I just pulled out of Albany, heading to NYC then Newark to fly across the Atlantic pond. The Men’s Spring Knitting Retreat just ended and my head is reeling.

I’ve been very lucky and had many opportunities to have fun as a knitter and otherwise, but this was beyond any expectations I could have imagined. Never before have I been around so many incredible, talented and hilarious men. QueerJoe and KnitterguyTed created a new piece of knitting culture. One that I hope will continue for many years to come. Thank you both, from the bottom of my heart. I hope to return for years to come.

I’m typing this oh my phone, so I can’t link to everyone I’ve met and tell you stories about each right now. There was some recording for YKnit that you’ll eventually hear, but nothing could capture the joy and peace (sounds too Christmas-y) or the silly merriment and fibery inspiration I just experienced. I loved seeing Dr. Mel and meeting his David, finding out Guido is just like he sounds (if not feisty-er) and getting to hug and laugh with Michael (after years of email and his launching my “career”). Everyone who was there was a fine and fabulous fellow who I’d to hang out with (pardon my dangling participle).

But there was one guy who is my new best friend and retreat roomie for life: Sean of the Soapbox out of Boston. I’m relieved we live on opposite coasts, because we’d be a terror if we spent any more time together! Thank you for the ride to Albany and unending laughs. Read him, love him and find him at Woolcott & Co if you’re ever in Cambridge. I liked him online, but now that I’ve met him, I may tattoo his face on my bum-bum. In a platonic kinda way. (Mom, this is a joke.)

OK. This thumb typing is boring me. I’m going to get back to savoring my memories. It was awsome to spend the weekend with everyone. We simply must do it again. If you’re reading this and have testes, do consider coming new time!

What are the odds that another knit blogger is already there?

Sadly, our paths probably won’t cross… unless he defects and remains in Germany.

Thanks for the tip, Joe! (and belated happy birthday!)

One week from today, I’ll be somewhere north of Albany, NY at the Men’s Spring Knitting Retreat. Thanks Joe and Ted for thinking this up and organizing everything!

And, heck, thanks for letting me lead a workshop (which I prefer to call a conversation) on men’s sock design. In the spirit of an informal gathering, I make no promises that anyone will walk away from the two hours with a brand spanking new sock design, but I expect we’ll have a good time talking about ways to approach a more manly sock. Sort of a hot man-on-man-on sock discussion, if you will. Let’s be honest, I can’t teach anyone to be creative… that’s already inside each of us. For anyone who can’t make it, feel free to contact me via email or in the comments to share your thoughts on the state of male sock design.

For those of you missing a Y chromosome, I will be bringing the YKNIT microphone to try to capture some of goings-on. I trust that since it’s men, it will be very structured, restrained fun, lacking creativity and focused on the serious, serious business of knitting. </sarcasm> I’m looking forward to meeting many of the guys I read (and listen to) face-to-face. (Yes, there will be pictures. No, not in bathtubs.)

From there, it’s off to meet Mr. Man in Berlin. That Berlin. He’s been itching to get back for the past five years. His years stationed in Germany during the 80’s have damaged him, compelling him to return to Deutschland often. He’ll be running around photo’ing and I’ll be happy not to be at the office. Anyone know of any knitting there? Let your Berliner (or jelly doughnut) friends know I’m available for Kaffee und Stricken. Or Bier(e).

I should head off to the day job… how many more days until camp?

It looks like I’m never going to get around to telling you all about sock camp in blog-form. So how’s about a stroll down Monkey Memory lane?

Listen to Y KNIT episode 007 for an audio peek into the fun that was had! This is just the tip of the iceberg (how it snowed!).

A HUGE HUGE HUGE thank you to Tina, the Sockateers, Rosie and Debra, the instructors and all the crazy campers. And a special thanks to my mom for flying across the country to hang out with me!

Sadly, the camp song about STR sock club didn’t make the cut (poor audio quality), but here are the lyrics if you want to karaoke it yourself:

Addicted to Yarn
(to the tune of Robert Palmer’s Addicted to Love - zombie backup band is optional)
inspired by Tina, with help from Meg, Deb and Ann

Your mailman’s here, but it’s not at home.
Your mind is not your own.
Your heart sweats, your body shakes,
Another skein is what it takes.

You can’t sleep, you can’t eat.
Theres no doubt, you’re in deep.
Your throat is tight, you can’t breathe,
Another kit is all you need!

Whoa, you like to think that youre immune to the stuff,
Oh, yeah!

It’s closer to the truth to say you can’t get enough,
You know you’re gonna have to face it, you’re addicted to yarn.

You see the (blog) posts, but you can’t read.
Your mailman’s at a different speed.
You heart beats in double time.
Another kit and you’ll be fine, a one-skein mind!

