Well, I waited a little long to post the next entry BUT I have been busy compiling a book for me and one for Lucille to document our trip. Both of our cameras crashed on us so pictures were limited BUT we got some! I have catalogued our classes as well as all the vendors we visited with little notations and pictures. I am sharing with all of you because they were wonderful vendors AND I hope you would keep them in mind for future projects as they had WONDERFUL fibers and goodies. Lucille and I will defnitely use them in the future!

2006 CGOA TKGA Knit & Crochet Show – Valley Forge, PA
Impressions:

Upon signing in we received a bag from Berroco loaded with 5 skeins of specialty yarn and a Red Heart bag with three skeins of yarn and a couple of free patterns. The Marketplace was enormous and we stayed at the Raddison Hotel which was connected to the Scaticon Convention Center. Room was a special rate of $106.00.

So upset that camera batteries died on last day when Lucille and I wanted to take pictures of various vendors!!! While we did not photograph as much as we wanted to we were able to get some! Also disappointed I did not have one of Melissa Leapman’s books for her to sign for me – she was incredible as was Galina Khmeleva (lace Knitting FULL day class and the Leader of the Gossamar shawl cottage industry out of Russia). I would have loved to have one of her lace books to have her sign.

Affectionknit Booth Number: 612
296 McCaffrey Rd.
Newmarket ON L3X 1J4
CANADA
(888)836-9187 or (905)836-9187
Fax: (905)836-8962
Email: info@affectionknit.com
http://www.affectionknit.com/

Lucille and I met the husband and wife team of this shop on the elevator and we fell in love with the name of the shop! We did not make it to their booth until Friday but were NOT disappointed. They had beautiful fibers and incredible sweater kits and beautiful sweater clasps in pewter that looked very Irish!
Purchased:
Norwegian made pewter sweater clasp $7.00
(plan: on using on the green Mohair blend sweater I will make from Mohair purchased at Newtown Knits!)
IN FUTURE: Remember they had a wonderful silk blend lacy cardigan kit for $90 (the yarn by itself was $45/skein and the pattern in the kit (which included all yarn) kit required 3 skeins! Great deal! Would be a nice project in the future

Blue Santa Beads Booth Number: 213,215
18 N Pennell Rd
Media PA 19063-5520
(610)892-2740
Fax: (610)892-2847
Email: bluesantabeads@aol.com

Tons and Tons of Wonderful beads! An incredible selection of beads, bugles, crystal beads, hand painted and fired beads and an incredible selection of buttons! Both handmade and unique! The vendor told us she will be in Connecticut on September 9, 2006 at the bead show in East Haven.
Purchased: 1 tube iridescent grey “tube” beads - Item number: 8R-29AF-T $3.50,
1 tube purple, green iridescent matte oval beads – Item number: 6R-134FR-C $3.50
Panel of 2 Reproduction Vintage buttons made in Czech Republic. Clear buttons with iridescent purple glazing background with gold paisleys encrusted on them (Wave of the Wand, Designer Buttons) $12.00

Copeland Glass Booth Number: 315
Judith Copeland
201 Ray Street
Manchester, NH 03104
(603)623-3294
judy@copelandglass.com
http://www.copelandglass.com/
The most beautiful buttons and shawl closures. Judith does all of her own work and her tables in her booth were just explosions of color!!!! She has her own studio and NO two buttons are exactly alike! We spent a bit of time in her booth admiring all of the buttons which were like mini art pieces. She had many that were iridescent and we LOVED her things!
Purchased : 1 square button. White background with specks of brownish purple dots and a light and dark pink swish in the center (hope to use this with the hand made silver, silk (from Habu) and freshwater pearl cuff I want to make for me) $8.00
IN FUTURE: remember her for buttons for future knitted works whether garments or jewelry. Lovely woman and so talented!

Damaris Booth Number: 609
California (not pictured/listed)
(415) 334-1414
Damaris_hanson_@yahoo.com

An incredible Asian woman from California with incredibly gorgeous Asian jewelry – she had a necklace Lucille fell in love with and on I fell in love with – both out of our price range at $150.00 a piece ( we still had yarn to buy!). She deals wholesale and mentioned beads in her closet from the 70’s she would love to wholesale to Lucille. She had the most exquisite simple shell circle clasps with either simply carved dark wood sticks or sticks with charms (one had shells another had wooden beads etc) hanging off of them. These were the perfect shawl and sweater closures. The ones with the plain sticks were $15.00 and those with the more ornate were in the $20 range.
IN FUTURE – remember her for ordering of these shawl and sweater Closures.

