20-21 April 20-21, 2024 YarnCon Vendor Marketplace
Plumbers Union Hall Chicago, IL
Sign up now! Volunteer at YarnCon!

Damn Fine YarnContest – Meet Your Judges!

March 26, 2016 by Leave a Comment
(We let Great Northern Knits co-author Leah Coccari-Swift have the mic today to fill you in on the latest for next weekend’s contest! Are you cooking up something fun to enter?)

Hello, fiber lovers! I’m here to tell you a little about each of our wonderful Damn Fine YarnContest judges, so you can get to know us before the Big Weekend. Each of us will be judging one of 5 categories, and coming together to decide on our pick for the Best in Show prize. Read on, won’t you? We can’t wait to see what you’re gonna submit!

 

Best Twin Peaks Prop Judge: Leah Coccari-Swift (that’s me)
Leah Log Lady
You may be wondering about the “presented by… Great Northern” aspect of this contest. Great Northern is my upcoming Kickstarter-funded knitting book with Teresa Gregorio, inspired by the early 90’s TV show Twin Peaks. The show was groundbreaking in many ways, and also happens to feature some amazing knitwear. The iconography of Twin Peaks lends itself nicely to yarn-crafted items, and I can’t wait to see what folks come up with for this category! Check out Great Northern here, and you can find my blog here. I can’t wait to see you at the show!

 

Best Garment Judge: Lisa Whiting
Lisa
Lisa is a talented artist, knitwear designer, and creative director at the super-popular yarn subscription club Yarnbox. Her designs have been featured in many magazines and on TV, and she created one of my all-time favorite kid’s hat patterns, the adorable Kitty Hat for Blue Sky Alpacas. We’re delighted to have Lisa judging the garment category, as she’ll bring her creative eye and keen aesthetic sense to the task! You can find Lisa’s website here.

 

Best Use of Handspun Judge: Vera Videnovich
Vera
Vera is an amazing spinner, knitter, designer, and grower of superb vegetables. Her farm produces veggies in the warm season and wool from her sheep in the cool season (shorn and spun by Vera!). The love and care she dedicates to her creations results in beautiful produce, stunning knitwear (check out her men’s sweaters!) and luscious yarn. Vera’s spinning and design expertise will serve her well as judge for this category! Follow her on Instagram here.

(Ed note: Vera is our resident spinning guru; she taught all three YarnCon organizers how to spin. You can learn from her too next weekend in her DIY Handspinning classes!)

 

Best Toy Judge: Anna Hrachovec
Anna
Anna is an artist, designer, author, animator, and all-around creative force. Anna’s wonderful Mochimochi Land patterns are incredibly popular for good reason, they are incredibly cute and addictive to knit! Anna’s fantastic sense of color and design make each of her tiny, anthropomorphized creations a true work of adorable art, and we’re thrilled to have her as the toy judge! You can find Mochimochi Land on the web here, and Anna’s website here.

 

Best Accessory Judge: Allyson Dykhuizen
Allyson
Allyson is a designer, editor, author, and kick-ass lady. Holla Knits, her online magazine, is in its 5th year of producing challenging, unique, fashionable patterns. Allyson has been featured in magazines, co-authored the wonderful book Midwestern Knits last year, and is currently working on the 1Knit1Chicago kit club, which is producing fabulous original patterns. Her technical skills and design savvy make her an ideal accessories judge. Check out Allyson’s blog here.

All 5 of us will judge “Best in Show”!

When entries are dropped off, they will be photographed, posted on Instagram, and tagged with #damnfineyarncontest. For those of you who won’t be able to make the show, you can still see all the amazing work online… heart and comment on your favorite! The judges will take this into consideration when making their decision. Remember, judges’ decisions are final, and will be made according to their discretion; the amount of weight they give to online votes is up to the judge!

So, are you digging through your FOs yet?

 

Next week, we’ll be sharing a peek at the prizes in each category, and the big kahuna… Best In Show!

