A Note From the Editor
As I sit down to write this editorial letter, I've just returned from Long Beach, Calif., having attended one of the biggest trade shows in the yarn industry, sponsored by the The National NeedleArts Association (TNNA). Yarn companies and suppliers show off the latest yarns, supplies and trends to hit the scene for the upcoming season. Yarn shops from all around the country visit this show, eager to fill their shelves with the hottest yarns and products.
The timing couldn't have been better, because upon my return from Long Beach, this summer issue of Creative Knitting was just about to go to layout. Our Fresh Picked Knits are fresh -- literally.
I travel to TNNA twice per year. In June, I head out to Columbus, Ohio, for the winter buying show, and in February, I trek to the West Coast for spring and summer products. I'm usually snapping photos left and right of new yarns, hot products, designers and the fashion show highlights.
The first order of business after each show is to share my photos on our Facebook page, on my editor's blog and in the Creative Knitting newsletter. I usually post just a few highlights and store the rest away as reference for future issues. But then I got to thinking -- what a shame it is to take so many pictures and not share all of them, so here are a few for you to enjoy!
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| A colorful collections of fibers at every turn. | Fun finds at Ewe Ewe Yarns. | |
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From left: designer Jill Wright, Kara
Gott Warner, designer Tabetha Hedrick
and Felicia Lo
from Sweet Georgia. |
Creating a buzz at TNNA for the new Annie's PBS TV show: Knit and Crochet Now! | |
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| The Annie's booth at TNNA, Long Beach, Calif. | ||
I remember fondly the days when I was a budding designer and attended TNNA for the very first time. I hardly knew a soul in the industry, and of the few contacts I had, I clung onto them like white on rice. When meeting an eager new designer, I always reflect on my own experience and offer all the guidance and advice I can possibly give.
It feels great to come back from Long Beach with an "inspiration battery" recharge. Stepping away from email to have face time with designers and industry colleagues is imperative to cultivating new acquaintances and nurturing ongoing relationships.
Columbus, here I come!
Kara Gott Warner
Executive Editor, Creative Knitting magazine
Kara is a graduate of Parsons School of Design and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration. As a freelance illustrator, she specialized in technical illustrations for knitting, crochet and other craft books for major publishers. In 2002, Kara began designing patterns for her independent collection of knitting patterns, sold under the igottknits label. Her patterns are sold exclusively on Annie's and e-PatternsCentral.
Kara first learned how to knit at age 12 from her grandmother, but not until her early adult life did she come back to the craft with reckless abandon. When Kara rediscovered knitting, she used it as a much-needed escape from her hectic life working as a designer in New York City. She quickly fell in love with knitting, and her needles haven't stopped clicking since. As editor, Kara first joined Annie's in 2007 as a freelance editor and produced a variety of hardcover knitting books. In June 2010, Kara joined the Annie's family full-time, as executive editor of Creative Knitting magazine and knit publications.
Kara's knitwear designs have been published in Creative Knitting, Vogue Knitting, Interweave Knits and Family Circle Easy Knitting. She is also the author of The Divine Drop Stitch.
You can follow Kara on her blogging adventures at SplendidSticks.
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