Linda and I had a chance to go yesterday for real. I bought a really pretty distressed metal bracelet for myself, from these girls: http://www.etsy.com/shop/SparrowCollective.
Linda got a butterfly necklace that's also pretty.
I also bought a concert print from the 2010 St. Vincent show at Pitchfork with a house that looks a lot like my house. Plus good memories from a wacky summer skip day. The colors are perfect for my newly painted room - light orange and blue. Need to find a frame, great excuse to make a run to Michaels. Here's the link to that shop: http://heroandsound.com/
At these things, I generally tend towards the arts I can't do myself (painting, pottery, print making, metalwork, woodwork, soap, millinery, candles). Stepping anywhere near the needlecrafts either fills me with tons of new UFOs in the making or more likely makes me really pissed off at the state of modern handknitwear.
Renegade was no exception. A cowl is not a hat or a scarf. Bulky gage cowls aren't warm, don't wear well, and look stupid. Real gloves have fingers, people, or at least gussets, seriously! On top of that, most of them were buttoned, how freaking lazy can you get, trying to sell a swatch with buttonholes. There were very few "finished" knit pieces, none inspiring in pattern or construction. It's embarrassing as a knitter to see stuff from vogue and knitty rewrote into two-needle shoddy sewing pattern and passed off as original. Flat-out embarrassing. I didn't see anything that would have taken me more than 2 hours. Prices were extra high, but I do have to hand it to them on yarn, not too much acrylic. Cascade and Malabrigo Rasta from the look and feel. If you like knitting enough to buy the good stuff, learn how to use it, though. Based on other local craft fairs, I was also expecting local yarns or roving. No roving in sight. A few stands had yarn, one looked especially promising with single-spun and vivid color dyes. When I got closer, I realized it was Malabrigo at 2x the LYS price. A few other small-shop yarns, but nothing local to be seen. Not even Lorna's Laces which is factory, but from Chicago and good quality. Disappointing.
I vow here and now that I will be there next year with finished pieces and colorwork like they've never seen before.
Embroidery was selling for silly high prices too with some messy backwork, maybe it's time to pull out my kit.
Ideas garnered:
Icord braid jewelry
Patchwork accessories
Patchwork embellishment on existing clothes and bags
Embroidered small portraits in black hoops to decorate my room - t-rex, acorns, birds, robots
Knit ties for Etsy shop
Hairclips - crocheted flowers, patchworks
Lace.
Embroidered tea towels.
I really want to make a cashmere lacework sweater.
Buying custom-print fabric.
Add silk backing to close knitwear with awesome patterns
I MUST find a friend who does printmaking on cards.
I also seriously need to buy some Illinois pride items before I go.
Also here's a pretty rad cheetah:
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