Sock Summit 2009, Day 2

I rode in to Sock Summit Day 2 with Tami again today. It began with hordes of knitters lined up. For the MarketPlace. The line started at registration,



Stretched past the Starbucks, and



down almost to the other end of the concourse.

While I waited for time to set up for classes, I kinneered a few KnitStars.

Here's Kelly Petkun, owner of KnitPicks. Actually, Kelly and I are friends; I teased her about missing so many Portland Spinnerati meetings and told her she'd have to start attending to hear all about what I'm learning from Judith McKenzie McCuin.



Meanwhile, Cookie A was looking for something; I think maybe it was her classroom?




Jess and MaryHeather of Ravelry were spotted grabbing their coffees.



Lucy Neatby was wandering the halls, looking colorful. I know this was blurry, but she was moving FAST! And yes, her hair really is pink and purple; her shoes were pink and green. One of each.



I spent a wonderful morning listening to Judith McKenzie McCuin talk about spinning exotic fibers for socks. Can you imagine socks made of cashmere? How about baby camel? Yak and merino? Silk? Her favorite? A blend of merino, angora, and silk. Can you imagine how luxurious those must feel?

Here's Judith handing some Chinese cashmere to some of the students. The one in the black is Sandi Wiseheart, of Knitting Daily, who was back for a second class with Judith.



Here's my spinning sister, Sara Ferguson, who was also in the class today. I helped Sara get started spinning and taught her exactly one lesson before she sprouted wings and flew on her own. I got the best compliment possible today when Judith looked at her spinning and said, "Well, it looks like you've been doing this forever."



Class was only 3 hours today because there were plans afoot to set a new Guinness Book of World Record today. I stayed to lock up Judith's classroom, so I missed the event, but I know they not only broke the old record of 256 people knitting simultaneously, they absolutely smashed it with over 1,000. While waited for Judy Becker to finish helping set that record, I was busy kinneering again.

Here's Ann Hanson, who had just finished teaching a class on designing socks and was probably plotting to teach even more people to design socks.



Here's Stephen of the hizknits blog being chatted up by fans.



And I have no idea who this guy is, but I'll kinneer any man brave enough to: (1) wear a kilt, and (2) go to a knitting convention.



Then Judy showed up and could hardly contain herself. She had a class this morning with Barbara Walker. I KNOW I would have been squeeling, too! After her class, Barbara had asked her students if they'd like to buy some things she was selling. Can you believe it? Judy got a pair of socks (knitted by Barbara!), a little talisman bag (again, knitted by Barbara!) and a deck of Barbara's Tarot Cards!

She's always told me that she has dibbs on the ToolMan, so I asked her if she'd trade me for the socks. She turned me down. Some friend she turned out to be!

I grabbed a quick bite and headed over to make a turn through the Marketplace and give StitchJones a chance to shop while I watched her booth for her. Guess who I spotted in the tables?

The one and only, elusive, MonicaPDX! I know; she's blurred. I'm tellin' you, these knitter people are so high on yarn fumes that they are moving FAST!

Here's Brian from Skacel. Not the best picture, but this crazed knitter is knitting seven pairs of socks on one circular needle. Yes, you heard right; a week's worth of socks in one swell foop. He's either genius or crazy, we haven't decided which. Yet.



I made a stop by Abundant Yarn and captured this scene. No, it is not a porno film in the making! That's Stevanie Pico, the brilliant dyer, licking a temporary tattoo which she has stuck to Larissa Brown's . . . um, . . . chest. Good thing they're friends.



I got to StitchJones booth and took over for her so she would have a chance to cruise the Marketplace. I loved having a chance to pimp her yarn and brag on my friend. Just as StitchJones returned, Tami also returned.

We were chatting with a couple of customers and getting ready to leave when a woman walked up to me, she said she read my blog and would I sign her sock blocker! I blurted out something along the lines of "Somebody get a camera because I found the person who reads my damn blog!" Yes, you can dress me up, but you can't take me out in public. Paula, wherever you are, you MADE my day!

Sock Summit 2009, Day 1

Today at Registration, the line wasn't quite as long as yesterday, but there still were people coming in.

I hitched a ride with Tami, and we arrived about 8:30 a.m. The place was already crawling with knitters.

Every chair at every table had a knitter in it.

There were KnitStars to be spotted; if you look carefully at that front table below, you'll see the Knitmore Girls. That's Jasmine with the bright pink hair and Gigi to her left.

I also spotted Sandi Wiseheart, Amy Singer of Knitty fame, Joan Schrouder, Chrissy Gardiner, Deb Accuardi who does the "At the Kitchen Table" podcast, Cat Bordhi, Morgaine of Carolina Handspun, Jess and Casey (and Bob) from Ravelry, and Judy Becker. I spotted them and either I was running an errand for one of my teachers or they were in the midst of something, so I didn't get pictures. I'll try to get shots during the book signing tomorrow.

When class time came, the concourse looked practically deserted.

See, there were even empty chairs at Starbucks!

I had been assigned to be the volunteer teacher's aide for Nancy Bush, but when I got to the classroom and introduced myself, Nancy said she was pretty self-sufficient, but . . . . And then Stephanie poked her head through the door. Nancy explained that she really didn't need an assistant, but Judith McKenzie McCuin was next door and her usual assistant was not able to come with her. So, I was tagged to cover both teachers!

Judith's class today was "The Gentle Art of Spinning for Socks", and I can tell you that even without a wheel, I learned a tremendous amount. I think I probably have enough new information to build several lesson for Portland Spinnerati!

Classes let out at 4:30, so Tami and I hit the Marketplace. We made a beeline to the SockSummit booth and each of us snagged a great knitting bag with the Sock Summit logo on the front.

We made a quick swing around to see StitchJones' booth and decide we needed a plan before tackling the whole thing. Thank goodness we have 3 more days to snag whatever we can't live without!

Now, I've got to unpack the two bags I hauled today, consolidate into the new bag, and rest up for tomorrow. I plan on Kinneering as many KnitStars as I can.