Knit Nation, part 2

Knit Nation was so jam packed with fun and goodies that I couldn’t fit it all into the last post. Heather-Joy had taken my sock design class last year and came back wearing the tabi socks she’d designed! I love seeing the completion of a student’s sock design even more than completing one of my own. I love the attention to detail with the mirrored left and right sides and the way the pattern is divided for the tabi toe with the eyelet column centered on the big toe.

Heather-Joy's sock design

Heather-Joy's tabi socks

My oddball stitches class worked some fantastically odd stitchery magic including bobbles within bobbles. Here’s a line-up of all their swatches. Pretty impressive for a 3 hour class.

Oddball Stitches

There was the most delightful group of knitters who came from Portugal. They made the teachers goody bags, including coveted felt pins that you can see on some of them in the photo.

Portuegese knitters

Unfortunately, Ysolda came down with a bug that’d been going around and had a rough time speaking. But lucky for me, I FINALLY snagged a copy of her book and had it signed.

Ysolda is sick - sadness

I can’t believe I missed the opportunity to try on her sweaters and take pictures in her photo booth, but I made do by borrowing one for the night and taking a picture in my bathroom.

Trying on Ysolda's sweater

I also fell in love with this yellow number from Susan Crawford.

Susan Crawford

And one of my personal highlights was meeting up with some sock club members during lunch on Saturday. Here is Ryn showing off a pair of Boysenberry Yo socks (perhaps more marmalade-colored).

Ryn's Boysenberry Yo

We piled up all the club socks brought by club members and took photos. I wish I hadn’t been so tired, but we did have a lovely time and it was so nice to put some faces to the names I’ve become familiar with.

Sock Clubber Socks!

I also gave them a sneak peek at the August shipment, including cookies from the recent test bake. They are sworn to secrecy.

August club sneak peek

And THEN there was all the damage I did in the market place. I was sent on a mission to get some of the coveted Wollmeise yarn for my friend Teenuh, and I stealthily went to the Loop stand before opening time. By the time I found the colors she wanted, the clock struck opening time and the incoming mob drew nearer until I knew I had to GET OUT as soon as I could before the precious yarn was crushed with me on top.

Wollmeise for Teenuh

I went by Old Maiden Aunt and fell in love with two yarns that I simply couldn’t decide between. Both had a copper feel with green and slight rust undertones. Then I realized they were the same colorway (Kelpie) over different yarn bases. No wonder I loved them both. I started in on the alpaca / silk blend asap.

Old Maiden Aunt yarn

Who can resist a lovely high-twist 3-ply merino sock yarn? The Sokkusu O (O is for original base) has a fantastic sheen that I just couldn’t resist. And the one-off colorways… These two are for Kerrie who won the blog contest, but I’ve also saved myself a skein of the Henri.

Sokkusu-O yarn

And the yarn that kept calling my name over and over was from Well Manor Farm. I couldn’t decide between the Gotland Aran and the Shetland 2-ply. While I was considering all the yarns in the booth, a lovely young girl came up and told me about how all the sheep were on their farm and that so-and-so (standing 2 paces from us) sheared them and then they have the yarn spun. If I hadn’t already known I NEEDED some of that yarn, she would have totally sold me.

Well Manor Farm yarn

And then all of a sudden, it was over and I was ready to collapse on Alice’s couch. Alice will be sending me a box of commemorative Knit Nation mugs, and I can’t wait to get them. I will sip tea and fondly remember the great times that were had.

5 Responses to “Knit Nation, part 2”

  1. ewenique says:

    i loved kelpie too! and i kinneared you (http://aquarterto.blogspot.com/2011/07/one-about-knit-nation-again.html) but after last year’s hi-jack (http://aquarterto.blogspot.com/2010/08/one-about-knit-nation.html) I didn’t want to bother you again.

    I’ll be at Sock Summit too so perhaps I’ll kinnear you again or something 🙂 Safe travels!

  2. Owlmania says:

    Thanks for the nice words!
    We loved our trip from Portugal to Knit Nation!
    It was a pleasure meeting you!

    It was a amazing event!

  3. Kerry and I are saving our commemorative mugs for our new workshop/shop and studio space soon to be build at Toft Farm. They will match perfectly with our vision for the new pad!! Thanks for another great show and for booking Susanna Hansson whose class I loved!

  4. Teenuh says:

    Woohoo! The yarn is beauuuuuuutiful! Thank you SO MUCH for braving the Loop booth!! 🙂

    Also, Ysolda’s sweater looks really great on you! The color, the style… All very Cookie A. 😉

    I can’t wait to see you! (and not just for the Wollmeise, I do miss my friend. :))

  5. monica says:

    I think I would’ve been okay if I had been crushed by Wollmeise! 🙂