Stitches West 2015

This year I could only go for one day, and only on the last day. Once again, Sunday is a quiet day at the show. I think they have the big drawing just to get people in the door. I started at the back of the show because that's where the newer vendors end up and I find them to be the most interesting.

Absent this year: Brooks Farm for the second year and Jordana Paige. Popular newcomer: Toth - the booth was very picked over; they did have some classy pattern support - classic designs that show off the simple beauty of their yarn.

Most vendors were dyers with yarn. It seemed smaller this year...or about the same size as last year. I wonder what the future will bring. Where are people getting their yarn? Where are people learning about new vendors? Ravelry? Facebook? Pinterest? Instagram? How can find out?

Anyway, I picked up some yarn from new-to-me producers, probably more than I should have. And for some reason this year my color selections were dark and muted. I guess I wasn't shopping for the girly teens .And no "sweater" quantities.

From left to right, top to bottom: Dragonfly Fibers Squishy Lace, Pepperberry Knits Mini Skein Fun Size Bundle Sport, 2 Guys Yarn Company MCN DK, Polka Dot Sheep Stumptown DK, Black Wolf Ranch Alpaca Blend with Angeline, Indigodragonfly Wingenhooven.

Stitches West 2012: Part One

After my first recon day at Stitches, I'm happy to report that Anzula and Miss Babs were doing a brisk business. I "discovered" these two independent dyers two years ago. And I've actually knit up (some) of the yarns I bought! Last years finds, Becoming Art and Abstract Fiber were also busy.

This year's new "discoveries" include The Sincere Sheep, Forbidden, and Western Sky Knits. I can't resist indie dyers! Kira K Designs had some lovely kits that I will have to revisit, and Green Mountain Spinnery is also tempting me with their beautiful rustic yarns.

I was also tempted by Fiber Hooking. The color combinations in the kits are gorgeous, but I already have a slight different style rug hooking set, and don't want to have to buy another type of hook and frame. I might be tempted to get a kit if I can get just the pattern and yarn.

Artyarns of San Francisco had a large booth, but I really need to visit their store. Their yarns are so beautiful and unusual that I need some time to truly appreciate them. I also like Chic-a, Chicken Boots, and Erin Lane Bags knitting and project bags.

The "big box" stores of Stitches were there again doing a land office business. I have to remember that this Stitches serves the entire western US, not just California or the Bay Area, so people come from all over to get yarns and deals that they can't find at home.

Ysolda's booth was mobbed, so I didn't even try to look inside, but did get to check out the Narwhal Mittens, which are cute but very thick and warm.

I plan to return on Sunday and see if there's anything else I can't live without, and to see if I win the Grand Prize drawing. :-)

Clockwise from 12: Miss Babs Yummy - French Marigold, Miss Babs Yummy - Vlads, Sincere Sheep Equity Sport - Sverte, Sincere Sheep Cormo Sport - Praying to Artemis, Sincere Sheep Cormo Sport - Vitamin C, Sincere Sheep Treble - Kung Hey Fat Choi

Noro Silk Garden, color 269

Now I've seen this colorway twice today, and I love it in both projects. This may be the most muted colorway that Noro makes, but it's gorgeous! However, it seems to be discontinued! There is a similar colorway in Kureyon that would work in the patterns.

First pattern: Deille by Mathew Gnagy in Knitting of the Axis. This lace cardigan is knit sideways so that the striping occurs vertically. The subtle monochromatic colors work nicely and don't stand out too much.

Second pattern: Oyster Mittens by Rebecca of "Dolies are Stylish" -- They do look like the pearly inside of an oyster shell or the oyster itself.

Just askin'

Did anyone accuse Micheangelo of hoarding marble? Monet of hoarding oil paints? Why the bad rap for knitters? We don't hoard yarn; we see the potential in every skein and ball.

Stitches!

My head is spinning from all the color and texture...we were pretty good. Didn't buy everything we wanted to, but just enough to sate the creative beast.

Quick run through the trends: sock yarn and small hand-dyers are still going strong. Also lots of indie pattern designers. It seems like there were more patterns for garments knitted from sock yarn...I guess there's just som many socks you can knit.

I thought (and Lara agreed) that the best and most interesting vendors were in the back of the venue, as usual. I have to do the numbers, but my impression was that there were at least as many vendors as last year. There certainly seemed to be plenty of customer participation! The parking lot was pretty full shortly after 10am. We had to bust through and open up the other half of the lot to ease the traffic.

