Yarn Girl Battles Doctor Doom!
The next time someone asks if I have been to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, I can stomp my foot, throw a fist into the air, and shout, "Why, indeed I HAVE, Iron Man!"
I
have returned from my whirlwindy Stitches Midwest haj. And spending ten
of the past 48 hours in a car on a journey to satisfy the desire to fondle and
sniff yarn has made me feel weary, yet very Zen-like.
(Please
be aware that I have now referenced both the fifth pillar
of Islam AND Mahayana Buddhism. I'd like to teach the world to sing in
perfect harmony, you know.)
((By
the way, for those of you who are piqued by my fondling and sniffing,
please know that through self-exploration I have discovered that for
me, the best way to determine my compatibility with certain yarns is to
rub a skein against my neck right below my chin. I would demonstrate
via YouTube, but I really don't feel like dealing with criticism from
the anti-yarnies.))
Anyway, my mom, Tempe, and I left for Chicago on Saturday morning at 4:35. Luckily, Tempe
(the yarn-smelling Mr. Miyagi to my inner Daniel LaRusso--"Do you smell
the vinegar, young Grasshopper?") lives less than ten minutes away from
a 24-hour Starbucks drive-thru. And normally I would try to be all,
"24-hour Starbucks drive-thru? Well, isn't that bordering on the
absurd?!" But when it's not even five in the morning and you're gearing
up for a 300 mile drive, well, a venti non-fat chai is the perfect
make-out buddy.
We
arrived in Chicago and found our hotel/convention center at 10:30. Upon
arrival, we discovered that Stitches Midwest coincided with Wizard World
Chicago! In other words, the Hyatt was filled with women who pant for
yarn, and boys who de-pant for Princess Leia action figures. And when
you find yourself walking around muttering things like, "Outta my way,
Wolverine!", you must remind yourself that someone else (probably
dressed as a Storm Trooper) is probably responding with "Outta MY Way,
Yarn Whore."
(I'd like to buy the world a Coke and keep it company...)
So, we shopped. And we shopped some more. And we ate at Bennigan's!
And we had a drink at the hotel bar. And we were all crashed out by
10:00. (And I would take this time to tell you a little story about the
wizards who played board games outside our room until 1:30 in the
morning, but someone once told me that tales of board games bored you.
(Homophone Alert!))
Yesterday morning we ate muffins, drank coffee, and returned to the market place, where more purchases were made.
And this is my haul. Enough yarn for fourteen pairs of socks!
Eight Koigu, two Jojoland, four Tess', one Cherry Tree Hill, one MacKintosh, two Katias, and three Socks That Rock.
(I also scored two skeins of Handmaiden Sea Silk in Rose Garden for my Hanami. Those will be a Christmas gift from my mother, who understands budget constraints, yet is a malicious enabler.)
All in all, an excellent weekend. In fact, one that I hope to repeat. Next weekend.
Submitted by
Jenn
at 8/13/2007 3:34:56 PM- Ooh, I am not so much into orange but I love that orange and pink skein.
I see nothing wrong with fondling and sniffing, but then again, I tend to choose my yarn by pinching it.
Submitted by
Naughty monkey
at 8/13/2007 3:54:49 PM- Wow! What a haul. I splurged on three skeins of exceptionally fine cashmere and the software to design my own sweaters. Can't wait to try it out! Glad you had fun- what did you think of the habu booth?
Submitted by
Jenn
at 8/13/2007 4:28:11 PM- Last year I think there was a Beatles convention going on at the same time. There were many complaints of all-night retrospective concerts in the hallways, rooms, lobby, etc. I was at a hotel across the street, though, and missed out on the "fun". Looks like you had a great time!
Submitted by
Aileen
at 8/13/2007 9:04:21 PM- I am drooling over the site of your purchases. So jealous! I hope to make similarly sized purchases at Rhineback this year!
Submitted by
Heidi
at 8/14/2007 9:30:01 AM- Whoa, for $35, you'd think the Handmaiden Sea Silk would not only soften your skin, but do dishes besides. Pretty, though...
Submitted by
Meira
at 8/14/2007 10:23:30 AM- Jealous on SO many levels. Ugh.
(I mean: Congrats on the yarn score! I'm glad you had fun! 24 hour drive thru starbucks!)
Submitted by
Jenny
at 8/14/2007 5:40:01 PM- Wow! That sounds like the best trip ever. I think I would have passed out from all the yarn love. Your writing style really captured the event, too. Love it.
Submitted by
No One of Consequence
at 8/15/2007 11:34:53 AM- So you didn't skip the Stitches thing and go to Wizard World instead?
Is that some Little Bunny Foo Foo I spy? Oh man!