The thing about the big knitting conventions is they’re basically dens of iniquity. There you are, a little woozy from the florescent lights and sensory deprivation, unfairly surrounded by temptations. And enablers. Did I mention the enablers? You basically don’t stand a chance.
At Stitches South this weekend (RIP apparently, btw), I was very good about not shopping. Even in the predictable slowness of Sunday afternoon, I didn’t do the customary rounds. However, there was no avoiding walking up and down our own aisle, as the bathrooms were at one end and the dock doors at the other — not to mention good friends scattered up and down the aisle. Plus I was there with no knitting.
I’ve all but run out of yarn for my Anna vest (after frog-knitting the button band), and although it’s blocked and ready to assemble, seaming isn’t really a suitable activity while manning a booth. Neither of my HIPs (that’s hats-in-progress, y’all) was suitable booth knitting either. And across from my friends in the Craft South booth, at the dock end of our aisle, sat the charming ladies of Loopy Mango, looking utterly adorable in their gooshy, brightly colored, superbulky knitwear. Plus after I’d sweated it out through setup days, preview night, and public day one, Saturday morning presented us with the customary arctic convention-hall climate, and I was still dressed for sweating. So let’s review:
- I had no knitting.
- I was cold.
- Those Loopy Mango ladies were darling.
So I walked to the other end of the aisle. I pulled on the baby-blue chunky cropped pullover I’d been eyeing (so soft, so warm), and I walked back down the aisle to get Rebekka and DG’s opinions on it. I’m not making this up: As I walked, heads turned. Mouths formed Oooh shapes. Strangers told me how adorable I looked. Upon my arrival back at our booth, Rebekka’s jaw literally fell open. Then DG made a puckered face I thought was leading to the “huh uh” that I would take as gospel, but instead he nodded gently and said, “Yeah, you can have that.”
Ergo, I bought a kit.