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VK! Live! Is! Almost! Here!


Palmer House Hilton
...and I am not excited in the slightest. 

Actually, I have very high hopes for this event; my prediction is that it's going to knock their competition out of the water, notably in terms of attendance and accessibility for Chicago knitters. I love going to Stitches Midwest, but I don't love going to Stitches, if you know what I mean. 40 minutes in the car to get to the 'burbs? And I actually live pretty close to Schaumburg, relatively speaking: for folks who live in other Chicago neighborhoods (I am in the Northwest, about 20 minutes from O'Hare), they probably spend at least an hour making the trek, possibly longer! 

For the car-free city mouse, a trip to Schaumburg can pretty much eat up your whole day...and budget...and patience. Driving in Chicago, especially on the highway, isn't exactly the most fun way to spend your time, so it is with much giddy anticipation that I have been counting down the days to the first-ever Vogue Knitting Live! Chicago. 

They picked a gorgeous venue, the Palmer House Hilton, located in the easily-accessible downtown Chicago loop. A+ to whoever brainstormed that idea and saw it through to fruition! It doesn't matter where you live in the city (or the suburbs for that matter - you can easily take a Metra train into the loop), there is a bus or train line that will get you within blocks of the blessed event. The folks at Loopy will also have a shuttle running between their shop, which will have extended hours, and the Palmer House. Be sure to save some yarn money to spend there, because they've got a great selection!

Merz Apothecary
(On a totally unrelated note, one of my favorite shops that is unique to Chicago is located in the first level of the Palmer House Hilton - so if you're visiting from out of town, be sure to check out the Merz Apothecary, too!)

I will be spending most of the weekend helping one of my clients in their booth, though I have many who will also be attending that I can't wait to say hello to. I've honed my shopping list to the essential (dear lord, I do NOT need more yarn!). I've scheduled a few hours to shop the marketplace and see my friends at the Windy City Knitting Guild booth (hint: you'll want to stop by to say hello, test out some Knitter's Pride needles, and get a coupon for your Green Mountain Spinnery purchase at the show!). I didn't sign up for any classes or events, but here's hoping VK Live comes back next year so I can try those on for size. 

Will you be going to Vogue Knitting Live? Come say hello to me in the Bijou Basin Ranch booth!
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