Hello from TNNA

I am writing you today from the floor of the market at TNNA, the meeting of The National NeedleArts Association.

I’m in beautiful downtown San Diego, but have been inside the convention center or on the sidewalk between there and the hotel. We can see the ocean from our hotel room, but mostly we’ve been inside working, so it’s not too glamorous. I’ve been taking photos, and Gwen has been dividing her time between forwarding the business interests of 2 Sides 2 Points and her duties as a member of the TNNA board of directors.

The view from the hotel room.

For my part, being the event photographer has allowed me total access as well as a reason to introduce myself to a lot of great new-to-me people in the industry.

The view inside the convention center.

I have in my hand some gorgeous yarn from Louet for a new design I’ve been thinking of, and I found a great bag that just begged to come home with me.

Some new yarn!

Since this is where the industry comes to show off, here are a few other things I’m excited about trying for myself:

• The Swatchmaker 3-in-1 Loom. I love weaving, and I’ve been getting back into it in recent months with my good friend Janis. This little loom affords a weaver the chance to swatch fabrics, or a knitter the chance to make lovely things with small amounts of yarn that can then become scarves, table linens or other items.
• Brown Sheep Lanaloft Yarn. I’m a long-time fan of Brown Sheep’s line of American-made yarns, and I’ve always loved the rich color and texture of Lamb’s Pride. I got the chance this weekend to feel Lanaloft, which is a fine wool with no mohair that has a softer hand than Lamb’s Pride, but has the same richness of color. It also has the lovely spin I like in Lamb’s Pride. I look forward to playing around with some soon.
• Fiber Seed Yarns. I enjoy seeing the people who provide the things I love, and the folks behind The Fiber Seed were very nice to talk to as we walked with them to a meeting. Their yarns are beautiful and come in lots of great colors. My favorite is the Silky Seed Lace.  Yum. I brought home a couple of samples to play around with.

And now the market is closing, so I need to pack up and get ready to finally go home after a month on the road. I’m excited to get back to my own environment, do some new-year clean up of my studio and get to work on some fresh projects.

What are you excited about in the new year?