Sunday Is My FUN Day @ Stitches West 2009 (4 of 4 posts)

Stitches 2009 Haul
Originally uploaded by >>>WonderMike<<<

Sunday morning was my final day at Stitches West and also at the Hilton. I got up early and packed up my things because I didn't want to have to return and do the check-out thing at 11am. It was a lot easier to pack everything in the car and just camp out in the Market Place.

The vibe of Sunday @ Stitches is very different from the madness and chaos that is Saturday. By this point, most people are fried from all the classes and the vendors are exhausted from the (hopefully) frenzied shopping. Everything has been kicked down a couple of energy notches and seems a lot more manageable.

I started off the morning with my first purchase of a Carpel Tunnel DVD by Joshua Tucker. I had seen it advertised on Ravelry several times and hadn't yet taken the plunge. Purchasing a therapeutic how-to video seemed very sensible, so it was the perfect slippery slope act of the day. Joshua was very nice (and cute to boot) so I had him sign the DVD "To My Favorite Ravelry Stalker...". He wasn't too freaked out; I hope his wife isn't either. I had also thought of getting a massage from the same booth, but when I discovered that Joshua was not administering said treatment, I opted for Purlescence's Magic Fingers man, Ray. [Is this why Kristine kept calling me "Slutty McMutty" all throughout SW?? Hmmmph!]

My next stop was Ray aka Mr. Magic Fingers, the physical therapy genius at the Purlescence booth. I did the full-on 30 minute session and, shazam, was it worth it. I almost fell asleep and it was a bit awkward to get only a chair massage, but my lower back sooooo thanked me for it on the ride back to Berkeley that evening. It reinforced the wise fact that massage is indeed necessary for maintaining one's good health.

All weekend long, a new-to-me colorway from Kristine (Chocolate Cherries) had been serenading me in the Verb Booth. It was 100% dreamy-purrfectly-squishy-and-even Targhee and now it was to be mine. It had miraculously stayed in prominent position but had not been acquired, so I assumed the universe wanted it to come with me. A work of fiber art such as this needs the right companion and I think I found it in this Asciano rosewood Clover spindle (seen above).

The owner/artist behind Asciano is Deborah Doyle and her sales pitch is so disarming. Every lovely item that I picked up to admire was quickly described in terms of its limitations. It's like Picasso telling you that he didn't really like the way his lines came out in "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon " or that Van Gogh thought his "Sunflowers" were too yellow. When I selected the clover spindle, I was given a clever device that turned out to be a fishing tackle spinner so that I test the balance of this wooden gem. Well, I could see her point (barely) but I just couldn't get beyond how stunning the craftsmanship was. Nope, she couldn't talk me out of it. It's new home was with me... and with Chocolate Cherries Targhee from Verb.

I was VERY STRONG by not stepping one FOOT into the BMFA booth, but I did admire many, many Rare Gems from afar. I still have 5 skeins of RG from last year that have yet to be knit/woven up. See, I can practice restraint! Oh, wait, I still haven't told you about Fiber Fiend.

Fiber Fiend is the brainchild of Margit and I love her color sense. I also love her fiendishly cute logo. I simply could not pass up a tote and matching pin. Especially since my pin from last year fell off my bike messenger bag (arrgh!). I also picked up several lovely superwash corriedale rovings in my favorite autumnal colors of green/orange/red. Delicious.

Oh, I forgot to say that the night before, I fell down in Bobbin's Nest and purchased several things in addition to the exclusive BN colorway from HazelKnits. I also got "Weekend Warrior" (be still my green with envy heart) and "Cami Chic" (which is just a WW with a little red thrown in for good measure). Wendee has such glorious colors and you can't resist when she's RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF YOU and being such a generous indie dyer.

The final thing I did was pop by the Wild Fibers / Keep the Fleece booth and picked up a back issue of Wild Fibers that was "out of print" but had mysteriously turned up in a box in storage. Yay for me!!

I finished up the day by getting some more video footage and chatting with friends (both old and new) in the Hyatt Lounge over cocktails and dinner. It was about 7pm when I finally mustered the courage to get on the road in spite of the hurricane force winds and rain that is so FREAKING WEIRD for the Bay Area. I seriously thought that I had been transported to New Orleans for a Katrina re-run. Sheesh.

I made it home safe and sound by 8:30pm (I drive like a pawpaw) and was greeted with many hugs and kisses from my boy, Anto.