Last week I was waiting to board a flight to Walt Disney World (WDW) in Orlando, Florida, and decided to pull out a book instead of my yarn. It was mostly due to the proximity of the yarn in relation to the book, and my lack of sleep the night before.

This particular book caught my eye at the local library, and I thought it might make the perfect vacation read, especially for winding down after a day at one of the theme parks and on the flights down and back. I, of course, also took a knitting project.

I’ve been working on a pink and black wool version of the below-pictured pocket scarf, which I also found at the library, in a book of knitting patterns.

On the flight down I wasn’t in the mood to pull out the yarn – I’d only gotten ~4 hours of sleep (maybe less) the night before and had been up since 3am. My knitting bag was also tucked well into the bottom of my carry-on backpack, and digging it out would be a chore, so I turned to the book: Stephanie Pearl-McPhee’s “All Wound Up”.

Only a few pages in, it was clear the book was going to be a terrific read. Light, humorous, relatable and well-written; this is almost as much fun as playing with yarn.

Here’s one of my favorites from the chapter, “Personal Filters” where she describes various scenes that involve her knitting and being approached by someone who asks a question. She provides what she would LIKE to say, in detail as well as what she actually said.

I think anyone who has knitted or crocheted in public will relate to most, if not all, of these.

Stephanie Pearl-McPhee also delights readers with witty sayings that are quotable, and dare I say, “stitchable” if one is adept with floss and fabric.

Here’s one that aligns beautifully with the sentiments of my blog:

“Knitting and yarn are absolutely mood-altering substances, and if you don’t say so, you’re lying.”

If you need a break, for any reason, but don’t want to stray too far from the world of knitting and yarn, check out this book by seasoned knitter, writer and humorist – Stephanie Peral-McPhee (aka ‘the yarn harlot’). You’ll be glad that you did!

Now that I have returned from just over a week at WDW, I am on a mission to make my own “ears” because a) I want more than one pair for my next trip down there, b) I’ve been looking for my next “project“, c) I’m pretty sure I can make at least 5 (maybe 7) pairs of ears/headbands for the cost of 1 at the theme park, and d) I have SO many ideas for cute, Disney-experience themes that I just want to get creative with them!

I have no interest or desire to sell them. I will be making them for me and/or my family, only. ALSO, I have no beef with the price WDW decides to charge. They do absolutely EVERYTHING to perfection, and have more than earned the right to decide the price of their goods and services. I just think that if someone is creative, you know – like the guy whose doodles created a famous mouse and all his friends, which ended up creating an empire – they SHOULD channel some of that energy into their love of the Walt Disney World experience!!

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