Yarn Market News Conference 2013 Baltimore!

Yarn Market News Conference 2013

One of my favorite parts of my year as a knitting professional, is attending the Yarn Market News Conference.  Yarn Market News is our trade journal, and once a year, the magazine hosts a conference with speakers on everything from Visual Merchandising to Branding to Social Media.  This year’s conference was in Baltimore.  It’s also a chance to see old friends and network with other shop owners and managers.

I’ve always wanted to go to Baltimore, so I came a day early with David to take in the sights.  When we checked into the Four Seasons Hotel (FAB!), and looked out our window, this was the view that greeted us . . . Holy Moly how I love the Four Seasons!

Good Morning Baltimore

 Here’s my photo tour of our fab Baltimore days:

The adorable harbor

The “other” Washington Monument, and our reflection from the sun (which we haven’t seen much of in NY)

Baltimore has great neighborhoods (Fells Point for Sunday brunch is the most adorable) and great areas to walk around (Federal Hill & Charles Street were great). High on my”don’t miss” recommendation for Baltimore is the American Visionary Art Museum.  It’s the only museum I’ve every seen entirely devoted to “outsider art”. Although there was no photography inside the museum, here’s a few shots from their sculpture garden.

Some of the exhibits were funny, some moving, and some quite heartbreaking. There was a remarkable exhibit called Art and Remembrance. It featured 36 hand embroidered pieces that told the artist’s story of survival from the Holocaust.

After a day of play, it was time to head back for the conference registration. When you check in, not only do you pick up your credentials and your agenda, but your GOODIE BAG!  This year’s Namaste Messanger bag, was particularly awesome.

In the meeting hall the next day we had speakers all day, and in most part the conference was like any other business convention.  The tables had the ordinary items, laptops, water, coffee, notepads . . . cable charts and knitting!

At the end of a long day of learnin’, it was time to get dressed in our best knitted duds and do some networking. It’s always great to spend some time with some of my favorite ladies:

The dynamic trio: Doreen Connors, Trisha Malcolm, Carol Sulcoski

Me and the fabulous Brooke Nico

All and all, a great weekend of fiber, fun and most importantly, great business connections.  I was home for a whopping one day, unpacked bags, repacked and headed out on vacation to New Orleans.

Trying SOOOO hard to not get overwhelmed by the massive amounts of work I have to do between now and the end of May on all my new classes . . . lets see if I can enjoy my vacation.  We’ll see