Sock Summit 2011

Sock Summit 2011, a photo by Project Pictures on Flickr.

I'm not so great at photoblogging or taking lots of pictures. I usually bring my camera and forget to use it. I did try this time to get some fun images from this year's Sock Summit.

I only went for a day (and a night). Things were pretty busy at home, but I'd planned on this trip for quite a while, and we'd worked out that staying all day was okay along with one overnight and driving back the next morning. So when Saturday rolled around I got the house all ready and drove up to Portland.

I arrived about 10am and met up with Ba (seen above in the wonderfully geeky Sockgate). She was also kind enough to pose for me (in her lovely Muir shawl) when we got to Awbrey's booth. And here's Awbrey, too. She makes the most wonderful-smelling soap. You could almost try and take a bite of some of those bars! And Everything Balm, and the wonderful Wood Beams. All fabulous stuff.

 

Ba and I hit the market and then when lunchtime rolled around we took the MAX down to Galleria and bought brats for everyone (YUM). I had to seriously high-tail it back for a fantastic class with Judith MacKenzie... in which I took absolutely no pictures. DOH. Seriously, tho. I was way too busy spinning and learning to remember my camera. Plus we were spinning cashmere and silk and enjoying it far too much.

Class wrapped up and slowly the group managed to gather (it was like herding cats to get this many people going in the same direction at the same time). And while waiting for the MAX again, Sandi started cooking up some nefarious plans. Okay, not really. But she does look like it, doesn't she?

The MAX back down to Galleria was packed and crazy. Lots of people going to do lots of fun things, I'd imagine. We, of course, had to educated a few about knitting. And that in fact all of us in the group were excellent knitters...

 

And yes, there's the crowded MAX behind us as we all bolted for freedom.. freedom!!!

Unfortunately most of those fun food carts that were available at lunch apparently aren't open for dinner. Doh! It was good luck that Sandi wanted Mexican, and I'd seen a Mexican place on the way back to the MAX after grabbing lunch so we headed that way. A couple split off for more veggie-friendly fare, but most of us ended up eating Mexican food. And it was pretty good.

We really had fun... We also really had fun with Sandi's food... (Mexican for the Watchmen)

 

We went back to one of the rooms and chatted a bit more, but everyone was pretty worn out. So off to respective hotels everyone went and I was fortunate enough to secure a small amount of bed-space for myself (THANK YOU ROSEMARY AND BA!!!).

I did need to get home Sunday morning, but I wanted to stay around long enough to see the start of the Fleece to Foot contest. It was pretty amazing that the Sock Summit team managed to secure permission to bring not one, not two, but THREE sheep into the Convention Center and have them sheared on the premises. I took lots of movies.

Here are the adorable sheep:



And here is Clara Parks sampling their wool:



Sadly, I could not stay any longer than that. I'm sure the outcome was really interesting and there will be others that blog that part. I can't wait to hunt down some sock pictures!

For me, it was a really wonderful day and I can't say enough good things about the people I got to meet and hang with, and about my family who were able to manage without me for an entire day.