Fiber Binge

I don't know if the various parties responsible were in cahoots or what, but this is going to be one helluva fibery weekend in Chicago. Check this out.

On Friday night, from 5 pm to 9 pm, Loopy Yarns is celebrating a grand re-opening in splendid new Romanesque Revival digs at 47 West Polk Street, cuddled up next to Bar Louie in Dearborn Station. I'll be there in a civilian capacity, hoping to say hello to Kay Gardiner and Ann Shayne (aka Mason-Dixon Knitting) who will be signing their new book.

On Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm, we fibery types are absolutely taking over the beautiful field house at Pulaski Park (1419 W. Blackhawk) for the second edition of YarnCon. Last year's inaugural event was such a hoot that Natalia and Sara have brought it back and it's going to be even bigger. The vendor line-up is too utterly drool-making, and so is the list of workshops.

I'll be there with a display of original illustrations from the little book, and some lovely free goodies courtesy of the folks at Interweave Press.*

I'll also have some prints for sale, and some new gift enclosure cards I've just added to the offerings in The Panopticon on Paper.



If they arrive on time, and they just might, I'll also be selling the first copies of the Guys with Yarn calendar. If not, I'll have some sample print-outs for your perusal. (Maybe I should laminate them?)

On Sunday, the celebrated Cookie A is going to be in town teaching a sock design workshop at Arcadia Knitting for a mere $45, which includes a 20% off multi-day pass from the shop–see the Web site for details.

And on Monday, there will be a lot of knitters, spinners and crocheters lying in gutters and on park benches around Chicago, looking dazed and slightly bloated, but happy.

*I have word that the binding has just been finished and the army of little books is moving south from Canada to Interweave's warehouses. I'm glad there's so much going on this weekend, or I'd probably just sit around freaking out. Because it still doesn't seem possible that all the drawing and writing and whatnot can have resulted in an actual book.