Passion Play/Work Day

Last Saturday I had the pleasure to attend TNNA in Long Beach, CA. As a former employee of Noble Knits, I continue to be good friends with my boss Heather. Her sister Nancy Queen is the owner and operator of the Noble Knits shop and Designer Yarn sale Yarns. The three of us were a mighty force of nature at our industry trade show. The owner(Nancy), the designer(Heather) and the knitter(Marsha).

The National NeedleArts Association is the wholesale trade show that highlights the new and the standards in fiber products to entice the shop owners to buy, buy, buy! Nancy has many amazing talents. Knowing what to buy, the quantity and the colors that will keep your customers happy and shopping, is a true talent. Her real gift is the memorization of her AMEX number, expiration and secret code included! Nancy was the first QVC sellout for knit crafts and has authored several fab knit and crochet books.

Heather not only designs and sells patterns, she has also been doing commercial design for yarn labels with Plymouth Yarns. Her ideas for updating and energizing the product line will be a refreshing and classy. Watching these two sisters master meetings and generate contracts was inspiring.

I was the "consumer consultant," the one that constantly has yarn running through her fingers. I know what I like and I love learning more. As a knitting instructor, I like to stay current.I want to have familiarity with every manufacturer and product. With millions of options and every price point imaginable, imagine my joy at fingering so much fiber. I never once felt tired or overwhelmed. I know it is hard to imagine how yarn cheers me up! I cannot be in a bad mood surrounded by the lofty beauty of skeins and skeins of yarn pressing in from every booth. Buffalo Gold, Ozark Handspun, Ironstone Yarns, Artyarns silks with beads, Kollage square needles(cool), the color pallet of the Aussie import Pear Tree yarn... oh shivers and thrills.

The other aspect of the show is all of the knitting talent under one roof. The Ravelry group spoke with us during lunch. Cat Bordhi had such a long line of fans to have her book signed, I could not say hello. I had a chat with that crazy Edith Eig from LA. Her French accent is a hoot. I saw so many of my North Coast Knitters Guild friends that work in the industry. Many of the best designers and most of the San Diego area talent was present and seen. This floats my boat and makes me wish that I could make a living with yarn. The flip side of my joy was the realization that I am not able to find a profitable space in the yarn continuum. I will put it out there into the universe and maybe my dreams of yarn will come true one day. Until then, I will ride the coat tails of Nancy and Heather with gratitude.