the after party

Posted on Posted in book reviews/events, projects

i’m always so glad that i don’t have to rush through a travel day after TNNA—it’s so much nicer to spend the next morning in kim’s back yard, sipping coffee while poring over yarn samples, books, and business cards.

it’s a little like a private party after the big event.

once again, i had a chance to stop and visit with kate and courtney at the kelbourne woolens booth, to see the new colors from their incredible line of fibre company yarns (we used two of their yarns for our dovecote and birnum wood samples, yum).

i definitely have to think up something yummy to knit with their yarn again soon.
i wish i could show you a nice photo of them, but the use of cameras is not allowed on the show floor, so i try to stick with the rules.

once in a while, however, i must have gotten carried away

because i ended up with an adorable photo of my friend sylvie toupin in the fibre isle booth, one of my very favorite vendors. you might remember me gushing just a wee bit about sylvie’s yarns before—i used one of them to knit elm row and another to knit pompa, and a third to make my favorite ivy vines neckwarmer. the magique used for the neckwarmer is the most amazing stuff—cashmere and bison, spun into a soft, springy yarn the is maybe more pleasurable to knit then to wear, even.

and now, she’s working some further magic on it by incorporating dyed fibers. this yarn won’t be available til next fall, but sylvie passed me some samples so i could get dreaming between now and then on some pieces to help promote it. isn’t it beautiful?

another new offering from fibre isle is the porcelaine line

three white yarns comprised of bamboo and merino, blended with a third fiber, different for each color. the third fiber determines the character of the white—one warm (with seacell), one medium (with tencel), and one cold (oh no, i can’t remember what the fiber is!). it’s a wonderful concept and brilliantly realized, when the yarns are compared side by side.

there were many, many more beautiful yarns and friendly vendors to catch up with, including deb and stevanie from pico accuardi, sabrina from anzula luxury fibers, and kristi and paul from shalimar yarns (i knit some holidazed socks with their yummy zoe sock last year and i’ll be teaching at their indie artist celebration in february).

in between browsing the booths, there were colleagues and peers to bump into and chat with—sometimes for a laugh

while walking the floor with kate gilbert on saturday, we ran across this not-to-be-missed photo op in the skacel booth.

janel and i just had to get down on the floor to photograph cookie’s fantastic shoes (see, i broke the rules, right there, oops). cookie is running on about how comfy the shoes are and janel seems to be saying, “yeah—right”.

the evenings were also fun—there was the fashion show friday night, where i met up with rosemary hill; we were both looking forward to seeing each other again.

afterward, we tagged along with jess, casey, mary heather, sarah, and friends for a beer and a snack, followed by knitting in our room with cookie and janel.

it was so good to spend time with rosemary again—we enjoy our yearly meetup so much, not just a little due to our similar tastes in food.

it’s not always easy to find good eating near a convention site, but this year we had the help of a foodie friend of cookie’s and were treated to some awesome choices throughout the area. saturday night the three of us piled into cookie’s car and headed to LA’s little toyo for sushi, which i could eat every day if it was available to me.

mmmm. good thing i hadn’t eaten all day—i had LOTS of room.

the highlight of the weekend had to be david’s arrival on sunday—this was his first TNNA, and i was anxious for him to see the show and meet some of the people i enjoy knowing and work with.

we started off with a ravelry breakfast and conversation at yet another delicious creperie (i ask you—is mary heather ever not smiling, happy, and beautiful??)

after breakfast we hit the show floor for a few hours so he could see the booths and meet some of our colleagues. we looked at yarns and books and talked to vendors that carry our patterns or are generous with yarn support for knitting samples.

one of the nice aspects of the show is the availability of soon-to-be-released books. i stood in line to receive a few, knowing that readers will be curious and interested in what’s new and what about to be seen on bookstore shelves.



jane slicer-smith’s
sweater book is a new offering in the fashion sector. filled with designs that are rich in texture and shape, as well an interesting constructions techniques, swing, swagger, and drape strikes me as a great resource for knitters who are tall and can carry longer styles and larger-scale motifs successfully. the collection includes several beautiful coats, a variety of swing garments, and numerous accessories with proportions that are well-suited to a tall frame.

shirley paden has written a comprehensive guide to the process behind designing custom-fitting garments—her knitwear design workshop will be a welcome addition to the library of serious experienced knitters and designers.

