By now, you may have already heard plenty about this event phenomenon but for the uninitiated, Sock Summit, which took place in Portland, Oregon, was a four-day celebration of handknit socks and the people who knit them. I don't think anyone can adequately describe the scope, setting, feeling, or execution of Sock Summit. Picture a market place of over 100 vendors devoted to all things SOCK, dozens of big round tables 'round which are sitting all manner of sock knitters, edible food in the luncheon buffet, classes covering a myriad of techniques, events at which sock knitting is celebrated in all its glory, and the Luminaries - OHHH the Luminaries. It all seemed to go off without a hitch (with the exception of the Great Server Crash during registration). Well planned and well executed: Tina Newton and Stephanie Pearl-McPhee gave us a wonderful gift.
The Portland Convention Center was a star in its own right.
Inside, the great Pendulum keep us all mesmerized.
My darling friend Pamela joined me in Portland.
That, on its own, was a lovely thing. We have known each other for more than thirty years. We are kind and sweet to each other. We both love to knit. And we truly enjoy each other's company. And did I mention that she is darling?
We chose to stay in a less glamorous hotel, Inn at the Convention Center. No frills (not even a crappy in-house restaurant) but sure enough, the convention center was right across the street. I have three things to say to you: Location, Location, Location. It was so amazingly convenient!
After the first full day at Sock Summit, Pamela said, "I've had such a good time today, I could go home now and be satisfied." Then she got a wicked gleam in her eye and added, "And there are THREE MORE DAYS!"
Classes
Only three for me:
I learned Judy's Magic Cast-on from herself, Judy Becker. The class came and went so quickly (just 1 hour long) that I didn't get a photo, but here's a link, for those who must see. Judy's explanation was clear, concise, and I believe everyone went away understanding how the cast-on works
Friday morning was Bindoff Bonanza with JC Briar. I have taken her Cast-on Cornicopia before, so I knew in advance that JC's class would be worth it. I wasn't disappointed. Plus, JC is just a fine human being.
Saturday morning was Amy Singer's Socks Without Wool. I liked this class a lot. Great explanation of all of the non-wool fibers on the market, and a nifty non-wool, toe-up "recipe" that I'm in the midst of testing with a pair of cotton-lycra socks for the Boyo.
Pamela had Cat Bordhi all day on Saturday and a drop spindle class on Sunday morning. That gave me quite a bit of time on my own, which I spent working in the Snicklefritz Yarns booth. Janelle is a supergeek indie dyer.
Her colorways are quite beautiful.
They're based on the travels of these gnomes, kinda like some other gnomes except these guys work for Snicklefritz.
It was really interesting to get a vendor's-eye view of the market place. Plus, I earned some gorgeous yarn - always a big plus!
A Record!
Here's Pamela amongst the crowd readying itself for an attempt to set a Guinness World Record on Friday:
We beat the previously-held record of 256. Altogether 935 knitters sat in on this attempt. It looks like we succeeded, but the attempt does not yet appear on the Guinness site.
Bonuses
OMG! I met blogreaders! Rather, they tracked me down! Bobbie, who knew where to find me because she was a volunteer. And Jaime, who found me at the Luminary Panel. It was an honor to meet you both.
I also met super eggplant for the first time In Real Life. She was just standing there outside the Snicklefritz booth. And she recognized me and remembered my name! She's one of those people I feel like I've known for years, and IRL she's just the kind of person I thought she was (A very cool person).
...AND Lucy Neatby took my picture at the Sock Hop! I was wearing this scarf, which is a Tradewind pattern, along with the matching socks I'd just completed.
OMG! Lucy Neatby took my picture!
AND...I was one of five people who WON a hand-knit sock yarn afghan from Abundant Yarns and Dyeworks' raffle to benefit Doctors without Borders. WOWIE!
Other than that super geeky celebrity moment with Lucy Neatby, neither Pamela or I were really celebrity watchers. I didn't carry the camera much. It was more about being together and enjoying the moment, rather than recording it. And there were plenty of wonderful people to talk to and share the moment with. The two of us skipped the Ravelry party, in favor of an intimate dinner at Paragon in the Pearl District. We were late to the Sock Hop, partly because I finished my socks just moments before it was scheduled to start, and partly because we wanted to have a nice dinner (which we did at Higgins). By the last event, the Luminary Panel...
...we were all aglow. Sock Summit was an inspiring event.