Filed Under: Community, Contest, Crafting, Uncategorized

Sponsor Spotlight: Knit 1

March 25, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Today we’re checking in with Knit 1, who is supporting this year’s YarnCon as a sponsor. I’m not sure how store owner Lynn found time to answer our questions, what with moving the whole store, even if just across the street.

The new, larger spot opens up Saturday, so go check it out and say hi!

Knit 1Knit 1
3856 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago IL 60613
http://www.knit1chgo.com/

What will folks find at your store?
Since we have a brand new store, they will find a beautiful, new space with lots of yarn! We stock things we love, natural fibers and unique brands in a range of prices. I particularly love color, so you can expect lots of that in our yarns! 

Do you carry any indie-dyed lines (or other handmade items) in your store?
   Yes. We have yarns from local dyers plus bags, yarn bowls, and needles made by (mostly local) artists.

YarnCon is, at heart, a party to bring together fiber lovers and encourage support for independent makers. How does this jibe with your store philosophy?
   There is so much local talent in this city! Knit 1 supports independent makers in several ways. We help by teaching and offering a variety of classes so artists and makers can learn new skills. We sell locally made goods – I mentioned the yarn bowls and bags – but we also hold book signings of local authors and host trunk shows for local makers. We love to see the work of local designers; supporting up-and-coming designers and giving them a place to show and grow their work is a win-win for all of us in the fiber community. In the new store we have a large class area designed specially so we can teach other fiber arts like dyeing, spinning, embroidery and weaving.

Tell us about the new 1knit1chicago project!
   I thought you’d never ask! We are showcasing 5 Chicago knitwear designers who will be designing exclusive patterns for Knit 1 in 2016. The 1knit1chicago Kit Club participants will have exclusive access to 5 fun accessory patterns designed by local knitwear designers. The way it works is, starting in April and debuting every other month through December, pattern club subscribers will get their pattern and yarn for the project in an exclusive 1knit1chicago project bag, plus an extra bonus gift! Adding needles to the kit is also available.

Chicago designers include Allyson Dykhuizen, Sarah B. Abram, Amelia Plunk, Leah Coccari-Swift and Stefanie Goodwin-Ritter. Yarns featured in these kits are Wonderland Yarns, Mrs Crosby, Hikoo by Skacel, Dream in Color and Mountain Colors.  Project bags are made at WORK + SHELTER.  

We’ll be hosting pattern launch parties at the store for every pattern. The designer of that month’s pattern will be there to answer questions and help everyone to get started!

What do you most want people to know about you?
   After 50 years of knitting I’m still as passionate about it as I have ever been! Creating a space and community for all fiber enthusiasts has been a lifelong goal.

Filed Under: Community, LYS, Sponsor Tagged With: , , , ,

Sponsor Spotlight: Yarnify!

March 23, 2016 by Leave a Comment

We are rich in LYS options in the Chicago area, and we’re thrilled to have two of them supporting this year’s YarnCon as sponsors! We posed a few questions to Barbara at Yarnify! and Lynn of Knit 1, to let them introduce their stores to you in their own words. We were also interested to hear how YarnCon’s focus on independent makers, and the greater fiber community, fit in with their own philosophies.

Today we hear from Barbara, Yarnify! owner; on Friday we’ll check in with Lynn of Knit 1.

YarnifyfpYarnify!
47 W. Polk St., Chicago IL 60605
http://www.yarnify.com

What will folks find at your store?
   Our goal at Yarnify! is to carry a thoughtful mix of the best yarns we can find.  It’s no secret to fiber friends that this is the greatest time in the history of the world to participate in fiber crafts, so our challenge is to choose among the wealth of wonderful yarns and fibers available and stock something for every taste and budget. Brands featured include Cascade, Berroco, Classic Elite, Madelinetosh, Malabrigo, and Rowan, with selected gems from Baah, Sweet Georgia, Jilly, Frabjous Fibers and Misti Alpaca.  Oh, and let’s not forget the huge selection of roving!

yarnify1

Do you carry any indie-dyed lines (or other handmade items) in your store?
   Yes indeed, and we are constantly looking for opportunities to showcase local artisans whose innovative products enrich our crafting lives. The mix of offerings varies over time, but recently has included yarns, as well as project bags, knitted accessories, amigurumi, and pins.  And we just started offering our very own Nonesuch American Worsted, 100% domestic superwash wool dyed in lively tonal shades by a local artisan! We are looking to collaborate with other local artists on limited-edition runs of hand-dyed yarns. Who knows, maybe we’ll run into a few at YarnCon!

YarnCon is, at heart, a party to bring together fiber lovers and encourage support for independent makers. How does this jibe with your store philosophy?
   Yarnify! exists because passionate crafters need two things: a place where they can enjoy the entire sensory experience of selecting yarn and projects, and a supportive community where they can learn about fiber and stretch their crafting skills through a lifetime of projects. Uniqueness is a strong motivator for crafters; we want to make something distinctive, something that reflects our personal tastes. So it’s no surprise that as novice crafters gain knowledge and confidence, they develop an appreciation for the beauty, sophistication and uniqueness of handmade products.  Part of our mission at Yarnify! is to awaken that appreciation and introduce these crafters to everything we celebrate at YarnCon! 

What do you most want people to know about you?
   That I’m crazy about color! Solids, tonals, gradients, multicolors, spatter-dyes, you name it. There’s nothing more enjoyable to me than helping someone find exactly the right shade(s) or tint(s) or hue(s).  

Anything else you want to share?
   That I’m eagerly anticipating the arrival of YarnCon – so much beauty, talent, energy, and potential packed into an exhilarating weekend!

yarnify3

Filed Under: Community, LYS, Sponsor Tagged With: , , , ,

What’s a Twin Peaks prop?

March 21, 2016 by 2 Comments

One of the most frequent questions we’ve gotten about the Damn Fine YarnContest is, “What’s a Twin Peaks prop?” So if you’re wondering, you’re not alone.

The contest was inspired by the forthcoming Great Northern Knits, a collection of patterns based on the cult-classic Twin Peaks series of the 90s. The show, which is currently filming a reboot, is full of quirky, eccentric, and downright weird characters. Netflix has the original series if you want to check it out.

The Best Twin Peaks Prop category pays homage to this creative TV icon and will be judged by Leah Coccari-Swift, one of the designers behind the Great Northern Knits book. Just type “Twin Peaks” into Google or Pinterest for a whole bunch of oddball ideas to get your creative juices going. If you’re looking for a little extra inspiration, here are a handful of patterns that would fit right in!

Coffee and Cherry Pie

Twin Peaks’ lead character, FBI Agent Dale Cooper, is passionately devoted to these items on the Double R Diner’s menu. His rapture over “a damn fine cup of coffee” inspired the contest’s name.

 

The Log

One of the more eccentric residents of Twin Peaks is Margaret Lanterman, aka The Log Lady, who carries her log around town and acts as its translator to those who “can’t hear it.”

 

 

Eyepatch

In honor of Nadine Hurley, inventor of the silent drape runner.

 

Jelly Donut

Agent Cooper once ate 12 of them in a day, as reported to the mysterious Diane.

Filed Under: Community, Contest, Crafting Tagged With: , ,

A Damn Fine YarnContest: FAQs & Rules

March 14, 2016 by 7 Comments

Hey, yarn friends! We’ve already had an enthusiastic response to the contest announcement for the Damn Fine YarnContest, and folks have raised some good questions. Thanks, all! 

Here are some things you might want to know about the Damn Fine YarnContest:

