Sock Summit 2011

We interrupt the regularly scheduled Movie Monday in order to bring you the exclusive Merry Karma account of Sock Summit 2011. So, grab a chair, your beverage of choice (or your knitting) and get ready for some pictures...

I flew into Portland on Wednesday afternoon. I already knew that there were at least two other Summiteers on my flight because I saw them as they boarded and we exchanged the "Are you going to Sock Summit?" greeting.  I caught up with one (Annimol*) when we landed, and then we ran into Lucy Neaby in the line to purchase MAX tickets. Here's a not very good quality picture I took of Annimol and Lucy on the train:



This year, I decided to volunteer at Sock Summit.  I figured it was a good way to get to know people and really feel a part of the whole thing.  I am very glad that I did and I will do it again.

I made some new friends.  I met shirleysnh2004 while we were sitting at the volunteer table in between assignments:



I worked with MP on the loading dock Thursday morning helping vendors move in:



I met a fun group of ladies from the most exotic region of our country - the State of Iowa.  They are (from L to R) altygrae, Restoknitter and judithio:



Here's a good shot with Annimol:



I also met mccute while we were working on the loading dock together.  Here we are at Burgerville:



I ran into a few luminaries in the wild.  Franklin Habit was enjoying a Voodoo Donut.  He was wearing a kilt, and no, I did not look under it:



Here's Lynn Hershberger.  She has been a teacher at DFW Fiber Fest before:



I got a picture of Lucy and me:



Here's a picture of Lucy and Lynn together.  They are very colorful:



Next, there's Sandi Wiseheart.  The Exotic Iowa girls and I had met her Wednesday night at Burgerville.  She was sitting by herself and came over and joined us.  From that point on, she was our friend; so, I had to take a picture with her:



I snapped a picture of Tina and Stephanie together (rare) and sitting down (rarer).  It didn't last long:



I took some great classes.  One was Sock Design Workshop:  Know the Rules, Then Break Them with Star Athena:



Kate Atherley taught Writing Up an Awesome Sock Pattern:



I took Writing Sock Patterns from JC Briar:



I didn't get a picture of Parna Mehrbani, but I took a One Hour Wonder class with her called The (C) Word.  Copyright for Knitters and Designers.  It was very informative, as were all my classes. 

I listened to wonderful lectures.  Anna Zilboorg gave an interesting talk called Deeper Meaning of Sock Knitting.  She seems like such a cool lady that Restoknitter and I adopted her as our favorite Aunt.  She was okay with that:



Sock Yarn Stories by Clara Parkes gave me good information about which yarns are better suited for sock knitting and why:



Stephanie's talk This Is Your Brain on Knitting informed us why knitting is good for us.   

I participated in the Flash Mob.  If you look real hard, and look through to the back row...you will see me. 

I shopped...and can I just say, you might be a Needle Ho, if when you introduce yourself to the Signature Needles Arts owner she exclaims, "Oh, I know you! I recognize your name."



So...of course I bought needles.  I bought two circulars from Signature to complete my collection of their 5" needle shaft, stilleto point, 24" circulars.  I also bought a set of Blackthorne double points in 2.25mm (1 US) because I don't have any, and they are supposed to be very strong and won't snap...and because, well...I don't have any...and I am a Needle Ho:



Sock Summit was the only other time this year (besides DFW Fiber Fest) that I was allowing myself to purchase yarn.  So, I did.  From L-R, I got one skein of Sanguine Gryphon Skinny Bugga! in Northern Purple Gold Beetle; Goth Socks Strychnine in Red Queen; Grinning Gargoyle's nice, fingering-weight MCN in Honeysuckle and BugSnugger's soft fingering-weight in Calmer - a color making its debut at the Sock Summit.  I got that last one to give to my friend Ruby.  She was going to come to Sock Summit, but ended up not being able to:

 

I regretted not purchasing anything from Jenny the Potter at the last Sock Summit; so, I made sure to buy this adorable needle vase this time:



Kind of clockwise - Soak makes some great wool wash. I bought a travel-pak.  They also make a nice foot cream called Heel.  Bar-Maids makes a nice lotion body bar.  I bought the smaller, Lo-Lo To-Go in Honeysuckle. (Is there a theme?  No.)  I also bought some of their Lo-Lo Cuticle Intensive to carry in my purse:



I found some buttons with knitting-related sayings:



Here's my Sock Summit swag:



The "It" item of the whole weekend for me is The Stitch Light.  You pick out the color of your strap, you pick out the little bag (that holds the little things you don't want to lose, and that I tend to lose, while knitting), put it all together, adjust your strap length, sit down with your knitting, turn it on and vee-oh-lah!  You can sit there and knit happily along and see what you are doing while (for instance) The Husb is watching tee vee and doesn't like you to turn on the lamp because it causes a glare on the screen.  It's by Buffy Ann Designs:



All in all, it was a phenomenal experience. Stephanie and Tina, along with all the ST-2s -Debbie, Rachel, Natalie, Lisa, Stephen and Debra - did a fantastic job. I think Sock Summit is a first class fiber conference. Thank you Ladies and Gents....I had a wonderful time.

MK out.

*Ravelry names used to protect the innocent.