Archives for March 2010

Oh, my goodness. It went past how-much-fun-do-you-think-I-can-stand right to THIS IS MORE FUN THAN DOWNHILL-SKIING WHILE KNITTING.

I've never skied downhill while knitting. I think that would be a mighty dumb thing to do, and I'm not encouraging anyone to do it. However, I think it would be FUN, and I can imagine (because I'm a big imaginer) that last night kind of felt the same way. (Of course, I think that winding balls of yarn REALLY FAST on the from the swift to the ball-winder is almost the same kind of thrilling, and I don't drive more than 70mph, so I might not be the person to talk to about excitement.)

But because you might not have been there (but 96 of your friends were! WOOT!), here are some pictures:

 

Me, outside Bookshop West Portal. FABULOUS place to launch a book.

 

Look at everyone! I was so wildly nervous they could probably hear my heart beating in my ears at the back of the room…

 

But then I started reading, and it was fun.

Lisa, Julie,and Sophie, of the PensFatales.

 

Before people lined up to get their books signed. And they really did! Line up, I mean! I signed for a long time. It was AMAZING and overwhelming and wonderful.

It was one of the best nights of my life.

 

Sisters and Gaynelle, my mother's best friend, who did a marvelous job of standing in for the little mama.

It was a wonderful, wonderful night. Oh, I love all this. Thanks, y'all, for being part of it.

There are three great places we could hang out this week.

#1 – MY LAUNCH PARTY.

Bookshop West Portal, 80 West Portal, San Francisco

Tuesday, March 16th, 7pm

(but get there early, like 6:30, for parking and free wine, because it'll start at 7pm sharp).
I'll do a short reading! You bring a Q, I might have an A! I'll have a gift or two to give away! They'll have the book for sale there, and I'd love to figure out how to really do a proper signing, and you can watch me blush like a hot pepper. (Please don't not come. I'm terrified no one but my family will come. Oh, augh. Nervous.)

#2 – BOOKCLUB GIRL!

Wednesday, March 17th, 7pm EST (4pm on the West Coast)  LINK HERE

This is way cool. I'll be on the radio, and you can either call in live and chat about the book, or email questions in to the show, AND THEY'RE GIVING AWAY FREE YARN! KnitPicks gift certs, to be exact.

#3 – LOS ANGELES WITH CRAZY AUNT PURL!

Knitter's Studio, 8118 West 3rd St, Los Angeles

Sunday, March 21, 2pm

This is GOING TO BE SO AWESOME. Me, and Crazy Aunt Purl, Laurie Perry, together at last. We'll read a little, chat a little, and yuk it up a bit, too. I can't wait for this one. (I just realized I have no idea where I'm staying that night. I didn't even realize it had come up on me this quickly! I'm flying by the seat of my pants here, people! Wild and crazy, footloose and fancy-free!)

Either way, I'd love to chat with ya, wherever you are. 

And now, I'm going back to sitting on the covered front porch that we redid this weekend. As soon as I hang the curtains, I'll show you a picture. We've reclaimed the room we used for dumping stuff and we've made it into a place to read, write, and watch the world go by. I'm so happy about that. I have sun shining on my neck and cats sitting in the warm spots near me. It's good.

Hey, guess WHAT?

I'm going to Stitches South, all three days! (And there's just the slightest chance I might get over to Maryland Sheep and Wool, too, just for Sunday, but that's still up in the air — let's hope!) At Stitches, I'll have a table at Carolina Homespun, and I'm so excited, for a couple of reasons.

Reason #1 – I've never been to Atlanta. What should I do there? I've always wanted to go there, and I can't WAIT to see the city.

Reason #2 – I adore Morgaine and Carolina Homespun. I actually bought my first wheel, my Ashford Joy, from her. The funny part about it is that we're both from the Bay Area, but I fell in love with the wheel (and the price) at Maryland Sheep and Wool, and I couldn't wait to buy it until I got home, so I bought it there. (I am not always sensible about these things. On the same trip, I packed a container so full of wool and taped it shut with duct tape that I begged the airport clerk not to open it. "It'll EXPLODE!" I said. NOT A GOOD IDEA TO SAY THIS AT THE AIRPORT.)

