The Summer series of Yarntasting a la Carte events just completed with an enthusiastic group in Minneapolis.   Judging by email addresses of participants, many are in some way affiliated with the U. of Minnesota.  As a college student in neighboring St. Paul I quickly learned that the U. of M. was a magnet for gifted, interesting people.  The Yarntasting event demonstrated that such genius remains alive and well in the upper Midwest, and we are thrilled to find such great new friends.

The hostesses were Jen Follstad, an artist and teacher, and Maya Nishikawa, a media journalist, who posted images from the event online within hours (now that’s a news cycle!).

Maya’s summary:

Everyone had a wonderful time at the yarntasting tonight. I think it was a great success. We were all really impressed with the variety and beauty of the yarns. I’ve posted photos at this shutterfly share site:

http://minneapolisyarntasting.shutterfly.com/

I also took some video, but it will take me a while to edit it.   Thanks so much for such a fantastic opportunity.

comments (in italic) from participants (we had so many thoughtful comments it’s really hard to narrow them down!):

Pamela: I worked in a yarn store for a couple years and knit projects, but never got to sample like we did last night. The process was exciting and fun. I love that I can order a bit to try.  The difference between handling a ball or skein of yarn and actually knitting it is amazing. To our follow up question about whether she would have liked to have a knitting expert present she relied:  Um, I am an expert! and demonstrated the depth of her enthusiam by listing typical projects:  Socks, scarves, wraps, blankets, hats, gloves, mittens, jackets, coats, gaiters, tights, skirts, leg warmers, pillows, toys, table runners, doilies, sculptures.  You just have to love Minnesota knitters — these are seriously creative people!

Sarah:  The variety was overwhelming, the colors just too beautiful. I’d find myself drawn to the same yarn in different colors (even when I really wanted to try some of the different fibers)……..The difference in silks was amazing – I didn’t realize that there were so many variations in the silk alone, and mixed with other fibers it was heady stuff. Also, I had never knit so many different yarns back to back, so exploring the different types of plies was as fun as the different fiber content.   Seeing similar hues on different yarns was interesting, too.  I have never, ever enjoyed swatching so much……..I have never been offered the chance to try before I bought, even at the better yarn shops I’ve visited, and it was AWESOME.   I am a process knitter, and quality fibers really add to my process – so trying was an exciting, stimulating, mind-opening experience.   The yarntasting has spoiled me, and knowing I can order a few yards to try before jumping into an entire project makes so much sense!

Michele, who has a knack for directness, summed up her impressions of the yarns with, Yummy! Asked whether she enjoyed the group she replied, Yes. Very much. They are my people. Words we will never forget  — thank you Michele for stating so simply how knitters feel about their groups.

For now, for as long as we can, Artfibers is sponsoring these Yarntasting events absolutely free.  We have two scheduled for the Fall series, one in New York City, the other in Pike’s Peak Colorado.  If your group would like to consider hosting an event, please take a look at the Artfibers website or just call Rox toll free at 1.888.326.1112 for a prospectus.

All of our event hostesses have been awesome.  Here’s a little bio information and closing comment from Maya:

Maya Nishikawa is  a  mom, knitter, and reporter for WCCO-TV in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  She’s a native Southern Californian and U.C. Berkeley grad. She  heard about Artfibers from the Stash and Burn podcast and became a fan after visiting the San Francisco store in 2008.  She’s in a weekly knitting group with Jen Follstad, an art teacher, knitter, spinner, and weaver.  The entire group had a blast at the yarntasting. It was a great bonding experience.

ps.  Here’s a final final closing comment from Kala the Vegan at her blog:  http://vegancraftastic.blogspot.com/2009/08/yarntasting.html

Thanks all!

Tags: event, yarntasting

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