i had such a wonderful time at stiches west! i can not tell you how absolutely inspiring it was!
on friday, my day started with having breakfast with my dad… who is still not quite himself… i think that as weeks go on, things will get better, but i’m worried that he will never be the same again. we went to this little place in danville called ruggies… it’s ok. i had 1/2 a bennie. if i had been good, i wouldn’t have eaten my hashbrowns… i wasn’t good, but they were.
i dropped my dad back at his house, and went on my way to oakland… apparently, oakland has it’s farmers market on friday mornings. i was tempted to stop, but i was on a mission. i needed to find parking so i could go to stiches. after a quick jaunt around the block because the parking lot was full, i found a garage with lots of parking. i parked my car and excitedly walked into the marriott.
first, i have to say i didn’t know that so many people crafted with yarn (lets be fair, they couldn’t all be knitters, could they?). when i got to where the marketplace was, there were more than 100 people waiting to pay their $7 to get in… that’s right $7 to buy yarn. apparently, there was a coupon. i didn’t have one. bummer. i love coupons. i think i waited in line for more than 1/2 hour. i talked to a woman in line from the east bay. she crochets. we talked about all kinds of things. she was meeting a friend who was running late. i kinda wished i had a friend, but then, i was glad i didn’t. this way, i could do things the way i wanted to.
when i finally entered the room, everything was buzzing. there were so many people… it was like being in your local yarn store, and having 99 other stores right there next to it. i walked around first. i didn’t want to do a bunch of impulsive purchasing. i wanted to be good.
the first booth i stopped in was a san francisco yarn store, imagiknit. they had the size 17 brittney birch needles i wanted for the knitting bag i wanted to knit in the “hollywood knits” book. i picked them up and then saw the most beautiful little child’s sweater knit in this hand dyed yarn. oh my. let me say this. i have no children. NONE. and yet, i am drawn to things to make for kids. who knows. anyway… $50 later, i had one ball of yarn and these needles. can you say, i’m in trouble? i knew it. this was only the first isle.
the chester farms booth on that same isle really tempted me. their yarns were beautiful, and the colors were awesome… but, i was trying really hard to be good. i had 3 patterns with me that i wanted to make… i had already fallen off the beaten path…
by this point i decided that i needed to find the yarn for at least one of the patterns i had brought with me. i choose to find reynolds lopi, or the equivilent to make a poncho for baby tucker. i decided that i had better find out what lopi looked like (or acted like) so that i could ensure that i was getting the right thing.
i went up and down the isles looking for a knitting booth that i recognized. you see, all my local folks were supposed to be there. the knitters studio and uncommon threads. i found the knitters studio first. and i might say, they were not very helpful. they said that i needed to go visit the shop to find something that would work. (but, they did have the cutest dog carriers. i wish that daisy would fit in something like that) so i set off to find uncommon threads. i never found uncommon threads. it seems that they didn’t have a booth. :(
on the way back, feeling kind of lost, i came across the offhand designs booth. hello! can you say “cute hand made purses!” how could i not stop there? $90 and two purses later, i left offhand designs booth. sally swirl in blue and sally merlot in pink and brown came home with me. 1/2 off, can’t beat that! i think one of them is going to be for missey andrea for her birthday… i just can’t decide which one. (the rocker was not impressed with the bags. i think he has no taste. i think they are awesome!)
after that, it was a free for all. i stopped by jimmy beans wool where i bought enough lorna’s laces, shepherd worsted in childsplay to make a childs poncho…
i then stopped at the knit shop, and purchased this uber cool pattern and yarn to make a felted purse with a daisy on it. i also got some more needles and a felting kit.
finally, i stopped at knitability.com and purchased 4 skeins of bulky sagacity to make that knitting bag that i talked about earlier…
i decided that i had to leave. i had my hands full, and i was feeling pretty poor at this point. i decided against adding more time to my interweave knits subscription, but i did subscribe to knitters magazine on the way out the door. i got a free bag (not that i would use it, but you know, it was free).
all in all, i had a wonderful vacation day. next year, it will be in santa clara, and i’m taking classes. i wish i had this time. if one comes near you, GO!
Look who’s talking…