CGOA: The Final Day

Ah, Sunday.  This was the day I was to have met up with crochters from Connecticut for breakfast.  I woke up early and went down to the hotel's Cafe, our arranged meeting place.  I looked and looked but could not find anyone who said they were going to attend this breakfast; I thought they were all sleeping in!  So I waited and waited in the lobby ... until I was rescued by a NYCCG member who showed me the way to Dunkin' Donuts just a few blocks away.  Here is one of the pictures I took that I thought was pretty cool (on right):

Well, yes, that picture on the right was cool, but it's not the one I really enjoyed taking ... this is it, on the left.  It's a shoe with crochet on it that I saw in one of the store windows we passed.  I didn't buy it because I can't wear heals due to tearing & ripping muscles & ligaments in my feet a few years ago (long story, and no one likes to discuss their feet, right?).  Still, it was pretty cool to be at a Crochet Conference and then spot crochet pumps in a shop window!

After returning to the hotel, I decided to take a nap and recharge my batteries.  While I was sleeping someone called the room and asked Mr. Dee where I was earlier in the morning -- they were waiting for me to join them for the Connecticut breakfast!  It turns out they were placed at a table way in the back, out of sight.  Drat!

After the battery recharge, I packed up my materials for the last class I was to teach.  Hand Jive.  This class was held on the Vendor's Market show floor, curtained off from those shopping.  The kids helped me decorate a page to announce the class -- I think they did a rather colorful job!  If you've heard that this class involved doing some dancing, it is true!  But it also involved learning how to finger weave, and all my students quickly caught on!  :)

After the class was over, I had 40 minutes remaining to do some shopping before the official closing of the Vendor's Market.  I found a woman selling pretty glass buttons, so I bought some with no project in mind.  And I found another vendor selling bamboo yarn -- I bought two "10 packs."  Then, with my family in tow, I stopped by Jean and Rita's booth where they presented my children some autographed copies of their books.  That was very sweet of them, and the children are looking forward to showing the books to their friends in the Hooks'n Needles club once school starts up again!

We decided to stay another night before heading to Maine for a day, so we ordered a movie (Spiderwick), popped some popcorn and later had more people pop in for one more glass of wine.  It was a great way to cap off a very wonderful Conference.

Any Conference regrets?  Yes.  Two.  The first is that there just was not enough time to photograph everything, and this means I have no pictures of the CGOA's first Crochet Design Contest.  The second regret is that 40 minutes is not enough time to shop the market! 

The best highlight?  A most special gift.  Details tomorrow.