It goes without saying that one of the most exciting things about going to a fiber event is ALL THE YARN

Ironically, I usually only buy a few skeins of yarn (2-4 on average) and then a couple other small items when I go to fiber events. I really need to have some semblance of a project in mind or I just don’t have the desire to purchase something. Having purchased yarn without a plan too many times in the past and then spending hours on Ravelry trying to find a pattern to pair it with, I’ve learned my lesson. For me, it’s not worth it. I end up feeling stressed that I spent money on something I can’t find use for.

Stitches Midwest was another story. I warned my friends I’d likely be the “wild card” in terms of spending. I’d either stick to my conservative habits or completely lose my mind in the vast array of that market filled with vendors I’ve heard SO much about but have never seen in real life.

I’m happy to say I landed somewhere safely in the middle- far more than my usual 2-4 skeins but not in the eating-pb&j-for-6-months-to-come-because-of-my-spending territory.

Here’s my show & tell of things I purchased at Stitches Midwest

[Another Crafty Girl; Strong Sock in Colorway Ponkie Brewster]

Ponkie Brewster: This had to come home with me. The jewel tones are perfect to fit in with my wardrobe, especially in cooler months. And the reference to Punky Brewster? Come on! My mom called me Punky Brewster for years, and deservedly so! I dressed just as insanely as proudly as she did as a kid. Can’t wait to knit this up.

[Miss Babs: 3 ply Babette in the Perfectly Wreckless Colorway]

Perfectly Wreckless: This skein got the most ooohs and ahhhhs when I brought it to show & tell at my local knitting group this week- and for good reason! The vibrance and variation in these colors is stunning.  I am planning to pair this with an off-white colored yarn I’ve been struggling to find a project for. I think the neutral & the pops of colors will pair nicely.

I didn’t realize it at the time but according to the Miss Babs website a “’Babette’ is our name for one-of-a-kind, unrepeatable* colorways. We have many colors that Babs dyes again and again, but Babettes are different every time. Babettes bring artistry, unpredictable color, and joy to your knitting, crochet, spinning, and weaving.” Pretty cool! Kinda makes it even more special!

[Fiberstory: Core DK in the Sweetly Colorway]

Sweetly: I purchased two of this colorway and one skein in a mulberry type color to coordinate for a hat & mitt or hat & cowl set. I cast on a hat while at Stitches because I couldn’t resist and am thoroughly enjoying this yarn. I can’t recommend it highly enough!

I couldn’t resist a skein of fingering weight yarn from Fiberstory too. Not sure yet if this will be used for fingerless mitts or a shawl. This may be my favorite color gray ever!

[Apple Tree Knits: Plush DK in the Cherry Blossom Colorway]

Cherry Blossom: I bought this yarn to make a sweater for one of my nieces for Christmas! Its 100% merino and quite possibly the softest squishiest thing I’ve ever squeezed.

It was so hard to pick from all of the beautiful colorways and gradients from Apple Tree Knits, and the proprietress, Liz, was delightful and sweet.

[Freia Handpaint Yarns: Ombre Fingering in the Lichen Colorway]

Lichen: I think these will be great colors for fall and already some jewelry in mind that I think will match well. These are both the same, just wound differently. Not exactly sure how I’ll use them yet, but likely in a shawl.

[Kismet Fiber Works: Sleek Fingering Weight in the Concord Colorway]

Concord: I’ve been looking for a purple and a red yarn to fulfill my goal to have a triangular shawl in each color in the rainbow. Still looking for red, but when I put this purple up near my face, my friend Emily told me it was perfect! I agree. Plus, its so ridiculously soft!!!!

Stephanie and Angie from Kismet Fiber Works were just the sweetest. We really enjoyed their booth! More photos to come.

[Dragonfly Fibers: Traveller DK Base in the District 12 Colorway]

District 12: This will be used to knit up a rhino!

[Tshirt: from Knerd]

Isn’t this the greatest t-shirt ever?  I love it!! Enough said.

[Single Shot Small Project Bag from Kitchen Counter Crafter– JavaJennie]

I love this bag. I really enjoy the snap closure. It’s perfect for socks. I have already knit on these legwarmers while carrying the bag on my wrist. Perfection. I’ll definitely be ordering more from Jennie (who, in case you don’t know is just awesome!).

