Report from Stitches West: Part 1

Stitches West was wonderful. Exhausting, but utterly wonderful. Until it was over, I didn't realize how much I was stressing about getting pins, earrings, pendants and patterns ready! Now that I'm relaxed, I've been sleeping. A lot. :)

Before we get started here, I have to warn you that this is a very very truncated and brief taste of all the fun at the show. I didn't get pics of a lot of stuff and a lot of people! Part of it was that I was super busy being in the moment, but admittedly, part of it is that I was utterly brainless and blithering.

This year, I shared a booth with A Verb for Keeping Warm, and Kristine had samples knit up of many of my shawl patterns. Here she is modeling Madroña. I love it in her hard twist heavy laceweight yarn. The color absolutely made her glow.

Several people commented that my photos of Madroña, Fiori di Sole and Lisianthus don't do the shawls justice. I agree. It has been super difficult to show them properly! You can see Fiori and Lisianthus on the dress forms in the middle of the booth. I loved the way it all looked. Kristine did an amazing job designing it! And - this is the coolest thing ever - we won best booth!

Look at that yummy yarn! I wanted one of each color. It was difficult keeping hands off.

At the bottom, you can see Kristine's mom, Michelle, and in the background in that gorgeous yellow Celaeno is :drumroll: JeanneM! My Ravelry moderator who flew out from Colorado to help me!

Here we are in a terrible iPhone photo. She is beyond awesome.

What can I possibly say about Jeanne that would do her justice? She is a kind, down to Earth, and just plain lovely person. I am so very lucky to call her friend! Those of you on my forum will have seen Jeanne's Ravatar - the one where she's sitting on the beach with a cooler on her head? She had the cooler, and I saw my opportunity. Heehee. Isn't she adorable?! I just love her to pieces.

Across from us was Little Red Bicycle. This is Didi. I didn't have enough brain power to catch a picture of Liz Abinante of Travelling Woman fame, who shared a booth with Didi. But I did get to meet her, and she's great!

Here's Jeanne getting out the cookies that Brandy sent. Brandy is a fellow moderator - am I lucky or what?! She sent two big boxes of yummy home made cookies! (That's Adrienne at the bottom of the picture there, enjoying a cookie. Ysolda had one too; everyone had one and loved them!).

YUM!

Here's Cookie eating a cookie. Heehee.

And speaking of wonderful moderators.... My lovely Finnish moderator Saara came out to Stitches West this year! I had met her mother in 2008 when she came to the Bay Area to visit her friend, and she had looked me up at Saara's request. Muir had captured Saara's imagination. Here's Saara's mother posing in the original.

And here is Saara being styled (by me)

for her own shoot! I was telling the story to everyone who would listen. :)

Saara brought some Finnish yarn in my favorite color.

I love both the yarn and the logo!

Holly brought scones, but they were so good that I went back to my room, put my feet up and ate them before I took pictures. By the time I thought about recording the moment, this is all I had left! Mmmmmmmmm.

This is Mel from my forum.

Here are Dana, Terri and Judy from my forum!

And Jeanne, Caroline, Terri and Judy here.

We had a big dinner Friday night (all sorts of fabulous people only met electronically on my forum but now with real faces and personalities to go with those names!), but did I take the phone out and take pictures of everyone? No. I shudder to think how utterly brainless I was! Please forgive me everyone to whom I must have said bizarre things! (Unfortunately, I do remember a few moments). Then did I take pictures on Saturday night when Sharon (another of my wonderful moderators), her husband, Saara, Jeanne and I had dinner? No. GAH! But I do have memories that will last and last.

I met so many people, and since I was using my iPhone to process credit cards (Square is Awe. Some.), I wasn't able - or even thinking about stopping - to take pictures of everyone who came. But I did get a lot of hugs in. And I got to meet a couple of of people I had known for years and years online (hi Madge and Mary!) and see Marie again, who I have also known forever and ever online and have met before at Stitches. And best of all, I gave them hugs, and received some pretty great ones in return. I didn't even think of getting the camera out.

Lots of fabulous people came by the booth, among them Ragga, who was in town from Iceland and teaching at Stitches. I am trying to talk her into having me teach on one of her tours. :)

Here are Janel Laidman and hizknits Stephen, who I had never actually met, though we had been in close proximity before, just missing each other many times.

The lovely Hilary Smith Callis came by and said hello. We took each other's pictures taking each other's pictures, as befits a couple of geeks. :)

And what can I say about Stefanie Japel, other than I wish I had met her years and years ago? Such a lovely and warm person!

And, of course, Rick's shoes. It's a tradition for me to take a picture, and when he sees me coming he shows me the latest pair. :) These were fabulously silver!

I will leave you with a picture of the Mongolian Barbeque chef at dinner. Mr. Romi and the kids came back through on their way home from an archery tournament and we all had dinner after the show was over. Delicious!

Tomorrow? Acquisitions!