CSMSA Conference 2007 Impressions

It's always a great feeling to come away from an event remembering the people who made it so much fun. I have a lot a pictures, but realize I failed to get some I wish I had. I met "the guys" at this conference. There was "Mark, the Man" who is the maker of the Elias and the Elijah. That Elijah has my name written on it. It's blue, my favorite color, and left handed. Perfect for a lefty like me. I never got a picture of him or his machines. Drats!

I did get pictures of Larry. Boy, did I get pictures of Larry! See how photogenic he is:

Larry in Sheep to Socks contest finishing a toe and . . .

Larry the WINNER!

And heeere's Eric!

Check out his shoes.

Yes, they are real wooden shoes . . . from Holland . . . MI . . . but authentic none the less.

The other guys, Pete, Roger, etc., I had met in Laconia, NH and Barry is my machine guru whom I see at least quarterly. Even so, I wish I had gotten pictures of them at the conference. Maybe next year.

The machines! Oh, the machines. There were the usual suspects--AutoKnitter, Gerheart, Harmony and Legare. Then there were the NZAKs! Many NZAKs, including the blue contest prize and the bronze beauty.

Beautiful Blue

Gorgeous and Gleaming!

And a pretty note on which to end today's blog entry.

The Sock Lady

The 2007 CSM Conference, Frederick MD

I haven't blogged here for three months! My how the time flies. It seems I only blog here after a sock machine event. I've just returned from the CSMSA conference and have lots of fuel to fire off a blog entry.

The conference was a blast! It's taking me a couple of days to recover from all the fun. There were old machines and new machines, old timers and young 'uns, experts and newbies, and everything in between. Stephanie DeVoe, her daughter Trish, Gregory Wollon, Donna Peters (Country Rain), Barb Tanner and the rest of us from MARS, did a fantastic job (even if I do say so myself). Barry Travis provided many free gifts for the conference goers plus his time and expertise. Mary Walton made 100 cup holders for the tote bags! Everyone was generous with their time and expertise and it paid off.

Stephanie and Trish

Gregory

Donna helps a sock knitter

Barb

Mary helps Marilyn

I came home from the conference with some new skills and a Second Place ribbon. The new skills are making mittens (thanks Deb), making baby socks on a 54 cylinder (thanks Roxana) and Kitchener stitching toes without putting them on hand knitting needles (thanks Mary). I can turn a sock inside out and do it, no problemo!

I had made no entries for the contests before the conference. Real life intruded so much on my play life this year I couldn't wrap my brain around much of anything. But at the conference, immersed in the creativity and camaraderie of the event, I found myself setting up my machine and designing a scarf using the couple of used and reused, far less than perfect cones of Magic Stripes yarn I brought along just in case I did get around to cranking a few rounds. I made it up as I went along, Kitchener stitched the ends that night in the hospitality suite, blocked it in my room the next morning and entered it in the contest in the last hour before the contest closed. My kooky scarf 'unvention' captured the imagination of the conference goers and enough votes to win a ribbon. How cool is that?!!!

It's taking me days to get this up and ready for posting. I think I'll pause here, publish it and give you more tidbits and pictures in the days to come.

The Sock Lady