Stitches West Update

Okay, so I may need to blog about the Stitches trip in stages because it was so amazing and I have so much to tell. I had so much fun hanging out with coworkers and talking to people who are similarly intoxicated by the presence of yarn…albeit a large, large space full of yarn.

We stayed in an amazing Hilton (I don’t have a picture to convey how lovely it is, you’ll just have to trust me) in Santa Clara. It was a short walk across the street to the convention center.



There were booths of stores, companies, and knitting celebrities filling the space.



Most shops took up 1-2 booths, but WEBS took up (I believe) 10.



We had quite a presence, needless to say. It was strange to be somewhere where knitters had not yet heard of us. I was joking that it was like a social experiment, some sort of yarn related torture, to work in your booth only able to gaze out at the pretty things. But I jest, we were able to shop a little. We took lunch breaks and moments before the marketplace opened to browse. I literally shopped walking at a fast clip up and down the aisles, only pausing if a color or name drew me. However, it was quite effective to shop with an initial gut instinct.

For all the long hours we worked and as many engrossing customers as we had, we were very well cared for. Every evening we dined as a group at the most fantastic restaurants, laughing any stress of the day away and sharing some wine. What an amazing way to finish every evening.



I cannot seem to isolate my favorite moments of the trip. I had time to talk one on one with almost everyone who came along, I bonded with customers, I had time to talk to my fiancé every evening (despite the time difference) and I was able to score some beautiful yarn. I will have to post later with my loot, as I haven’t taken pics yet. I even enjoyed the traveling. Although it was long and the time difference was a struggle I had time to knit and listen to music, the flight into CA was so clear I was able to take pics of the grand canyon! It was breathtaking.

I was also able to meet up with an old friend from Smith who I haven’t seen in years. What serendipity that our conference was so close to where she lives?
I was really ready to be home, despite the cold wintry reception. We were so afraid our flight would be delayed because of the storm, but in the end we were lucky.

I’ll have to post some progress photos of my projects. My Mainland Cardi for class is mostly done (minus the sleeves) and my Garter Stitch Yoke Cardi is progressing nicely. Oh! And my Legwarmers for Gail’s upcoming book are done as well. More to come…

[I will end with photos of the booth breakdown to give you an idea of what a big job it was. What a great team we had!]



[We shipped 12 of those pallets to CA!]