Yarn Thing Designer Dinner Recap!

Whew! I've just returned from The National Needlarts Association's semiannual meetup for professionals in the industry, and what a trip it was! Later this week I'll be posting about some of the fabulous designers & yarnies I met for this first time, but today I wanted to tell you all about one of the most coveted events of the weekend: The Yarn Thing Designer Dinner, hosted by Marly Bird! If you haven't heard of Marly Bird yet, y'all seriously have to check out her website and podcast. Wherever Marly is, there's a party, and this weekend's soiree was no exception!

I won't bore you with loads of wordy details except to tell you that this party is an event for professional knit & crochet designers to get together and mingle, as well as receive tons of swag from generous sponsors! (You can see my video reviews of this event from last year here and here.) This year was a masquerade, and this group of creatives really went all out!

My getup. A bit hard to see in this photo, but my "mask" consisted of outrageous eye makeup in turquoise, green and purple, along with some shiny crystals on my face. I designed and sewed the dress as well, which is silk shantug. Johnny Depp graces my Mad Hatter fascinator, because let's face it: you can never go wrong with Johnny. Or anything purchased from Disney World, for that matter.

Great minds think alike! Annie Modesitt and I together formed the Tiny Hat Brigade.

  

Roomie photo! In the middle is Stacey Trock of FreshStitches sporting an owl mask, and on the right is Alex Tinsley of Dull Roar with a fabulous sequined-y getup!

This is Marly, doing her thing. Apparently her thing at that moment was scaring the crap out of me in the buffet line! It should be noted that she is basically on her knees in this photo. She is way tall like a supermodel! I am, uh, not.

Dinner buddies! My roomies and I, with Gwen Bortner, Edie Eckman, and my LYSO, Bex. Good times!

The swag! OMG you guys, the SWAG. There's about 15 skeins of yarn here, along with too many needles and notions to count, a Namaste needle case, and a couple of books. Wowie wow wow!

Sincerest thanks to all who decided to sponsor the event this year! Your generosity is astounding and you all went out of your way to make sure that each designer had a fantastic evening. We appreciate you!

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Works in progress...

I've got a few things on the needles these days, getting ready for knitting's big industry tradeshow, TNNA, later this month. I generally have at least one new pattern debuting at the show, and this time, I'll have three. I thought I'd give you a little sneak peek at them!

Above you'll see the pile of gorgeous Artyarns that I got during the course of the last TNNA in January. After being introduced to Iris by Teva Durham at the June show last year, Iris and I came up with a plan for me to design a lovely two-piece, vaugely wedding ensemble in her glorious yarns. You'll see the beginnings of the skirt, which will be a high-waisted pencil skirt with teensy purl stripes. The top, which will be in Artyarns' ethereal Rhapsody Light, Beaded Silk Light and Ensemble Light, will highlight my new obsession, the high-low silhouette. I'll be wearing this duo around the show floor, and when it's not on me you'll be able to stop by the Artyarns booth (#639) and see it there. Trust me, this stuff has to be felt to be believed. Luxury at its finest! I simply cannot wait to drape myself in these yummy cashmere & silk yarns.

Up next is a tiny peek at this year's showpiece for Anuzla Luxury Fibers. This is my third time designing a showpiece for Anzula (previous designs were Miss Brooks and Principesa), and I absolutely love collaborating with them. Sabrina and I think similarly regarding the purpose of design, and she pretty much allows me free reign in her booth during the show. A designer's dream come true! This year's showpiece will not become a written pattern, as the intent was to show off something spectacular in Anzula's amazing yarns, and neither Sabrina nor myself wanted me to feel restricted by what I would be able to translate into a written pattern. I'm pretty excited about this one! It was inspired by Downton Abbey...but that's all I'm saying! If you follow me on Twitter, you've most likely picked up on some of the clues, but this is one of those pieces that people will either find ridiculous or fantastic. ;) I'm hoping to wear this around the show floor on Saturday after the fashion show, if I can get my hands on it. If you miss me in it, stop by the Anzula booth (#763) after Saturday to see it up close and personal!

The third pattern will be available from the Cooperative Press booth (#554) during the show, and it's called the Chi-Chi Cowl. It's also worked in an Anzula yarn, Oasis, and works up quite quickly on super large needles. It's a little bit lacy and a little bit cable-y and just an all-around go to piece for all seasons. This piece will also be on displaly in the Anzula booth, and you can nab the pattern for free at the Cooperative Press booth. So don't miss out!

Oh! Before I forget, we have a winner for Kristin's giveaway! It's Elizabeth Kelly! Congrats, Elizabeth! If you'll PM me your regular email address over on Ravelry (I'm TheSexyKnitter, natch), I'll make sure you get your digital copy of the Complements Collection from Kristin.

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