With a grandbaby on the the way and not wanting to be out of town, Jane asked if I would help (wo)man the Schacht booth at TNNA. This meant that I would be reunited with my fabulous pal Stephanie and get to scope out the latest and greatest in yarn. Um, yes please.
 
So off I went to Columbus, Ohio. Cool town from what little I have seen the two times I have been there. We were so busy, we barely had time to walk the show floor. My very favorite discovery was the Artemis/Hanah Silk booth. They hand dye silk ribbon in the most amazing colors and color combinations you can imagine. Plus, the gal who does the dyeing was there, and she was a real sweetheart. Ivy Brambles had some beautifully dyed yarns, and they are a stone's throw away in New Hampshire. I like local. My love of The Fibre Company yarns was also reaffirmed. Art Yarns has an achingly soft cashmere yarn. They source it from Italy and dye it themselves, and I wanted to take one of every color home. 

 
Yarn appetites somewhat satisfied, we also got to hang with some very cool and talented gals. Beth Smith of The Spinning Loft is just about the nicest person you can imagine, and she's a super good spinner. Watch and learn, people. Amy King, she of Spunky Eclectic and Spin Control fame graced us with her infectious enthusiasm (a.k.a. naughtiness). That girl is too cool (and a fellow Mainer to boot). And the book? Super awesome. It will stretch your spinning mind in ways you never thought possible. We also caught a fleeting glimpse of Miz Abby Franquemont who wheeled in after an exhausting trip to Colorado. I've never been much for rock star crushes and stuff, but I really feel sort of if awe when I'm around Abby. Knowledge. That's what she's got. Knowledge of the fiber. She showed me an edit of her book that will be out this fall, and I can't wait to get a copy. Being around all of these talented people is really inspiring. I am off to plan my next project.