Son of Stitch ‘N Bitch Book Signing: no pictures of the luchador mask. :(
This is me with Debbie Stoller at her Dec. 10 book signing at Moe’s in Berkeley. We’re all Christmassy! I wish I had a better photo of her rad sweater, but let’s just get on with the post, shall we. Since I missed her Sacramento-area appearance, I and Davis’ Finest Knitters, Julia and Natalie, drove on down to Berkeley to have ourselves a time. There was traffic and we missed the fancy cheese store hours, but by god, I got a Linzer Cookie. Two of ‘em, in fact. I was pretty much happy enough to turn around and go home just then. Why are Linzer cookies so rare in California? Government conspiracy?
So of course we got to the book signing late and Debbie’s talk about knitting culture and knitting history was already in progress. It was about The Curse, because international law states that when three or more people are gathered to discuss knitting for men, the Curse must be referenced. Actually, Debbie was discussing the Curse in an enjoyably morbid historical context. Those old aran “fisherman” sweaters used to be used as postmortem I.D. if a guy washed up somewhere. The sweater’s cable pattern was associated with a geographic location, and told finders where to send the body. The fisherman’s sweater was typically knitted by his wife, and she’d start the first soon after becoming engaged.
I’d like to add to that some information of my own, gleaned from a billion years of reading Miss Manners. If you, like me, enjoy being uptight and stuffy, it is actually considered poor etiquette to knit a sweater for a gentleman to whom you are not engaged nor married nor related by blood. Sweaters, and any kind of gifts that imply practical homemaker-type support are considered to be after-marriage gifts (so that’s a no to socks, home furnishings, blenders, screwdriver sets, etc. Also, jewelery). Therefore, if you’re rude or presumptuous enough to knit a guy a sweater, maybe you just deserve to have it thrown back in your face, you painted hussy.
Anyway, I went to get my book signed, and then people asked me to sign the page with my pattern on it. As figure 125 suggests, I was somewhat overwhelmed. As that photo was being taken, I was saying, “Please, Nat, don’t take a picture. Please.” Naturally my wishes were disregarded, and now we have photographic proof of my social anxiety forever and ever. Despite that, I had a really good time. Debbie and Natalie made fun of my dinosaur of a digital camera, I made some new Ravelry friends, traded fat cat stories, discussed comics-based knitting motifs, saw the humble beginnings of what will be amazing magenta cabled hotpants.
(Small shoutout to Debbie, Lucy, Katie, Cindy, Denay, Kat, Cay, Kurt, Andy, and several other people whose faces I remember and names I forget. And of course, Davis’ Finest Knitters Nat and Julia. That book signing was an awesome time, and I for one think this book’s skulls were the best skulls. And I really do wish Debbie would have indulged Kurt a very long answer about her views on feminism. Perhaps during some other lecture series. ^__^)
