VK live!♥♥♥

Now I've had a couple of days to get my breath, I can't wait to tell you about Vogue Knitting Live in the Big Apple. It's many years since I last visited New York, so to say I was very excited would be the understatement of the year. Staged in the heart of Manhattan in Times Square, the event lived up to its promise of being both exhilarating and inspiring, just like its location. 

Times Square

Felix and I had a beautiful room on the sixteenth floor of the venue, the Marriott Marquis, overlooking the New York skyline to the south. After we'd settled in, there was plenty of time to chill before the teachers' induction in the evening. Felix came to the party afterwards  and enjoyed his own induction into the knit glitterati. For me it was great to see some familiar faces and catch up with them over a glass of wine.

Room with a view!

But the fun started for real the next morning with my first class - In the Swirl or Medallion Knitting. Thankfully the numbers were not overwhelming and I had a relaxed group of experienced knitters, all quick on the uptake and keen to learn.  My friend, Janice, was in the class and she took a few snaps of my samples.

Swirl knitting

I had the afternoon off, so there was just time to head off with Felix to the Cube - the iconic Apple store at the top of 5th Avenue. Here he got his I-pad with a cracked screen replaced by a brand new one - and for only a little more than replacing the screen, so he was more than happy. Time zipped by and in no time we were back for my next class - twenty-five knitters for Short Row Chic. As the class was at capacity, Jan had kindly agreed to help me out and we all had a rocking time getting to grips with Japanese short rows.

Short row samples

I was teaching in all sessions over the following two days so sadly not a lot of time to visit the market, but there were so many talented designers showing their wares, and exciting things to look at that I ran round in my lunch hour snapping fave pieces to show you.

VK Spring issue...

Pieces from VK Spring collection

Great work from Rhonda Fargnoli's students...

Wacky hats from this talented lady...

All life? is here - edgy, macabre knits...

This knitter designed and knitted his sweater.
He also told me what the Finnish writing means,
but sad to say I've forgotten - any suggestions?

Interesting fibre and construction

And finally the knit feast from Mary McGurn's Colorful Stitches...


On Sunday lunchtime, whilst doing a Sweet Shawlettes booksigning in the Knitty City booth, I noticed Madeline Tosh's gorgeous hand-dyed yarns hanging behind me.  I've drooled over this yarn for years on our tours, when I saw various knitters from the US using them. Not one to let the grass grow under my feet,  I quickly decided on a colourway for the beautifully luminous free pattern scarf that hung by the yarn and went off to my next class looking forward to collecting my swag later.  I couldn't wait to start the scarf - an ingenious design, which I'm knitting in my own colours (a lot of fun choosing how to mix and match these) and a little narrower than the original.

Madeline Tosh hand-dyed merino

Often it was hard to walk around the hotel and get to where I was going, as every time I set out I'd meet people I hadn't seen for ages and we'd start to chew the fat. I'm not complaining though, it was fabulous just to touch base with so many lovely peeps. Some were virtual friends I'd never actually met in the flesh -  and there's nothing like being able to give someone a real big hug.

So, I had an amazing time at VK Live, which was well organised and to my eyes seemed to run like clockwork. Back home now knitting with my beautiful VK Live yarn, I'm determined it won't be another ten years before my next visit!