I know a lot of people out there are unable to attend major knitting events for various reasons. For that reason I am going to try and give you an idea of what it’s like by reviewing my favorite one, Stitches West. Now I have to warn you that it’s a 4 day event for the attendees, but much, much, longer for the vendors, teachers, and behind the scenes staff. I could never come close to covering it in a single blog post. Truthfully, I couldn’t do it justice in a dozen! There is just no way short of recreating the venue virtually and somehow plugging you in that I can think of conveying what Stitches West is. So, I will do a few posts (3 or 4) to show you a snippit of it. I will also be doing individual posts of a few of the unique vendors I saw on the floor this year. My sincerest apologies to the vendors that aren’t mentioned – see previous sentences above. To everyone reading this that would be a potential attendee – if there is any way possible that you can make this (or any event like this), I urge you to do it!! Take vacation days, stop drinking Starbucks for the next year, force your partner to get another job, quit smoking … do whatever it takes. I can’t begin to tell you the difference it will make in your knitting experience! Regardless of what I am able to convey here through these words, pictures, and videos, there is so much more that I cannot. So much that has to be felt and experienced!
Okay, enough already! Some vendors came in from Tuesday but most started arriving Wednesday to set up. My friends from Darn Good Yarn was one of those. It takes a lot of work, vision, and organization to get a booth ready for the attendees, and from beginning to end most of the vendors don’t get a break. By the time the last unsold skein is packed away on Sunday they are beyond exhausted. I can’t believe that some of them, like Anzula, packed up for a trunk show right after!!
That’s Darn Good Yarn setting up. At Stitches West the show starts on Thursday with Opening Day. Each year it’s something special and something different. This year, Nathania Apple was the recipient of a new wardrobe created by herself and 4 other giants in the industry. Then Candace Eisner-Strick took the stage to talk about her new book, Knit My Skirt. To see pictures and video from this, check out the page on Facebook by clicking this link …
Knitting Universe
The big event of the first day for the attendees was the Market Preview. I did a video a few years back of people entering the market – it took over 5 minutes of a steady stream!! Here’s a picture from this year to give you a small idea of the line …
This year Stephen&Stephen were at the show. Or should I say they were the show …
Photo by Tina Whitmore of Freia Fibers (click on picture)
So this was all on the first day! 3 more days to go!! This kind of a show keeps a lot of people busy … like Jessica at the registration desk … and numerous other places when she’s not there … I did get to give her hugzzz though! 🙂
Day 2 is the first full day for the vendors – of selling that is. Most have already put in quite a few full days getting ready and/or getting here (right Ron? 😉 )! Lorna Miser, the creator of Lorna’s Laces, has reinvented herself now that she is dyeing again! Her new line of yarns is called Zombie Yarns (appropriately) and she was showcasing some of them at The Knitting Tree booth …
Friday is also the day of the Sponsors Fashion Show. I will post some pictures of the more than 80 pieces that were displayed in the next post. Just to give you a teaser taste though …
This is the back stage view of the crowd starting to assemble. And while they were waiting for the show to start, they found things to do …
A lot of them looked like they were ready for the runway themselves …
And I’ll show you one picture of a piece featured in the show. It’s Katla, a cabled sweater from the book Modern Lopi by Lars Rains. Lars has given me a signed copy of this book that I’ll be giving away to a lucky member of A Close Knit Community veeeeery soon! Are you a member yet? 😉
I know – I haven’t shown you all the pictures from the fashion show! I can’t yet or this post would be waaay too long. But I will show them in the next one … and I’ll tell you all about the dinosaur that was at Stitches West as well! Wanna see it? Okay, you twisted my arm …
Can you believe that it’s needle felted?!!! More on this guy and Stitches West in the next post!
Hugzzz 😎