  • Everyone is eligible to enter, excluding judges and organizers. It would be hard to explain if we made off with all the prizes.
  • You may enter up to three items per category (let’s not overwhelm our awesome judges!).
  • Items may be entered in more than one category (i.e., a toy made out of handspun yarn could be entered in both the Toy and Handspun categories).
  • Entries may be knitted, crocheted, woven, or felted.
  • The Handspun category must be made of yarn spun by the entrant. No restrictions on yarn used in any other category.
  • Sorry, no photos accepted. Judges have to be able to see the quality of your work in person.
  • Entries must be brought in person to the contest table at YarnCon on the designated day for your category:
    • Saturday 4/2, Drop off from 10am-2pm:
      • Best Twin Peaks Prop
      • Best Accessory
      • Best Use of Handspun
    • Sunday 4/3, Drop off from 10am-12pm:
      • Best Garment
      • Best Toy
    • Note: Entries in Sunday categories may be dropped off Saturday, but must be picked up Sunday after judging (see below).
  • Pickup: 
    • Best Twin Peak Prop, Best Accessory, Best Use of Handspun entries: may be picked up Saturday 4/2 between 3pm and 5pm.
    • Best Garment, Best Toy entries: may be picked up Sunday 4/3 between 1:30pm and 3pm.
    • All entries must be picked up by Sunday at 3pm, when YarnCon closes. Any entries not picked up by then will be held until 4/17 at YarnCon sponsors:
  • Entrants agree that pictures of their work may be posted on social media; winners’ names may also be posted.
  • There is no fee for entry; this is all purely for fun. You will have to fill out a small form for each item entered and be OK with us pinning it to your entry, though.
  • All judges’ decisions are final.

Still curious about something? Let us know! 

Filed Under: Community, Contest, Crafting, Uncategorized

A Contest, YarnCon-Style!

March 8, 2016 by 16 Comments

Ready to dig out your best work, or whip up a little something new, and win prizes for it? In partnership with Great Northern, the upcoming release of knit patterns inspired by the evergreen Twin Peaks TV series, we invite you to enter a Damn Fine YarnContest.

DFYC-Final-logoBWe have five categories to enter, with outstanding judges in each category:

  • Best Twin Peaks prop, judged by Great Northern author Leah Coccari-Swift
  • Best Accessory, judged by Midwestern Knits author Allyson Dykhuizen
  • Best Toy, judged by Anna Hrachovec of Mochimochiland
  • Best Use of Handspun Yarn, judged by Vera Videnovich, spinning instructor and proprietor of Atelier Videnovich
  • Best Garment, judged by Yarnbox creative director Lisa Whiting

One winner will be declared in each category, with all five judges conferring on one Best in Show grand prize to rule supreme (and get a extra-special prize package).

Further entry details will be announced on the blog next week, but start thinking about what you want to enter or make, and get ready to strut your stuff!

(Clarification note, since you asked: the Great Northern book does focus on knit patterns, but all fiber arts are welcome to enter; knitted, crocheted, woven…we want to see ALL your awesome work!)

Check out more about the Great Northern project here. And remember: the Log Lady‘s log may not judge, but we will!

 

Filed Under: Community, Contest, Crafting

YarnCon: Past and Future

October 29, 2015 by Leave a Comment

As I excitedly added the link to the Request for Workshop Proposals application to the front page of our website today, I got to thinking about how every year I tweak the process just a bit (thanks to the great feedback from our teachers!) and just how far we have come since our first show in October of 2007. That’s right, for those of you who have not been with us since the beginning, we used to be a one day show in October. Although you won’t really see it if you attend YarnCon, there have been some big changes recently behind the scenes. I want to tell you about those changes and where we are heading, but I feel like talking about how we got started should come first. I can get really chatty when it comes to talking about the past, (just ask my adviser about my Master’s thesis! Yikes!) so I will try to not overdo it.

Past:

In the Summer of 2007, Sara came to me with an idea. Let’s start a yarn craft fair, like Renegade, but just for yarn. She already had a name for it: YarnCon, like the comic-cons, but again, for yarn. I thought it was just crazy enough to work, and said yes. That summer we started an LLC called Yarny Goodness to be YarnCon’s parent company, and to give us room to grow. I think that before we even had the first show under our belts, we were already looking ahead for what else we could do with this idea of gathering fiber artists. We talked about magazines, online market places, other events throughout the year, and dreamed while we got our first show up and running. That October, we held our first YarnCon at the Pulaski Park Fieldhouse, with 25 vendors, a couple of free workshops run by friends who volunteered, and a photography project in the corner which was the idea of a local knitter and blogger named Franklin Habit. It was the 1000 Knitters Project, and we gave him a corner to set up his photobooth. We also had a book signing (Susan Strawn’s Knitting America) and the author sold out of her books before the day was over. At least 2 of our vendors were yarn stores, one of which has since closed, and the other has changed hands. We broke even, and in our minds it was a huge success, and the reviews were very positive. I think we had almost 300 shoppers that day.

