Launch, laugh, learn

The launch, as expected, was great.

The laughs of course came from the Yarn Harlot herself. She was - no surprise - hilarious. But a cute funny occurred before the speech, when I arrived at the museum at the same time as the Harlot Family. I, being a good little plebe, lined up at the front desk to check my bag and whatnot, but Stephanie & Co., naturally, began to go straight up the stairs. The desk lady noticed this and did not immediately recognize the Harlot out of her peripheral vision. Doing her job nicely, she stopped Stephanie and asked, "Are you here for the event?"

"I am the event!" Harlot replied cheerfully.

Laughter ensued.

Once I checked all my stuff, I went up and went hunting for familiar faces. I first found Laura and Dani, and from there was able to find myself a seat among several other Lettuce Knit SnB folk. We were eventually joined by Kelly and Jen, the latter of whom I had never met before but I sure hope she shows up at an SnB that I go to in the future because man, that lady is a time and a half, I tell ya.

(Sadly, that future SnB will not be tomorrow's big party with the cookie exchange because it's my office Christmas party that night. For which privilege, I might add, I have had to shell out $25. I am still bitter.)

The learning part came while watching Laura knit. I understood immediately how it is that she regularly turns out a sweater in about three days (or at least, it certainly seems that way). She knits in the continental style and is probably about twice as fast as I am. Think of that. Twice. As. Fast. I imagine all the projects I could do in a year if I could double my speed and I gasp at the very thought. I must learn how to knit by 'picking'. My practicing of the combination method has sadly gone in the pooper in the last few months, but I am re-motivated. Now, I was warned assured, both by Laura and the other Lettuce ladies there, that although the method is certainly very fast once you got the hang of it, the learning curve to get there is very steep. I care not - I am willing. I've even started the practice piece:

(Pretty even stitches for a beginner, eh?)

However, I'm going to wait until I finish all my frantic December/January panic knitting before I really get into it.

So. All in all, a great evening. I did try to get to the post-launch party, but unfortunately when we got to the restaurant (which shall remain nameless), it turns out they had no room for us. (Harlot's husband Joe had called ahead from the museum and mentioned the size of our party, and they had assured him there was space, but apparently in the time it took us to walk there - during which we made fun of the knitting schmatteh in various store window displays along the way - the space evaporated. Who knew.) By the time we got a table at another restaurant, it was time for me to begin my long trek back up to my place and I had to ditch the party. :( I was very tired, cold and sore-throated (my cold still hasn't quite released me) when I got home, but was very happy that I had gone.

Fafner blanket for baby Muth

Third corner is complete and I have begun the third edge.


This may sound like good news...it is not. I have looked at the remaining turquoise yarn and am once again cursing myself because I'm not sure if there will be enough to do the whole edging. (I have been too scared to weigh the thing to find out for sure.) I am a right royal idiot, is what it is. I should have done the cables in the turquoise and the background in the cream. Sigh.

Christmas socks for DH

I cast on for sock #2 yesterday morning and knit through my commute. The good news is that I got two inches more done on the sock than I expected to, and now I'm finished the heel and working on the foot!


The bad news is that this happened because of a spectacularly awful delay on the subway. Feh.

Cape Cod sweater for MIL

What with all the other projects I'm trying to get ahead on, progress on this has slowed a bit. However, it's still coming along: