20-21 April 20-21, 2024 YarnCon Vendor Marketplace
Plumbers Union Hall Chicago, IL
Sign up now! Volunteer at YarnCon!
April 17, 2024 by Leave a Comment
YarnCon happens this weekend! Are you ready for this much fun?

Because fiber fanatics cannot live on yarn alone (although we try our best), we are thrilled to announce the food truck lineup for YarnCon 2023. This year, sandwich and American comfort food experts The Fat Shallot will be on hand alongside dumpling and baowich truck, Yum Dum, and (possibly) elite authentic Mexican food truck Aztec Dave’s.  It’s going to be another tasty year!

Trucks will be parked outside the main entrance from 11am-1pm to serve any and all who need sustenance to shop. Get yours early – they’ve been known to sell out!

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April 12, 2024 by Leave a Comment

Are you getting excited about YarnCon? It’s a week and one day away, and maybe you want to check out our vendors in advance of the show. You can always check out our Vendors page to see who is coming this year, but if looking at the logos is a little hard on you, or you just prefer a written list, we made a table for your use.

2 Guys Yarn CompanyLeading Men Fiber Arts
Allegheny Fiber ArtsMalojos Jewelry
Apothefaery Luxury FibersMichele A Friedman Designer-Metalsmith
Beautiful SysterMidMitten Designs
Black Cat FibersMochimochi Land
Brenda and Heather YarnsMondo Mojo
Bur Oak StudioMUSE2320 Fiber Co.
Considered ClothNorthern Bee Studio
Cooperative PressNorthwoods Fibers
Created 4 U by LauraOink Pigments
Critical Sheep YarnsPassion Yarns
Daisy BagsPlied Yarns
DartilyPoisecc
Deitrick’s Alpaca RanchPurl Talk
Distortion FibersRMR Yarn Co.
Dye Mad YarnsSassy Songstress Yarns
DyeJobYarn&FiberShirsty Cat Designs
Esther’s PlaceSister Ananse Yarn
Ewe2me2uSolstice Fiber Studio
Ex Libris FibersSpinning Chicken Studio
Fairy Tale Yarn CoStarKnits
Foldout CatStitch Stuff Yarn
Gnome Depot FiberStoryteller Stitchery
Grinning GargoyleSupernova Dyeworks
Handmade HollowsT&H Fiber Works
Hummingbird MoonThe Spinning Guy
Indian Lake ArtisansTLD Design Center & Gallery
Jems Luxe FibersUP North Yarns
Just NinaWhy Knot Fibers
Kato Yarn CompanyWild Stitchers
Knitcircus YarnsWoolWeed
KnitspinYarn Love

We hope that helps! Don’t forget, we will have vendors on three levels again this year! You can find them on the ground floor, in aroma-wafting distance of the Kikwetu Coffee and Tea bar; in the main hall on the second floor; and in the balcony. All three areas are accessible by stairs and elevator, and there is a ramp to the ground floor area.

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March 3, 2024 by Leave a Comment

Hey folks, we’re working on the website, and fixing a few issues. Nothing to worry about.

Since you’re here, please check out the 2024 Vendors list!

We’ll have lots of updates soon, thanks so much for your interest in YarnCon!

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February 13, 2024 by 16 Comments

We are delighted to see folks getting excited for YarnCon this year! Recently we’ve been getting a number of questions that many others of you have as well, so let’s answer them!

Q: I don’t see class or workshop information; how do I apply to teach, or register for classes?
A: Up until now, we’ve had classes of some kind at YarnCon. Sometimes it was a spinning class up on the stage, dyeing workshops in the hallway, rented offices as classrooms, or actual conference rooms at a hotel. Other than the spinning and dyeing workshops, we’ve never managed to get a critical mass of people to sign up for classes, enough to make it worthwhile for instructors. So this year we are not offering classes in classrooms. We do plan to offer workshops and demonstrations in open areas where some can participate and others can watch. Once we have a plan in place, we will announce more details.

Q: I want to volunteer! Add me to your list!
A: Thank you! We appreciate you! We’re getting ready for you! Seriously, YarnCon wouldn’t be the great experience it is without our generous volunteers. We will absolutely make an announcement in all the usual places once we are ready for people to sign up to volunteer.

Q: Can our Guild or Club have a table at YarnCon?
A: Glad you asked! Please email us at info@yarncon.com. We love having the guilds at YarnCon!

Q: Do I need to apply to bring my Food Truck?
A: No, but we are so glad you asked! Please send your Food Truck information to info@yarncon.com. Most of our food trucks friends do really well, usually selling out of food within hours of opening. We need to stay fueled! Email us, please!

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November 7, 2023 by Leave a Comment

YarnCon 2024 Vendor Applications are open!

We are excited to announce that vendor applications are open, and will be accepted until November 30, 2023! You can find the application here: https://forms.gle/LSudtAManuMTp6BQ7 and you can find the vendor guideline here: https://tinyurl.com/29yt234u (please read these first!)

The ballroom at the Plumbers Union Hall full of YarnCon vendor booths and shoppers. The room is full of happy people and so much yarn.
YarnCon 2023 Ballroom

There has been a bit of confusion concerning adding pictures to the application under the “Internet Presence” question, which you can’t do in the form. What we’re looking for is links to your online presence (your website, Facebook, or Instagram pages) that have pictures of your wares, and of your booth. If you need to email images after submitting your application, please send them to info@yarncon.com and let us know your business name.

Finally, some good news that I am sure vendors at YarnCon 2023 will be delighted to hear: The City of Chicago heard everyone’s complaints about the permit process this year (and by process, we mean some stronger words) and has simplified the system. YarnCon will apply for the permit once we have our vendor list, and all vendors will be covered by our permit. None of you will need to apply for a permit; you will just have to submit the tax forms we will provide you with as the show approaches. Normally I wouldn’t bore you with permitting information at this point, but given how, um, difficult the situation was this year, I thought everyone should know in case they were hesitating to apply on that account.

If you have any questions, please contact us at info@yarncon.com. Both Sara and I will see your emails, and it helps us stay organized. As much as we love you, please send YarnCon related questions there instead of to our personal DMs, emails, etc. Thanks!

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October 10, 2023 by 1 Comment

Hello Friends! We are getting a lot of questions about YarnCon 2024, mostly from folks looking to apply to be vendors, so I wanted to give everyone a quick update.

First, the dates will be a little different for 2024; YarnCon will still take place in April, but on April 20-21, 2024 instead of the first full weekend. A total solar eclipse is coming our way, and we aren’t far off the path of totality! As much as we love yarn, and we obviously do, we also don’t get to see a total eclipse* with any regularity, so Team YarnCon is going to be traveling to nearby locals to enjoy this event. Curious about the eclipse? Here is a link with information about it: https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2024/where-when/

And of course the main question we have been getting is when are applications opening up? We are finalizing details with the Plumbers Union Hall, and hope to have the application ready to go next week. The best way to make sure you see the notice to start applying is by signing up for the mailing list. You can sign up at the bottom left on the homepage of yarncon.com. We will also make announcements on Facebook and Instagram.

Thanks for all of the enthusiasm for YarnCon! Stay tuned for more updates soon.

2nd Floor Ballroom during YarnCon 2019

*Do you suddenly have “Total Eclipse of the Heart” stuck in your head like I do? Did you grow up watching music videos? I have a treat for you: https://youtu.be/fsgWUq0fdKk?feature=shared

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March 27, 2023 by Leave a Comment
YarnCon happens this weekend! Are you ready for this much fun?

Because fiber fanatics cannot live on yarn alone (although we try our best), we are thrilled to announce the food truck lineup for YarnCon 2023. This year, sandwich and American comfort food experts The Fat Shallot will be on hand alongside dumpling and baowich truck, Yum Dum, and elite authentic Mexican food truck Aztec Dave’s.  It’s going to be another tasty year!

