Stitches West 2011 - Shopping Report

This year when I went to Stitches West I actually shopped and took a class. The last 3 years, I was unemployed so did very little shopping. Here is my Stitches West Report..

First I'll tell you about the one crappy thing that happened.

On Friday I bought only the Angora and Merino Wrap pattern (below) because it's made from angora yarn. I can't even be around angora. Then on Sat. I have a very bad experience at Tess', which made me sorry I have even bought that pattern.

There was a vest and it said it took two skeins of superwash and the pattern was #101. Right below the vest was yarn that said superwash and the same yarn, unmarked in a color I'd like. I took the unmarked skeins to the cashier, which was the woman in this picture, I said I wanted to get pattern 101 and was this the correct yarn. She flipped out a business card and said our patterns are all online (but I bought one there the day before???) and that no this wasn't the yarn - you need the superwash. I said this is superwash and where can I find the yarn I need. She said it's very simple, everything is by color and is marked you just have to look. I dropped the yarn on the table and said, well this isn't marked and the yarn just like this in a different color said it was superwash. And I walked away.

I will never buy anything from them again.

She was nasty, rude and hurtful. Her tone of voice basically said I was stupid. They don't deserve my money or yours!



Now for all the GOOD stuff.

This is an amazing pattern. The waist shaping is done with a section of ribbing on the sides and it laces up in the back. The crocheted edge really makes this unusual. The yarn was superb but a bit more than I was willing to pay. This is the first time I've ever seen their yarn. All of it was dreamy. Maybe next year I'll get some.


I loved this sweater. Great for work and the waist shaping is done with a cable. And because it was Valley Yarns (Valley Superwash DK) the whole thing cost about $70. You've just got to love WEBs!!!


I wanted to buy this last year, but just couldn't. I'm very excited to try weaving with beads and yarn.



Here comes the yarn!!!

madelinetosh Pashmina sock


Araucania Itata Multy sock

This company was new to me. I met the woman who does the dying. She was very nice. This is La Habana by Textiles A Mano. It says it's lace weight, but it's sort of between a lace and sock weight. 100% silk. Very yummy. I fell in love with two colors. I tried, I really did try to decide which I wanted. And just couldn't, so I got both. Bad Bad girl. But is feels really good. LOL



Malabrigo Lace!!!



And one skein of Malabrigo sock yarn for a Linen Stitch scarf.

A cone for 50/50 silk/merino lace weight. This is the most wonderful silvery blue color. About 6000 yards from Webs.

This is Zephyr for the Interweave Knits Oslo Walk Shawl (unless I use the yarn on the cone above). Now all I need is 644 3mm beads and I can start!


These were just too great to pass up. I held out until 10 before I left the market to go back to Sacramento.


These are antique buttons I'm going to turn into a bracelet for my girl friend as a birthday gift. Her birthday in next week. I thought these were prefect. Just her colors and she loves old clothes.


And for the piece de resistance - a Maggie Kit. I have wanted this for a couple years. And this year it is MINE!!!! Because the kit contains everything, including the buttons, I can start like ... NOW! The kit does have one ball of angora, which I'll give away and substitute with a ball of kid silk haze.



Hmmm. As I review my purchases I notice, that other than the two kits, the Maggie and the sweater from Webs, I bought lace and sock yarn. How odd. I don't like to do socks and rarely wear shawls. And yet I'm extremely pleased with everything I got. ROFL