Spring Fling 2011

I’m back! Brazil was fun, Peru was incredible and the two days that I got to spend at home very relaxing (lots of pictures and stories about the trip to come!). And then it was time to head off to St. Louis and go to Spring Fling again. Last year it was amazing, if you remember, and this year? It was SOOOO awesome! I enjoyed every single second of it just as much as last year. And will I be back next year? You bet I will (well, if Sheri lets me in)!

Spring Fling 2011

Just like last year everyone was friendly and happy to be there and to knit knit knit. It was just so much fun to see everyone from last year again and to meet all of the new people, though I’m sorry that I didn’t get to meet everyone like I had hoped to! The weekend started off perfectly with the goodie bag:

Spring Fling 2011 Loot

The skein of Wollmeise given away had a Make Friends – Swap! label and that’s what we did. Everyone got a different color and we all switched for whatever color we liked best. I received a very pretty Fuschia-like color and switched for this gorgeous Twin. Not sure what the equivalent is (maybe Aurora?) but I love this one!

Spring Fling 2011 Loot

And we spent a ton of time in the knitting lounge chatting and knitting and laughing. Plenty of laughing and smiling went on… I was getting sick (am very sick right now actually) so I spent most of the time a bit hoarse, but that’s okay… a sore throat couldn’t stop me from joining in on the fun!

Spring Fling 2011

Spring Fling 2011

Spring Fling 2011

Spring Fling 2011

Spring Fling 2011

Spring Fling 2011

And lots of silliness too!

Spring Fling 2011

Spring Fling 2011

Loopy was up to his old tricks as well, though he behaved a lot more than he did the previous year.

Spring Fling 2011

I took a class with Kirsten Kapur of Through the Loops and it was such a great class. Kirsten is a great teacher and such a sweetheart! She found out I live in Brooklyn and as she’s thinking of moving here she said we should knit together sometime! OMG! Of course! Who wouldn’t like that? I’m excited about my upcoming shawl design that I’m working on and she was so helpful with the charting of it as it’s a difficult pattern to chart… so nice of her to do that! I will definitely be thanking her in the pattern when it gets done. 🙂

A few people knit up my Nouveau Bohemia and modeled it for me, which was so sweet! It was also a lot of fun seeing the different types of yarn and styles that people made. Here’s one that Ricia made… I love the variegated yarn with the hat!

Spring Fling 2011

Spring Fling 2011

There was also lots of beautiful projects being worn and worked on!

Spring Fling 2011

My roomie Julie (who I met as my swap partner last year – love her!) showing off her beautiful sock yarn blanket:

Spring Fling 2011

And of course, there was a TON of shopping… that’s a large part of what we were there for, no?

Spring Fling 2011

Spring Fling 2011

Spring Fling 2011

Me at The Loopy Ewe:

Spring Fling 2011

I was very lucky and won one of the raffle items! This is a Studio June laceweight yarn that is oh so soft… I think I look happy to have won, don’t you?

Spring Fling 2011

Claudia, the Wollmeise herself, was there and was a blast to hang out with! She was so funny and sweet but she hates having her picture taken! I had on my Wast Side Shawl made out of her We’re Different Turkis and she was admiring it and was surprised that it was made out of Wollmeise at first. 😉 It was hilarious because she won one of the raffle items and it was a skein of Wollmeise! LOL! As she doesn’t like her picture taken, I made sure to only do one of her from the back going up to get her prize (she returned it right after and gave it to another lucky winner, though!):

Spring Fling 2011

And Sheri, the owner of The Loopy Ewe, introduced her new self-striping sock yarn due out in Late Summer/Early Fall. She was nice enough to give everyone their own skein and it was totally like an episode of Oprah in there with all the screaming and clapping. Hilarious and so fun!

Spring Fling 2011

One of my friends, Tasha, was making a Melody scarf out of Noro laceweight while we were there and it’s made by CUTTING the fabric after you make it. Of course, we all had to line up to see her doing it. I love the picture of everyone watching so intently!

Spring Fling 2011

Pulling the stiches out to make the fringe:

Spring Fling 2011

It was fun because it became a group project with each one taking an end to do:

Spring Fling 2011

And then it was over and we were sad to leave, but had to line up for a group shot of some of us who hung out this year and the last together. Good times!

Spring Fling 2011

As for my purchases?

Spring Fling 2011 Loot

Spring Fling 2011 Loot

I went a little crazy at TLE this year, but that’s okay, I think, as I haven’t really bought much this year! Plus, I won’t be buying anything else for a LONG time after this. Plus, it all looks so pretty together! 😉

Spring Fling 2011 Loot

I already miss all of my Fling friends and wish they all lived closer so we can see each other more often. I can’t see myself NOT going again… It was way too fun to miss!

22 thoughts on “Spring Fling 2011

  1. It was so much fun to re-live the Fling with your great pictures. Love the one with your new stash, that Dragonfly is TDF! Sigh…wish we were still there. Hey! We forgot to take the group shot with (y)our hats, guess we’ll have to go back!

  2. It sounds like you had a great time! I’d love to go to Spring Fling one year. Maybe next April! You have pictures of a woman from my knitting group here in OKC. Bev! (short, blond hair and wearing the mitered jacket in the first pic) She’s our resident speed demon. She can knit a large shawl in just a few days. We all marvel at her work!

  3. Carolina, it looks like as fun a time as with your Hav peeps! Don’t you just love events like this? Great pics of you enjoying yourself. Have fun knitting! 🙂

  4. I think since I live just minutes from TLE, that I should perhaps try get a chance to go the Fling next year.

    Can’t wait for more updates from you and pictures!

  5. Thank you for documenting the cutting of Tasha’s Melody – since she did it WITHOUT me!! I mean, who else but me watched her knit it – and pimp out the knitting of it on the ruse of getting people to try out those cool needles…HA!

  6. I keep saying “phwoar” today, but PHWOAR, that’s a LOT of yummyyummy yarn! And I’m glad to hear you had a good time, in addition to making out like a bandit 😉

  7. I am so completely envious. Spring Fling looks like a totally great time. The loot is amazing, of course. Can’t wait to read more about your travels to Brazil and Peru and see the pictures!

  8. Wow looks like a lot of fun! That store looks huge and very well organized. Judging from all of the smiles, looks like everyone had a great time. Wish we had some really great gatherings around these parts!

  9. What a fantastic time of fun and knitting and yarn!! Love all the pretties that came back home with you, the colors are just gorgeous!

  10. Welcome back Carolina! Glad you had such a good time both on vacation and at Spring Fling– thanks for sharing so many pictures!

Leave a Reply to Liz G. Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *