Erica's Blog: Stitches Overview

Stitches West was a bit different for me this year:

I'm ridiculously behind on podcast-listening, so I was completely out of the loop on meet-ups, podcaster throw-down, meet-and-greets.
Because I was out of the loop, I wasn't lunching with "the cool kids".
Doctor Gemma, Abby, and Miss Kalendar were all unable to make it this year (which contributed to #2).
Marly and I weren't able to coordinate our schedules to have lunch together or even get our annual picture.
Vendors I had looked forward to seeing/talking with didn't participate this year.
I didn't buy a shawl pin from Romi this year (shocking, I know).
I *DID*, however, get to spend a lot of time with KnottyLa and Desiree, got to enable both The Joy of Cooking Fairy (aka "Auntie Laura") and my friend Jennifer into spending money, shared a hug or two and a laugh with Subway Knits, and got spend bits of time with Yarn Yenta that were not full of "OMg, I need a shoulder to cry on" moments and feelings like last year.
I *DID* walk away with some fabulous yarn and my brain burbling with design ideas (Must. Knit. Faster.)

I was supposed to have Thing Two with me during the day on Saturday and overnight at the hotel, but she ended up needing to be in the City that night. Thing One wanted to come down instead, but she also ended up with places to be, and Andrew really didn't want to spend his Saturday pretending to be an Uber driver (can ya blame him?), so I ended up solo in my big room at the Hilton on Saturday.

Like 2013 and 2014, I went this year to work - selling/signing books in a corner of the Bijou Basin Ranch booth on behalf of Cooperative Press and spending time schmoozing.

Yes, I was teasing folks with samples from
Defarge Does Shakespeare, which
WILL BE OUT ANY MINUTE NOW.

I also got to hug my Defarge Does Shakespeare test knitters Karen and Renee. Renee was advertising the book by WEARING her test-knit sample.

Me with Karin

Rev. Renee

The belle of the ball this year was definitely YOTH (Yarn on the House), with their gorgeous solids and their gradient sets, which many referred to as "yarn on a stick". EVERY morning, they ran out of the gradient sets in roughly 15 minutes. I understand that Saturday night, they were up ALL night, putting together an abundance of sets (yes, they were completely overwhelmed by the hoopla over their product).

The gradient display was full at 10am, but empty
by 10:11am. As a vendor, I snuck in my purchases
around 9:57am.

Two new-to-me yarn companies were Fresh From the Cauldron and Pepperberry Knits.

Truly, 2015 seems to be
The Year of The Gradient.

One Word: CASHMERE

OK, three more words: JENNIE THE POTTER.

Picture taken on Saturday, when the pickings
were slim of Jennie's wares. Folks familiar with her work
from other shows were THRILLED to have her at
Stitches West for the first time.

And we can't forget perennial faves Neighborhood Fiber Co., Dizzy Blonde Studios (can't find my picture!), and the brilliant (really - she's a MATH professor) Faina Goberstein.