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.

Scenes from Yarn Con

Truly, I have no idea where that nasty old stereotype of knitters as meek and helpless came from. The longer I mix with this bunch, the more convinced I am that there's not another community on the planet so eminently capable of getting things (with the possible exception of second socks) done.

For example, here we have Natalia and Sarah. They were talking about how great it would be if there were a knit-centric event akin to Chicago's DIY Trunk Show. Then they stopped talking and went ahead and built one: Yarn Con.

It was a bang-up job. Under the soaring vault of the Pulaski Park Field House auditorium, about two dozen independent purveyors of yarns, knitted goods, and knitting impedimenta set up shop for the day. Knitters came in their numbers to browse, fondle, and (abetted by the portable ATM parked just outside) buy. And buy and buy and buy.

The stage was given over to well-attended workshops, including several taught by Sharon Kelly of Arcadia Knitting.



I wish I had thought to get a shot of Sharon's afghan-sized entrelac swatch. It looked like she was knitting a Lady Eleanor Scarf for Paul Bunyan.

The 1,000 Knitters Project made splendid progress, even though I was placed between the hot chicks from Loopy Yarns and the booth occupied by Shannon Okey and Nikol Lohr, which was sort of like being a crossing guard at the intersection of Fellini and Ed Wood.



About forty hugely entertaining people sat in the chair and worked on the scarf, raising the current count to 198.* Thank you all!

I was so busy shooting I didn't have much time to shop, although I did go home with an autographed copy of that nice Susan Strawn's Knitting America. If you haven't seen it yet, take a look. Mine won't make it to the shelf for a while, because I keep toting it from bedside to table to sofa so I can gawk at the pictures. Happily, the coated stock offers some protection from drool and Cheerios.

For me, the crowning touch of the day was being asked, for the first time, to hand the needles to a very young man whose mother hopes he'll take up the craft. I felt honored to be chosen. Honestly, I got more than a little choked up. Le bowl of mush, c'est moi.

Judging by his firm grip (which the ever-helpful Tom recorded for posterity), I think Doug's mom stands a fair chance to spend her old age wrapped in handmade shawls and sweaters.

Slipping a copy of Knitting Without Tears under the kid's crib might help to clinch it. Or is that just an old knitter's tale?

*Reader Janet asked in the comments whether there will be a special "celebrity" section when the final piece is assembled. I can promise there won't be. I'm delighted (and surprised) at how many notable knitters have taken part, but in this piece no knitter is more important than any other. We are all important. Remove one person's row, and the fabric would be wrecked. That's sort of how I feel about people in general, come to think of it.

Yarn Con!

In mere minutes, self and gear are being whisked away to Pulaski Park for Yarn Con, where I'll be shooting all day for the 1,000 Knitters Project.

If that's not enough to lure you, which is entirely likely, visit the Web site and ponder the lists of vendors, classes, and demonstrations going on.

Susan Strawn will be signing copies of her new book, Knitting America: A Glorious Heritage from Warm Socks to High Art; and Dolores is particularly looking forward to a second meeting with Knitgrrl Shannon Okey.

Entry is a whopping three bucks. All the cool kids will be there. If you mother says she doesn't want you hanging around with those yarn-sniffing hooligans, tell her you're going to the library. We'll totally cover for you.