We'll, we're back from market, full of ideas and excitement. But where do I begin? Act I begins with the various classes and events that we attended prior to the actual market opening. Before I move on to that, notice how great Mom looked in her stripes, including the Rowan Summer Tweed Kasbah sweater knit by Nancy Brown and her Rowan Cotton Glace sweater knit by me. (In the blue and white sweater photo she is wearing her trusty TNNA badge and holding our drink tickets for one of the cocktail parties.) She also wore the fabulous new sweater she just completed from Fitted Knits. You wouldn't believe how many compliments she received throughout the weekend.Okay, now moving from how Mom looked to what we did...On Thursday Mom took a six-hour class called Color for Knitters. It was all about color theory and how to evaluate colors of different "weights" and incorporate them into one project. She loved it. That day I took Crochet for Knitters with Rick Mondragan from Knitter's Magazine and Teaching Fun Classes with Barry Klein of Trendsetter Yarns. I am a little phobic about crocheting (as in my hands start to sweat and I get very nervous), and as it turned 
out, both classes had a lot of crocheting. In Crochet for Knitters, I learned a variety of ways to use crochet in knitting, including various crocheted cast-ons and crocheted trims. In Teaching Fun Classes, I learned a few fun projects that have class potential. The best was a crocheted scarf with curlicues running up the side. I was a little freaked out about all the crocheting, but I picked up on it well enough and actually liked the results.
On Friday, Mom took Basic Pattern Drafting with Melissa Leapman and Stripes, and Stripes That Aren't with Sally Melville (which apparently was quite fabulous). That day I took a web site class and a marketing class, so I didn't do any knitting.
As for events, Friday night was the fashion show, which is always a lot of fun. As for trends, we saw a lot of cables, entrelac, vests, Fair Isle, stripes, felting, cardigans, and shawls. Aside from all the spectacular garments, the interesting part of the show was the fact that one of the models from the show two years ago (last year was in Indianapolis, so she wasn't there) was back again. How could everyone remember? Well, she is a beautiful girl who looks absolutely miserable, almost pained. All the other models were smiling, even joking around, but this one girl looked like she was trying to put the unhappiest expression she could muster on her face. At one point someone in the front row must have shouted out for her to smile because she smiled for a spit second. I imagine she must have just been very nervous (it was a huge crowd, after all), so I felt sorry for her.
On Saturday morning we had the Tahki Stacy Charles breakfast, which we love. You get a preview of the designs, and representatives from the company speak. Also, the editors of Vogue Knitting, Interweave, and Yarn Market News gives speeches on styles and trends in upcoming issues. That night we attended a cocktail party hosted by Dream in Color, that great superwash, hand-dyed wool we carry. As it turned out, when we left the party in search for dinner, there was some big monthly event going on outside on High Street, which has a lot of restaurants and galleries. The streets were packed, and we shimmied our way through the crowds only to find that there were long, long waits everywhere we went. We lucked out and scored a bar seat at a restaurant right across from the convention center (thanks to Mom's eagle eyes and cat-like reflexes).
Finally, Sunday night we attended the Potter Craft cocktail party. They publish a lot of knitting books we carry, and this is a little thank-you party they have at market. But I certainly shouldn't call it "little" this time. This was one of the coolest cocktail parties I have been to. Potter hosted it at a lounge called Latitude 41, and the appetizers were some of the most beautiful and delicious I have seen. Everything was already plated on these darling square white plates. We had roast beef over mashed potatoes, chickpea cakes, gazpacho, tuna, spring rolls, and fancified corn dogs (think a bite of delicious sausage surrounded by polenta). Plus, there was a lovely bar, and the whole place was oh so stylish. Now, I should mention that my assessment of the evening could be slightly influenced by the fact that I won the first drawing, which was for an I-Pod Shuffle! I have never won a drawing, and I almost missed this one since the speakers were bad and I could hardly hear my number. Anyway, I am now the very tickled owner of an I-Pod Shuffle.
After the party, even though we were all stuffed with great food, we went for a light dinner with Paula, Debbie, and Heidi from Sheep's Clothing. We decided to eat at the restaurant at their hotel, but before we had left, a monsoon-like rainstorm started outside. Their hotel was only two blocks away, but we would have been absolutely soaked through. It happened that a minivan cab was waiting outside, and he was happy to take us. The lovely, cheerful cab driver is still working on his English. When Debbie thanked him for taking us such a short distance through the storm, he happily replied, "Yes, it is the cats and the dogs." I loved that.
So that's it for our classes and social events from Columbus. Later: products galore on the market floor.
out, both classes had a lot of crocheting. In Crochet for Knitters, I learned a variety of ways to use crochet in knitting, including various crocheted cast-ons and crocheted trims. In Teaching Fun Classes, I learned a few fun projects that have class potential. The best was a crocheted scarf with curlicues running up the side. I was a little freaked out about all the crocheting, but I picked up on it well enough and actually liked the results.On Friday, Mom took Basic Pattern Drafting with Melissa Leapman and Stripes, and Stripes That Aren't with Sally Melville (which apparently was quite fabulous). That day I took a web site class and a marketing class, so I didn't do any knitting.
As for events, Friday night was the fashion show, which is always a lot of fun. As for trends, we saw a lot of cables, entrelac, vests, Fair Isle, stripes, felting, cardigans, and shawls. Aside from all the spectacular garments, the interesting part of the show was the fact that one of the models from the show two years ago (last year was in Indianapolis, so she wasn't there) was back again. How could everyone remember? Well, she is a beautiful girl who looks absolutely miserable, almost pained. All the other models were smiling, even joking around, but this one girl looked like she was trying to put the unhappiest expression she could muster on her face. At one point someone in the front row must have shouted out for her to smile because she smiled for a spit second. I imagine she must have just been very nervous (it was a huge crowd, after all), so I felt sorry for her.
On Saturday morning we had the Tahki Stacy Charles breakfast, which we love. You get a preview of the designs, and representatives from the company speak. Also, the editors of Vogue Knitting, Interweave, and Yarn Market News gives speeches on styles and trends in upcoming issues. That night we attended a cocktail party hosted by Dream in Color, that great superwash, hand-dyed wool we carry. As it turned out, when we left the party in search for dinner, there was some big monthly event going on outside on High Street, which has a lot of restaurants and galleries. The streets were packed, and we shimmied our way through the crowds only to find that there were long, long waits everywhere we went. We lucked out and scored a bar seat at a restaurant right across from the convention center (thanks to Mom's eagle eyes and cat-like reflexes).
Finally, Sunday night we attended the Potter Craft cocktail party. They publish a lot of knitting books we carry, and this is a little thank-you party they have at market. But I certainly shouldn't call it "little" this time. This was one of the coolest cocktail parties I have been to. Potter hosted it at a lounge called Latitude 41, and the appetizers were some of the most beautiful and delicious I have seen. Everything was already plated on these darling square white plates. We had roast beef over mashed potatoes, chickpea cakes, gazpacho, tuna, spring rolls, and fancified corn dogs (think a bite of delicious sausage surrounded by polenta). Plus, there was a lovely bar, and the whole place was oh so stylish. Now, I should mention that my assessment of the evening could be slightly influenced by the fact that I won the first drawing, which was for an I-Pod Shuffle! I have never won a drawing, and I almost missed this one since the speakers were bad and I could hardly hear my number. Anyway, I am now the very tickled owner of an I-Pod Shuffle.
After the party, even though we were all stuffed with great food, we went for a light dinner with Paula, Debbie, and Heidi from Sheep's Clothing. We decided to eat at the restaurant at their hotel, but before we had left, a monsoon-like rainstorm started outside. Their hotel was only two blocks away, but we would have been absolutely soaked through. It happened that a minivan cab was waiting outside, and he was happy to take us. The lovely, cheerful cab driver is still working on his English. When Debbie thanked him for taking us such a short distance through the storm, he happily replied, "Yes, it is the cats and the dogs." I loved that.
So that's it for our classes and social events from Columbus. Later: products galore on the market floor.
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