Knitting Shows – Knitting Is So Fun

#41. Vogue Live Columbus

November 13, 2019March 1, 2020 by knittingissofun, posted in Knitting, Knitting Shows, Sweater Knitting, Yarn

Went to my first (last?) Vogue Live knitting convention. There was one in Columbus so it was very close. They have about three a year and usually in big cities like New York and San Francisco. We made a girls weekend out of it. Four of us came back on Saturday evening while two others stayed till Sunday morning.

I took 2 classes. Many others took 3 classes. Most everyone enjoyed their classes and felt they were worth the $90 cost for 3 hours. I took a class from “knitting rock star” Party Lyons about adjusting patterns to fit your gauge rather than trying to find the right needle to make guage. I basically did this when I made Sara’s shellseeker sweater because I used a smaller weight yarn than the pattern called for. So the class really didn’t teach me much. Plus I’m not intimated by basic math. But the ergonomics class had lots of good suggestions. Others who took a knitting technique class were satisfied. The marketplace was okay but I actually liked the Yellow Springs Wool Gathering back in September better, and it was free.

So it was a fun girls weekend. It cost about $300. I’m not anxious to do it again but once in a while is fun. I ended up buying two sweater projects so that was another $200. One I will be a KAL with Kim and the other will be a KAL with Colleen and Lise. Now I need to focus on knitting all the yarn I have and stop buying new yarn!!!

#40 Yellow Springs Wool Gathering

September 25, 2019March 1, 2020 by knittingissofun, posted in Knitting, Knitting Shows, Knitting tools, Sock Knitting, Yarn

I attended my first Yellow Springs Wool Gathering with some knitting friends Saturday. There were 6 of us that made the 1 hr trip. It was two huge tents filled with booths. Some were yarn shops that brought their wears. Some were indie yarn dyers. Some were indie yarn spinners.

I was on a quest to find Christmasy yarn for a pair of socks. Sadly no one had any although two yarn dyers said they would soon. I got the business card from one, Redbird Yarn Studio, so that I can order her Christmas yarn once she makes it. Her colors are so vibrant!! I couldn’t resist her fall Harvest skein. Her skeins make self striping socks. I’m already making a fall striped sock but it’s acrylic and nylon. I’m looking forward to making a pair with the Redbird wool and nylon yarn.

I was also looking for some cute yarn bobbins. Colleen taught us a way to make yarn bobbins for our argyl socks but a) I still need a way to distinguish between the two bobbins of main color and b) the bobbins seem to pull out if I drop them off my lap/table. I wanted to try to see if yarn bobbins would help keep the yarn short. I didn’t find much on etsy or yarn websites like webs or knitpicks. I was tickled to find cute sheep bobbins in different colors at one booth. Teresa, Ruth, and I bought different colors so we could exchange.

So my first wool gathering was a success. I found beautiful yarn for a pair of socks as well as a contact to get vibrant colored Christmas sock yarn. And I got some reasonable priced and cute yarn bobbins. It was fun to go with a group. Not sure I feel it’s a “have to go” trip but I would go next year as part of a group. I’m probably less excited because of the big yarn show that will be in Columbus for Vogue Live Knitting the first weekend in November. That’s a “once in a life time” event in Ohio so next year the Wool Gathering will be the only yarn event.