More Sock Summit

Well, I realized I had posted little bits about the Sock Summit, but didn't do a full recap. So if you're interested, here goes...

8/5, Wednesday, Day 0:

Early flight, no issues (except ONE of our group didn't want to wear her Hallowig...). Grabbed a cab to the hotel. Already talked about the cabbie getting pulled over for doing 50 in a 25 zone. That was fun... Arrived at the Residence Inn, and waited in the lobby while they found a room for us. Good timing; ChickenKnittle got to the hotel (she was driving) just as we got to the stairwell. Found ourselves in a gorgeous 2-story, 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom penthouse suite. Lovely! Room for all 4 of us. Made our way to the Oregon Convention Center, where we were like second in line for registration, which was a touch delayed. It appeared that a magic box of registrant folders had gone missing; once it showed up, registration began and we were done in a snap. While we were waiting, we kept seeing Tina and Stephanie and all the ST-2s scurrying about, making sure things were in order. I was already beyond excited at this point. While we were waiting to register, LMKnits gave Tina a Hallowig and made her an honorary wacky wig woman. Harlot took pictures, saying "so that's how this is gonna roll, huh?" Ayup. Made our way to a farmer's market and met CG's friend Whitney, bought toooo much fruit, stopped at a Safeway, then met up with Knitterliness for dinner at McMenamin's. (Picture: Tina laughing at the multi-colored Hallowig LMKnits had just given her, with LMKnits and Yarn Harlot looking on.)

8/6, Thursday, Day 1:

Day-long class, "Argyle Socks" with Ann Berk. Pretty cool technique, tension is important, not sure I'll ever make a real pair, but I'm pretty proud of the sample sock I mostly made in class (and finished that night). Skipped out of class an hour early to take Merike Saarjnit's "Darn It!" class, where I learned how to PROPERLY darn a sock. Met up with the other Hallowigs (ChickenKnittle, Gromknit, LMKnits) to attend the opening ceremonies. ST-1 talked about how the SS idea was hatched and all the trials and tribulations it took to get where we all were at that point. Many tears were shed - they were very funny and it was sooo emotional. Then we stormed the Bastille, er, the Marketplace. Hit up BMFA for mill ends and perused the others. (Picture: My argyle listening intently to ST-1s story about how SS came to be. You can't see it, but the argyle is wet from laughing tears.)

8/7, Friday, Day 2:

Morning class, "Socks Knit from East to West" with Janel Laidman. She taught us how to think about socks from side to side instead of from toe to cuff or vice versa. Once again, tension - and gauge - is very important. We didn't get around to really going over the heel, but she gave a handout, so I hope it's in there. We had the afternoon open before the Sock Hop that night. I think we shopped some more.

8/8, Saturday, Day 3:

Morning class: "Finding True Sock Yarn Happiness," with Clara Parkes. This was a great class. She walked us through the properties we want in a sock yarn (elasticity, strength, absorption), then talked about the properties of various fibers, giving us little samples of each, then talked about spinning those fibers into yarn, also giving us little samples of different types of sock yarn spun up. Very cool.

Afternoon class: "Seismic Socks" with Lorilee Beltman. Also good class, how to put single stitch lines in your socks. Neat technique. Now if I could just remember when you ktbl and when you don't...

That night: We kinda crashed at the hotel. Excitement and exhaustion took over. We never made it to the Ravelry party; opting instead to sit and knit and talk. Lots of talk. (Picture: Gromknit, ChickenKnittle, LMKnits in a classic pose of repose.)

8/9, Sunday, Day 4:

Morning class - none! I got to sleep in! Had a waffle! Met up with the Hallowigs to get on line for the Luminary Panel, then got out of line so I could swap a ticket from KBlesch's cousin Jauping to a sweet spinner who really really wanted to be there. We had front-row seats, listening to the greats: Lucy Neatby, Cat Bordhi, Deb Barnhill, Anna Zilboorg, Priscilla Gibson-Roberts, Meg Swanson (!!), Barbara Walker (!!!!!!!), Judith McKenzie McCuin, and Nancy Bush. Each one fantastic in their own right, each one funny and gracious, and together - along with Tina and Stephanie - I think the knitting world's axis shifted just a little bit. Cool stories, great people. For dinner, we took a single-car trolly ride to downtown and wandered back over to where the Sock Hop had been (Portland Museum of Art), and found a pasta restaurant for dinner. (Picture: After the Luminary Panel had ended, there was much milling around, and the Hallowigs and I were present when Barbara Walker [right] gave Cat Bordhi [left] her business card! Cat was about as happy as a 6th grader.)

8/10, Monday, Day +1:

Bummer. Have to leave. Don't want to leave. ChickenKnittle took off fairly early - she had an 11-hour car ride home in front of her. LMKnits and Gromknit hopped on the Max and found the Japanese Gardens and wandered around downtown for a bit. I slept in again! Had a waffle again! Head back to the airport, this time on Max, which takes you right to the doorstep! For $2.00! Easy! Quiet flight home, back at the ranch by about 6:00, talked non-stop the rest of the week.

That's the high-level overview of the events... in reality, it was a very profound, moving, fun, emotional, outrageous, incredible, amazing, wonderful experience. It was even more than that, but I'm running out of superlatives. Harlot's 2 blogs following it sum it up far better than I ever could. (I really want to write like her when I grow up.) There was some serious knitting mojo at work every day we were there. Knitting Woodstock. Fabulous.

As for the Marketplace, well, I don't need any more yarn. But I got some anyway.

• 2 skeins BMFA STR LW mill ends. Color seems to be Melusine; destined for Cat Bordhi's Spring Thaw socks.
• 1 skein BMFA STR LW mill end. Color is very autumny. Don't know what it want's to be.
• 1 skein BMFA STR LW mill end. Color very Kadootje-y, which is good, because she asked me to get a skein for her. She's a sweetie.
• 1 skein BMFA STR Silkie. Definitely not a mill end. Color is Melusine (do we see a trend here?). Love. This. Yarn.
• 1 skein Periwinkle Sheep II, Orange Soda, and 1 skein Periwinkle Sheep Highlighter. Gave Kadootje her choice of the two and she took the Highlighter. Very Kadootje, too.
• 4 skeins Crown Mountain Sock Hop hand-dyed and hand-spun sock yarn. 2 skeins Aqualung, 2 skeins Buffalo Soldier. Never worked with hand-spun yarns before; it's gorgeous to look at and fondle.
• 1 skein Newton's Happy Feet in some very bright blues. Can't beat 738 yards of superwash merino for $15.00.

(Yes, I know, you're not supposed to wind them until just before you use them. I wind them loosely because when I want to cast on, dammit, I want to cast on, not drag the swift and winder out!)

Still can't believe how awesome SS09 was, still can't believe it's over, still reading blogs and trying to relive it. Not next year, but maybe SS11?