[One Twisted Tree Bag: Poppy Series by Prairie Girl Danie]

Ok, technically I didn’t buy this at Stitches Midwest, but since I was staying with Danie, I asked her to bring it instead of shipping it. I am still in awe of the beauty that is the craftsmanship of this bag. Danie draws the design and then stitches it free-hand on the bag with her sewing machine. It’s even more stunning in real life. The construction is sturdy. There are pockets inside and this large wedge size can easily hold 2-3 skeins of yarn. It’s just special.

I would tell you to go get one, but she’s completely sold out! Put her in your Etsy favorites and catch one on her next update. You won’t regret it.

So… that’s the scoop. Not terrible right? I’m really happy with each of my purchases and now I just have one problem. I want to cast on all the things!

The Trip

I left for Stitches Midwest on Friday August 8th on an early flight to Chicago. It was a beautiful, sunny morning in the Northeast, but I was a bit delayed due to a broken wheel on the plane. After that 30 minute delay I was on my way! I knit in the airport while listening to podcasts and then used the nearly 3 hour flight to catch up on some sleep.

Remember that tip of being well rested before you jump into the stimulation overload that is a knitting convention? Yeah, I neglected to follow that good advice. Dan and I spent Thursday night watching Season 3 of the Killing and got fully absorbed! Oops. That’s where napping comes into play.  I felt like myself again when I landed in Chicago.

 

A very kind listener and new friend, Michele, picked me up at O’Hare and we enjoyed the drive to Schaumburg. We had such a lovely chat the whole way there (and then some)… between some GPS issues, my inability to troubleshoot a Droid navigation system and getting lost in conversation, we overshot the convention center by about 20 minutes and had to backtrack! Ooops. At least we were enjoying each other’s company! Thank you again Michele! I really appreciate it!

The Arrival

I purchased my ticket for the Market upon arriving.

Tip: I got a coupon from Webs which saved me a good bit of money. I think they do this for each Stitches Event so check their website if you’re planning to attend. I pulled this up on my phone and showed it to them. No printing necessary.

 

While the allure of the Market was strong, it was nearly noon when I arrived, bags still in hand, so I headed through the convention center up to the second floor for the podcaster meet up.

The Renaissance hotel and convention center is beautiful, isn’t it? I’m not sure when it was built but everything felt so fresh and clean as if it was just built for this event. And they had some fun touches to welcome all the crazy knitters.

The podcaster meet up (both Friday & Saturday) was held here, on the second floor of the lobby near that really cool fire pit. Friday’s meet up was a bit quieter than Saturday’s but both were so much fun and a great opportunity to meet new people! I had a blast and it was a great way to ease into the event on Friday. {More on all of the great people I met later this week}

The Market

From there I headed down into the Market. The showroom floor is huge, which makes it really hard to capture on camera. This is a view from the back, right corner of the space (where the concession stand is– I had to grab a snack to act as lunch on Friday so I’d have enough energy for all the shopping).

I was thoroughly impressed with the quality and variety of the vendors at Stitches Midwest!

I have been to NY Sheep & Wool (Rhinebeck), NH Sheep & Wool and Fiber Revival in MA which are all wonderful events that I would recommend to any of you, and while I enjoyed shopping at those markets, they pale in comparison to the selection at Stitches Midwest.

[Kismet Fiber Works Booth: Stephanie & Angie]

I’ll tell you more about my purchases and some other fun antics from the event in upcoming posts, but in the meantime I wanted to share some sights from the Market itself. I’m always fascinated to hear about events others have been to, even if realistically I’ve never get to them myself, but then I’m usually left wondering what it looks and feels like there so I hope you enjoy this little virtual tour of the Market.

[Molly, Susie & Danie shopping in the GnomeAcres Booth]

[Lost City Knits]

[ Sara demonstrating her Sirka Counter in the Grellow Gray Booth]

[Cary of Jelby, Becca and Sarah from Another Crafty Girl in their shared booth]

