CogKnitive Fiber Retreat, aka CFR7

As we do at this time every year, Andrew and I spent last weekend in that bustling hub of tourist activity, Tehachapi, CA for Doctor Gemma's CogKnitive Fiber Retreat, where I represented Cooperative Press.  Funny, when I tag along on his business trips, we fly to places like Boston or Singapore;  when he tags along on mine, he does the driving, and we go to places like Santa Clara or Tehachapi, LOL.

It was great to see all the folks I only see at events like this, Stitches, Retzlaff, etc., both attendees and vendors.  This year's vendors were most of the usual suspects:  Red Fish Dyeworks;  Dizzy Blonde Studios;  Jamie's Metalworks;  RK's Mom;  Bee Mice Elf;  Fickle Knitter; Slipped Stitch Studios;  The Yarnover Truck, and Mimi's Needle Basket.  Even if I weren't vending, I'd want to go as an attendee (and you KNOW I would have taken the belly dancing class!).  Of course, a road trip with Hubby and a weekend away from the kids real life, staying in a hotel is always something I'll jump at.  I didn't take many pictures this time, but here's what little I got:

My booth set-up:  Cooperative Press books with samples,
plus some of my own independent patterns (Fangirl,
Perennials, Bijou Bijoux, Bag Ban Grocery Bag) with samples.

That shawl hanging on the wall above my chair?  Fangirl, of course.  Laura from Dizzy Blonde Studios used it as a booth sample, and I wore the "rough draft" of the pattern.  As people saw it and/or the display copy of the pattern on the table, I pointed them to the yarn a few feet away from me.

Every year, two or three of the vendors pick a theme and dress in costume.  This year, the theme was "Firefly" or "Serenity".  I meant to get a picture of everyone who was dressed up, but my timing was off, so I just have Jayne and Kaylee.  (I should have made her stand up so you could see the appliques on her jumpsuit; they were perfect.)  Laura was dressed as Wash, as was "Jayne's" daughter.  Since Fangirl was inspired by a "Firefly" character, I would have gladly dressed up too, had I known.  Guess I'll have to ask the cool kids to let me in on the secret next year in time to plan for it.

 Since we're watching our pennies, I was good this year, and the only money I spent was on $5 worth of raffle tickets to benefit The Mother Bear Project.  Over $400 was raised, and MANY bears collected for this great cause.  As usual, Barb and Tracie were the queens of this effort, having each already made 15 bears in 2015.

Once again this year, we had a mini-skein swap, so I brought a bag of about 1/3 of the mini skeins from my bucket of leftover sock yarn.  The only requirement is that the skeins be at least 20 yards, so mine ranged from 20 - 50 yards.  I'm very happy with the ones that came home with me.

The other goodie I brought home was this "KNIT" sticker that
FickleKnitter gave me.  NO, not the iPad, just the sticker!

Dinner at King of Siam on Friday was, as always, crazy good, and having Laura and Desiree with us only made it better.  Saturday night, we tried a place we hadn't been, The Shed.  Service was really slow, but Sharon who came with us was good company, and the food was very good.  Next year, I think we'll stick around for the post-retreat brunch at The Village Grill, as long as we can also find a place where Andrew can watch football.  This year, while all the cool kids were there for a retreat wrap-up and planning session for next year, we were back at the hotel, dealing with a dead battery and AAA before our five-hour drive home.

What did Andrew do while I was vending on Saturday?  He went on a 17-mile bike ride up to The Tehachapi Loop and back, then took a nap before watching college football, of course.