so happy for you! you deserve it. :)

it was awesome to see you in seattle. you were great! you had to go before i could give you a hug but i was there and am cheering you on...

this IS your life. isn't that fantastic?

Good that you get a return on all the joy and laughs that you give to all of us.

I was tempted to drive 250 miles to see you at Powell's but couldn't pull it off. Glad you like the Northwest, its awesome!

You did look like you were having a blast, even when you finally got to me at the end of the signing line.

I hope the rest of your book promotion tour stays as fun for you. Needing to break it into small chunks because of work probably helps a lot so you don't end up worn out.

Hey Aunty, stop it! You are making my eyes all wet!

I feel a little like when I am watching one of my kids do something that scares the bejaysus out of them but they do it anyway. I actually feel 'mother-proud' of you so your Mom must be fit to burst!

As I believe you Americans, with your quaint terminology say 'You go girl!' (rolls arms in a forward circle at about hip height a la Joey Tribbiani.;-) )

Laurie, this couldn't have happened to a more deserving woman. Enjoy the ride and squeeze every bit of fun and joy out of it as possible.

You rock!!!

I wasn't even there and you are amazing. Rock on, sister (or whatever they say!)

Seems to be your life :-)
And it´s kinda self-knitted.
Congrats to you.

You're such a sweetheart, Laurie. I'm way bummed that I missed seeing you in Houston! (I was considering having my mom--who is a genius greeting card maker lady--make you a knitting thank-you card but felt that would be way weird.) Hopefully you'll come back soon and I'll get to meet you then!

It was great to see you and even better that you're having so much fun with it all!

And I did actually think of a question once I was home to my cats . . . do you call and leave messages for Soba, Frankie & Bob when you're away? I do that, so I thought you might!

If it's one thing I've learned it's that there are always people like you out there, no matter how different or strange you are.

Would you mind making a detour to Copenhagen Denmark on your booktour? That way I could actually come. It's just the other side of the globe... no biggie...

It's really your life. Please consider bringing your life to the NW Ohio (Toledo)/SE Michigan (Ann Arbor) area. We'd love to have you. I'd even drive to Lansing (Threadbear Fiber Arts) to see you.

AWWWW!!! I had so much fun!!! at the booksigning, I'm so glad you did too! You looked great and it was wonderful to finally meet you in person. Can't wait to see you again.

Love and Laughter,
Amy

You were great! I'm happy to know that you're just as funny in real life as on your blog (and yes, that's a lot).

Also: Thank you, thank you for giving me a copy of your book. I was really touched...have been living brokely for WAY longer than I care to remember, and it was such an kind gift I nearly cried at you. So sweet. Can I send you something as a thank you? (A knitted accolade cozy?)

Congratulations on your success! Here's to your next book and its tour - please come back to Portland! I promise it doesn't always rain like this, just...October until June.

Much e-hug to you!

Congratulations! Now you know the secret of all successful presentations. When you are honest with yourself, your audience will know you are genuine. There is no greater gift than honesty. Cherish it, protect it, knit it into your soul – we will celebrate with joy, that you are true to yourself!

There is nothing wrong with saying "porn" in public. It really lightens the mood actually.

I (and my mom) really enjoyed your appearance at Powell's, even if it was "way over there" in Beaverton, rather than within the much more sane and stable Portland city limits. And I'm really glad that you're enjoying the book tour. I know it must be both a whirlwind of activity and a whirlwind of newfound celebrity. Hope you continue to enjoy your 200th appearance as much as these first dozen or so appearances.

Come home to LA! You may be tempted by the beauty of Oregon, but the Pacific Northwest already has nice stuff... big trees and good coffee. Without your funny stories, LA just has a lot of traffic and obnoxious people on cellphones.

Awesome.

Laurie, I've been reading here for...oh, a real long time. But rarely post 'cos it's just so overwhelming to be the 31,405th poster. But today it's more like 19th so here I go. (By the time I finishe typing this it'll probably be 39th!)

I bought, have read, and love your book...wish you were coming to Baltimore. Like trashalou, I feel as though I'm watching my kid triumph. (Hey, I'm old enough...you could be my kid!) I am so glad you're having such fun with this.

