Yarn Summit

After a weekend of teaching (and in the case of the Harlot, charming 100+ knitters crammed into a bookstore), Lily Chin, Annie Modesitt, Stephanie Pearl McPhee, Heather Brack and I had dinner. Stephanie dubbed it a “yarn summit” on the way over, evoking Reagan and Gorbachev-go-to-Iceland in my 1980s-addled brain. If you were born after 1985, chances are you have no idea what I’m talking about. Then again, I don’t see the point of Twitter.com, so I guess we’re even.

First — photos from my nuno felting classes at the Original Sewing and Quilt Expo. We had the run of the concession area — a good thing, since nuno felting involves water, and it gets a little drippy. Each class held 17 students, and despite the lovely pastel Cotswold lamb fleece batts from Frene Creek Farm, the second I pulled out some old green/multi merino top from Ashland Bay, everyone gravitated towards it as if it were magnetic and they were metal!

Shredded sari silk in foreground, determined felters plotting their next step in the background

Stringing beads to embed in the nuno

A long scarf with dreadlocky tips (this one was super-gorgeous up close!)

Check out the handspun bits embedded inside, they’ll puff up as it dries

After my book signing Saturday morning, I flew across town to the Yarn Harlot’s talk and book signing. It’s a good 35-minute drive and I was done signing at noon / she started at 2:00. Luckily I was there early enough to grab a chair.

Stephanie amused everyone for an hour and then signed so many books, her hand fell off. No, not really.

After the crowds cleared out, I came back to pick her up. A few phone calls later, dinner plans were settled and we drove back across town to get everyone else and go downtown. Adult beverages were required at this point. Yes.

While driving to dinner, we took a quick drive past the (now-closed) Haab’s Bakery in Cleveland, near the West Side Market. It looks just like a little Alpine cottage, right down to the mountain scene painted on the back. This is Annie yodeling with Stephanie’s sock.

Stephanie and Annie frolicking in the hills, Sound of Music-style. Note the sock and the multiple cameras documenting this moment. What you can’t see: we were parked in a one-way alley to grab these quick shots. An ice cream truck pulled up behind us, jingle-playing, and waited patiently for us to finish our impromptu photoshoot.

Lily menaces Stephanie with lipgloss. Sorry the color is so bizarre, but we were in low-light conditions and I hate that deer-in-the-headlight look you get with flash.

At dinner, we were seated next to a bachelorette party. Someone who shall remain nameless (*cough* Lily *cough*) was coveting their tiaras. Our waiter, Josh, seemed to be having a pretty good time handling our tables. He was participating in some kind of quiz with the bride-to-be as we were walking out. We had to pass up the brewery tour — too tired, plus Stephanie had 6 hours until her flight out. Overall, a fabulous weekend.

Those of you who were in my class, I’d love to see how everything looked when it dried! Send me photos, would you?

Tagged with: Events, Felt Frenzy, Knitting