ChainLink: Day One

The first class I was to teach at this year's ChainLink was Crochet Your Knit, a class I enjoy teaching using crochet techniques to create fabric that either looks like -- or is! -- knit. When I first walked into my assigned classroom I panicked a little: Tatting? Why were there tatting students in my class?!? It seems the class number and the classROOM number were too close, and since none of the individual classrooms were labeled (as they were last year) both students & teachers were a little confused. Once I confirmed I was in the right place I sent the tatting students on to their proper class and soon my Crochet Your Knit students started arriving. Whew!

Mr. Dee took the children to the Discovery Museum so I was on my own for lunch. I had just enough time to haul my class supplies back to my hotel room, and microwave some leftovers while reloading for the next class. I discovered on the walk back that if I exited the hotel from the front door and walked around the building, across the street, and around the front of the Conference Center I could knock off a few minutes from the hike. I was thankful I had totes on wheels as I watched other teachers struggling with heavy boxes ...

My second class was Tunisian on the Short and it had sold out! This class focused on linked stitches and the possibilities it offers, such as the "floating single crochet..." (if you don't know what a "floating single crochet" is then this class is for you!). It was great watching my students catch onto this and start playing with the concepts.

Tonight would be busy -- very busy! Mr. Dee and the children had not returned to the hotel yet, so after hauling my class materials back to the hotel I ventured back to the Conference Center to watch the announcing of the CGOA's Design Contest winners. The designs were all spectacular!! The complete list of winners can be found on the CGOA's Ravelry group. The People's Choice Award won't be announced until the Fashion Show on Saturday night.

Afterwards the Vendors Market opened. I walked around the floor while listening & reporting in to the live "Getting Loopy Show" hosted by Mary Beth Temple. By now I was very hungry, and was very happy to see Mr. Dee & the children delivering a large order of Arby's for me and some fellow HHCC'ers. What did I purchase at the Vendor's Market? I'll report on that on another day.

In the meantime, after the Market closed, we headed back to our hotel room with a group of crocheters to wind down the day. If you haven't figured it out yet, room 309 was the place to be...just ask my hotel neighbors who also joined in visiting with us. :)