What's New and Sheep in the City Report

Once again, I had a great time at Sheep in the City. This is a great retreat sponsored by Jan from Just 4 Ewe.  Jan always makes it fun with games and give-aways.  I enjoy how we vendors become part of the retreat at this event, and it was great to see some of the repeat retreaters from last year. Not one, but two customers brought in their finished necklaces to show me how they had turned out. Very nice job ladies!

I  introduced a new necklace kit at this show.  It is called Falling Leaves.  It uses fine wire mesh ribbon in addition to knitting wire and beads.  You knit the leaf ties, crochet the "stems" of the leaves and simply stretch out the mesh for the scarf/necklace.  What is really, really, cool about this necklace is its versatility. You can adjust the necklace to different lengths each time you wear it and you can use the leaf tie to tie a scarf or shawl.

I also  introduced my new hat kit at Sheep in the City (See last month's Name These Hats post)  I was happy to get all 3 styles knit up and the pattern written on time for the show. The winning names for the hats are:

Paintball Pillbox

Square with Squiggles

and

Sunspot Stocking Cap

The patterns were much admired and the kits sold like hotcakes! Here is an inside tip to readers of this blog-- In my rush to finish patterns, and introduce these 2 new kits I wanted to get the hat patterns loaded on Ravelry.  I didn't have time before the show to separate the 3 patterns that I had combined into one for my kit into separate documents, so I loaded all 3 patterns together on Ravelry under Square with Squiggles name. For a limited time, you will get all 3 patterns for the price of one. 

Someone Reads This Blog! and Sheep in the City

I just enjoyed a nice weekend at Sheep in The City. It's funny how every one of these fiber festival/retreat things that I go to are different. Sheep in the City definitely wins the prize for being the most social. Jan, owner of Just 4 Ewe yarn shop and the organizer of SITC, knows how to network and create fun, and she has a loyal crowd of followers coming to this event for the classes, cakewalk and comedy!

I registered late and was lucky to get a table. Despite my cramped and less than optimal location, I had good sales, so I'm not complaining. The only thing that was not so great about this weekend was that I taught 2 classes, and I felt they didn't go as well as my knitting classes usually do. We were pressed for time and I was overtired from just 3 hours sleep the night before. It was Ok, but not great . . . I know I can revise and make it better.

I think that what I enjoyed most this weekend were conversations with customers. A couple of my customers told me that they first found me online. One mentioned that she bought a couple of kits online, and had no problem following the directions and making the bracelets without having taken a class on knit with wire. (That's always good to hear) Another told me she had downloaded my Tallinn Twist--the free pattern I have on my website and on Ravelry. I was especially tickled when a last minute customer on Sunday told me she likes my blog and that is actually how she found out about Sheep in The City. So hello loyal fan(s)! Thanks for the complements, it's what keeps me going.

Can't Wait

Well, Sheep in the City was way too much fun. Spiderlady,(aka Jan from Just 4 Ewe) did an incredible job for a first time event. There was a yarn cake walk, a fashion show and a very silly, very fun Sheep to Shawl challenge of the Madison vs. Oak Creek guilds. I was there by myself as a vendor,and I had a bit of a rough time Friday because I was running behind on getting set up, and then had to teach a class. Jan had someone cover my booth, but I don't think I'll sign up again to teach without having someone to work the booth for me--just too hectic. Anyway, I worked hard, but had fun and even made some money while doing it. My Monday night knitting friends stopped in on Saturday and kept me company for a good part of the day.

I'm sooooooo excited to go to the Madison guild's Knit In this next weekend. I hope I get to meet the Yarn Harlot. I'm afraid I won't be able to sit in on her lecture because I'll be stuck behind my booth, but maybe, just maybe she'll stop by and buy a kit. Wouldn't that be a dream come true? My sister is coming with me. She will help me set up and cover me for lunch, but she will be enjoying the classes. It should be so much fun to have a sisters day together. We are staying overnight at our niece's, so that should be double the fun.Can't wait, can't wait, can't wait.