Like Dad Used to Say: "We all Know that 'Shoot' is "Sh*t" with Two O's"*

Now that I have finished the hardest part of writing a book: the actual "writing" of the text, the designing of the patterns, the knitting of the patterns (oy) and the first round of edits--and the shoot (they don't call it "shoot" for nothing), I'm literally walking in circles.

I'm back to my old habit of putting the tv on on both floors of the house and wandering here and there. Today, I got up and stared at the computer, waiting for all the emails to pour in, and they didn't. Then, I wandered down to the kitchen and cleaned all the stainless stuff (but forgot the dishwasher) then wandered back up and sat and stared again.

I didn't knit a stitch.

I thought about knitting a stitch.

But I didn't.

So now, while HWWV works out in the garage, punching that dang bag so loudly it shakes the house, I sit and stare some more and wonder why.

I guess I should take a look at that re-do of Girlfriend's Swing Coat Sweater pattern and get back to it before Girlfriend is too tall to fit into the sample.

I guess I should vacuum and clean the carpets.

I guess I should maybe go for a walk. You know, get back to being active in the legs instead of the wrists and fingers, only.

This is how it has been for each and every book. The first one, the second one--due out this Fall--and the third, due out next Spring (it is an accessory book). I think there is a little bit of a let-down, a kind of: Is it all over? Now what?

Here are a couple pictures from the shoot, taken by my editor, Liana Allday (she's a trip).

First one and first day, at my sister's home in Los Angeles. A pair of legwarmers and a pretty girl.

We ended up moving her because of the brightness of the wall. But what I remember most about this set-up is that I alone knew of the secret bathroom downstairs and understood that should I have a panicky moment, I could flee and no one would find me (it actually never needed to happen, but I was thankful).

And since we totally forgot that I needed to make some basic fingerless mittens for a shot the next day, I sat there and knit and knit and knit and knit, then I went home and knit some more so they could be ready. Yes, friends, I can knit some substantial mittens using fingerweight in one day. You could, too, if you had to.

The woman looking on is our makeup artist and hair person. She's tuff-cool and probably thinks I'm an old lady. I like her. She went to my high school--as did my editor--but obviously after the Stone Age.

And last, here's a shot of my editor and the guy we lovingly call our "man prop" on the Custom Knits shoots. Don't know how or why that came about, nudge, nudge, wink, wink. But I think I can probably thank some of the early folks who bristled when they saw a bikini (or lack of long pants) with sweaters in my first book. If it weren't for you, dear friends who prefer models wearing long pants . . .

And yes, this third one won't disappoint. There is a boat, a bikini, a babe and a ... man prop.

I only have that * in the title because I get really stressed out during these shoots. Luckily, this third experience was so good that I might actually have outgrown my dread. That is all.