most of you already know that cat bordhi has another new book out, but i had not seen it yet, so i was excited to get a ticket for the signing.
cat has a seemingly bottomless ability to generate revolutionary techniques and ideas about sock knitting and yet again, she introduces us to a new way of making tubes to cover our feet with personal footprints. if you have an endless thirst for new ways to knit the same thing, this is definitely the book for you.

the last publication is not a book at all, but a DVD about fair isle knitting from knitting daily workshop with eunny jang.

i’m very much looking forward to viewing this DVD in the hope that it will inspire me to finally take the plunge into a full-sized stranded project. i love stranded knitting, the little i’ve done, but have yet to take on an actual sweater project. or who knows, maybe i;ll just watch the DVD over and over while i knit a little stranded hat.

finally, it was time to leave long beach, with lots to think about in the weeks ahead, as winter turns into spring (it really will, i promise!). i was tired, but felt good about what i’d seen and heard through the weekend.

now we are tucked in here at kim’s house for a few days of relaxation before we head home again to the cold. we’re having fun and i’m anxious to share our little trips with you, so stay tuned for tomorrow’s report of what we were up to today.

24 thoughts on “the after party

  1. Oh my…that must have been so much fun!! Hey, I think I actually see the hint of a smile on David’s face.. 😉

  2. Uh, I love your yarn porn and show reviews 🙂 I can feel the fun you and your friends had from across the pond, really! (Even Davids reserved kind of fun :D)
    The dyed fibre-isle yarn is just awesome, the colours look just like what fall should look like.

  3. Those white yarns are fascinating, can’t wait to learn more about them. And the colors in the other line are amazing.

    And yes, I see a hint of smile on David, too (must be the warmer weather!)

  4. “We’re out there having fun in the warm California sun!” Looks like some serious fun has been had! Love it.

  5. Wow! Looks like good things are coming!! The porcelaine yarns are very intriguing — can’t wait to see them. Will have to start stalking the Magique and the Road to China Light as well — the colors are amazing. Thanks for the peek into TNNA.

  6. HELPPPPP I
    m going blind trying to read your blog. the grey background and almost lighter print makes it very hard to read. But I love it anyway…..thanks cg

  7. I just got Windows 7 on a replacement computer, and I am also getting a shorter section of the blog that looks the way it should, and then about half way down, I get the same change in background and print. Must be an OS problem. Oh well, that is a WORK computer, and I guess (a)I should be working and (b)thank goodness for the Mac at home.

  8. That looks like so much fun! Enjoy your days in the sun…and that Cinnamon Magique yarn is absolutely yummy looking. 🙂

  9. I just want to tell you how much I enjoy your blog. I am from the Albany area and spoke with you briefly at Trumpet Hill in November. it was nice to put a person w/the print! Your blog makes me feel like I know you and want to know you better. I have so many questions about your journey into full time design! Thank you for your dedication to the blog and to your art.

  10. Oh, thank you for letting us dip a little toe into your marvelous fiber-filled world! What absolute fun to get a sneak peak at upcoming yummy fibers and inspirational books. And the sushi looks exceptional! It’s sunny here too, but I won’t tell you the temperature…cold!!

  11. Anne, It is so exciting to get a reveiw of TNNA..your head must be a buzz..David will hearing all this while driving back to Ohio…chuckle! Those are fun times..

    I’ve started your socks..love the yarn..pattern..

  12. Anne – thanks SO much for sharing your TNNA experience with all of us – what fun it looks like!
    Okay – what shoes did Cookie have on that were so wonderfu?

  13. Oh how wonderful! I’ll take the Fibre-Isle Cinnamon yarn and a plate of that sushi please. 🙂 Enjoy your mini vacation–it’s 26 in Chicago!

  14. hmm…another reminder that i still need to try fibre-isle yarn. they look so delicious that i can’t believe i haven’t succumbed yet. and could you please bring some warmer weather back with you? or at least sun…i’d settle for some sun at this point…

  15. I love the idea of a “porcelaine” line of yarns! There’s something so charming and quietly confidenct about a variety of whites – in dishware or yarn or anything really!

  16. Oh gosh, you are just way too nice, I’m smiling right now after reading your flattering words!! <3 Thanks!!

    It was awesome, as always, to see you… and to meet your celebrity husband, of course! 🙂 Hope we get to hang out again in Columbus!

  17. I clicked on that Indie Artist Celebration thinking “oh, that sounds interesting, I’m sure it’s nowhere near me because these things never are…” and was astounded to find that you’ll be teaching a short 45 minutes from where I live. I don’t think I have ever registered for a class so fast. I’ll see you at the sock design workshop next month and I can’t wait!!

Comments are closed.