YarnCon 2007 at the Pulaski Park Fieldhouse

YarnCon 2007 at the Pulaski Park Fieldhouse

With the exception of 2012, we’ve hosted YarnCon every year since 2007. First in October, then  in April after the move to the new location. It has grown from a one day show in a park district auditorium to a two-day affair in the Plumber’s Union Hall, with a large parking lot and loading docks and elevators. We quickly brought on one of our first volunteers, Lindy, to help us run the show (she was already helping so much it only made sense to make it official!)

Our first year at the Plumbers Union Hall

Our first year at the Plumbers Union Hall

But, we never stopped thinking about what else we could do.

Future:

Still with me? Excellent! As I mentioned earlier, we had created an LLC to manage the show. But, we still had this desire to do more throughout the year. YarnCon does a good job of paying for itself, but not much more, since we try hard to make it affordable for both our vendors and our community (what other yarn show has free admission?) So, what to do? Last Summer, Sara and I started looking for a location to work out of, and hopefully share with other fiber artists. A place where we could hold workshops and events all year long. In the process of figuring this out, we came to the conclusion that the best way to approach this is as a not for profit. We talked to Lindy and some other very smart yarny people in our community and decided to create a new non-profit: The Society for the Lost Arts (or SLA for short.) Now we can use this new organization to raise funds not only to host more programming during the rest of the year, but also to host YarnCon! After so many years of being first a 2 person and then a 3 person team, we now have a Board of people who care about the fiber arts community in Chicago as much as we do, and who love learning and teaching about some of the older art forms we all love. Let’s face it, knitting, crochet, weaving, spinning, this stuff is not new. And if we don’t keep sharing it, learning about it, doing it out where people can see us and get excited, it can be forgotten. Right now the fiber arts are hot, and we love it! We want to contribute with shared knowledge, and a shared space to spread the knowledge, and to share the tools we need to make the things we love.

Exciting, right? How can  you help? One way to is share this (lengthy) post and spread the word. The other is by contributing to the Society for the Lost Arts. We want to keep YarnCon as it is, an affordable venue for talented fiber artists, so in order to add programming and a shared space we need to make money in other ways. We will soon be sharing all kinds of sponsorship opportunities, and upcoming programs. But, in the meantime, if you can, please head over to http://societyforthelostarts.org/support-our-work/ and contribute whatever you can. We have a tiny space now to hold our looms, spinning wheel, sewing machines, and even antique printing presses, but we want to move into a space that we can share with all of you. Please help make this a reality for all of us. Thanks!

Filed Under: Community Tagged With: , ,

Mochimochi Land and YarnCon!

March 4, 2015 by 1 Comment

GnomeDiplomacy

Like making toys? YarnCon is partnering up with Anna Hrachovec of Mochimochi Land to build a cohort of gnome ambassadors for her next art installation! Anna is headed to South Korea in May with a gnome-themed project, and we’re going to help her.

Why gnomes? Gnomes are big players in Mochimochi Land; some say they’re the glue that holds Mochimochi Land together. And while gnomes are familiar to us in the West, they’re relatively unknown in Asia, so we want to introduce the idea of the gnome, which to us represents tradition, playfulness, and magic. (Just like knitting!)

YarnCon will host a Gnome Creation Station, supplied with yarn, needles, hooks, and a pattern to make a gnome for Anna. Every gnome you make will earn you a chance in our annual prize drawing, with goodies from YarnCon vendors, sponsors, and friends.

For the full scoop, including pattern links, how to spread the word, and how to participate even if you can’t make YarnCon, check out the full project outline here. There’s Gno Place like Gnome!

