200

WARNING: This will be a PHP (picture-heavy post)

I didn't want to say anything before because I wasn't for sure I'd be able to go or not. But here it is.

I'd been hinting to Dave for a couple of weeks that this is what I wanted for my b'day. I equated it to him being able to meet Tom Osborne. He wasn't really getting it til I told him that 's all I wanted for my b'day. He wasn't happy about it but he agreed. (It was going to be a little expensive in the childcare area.)

So take a little journey with me...

First we get to ride the light rail into Downtown Denver. (It's my first time for both the rail & Downtown.) I say we, but I'm going by myself. Into town, by myself, like a big girl.

The seats for the light rail, though fashionable are brutally uncomfortable. And clean!

This is the only sign of detritus in the entire car. It's Evil Puzzle #3,865,047,986. I'm not good with math or numbers so the whole sudoku thing escapes me. That's OK, my yarn thing escapes most others.

On with our journey, here's another clue.

This is the group of women I ended sitting with while we waited entry into the holy grail. In the left picture, we have Amber knitting a pinwheel baby blanket. Next to her is a daughter and mother, the daughter reading, the mother, Deborah, spinning the coveted quivet with a beautiful drop spindle (feel the envy on many levels). The quivet was mixed with a bit of mohair and alpaca and when I asked if I could touch it, she tossed the bag to me. I dipped a finger or two in at first, tentatively. Then my whole hand. It was like touching a cloud.

A few minutes after I returned the bag, I noticed a piece of cloud stuck to the carpet in front of me. I asked Deborah if she wanted it back or could I have it as a souvenir. She let me keep it. Very nice! Also, I should've gotten a better picture of it, but her young daughter was wearing a sweater that Deborah had knit 30 years ago. It's a beautiful mix of textures and looks brand new.

The picture on the right is Deborah and her daughter again, a woman (in the turquoise blazer) knitting a beautiful sock in Mountain Colors yarn, and Kristina in between them.

Let's continue our journey....



We were finally allowed in and we (Amber, Kristina, and I) were sitting behind this nice, young guy wearing this T-shirt. He was a big hit and many, many people took his picture. (Sorry about the sideways pic, kid, but I can't figure how to change it)

The place is full and the excitement is palpable. Any guesses yet?

(Kristina's Colinette Jitterbug)

Getting warmer...

The Yarn Harlot!!!!!

What a fabulous night! She talked for an hour and I laughed my ass off for an hour! I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. Big, belly, side-stitch laughs. Amber, sitting next to me actually snorted with laughter at one point.

She talked a lot about C.H.O.K.E. (Cultural Humiliation Of Knitters Everywhere). She brought up the stupidity of banks, both with the Blue Moon Fibers trouble (go to Yarn Harlot's site, archives - January 2007, Jan.11 post) and this little nugget...

A knitter decided to open an online yarn store and wanted to buy this building to store her inventory. She had 50% of the money needed as a down payment and went to a bank to get a loan for the other 50%. They turned her down cold as they didn't see an online yarn store as a viable/profitable reason to purchase the building. The next day, she sent her husband to the same bank and they lent him the $ to buy the building.... to store his camping equipment. "It also stores a lot of yarn." Love her.

She went on about how our culture belittles us in other ways and stereotypes abound (like, if you knit, you like boys... whether you are a girl or a boy yourself). And how to explain (or not) your stash. And many, many other things that I hope you all get to hear for yourselves, someday. In the short question and answer period after her talk, she revealed that she is about a month away from putting all her books on tape!

It was fascinating to see all the other knitters of all shapes and sizes and to see all the fabulous creations they'd come up with. Case in point...

This sweater is a fantastic example of people creating their own designs to suit themselves.

She did a cable down the middle with a lace element, then knitted some i-cord and threaded it through the lacy bits. Brilliant! Also, though I didn't get a picture of it, she had a double edge along the bottom. First your standard ribbing in the main color. Then a second ribbing in the i-cord color. She said she added the second ribbing when she realized she wanted the sweater to be a bit longer! Knitters are so clever!

Here's the Harlot during her standard after-talk book signing. I got in line to see her at about 5:30p. I was #59! The first person in line showed up at 8:30a. We loves her!

Here's the bohus in all it's glory. I wish I knew how to take better pictures. I don't but suffice it to say it is such a fine gauge (10 stitches to 1" people!) that it looks like it couldn't possibly be made by human hands. (At least not these days. Another topic Stephanie covered.)

I asked her to sign my # paper (signifying my place in line) as well as my book. I will have it laminated to use in a bookmark for my knitting books.

Not pictured is her accepting the gift I brought her. I put the gift bag on the table and she said, "I like you already." (Sweet) I brought her a homemade loaf of chocolate chip banana bread, a bath fizzy (for all those tubs she looks at longingly as she's dashing out the hotel room door on to her next gig) and a new pack of clean underwear (since, in her April 4 post, she almost lost all her luggage for the duration of her tour). So if she references the crazy-banana-bread-underwear-lady in her blog, that'd be me. (Not really how I wanted her to remember me but there it is.)

I also had planned to ask if I could, as a massage therapist, stretch her hands (the golden hands) for her. I was so nervous I forgot. Damn.




Here we are together, me holding the famous traveling sock and her in all her Harlot-y fabulousness. Her t-shirt reads, " All your yarn are belong to us." She said if you are an Internet geek, you'd understand it. I guess I'm not that geeky yet, but I still like it!




OK, she's not picking on my shirt. The thing is, traditionally, you are supposed to bring the sock you're working on and she holds your sock while you hold hers. I don't know how to do socks yet, but my new-found friends, Amber and Kristina pointed out that I'd made my top. So here she is holding my top. I look unstable in this pic. I am. Giddy, in fact.

So here are my new found knitty friends, Amber, Kristina and me.

Amber actually got interviewed by the channel 9 news while we were waiting in line! Who knows when it will be on, but Kristina said she'd Tivo for the next week or so and let us know.

The rest of the pics are random shots of my trip...



I like this poster. It's on all the light rail cars. It reminds us that we should as human beings, just watch out for each other. Not as in suspiciously, but as in watching each others backs. It says, "Count on each other for a safe ride." and "Be involved, be informed, be alert, be prepared." OK, so the second one is a little post 9/11 but the first one is a pleasant and wishful dream.

I took this one on my trip back, so I'm tired and it's a little blurry. It says, "No Smoking, No eating or drinking, No loud music (use headphones), no littering, no gambling." Alright, totally on board with the first four but is the fifth really a problem? Are people shooting craps down the aisles? Busting out the roulette wheel between Invesco Fields and Union Station? Odd.

I'm sure I've forgotten about a thousand things and I'll probably be remembering/talking/posting about it for the next, I don't know, forever.

I leave you with a final picture. It's my reflection in the window of the light rail on the way home. It's about 10:30p and it's about as blurry as I felt at the time. It was a wonderful evening topped off with a quiet and lone ride home. I had the car all to myself and the peace was a perfect end to a perfect evening. What a great birthday present, thanks Dave!

P. S. The final count of people who came to hear the Harlot.... 200. Someday, we will rule the world.

Basking in the glow, Ruth!