I carted my new wheel through security (I got some strange looks from the screeners, but they let me pass), and then pulled it out in the waiting area. People stared at me while I spun, and several people commented that I shouldn't be allowed to have such a contraption in the secured area.

Then a security guard approached me. He wore a turban and frown. I assumed he was going to shut down my spinning operation, since the TSA does, after all, have the ultimate authority to decide what can and can't be done or taken on board a plane. Instead, he leaned forward and said conspiratorially, "I used to spin. In my homeland. But I used a charka. Do you know what that is?" Proof again that fiber folk are the BEST.

#3 Charlie is there.

And I've been having SO MUCH FUN. Honestly, this has been a great week. I've heard from a lot of people already about the book, and y'all are liking it! Really liking it! That thrills me to my toes. And also, you all read SO QUICKLY. Some of you read in the tub. And in your cars. Or in the parking lot on lunch breaks. I've been fascinated to find out where you're reading it. Some of you read it to other people (I wonder which bits? That could be blush-worthy, if you know what I mean…).

Don't forget to give it a review somewhere (Amazon, goodreads, librarything, your own blog, etc.) and email me about it at yarnagogo@gmail.com to make sure I enter you to win your chance to win the sweater Abigail made for Cade in the book (or gift certs for book $)! See THIS POST for more details.

And also, sign up to be on the mailing list, where I give something away every month, just for fun! I'm not spammy, ever!

Me, meanwhile,  I'm just sitting and knitting. And soaking it all in. And trying to have FUN. Someone asked me the other day what I did for fun, and besides reading in bed before falling asleep, I couldn't really remember — I've been working so much, either at the job or on the writing.

I didn't like that I said that. That's not me.

So Sunday night, I opened a bottle of wine, cast a loving glance at the pile of my beautiful books, shut my computer, and turned on the Oscars. I dragged out my sorely neglected Ashford Joy, and I spun and plied three skeins of yarns. I had the best time. It felt like pure joy, the fiber (mostly merino, but there was a batt of pure purple angora in there that went right up my nose and made me happy) flying through my fingers, long-draw, slubby, and happy. I'm not a technically perfect spinner, but boy, it does my heart right.

Oh, yeah. 🙂

My first signing is today, at Caps Restaurant, 144 Oak St., Brentwood, at 3:30pm.

I am SO excited.

And I'm so happy that I don't have to do it alone! I won't be reading or anything like that — I'll just be sitting in a room with six other fantabulous authors (including Sophie Littlefield and Juliet Blackwell of the PensFatales — we're bound to get in SOME kind of trouble), and if someone wants my book, I'll sign it for them, and that will be it. Barnes & Noble is bringing fifteen of them. I hope I sell at least a couple. But if I don't, I'm sitting there knitting and watching the Big Girls work.

Hoo boy. I'll let you  know how it goes.

My sisters, Christy and Bethany, and the PensFatales (minus three) came over last night to go book hunting with me and Lala. First, there was champagne.

Then we went to Books Inc. in Alameda, where I really didn't think they would have it. Small indie, you know. I didn't have my hopes up. But Bethany found something. Here I am, so flustered I CAN'T SPELL MY LAST NAME TO FIND IT. When I did, I was completely convinced they'd planted it. (Why, I'm not sure. But I thought they did.)

Then we went to Borders in Alameda, where they had a lot of them! Face out! (Always the best way to be placed.)

There weren't many after we left. I signed them all. OH THE HEADY THRILL.

  Then we celebrated a little more. But only a little bit. The rush of the book was enough for me.

Oh, oh, oh. This is the most fun ever. (But I have to admit, this morning I'm already at my desk doing actual work, which feels great because for the last couple of days I've been too excited to really do anything productive. This feels good, too. I'm getting back to normal. Happy sigh.)

Don't forget to enter the Love Song Sweater contest! See previous post! (And OMG, people have already read the book and liked it and told me so! YOU PEOPLE ARE AMAZING! xoxo)