This spring I finally went to a larger (but still fairly local) event – Knitting in the Heartland in Kansas City.
I’m not sure how I’ve managed to make it this far without attending any large knitting events. I’ve gone to local workshops. I go to a weekly Knit Night whenever I can manage it (boy activities like soccer and taekwondo make it more difficult than you might think). I interact with other knitters in the Ravelry threads. I worked at our LYS until it closed. And I’ve got plenty of knitting friends. But somehow I’ve just never taken the plunge and gone to a larger event. I recently purchased a copy of Clara Parkes Knitlandia and I’m loving it. Each new essay that talks about a knitting convention or trip or event shows me a little bit more about what I’ve been missing.
So I went!
I took a class on drop spindle spinning. The teacher did a great job introducing us to very beginning drop spindling and I enjoyed being a classroom full of other people who love yarn and fiber as much as I do.
I also took a class on photographing your knits with Franklin Habit. So that was pretty great!
The Vendor’s Market was something to behold. Three entire rows with vendors lined up along both sides plus others set up at the ends and in the corners. Lots and lots and lots of lovely yarns and fibers and stitch markers and notions bags and tees. I’ve heard knitters and podcasters talk about “yarn fumes” but I didn’t think these fumes were a real thing until I walked my first time around the market and wanted to buy ALL.THE.THINGS.
I had planned to look through the whole market first and then make informed and rational decisions about what exactly I would buy. I even had a detailed list of upcoming design ideas and the types, colors and quantities of yarn I needed. This skein wasn’t on any of those lists. I tried to leave it where I found it. I even walked away from it. But I hadn’t made it very far before I went back and snatched it up. It simply had to come home with me. It is lovely and I can already start to see the design it will become, but really? I think it was the lovely bits of orange that got me…..and the yarn fumes.
The second time through the market I was more restrained. I looked at everything but bought nothing. The third time through I had fun and I’m excited about the yarns that came home with me!
So the Vendor Market was a lot of fun. And evidently yarn fumes are a real thing.
If I’m honest, the idea of networking might be the reason I hadn’t gone to an event like this yet. As an introvert, networking….in person….with actual people….at a live event sounds a little like the ninth circle of hell. But being there in person wasn’t actually as hard as I imagined. Like many public events in life (at least in the life of an introvert), once you are at the thing it is mostly fine. I didn’t walk up to anyone and say “Hello! I’m a knitwear designer!” and hand them my business card. Because that just isn’t me. But I did meet quite a few other knitters and spinners and dyers. I did actually give my business card to one of the indie dyers that I made a nice connection with and I mentioned I was a designer to another. And I sat down in a circle of comfy chairs, pulled out my work and enjoyed getting to know other knitters. I’m glad I went and am already wondering where I should go next.
