Recapping

I've now had several days to digest the TNNA experience and reflect on just how amazing it was. Really, the main highlight of the trip was the classes I took. I signed up for two: a class on "leveling up" your social media presence with Gale Zucker and Beverly Army Williams and an introduction to tech editing class with Kate Atherley. Both classes were intended to help me with my designing, but I discovered that I actually have a knack for tech editing, so it seems that I may have another crafty job in my future!

Thursday evening at TNNA was a fashion show and an event called Sample It. The latter is an event where exhibitors offer show specials on some of their products. Because the main exhibition is primarily designed for shop owners to place wholesale orders, this is in many cases the only opportunity to buy individual items -- and a bonus is that those items are often offered at a great price. I, of course, didn't need anything, but there were some lovely things for sale that I couldn't resist bringing home.

That's a package containing a full skein of Wonderland Yarns Cheshire Cat and a gradient set of mini skeins, a three pack of Dream in Color Smooshy with Cashmere, and two skeins of MollyGirl Yarn Honky Tonk Lite. I'm not entirely sure what I'll be using all of this yarn for just yet, though I'm sure some of it will used for future designs.

An added benefit of going to a knitting even is, of course, the extra knitting time. I worked on my handspun Boxy for most of the drive to Cleveland and a little bit while we were there, and now I find myself almost finished with the front. It took me three attempts, but I finished up the first shoulder last night. (Why three attempts? Well, the first time I clearly missed a row or worked a row incorrectly, so I tried to tink back to the spot with the error, but then I couldn't figure out what row I was on, so I tinked back the entire way to the beginning of the shoulder area.)

Once I did everything correctly, it didn't take me long to complete, so I should be able to breeze through the second shoulder this evening and move on to the back, which is just mindless knitting back and forth for a while.

My socks saw most of my attention while I was away, and as you saw from my post from last Thursday, I was able to finish up the first sock thanks to a lot of knitting during my classes. (And can I just say how nice it is to be able to knit during a class? I'm so much less fidgety when I have something to do with my hands!) I cast on the second sock pretty much right away and was almost though the heel increases by the time I got home.

I'm now in the home stretch on the second sock and hope to have it finished up in the next day or so. That means I'll need to cast on another smallish project, which might be a new pair of socks or perhaps a charity hat using some leftover scraps. Even with the purchases at TNNA, I may have ordered some yarn for a new sweater in the Knit Picks summer sale, so I'm feeling the need to stash bust big time.