And I love and want your cats. Except that my cats would hate me forever.

Congratulations!

Sooo happy for you!! Now you have experienced just a little sliver of the thousands of people out there that you make laugh every morning on this blog with your wonderful humor and vulnerability. Yes, there are many, many people just like you. Thanks for the gift each day. Love you!!

Oh Laurie! Sooo happy for you! I have had a purely hetero crush on you for a long time and meeting you put me over the top. You are such a warm, kind, absolutely hilarious person! I am so happy that you are able to have this wonderful experience and get to meet all the people you have touched.

When are you coming to Cleveland?

We aren't all Southern and charming, but I can guarantee you'll need your woolen knits and can probably find you an awesome corned beef sandwich if you're interested. And maybe some wine, too!

On an unrelated note...my mom asked me for my Xmas list (yes, I am 33. On to another topic, please!) and I asked for your book. Apparently, she wandered around Borders querying all the sales staff about the "Drunk Cat Hair" book before someone was able to help her find it. Poor mom. She thought I was messing with her.

She also does not believe that a sane woman would chose to go by the moniker "Yarn Harlot," but clearly - my mother is not in with the knit crowd.

So happy for you, Laurie! Even though I probably won't meet you anytime soon (East Coast) I'll look forward to it...maybe your publicist will send you to Rhinebeck? Not tomorrow - although that would be a NICE surprise, since I'm going tomorrow for my first time ever - I mean next year. Or for your next book ;)

Enjoy! Soak up the appreciation of the multitudes! Cuddle cats! (For me, that is the BEST part about coming home.)

And now that you and Al are quite the celeb couple, I feel optimistic about the future of the entire planet - hey, thanks!

Quinn

Of course there's gals like you out there! Us!That's why we all like you so much!

So happy for you! There are a lot of us that are like you.

"Now I know why people leave their houses"...I so *totally* get this sentence.

I love the joy I hear in your post. Isn't life grand and amazing and surprising?!?! Rock on.

To come out of that safe harbour is a hard thing to do but it's so worth it when you do. Wish you were coming to Scotland to see us over here. Not fair. Can't wait to get the book but it's not released here until next year! Have a word with those nasty publishers in the international section.

Laurie,

SO happy to hear you are having so much fun with this book tour!

And SO PROUD of you!

Looking forward to meeting you in Peoria! (counting down the days!)

I keep wishing you could make it down south. I'm in Atlanta and my husband has actually been concerned about me because I was laughing so hard I was crying when I stumbled across your blog. Keep it up and I am looking forward to reading your book. Congratulations on the tour.

It's so fun to hear (read) your excitment and genuine enthusiasm! What a dream come true for you! Now it makes me really sad that I can't make it to the MOA next week! I'll be there in spirit - no doubt giggling with the masses, but there's a benefit at my son's school for a classmate. Can't make it to the Yarnery that afternoon either! Boo hoo! Have fun at MOA! And welcome to Minnesota.

I'm so glad the Northwest has treated you right! I couldn't make the signing, but I can't wait to hear about it!

Delurking to say I'm glad your book tour is going well and that it is better than you ever imagined. I'm reading your book now and would love for your tour to come to NYC so you can sign my copy. I'm loving it!

Yes, there are really more women like you out here, and your humor and excitement keeps it real every day. I don't even knit and read your blog! I do however, share the affinity for cats and Cheetos! You deserve every minute of your joy, especially because it takes guts to make things happen in life and people that jump in with both feet should be celebrated and encouraged. Many kudos to you and much caffeine to keep you on your way!

Laurie

I was at the Walmarts and there was your book right there with all those BOOKS! I felt famous for some reason just cause I read your blog. How weird is that? Anyway I'm an unemployed poor person so I have it on hold at the library and didn't buy it. But I picked it up and ran off to show my friend how famous you and I are.

I love reading your posts about the tour. If you don't have time for one of those though do one of those favorite things posts. I LOVE them. And now that I've broken my posting virginity (this is my second) I can list my favorite things too!

