Back from Columbus!

Every year, the National Needlarts Association (TNNA) has several expos around the country -- in summer, for fall and winter wares, and in winter for spring/summer goods (there are also a couple of cash-and-carry shows, mostly for needlepoint).  Usually, though not invariably, the summer show is in Columbus, Ohio.  This is a show for retailers and designers only, not the public.   It features all of North America's (and some of Europe's) best makers of yarns, needleart fibers, tools, and other, related goods.  There are dozens of classes, some of them related to craft, others to retail.  It's huge, and it is especially huge in summer.  When you think yarn, after all, what do you think?  WOOL.   Winter.   Fall.  So -- that's the biggest show.

It's impossible to capture the scale of things in photographs.  But here are some examples.  Multiply things visually by ten or twenty times at each side.  Click to enlarge.

 

 

 

   I confess that I go as much to see good friends and to see what's in designers' minds as I do to see yarn.   Here's one of those friends -- Heidi from Trendsetter:

.......here is an amazing coat on display at the Koigu booth -- just stunning, a modular knit.  (If you don't know Koigu, it's a Canadian firm -- they make fingering weight handpaint (the best known iteration is a shawl called Charlotte's Web) and some other yarns.   Look at this up close!  Say to yourself, "This was knitted in fine, fingering weight yarn."

And -- blare of trumpets -- here is the wonderful Nick Sielicki, group leader for our Wednesday night knit-crochet group.  Master of multiple languages (Russian, Polish, French, Spanish, on and on) and master of the hook and needle.   He helped me make choices this time -- I just LOVED having young eyes along for the purpose.  We hope that his group will continue to attract not only old farts like me, but young people of both sexes. 

 This year, there was a cash-and-carry component -- a new feature.   So I brought back some beautiful shawl pins, some stunning Alpaca and Merino Bumps (with Big Tools), and samples of things we have placed on order for August and September.    Come have a look.  There bill be a Bag Smith trunk show sometime soon (with more Bumps!).         svb