TV & Dayton

Hi Knitters,

I always love a good behind the scenes look at anything. Here is the behind the scenes at WGN yesterday before my TV segment on the Midday News show. Above is my trunk show from Itty-Bitty Toys. I cram every project from the book in my suitcase. This time I only brought one suitcase because I didn't feel up to lugging around two suitcases. It gets to be a lot.
I walked around and took some shots of the studio. Above is the set for the Illinois Lottery. I was in the next studio over. I think TV stations are funny because often the local stations are in really old, kind of run-down buildings. There is nothing fancy about them. The behind the camera workers are often dressed in old sweatshirts and jeans which is in stark contrast to the on-camera people who look so made up.

There is a lot of waiting around so I like to listen in to the banter of the producers and camera people. More on that in a minute.

Here is a make-up room where you can do your own make-up. I didn't even step in here and I haven't ever seen a room like this in any other station. There were two young women occupying this room and they were hula dancers. They were on after me so I didn't get to see them perform. They were very worried about everything, the set, their make-up, their costumes. Not me, I am what I am.
This is the green room where I waited. Here I over-heard that Shirley Jones was scheduled to be on the show right before me. I was pretty excited about that. I am a child of the 60's and 70's and I am pretty sure I have seen every episode of the Partridge Family. I always remember my mom loved Shirley Jones in the movie, Oklahoma, and I did, too. Shirley won an Oscar for best supporting actress in the 1960's and they were having her on to talk about the Oscars for this year.
This is the set I was on. The yellow table was for a young chef making sushi. My table was on the other end of the studio. The chef was really nice and surprisingly interested in my toys. He works for Trader Vic's.

Anyway, while I was on the set setting up my table with projects a big kerfuffle happened. The producer was all distraught because Shirley Jones didn't show up for her segment. The producer called her publicist and they had the next day written down. Shirley was at O'Hare at 11:00 and that's exactly when her segment was scheduled to air on the live show. There was a lot of discussion and dismay and going over the facts about what had happened. Trouble.
I loved it. Although it was sad not to meet or see Shirley Jones this was pretty entertaining anyway. I was in the studio about an hour early. As the bewildered producer walked by me after learning about the Shirley debacle, he said, "Well at least you're here nice and early." I replied, "Yeah, but I'm no Shirley Jones." As he walked away he said, "No, you're BETTER than Shirley Jones!" I loved that! See what being early can do for you? Better than Shirley Jones....

Anyway, click here to see my segment on WGN. By the way, I always get the tallest newscasters to interview me for some reason.
Here I am on the kitchen set of FOX News in Dayton, Ohio. I did the morning show. The host was really cute and enthusiastic and tiny for once. This was good because they had me on for their close out segment, too, so I got to close the show in addition to the regular segment. The hosts came over and played with the puppets for the closing. This was a fun segment to do.

Click here to watch the FOX News Dayton tv segment.

The host was really wanting to learn how to knit so right at the end I tried to help her with a knit stitch. She was sweet and genuinely interested. That was nice.
Here is the event I had over the lunch hour at Books & Co. It was a great group of friendly and fun knitters.
I really enjoyed talking with them. They had great questions. Right in the front is the Books & Co. event coordinator, Sharon. She does such a nice job.
I signed lots of books and listened to lots of good knitting stories. This woman, Maurene, has knit every hat in Itty-Bitty Hats. I love hearing that. She was very sweet.
Books & Co. does great advertising and makes big posters for the stores. They are just organized and well-seasoned at hosting authors. I love going here. I came to this bookstore for Itty-Bitty Nursery as well.
As always the adults love the toys. They pick them up and try everything out. It is fun to watch. I did find another giraffe collector in the crowd, too. Giraffe collectors are everywhere but you'd never know it. You have to ask and if you do ask, you'll find one, too.
There were a lot of grandmas and even great grandmas in the group. They all looked so young. I had one woman who wants to make the curly snake as a stethoscope cover for her son in med-school. She was asking about that. I told her she looked so young to have grown children and then she told me she was a grandma, too. I mean she looked 35 at most. I love that snake on the stethoscope for her son's pediatric rotation. That would be wonderful to see.
This sweetheart (darn, I am blanking on her name, grrrr) drove 2 1/2 hours to come to the event. She took a couple of days off of work so she could come to see me. She was incredibly fun and took lots of photos. I loved meeting her. I signed all 3 of her Itty-Bitty books.

The woman on the right is her sister who lives in town. She was staying with her. Anyway, thanks for the effort. I am always amazed when someone does that and I appreciate it.

More to come tonight! I will be at the other Books & Co. at 7:00pm for another event. Hope to see you there if you are nearby.

I'll be back soon. Tomorrow Nina's in Chicago! Then I am homeward bound. I will be home just in time for dinner at my house.

best, susie