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April 22, 2007
Kidnapped!
It all started out simple enough. I would drive to Lexington for the Bluegrass Festival of Books. I wanted to see Stephanie Japel (aka Glampyre) and Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (aka The Yarn Harlot) speak. I planned to drive down there, see Glampyre's panel, knit and grab a bite to eat, then see the Yarn Harlot and drive home. Simple right?
Things did not go as planned. I arrived in Lexington in time and with no problems. I immediately headed to the book signing area to see the Yarn Harlot and get her autograph on my book and Heidi's. Stephanie was very nice, and I took her picture holding my just completed Wader sock and her own sock-in-progress. She commented on the funny shape center pull balls get once you've used a lot of the center yarn and held our yarn up to her chest as an example.
Then I started talking to one of the owners of Magpie Yarns, the yarn store that had sponsored Stephanie. We were talking about the upcoming Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival and she told me that their shop was nearby and they were having a sale. I was already starting to waver on going to the Glampyre panel anyway. After all, I didn't have any of the books the authors' wrote. I'm not a 'fitted knits' kind of girl and I don't read knitting novels. Yarn shopping quickly won out in the debate.
I hopped in my car and off I went to Magpie. It was to be here where I was kidnapped. (dum-dum-DUM)
Magpie was a really nice yarn store. I wish they had a website to link to, but they don't. Sorry. Great selection, but one maddening thing: Their yarn is organized by color and not yarn type. It's aesthetically pleasing, but if you walk into the shop looking for Noro Kureyon, you'll be walking back and forth grabbing colors to compare. Little bit weird.
This is where I met Dana and Christine, my soon-to-be kidnappers. After going through two containers of sock yarn (which were the only yarns actually grouped together), I discovered yarn I'd never heard of. I ended up with two skeins of Rio de la Plata sock yarn. Dana and Christine were buying some too. This led to a discussion of sock yarns and selling on Etsy (as Dana also sells there). Then I was invited to join them for their Stitch 'n' Bitch that night.
I didn't know at that point if I would stay or not. Remember, I had a plan. Here's where I get kidnapped. Dana said they were going over ReBelle which was another really awesome yarn shop where the Stich 'n' Bitch would be tonight. When you're a knitter, if someone tells you to follow them to a yarn shop, you're probably going to do it. I mean, really, it's a shop you've never been to before, how can you say no?
(brief interruption to show off my Rio de la Plata sock yarn)
I have to say, ReBelle was pretty kick ass. They dye some of their own yarns, but also have recycled goods and natural health products. I bought an awesome sticker and a great spinning batt.
After knitting for a bit there, we had to hurry off to meet another knitter, Jesse, at a restaurant called Natasha's. The food was good and the service sucked ass. Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, Stephanie Japel, and the other knitting authors were having lunch there too. We ate quickly and ran back to the Lexington Center to hear Stephanie speak.
She was o funny. Even though we'd all heard these stories before, it's so much better to hear her actually tell the stories. We all knit socks throughout the talk and stuck around to knit afterwards. This is when we saw Stephanie's crazy "Irish Production Knitting."
Never heard of it? Don't bother googling it, because no one else has either. It's suppose to be the fastest knitting tecnique in the world and involves holding the right needle in you armpit. I took a picture, but she moved her arm so you really can't see anything.
We finally were run off by the employees of the Lexington Center. Here's a little tip, if you are trying to piss off a bunch of knitters, then turning off the lights will do it. Beware of hoards of angry people with pointy sticks though.
The next phase of my captivity involved pizza and beer at Mellow Mushroom. Yeah, it was rough. Then back to ReBelle for the Stitch 'n' Bitch.
My captors, Dana and Christine.
Zabet and her husband (that's the Zabet of The AntiCraft fame, along with Robyn, one of the owners of ReBelle.
Ann, Kells, and Jane.
Dana, Christine, and I pose with our socks.
Finally though, I was tired and had to leave since I had an hour drive back home. Twelve hours after my abduction, I was home and fast asleep.
Posted by Holly at April 22, 2007 09:23 AM
Comments
Rio De La Plata- The Silver River
Posted by: Sonya Keim at April 24, 2007 10:00 PM
Man! I missed a really great day. I would have been a very willing victim.
Posted by: Sonya Keim at April 24, 2007 10:00 PM
Man! I missed a really great day. I would have been a very willing victim.
Posted by: Sonya Keim at April 24, 2007 09:57 PM
It was great to meet you this weekend! Come back anytime for stitch n' bitch. *robyn
BTW- Very funny lady is Kells
Posted by: robyn at April 24, 2007 08:30 PM
Thank you for getting my book "Cast Off" signed by the Yarn Harlot! I think I was somewhere in Spencer or Nelson County on my two-wheeler (vroom) at the time. You're a charm -- even if you do feature yarns with explitives in their names (not your fault, right?)
Posted by: Heidi at April 23, 2007 10:26 PM
What about those crazy people who kidnapped you! What freaks! ;) We had an awesome time meeting you, too. It was a crazy, insanely-long day and it was almost too much fun (is there such a thing?)! Also... if you like that yarn (it's the "Sweetheart" colorway on my store) maybe we could trade something... *evil grin*
-Dana
Posted by: Dana at April 23, 2007 03:14 PM
Darn it!!! You make my camping trip sound not so exciting now, considering I was going to go see the Yarn Harlot too, but went camping instead :( We could have been on the kidnapped buddy system! CRAP! Well I'm happy for you, what an adventure!!! And nice sock yarn, can't wait to see the awesome socks I know you'll make with it :)
Posted by: tabbyj at April 23, 2007 10:16 AM
What an awesome day!!!! Wish I could have gone. And the yarn is gorgeous. I gotta go get me some new sock yarn!!!! Met the Yarn Harlot, went to not one but two yarn stores, met new knitters and attended a knitting party. How perfect is that?
Posted by: Peggy at April 23, 2007 09:33 AM
Now that's my dream of being kidnapped!! That sticker is so funny!!! Looks like you had a blast! :)
Posted by: Lora at April 23, 2007 08:39 AM