Trucks will be parked outside the main entrance from 11am-1pm to serve any and all who need sustenance to shop. Get yours early – they’ve been known to sell out!

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March 22, 2023 by 2 Comments

Hey everyone! It’s hard to believe YarnCon is almost here! And you know what that means, you are running out of time to sign up for classes! Click here to see the schedule.

There has been a change to the schedule. Vera will be teaching her DIY Dropping Spinning class at the Plumbers Union Hall on Saturday and Sunday during YarnCon, just like old times, but with one key improvement; we’ve moved it to the ground level to a much more accessible space. If you’ve ever been curious about hand-spinning, Vera is the perfect teacher to get you started.

Vera Videnovich teaching her DIY Drop Spindle Class at YarnCon in 2019.

We have lots of great classes to choose from on Thursday and Friday at the Crowne Plaza West Loop! You can choose from skills that every knitter should be familiar with like Mastering Short Rows, or how about learning double knitting in Technicolor Double Knitting, and have a finished piece with only right sides!

As stitchers, we know the importance of mending hand-made items, but what about store bought clothes? There is no reason we can’t mend anything we wear, and make it truly our own! Kimberley Langley’s class, Extending the Life of Clothing will have you making beautiful repairs to your knits in no time.

A sweater visibly mended by Kimberley Langely.

You can also learn Brioche or how to shape in Brioche, Knitting in Both Directions!, and Tunisian Crochet!

Sadly, Amy Manko won’t be able to join us at the YarnCon Symposium this year. If you are ever at a fiber festival and Amy is teaching a class you will definitely want to sign up!

Time is running out, so please sign up now, so our teachers know how many people to expect, and so that you don’t miss your chance at taking a class at the first YarnCon Symposium!

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March 3, 2023 by Leave a Comment

YarnCon is just a month away, and we thought it would be a good time to remind you to sign up for workshops before the class you want is sold out (some almost are, so get on it!) We still have spaces left in our fantastic spinning and knitting technique classes, so head over to Eventbrite to read the descriptions and sign up. All classes will take place Thursday and Friday, March 30-31 at the Crowne Plaza West Loop, 25 S. Halsted. The vendor marketplace will happen in our usual location over the weekend, April 1-2: the Plumbers Union Hall at 1340 W. Washington Blvd. Check out the official Schedule for details.

Friday night, please join us for a very special event: Friday Night Knitterati with the one and only Safiyyah Talley, aka The Drunk Knitter! She’ll speak on a topic near and dear to all our hearts, the State of the Skein. Come for Safiyyah, stay for the hors d’oeuvres and cash bar.

Have you seen the list of vendors for 2023? We’re so excited we can hardly wait to squish all the fiber.

We are really excited once again to be offering Dark Matter coffee, thanks to their amazing support! See us at the beautiful bar downstairs for all of your hot coffee (and tea) needs.

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February 19, 2023 by 12 Comments

We are so excited to return to an in-person show for the first time since the before times. We’re ready to welcome more than 50 independent artisans back to our much-loved Plumbers Union Hall and revel in the joy that is YarnCon.

Speaking of revelry, allow us to introduce the YarnCon Symposium! We’re so happy to bring this longtime plan to real life in 2023. All of our classes and workshops will take place March 30-31 at the Symposium (which will be held at the Crowne Plaza hotel), followed by an opening party on Friday night. The classes are posted, and registration is now open.

Special keynote speaker at Friday night’s shindig: Safiyyah Talley, aka The Drunk Knitter! We are thrilled to welcome Safiyyah to YarnCon and can’t wait to hear her thoughts on the State of the Skein. Tickets to the Friday night event are $25.

Our amazing YarnCon marketplace will open to the public on Saturday, April 1, at 10am. Admission is free! The first 50 shoppers through the door both Saturday and Sunday will snag a coveted

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