A, You Need More Supervision . . .

That's what my friend, Joyce, would say. Just going to upload this photo first and then I'll share the rest of my Stitches 2009 experience. It's quite a haul, I'm afraid . . .

Knitterary and I shook hands on not buying any yarn until the end of the year - and I'm thinking that I'm going to have to wait even longer than that. But if anyone wants to get me MacKintosh Iona Sock Yarn in Gunpowder for a present, I would like it very much :-D

So - that's my haul from Stitches. Linda the Chicken Lady has a great write-up on her blog, and as you can see, I really shopped. This year, however, I did not get much sock yarn, I concentrated on a sweater's worth (or at least a project's worth) of yarn. Let me try to list all this stuff - L to R

That's a darling project bag from Prairie Arts up in Grayslake - I'm thinking there is a road trip in my future in the new year to go up and check it out. They had great stuff in their booth. Then two beautiful baskets from Susan Preuss. That large one was less than $80 bucks, which is a really great price, IMHO. In the little basket and right in front of it is the Buffalo Gold yarn. I traded in some awful yarn and got three skeins for $20 off each one! Yay! Oh, and a free pattern - it's right behind the basket. The little sign up on the top of the sofa is also from Prairie Arts. :-)

Inside the basket are two skeins of sock yarn (the ONLY sock yarn I got), and they are actually double skeins that were half price! Yay! You can't see the colors really well, but one is green (no surprise there . . . ) and the other is beautiful fall colors. Toward the bottom of the basket is a pound of BFL Top from Miss Babs. The colorway is called Forest Afternoon. The stick-like things are Signature Knitting Needles. I tried them out on Saturday, and frankly, I could not tell the difference! All my friends where aghast - What?!?!?!?!?

So, this morning, I went back and asked could I please try them again, but could I please sit down in a chair to do so. They looked at me funny. But if you know me, you know that I have always knit with the right needle braced somewhere on my body. It's just how I knit (because it's how my Grandma knit). I started with the Stiletto tips, which are apparently what most people are crazy for. Not me. I'm a tight knitter, and the girl suggested that I try the Middy tips. Score! I could absolutely tell the difference, and I came home with five pair (they were cheaper that way)! Woo Hoo!!

Moving right along . . . in front of the basket is three skeins of MacKintosh's Iona worsted weight in Gunpowder (see above ;-D). I had to buy that for obvious reasons - but geez, next time I have to READ the Stitches program, because there was a coupon in there for 10% off that I totally missed! Next is some of Tess's Designer Yarns microfiber ribbon yarn. The first year I went to stitches, I bought some of this and a very cute cabled tank top pattern. I have never made it because it didn't really fit me and I was going to have do math to adjust it . . . but it will fit now, and so I bought a little more ribbon yarn and will make two tops - they will be perfect under a suit jacket. Next are four balls each of Tonalita (Army/Navy and Desert Valley) - I'm thinking the Noro scarf pattern :-) In the back is a book, A Stitch in Time. Linda wrote about it and I'm a sucker for vintage stuff . . . I shelled out the bucks immediately - besides, it's heavy and now I won't have to bring it home from the UK when I go!

Down front again, two skeins of Koigu - on sale. I figured I'd see what all the fuss is about. The white in the middle is natural silk/merino (50/50). Enough for a short-sleeved sweater top. There's a cute little Lantern Moon project bag - with all the bags I have they remain my favorite because they are silky inside as well as out and the yarn doesn't fuzz up or stick to the bag. Sitting on the bag is the bracelet I made in the Kumihimo class that I took this afternoon. It was a lot of fun!! Then there are some little notions (point protectors, row counters, a cute little box, etc., and then you see a large amount of milk chocolate brown wool. :-)

This is called Shepherd's Wool, and Knitterary turned me on to it. It was at the Knitting Today booth, and I liked all the things that they had there, very much :-) The Shepherd's Wool is very soft and really lovely. I got enough for a sweater and probably a hat and some mittens. I'm concerned that it might fuzz a bit, but I'm a pretty tight knitter, so I'm hopeful that it will be fine.

Behind that are some patterns for the Mother Bear Project, and the December 2006 issue of Interweave Knits, which I have been looking for! Behind those are two flat bags. They are actually file bags and I got them (they came as a set) because I wanted the green one for a trip I'm taking. I'm thinking that the flowered one will make a nice project bag, even though it's flat.

You think I got enough? Well, there's more. . . Is this not the prettiest jacket you have seen in, like, forever? I bought the kit from Sunday Knits. She had some of the loveliest stuff in the Market. It's called the Ginko and Lotus Fitted Jacket and there's a better photo of it on her website, here. Scroll down a little and you'll see it there. Also purchased there was the kit for the Holly and Poinsettia Mittens (Ravelry link) (keep scrolling on that page - they are down near the bottom), which were in the Winter 2008 Interweave Knits and have been in my queue since - I looked up and saw them on the wall in the booth, and realized I could get the yarn for them there! Wheee!!! I also got a book on Kumihimo (Japanese Braiding) and a Kumihimo disk.

I'm really looking forward to making this jacket - I even sprang for the buttons for it!

You can see why Knitterary and I shook hands on the Stash Busting Wagon. I do have a dispensation for any yarn bought overseas, but since I'll be traveling as light as possible, I don't really plan on getting much (I know, famous last words . . . ;-)).

This is the first year that I attended a class at Stitches, and also the first time I have attended at the Schaumburg location. I didn't think it would be as good as when it was at Rosemont, but I have revised my opinion. The Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center is lovely - I spent two nights in the hotel and my room was fabulous. The gym was great, and all the food I had there was great. The marketplace was smaller (fewer vendors), but I have observed that that has been the case at every fiber event I have attended this year, so I don't think that's anything new.

I think that the best part, though, was getting to hang out with my friends, a number of whom I don't get to see all that often - and a lot of them were there on Saturday! Woo Hoo! Linda, YarnSnob and Rachel, Knitterary, KniftyRed, Becca and Aleta and Karin, Sheri and Janice, and Darthknitter, who got to come up at the last minute! We all had a blast :-) Here's Knitterary, KniftyRed and Karin - a fine looking group, wouldn't you say? :-)

So, it was a weekend of fiber and yarn and friendship and great Indian food (the Gaylord, for those of you who might want to check it out sometime). Staying overnight really added a lot to my experience, as did actually taking a class (I know, like I need another hobby . . . ;-D). My heels are a little sore after all the walking on concrete yesterday, but the Advil and stretching are definitely helping :-)

And this made me smile every time I walked on it . . . who knew commercial carpet could look like the most beautiful fireworks (the blue ones are always my favorite :-) ).

And who else do you know who would take a photo of the floor? ;-D