Stitches and no wine
What would have made the Stitches Conference perfect? A glass of wine. Nothing more fun then working on the latest project and having a glass of wine. Always being careful not to spill any on your project.
I attended my first Stitches West 2009 Conference held in Santa Clara, CA this past week. This is a great conference for knitters and crocheters. Wonderful event to see the latest in fashion, yarn, tools and more.
I spent the majority of my time at the market. Great time to meet designers, see vendors, and spend some money. And spend is what I did. But I do have to share some highlights of the market.
I wanted to get the chance to meet the designers and possibly get some secrets to their success. Or at least get some good advice on how to get my own designs off the ground. I had the great privilege of meeting Maggie Jackson aka Maggiknits. She an Irish designer that has a wonderful, colorful, and unique flare. She wasn't afraid to step out of the box when designing her line.
I had seen a few interviews and read a few articles on her and she appeared to be a down to earth person that took chances and wasn't afraid to express herself. Well, after meeting her, she is exactly that. A women that is friendly, open, and very cheery. I was only able to steal of couple of minutes of her time but she was very open about the hard work involved in having your own designs and yet very encouraging to go after your dreams. Her staff was just as welcoming as her. I felt very much at home visiting with her and her staff. What a great opportunity.
I also found some yarn products I have not tried before so I purchased a few skeins from Helen Hamann who is also a great designers. She had her items displayed in her booth and what great techniques she uses. Can't wait to try her yarn. There was also yarn from New Zealand that was hard to pass up, Wagtail Yarns. The mohair yarn was in a rainbow of colors. Decision making was difficult.
I visited another favorite yarn supplier, Webs. Of course picked up a few skeins I had on my list of "must buys". A few patterns as well. Great company to order from. I've always gotten great customer service from them.
And lastly, I met a couple of the women from Stitch Diva. They were demonstrating a few stitching techniques and ways to use up your stash yarn. I love their tips and patterns.
The conference had so much to offer and by the end of the day I was on yarn overload. I could not retain all that I'd learned and saw. What a great chance to see what one can do with yarn. I am looking forward to working with the new yarns I purchased and seeing what new things I can create.
If you get the chance and love to knit or crochet, check out this conference. The only sad thing is it comes once a year to the west coast. Stitches is brought to you by Knitter's Magazine.
I attended my first Stitches West 2009 Conference held in Santa Clara, CA this past week. This is a great conference for knitters and crocheters. Wonderful event to see the latest in fashion, yarn, tools and more.
I spent the majority of my time at the market. Great time to meet designers, see vendors, and spend some money. And spend is what I did. But I do have to share some highlights of the market.
I wanted to get the chance to meet the designers and possibly get some secrets to their success. Or at least get some good advice on how to get my own designs off the ground. I had the great privilege of meeting Maggie Jackson aka Maggiknits. She an Irish designer that has a wonderful, colorful, and unique flare. She wasn't afraid to step out of the box when designing her line.
I had seen a few interviews and read a few articles on her and she appeared to be a down to earth person that took chances and wasn't afraid to express herself. Well, after meeting her, she is exactly that. A women that is friendly, open, and very cheery. I was only able to steal of couple of minutes of her time but she was very open about the hard work involved in having your own designs and yet very encouraging to go after your dreams. Her staff was just as welcoming as her. I felt very much at home visiting with her and her staff. What a great opportunity.
I also found some yarn products I have not tried before so I purchased a few skeins from Helen Hamann who is also a great designers. She had her items displayed in her booth and what great techniques she uses. Can't wait to try her yarn. There was also yarn from New Zealand that was hard to pass up, Wagtail Yarns. The mohair yarn was in a rainbow of colors. Decision making was difficult.
I visited another favorite yarn supplier, Webs. Of course picked up a few skeins I had on my list of "must buys". A few patterns as well. Great company to order from. I've always gotten great customer service from them.
And lastly, I met a couple of the women from Stitch Diva. They were demonstrating a few stitching techniques and ways to use up your stash yarn. I love their tips and patterns.
The conference had so much to offer and by the end of the day I was on yarn overload. I could not retain all that I'd learned and saw. What a great chance to see what one can do with yarn. I am looking forward to working with the new yarns I purchased and seeing what new things I can create.
If you get the chance and love to knit or crochet, check out this conference. The only sad thing is it comes once a year to the west coast. Stitches is brought to you by Knitter's Magazine.
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