A Tale of Yarn
June 17, 2010, 16:35 pm Posted by needlearts
I had so much fun at The National Needlearts Association show last weekend in Columbus, Ohio. Since the show is for the trade only, how ‘bout I give you a little peek? Besides mingling with our authors (notably Iris Schreier and Dora Ohrenstein) and being inspired by creative designers, one of my favorite parts of the show is the Great Wall of Yarn, where new yarns for the fall/winter season are on display.
Left, Calypso from Prism Arts; right, Slubby Merino from Be Sweet
If you’re into color, looks like you’ll be knitting or crocheting with rich reds or fun greens this fall. If you’re into texture, there are some great worsteds to work with—lusciously spun into tubes, almost—as well as some funky slubby yarns. There’s a little bling to be had when the weather turns cooler, too. The yummy merino/silk yarn from Knitcellaneous is aptly named Scrumptious; it’s delectable indeed.
The big trend toward alternative fibers continues for fall: I saw yarns made with everything from paper to possum, including rayon spun from sugar. The Wall of Yarn is designed so retailers can come and take samples; I loved all of Be Sweet’s offerings. Don’t you? A company with a conscience, the repurposed T-Shirt yarn is made from remnant material by the Mielie weavers in Cape Town, South Africa.
Tasty yarns from Be Sweet
There’s always an appreciative (yet sometimes raucous!) crowd on hand for the Fall/Winter Fashion Show. I was delighted to see that one of the most beautiful garments in the show was designed by none other than (my own) Lark author Laura Zukaite. Here you see it on display in the Classic Elite Yarns booth; thanks to the good folks there for letting me take a shot of it. Apparently, the roving photographers from Ravelry liked it too, because they included it in their Hello, TNNA slide show; the archives are full of great shots from the weekend. (The Ravelry gang was all over the place, having fun and documenting the entire trade show; they even threw an ice cream social and were kind enough to invite everyone to come!) BTW, Laura’s next book, Luxe Knits: The Accessories, will be out in October. She’s got some sneak peeks up on her blog now.
Based on the sheer number of projects I saw on the runway, we’re all going to need a shawl come September. Vogue Knitting had three gorgeous garments in the show, two of which were designed by Project Runway winner Irina Shabayeva. At the VK booth, I also got a chance to fondle some of my favorite garments from their Early Fall issue—the stunning pieces from Lutz & Patmos.
Author Iris Schreier wears a cute one-skein shrug.
Fans line up to have author Dora Ohrenstein sign copies of Creating Crochet Fabric.
Author and designer Laura Zukaite’s Thistle Cardigan, created with Classic Elite Yarns’ Portland Tweed.
The folks at Lion Brand know how to design a showstopper, don’t they?
Wish you could feel this Chunky Merino Superwash from Plymouth Yarn Company. This is one of the trendy colors for fall/winter 2010.
What a fantastic post, Valerie — thanks for bringing TNNA to us!
scrumptious yarn looks scrumptious o_o want to see the Great Wall of Yarn o_o
Mmm, yarn, delicious…
This events looks amazing. I love that Lion Brand chair.
I have a small “Wall of Yarn” in my house, but I wish I could've seen that one!
Great recap- thanks for sharing!
That chair is rad! Sounds like a fun time all around.
Wish I could have been there, I have enjoyed TNNA in the past! So honored to have my design on the cover of your Knit & Wrap, coming out in September!
I wish I could have been there! All that yarn! I would have been like a little kid in a candy shop! So many yarns so little time!
I am in love with the chair!
Some of those look really yummy. I am looking forward to getting some for my kumihimo.