Sunday was another long day of walking up and down the aisles here at TNNA, talking to vendors, and placing orders. We’d spent Saturday night swatching new yarns to see how we liked them, and oh, how we loved them! Though we didn’t get much sleep, by Sunday morning, we were ready to pick out colors and invite these new yarns to the shop.

Along the way, we ran into one of our heroes, Clara Parkes, a writer, designer, and expert reviewer of all things fiber. We told her how very many times we’ve followed her lead on new products and yarn, like Titus and the Lilly Brush, and thanked her for all that she does.

We were a little star struck.

It’s been an incredible trip, and meeting Clara Parkes was the cherry on top. Now we’re heading home to the shop, which will be open Tuesday morning, as usual. See you there!

Here in Columbus, we started another day at TNNA with early morning classes. Anne took a business class with Andrea Marquis, our sales rep for Mountain Meadow Wool and Yarn Hollow. Rosi and I both took “Learning to Love Intarsia,” taught by designer Sally Melville. The technique was brand new to me, and Sally made it clear, doable, and exciting. From there, we went to the market floor, where hundreds of vendors had set up booths filled with yarns and garments. We went from booth to booth, checking out new products and catching up with some of our favorite companies. Along the way, we spotted a few designers we recognized, the likes of Amy Herzog, Stephen West, Grace Anna Farrow, and Anne Hanson. It’s been an exciting, inspiring, fabulous day; here are some scenes from the market floor.

On Thursday afternoon, Anne and Rosi and I piled into the car and headed to Columbus, Ohio. The National Needle-Arts Association holds an annual conference and trade show in Columbus every June, an event we often refer to simply as “TNNA.” TNNA is where we do the majority of our fall and winter yarn ordering for the shop, and where we look out for exciting new products and project ideas. We also take classes, both in technique and in business, and we come home even more inspired than usual to be in the business of yarn.

This morning, we had our first classes. Anne studied “7 Techniques to Instantly Make You a Better Knitter” with designer Cat Bordhi. The seven techniques are all used in one of Bordhi’s patterns, a cabled cowl, which Anne and the other students will create during this day long class. Meanwhile, Rosi brushed up on finishing techniques with Chris Bsylma, skills that we all benefit from revisiting from time to time.

I took a class with Melissa Leapman called “Crochet for Cowards,” aimed at knitters looking to pick up new crochet skills. Until this morning, all my crochet skills were self-taught, and it was useful to check those skills with an encouraging instructor. We practiced chain, single, double, and slip stitches, worked on flat swatches and in the round, and started two projects: a purse and a hat. Most helpful of all was troubleshooting common crochet pitfalls, like extra stitches, loose edges, and turning chains. I left feeling more confident, one of the loveliest possible side effects of a needlework class, and spent lunchtime practicing a new-to-me stitch pattern, “crochet seed stitch.”
Tonight, we’re looking forward to Sample It, an event that allows us to purchase samples of all kinds of new products, from yarns and patterns to bags and other accessories. That way, we can try them out before we decide to buy them for the shop. It’s always a bit of a feeding frenzy, with a long line outside the door and plenty of activity within. That long line is where I’m headed next; I’ll report back tomorrow from the market floor!