Market Tips

• If possible, allow plenty of time to look around. There is a lot to see and its really easy to be overwhelmed by all of the sights, sounds and temptations. If you’re anything like me, you’ll need a break. It was great to go sit and enjoy lunch or just relax and knit in one of the sitting areas and enjoy some down time.
• Wear comfortable shoes. I know, I’m a broken record, but this concrete floor is completely unforgiving.
• Bring a water bottle with you. You can purchase water but the lines are often long and the cost is high. If you bring your own you can refill periodically (there are water fountains, or as we call them, bubblers, at the end of every couple aisles) so you don’t have to carry around a full, heavy bottle all day.
• Shop with friends! Why, you may ask?
  • You may be drawn to a particular color only to get it home and look in a mirror to realize its a terrible color for your skin tone. Shopping with a friend can help you avoid this costly mistake.
  • Even if you don’t specifically ask them to, your friends will likely keep an eye out for things they know you’re looking for. It’s so easy to be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of beautiful yarn + fiber that you may miss something (gasp!).
  • You’ll have more eyes on the crowd! Looking to spot Franklin Habit, Stephen West, Amy Herzog? Four eyes are better than two. Six or eight are even better than that!
  • It’s just MORE fun to shop with friends… to have someone to show your best finds to! Someone to laugh at how ridiculously excited you are! Someone to tell you you’re getting cranky and need to go get some food. Someone to knit with when you need a break.

I stayed with 7 great girls and met so many more! More tales about that in upcoming posts, but here’s a sneak peek at the damage 8 girls can do in 2 days at Stitches Midwest!

until next time…

This Friday morning I’ll be on a flight bound for Chicago for my first Stitches experience!  I am so excited to meet friends I’ve been talking with for awhile, to meet knitters & podcast listeners and hopefully make some new friends. Oh, and there will probably be some yarn purchases too, right? I mean, I’ll be there anyways, might as well take advantage of the vast marketplace.

Being that this was a very spontaneous decision and its now the Monday before the event, I’ve got just a few days to get all of my ducks in a row for this trip. Fortunately, while this is my first Stitches Event, it is not my first knitting event. Having been to NH Sheep & Wool and NY Sheep & Wool (aka Rhinebeck), I’ve got some experiences on which to draw and I thought I’d take some time to share my favorite tips with you!

Travel Knitting

As I mentioned, I’ll be flying out to Illinois. That calls for some travel knitting. Thankfully I knit on the train every day, and I often knit on planes as well, so I’ve got this covered. For plane knitting I always pack 2 things. 1 complicated pattern that requires reading the pattern (for heads-down, let’s-distract-myself-during-the-flight knitting), and 1 easy pattern (usually a sock) that I can knit on in lines or if I’m too tired for the more complicated project.

Tip: I always bring circular needles when flying. In years past I’d always pack bamboo needles, but since I now prefer metal needles I’ve been bringing those on board and have not (knock on wood) had any trouble with that (domestically or internationally).

I will probably also bring a third project, because [insert pseudo-rationale excuse here]…. yes, I’ll only be gone for the 3 days, but variety is the spice of life, right? If I don’t pack a third project, I’ll bring an extra project bag and some sock needles so I can get the instant gratification of immediately casting on some of the sock yarn I’ll inevitably purchase.

Packing

To Wear

• Layers| While I’m excited that the Stitches Event is indoors and thus temperature controlled, there will, I imagine, be a lot of people milling in and out of the booths and there will be lots of warm wool acting as an insulator for all of that body heat. Plus, the sheer excitment seems to make everyone warmer, so what works for me is layers. I’ll likely wear capris or a skirt, a tank top or short-sleeves top and then leave room for a hand-knit latered on top.
• Comfy shoes | It’s a must! Maybe you never considered anything else. Good for you! I tend to want to wear my favorite, cutest shoes. As long as those are comfortable after hours of standing + walking that’s perfectly ok. If not, leave them at home! You don’t want to fade early because your shoes are holding you back. There’s good quality yarn at stake people! Be smart.
• Hand knits | There is literally no better place to wear hand knits than at a knitting convention! People will ooohh and ahhhh. People will ask “what pattern is that?” People will ask if they can “touch it.” and if that doesn’t feel totally normal at first, after a few hours it will. By the time you get home and back into real life you’ll find yourself disappointed if you spend 2 hours at the office on Monday and not a single person asked who designed the shawl you’re wearing. Be prepared for the post-event let-down but the fun of showing off your hard work is well worth it!
  • Pick a hand knit that you’re proud of, that looks great on you, and that won’t have you melting within 20 minutes. Again, while sporting hand knits is a great, and an arguably essential part of the event, it’s not worth passing out over! Choose wisely.
  • Tip: pick your hand knits first. Choose the rest of your outfit accordingly!

