Skein Insecurity

You know how it is when you start a new skein and it feels so full, you dig out the yarn barf to find the end on the inside of the skein and start knitting away happily. When you knit a bit, you squeeze the skein feeling confident and secure that it is still quite full and there is plenty of yarn in there still...then when you have knit a bit more you look over at the skein and it's has lost the fullness and is looking somewhat gaunt...that's when it hits...skein insecurity!

You panic and think that you may possibly run out of this yarn!!! Even when you know you have a second and third skein waiting in the wings, there is still that sense of panic that YOU MAY RUN OUT OF YARN, then what? Use a different yarn? No. A different color? No, and yes, everyone does notice - well, okay, not EVERYONE, but everyone who knits and has either run out of yarn or experienced skein insecurity.

I suppose I could just weigh the darn skein and calm myself down, couldn't I? I don't know, I think I'd still fret about not having enough to finish my project.

It's not just me is it? Well?

Summit Yarn and Goodies

My suitcase was VERY full, but I didn't take a very large one intentionally. I DO NOT NEED MORE YARN! My cousin is shipping me my pants and a few other things. oops. I did need to bring some presents for everyone back home, so it wasn't all selfish indulgences you know!

Yep. That's it.


4 skeins of Blue Moon Fiber Arts, 2 of which are gifts for T. and B. (the 2 on the right).


2 skeins of Pagewood Farms, 1 of which is for M.


3 small Split Yarn pouches, 2 of which are also gifts for T. and B.


3 skeins of Malabrigo Sock for me to make myself a Tempest. The color isn't great in the photo, but it's a lovely blue with a black wash over it.


Also, in the top photo, a Good to Be Girl project bag, very nicely made with cute fabric and with nice touches on the inside.
swag - A little sample of sock yarn for a mini sock
swag - a goody bag from the Ravelry party with a lovely skein of green yarn

I also bought a couple of books by Priscilla Gibson-Roberts. I was tempted to get all of the Barbara Walker treasuries, but didn't. I should have.

How was Sock Summit?

To start, I arrived at the airport at the same time as Barbara Walker. As I was walking to baggage claim I saw someone holding a sign for "B.G. Walker" with a photo of yarn on it! What a way to start my trip! I knew I was in for a very special event.

Registration went very smoothly, and someone behind me kinneared Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. I kinneared the Convention Center carpet - not shown.



I did manage to photograph Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, Tina Newton, Anna Zilborg and Rachel H of ST-2, not well, but I was trying to be discreet you know. I was volunteering and I had to be responsible. It was an awesome place to people watch, I saw Priscilla Gibson-Roberts, Sivia Harding (with a very ginseng-y looking carrot with 2 legs), and many more people. Stephanie, Tina and Rachel H ran around during the entire Sock Summit, how those women remained upright and conscious, I do not know.



At the Opening Reception I took some photos:





That beauty of a shawl on the left? Dianna. Rav link here.






Not just a Clapotis in the wild, Stephanie is photographing her sock, which turned out to be Tina's sock of love.




The Yarn Harlot and me with disastrous hair and Lucy Neatby with her back to me.
My hair looked so bad she couldn't even face me. LOL, I kid, I kid.


The disastrous hair continues with Judy of "Judy's Magic Cast On" fame.


It had been such a great day, volunteering, dim sum for lunch with some wonderful Ravelers, and then I headed to the Chinese Garden. I stopped for tea at The Tao of Tea, a gentleman was playing the loveliest Chinese music and the tea was delicious, and I thought I might not return to Sock Summit. I didn't make it for the mayhem at the opening of the market, and that was okay. It took me 3 tries to get into the Blue Moon Fiber Arts booth. Sanguine Gryphon? Couldn't get in. The booth was packed. I must say it was the cutest booth because it had a tent top and pretty oriental rugs and the proprietresses had on lovely Renaissance Faire outfits.

The Opening Reception was in the enormous Oregon Ballroom at the Convention Center and was full of Summiteers. It was a lovely evening and Stephanie and Tina made me laugh and want to cry, and most of all they made me so happy that I decided to come to the Summit. Barbara Walker got a standing ovation, it was wonderful.

I had so much fun volunteering that I did it again the next morning for the Guinness World Record attempt. "2 needles in your project, not 4, doors open at 11:30, the event is scheduled to start at 12:15. You will have plenty of time to make it after your class ends at 12:00." I had that part down, but what the heck happened to my hair here? Yikes!

Thanks to Leila at DekoBoko Designs for this photo!


After this I ran to my Ethnic Sock lecture by Priscilla Gibson-Roberts. She was awesome! She walked into the room saying "I'm not really a rock star y'all!" and we replied "Yes you are!"
She had some really amazing samples and slides.

We ran out to be in time for the World Record Attempt...








It's not official yet, but there were 900+ knitters there...

I just had such a wonderful time. I got a big hug from Tina when I went to say goodbye, and that was the perfect end to my time at the Convention Center. There was so much positive energy, and I was just so happy to be there.

I did go to he Ravelry party, but I was so tired by the time I got there I ran out of steam. I sat and chatted and barely moved.

Here are a couple of photos that turned out okay and that I like.

Check out the head gear! I love it!


Look! I met Turtlegirl! Her blog is fantastic and she is so cute and so very nice and she didn't even run away from my bad hair!



I know I haven't really said much, and my photos are pretty crappy but that's the best I can do right now. Even though my hair was bad, and I didn't make it to Voodoo Donuts, I had a great time and I will probably have a smile on my face for the next few weeks.

Maybe I'll show you my Summit yarn pron in the next post!

:)

Highlights from Portland but not Sock Summit, yet.

I stayed with my cousin G. I love him like a brother, he is so sweet and isn't he handsome?! The mirror behind us came from our grandfather, Big G. who passed away 20years ago in March. Now G.'s dad has become Big G. We talk about our family a lot, we love most of them but some of them drive us nuts. His partner D. is wonderful and funny, and I enjoyed the time getting to know him better.

The morning I left G. baked huckleberry and blackberry mini pies and tarts. I love blackberry pie! It was funny because there were 3 flavors, and G., D., and I each picked a different one. Good news for the next get together, we'll each have our own fave flavor and our own pies (hint, hint).

Here is my greeting committee. Sam and Kato. They look so cute and innocent...but...



they thought my yarn needed some re-winding.


It wasn't too bad, and it did crack me up.

Next up:
I'll try, but how to write about Sock Summit?



I had so much fun, and enjoyed the Sock Summit so much I don't think I could even begin to describe it.

Off to Sock Summit!

I don't have a specific shopping list but I'm sure to find something good. I'll try to remember to take photos!