I decided if I can't read and knit at the same time, at least I could knit while listening to my favorite authors talk about their books. I don't know which I enjoy most, listening to authors or going to a knitting class where a new technique to taught by a renowned designer, like Maggie Jackson. Suffice it to say, I love them both.
James Bend talked about writing with only the knowledge a person would have had during that time in history rather than infusing what we know today about what happened. Interesting!!!! He said, "Like us after 9/11, they don't know what happens next." OMG! That's just like starting a knitting project. Until you are into it, you really don't get what happens next no matter how well you've read the pattern.
Deanna Raybourn said, "What we think we know about history is really, really wrong!" Often what I think I know about knitting is really, really wrong.
Getting back to the writers. Deanna talked about as a writer, "the moment you know you're doing what you were born to do." "Things click into place and you feel peace." Isn't that beautiful?!?!?!?! If you've read Knitting: A Love Story for very long, you know that perfectly describes my relationship with knitting. I feel Deanna and I are kindred spirits. When she said that, I did a little intake of breathe and said, "Oh, my!" Each author was asked about their gateway book which led me to wonder about my gateway pattern. Was there a pattern which said, "This is it. I want to do this for the rest of my life"? I went through pictures of things I've knit and there it was. My gateway project.
James Bend talked about the great difference between the first draft of a novel and the last draft. Which led me to think about "knitting drafts." I have made a couple things which had more than one draft, i.e., I finished it in draft one and it was different in the last draft. I don't think this means knitting a project and correcting mistakes as you go. I think it means knitting a project, studying the results, knitting it over, studying the results until you think it is perfect. This is my final draft of one of my best projects.
Like the Spring and Fall Fiber Expos, Kerrytown Bookfest is full of vendors and treasures. I can never leave the Bookfest without buying a book just like I can never leave a Fiber Expo without buying yarn. I successfully infused knitting in the Kerrytown Bookfest but I am a little stuck on how to infuse reading into the Fall Fiber Expo. It really doesn't matter. Separately or together, knitting and reading are palpable passions.