Wednesday, June 15, 2011

TNNA













Off to Columbus for my first experience with a needlework tradeshow called TNNA. Yes, yarn and knitting are included. My dear friend, Gail, had asked me to tag along and help her at the booth this year. I had been unable to go the last 2 times she asked due to health issues, mine and my mother in law's, but this time nothing came in the way, and off we went. I met Gail several years ago. She was a neighbor of mine that lived close by and saw me painting screens for an upcoming Lone Tree show that I did every year. We became close friends and she used my painting abilities to come up with stands to display her needlepoint designs. It worked well. Her husband, Ken, hit it off well with my husband, Paul. They have both been engineers at the same company and had similar interests. Since then we have enjoyed each other's company and gone on many trips together, including our last trip to Ireland. Our third, their first.














I enjoyed perusing the aisle after aisle of merchandise. The knitters were mostly on one side of the convention hall and needlework on the other. I made my way to the "other side" when things weren't that busy for Gail and enjoyed seeing what's coming up for the Fall season in knitting yarns and patterns. I also ran into Allegra and Marly Bird, they were checking things out as well for their upcoming designs.














On Friday night we went to "Sample It". It is a one hour free for all held in an enormous room. The distributors select an item that they sell at a great price to all who attend. It was my one chance to buy, as the show itself is only for retailers. I managed to find some great deals and bought a wonderful set of interchangeable circulars and yarn to make a shawl. I had some how lost my knitting that I brought on the plane to Columbus and I was itching to knit "something"........I also purchased a lovely Atenti bag. The photos are of Gail in her Artists Collection booth and the some of the wooden stands I paint. Also there is a photo of the goods I brought back. All together, it was a great time. Tired, but happy.....

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Coventry and Shamus







Here is my grandaughter, Coventry, modeling the cardigan I knit her from Interweave magazine. It fit her just great and she seemed to be pleased wearing it.










The cat in my knitting stand is Shamus. I had just emptied the stand of much of it's contents and he made himself at home right away. Who needs that old yarn in there anyway........

Ireland Revisited







It was our third trip back to the emerald isle. It had been sixteen years since we had been there last and much had changed. Ireland had gone from a poor economy to prosperity and back to the poor economy again. As we visited Dublin, I could see many of the properties with "For Let" signs on them. Much like our stagnant real estate market in the U.S. But I could also see many new homes that had been built during their prosperous years in many of the towns we visited. It had become much like our suburbia. Lost was some of the charm I saw years ago. What wasn't lost was the warmth of the people in Ireland. It will always reamain one of the friendliest places I know. I reunited with a pub singer in Dunmore, Ritchie Roberts. He came out to our hotel on our second trip to Ireland to entertain us when we couldn't make it to Farley's Tavern in Passage East. He still has a wonderful tenor voice and it was magical to hear him sing once again. I only managed to find one dedicated yarn shop in Killarney, wouldn't you know it, it was closed when we were there. Oh well, there may be a 4th visit someday.