Other Essentials

• Camera | your phone if you prefer or a separate camera– this is something I always debate. I take a lot of shots with my iPhone 5 and am happy with the quality, but I also like to have the versatility of my dSLR. I will likely carry that at least one day and if I get enough shots with that, I may nix it the next day and go with the less bulk approach of the iPhone
• Snacks + water bottle |  I always seem to wait until I completely bottom out to decide I need to go find something to eat. Not smart… and when I do it at home its not that big of a deal…. but at a large event such as this, I will most likely find myself at the opposite end of the convention center from the food, and then arrive to find there’s a huge line. That doesn’t work for me.  I’ll likely pack some Kind Bars (almond + coconut is my favorite) and I might splurge and get a couple Luna bars (white chocolate macadamia nut is super yummy).
• Pen + paper | someone will like a hand knit you’re wearing and ask if you could jot it down for them… or you’ll want to give someone your Ravelry ID. If you find a skein of yarn you just love but its not in your budget-  grab a business card and write down the base + colorway information to save for later. Of course if you’re so inclined, you can put notes in your phone, but sometimes its just easier to have access to old fashioned pen and paper.

Game Plan

Review the vendor list | The vendor list for Stitches Midwest 2014 has been posted. Click here to check it out.  I copied the map and list of vendors including websites and booth numbers to a Word document that I saved as PDF and added to my GoodReader app. My plan for this week is to make notes about where I want to go. Depending on what vendors I’m most interested in, I may make a plan to start on one side of the venue or another. Otherwise I may just keep it in mind as I walk through. 

 

Review your Queue | Search through Ravelry (favorites or queue) and think about what you’d like to knit in the coming months. Maybe you have some holiday or gift knitting planned, maybe you want to embark upon a new sweater? If you have something specific in mind you can gear your purchases (at least most of them) towards that.

For example, if you’re making a sweater that calls for 1300 yards of fingering weight yarn for your size, getting 3 skeins of fingering weight yarn may not be enough. Having the specifics helps. Also, do you need buttons for that sweater? Knowing if you need 4 or 7 will come in handy when you’re overwhelmed at the beauty and abundance in a booth filled with gorgeous handmade buttons. Bring as much info as you can and you’ll likely be much happier with your purchases.

Plan Some Meet-Ups | The days will fly by. All of a sudden hours will pass by and you’ll feel like there’s not enough time to do everyone. At larger events such a Stitches the chances of just running into a person you’re hoping to see is slimmer than you may realize. Be proactive– email or Ravelry message someone you’re hoping to meet. Plan dinner, lunch, coffee together in advance. This will give you something to plan your day around. If you know you have 3 hours before you meet a friend for lunch, you’ll prioritize accordingly.

Interested in meeting some podcasters? A lot of larger events have a Podcaster Meet-up. At Stitches Midwest there is one on Friday and Saturday at noon second floor of the lobby near the big fire pit (same location as last year). I hope to be there in time for this on Friday and will definitely be there on Saturday! Come say hello. Even if you’re shy, it’s totally OK! We’re all really nice people and we’re happy that you listen or watch our shows, so even if you just want to give a quick smile and a wave, we’d love to wave back!

Plan your day| Make at least a rough plan of what your day will look like. It may change. It probably will, but especially if you are attending classes or other scheduled events you’ll want to plan other things around that. I’d recommend setting an alarm or reminder on your phone with enough notice to give you time to hit the rest room and get to your event with time to spare (that way if you’re in line to buy your new favorite skein of yarn, you’ll have a little leeway to make your purchase and get where you need to be).

Get some sleep | both in advance of the event, and afterwards, get some sleep! If you’re going for a couple days, there will be lots of walking and lots of standing (usually on less than supportive flooring), and your body will start to complain. While its tempting to stay up late with friends, chatting and knitting into the night, I usually opt for getting to bed at a somewhat reasonable hour so I can thoroughly enjoy the next day and make the most out of my trip!

I hope you’ve found this helpful! If you have any other tips to share about preparing for a fiber event, please post a note in the Comments. I’d love to hear from you.

And if you’re coming to Stitches Midwest, I’d love to meet you! Please come by the Podcaster Meet-up or send me a message on Ravelry (BostonJen) and we can make a plan to say hello! oooooh, and don’t forget to ask me for some Swag!