Well…I made to the Sock Summit in Portland, OR on Saturday. 🙂 I happily recruited 2 of my local loomy buds to travel with me on the 2 hr drive there and to experience something quite amazing first hand. We don’t really get to go to these big fibery events, as most of them are held many states away, so this was an excellent opportunity to check things out. It was BIG! Yarn was everywhere…people (us included) were so excited to be able to fondle all these glorious yarns in person. It was marvelous! Here were a few of the highlights of the day:
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- Spud & Chloe yarns and goodies in person~
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- Very Innovative Socks!
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- Lots of fibery goodness!
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- You’ve heard of shoe trees-how about a Sock Tree??
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- The Knitmore Girls in person!
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- This has to be the cutest knit bunny ever!
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- …at the Sock Museum
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- Baby Booties from before 1900’s
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- Look at that itsy bitsy detail!
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- Baby Booties of 1916
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- Someday I’m going to DO this~
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- Socks knit and donated by Barbara Walker herself!
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- Where else can you catch visions of so many knitters at once??
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- …this says it all, lol!
It was really very fun to be immersed in such a filled to the brim with knitter enthusiasts place for the day…although it was quite exhausting, lol! The only thing was that after the fact, I felt a little down. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it…I mean why could I possibly be disappointed?? I had spent the day in fiber heaven and found my own yarn goodies at great prices…what else could I need or want??
Then I realized it. Yes, I had spent the day with yarn lovers galore, but they were all needle knitters, a craft of which I have learned tons about, but a needle knitter I am not. The few times that I mentioned that I was a loom knitter, I got blank stares and “oooohhhhhhh’s”, but I knew that they really didn’t understand what I was talking about, or care to concede that it is every bit as valuable and innovative as needle knitting…that it even IS knitting! 😛 There are still so many out there that sadly don’t understand this.
So this was my feeling of deflation…there was no place where I, as a loom knitter, could feel truly at home and accepted. I think that in the future, we should try and open the door for there to be classes from this corner of the knitting world included in these large events. Loom vendors could be participants in the market place as well. I know that Isela has been a part of the “Knit Out” before, and this is wonderful…I’d just love to see it at other events as well….after all- we loomers are knitters too! 😉
What do you think? Did you get a chance to attend the Sock Summit? What were your impressions as loom knitters?
Bethany~
Gettin' It Pegged...Loom Knitter's Clique 
I would love to see some loom knitting at an event too. They say needle knitters look down on us but when they really see the stuff we can do they are amazed. Some are closet loomers too. What a great time to get to see all that fiber in one place. I wish regular knitters were allowed in the yearly fiber sale venue. I would go nuts. I would even like to be a visitor with a LYS if they would let us tag along. That is when they unveil all the new products to the shop owners. Oh well, just dreaming again.
Fun! I wish I could have been there with you. Thanks for sharing pics of Sock Summit 🙂
Now that would be cool…to see everything first at the punch!
Jeannette, you’re right, I think it would be an awesome way to increase awareness about loom knittng and about how amazing our creations are! We could display gorgeous items from loomers everywhere & knock their socks off, lol…wouldn’t that be so fun? 🙂
Bethany~
Oh, I so wish you could have been there too, Jenny! I’m happy to share pics…I just wish I could have been a bit more involved to be able to have gotten some really good pics of the famous knitters that were attending in the classes. 😉
Bethany~
I applied to teach but was declined.. we will keep trying! Thanks for sharing the pics!!
Denise, are you serious?! Okay…now I think we need to be on an official mission to make a little corner for loom knitting there…they need to see what can be possible. 🙂 Loomers Unite! 😉
Bethany~
Bethany…you are AWESOME!
I’m sorry that I’ve been so busy, that I haven’t been able to keep up on all your wonderful projects. But today after I had bought some tulle this weekend, I finally got to sit long enough to trim it down to 1 1/2″ – 2″ and start on your scrubby-o’s. And after a little struggle with the crochet cast-on (I usually go in the opposite direction), I finally got the hang of it. And now I have a completed scrubby-o! And since I’ve got a doctor’s appointment tomorrow, I’m sure I’ll have time to make some more.
Great videos…to teach each step, even if you’ve been looming awhile like me…I still like the video’s to refresh my memory. And again I want to wish you a happy blog anniversary…glad you had alot of participants!
I’m getting ready to have my neighborhood club in a couple of weeks. And although I’ve chickened out on having them at the house (we’re going to the country club for lunch), I still have the program to do. And since I want to share my love of looming, that’s what my program is going to be on. So I’m going to make a few of these to have as one of my gifts. (We usually have a hostess gift and then a mystery gift).
Anyway…enjoy your blog and all of your sharing, I’m ashamed to say I’ve gotten very behind on mine. I guess I need to get busy on it again. Thanks again for everything you do and share with all of us…glad to see you got a chance to get away and enjoy a “yarn fix” with friends. Have a good week and happy looming!
Maybe you should organize a looming event. Preferably somewhere in the middle of the US. I feel so left out when things are happening in Minnesota and WAY across the US from me. It’s normally on the east coast or the west coast, but what about us people in the middle?! LOL! Memphis would be nice. I’m sure that Chris would make sure I could come to that. 🙂
Hiya, Jackie! 🙂
I’m so glad that you got a chance to play with the Scrubby-O’s! They’re kind of addicting, aren’t they? 😉 I’m really glad that you’ve found an item to use as your gifts for your meeting…and that you enjoyed the videos…I figured that was the best way to have a quick & “live” loom along…it would be like I was right there in your living rooms, lol!
BTW: no need to change the direction from what you’re used to on the CO and project…this can easily just be switched to the other direction for those who are more comfy that way…you know us lefties-always confusing things, lol! 😉
Have a wonderful week, Jackie, and thanks so much for stopping by the bloggie!
Bethany~
Oh…the urge is pressing, believe me, lol! I was just saying to my daughters, “Oh do I reeeeaaalllly want to get involved in this business??” LOL! After all, I did just spend a whole lot of time as an event coordinator, but…and maybe because of…know the amount of work involved! 😉
I see what you mean about the states who are never near the events when they happen. This Sock Summit isn’t even in my own state, but it was the closest I figured I’d ever come to being able to attend. I’ve been thinking that if we’re going to organize something, it would be so much better to piggy back it on an event that’s already up and thriving, so that all the goodies would be in place already…we’d just need to add our own flavors into the mix! 😉
We’ll keep our thinking caps on, though, and see what we can come up with. Hugs!
Bethany~