(no subject)
A lot of the Stitches East classes are in fact sold out. Something told me to sign up when registration opened. I really should have listened... :(
We got a later start than we wanted, and when we finally got there I almost wished I had stayed home. But by the next morning I was glad I didn't.
The bad:
The Hilton Valley Forge didn't give me the room I wanted, even though the reservation was prepaid. When we got out of the elevator, practically the entire hallway smelled of cigarettes, and there was goblet outside our door which had been used as an ashtray (nevermind that it was a non-smoking area). Some of the ashes were spilled on the carpet. It was almost checkout time when they finally got around to cleaning it. Not to mention some kids put lotion all over our door handle, including the slot where the key card goes.
It would have been worth $20 extra per night to stay at a hotel connected to the Convention Center.
And TKGA somehow lost my registration, so one of the classes I wanted was sold out.
The good:
Laitaine and I registered for the same classes, so I got the second choice and she had the first choice. We switched tickets, and I got to go to "Hints, Tips & Secrets for the Newer Knitter"--which she definitely is not. And she went to "Basic Pattern Drafting". Lots of math... quadratic equations... she was ecstatic, I tell ya... (and if you happen to know my roommate, you know I'm not being sarcastic here... :)
Then we went to Melissa Leapman's workshop, "Fully Fashioned & Fabulous".
The Knit and Crochet summer show was a reminder of what I like about knitting. After a few minutes in one of Melissa Leapman's classes, I would look at my needles and see this beautiful piece of fabric there. And I'd wonder for a second if I really did that. It almost seems like magic sometimes... make a few loops, put them through these other loops and... voila!
Melissa Leapman is very witty and funny. You can't tell that by watching her on that video that comes with the TKGA "Learn to Knit" kit. She sticks to her class timeline, and for me that often meant falling behind, but she does pay attention to what everyone is doing, and goes back to check on you, which I liked. It's like making sure you do get something for the money you're paying her.
She mentions to every class that she considers herself more a designer than a knitter. She taught us patterns that she's used in some of the sweaters from her books. I had not considered before that I'd ever be making a sweater, but she made a believer out of me. I'm pretty sure I can tackle one of those patterns...
The market... well, if you've ever been to a dealer's room/exhibitor's hall at a convention, then you know how that works. You go in, spend hundreds of dollars on stuff you don't really need but feel at the time you can't do without. The way I see it, if it still makes me smile when I get home and unpack it, then the purchase was worth it. (And yes, there have been instances when I'm unpacking after a con and I look at something and think, "now what in the world was I drinking thinking?")
The banquet and fashion show was Saturday night. The food was great. The coffee didn't get to our table by the time the fashion show started--and once the entertainment starts, the servers disappear from the room, so... "no coffee for you".) We bailed out early and settled for caramel-colored water hotel room coffee.
Sunday was the "Beautiful Borders" workshop. More pretty designs from Melissa Leapman. I really want that sweater on the cover, I really do...
Sunday we took a side trip to central Philadelphia to see Cirque du Soleil's "Quidam" which we'd only seen on Bravo before. Need I reiterate that there's nothing like seeing a Cirque show in person?
Monday we went to A Taste of Britain for afternoon tea. Very good, and cheaper than Tea on the Tiber. The place is small, but cozy. You don't need a reservation for a full afternoon tea. The staff is friendly. And I liked their gift shop. :)
[ETA: Link updated--new website/location]
We were going to see a double feature of "Pirates..." and "Superman", but we skipped "Superman Returns" (in IMAX 3-D), out of consideration for our dear friend muse_neko who wasn't there.
Yeah, right... if you buy that, I have a bridge to sell you. Actually what happened was that after we watched "Pirates...", we figured that watching another two-and-a-half-hour movie would put us getting home a lot later than we should.
So... fun weekend. Exhausting, yes. But still fun...
Pictures!
We got a later start than we wanted, and when we finally got there I almost wished I had stayed home. But by the next morning I was glad I didn't.
The bad:
The Hilton Valley Forge didn't give me the room I wanted, even though the reservation was prepaid. When we got out of the elevator, practically the entire hallway smelled of cigarettes, and there was goblet outside our door which had been used as an ashtray (nevermind that it was a non-smoking area). Some of the ashes were spilled on the carpet. It was almost checkout time when they finally got around to cleaning it. Not to mention some kids put lotion all over our door handle, including the slot where the key card goes.
It would have been worth $20 extra per night to stay at a hotel connected to the Convention Center.
And TKGA somehow lost my registration, so one of the classes I wanted was sold out.
The good:
Laitaine and I registered for the same classes, so I got the second choice and she had the first choice. We switched tickets, and I got to go to "Hints, Tips & Secrets for the Newer Knitter"--which she definitely is not. And she went to "Basic Pattern Drafting". Lots of math... quadratic equations... she was ecstatic, I tell ya... (and if you happen to know my roommate, you know I'm not being sarcastic here... :)
Then we went to Melissa Leapman's workshop, "Fully Fashioned & Fabulous".
The Knit and Crochet summer show was a reminder of what I like about knitting. After a few minutes in one of Melissa Leapman's classes, I would look at my needles and see this beautiful piece of fabric there. And I'd wonder for a second if I really did that. It almost seems like magic sometimes... make a few loops, put them through these other loops and... voila!
Melissa Leapman is very witty and funny. You can't tell that by watching her on that video that comes with the TKGA "Learn to Knit" kit. She sticks to her class timeline, and for me that often meant falling behind, but she does pay attention to what everyone is doing, and goes back to check on you, which I liked. It's like making sure you do get something for the money you're paying her.
She mentions to every class that she considers herself more a designer than a knitter. She taught us patterns that she's used in some of the sweaters from her books. I had not considered before that I'd ever be making a sweater, but she made a believer out of me. I'm pretty sure I can tackle one of those patterns...
The market... well, if you've ever been to a dealer's room/exhibitor's hall at a convention, then you know how that works. You go in, spend hundreds of dollars on stuff you don't really need but feel at the time you can't do without. The way I see it, if it still makes me smile when I get home and unpack it, then the purchase was worth it. (And yes, there have been instances when I'm unpacking after a con and I look at something and think, "now what in the world was I drinking thinking?")
The banquet and fashion show was Saturday night. The food was great. The coffee didn't get to our table by the time the fashion show started--and once the entertainment starts, the servers disappear from the room, so... "no coffee for you".) We bailed out early and settled for caramel-colored water hotel room coffee.
Sunday was the "Beautiful Borders" workshop. More pretty designs from Melissa Leapman. I really want that sweater on the cover, I really do...
Sunday we took a side trip to central Philadelphia to see Cirque du Soleil's "Quidam" which we'd only seen on Bravo before. Need I reiterate that there's nothing like seeing a Cirque show in person?
Monday we went to A Taste of Britain for afternoon tea. Very good, and cheaper than Tea on the Tiber. The place is small, but cozy. You don't need a reservation for a full afternoon tea. The staff is friendly. And I liked their gift shop. :)
[ETA: Link updated--new website/location]
We were going to see a double feature of "Pirates..." and "Superman", but we skipped "Superman Returns" (in IMAX 3-D), out of consideration for our dear friend muse_neko who wasn't there.
Yeah, right... if you buy that, I have a bridge to sell you. Actually what happened was that after we watched "Pirates...", we figured that watching another two-and-a-half-hour movie would put us getting home a lot later than we should.
So... fun weekend. Exhausting, yes. But still fun...
Pictures!