TNNA - Oh Wow!
This weekend I attended the TNNA Show with my LYS owner Carolyn of Main St. Yarns.
It's an easy 7 hour drive from Ontario to Columbus Ohio -- we only made one stop on the way down for gas, something to eat and well, you know.......
This is a show where manufacturers of needlework products go to show their wares to the retailers who attend to see what's new and exciting in their area of expertise.
After picking up our registration packs, we decided to sit down and do some prep work before entering "the great hall".
Oh, let me go back a bit -- before you entered the hall, there was the "Wall of Yarn" -- and that's what it is -- various yarn manufacturers put up a small display of their yarns for show. The best part about it though, is that they also provide a skein of the yarn pre-cut in strips that you can take and paste into your yarn sample book. After giving the wall the once over, tempting as it was, we decided to get on with the show!
By the time we'd done the prep work on the map, the doorway had cleared, and we walked in to the great hall with over 1000 10x10 booths -- of course some exhibitors had more than one booth right? So there was not 1000 exhibitors there. But trust me -- it was a massive hall and totally overwhelming.
Luckily, the map was color coded, and we knew that the yarn exhibits were pale yellow. We had a lot of pale yellow boxes highlighted so off we went.
Wow is about all I can say. Cameras weren't allowed, so there will unfortunately be no photos to document this experience.
Our first stops included the Louise Harding and Debbie Bliss displays -- some totally gorgeous designs are coming out from these ladies.
Debbie's newest book is very stylishly photographed and she had an interesting fantasy storyline to go along with the book. I can't tell you about it -- you had to be there as she flipped through the book and explained what the model was thinking in each photo. If you've met Debbie you know she has a great sense of humor, and at the end of her story, we suggested she had great talent in writing romance novels -- perhaps her next book could be a romance novel/knitting pattern book -- if you think this is a good idea, write to Debbie and encourage her! I tried to find an e-mail for Debbie -- but her web site doesn't show one -- but I've included the link above for you to visit if you'd like.
Louisa Harding has two new books -- both photographed in Venice, with Venice type names -- and she had a fabulous true story about these books. Turns out that while comparing life notes, Louise and her husband found out that when they were both single, before they met, they had both toured Italy and Venice at the same time. They hadn't met there -- but to commemorate their anniversary, and the possibility that they were both there at the same time way back, they decided to do do her next designs inspired by Venice and it's architecture, and to go back and photograph the books there. These designs are totally gorgeous, I love her yarns, and the books are fabulous. The photography is done by her husband and you'll be stunned - trust me!
The first day was totally overwhelming -- back to our hotel for a great meal and some room knitting -- oh joy oh bliss -- I just love the whole fine hotel experience!
Tomorrow - more on this exciting event and what I in particular found for knitters like me who enjoy shetland yarn and fine gauge knitting.
Til tomorrow, happy knitting.
It's an easy 7 hour drive from Ontario to Columbus Ohio -- we only made one stop on the way down for gas, something to eat and well, you know.......
This is a show where manufacturers of needlework products go to show their wares to the retailers who attend to see what's new and exciting in their area of expertise.
After picking up our registration packs, we decided to sit down and do some prep work before entering "the great hall".
Oh, let me go back a bit -- before you entered the hall, there was the "Wall of Yarn" -- and that's what it is -- various yarn manufacturers put up a small display of their yarns for show. The best part about it though, is that they also provide a skein of the yarn pre-cut in strips that you can take and paste into your yarn sample book. After giving the wall the once over, tempting as it was, we decided to get on with the show!
By the time we'd done the prep work on the map, the doorway had cleared, and we walked in to the great hall with over 1000 10x10 booths -- of course some exhibitors had more than one booth right? So there was not 1000 exhibitors there. But trust me -- it was a massive hall and totally overwhelming.
Luckily, the map was color coded, and we knew that the yarn exhibits were pale yellow. We had a lot of pale yellow boxes highlighted so off we went.
Wow is about all I can say. Cameras weren't allowed, so there will unfortunately be no photos to document this experience.
Our first stops included the Louise Harding and Debbie Bliss displays -- some totally gorgeous designs are coming out from these ladies.
Debbie's newest book is very stylishly photographed and she had an interesting fantasy storyline to go along with the book. I can't tell you about it -- you had to be there as she flipped through the book and explained what the model was thinking in each photo. If you've met Debbie you know she has a great sense of humor, and at the end of her story, we suggested she had great talent in writing romance novels -- perhaps her next book could be a romance novel/knitting pattern book -- if you think this is a good idea, write to Debbie and encourage her! I tried to find an e-mail for Debbie -- but her web site doesn't show one -- but I've included the link above for you to visit if you'd like.
Louisa Harding has two new books -- both photographed in Venice, with Venice type names -- and she had a fabulous true story about these books. Turns out that while comparing life notes, Louise and her husband found out that when they were both single, before they met, they had both toured Italy and Venice at the same time. They hadn't met there -- but to commemorate their anniversary, and the possibility that they were both there at the same time way back, they decided to do do her next designs inspired by Venice and it's architecture, and to go back and photograph the books there. These designs are totally gorgeous, I love her yarns, and the books are fabulous. The photography is done by her husband and you'll be stunned - trust me!
The first day was totally overwhelming -- back to our hotel for a great meal and some room knitting -- oh joy oh bliss -- I just love the whole fine hotel experience!
Tomorrow - more on this exciting event and what I in particular found for knitters like me who enjoy shetland yarn and fine gauge knitting.
Til tomorrow, happy knitting.
I'm totally jealous!!!
ReplyDeleteCan Hardly wait for more! (Funny, my husband and I were in Phoenix, AZ and Casa Grande, AZ at the same times and never met until we were both in Cortez, CO! Sometimes you're just deigned to meet and marry!)
ReplyDeleteI'm jealous too. I spent my weekend sweating, changing diapers and yelling at a group of six-year-old skallywags who I was trying (operative word) to teach to print. Sigh...
ReplyDeleteOh, I am soooo jealous! *sigh*
ReplyDeleteOh, you had a great time - lucky you!
ReplyDeleteOooo...can't wait to read about the shetland yarn and fine gauge knitting!