Stitches South . . . and a new addiction!

I've always loved the look and feel of yarn - the colors, the textures, the wide variety of fibers (cotton, alpaca, wool, acrylic, bamboo, etc.), so when I had the opportunity to take knitting classes starting in January, I jumped on it! With the world of technology right at your fingertips, websites devoted to the art of knitting, along with online retailers and chat sites, make it so easy to truly immerse yourself in "all things knitting". So I happened upon Ravelry (after hearing it chatted up at my knitting class) and one thing led to another, and I found myself at the Stitches South Knitting Expo on Friday afternoon. It was so fabulous - like the first time I went to Quilt Festival in Houston, and was overcome with a sense of happiness that I still remember to this day! Stitches South had several fabulous sponsors that had garments and accessories made from the yarns they manufacturer/represent, and I was able to snag this photo (left) of a great little sweater that I will (hopefully) make one day - notice the inside of the pockets are red yarn that coordinates with the trim on the cuffs - isn't that incredible! My knitting class will be making socks in an upcoming session, so I bought square-tipped circular needles (size 3 - make into size 2), and sock yarns (two different yarns 'cause I want/need/crave/must have two pairs of socks, right?). This "knitting thing" is a new passion, and has not replaced my love of quilting, but I can see that I'm going to be dividing my time between two expensive hobbies . . . yikes!