SOCK SUMMIT 2009

I know this is long over due as are all my library books!!!

Recently, Portland, Oregon, was home to the wonderful knitting event known as Sock Summit 2009. So, a few of the ladies and I went to visit the marketplace on the last day of the event. I was unable to attend earlier, so I missed out on all the classes and the setting of a new Guiness world record, I had no idea what all would be happening at this event until it was too late to register for anything. I wish now that I had known about the luminary panel, I would have attended that with bells on! This was one of the first items we saw. A great example of domino knitting, created by a famous knitter (they told us when we saw it who it was, but I can't remember who it was and I have searched the internet and still can't identify it) modeled her in a very Vannah-esque style by my LYS owner. In fact we saw many wonderful examples of domino knitting and in fact have recently found two giant bags of acrylic stash at a yard sale and brought it home as after I saw this, I am inspired to think a similar idea would make a blanket for my step-grandson or even for charity work.

I snapped a pic of this shawl because it was the original of a shawl I just completed for my mother, AND BECAUSE I LOVE SPOOLS OF YARN. How one of those didn't fall off into my open hands and willingly offer to come home with me is a mystery to me.

I was enraptured with this beautiful piece because I think it traveled furthest to be at the Sock Summit. This shawl was created in New Zealand. It is created, not in the round like that last one but in short rows. The six sections start with a row that goes from the center to the edge then each row decreases until you have a pie shape then all the stiches picked up again and repeated till you have the six sections. I bought the pattern for this one, but don't know when or if I'll ever get to it.

I did happen to see a few people I recognized. I was so tickled to see the Ravelry.com creater and another of her team (the short-haired blonde behind and the pretty smiley lady in pink) and they were in conversation with other visitors so that I couldn't walk up to them to say hello or anything. There was not a booth for them, they had had a cocktail hour party the night before, but I was so happy to find a Ravelry button at a booth being handed out. THAT made my day, so, I hugged the person in the booth. Yes, I did. I know, that poor woman.

This is another of the ladies that attended with me. She is our group's Newbie Knitter. Actually, she's very accomplished so I'm not sure she really qualifies for that title anymore. We saw glass knitting needles made by a fellow from the coast and she tried them out. I'm so rough on my needles, I was afraid that I would break them. She was very attracted to the different examples of the domino knitting, also, and if I photographed every bit and posted it on here, you would be quite bored of us by now. However, I loved how this jacket turned out. The cut and style of the collar are very Oriental design, including a frog closure at the neckline that was created for this jacket also. Also, I liked all the shades of purple. Duh.

Somebody out there just said, 'Did you find any bargains?' Well, yes I did.

This was the only yarn I bought. I was having guilts because I just bought a stash worth of wool the week before, so, I really wasn't planning on buying anything for myself. I did get a few things for a Purple Swap I participated in, that's the next blog (for some reason it won't fit here). This is a Merino/Nylon blend, that I picked up for 1/2 off. There is enough in this that I can make a sweater, and I think I have one picked out.

Why is there nothing about socks in this post? Well, think about it. Really, socks are a great project, because they go quick so they satisfy the need to accomplish, they are small enough to go everywhere (I worked on a sock as I roamed the aisles) and you can try out all different techniques and patterns. But if you keep them, or give them away, really, there are not alot of people seeing them because they are usually in your shoes! I could have gotten a shot of the different socks made by sock knitters in the sock museum, but I was focused on trying not to become a cleptomaniac. There was also a sock knitting machine. Kinda defeats the purpose of knitting as a hobby, in my humble opinion. I am a knitter. Socks are only one of the things I could make. I loved seeing and feeling all the different fibers, amazed that yarn made of corn is so soft, and I met fibers of all kinds including possum, all the colors, all textures all the options.

Then I came home and took a nap.