Skip to main content

Designer Dinner

I've been remiss in sharing all the details about Marly Bird's Designer Dinner in Columbus last month! This was the first time I've gotten to attend and had been looking forward to it for quite some time. It was supposed to be a masquerade, but I just didn't have time to do something creative, so I packed my mustachio nosewarmers for the occasion. You'll see I was able to coerce someone else into going incognito via knitted mustache!
There were some pretty cool masks and costumes, but I think my favorites were by Alasdair Post-Quinn's (his was, of course, double-knit & SPECTACULAR) and Gwen Bortner's (she being the entrelac queen). You can view all of the photos here on Facebook - don't forget to like Marly's fan page while you're there!  I'll spare you my opinions on the food - the vegan options were a little lacking, but that's something I've come to expect pretty much anywhere I go, especially in the midwest. It's not like I starved (also, I strategically snacked beforehand), and I can understand how all of the various food allergies and dietary restrictions that folks have these days can pose a problem when putting together a large event.  Besides, I was way more interested in meeting new people to hook up with my clients...and having fun, of course!

In addition to the swag bags that everyone received, there were some other prizes that Marly awarded Oprah-style by having us check the bottom of our chair or the number on the back of our name buttons. My colleague Rebecca won one of the prizes - four skeins of Lhasa Wilderness in a Bijou Basin Ranch project bag! The folks from Kollage also made a speech inviting people to submit designs in their yarn that seemed to be unscripted but possibly had been rehearsed beforehand - it was kind of hard to tell, actually. They included some sparkly yarn in the swag bag - I'd like to submit something, but I'm not sure I can make the August 31 deadline, considering the sock design I've been working on for myself has been in progress for more than half a year now.

It was an interesting experience and I'm certainly grateful to the sponsors who made my bursting-with-fibery-goodness swag bag possible (for the full product review, click here to listen to last week's Yarn Thing Podcast):
Whew! That's a lot of stuff! Hopefully in the months to come, I'll get a chance to play with everything and share my thoughts on this blog.  Many thanks to Marly Bird for putting together this fun event, and still more thanks to the many sponsors who helped make it possible!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Easy DIY: Beaded Vintage Snowflake Ornament Kits from Solid Oak Inc.

I was really excited to step outside of my comfort zone and try something new as part of my "Christmas in July" theme this month. The kind folks at Solid Oak Inc offered me a chance to review one of their Nostalgic Christmas beaded crystal ornament kits I couldn't resist. My tree is already full of ornaments I've inherited or been gifted from other family members and friends,  so these pretty crystal beaded ornaments will fit right in I think! I was super impressed with  this compact little kit , which includes everything needed to create three gorgeous vintage-style ornaments - just add a pair of round nose pliers (I found mine on Amazon for less than ten bucks).  The instructions had some fabulous tips for newbies like me; for example, it recommended sorting the beads and laying them out in order on a towel or beading mat to prevent them from rolling away. That may seem obvious, but I was totally ready to start beading on my kitchen table without a

What If I Didn't Add Heels?

Last weekend, I finished the first sock with my Waterlilies yarn , and just for yuks, I tried it on even though it was basically just a tube sock. Much to my surprise, it fit really well, even without a heel. Who knew? So, that got me thinking: what if I just didn't add the heels?  I never thought a tube sock would actually fit nicely, but I genuinely like the fit, so...why spend time to add the heels? As the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.... Let's say I decide not to add heels once the second sock is done - there will still be placeholder yarn for the afterthought heels, as you can see above, so should I leave it in and just weave in the ends? Or should I remove it, put the live stitches back on needles and at least graft them together using more of the Waterlilies yarn? I plan on mulling all of this over as I knit the second sock, and I'd love to hear your opinions of what you think would look best (or if you think this whole "n

Overdyeing A Finished Knit

Even after just a few years of knitting or crocheting, you're bound to have some finished projects lying around that never get worn or used. After 10+ years of crafting, I have more than just "some" or "a few"....and with my ongoing quest to declutter my house this year, I've become obsessed with going through these forlorn projects and making some Big Decisions. Sometimes, they are perfectly fine and just need a new and loving home. Other projects may have not turned out quite right: there might have been some mistakes in the knitting that I thought I could live with, or the yarn was gorgeous but not well-matched to the pattern, or my  taste has drastically changed since I finished making the project...in any case, why on earth did I keep knitting?! Who knows, but I don't feel good about gifting anything that falls into this category to someone else. These projects have been relegated to the "frog pile" (or should I say, frog pond?), to b