit and take pictures.



Buzz is my good buddy and upstairs neighbor who blogs here. I told him not to take pictures of me and he didn't listen and so I'm putting up this shot mostly out of revenge. In person Buzz is very nice looking, and smart and polite, and not married, so if you think he's hot I say go for it. I can provide other pictures of him if you want more to go on before making an offer.

Buzz is interested in joining us as our token needlepointer so I loaned him a pile of books from my needlepoint days and offered him lots of floss and canvas that I have sitting around. So if he wimps out on us it won't be my fault.

The manager of the Argo is this cute twinkie of Polish extraction who keeps asking us to let him know if there's anything he can do for us, which is kind of a dangerous question given the nature of our group.

I had two large chocolate milks and a really phat chocolate chip cookie and by the time I got home the sugar rush was making me vibrate and I didn't fall asleep until 1 a.m.

Dolores came home as I was getting ready for work, wearing a Sigma Chi sweatshirt and carrying half a bottle of tequila. She put on the stereo, wiggled around the living room to Saint Etienne's "Like a Motorway" and then passed out with her head in the windowbox.

Questions?

In Which I Meet Many Delightful Knitters, One of Them Quite Famous

One of the reasons rant and screed blogs have proliferated is that superlatives make for dull reading. Misery loves company, and folks slogging through a typical American work day of endless meetings, routine humiliation, and painstaking labor without tangible result cannot be blamed if they'd rather not read about the perfectly wonderful time somebody else is having.

If that's the mood you're in today, you might want to skip this entry. Not that I generally corner the market on Blog Bitchery, but this report is going to be obnoxiously sunny. Allow me to get it out of my system. Tune in tomorrow, and things will be back to normal.

On Saturday, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (she is who is known as Yarn Harlot) made her first visit to Chicago. While I'm not one to get weak-kneed and slobbery over famous knitters in general (okay, Nancy Bush is an exception), I find Stephanie's work to be rock-solid and deeply funny, and I wear my Harlot Fan Club Secret Decoder Ring with pride.

She was scheduled to appear at Arcadia Knitting, which is one of my two favorite yarn shops in the city. (From my very first visit, they've never given me attitude. Quite the contrary. I recommend them to all knitters in Chicago, particularly men who are tired of second-class treatment.)

I stopped by early and, in addition to accidentally buying Gladys Thompson's Patterns for Jerseys, Guernseys and Arans and a skein of Lorna's Laces (oops), I also asked whether they had a photographer hired for the event. They didn't. I offered to be It. They accepted.

[Insert little shout of joy here.]

On the way back to the shop around 3 pm (with Harlot due to arrive at 4) I was delighted to step into the subway car and see somebody knitting a (really cute) sock. As a rule, I won't approach a knitter on the subway (or anywhere else) as it's best in the city to leave people alone if you have no compelling reason to bug them. But happily, as we sat on the Lawrence bus heading to the shop she introduced herself - it was Melissa, who you probably know better as The Stitchin' Seminarian.

The shop was already buzzing and I swung into action. Being the photographer at an event like this is marvelous for a shy person because you cannot sit in a dim corner and pretend you're invisible. I started photographing groups of knitters and asking where they'd come from. As expected Harlot's appearance had drawn in not only knitters from the suburbs, but also folks from Minnesota, Michigan, and Indiana.

My first big surprise was how many people recognized me from this blog and introduced themselves. I will not pretend it wasn't gratifying. When I started writing this thing, I did it as a way to motivate myself to keep projects moving and record daily minutiae. At Stitches, I met in person two people (one of them Jon) who read it, and that felt wonderful. On Saturday, at least 20 people had a kind comment to share, and I nearly hit the ceiling.

I was already floating around on a cloud when Harlot showed up. It's difficult to write about her and say anything new, as the 12,493 other bloggers who met her first have it pretty much covered. My summary:

• Yes, she really is that funny. By the time she wrapped up her Q & A and began signing books, I'd laughed so hard and so much that my face hurt.
  
  
• She has no pretense about her at all. She took Chicago public transit to the shop, for heaven's sake. I know people who live here who wouldn't have done that.
  
  
• She has the patience of a saint. There had to be 80-100 people who lined up for autographs. I was standing there for much of the time taking photographs, and she gave every person her undivided attention.
  

As I was shooting for the shop, they get dibs on most of my photographs for their Web site, but I'll post a select few here that are of purely personal interest.

Here's Emily, who wouldn't you know turns out to be the sister of Tres and a heck of a fun person?



Harlot with Melody, who has one of the most infectious laughs you've ever heard:



And this is Melissa (my fellow public transit rider), who (how meta is this) having her picture taken for her own blog.



And this is Jen (also seen above taking Melissa's picture), the dear woman who designed the bunny hat, and was very nice to me even though I made my version in acrylic.



If the day had ended with the signing, I would have gone home to C bubbling with stuff to tell him. But it did not end there.

Because as things were wrapping up, Bonne Marie (my dear, you are stunning, how did you manage to avoid getting into any of my photographs? hmmm?) asked me if I would like to join Stephanie, the owners of Arcadia, and a few other people for dinner.

