Market Exhaustion...

Where to begin? I'd forgottten how completely physically and mentally draining this trade show is! Today was the first day the Market floor was open and I feel like we've been through the ringer! It's overstimulation to the extreme. So much yarn to feel, so many hooks and needles to sample, so many options to consider! It's wonderful, don't get me wrong, but gosh!
On a very positive note, we placed orders for all sorts of fabulous stuff: new, gorgeous shawl pins, brand new Schaefer yarns and Laura Nelkin patterns (we've come to know her- she's a really cool gal), new books, super luxurious yarns from Buffalo Gold, etc... We're planning some really cool things for the near future- a super cool program from Kollage Yarns with some really challenging and rewarding classes to build your knitting skills (AND we ordered Kollage square needles!), and an unveiling of a new yarn with a beautiful shop model. We're also talking to some fiber suppliers that have yummy fibers and colorways! More orders to come tomorrow...there are about 500 booths/vendors to go!
Guess who we met today? Debbie Macomber (got some signed patterns from her- Grammy will love that!), Norah Gaughan, and Cirillia Rose! Very exciting! I took a yarn dyeing class this morning- surely I have got to get better at this with practice, right? Mom took a class by Lily Chin- I'll let her blog about that later. :)
More to come!

Robin ;)

WWKiP Day and more...

Hello Friends,

Do you all know what amazing event is coming up? WorldWide Knit in Public Day (which is actually nine days in 2010) is a global opportunity for knitters to get out of the closet and find a comfy, public place to hunker down and knit a while. Started in 2005 by Danielle Landes, WWKiP Day was designed so knitters could come together and enjoy each other's company. Knitting can be a solitary activity so between June 12th and June 20th, WWKiP Day encourages local groups to organize and find a cafe, park, shopping mall, or any safe, public location where you can show the public that knitting is not just for "grannies". Show the world that knitting is an activity that can be shared by the community, and beyond.

Recently I had the opportunity to share a fascinating conversation with a delightfully talented lady (no names here, but you know who you are, SK). The discussion began with the general topic about knitting in public, then naturally transitioned to WWKiP events, and finally morphed into a plan to unite knitters around our great country to call attention to the peaceful pastime that we call knitting. Imagine the possibilities! Who could not benefit? Which brings me to the question of the week - What more can the knitting community do to promote our passion? SK and I came up with many fantastic ideas - what are yours?

Yummy...New Sock Yarn! :)

This absolutely beautiful sock yarn came in a couple of weeks ago, and it's been tucked back in our "sock corner." It's made by Mountain Colors, which hasn't always been my favorite yarn company (nothing against their yarn- it's gorgeous), just a bad experience with a sales rep. It's called "Crazyfoot," and it's 100grams of handpainted goodness! 425 yards to the skein, 90% superwash merino wool, 10% nylon. Needless to say, I'm a sock yarn junkie and can't resist bright colors that call out to me, even if they are tucked away like gems. Well, I'm done resisting- what's life about if you can't give in to yarny temptations every once in a while (okay, maybe more often than that!)?
There's a crocheted scarf pattern on Ravelry (the Boteh Scarf, by Kathy Merrick) that I've been dying to try- just haven't found the right yarn for...until now. My only question is which of these beautiful colorways do I choose? I will probably spend all day with these three hanks in front of me, asking everyone who comes through the door for their opinion!

"Mountain Tango" "Goldrush" "Mountain Lights"

Make sure to take our poll (------>) and put in your two cents about which colorway I should choose!

Robin