Tunisian Crochet class at Lion Brand Studio; upcoming events

Yesterday I was in New York City. There was a slightly odd feeling in the city; a bomb had exploded the night before, just eight blocks from the Lion Brand Yarn Studio. There was a large police presence. Sixth Ave. was closed off starting at 14th St. I had to detour a bit to come back on 15th St. the right direction, but it wasn't a big problem. Parking restrictions are not in effect on Sunday and I was fortunate to get a spot right out front. 

That's one big ball of yarn!

That's one big ball of yarn!

I was pleased that all of the students who signed up for the class made it, too. 

It was cool to see this chalkboard set up outside:

Honored to be mentioned with Dora Ohrenstein!

Honored to be mentioned with Dora Ohrenstein!

One reason I love to teach at the Lion Brand Yarn Studio is that they have a dedicated classroom upstairs. It's nice not to be in the midst of the shop floor. Thanks to Gretchen, the Education Director, for inviting me to teach at LBYS.

The "Introduction to Tunisian Crochet" class went great! I love to see folks get excited about the technique. Reminds me of when I first learned Tunisian simple stitch from a book. I couldn't get over it! It created such interesting fabric and was so much fun to do. I had brought samples of Tunisian garments for them to ooh and ah over. We went through the basic stitches (Tunisian simple, knit, purl, and full stitch), and we talked about how to tame the curl, how to work the final row to make things look neat, and how to read Tunisian crochet symbol charts. 

Some of the students are interested in continuing their Tunisian crochet education with more advanced techniques. Maybe we can arrange a follow-up class to work on Tunisian lace, other stitch patterns, shaping, and working in the round.

We were all so busy concentrating on the class that I totally forgot to ask someone to take a picture of me in action! You'll have to use your imagination. I always spend a lot of time walking around the table to check on the students' progress and help them with any problems. 

Downstairs in the shop, the staff and the selection are top-notch. 

The picture doesn't do justice to the yarn display.

The picture doesn't do justice to the yarn display.

And it was nice to see my classes and book-signing listed on the bulletin board.

There's the Crochet Cowls book and a note about the Firelight Turtleneck master class.

There's the Crochet Cowls book and a note about the Firelight Turtleneck master class.

Which brings me to some upcoming events at the Studio and elsewhere:

Wednesday, October 19th, 6:45-8 p.m., Crochet Cowls book-signing and fashion show at the West Chester Public Library, 415 N . Church St., West Chester, PA. Phone 610-696-1721. Register here. Free.

Thursday, October 27th, 6:30-8 p.m., Crochet Cowls official book launch/signing and fashion show at the Lion Brand Yarn Studio, 34 W. 15th St., New York, NY. Phone 212-243-9070. Register here. (All yarn purchased that evening is 20% off with the substitution sheets included with books purchased at the Studio.) Free.

Friday, October 28th, noon-1:30 p.m., Firelight Turtleneck Master Class, Lion Brand Yarn Studio, 34 W. 15th St., New York, NY. Phone 212-243-9070. Register here. Cost: $45 plus materials.

Firelight Turtleneck. (Photo: Shanken Photography Inc.)

Firelight Turtleneck. (Photo: Shanken Photography Inc.)

I hope to see you at some of these events! It's always nice to connect with other crocheters.

 

 

TNNA Recap

What a great weekend at The National NeedleArts Association trade show! Here's my recap. (I apologize for having so few photos. I'm still getting used to my iPhone.)

My official Designer/Teacher badge

My official Designer/Teacher badge

Friday after registration I attended the Yarn Group fashion show. There were almost 100 pieces and most of them were quite lovely. A lot of shawls and scarves, the usual assortment of sweaters and tops, and also some dresses and skirts. I took notes on the yarns that were especially appealing to me. 

The entrance to Sample It

The entrance to Sample It

"Sample It" was next. I've missed a few shows, and this was different from what it used to be. Formerly there were a lot of products displayed in a hallway, and you could take little pieces of yarn. Nothing was for sale. The new Sample It is a small (but intense!) cash-and-carry area. Folks were selling kits, bags, books, and other items. It was a bit of a madhouse but nice to see that business was brisk.