I just received and finished reading your book. I really liked it and will pass it along to the other girls I knit with regularly. Thank you for putting yourself out there and for entertaining me (and the rest of the world it seems).

so genuinely happy for you : )

Congratulations on finding your joy! :-)

Wish you could have made it to Austin! I just got your book, but your Texas tour was not big enough (and of course you know that EVERYTHING's bigger in Texas),so maybe next time. I had a class with Annie last Monday, so it was a nice segue when I read about your taking a class from her in your book. I've been enjoying the book and of course, I try to read your blog whenever I can. I'm glad that you're having a blast and finding out that the rest of the world really does have good people in it who aren't all that scary. Take care and keep on loving your "new" life!

super duper happy for you! for serious!!!!!

Also- can't wait to see you Thursday at the MOA!!!! a friend and I are driving for THREE HOURS!!!! to come and stalk you!!!!!! :-)

(it'll also be my first time at the moa! sa-weet!!!)

I am so happy it is all working out and that the process of 'all the public speaking/etc.' is working out to actually be enjoyable for you!

I never doubted that you wouldn't be wonderful-- just wish that you were coming close to where I live.

Keep me posted for any updates on the International tour schedule/s.

My question would be:

When you were little- what did you 'dream' of being when you grew up?

I have never posted a comment before, but after reading this entry, I just had to! I have not read your book yet, although I fully intend to (next paycheque: your book - check!) Thank-you to YOU for sharing your life with me — knitting adventures, divorce, cats — all things to which I can relate. Yes, there are other gals out there like you!

When are you coming up to Canada???? ;)

I am so glad to hear how happy you are. We are truly blessed. I can't wait to meet you when you come to Nashville, TN.

I'm hoping it is so successful that more tour dates will be added and one will be close enough to New Mexico. Other wise I will have to stalk you real style or hold Bob or Frankie hostage, I know better than to mess with Soba.

So proud of our girl!

Darn it! I didn't get to see you while you were up here in my territory, but I did the next best thing--I bought your book yesterday and finished it this morning! I loved it.

Yes it's really your life you silly crazy wonderful girl! (Being a fellow southerner, I'm assuming 'girl' is cool with you.) I'm so wishing you were making it out to NC, but I'll just have to hope for later. Congrats on all the wonderfulness!

How wonderful! I'm so glad it's going well.

Am also a fellow southerner like SarahAyars and say puhleeez come down here. Pretty please! I promise we'd laugh and most likely bring homemade goodness to you at the signings.

I'll third the request for a Cleveland/NE Ohio trip! I'm super jealous of my mother: she gets to see you in Minneapolis.

Congratulations on everything!

SO damned happy for you!!!!!!!!!

I hereby fourth the request for an Ohio visit. :)

Hurray for Purl, our knitting rock star!

After reading your book (which surprised me because it wasn't all sweetness and light), your accomplishments in the past few weeks are absolutely astounding.

You have to come to Canada so I've decided to plug your book on my blog. Every little bit helps! LOL

Uh oh - addicted to the laugh. You're doomed! That's dangerous stuff - it will keep you going out in public and risking making a fool of yourself and you'll never be able to stop. But it's so worth it. Even better than wine.

Congratulations!

It was so great to see you in Beaverton! Thanks for coming out, and I hope you'll come back. :D

Your post gave me goosebumps! We are all enjoying your happiness!!

So close...yet so far.
You were less than a 20 minute bus-ride from me in Seattle, but I finally gave into my flu and decided not to share it with the world, so I'll have catch you on your next book tour! You know, for you next book?

Laurie it was so fun to finally meet you last night! I had a BLAST. It was really great! I'm cozying up with the book this weekend -- the weather's gonna be wretched! Much love and YOU DESERVE THIS, chick. Happy suits you just fine. ;)

Darci

OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This just in- I found that they have REAL Abercrombie models at the mall of america. Real ones. Not just mannequins. MAN-equins!!!! they let you take pictures!!!!!!!!!

Laurie,

GOOD FOR YOU U DESERVE IT!!! reading your post today put a huge grin on my face. I can't wait to see u in Miami!!

Lovely post, and yes - this is really your life. That you created, through actions and attitude and community making. This is a great lesson for everyone who reads your blog, you give us a gift too you know.

Yay Aunt Purl!!!

