Crochet Designing and TNNA 2011

If I'm a sailboat on a sea of creativity, the waters have been choppy lately! The schedule of my son's summer camp is like a big speedboat that leaves a big wake for my sailboat. He loves the camp and I'm getting the hang of those waves. There's also the TNNA conference I've just attended: it's an unexpected air current that keeps catching my sails! (OK, I'll stop the analogy here.)

'Twas great to see Linda Permann, Doris Chan, and
Ellen Gormley crocheting simultaneously!
(Click here to see one with me in it.)

I've attended and blogged about The National Needlearts Association trade shows ("TNNA shows") every June since 2006. The attendees are primarily needle arts and yarn shop owners, and the exhibitors are businesses that offer yarns, tools, books, etc. for these shops. As a crochet designer I experience the yarn side of the show much more than the needlepoint-cross stitch-embroidery side. 


This year, warm appreciation and abundant new opportunities flowed toward designers! It was wonderful. Almost every business responded with a sparkling 'Yes!' when I asked if they work with indie {crochet} designers, which wasn't so much the case in previous years. I think that as social media and other online resources develop, helping each other succeed just keeps getting easier.

Fun picture of Marly and me taken at the
Ravelry Ice Cream Social, TNNA 2010.
Click here for Marly's original photo
(less grainy resolution than mine)

At a designer dinner I received a remarkable goody bag of everything from a stylish Namaste messenger bag to a coveted skein of pure buffalo yarn. Like I told Marly (see photo at left) who organized the dinner, it's had a great effect on my creativity. 


I'm already using and loving:

• Bijou Basin's yak-bamboo yarn! 
• Skacel's new Addi Click Hook tip 
• The sumptuous Heel (mine is cucumber scented and even my son uses it)
• The elegantly cool yarn snips by The Crochet Dude®. 

Looking forward to using: 

• Wacky Woollies playing cards :-) 
• Eucalan (handy wipes too)
• Boye's exotic rosewood crochet hooks (will work great for 3rd-loop and slip stitch crochet)
• An audiobook from Random House that I've prepared for by starting a new sweater; and of course:
• The Knit Kit! 

In addition to the buffalo yarn, I'm looking forward to swatching up: 

• Yarns from the new Debbie Macomber Blossom Street Collection
• Vickie Howell's Sheep(ish) and Joy! from Caron
• Red Heart Boutique yarns
• Kraemer's Perfection

I have more experiences with new tools and yarns to report when time permits. Until then, I have issue #22 of my Crochet Inspirations newsletter to prepare this week (it won't have anything to do with TNNA, unlike issue #20), and my first-ever crochet videos to upload! 
 
Plus, the usual stream of crochet patterns to complete and publish. 
 
I've been adding charts to some published patterns and I announce stuff like that in my newsletters so please subscribe here.