Apparently a downer economy will not deter knitters and crocheters from the practice and feeding of their crafts.
This is the follow-up press release from the Knit and Crochet show co-sponsored by the Crochet Guild of America and The Knitting Guild Association.
SOARING GAS PRICES, RAIN AND AREA TORNADOES COULDN’T KEEP KNITTERS AND CROCHETERS AWAY FROM RECENT 2008 KNIT & CROCHET SHOW IN MANCHESTER, NH
“With the soaring gas prices, rising airline costs, LOTS of rain and even some area tornadoes, we weren’t sure what to expect at this year’s Knit & Crochet Show in Manchester, NH. What a wonderful surprise that our pre-registration numbers topped all previous years (108% of 2007’s registration) and that there were only a handful of last-minute cancellations. With more than a thousand additional people who braved the weather and registered on site, we had a very nice and very upbeat crowd,” said Event Manager Penny Sitler.
Show attendees reported on evaluations - and by the smiles on their faces during the event - that they had a great time, like Susan Broadwarth and Pam Jelleme who both shared “Great show!” Lucy Rumpf wrote “Wonderful - worth the trip from Wisconsin.” Donna Childs, who commuted, shared how much she spent on yarn and humorously added: “Don’t tell my husband.”
Exhibitors scrambled to keep up with the buyer demand, and Janis Campbell of the Janis Campbell Knitting Studio, Russell, KY said, “I will definitely be back to exhibit next year! I liked your show the best of all I’ve done.” Tamath K. Rossi of Yarn Knit All! Rossi’s Yarn & Woolworks shared “Kudos! .This was an excellent show.” Sudha Mehta of Glory-ous Knits & Gifts wrote “We had a marvelous show and we look forward to seeing you all again.”
Two national non-profit consumer organizations (the Crochet Guild of America - CGOA and The Knitting Guild Association - TKGA) sponsored the Show and offered a host of educational conference activities to the event schedule. Show-goers bought 1951 tickets for 110 hours of crochet and knit classes that included CGOA Professional Development Day (with special sponsor Lion Brand® Yarn) and some brand-new one- and two-hour Show floor classes, featuring a couple for children.
Additional Show sponsors included these industry wholesalers and manufacturers of fibers and related crochet and knit products: Caron International, Clover Needlecraft, Inc., Coats & Clark®, South West Trading Co., Tahki Stacy Charles and Universal Yarns. Coats & Clark provided complimentary Teach Me 2 Crochet/Knit™ sessions throughout Show hours for anyone wishing to learn.
CGOA presented awards and a display of over 100 entries in their 2008 Crochet Design Competition. Red Heart® Yarns from Coats & Clark sponsored the prizes, including a grand prize of $1,000 to Patricia Williams, Ozone Park, NY for her Bridal Dress. Prizes were awarded in the following categories: Accessories, Baby, Home Décor and Women’s Fashions. Photos can be viewed at http://www.crochet.org/2008conf/2008photos.html.
Designers donated crocheted and knitted gloves and mittens to the Show’s Silent Auction, which garnered $614 in final bids to support the non-profit Needle Arts Mentoring ProgramSM (www.needleartsmentoring.org), a nationwide project of the Helping Hands Foundation, Inc. The mentoring program currently teaches needle arts to boys and girls in more than 174 communities in 31 states across the country. Silent Auction mitten and glove contributors were Lily M. Chin, Jennifer Hagen (gloves provided by Cast On magazine), Happy Hookers Crochet Guild, Margaret Hubert, Sharon Mann, Diane K. Moyer, Marci Richardson and the Elegant Ewe, Shari White and Myra Wood. As part of the Silent Auction fun, shoppers could vote for their favorite gloves or mittens. The People’s Choice ribbon went to a pair of velour gloves with freeform crochet decoration by designer Margaret Hubert.
A last-minute Ravelry Meetup on the Show floor on Saturday was the icing on the cake for online crocheters and knitters. Jess and Casey of Ravelry.com cut short a family vacation to drop in on Saturday, and Ravelry buttons suddenly became the rage. Photos of the Silent Auction entries, two Fashion Shows, the Ravelry Meetup and various other Show and CGOA/TKGA conference activities, can be viewed at http://www.knitandcrochetshow.com/gallery.asp.
The next Knit & Crochet Show is the 2008 Fall Knit & Crochet Show in Portland, OR. Details can be found at www.KnitandCrochetShow.com. The Summer and Fall Knit & Crochet Shows’ producer is Offinger Management Company (Offinger.com) of Zanesville, Ohio. Those interested in exhibiting can contact KnitandCrochetShow@Offinger.com or write: The Knit & Crochet Show, 1100-H Brandywine Blvd, Zanesville OH 43701-7303.
