workshop + trunk show = awesomeness
Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 5:00PM It's a good thing that I always speak in perfectly standard English and never make up words like awesomeness. I'm sure this makes you feel better, too. That's why I do it.
I just returned from Awesomeness Central, Bobbin's Nest Studio in Santa Clara, CA. After jet setting my way there, I drove immediately to the super cute shop owned by Erin McGee and staffed by some skilled and friendly knitters and seamstresses.
Erin is sophisticated, fashionable, and laughs easily. Sharon is silly, wears Crocs all day, and makes up words pronounced in ridiculous fake accents. We're quite the pair.
Bobbin's Nest Studio has a modern whimsy vibe to it -- the location is modern, but there are fanciful touches throughout, like antique sewing machines and suitcases, retro fabrics, and yummy displays. It's bright and cheery, and the mix of knitting, sewing, and hand embroidery supplies made me want to try my hand at other crafts. I may have come up with some books on sewing. I may, and I'm not sure honey, I'll have to check, may have come home with some fabric and dressmaker's shears. But I promise that if I did I will find a place for them that is not the middle of the dining room table.
If you didn't want to sew before, I bet you do now.
And I bet that if you didn't want to take up sewing after the previous picture, you do now that you see these adorable oliver +s patterns and garments.
Bobbin's Nest Studio has an exclusive line of project bags that are luscious. I may have come home with one of those too.
Dear Bobbin's Nest Studio, I would like to order 650 tiny stitch marker bags for my club members. I'm sure they will be quick and easy to produce. Get them to me right away. Thank you.
They also have a great selection of books. I found titles that even I do not own, which is really rather remarkable, seeing as I single handedly keep the entire knitting book industry afloat.
The shop is full of adorable samples. I tried to steal one. Everyone acted like it was fine if I stole it, but I think that deep down they were hoping I would put it back before they had to intervene.
(Yarn: Springvale Super Merino, Colorway: Erin)
While I was there I taught a workshop on knitting with hand dyed yarn. I was able to use my trusty laptop and a projector provided by the studio, and we looked at samples of the same colorway knit up into various garments to get a feel for what I call the Nine Laws of Pooling.
My students were wonderful. They sat quietly and did not throw spitballs or pieces of their lunch at me. They asked questions and smiled and chuckled and knit with the world's ugliest yarn just because I asked them to. Thank you all again for coming, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.
I've known this person for years and years, but we've only met once in person:
She drove a long way to see me, so thank you, Ms. Angela!
Kelly has beautiful children who appreciate good yarn. She's clearly an excellent mother.
Here's the garment that I wanted to steal -- a feather and fan scarf knit from a set of our "Ocean" gradients on Westerly SeaSock yarn.
Everything looked scrumptious at the trunk show. I can only take credit for the yarn -- the display was all Bobbin's Nest!
I have more to share, but I fear your monitors are ready to burst from picture overload.
A huge, heartfelt thank you to everyone who came to the workshop and trunk show, and to everyone at Bobbin's Nest Studio for having me. You can see some more photos here.
P.S. I would love to come back anytime!
Reader Comments (15)
BELLINI!!!
OH MY! What bee-u-ti-mous yarns!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE them!! :)
That shop is scrumptious!!! :)
I see several colourways with "New for Fall" stickers on them. And I want some of them. I don't remember ever being this eager for fall in the middle of the summer!
I love the Bobbins Nest. I try to visit every time I travel to Cupertino. I know what you mean about the samples in the shop. I love the way they put the little jingle bells on the samples. They make a little sound when you pick them up so someone will look at you and let you know.. you have been seen with that sample in your hands! SO sorry I missed meeting you when you did the trunk show. I missed you by three days.
I agree with you about all the adorable fabrics in the shop. I can sew.. I actually have a degree in Home Economics. Someday, when I retire from the life of technology and teaching I will embrace the fine lineage of seamstresses of which I belong. I think my mother was so happy that I started knitting. She wonders where she went wrong and why I was drawn to all the technology in my life. Bobbins Nest is a place that would make you run out and buy a sewing machine, pinking shears and all kinds of sewing goodness just to get to work with all those fabrics.
Oh and I did notice the non Mac connected to that projector.
No such thing as picture overload! Gorgeous, everything is gorgeous. You look fabulous, the yarn is delicious and I want several of the new colorways. And how could you NOT leave that store without some fabric? Adorable store, and I mean that in the most sophisticated way.
Dear Sharon,
Thanks for making that colorway in the second to last picture just for me. I don't know its name, or how you knew I needed that, but it is welcome in my home any time!
OMG Sharon! I am drooling over those new fall colors!! When and where will they be available. (Like you don't have enough stuff to do for us, your adoring customers...)
Yes, I must now go learn to sew! But I almost forgot all about that when I saw all that YARN!! How positively scrumptious!!
I'm sooo looking forward to fall now.
Am I the only one who would love to see what the world's ugliest yarn looks like?
(sigh) Its like my perfect shop. Beautiful yarns, displays, fabrics, yeah I think I shall go mope for a while.
Although I know that it is fundamentally wrong to be envious; I am. In ways that I can't explain....Your lovely smiling face, the faces of online friends I have never meet in person, all that lovely, scrumptious yarn and you explaining how to make the best use of it. What a heavenly day!! I so badly wish that I could have been there. Someday, someday.....
Please come back! Soon! I love this shop anyway and can't believe I was out of town when you were here. Luckily you left some yarn behind (so I hear, so I hope) and I will have to make due with that :)
I am just soooooo envious of you locals who have this increadible LYS nearby! And deeply jealous of those of you attending who got to see the new colorways!
By the way, what is the pattern name of the gorgous green shawl in Erin? I cannot remember, but its so right for the yarn!
Do you heart the Louis Vuitton handbags before? It is a very welcome line today, and it well-like by famous people. It is also a popular product by the west countries. We can see that its pattern is unique, and it is limited production. If you like our LV handbags, especially the Replica Handbags that you are prefer to own, please contract us as soon as possible.
Swooning still... my what lovely yarns!