I'm so glad you enjoyed our little corner of the world. I'm so bummed I didn't get to come see you! Hopefully I'll get a second chance at meeting you and getting my book signed somewhere along the way.

loved your boots! and the Q & A. so many giggles.

So wonderful to hear how much fun you are having. I am sooooo bummed I didn't get to make it to Houston to see you. Enjoy every second of it!!

congrats laurie. i'm so happy for you. i just bought your book last week. oh how i wish you were coming to the SF bay area. thanks for sharing the great joys that are coming your way. :)

I'm so happy for you sweetie!! And so very proud!! To quote Virginia Slims, you've come a long way, baby!!

Have a safe trip home and SLEEP!!!

I'm so glad you were able to make it to Seattle, it was really fun to see you in person!

Still.
Am.
So.
Jealous.

Cheers!

:) Hee-hee. Yer as giddy as a school gurl.

You'll LOVE British Columbia, too, when you're spectacular book tour brings you to Canada.
And baby, we love you up here, too!

Aw, I'm so happy for you. This is a Big Deal. Thanks for coming to Beaverton.

I meant 'your spectacular book tour'.
But I'll bet you figured that out all by yourself. I just wanted to leave a second post. For fun!

Laurie, it was great meeting you last night! You did a fabulous job at your reading, and the only thing I would have done differently would be to extend the Q&A session! If I weren't so hugely pregnant & tired these days, I would have offered to show you around town. I hope you got to have at least a little glimpse of Portland. It's a great town (spoken by an LA native).

Congratulations on your success. You know, I would love to hear you on This American Life (and it would do wonders for your book sales). Has your publicist pitched your story to Ira Glass yet?

Yay! This post makes me so happy that i want to inappropriately hug you! :)
xoxo

I wish I could have made it out to portland.... it is a 8 hour drive...maybe next time you could visit Boise? Please?

Hey Laurie! So nice to meet you in Seattle and thanks for the hug! I'm so glad we drove down to see you! More glad that you went to that SnB so long ago and started down the road you're on now. You deserve every good thing that has come and is coming to you. You rock!

:) :) :)

I was so sad to miss you last night at Powell's! We ended having our son's parent-teacher conference and couldn't make it in time. I did pick up your book at Borders last Saturday night(just down the street from Powell's actually...using a free coffee coupon for our "date" night... well, I was trying for a date night with the DH). I'm so glad you liked the Northwest! We'd love to have you move here if you ever get the chance. You get used to the rain and really only need an umbrella sometimes.
Kisses to the cats!

It was SO MUCH fun to have you in our store! Finally, an author and a crowd that I could relate to (I get a lot of business writers...). Everyone loved you, and it was a great time for all. Thank you for everything, and come back soon! There's waaaay more good food to be eaten up here!

Hi Laurie,

It was excellent to meet you last night at Powells! You did an excellent job, didn’t seem nervous in the slightest. It’s great to see how you speak just like you write: chatty, charming, warm & witty. We had a great time!

You’ve gotten me all inspired to not only do some more writing for fun, but to dust off my knitting needles this fall.

Can’t wait to start the book! Take care, dear authoress extraordinaire!

Anne Marie
Portland, Oregon

Welcome to your life: Phase next. :)

Just think; the merest thought of book tours may make the day job more bearable!

My Darling Doppelganger,

Thank you, thank you, thank you for being you. I found out in July that my husband of 9 years knocked up a one-night-stand. I am dropping him like the hot bag of shit that he is. I felt so alone until I found your blog. Knowing that someone else was going through the same emotions and actually managed to not only survive but thrive has been an absolute answer to my prayers. I regret to inform you that I will not be able to make your appearance at the Fall of America , (yes, that is what many of us call it here in MN), as my first knitting class is that evening.

I'm so glad you're having such a great time and actually ENJOYING the signings! Hope it keeps getting better...

I couldn't make it, but know that I thought about you and wished you well! I ordered your book months ago, and my parents are forwarding it to me since I was in the process of moving at the time.

I am so looking forward to seeing you at the Mall of America! Even more so now that I know how much you are enjoying your fine self.

Oh, I am so happy that you are having such a wonderful time! Yes this is your life, and you made it! Isn't it cool?