Decadent Fibers Booth Number: 505,507
7 Cortland Drive
Kinderhook NY 12106-1800
(518) 758-8670
Fax: (518) 758-8671
http://www.decadentfibers.com/

ONE OF MY FAVORITES! Besides being just the friendliest and fun people – the yarns were fantastic! The yarns hung in huge loops on racks in the most delectable colors! All hand dyed, Pat encouraged that you buy enough yarn due to the fact that there was no guarantee that one lot to the next is exactly the same due to the fact that the yarns are all hand dyed. The most spectacular felting kits were available. Felt kits – pumpkins, carrots and full floral arrangements – referred to as “penny candy”! Also incredible Sunflowers and belts that were all in kits for felting! They also carried supplies of felting needles and Lucille and I watched Pat work on a felted Southwestern belt that was full of vibrant color and was a real piece of art! The belt kits come with the cords already felted and you do the rest! There was a beautiful belt kit with pink flowers that looked perfect for a little girl or person who loves pink and delicate flowers!. Lucille purchased a skein and received a pattern for an incredible scarf with hanging cords.
Purchased: 1 skein of “Cookie Dough” 80% Merino blend, 20% Mohair Approx 8 oz 490 yards per skein $28.00
*** received free pattern for the Cookie Dough shrug with purchase!**** The shrug is SOOO different and GORGEOUS!!!!!!!
IN FUTURE: remember the pumpkin felting kit and the baby blanket kit with pocket in middle for adding a felted plane or elephant. Also the belt kit in pink for daughter.

Dream Weaver Yarns, LLC Booth Number: 413,415
158 Division Avenue
Massapequa, NY 11758-7106
(516) 316-0367
Fax: (516)570-0786
Email: ann@dreamweaveryarns.com
http://www.dreamweaveryarns.com/

Drawn to this booth because of the HUGE selection of knitting bags. Fabric hobo slough knitting bags with wooden handles and the plush leather bags for knitting needles. Beautiful selection and a higher end retailer for sure! Also carried incredible needles including Namaste needles (made of a pyrex glass http://www.namasteneedles.com/ ). My one really guilty purchase was a set of these needles and a silk Lantern Moon needle pouch. The most difficult part was deciding what type of top and the size of the needle.
Purchased: US 13 glass cone toped (with dark and light blue spirals) Namaste glass needles $42.00
Lantern Moon silk Needle sleeve $7.00

IN FUTURE - remember them for the beautiful round Namaste knitting needle bag – perhaps ask for a Christmas present?


The Elegant Ewe Booth Number: 308
71 S. Main Street
Concord, NH 03301-4828
(603) 226-0066
Fax: (603) 226 – 0601
Email : infor@elegantewe.com
http://www.elegantewe.com/

ONE OF MY FAVORITES! They had incredible fibers and WONDERFUL patterns. They had a wonderful scoop cardigan of which I purchased the pattern and a wonderful shawl stick closure in the shape of a sheep. The bonus is after three years I have FINALLY found someone who carries Pre de Provence! Lucille bought a small tub of bunny cream. It smelled so wonderful – we think it was because of the lemongrass. I was afraid to purchase as there is a nut extract in the cream – keep in mind though (it smelled so wonderful!!!)! Young women manned this booth and they were friendly, helpful and very enthusiastic. Lucille and I loved this booth!
Purchased:
Pre de Provence Lavender Body Lotion 5% Shea Butter $12.95
Pre de Provence Lavender Hand Cream 20% Shea Butter $12.95
Pewter Sheep closure pin $12.00
Back Scoop Cardigan sweater pattern $5.00

IN FUTURE: Keep them in mind for the cabled sling bag pattern. Also remember they carry the complete line of Pre de Provence (distributed by European Soaps, Ltd. Seattle, WA 98133) and wonderful patterns and fibers.