Spring has Sprung! Inspiration Overload

Looking back through blog posts I realized that it is often "festival season" that inspires my forays into blogging, so it is no surprise that it is the start of another festival season here that has sparked my creativity again.  At some point, blogging fell to the wayside as other aspects of life and business vied for my attention.  I changed gears somewhat and instead strove to give regular newsletter updates, but I haven't even managed that lately (I'm sorry!).  Instead I have been absolutely up to my armpits in dyeing, kit making, packaging, ordering, workshop preparations, and of course the actual business of being at in-person events and festivals.  I absolutely adore getting these opportunities to connect with all of you in the fibre spaces that festival season affords us, but I would be lying if I didn't also admit that coming up for air the last couple of days has been such a glorious reset.  

If you are not someone who keeps close tabs on our social media, now is an excellent time to grab a nice, hot cup of tea and nestle in for a little catch up as I take to the keyboard properly and fill you in on the exciting spring we just finished.  

This year we kicked off the show season early, with the Hamilton Fibre Market on March 22.  If you haven't attended this one before, it is definitely a show to look out for.  The organizers make a concerted effort to highlight smaller shops and small batch dyers, as well as to rotate vendors each show (which is why I am not always there).  There is an amazing vibe from the Hamilton fibre community at this one, as everyone comes out of hibernation ready to PARTY - and by party I of course mean knit.  At this show, vendors are only able to sell things they make themselves, so when I vend here it gives me such an immense sense of pride seeing my own creations lining my shelves.  I get to showcase my very own line ups and share with you what I am most passionate about right now.  In fact, one of our best sellers that day was one of my most exciting products to bring to you - double knit sock blanks.  I launched Little Squirts, which is a small line of uniquely hand-painted sock blanks made by my two boys.  They enthusiastically pour their creative energy into the process and in return are rewarded with a portion of the sales to add to their piggy banks.  They mixed all their own colours and bring a confident creativity to the dyeing that is far beyond their years. 

If you were amongst the many who came out to show their support this year, you may also have noticed one of these fledgling dyers was helping me for the day.  My eldest kiddo manned the cash desk for the morning, which made for slightly slower check outs, but he had such a great experience.  I truly appreciated everyone's patience as he learned the ropes.

Next up we had Knit City Toronto.  I am always so incredibly proud to be amongst the many talented vendors in attendance from far and wide!  No matter where they were from, the vendors were an absolute delight to meet and work alongside.  I don't think I have ever seen another industry in which everyone works to lift each other up, help each other out and cheer each other on.  It really is something very special!

Now, normally, Knit City Toronto would not be cropping up until the middle of May, but this year it kicked off March 27 instead!  So with just 5 days between shows, driven by optimism, a whole lot of caffeine, and a moderately delusional sense of determination, we threw ourselves directly into Knit City Toronto 2026 with reckless abandon.  As you can imagine, for a show of this scale, preparations began ages ago but the last crunch to get all the yarn dyed, skeined, labelled, and to bring in other new products for retail always manages to result in a series of quite late nights.  I do have faith that one day I will master the art of planning things in such a way as to avoid the aforementioned sleep deprivation, but up to this point that just simply isn't how it goes.  (I would like to clarify that I always meet my deadlines and am very reliable, I just am a bit of a "time optimist" when it comes to predicting how long anything takes.)  Needless to say I made use of every single spare hour in between shows to package new product and dye more yarn, knowing that Knit City is always a busy event, and I was going to be READY.  With my load in time slot Friday at 10am and doors not opening until 6:30pm, I truly thought I would have so much time on my hands that day, however I had reworked our displays and reimagined our layout which took extra time to iron out in situ plus we had tangled lighting to contend with and a snazzy new rug, so by the time the show's intimate VIP shopping evening kicked off, we had just enough time to grab a granola bar and change our clothes before doors opened. Phew!

The VIP event was an intentionally slower pace, which was about all I could handle that evening after the busy set up day to be honest.  There was a DJ who did an incredible job of keeping the atmosphere on point all night.  It was a rare experience to be able to connect with some of the customers and take a step back and admire the booth before the frenetic energy of the main event. 

Once the VIP night wrapped up, we headed home.  We are so spoiled to be able to commute into Toronto from home for the event and were even luckier to have our amazing friends from Stix and Stones Yarn Boutique in North Bay stay with us for the weekend.  The friendships I have made in this industry are by far one of the greatest gifts.  We spent the evening overtired but surrounded by take out and friends, while we skeined and labelled even more yarn for our respective booths.  

The next morning we were back at it bright and early for one of the busiest days of our entire year.  It always goes by in such a blur but the people stand out clearly.  The organizers who quietly keep everything ticking over.  The volunteers who check in on us.  The fellow vendors, some who I only get to see at this one show each year, who cheer each other on with enthusiasm and hold each other up when needed.  And of course, all of the amazing attendees.  Some of the attendees have been my students at past shows or retreats, some have met me through our local festival circuit, some are friends who come to check if we need a lunch break, some know me from past Knit City events and come looking for me again, some are meeting me for the first time, and one was my dad, a non-knitter, who just came by to show his support for me and my shop.  Quite simply, in spite of the exhaustion that almost always creeps in by the end of day one, it is impossible not to end the day feeling fulfilled and totally tapped into this beautiful fibre community we all have here in Ontario.  After closing up for the evening, we grabbed a bite with some vendor friends before making the trek back home for some rest before doing it all again the next day. 

While the Sunday is always quieter at Knit City, it was still steady all day.  Sunday is an excellent day to shop if you want to have more chance to connect with the vendors, and find out about their new launches or best sellers.  I would say that the stars of our show this year were Estelle's Linocott yarn and my own Tiara Sock Yarn.  Linocott is such a fan favourite for spring and summer at such a great price point and we now have all the available colourways to offer.  It is a 50/50 blend of linen and cotton that works up into a sturdy fabric for tote bags but also softens beautifully into easy to wear garments, like the Jethro we had displayed in our booth.  Tiara Sock is always the favourite because it is so versatile.  Of course you can use it for sock knitting, but it's also perfect for shawls, and lightweight sweaters like my son's Fossil Frenzy Jr. I had on show.  For extra luxury, I just launched our Tiara Yak Sock this spring as well.  This base has a touch of yak in it which gives it a beautiful drape, soft feel, and a unique depth of colour from the warm grey natural yak colour.  After we packed everything back up and got home, one of the first things I did to start my new week was order more of all three of these products ready to bring them to you wherever you see us next.  

That said, next up on our Festival Season is Sunshine Fibrefest in Orillia's ODAS Park.  It takes Place May 2 from 9:30am - 4pm.  This show is perfect if you want a quieter show experience, if you like to see fibre animals and demonstrations, and if you love a farmer's market (there is one right next door until noon).  If you have anything you would like to ensure I bring, drop me a line and I would be happy to make that happen for you.  If you came to either of the other shows, I would love to hear what stood out to you in our booth, or about the event.  

Stay tuned for the next blog where I will tell you about my springtime Fibre at Fern retreat experience this year, and show off a custom order I did for Pineview Knitting Club.  Until then, happy crafting friends!