Stitches West comes once a year and I'm so thrilled it's only a half hour drive from my home. We've had Biblical rains these last weeks and I heard some horror stories of vendors with their trucks being stranded for hours on our flooded freeways just a half hour from the venue. In true California form, the next day dawned dry and sunshiny and welcoming and all was well.
I arrived early both Friday and Sunday, stayed for a few hours, and left when the crowds came. As expected, there was quite a lot of indie hand dyed skeins in crazy colors. There were a few knitting stars, Franklin Habit and Steven Be and others, and easily a ton of yarn. To be surrounded by so much fiber, many that I've only read about but never seen, nor touched, or patted--was heaven. My haul below is my favorite thing to show. Three Irish Girls yarn is lovely and I bought two skeins for a baby sweater. The Irish girls themselves were adorable.
Sincere Sheep is fantastic! I'm certain I'll be trying more of their yarn. I purchased two precious skeins of a 100% Cormo wool, one of their Terroir Fiber Series that was sourced from 9 Mile Ranch in Kaycee, Wyoming and spun in Buffalo, Wyoming. It's awesome to know so much about the yarn I'll be knitting and wearing. Each skein has 500 yards and two skeins will be enough for a sweater for me. Now I'm looking for a perfect pattern.
Webs always has an enormous booth and I always manage to get into a little trouble there. I bought one of my favorite Rowan summer yarns, Softyak DK, a gorgeous, medium teal cotton blended with a smidgen of yak fiber. Do you see a color theme here? I really didn't mean to collect only watery blues, but apparently that was what was calling me! I didn't leave Webs until I picked up two little graduated skein sets, perhaps I'll use them for a shawl or baby sweaters.
I fell in love with Canon Hand Dyes from Portland Oregon. She had oodles of sweet little mini skein sets. I bought a bluish speckled George DK set. On Friday night I cast on for a baby surprise jacket mixing it with a white Rowan Pure Wool DK. It's flying off the needles--both yarns are happily bouncing from one needle to the other; sublime.
From the button stall I bought some vintage baseball buttons that are unlike any I've seen before. I also found a little baseball bat with matching baseball set. Yep, baseball season is around the corner folks! Lots of future knitting will be done watching baseball on the TV and at the ballpark.
Follow Knitionary on Facebook
To make a comment, click here. I'd love to hear from you!
Kristen
- February 26, 2017
- 12 Comments