You deserve every last cat dander bit of success! Gratitude begets gratitude, kindness-kindness, joy-joy!! The positives grow exponentially! Your openness and humor created tears and belly laughs from a body that never thought it would feel it again ... me. I'm grateful and so look forward to your posts!

this *is* your life and you deserve every happiness. what you give is what you get and you are the perfect example of that. >

that's my comment above "this *is* your life ..." i got so excited by your post i forgot to put my name!

I so enjoyed seeing you last night at Powell's in Beaverton. The ability to laugh at yourself makes life so much more interesting! I went home last night and laughed out loud while I read Chapters 1-33 with a glass of wine. Next time you come to PDX (hopefully not Beaverton), I promise to bring you a nice bottle of Oregon wine.

During your LA signing you said something to the effect that you couldn't believe that we think you have something interesting to say and you were suprised that we were reading/listening to you. You know why? Because while you are an amazing individual with a huge amount of courage and talent, you ARE us. You put better words to it than we could, and you may see things from a slightly quirky point of view sometimes, but you are our next-door-neighbor, our cousin, our sister. You get us.

So we are there to support you, and we are here to cheer you on. You have done a fantastic job (and we are now awaiting the other half of the book that didn't get published)!

Hey Purl!

It was so nice to meet you in Seattle. I'm glad that you liked the PNW. We are nice folks, eh? I bet Portland was a hoot, as well. That's my favorite PNW city.

The picture I took of us turned out great! You are such a hottie. :)

Congratulations! Well deserved success! ((( HUG )))

I hope you got to see more than Beaverton. Portland is a very cool city! I miss living there.

Thank you so much for doing the "group" photo with my friend Linda and the pic of me and my son Q. It's a close to being there as we could get.

Congratulations on all your success!

Hi Laurie,
I'm a Seattle Area-ite and I REALLY wish I could have met you, seen you, laughed with you at your Seattle appearance, but alas it was not to be! I was really busy getting the horse hair and cat hair off my clothes. My dog does not shed, so that is good news. Oh, other good news is that our horses, all 11 who live and board here, do not come in the house!! But I live on an island with only ferries, no bridge, so getting to the Big City midweek is hard. I thought about you having fun (in a non-stalker way, you know!), and know that you did!
I'm glad you like the Northwest! Me too, even though (or especially because?) I'm from California!
Emily

Ps. I love the new 'do! Way cute!

GO YOU!!

Dear Laurie, thanks so much for coming up to Portland, it was fabulous listening to you and meeting you last night. You looked awesome and triumphant and I just wanted to hug you inappropriately but there was the table in the way and a big line behind me.
Anyway. sniff. Y'all are funny as hell and I wish you all the very best. And Frances the tortie says "hey!"

It was soooo much fun to see you in Seattle! As soon as I walked in I was shocked to see how little seating they had set up. Clearly they underestimate the number of knitters, divorcees, women with cats, and women who are divorcee knitters with cats! Then there's the depressed singles.... well, I could go on. I hope you get a kick out of the Yoga for Cats book and it's reassuring to see "one of us" make it. I just wish we would have gone to the Hollywood S&B the last couple of years (we holiday in LA), but we were afraid of the foisting... and now so many people will probably go there to foist that you'll need to start some sort of underground knitting group.

Congratulations on conquering the lower parts of the Northwest. Now, proceed north! ;-)

I am sooo happy for you!! definitely deserve it! when you are you coming to montana? lol have fun!

Come to Northern CA when you have a chance, Laurie! San Francisco :hearts: you!

crazyass great is right!

I'm so glad you're having a great trip! Yes, the PNW is really great, once you get past the rain that makes everything So. Green.

I hope you got to meet Rabbitch--I hope to also someday!

Please consider heading to the southeast. Specifically, the Raleigh, NC area.

You have many fans here, and we LOVE you!

When you finish your next book (And I'm sure you will!), we'll be there at your first signing as well. And we shall bring you wine! :)

The best part for my wife and I in LA was watching your anxiety turn to joy as you realized that the crowd was there to support you in any way possible. It reminded me of a small child at Christmas, delighted to find they finally received the 'perfect gift'.

Your writing really is the perfect gift, for all of us.

I've never said thank you to an author before, but, from the bottom of all our hearts, thank you!