You can’t be saved,
Socks That Rock is all you crave
If there’s some left for you
A chevron scarf, you’ll do.

Whoa, you like to think that youre immune to the stuff,
Oh, yeah!

It’s closer to the truth to say you can’t get enough,
You know you’re gonna have to face it, you’re addicted to yarn.

Gonna have to face it, you’re addicted to yarn

Tina’s your dealer, you’re addicted to yarn!
Cat is a genius, you’re addicted to circs!
Stephanie is crazy, you’re addicted to socks!
JC’s cool Jumbo-tron, you’re addicted to sproing!
Cookie traveling stitches, you’re addicted to leg!

Sock camp is done, we’re going home.
We’ll be knitting, on our own.
Your hands sweat, needles grind,
Another row and you’ll be fine.
Whoa, you like to think that youre immune to the stuff,
Oh, yeah!

It’s closer to the truth to say you can’t get enough,
You know you’re gonna have to face it, you’re addicted to yarn.

Gonna have to face it, you’re addicted to yarn!

Cockeyed and Hot Flash, you’re addicted to schnapps!
Tammy, Etta Mae, you’re attached to the shop!
Rosie (we miss you!), you’re addicted to dye!
Can’t forget Debra, you’re buried in yarn!
Might as well face it, we’re addicted to yarn!
Might as well face it, we’re addicted to yarn!

In lieu of words, here’s a peek into what camp was like. This video shows the camp instructors posing for photos on the last night.

From left to right: Tina (dyer and dealer, of Blue Moon fame), Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (author and blogstar, yarnharlot.ca), Cat Bordhi (sock architect and mad genius, catbordhi.com), Cookie (hole-y and twisted designer, cookiea.com, and JC (cast-on queen and technician extraordinaire, jcbriar.home.comcast.net).

I don’t need to write my mom, because she’s here with me at sock knitting camp, so I’m writing y’all.

I’m having a swell time with all my new friends, returning campers and the counsolers. There’s so much to say and pictures to share and conversations to podcast, but interweb access is spotty.

Just wanted to say that I miss you and access to the wider world. I gotta run, ’cause we need to eat before tonight’s underwater knitting competition!

Oh, and thank you a thousand times for all the super birthday wishes! It was so rad to have loads of love coming in from the wide wide world of the web.

PS I’m hanging out with three hot babes, only one of whom is my mom.

homemade with the freshest ingredients!

Thanks, Flickr video!

Sitting here at 8am, before showering for work, I’m already missing the weekend. How can I cram more fun into 2 days than I do all week? If only they all could be this much fun!

Since I have to run and get ready, I’ll try to make this brief:

• Knitting chez WonderMike morphed into a surprise pre-birthday celebration! Thank you, Mike, KnitSonya, SpeedyNeedleFreeman, Knit Ya Ya!, Kim-Chi Crafts and PuNk rAwK pUrL. You guys are too sweet!
• Courtesy of the Netflix, I finally saw RIZE, a glimpse into the LA crump and clown dance scene, as filmed by photographer David La Chapelle (NSFW: artistic nudity).
• And, 12 years after moving to the Bay Area, at long last I went to the Alameda Point Antiques and Collectibles Faire. Deadslow photographed Tammy fingering the needles, while Carrie scoured the crochet hooks and I leafed through a 1950s Columbia Men’s Book of patterns.

The only thing to look forward to this week at work is its brevity. Only four days, if I take Friday off.

This time next week? I’ll be flying through the air to Seattle for BMFA sock knitting camp.

Lace in Your Face, the 5th episode of Y KNIT just went up yesterday. We barely scrape the surface of the holy, hole-y world of lace knitting with guys from across the country (including Monday’s visitor Mel).

Lacy Knitters Guild members Gene and Lew share their thoughts from over 150 years of knitting experience (combined).

The ImagiKnit blog has a photo of our two other podcast guests, Doug and Troy, and store owner Allison, from their visit to San Francisco.

Photo of me by my lovely co-hostess with the most-est, WonderMike. It’s gang violence against my first lace project, the beautiful of Hanami stole.

Be sure to listen to the very end, for something even more embarrassing than this photo!

My boss passed on this case study to us today about a soup company in England, named Nusa Kitchen.

Check out their brilliant design solution that pumped up the brand equity, offered a visual and emotional connection to the product and uses knitting as a means to an end.

Although it’s missing the tactile elements of Innocent Drink’s The Big Knit, it’s proof that some old-fashioned wool can go a long way to make our modern world a little better, or warmer (intellectually, at least).

Perhaps it’s just a sign that I need to stop reading about UK food companies… Anyone seen either of these knitting marketing tactics?