Please note, Nov .30 lecture tickets are no longer available for pre-sale. We have a few dozen tickets available for sale at the door of the lecture at IPFW for $16 (exact change). Details for the lecture time and location are below.
Just typing that title makes me shake with excitement.

Yes, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, aka Yarn Harlot. In Simply Socks Yarn Company. In two weeks. What a combo, am I right?
If you're looking for the best-ever-gift to yourself, you should be here too. Here being Fort Wayne, Indiana, the weekend following Thanksgiving. It's the perfect early-holiday-gift, or post-turkey-treat.

Want the details? Of course you do! Read on, and then if you don't see the answer you want here, then e-mail me, Allison, at service@simplysockyarn.com . That's the best way to get questions answered quickly. If you want to sign up for classes or buy your ticket to the lecture, click on the links below to buy your ticket online and reserve your space. You can also buy tickets at the shop, but seeing as how we are an internet/shipping business and only open to the public on Tuesdays and Saturdays, you might not want to take the chance of missing out. Space for the classes is each limited to 18 or so, depending on the class, and the lecture a couple hundred. Once it's sold out, the links will link to No Product Found. If you want to book several of you at once, you can buy more than one ticket at a time to make sure you all get space. Just don't hestitate long if you want more than one ticket. You will receive an e-mail from me within 4 days, but if you want to make sure you have a space immediately, just check your payment method. If you see the payment deducted from your card or Paypal, you're all set.
Stephanie Pearl McPhee will be at Simply Socks Yarn Company for a few days teaching classes at the shop and giving her lecture The Way Knitters Are at IPFW (I've booked a venue large enough for us, as I know this is a big deal to all us Midwest knitters). Here's what you need to know and the links.
Saturday, Novemeber 30, 2013 6-8pm. Lecture: The Way Knitters Are (click to purchase). Cost: $16 per person. You don't receive a printed ticket- we will have a list of paid attendees and those will be marked at the door. Bring identification. Edited to add: Tickets can be bought on the website until Thursday, Nov. 28. After that, you can buy tickets at the door as well, first come, first served. Please bring exact change.
Location: Walb Classic Ballroom (WU 126), IPFW Campus, Fort Wayne, Indiana. Easy to find using this map Download IPFWCampus_SLP-MainCampus (2), plenty of garage parking that leads right to the venue. Plus you'll see a couple hundred knitters all walking to the same door. 5 minutes from SSYC (should you want to shop before and have an early dinner out in the area. Seating is at tables of 12, snacks and drinks will be provided (or bring your own), so you can sit and knit and nosh with friends while basking in all that is the Yarn Harlot. There will be a meet and greet after. And, AND you also get a little gift bag of goodies. A great deal for an evening out with your knitting friends- or make some new ones at the event!
During this two hour lecture, Stephanie Pearl-Mcphee shares a funny, interesting talk about the way knitters think, how people think about them, and what might be done about all of that.
Sunday, December 1, 2013. Class: Grok the Sock 9am-noon (click to purchase). Cost: $75
Sold out.
Location: Simply Socks Yarn Company
Grok is a word from the classic book "Stranger in a Strange Land" that means to understand something completely. This 3-hour class is designed to leave the student with a really complete understanding of the construction of socks and (usually) the ability to knit a great sock that truly fits, without any pattern at all.
Supplies: a small quantity of sock yarn and needls to match. If you are in need of these supplies, SSYC will be open for shopping a half hour before class begins.
Sunday, December 1, 2013. Class: Knit Smart 2:00pm-5:00pm (click to purchase). Cost $75
Space open at this time. Reserve quickly if interested.
Location: Simply Socks Yarn Company
This small, intimate lecture style class deals with mistakes and bad outcomes in knitting, and talks about how to (usually) prevent them and (mostly) fix them. Learn how to choose tools, yarn, and a pattern that are more likely to work out than not, what to do with a pattern before you start to help you out, and what you can do to get in the way of mistakes all the way along- and how to fix them if all else fails. Feel free to bring proects with problems. I can't promise we'll get to all of them, but we'll try!
Supplies: None, but students may bring failed projects, or those with mistakes. We'll have a look together.
Monday, December 2, 2013. Knitting for Speed and Efficiency 9:00am-noon (click to purchase). Cost $75
Sold out.
Location: Simply Socks Yarn Company
This class examines the various techniques, attitudes and history of the most productive knitters, and is designed not necessarily to change how you knit (unless you want to) but to help you become the most efficient knitter you can be on your own terms. We'll look at the various styles of knitting, and have some instruction on "lever knitting" (fixed needle knitting.) We'll talk about techniques for knitting faster through changing what you do, and the way you think.
Supplies: Your regular knitting supplies, smooth worsted weight wool, and your favorite needles to match (circulars, double points, whatever you like best) as well you will need long straight needles (14 inches) of the same size. If you are in need of these supplies, SSYC will be open for shopping a half hour before class begins.
Monday, December 2, 2013. Class: Grok the Sock 2:00pm-5:00pm (click to purchase). Cost: $75
Sold out.
Location: Simply Socks Yarn Company
Grok is a word from the classic book "Stranger in a Strange Land" that means to understand something completely. This 3-hour class is designed to leave the student with a really complete understanding of the construction of socks and (usually) the ability to knit a great sock that truly fits, without any pattern at all.
Supplies: a small quantity of sock yarn and needls to match. If you are in need of supplies, SSYC will be open for shopping a half hour before class begins
* * * Sundry details * * *
Simply Socks Yarn Company is located at 1315 E. State Blvd, Fort Wayne, IN, 46805. There is plenty of off-street parking at the shop, as well as next door at the library. E-mail service@simplysockyarn.com with questions, or phone 260-416-2397. Please understand I'm also the mommy to little ones, so I don't answer the phone if I'm with them. E-mail is best.
The shop is open on Saturday, Nov 30 from 10-4 if you'd like to make a day or a weekend of shopping at our 3500 square foot sock yarn store, attending the lecture and classes. Stephanie Pearl-Mcphee will even be at the shop much of Saturday, if you'd like to bring a Yarn Harlot book (or buy one at the shop) to have signed and say Hi. No, I don't now exactly when she'll be in the shop on that day yet. I'll keep you posted here on the blog or Facebook if I have more accurate information.
Want to drive in with a group of friends to make a knit-away weekend out of it? Hotels that I'd be happy staying in within a 10 minute drive of the shop, lecture location, and plenty of restaurants and shopping are: Holiday Inn, Hyatt Place, Courtyard Marriot Downtown. Fort Wayne is also the home to a nice museum, and plenty of tasty dining downtown (just 5 minute drive from the shop). Visit this website or this one for more info of things to do. My husband and I really like Red Rok, Club Soda (annoying music on their website, sorry), and J.K. O'Donnell's for great food and drinks.
I'm super excited about the opportunity to share the passion of Stephanie Pearl-McPhee with you. She energizes me with her thoughts on knitting and life, and I can't wait to learn more from her and hang out with awesome knitters. I hope you can treat yourself to all or part of this experience!

The Little Shop of Spinning is also open on Saturday, Nov. 30 from 10-5 that day, and it's just a 10 minute drive from SSYC, if you're interested in stopping there before the lecture. They are located at 104 Three Rivers North, Fort Wayne, Indiana. Their phone number is 260-580-1811 if you are interested in info.