Quite a scene at Sample It. Love the shawl. Less excited about the hair.

Quite a scene at Sample It. Love the shawl. Less excited about the hair.

I caught up with designers Karen McKenna (website here) and Dora Ohrenstein (website here) in the reception area. Karen gave me a copy of her new book, which I'll review in a subsequent blog. Dora is also working on a new book. Nice to catch up with them, if only for a short time.

After a late dinner with my husband at a Korean restaurant a few blocks from the hotel, I sat down to map out my strategy for Saturday. I wanted to make sure I got to all of the manufacturers whose yarn I used in my upcoming "Crochet Cowls" book so I could show them the finished projects and some sample pages. I also wanted to talk to some publishers, check out the yarn that really appealed to me at the fashion show, and chat with some smaller yarn companies to find out if they would be receptive either to purchasing independent designs or offering yarn support for designs published in books or by the designer.

(An aside--D.C. drivers are crazy! In the span of a few minutes we saw a driver in the right lane turn left by crossing over two other lanes that were going in his direction, and another driver who completely blew through a stop sign to make a right turn. Not to mention the constant sirens. Washington is a wonderfully walkable city as long as you watch out for nutcases behind the wheel, but isn't for drivers who are faint of heart.) 

Saturday was the big day for me. I had my finished samples, some books, and promotional postcards in a rolling suitcase, and the show directory and a notebook in a lightweight tote bag. ("Stuff management" is key to surviving these shows without exhaustion!)

One of the aisles at the show

One of the aisles at the show

I was very pleased that some of the small manufacturers and/or those who are relatively new to TNNA were enthusiastic about the idea of crochet and Tunisian crochet design. It's nice to feel like there are opportunities out there for designers. It was also wonderful to see folks whose products I use regularly, including Plymouth, Blue Heron, Brown Sheep, and Louet North America. I'm delighted to have finally met Stephanie from Space Cadet Creations. The people at Madelinetosh could not have been nicer! I had purchased their yarn for one of the cowls in my book, and they seemed thrilled with the sample and eager to provide yarn for my future projects. I saw designer/author/instructor Mary Beth Temple only for about two minutes but it was better than nothing!

Got a lot of good information!

Got a lot of good information!

 

Some absences were felt as well. I missed Crystal Palace and Abuelita. I learned from the Westminster Fibers rep that they will no longer be distributing Rowan yarns; I hope the new distributor works out well. All of the designers were working hard, so there wasn't much time to sit and chat. Apparently we are part of "Business and Creative Services" now. There was a BCS meeting from 3-5 p.m., but since I had signed up for a focus group meeting the next morning, I didn't want to sit in yet another meeting so I skipped it. I hope the group will publish a summary of what was discussed.

It was a long but productive day. I've learned to take good notes so it's easier for me to follow up once I'm home. When I emerged at 4 p.m. it was over 90 degrees! Glad I only had to walk a block to get back to the hotel. My husband and son had been at the Nationals-Phillies baseball game. After cooling off and cleaning up, we walked to Chinatown for dinner. My son is in D.C. for the summer, working at a company in Arlington. It was a lucky coincidence that TNNA was in Washington so we could see him.

Sunday morning I participated in a cross-disciplinary focus group. You may have heard that the company that has been managing TNNA's trade shows is no longer going to be doing it. As part of the decision process for picking a new management company, TNNA is trying to get a feel for how the shows and the organization can best serve its members. It was interesting to hear the perspective from people in manufacturing, wholesale, and retail, especially because not all of them are in the yarn group. I was able to express my exasperation and that of other designers about the lack of transparency in selecting classes. We would like to know exactly what TNNA is looking for so we don't waste our time writing proposals that have no chance of acceptance. The photo below shows comments from a class I taught at TNNA in January 2008. None of my class proposals have been accepted since then--and nobody has ever given me a reason why. Go figure. 

With comments like these, no wonder I haven't been asked to teach again!

With comments like these, no wonder I haven't been asked to teach again!

All in all, a successful show and a good way to get energized for some new designs and projects. Now it's time to do the necessary follow up and start working with some of the luscious fibers I saw on display.