Third Annual Vogue Knitting Live Event

I talked to two of my students who went to the Vogue Knitting Live event this past weekend. It was one of their first large events in the needle arts world. Maybe you had a chance to go. If so I hope you had a great time.

They enjoyed the event. They had one complaint which was the crowds. I started thinking of what to write about and I thought this would be a good post to consider. Vogue and their event planners does a fantastic job in putting the event together.

When we go to any function or event we are focused on what is in front of us and not what is behind the scenes - naturally. If we did look at behind the scenes we would know that putting such an event together is no small task.

The event planners they use come from a company in New York, SoHo Publishing. The ones that I have dealt with are so nice and they do a fantastic job. I got to volunteer at both the first and second event so I saw them in action. And I also saw the behind the scenes first hand.

One of the hardest issues I think with any event and especially if it is the first time is trying to estimate the number of people that will attend. Then the next issue is where will the event be held.

Now New York City is not the easiest place to find somewhere to accommodate over 3,000 people. Then you have to think of the spacing and how many vendors and their setup in the space. Then it is all the stuff in between like the mass production of programs, tickets, packages for classes, emails, teachers and classroom set ups, demo and fashion show organizing, and don't forget the volunteers needed both scheduling and determining where and when they will be needed.

The whole event needs to be set up and after the event it needs to be broken down. There are questions to be answered from the vendors, there are so many supplies needed. Also they have to think of people with disabilities and others that need special assistance. And this is just part of the whole to-do list.

So the next time you go to an event and something doesn't go the way it should or there is an inconvenience, remember that they did a lot of things right to help the event to go as smooth as possible but perfection just does not exist.

Hurray to Vogue and SoHo Publishing for another successful event. I know with each coming year it will get better and better. I wish I could have been there.

Reflection

When I think of last year, which is only a couple of weeks behind us, I can't but help to think of knitting and crochet projects that were left behind unfinished. I think I did quite well. I set a goal to do more finishing of projects and I did just that. How did you do?

I am a pattern starter junky. I mean I am always seeing another pattern I just gotta start. So that means there are still projects that are crying out 'when will you finish me'. But we won't go into those now.

As I said in one of my previous posts because of life's situation I hardly purchased any new yarn. So thank goodness my stash is not too big. If it was I would have more unfinished projects on the list to finish. But for me, especially now, my knitting and crochet is my big-time stress reliever. It doesn't matter how many projects I have as long as I am still enjoying my craft.

So what is on my needles that I can share?

For a new learn and new project, I knitted one of those ruffled scarves using the Starbella lace because a student wanted to know how to make one. Now I am crocheting one because another student wanted to know how to make it in crochet. I don't like the crochet one because it is harder to keep track of your stitches and as we know crochet is usually faster, but this is slower for me to make. It might also be when you don't truly have an interest in something that can slow you down.

I am making an adorable bolero for a baby from a Debbie Bliss book, Simply Baby.

I need to finish sewing up the other side and then picking up the outside stitches to make the edging.

Then I started my quest to prepare early for a baby shower that one of the guilds I had belonged to gives every year. You can read about a past event on Friday, May 13, 2011. So I have a couple of booties and preemie hats finished.

There are other projects I made and (believe it or not) finished throughout the year that you can see on the left hand side through my flickr account. Just click on the link.

So what's your story? Are you starting new goals to complete earlier projects? Are you looking at the number of projects you still haven't finished? Set goals as to keep your craft fun, relaxing and a stress reliever not a stress builder.

Excited To Learn How To Knit and Crochet

I've been knitting and crocheting since I was 10 years old. I think when you are a seasoned knitter or crocheter you take it for granted and that excitement you use to have has shifted. I think we forgot the thrill and excitement we felt when we first had a pair of knitting needles or crochet hook in our hands for the very first time. I know I can't remember. Oh, we are still excited but not because we are starting to learn how to knit or crochet but over that new issue of a knit or crochet magazine with just the pattern we want to make, or meeting up with friends at a fiber festival, knit and crochet group or sharing what we have added to our already large stash of yarn.

These days have been a little glum given my job situation so sometimes I didn't feel like teaching. But when I looked at the excitement of my students, their smiles and joy they show and the thrill they express when starting to learn how to knit or crochet my excitment starts all over again. It especially shows when they express those words, "I can knit/crochet" and when they complete their first project.

Teaching has brought such a wonderful joy to me and meeting so many that want to learn has expanded my love for the craft and I get excited to learn more and do more so that I could share with my students. So thank you for bringing so much joy to my life and making me proud to have been the one to get you started on your craft journey.

I want to give a big round of applause to all my students for learning something new, for returning to something old, and to sticking to it. Even though I told you that it was a stress reliever, at first nothing new destresses, it usually adds just a tad bit of stress until you find your comfort. That has not stopped your desire to learn more. Hurray for all of you and I hope many more years of enjoyment as you continue to step out of your comfort zone, create and have lots of fun.

Keep having fun and learning more with your craft in this New Year and beyond.

Kind Regards,

Your Knit and Crochet Teacher

New Year 2013 - It's Event Time

Well, it is a New Year and with that comes the start of some terrific events throughout the whole year that we active knitters and crocheters look forward to. The first one that is near this area is Vogue Knitting Live held in New York City on January 18 - 20, 2013. This is the third year of the event. It is a great event with lots of vendors, wonderful fashion shows and classes featuring some of your favorite authors.

I have volunteered at the event for the last two years and have enjoyed the experience. It really showed me some of the work that goes into putting on a large event such as this and taking it down at the end. There are things that go right and things that go wrong but both years the event was a success.

If you get a chance try going even if it is for the market place. It is an event like all events that you can connect with like minds. You can see what people are making because it is like a walking fashion show as ones parade around wearing their finish garments. So you can say it is a continuous fashion show for the whole three days. And don't forget to wear something you made.

I have a post that I wrote after the first two events. You can go into my archives back to January 25, 2011 and January 24, 2012 and read about the past events and see a few pictures.

If you want to know about other events there is a website called Knitters Review that posts a list of all the events even in other countries for each year. Check it out and stay connected to your knitting and crochet world.

As always, have fun with your craft.

Having Fun With Color

For the past couple of years I have not purchased hardly any new yarn. I have strictly worked with what I had. I know for some you would probably say, 'Well I just might as well die if I can't buy yarn'. I'm still alive and kicking without more stash. I don't have a good stash but I had no choice but to work with it. I have yarn someone gave me - old and new yarn and scraps from my projects from the past and from the small stash I had.

It is one thing to work with color when you have a broad range of it, but it is another thing to work only with the existing colors you have. I would occasionally go and get one skein of yarn to use with what I had but for the most part I worked only with what was present in view.

With these two items for example, the mitered bag and the afghan was made all with scraps and I had one skein of yarn for the sides, bottom and straps for the bag. But I ran out of the grey so I had to work with another shade of grey to finish the straps but it all blended in.

Working with what you have is a challenge. I had to put colors side by side and rearrange them to see just what would go together. I had to visualize how often I wanted to use a color, how many different colors I would use and in what order the colors would be placed. Your vision is sharpened and your thought process is also. And wala you have your masterpiece.

There are different ways of being creative. One is opening up possibilities of working with what you have where that in a circumstance of buying to match color doesn't give the mind the same amount of creativity. So it forces your mind to be more creative and to see what you might normally not see if you just use your freedom to buy.

So the next time you feel you just need to go out and get more yarn, think first as to what you already have and sharpen your color skills and learn to work with what you have and challenge yourself and see if you can come up with your own color masterpiece.