Filed Under: Community, Uncategorized

Wisconsin Sheep & Wool; Midwest Knits Project

September 9, 2014 by 3 Comments

I spent last weekend at the Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival in Jefferson, WI, helping out the comedically talented Carl at the Bijou Basin Ranch booth. In between fondling the yak/bamboo blend and taking Flat-Stanley-style pictures of Lego Spider-Man, I had a great time hanging out with current YarnCon friends and making possible new ones. It was thrilling to see our save-the-date bookmarks on vendor tables throughout the Country Store, and it was a good thing I’d brought more along to replenish their supplies!

Emily of Bricolage Studios was our next-door neighbor, which facilitated a few “Home Improvement”-style chats through the booth dividers. Thanks, Emily, for not minding the many folks I sent over to use your mirror! Rita (Yarn Hollow) and Carla (Cjkoho Designs) had me in stitches every time I headed past their combined space to the trashcan or the parking lot; there was no sneaking past those two without exchanging a joke or an idea for next year. Jeanette from Sun Valley Fibers let Spidey crawl all over her booth without calling for Security. My pal Sam tagged along for the ride up from Chicago, and more than repaid the favor by scouting new vendors for next year: at the hotel Saturday night, she handed me more than a dozen business cards from interesting vendors to research. Thanks for a great time, y’all!

Tell us: who would YOU most like to see bring their goods to next year’s YarnCon? Our mission is to spotlight regional, independent fiber- and fiber-related artists of all types, so if you’ve got an indie fave we should check out, hit us up with a name and a link in the comments below.

And speaking of regional: Midwestern Knits is a book project helmed by Allyson Dykhuizen, fiber world tour de force, together with fellow knitwear designer Carina Spencer. The book promises 12 patterns inspired by the stories and culture of the Midwest while highlighting regionally-sourced yarns. Allyson has supported YarnCon from the very first: variously as an instructor, vendor, and sponsor, always with her unflagging enthusiasm and positive energy. Please help us support this endeavor of hers in return! Allyson and Carina are taking pre-orders and raising funds for the project via Kickstarter, with only two weeks and a little less than half of their goal to go. All the details are here.

And now for some Lego Spider-Man in action:

Loss Prevention Specialist

Loss Prevention Specialist

In the Forest of Yarn Merry-Go-Rounds

In the Forest of Yarn Merry-Go-Rounds

Sales Floor Associate

Sales Floor Associate

Filed Under: Community, Vendors Tagged With: , , , ,

A sense of community

August 27, 2014 by Leave a Comment

I’ve been thinking about communities and what they mean to us a lot this Summer. In June I was all excited about World Wide Knit in Public Day; I had been picking out my projects to take to the park for days, coordinating with people, heck, even choosing what to wear. When that Saturday morning rolled around, I woke up with a migraine of epic proportions. There was no leaving the house that day. What to do? I was the coordinator! I grabbed my phone and contacted a couple of people in our community of stitchers, and in a few minutes, I had the whole afternoon covered. (Thanks Lindy and Karen!!)

Later this Summer, I was hanging out at Sifu Design Studio (as many of you know, I spend some time there helping my buddy, Lisa, out around the store, and you know, fondling the yarn) figuring I would give her a hand preparing for the Yarn Crawl. But, when I came in, I was in for bad news: Lisa was in danger of losing the shop over some shifty accounting by her previous accountant. When Kim from Chicago Knits Magazine heard the news, she jumped into action and started a Go Fund Me drive to save the store and pay off those back taxes. The outpouring of love (and money, in donations and purchases) was overwhelming. Sifu, like every yarn store in the area, is much more than a yarn store. It is where we go for knit nights, classes, help with our projects, and to meet up with our friends. These are more than stores, they are our club-houses where we gather with like-minded people and make new friends. It is where we share news, plan new projects of a variety of scales, and take a break from our everyday routines to create something new.

I feel honored to be a part of this community of makers. YarnCon is one way in which Sara, Lindy and I get to contribute to the larger community in the Chicago area, and throughout the Midwest. My life is richer because of the connections I have made with so many of you. Thanks for saving the day, in so many ways.

Filed Under: Community, LYS Tagged With: , , ,
« Previous Page