I hope to return on Sunday to follow up first impressions.

An Afternoon with Sharon

I took another class about knitting with hand-dyed yarns. This time it was taught by Sharon McMahon of Three Irish Girls at Bobbin's Nest. It was very entertaining and informative. I'm looking forward to trying some new techniques with my hand-dyed and handpainted yarns.

And we got a swag bag, plus I bought more yarn, of course...couldn't leave it there...not after seeing it all week at the office!

Stitches Swag

From front to back:

Jewel Fiber Designs, 50/50 Merino & Silk, "Taffy"

Wool Candy, Meringue Merino, "Berry Compote"

Pigeonroof Studios, Aphrodite Lace, "Pumpkin"

Three Irish Girls, Adorn Sock, "Kate"

Wool Candy, Meringue Merino, "Swamp Monster"

Kit to make Ysolda's Damson from Dye Dreams, Classy Sox, "Azure"

Now, technically, the Wool Candy, Pigeonroof and Three Irish Girls aren't Stitches West yarn because I bought them at Bobbin's Nest Studio, but it was at their annual Stitches Afterparty, so it still counts.

Stitches West 2010

I made it through the market without buying any yarn! I did pick up a pattern at Coco Knits, though. It is so tempting when they have garments made up from all the patterns and you can try them on.

My tips for surviving Stitches:

1. Start at the back of the market floor and work your way to the door at the front.
2. Go for more than one day. One to look, one to buy. Or go have some lunch, take a break, then see if you really have to have the yarn you loved.
3. Have a general idea of what you want to buy. Sock yarn? For a specific project? For a gift? Know how much yardage you'll need and what weight.
4. I tend to skip the shop booths...I'm more interested in the smaller producers or those like Brooks Farm that only display at shows. The rest I can find online.
5. Wear comfy shoes.
6. Bring water and a snack. The food in the market area is limited, and the lines can be long.
7. If you go with friends, set a place to meet. You will inevitably get separated and it is fun to compare notes after browsing on your own.

And have fun!

Loop in Philadelphia

The third shop I visited in Phila was Loop on South Street. After seeing the shops, I thought they were all much smaller than shops in the Bay Area, but now I wonder...

Some shops here are small, too. I'm not a very good judge of size...Anyway, Loop was clean and bright and full of enticing yarns. The colors really jumped off the shelves. I only picked up some Spud & Chloe Fine and some Louet Gems fingering to make the Matroyska gloves in last year's Knitty.com.

Next door is Loop's sister shop, Spool, which was full of lovely fabrics.

Yarn and Gallery

The second store I visited in Philadelphia was Nangellini on South Street. It is in a more residential area than commercial, although there is a Whole Foods nearby. The store is a split-level shop with hand-knit items and artwork for sale in the front part. The back upstairs part is where most of the yarns are hiding.

I would describe this shop and its contents as "funky". There is a wide variety of textures, fibers, and colors. Nangellini also carries some Kraemer and Plymouth yarns (local PA yarns) as well as Claudia Hand Paint and J Knits. There is even some J Knits hand-dyed roving. I also picked up a "custom blend" of mohair and a metallic.

Week in Philadelphia

Spent a week in Philly and had just one day to shop a bit downtown. So, of course, I had to go to South Street and check out what has been going on there. I only recognized Jim's Steaks, Hats in the Belfry, and the zipper and ants from Zipperhead.

I'm not sure how long it's been since we shopped on South Street...We have been staying in the nothern suburbs for many years, shopping in Newtown, Doylestown, New Hope, etc. Certainly, we haven't been downtown since I started knitting...so it was great to find out that there are several yarn shops right on South Street or very nearby.

First, we went to Sophie's Yarns on 4th Street, which is Philadelphia's Fabric Row. Certainly the majority of the shops were fabric shops, which would also be interesting to investigate, but it will have to wait for another visit.

Sophie's is a tiny shop but it contains a little of everything you would want. There is a good-sized table in the front window for lessons, knitting at, and getting help. In fact, a regular customer came in for some assistance while I was there. I found this shop to be friendly, the owner was helpful, and the yarns were lovely. I picked up some "local" yarns from Plymouth (up in Bristol, PA) -- some Ecco Cashmere and Homestead in natural colors.