Oh, gee. Let me think about that for a little while.

It was heady company for a guy who only got down to knitting in earnest in January. But everybody else was drinking, so I may have given the impression that I held up my end of the conversation.

Before you start thinking it was all very serious, I should also mention that after dinner Stephanie took off her shoes and I took off my boots and we stood back-to-back to see which of us is the shorter person. (She is. But not by much. And I would kill for her waistline.)

In the absolute final picture of the day, proof I didn't make all this up just to piss you off.



Stephanie's the one in the middle. The pretty lady in black is Kathy, one of the owners of Arcadia. I'm the one with no hair and the Cinderella-at-the-Friggin-Ball grin on my face.

(Dear God: Remember that awful eighth-grade Halloween dance when I was 13 and had acne and my haircut sucked and none of the girls would dance with me and I spent most of the evening stuck in the corner listening to a classmate I didn't even like talk about his Star Wars action figures, and then went home, realized my zipper had been open the whole time and cried myself to sleep? Well, you finally made up for it. Thank you.)

*Late addition. I can't believe I forgot to give shout-outs to two people. Marcy, who brought you the Lil' Devil baby pants in from the Stitch 'n' Bitch series; and Stephanie's publicist, Sarah, who also braved the Chicago El without losing her hair and who remembered the little review of the first Harlot book that I wrote way back when. Saturday was a gathering of right-on women. I was fortunate to be there.

Live and In Person

The Cell Block visit was a non-starter - too crowded and too dark to get a decent shot. (Note to self: Don't go out of your way to photograph things you don't like to look at in the first place. Diane Arbus you are not.)

Sunday was better, though. I got a message early from Leif from the Lakeview Stitch 'n' Bitch, reminding me that Debbie Stoller (aka the Mother - or maybe I ought to say Slightly Older But Still Extremely Young-Looking Sister of Us All) was doing an appearance at Arcadia Knitting and asking if I wanted to go.

Oh, mais oui.

As a rule I'm not a Personal Appearance guy. Prior to this, I once waited in a short line to meet Julia Child, God rest her soul, but that's it. I usually prefer to keep a safe distance between myself and famous people whose work I've enjoyed.

My 40 seconds with Mrs. Child (the memory of which I'm sure she treasured) were lovely. I was starstruck, she was cordial, and she spelled my name correctly in my copy of The Way to Cook.

Aside from that, my only other brush with celebrity was less happy. I once encountered Aretha Franklin during her pit-stop at New England Conservatory, where I spent seven miserable years after college. Aretha dropped by for about 10 minutes to snag an Honorary Doctorate, and my department - the Public Relations team - had to deal with her and her staff of approximately 11,000 very entitled agents, publicists, secretaries, bodyguards, sisters, cousins, and aunts.

In comparison, Queen Elizabeth II and the Pope are a pair of traveling gypsies.

Now, I have always liked Aretha's music. One of the greats of all time, no argument. Unfortunately, I have trouble listening to her now without remembering how, after months of working to meet her incredible list of demands, she was rude to the NEC staff, aloof from the other degree recipients, and sat through the ceremony looking like she was awaiting gum surgery. Queen of Soul, yes. But also a Royal Pain in the Ass.

Now, where was I. Debbie Stoller. Yes. Remember Debbie? This is an entry about Debbie.

Leif and I got to Arcadia pretty early and there was already quite a little crowd there. Nice for the shop, as they've just moved to a new, larger location and this encouraged everyone to scope it out. We got low numbers for the book signing afterwards - mine was 13, which is by coincidence (and I'm not kidding) a lucky number for me.

I was hoping she would talk some about how she came to knitting, and she did. Her story about learning from the example of her late grandmother, her mother, and her female relatives is told in her first book and could stand alone as a fine piece of memoir writing (pretty unusual for a craft book) and it was just as touching hearing it told in her own voice.

She had arrived via Amtrak (poor thing) and had every right to be haggard, aloof, exhausted, brief. However, if she was feeling less than 100%, she didn't let on. Instead, she was just what I'd hoped - as articulate as one would expect the publisher of BUST to be, and as charming as one would expect of the woman who helped to bring back the knitting circle.

Leif and I weren't the only guys there, but as usual we seemed to be the only guy knitters (the other fellows being attached to girlfriends or wives). I had a short chat with one of the owners of Arcadia - I should have remembered to ask her name - telling her how grateful I was that on my first visit the previous week, they had been so cheerful and helpful. Unlike the hateful woman at The Nasty Little Yarn Shop in downtown Evanston, who seemed to think I was going to mug her, or steal a big pile of Lamb's Pride and a pair of US10s at gunpoint. Ms. Arcadia was suitably sympathetic to my tale of woe, and so now I like her store even more.

Debbie did all the right stuff, just like Julia. I mentioned that Chris had been a BUST subscriber and she seemed happy (I may be imagining it) to have somebody comment on something other than her knitting. She spelled my name right. She was cordial, she was smart, she was funny. Well done!

(So if you're reading this, Debbie, thank you. I hope you didn't mind the lousy Chicago weather too much. And since we're such great friends now, may I call you with questions about intarsia?)