We had so much fun, having 140 of you in for our Fall Fling last weekend! As usual, I forgot to take many pictures, but here is a little look into a few that I did manage to take. (Click on the photos to enlarge them. Especially on the cute dragon photos!)
We always start the weekend with a dessert reception on Thursday evening. (No pictures of the dessert goodies. Why didn’t I think of that? Julia Knitting Daughter took one! Added below.) This year we also added in a talk that evening from Stephanie Pearl-McPhee called “This is Your Brain on Knitting”. It left us all feeling pretty good about choosing knitting as a hobby (or way of life).
Friday and Saturday brings knitting, classes and shopping trips to Loopy! This year, our class instructors included Susan B. Anderson, Marly Bird, Ann Budd and Stephanie Pearl-McPhee.
One of Susan’s classes was a Little Dragon Workshop. You’ll probably want to buy the pattern to make your own. They were all turning out so cute!
We love hosting the Flingers in the shop. They have fun seeing it in person and we have fun watching how much they enjoy wandering the aisles, finding new things that need to go home with them! After they check out, they hang out by the red couches and knit, while waiting for everyone to finish up and for the bus to come back to get them.
At each Fling, I find new patterns that I need to make. This year, I saw these Hitofude cardigans and put that pattern right on my “to make” list. (It was already in my favorites list on Ravelry, but seeing it in person moved it over to the active list. I especially liked seeing the longer version that Cindy was wearing.)
We did our group photo on Saturday afternoon. I’m not sure everyone remembers or makes it down to the lobby for the photo, but here is the shot of most of the group. After my husband took this photo, they all sang Happy Birthday to him, which was really nice. What a way to spend your birthday!
On Saturday night, we gave away door prizes (over 100 this year), which is always fun. We so appreciated the generosity of Dream in Color, Shibui, Cascade, Lorna’s Laces, Mrs. Crosby, Notions Marketing, Bryson, Shalimar, Fable Fibers, Baah! Yarns, Hunter Hammerstein, Spud and Chloe, Blue Sky Alpacas, Fairmont Fibers, Ann Budd, Universal Yarns, Westminster Fibers, Wollmeise, and George Sichterman Woodwork. There were a lot of lucky winners!
I wish I would have taken a picture of my great friends Sheryl (from here in Fort Collins) and Janice (from Iowa) who were there to help with all of the hotel details, while I traveled back and forth to the shop with the Fling shoppers. I couldn’t do the weekend without them! And of course the Loopy Elves, Knitting Daughter and Web Guy all put in extra time during the weekend as well. It takes a whole bunch of people to help it all run smoothly.
And one of my favorite friends, Claudia (the Wollmeise), was here from Germany again! I love having her visit for the Flings, and I know the Fling attendees really enjoy getting to meet the genius behind that gorgeous Wollmeise yarn. (No pictures, as Claudia is anti-photos. But she did let me take and post one a couple of years ago when she and Maria came to visit!) Claudia and Julie (from Juliespins – another creative dye genius Fling attendee) had a lot of fun talking “shop” during the Fling.
I saved three Fall Fling Goodie Bags to send out to three lucky contest winners. In the heavyweight canvas bag you’ll find a skein of Dream in Color’s Everlasting Sock, a skein of Shibui’s brand new Maai yarn, a skein of Cascade’s Luna, a Fling water bottle and nametag holder, a Lorna’s Laces post-it notepad and a Shalimar pen. (Yarn colors will vary.) Would you like to win one? Just leave a comment below and we will use the random number generator to choose the winners sometime next week! And would you like to participate in our next retreat? We will be putting our next one on in the spring of 2016. (We’ll flip flop between spring and fall retreats, every 18 months. We know some of you prefer one time of year over the other.) We’ll keep you posted on the details as it gets closer!
Sheri stillcatchinguponmissedsleep,butofcourseitwassoworthit!
Wow! Hard to believe it’s 18 months between flings. I’ve never been to one, but I love reading about them and seeing the gorgeous work.
I would so love to join but its so far away from my home. someday maybe…
I would love to join if only it wasn’t so far from my home. Someday Maybe
I now realize that I absolutely HAVE to get back in the habit of reading your emails and the blog. I would have loved to come to Fall Fling. I’m even going to look for someone to go with me!
That sounds like a LOT of fun! Sad I’m up here in WA! :/
Those skeins are beautiful!!
Wow, looks like an amazing retreat. 🙂
I love the idea of the academy!!!
It looks like so much fun! I hope lots of great yarn was fondled 🙂
i would love to win something; anything as never do but maybe this time will be a lucky one. I love to knit and will be 80 years old next January… i figure i have a few more good years to go..
Thanks loopy ewe
Wish I could have been there. Looks like a great time!
I would love to win a Fall Fling bag. Thanks.
Love your sit and the contests you have
Love your site!
That all looks so fun! One day I hope to participate in something like that.
Ooh! Spring 2016! I’m going to do my darnest to go!!!
I’d love a chance to win. That is some beauteous yarn. 😀
The Fling looks so fun! I need to be in Colorado so I can visit the shop and attend events. Well, maybe not – that could be dangerous for my wallet.! I would love a goodie bag
would I like one???????? Do bears……in the woods????!!!!!!!
Ooooo! I would love to win!
I adore the Loopy Ewe and wish I could buy more often!!
Love seeing pics and vicariously enjoying the fling weekend. Would love to sometime
I would love to go to Fling!! I’m drooling over the inspirations as well.
I would like to win a Goodie Bag! But it’s okay if I don’t. 🙂 It’s great to see people celebrating spinning and knitting.
Looks like it was so much fun!
I would love to join in next time. I have 18 months to plan it , so I hope I can make it happen!
who wouldn’t want to win a fling goodie bag?! it would definitely be the next best thing to attending fling for real!
Looks like so much fun
Thank you for offering this contest! Hope I win. 🙂
Your Fall Fling looks like so much fun. I love Hitofude and of course, I have one on the needles!
Wow!! It looks like you all had an amazing time. I would love to bring my mother to a Fling sometime down the road.
Looks like so much FUN! Counting down the days until the Spring 2016 fling.
Ooh if only I could have been there. And to get to really listen to the Yarn Harlot and not just read her. Maybe someday. I sure would love one of those goodie bags. Any way to trick the random generator??? Maybe next time.
Hi. Maybe next time … looks like fun!
Looks like everyone had a fabulous time, I live in hope of one day attending fling and meeting everyone and the fabulous instructors make it even more tempting :0)
Thank you for saving some fling bags for some of us to have the chance to win :0)
Love Mel x
I could use a good fling, but I live too far away, so a goodie bag would be a great option.
Wow. I wish I could actually come to the fling. What fun you must have!
I’m still basking in the afterglow of receiving my wollemeise order a few weeks back. You guys are the best!
I loved seeing the pictures of Fling. It looks like everyone had a VERY good time. PerhaPs I will be able to attend one data.
Pick me! Pick me!
So sorry to miss what looks to be another wonderful fling! One of these days I would love to be able to attend!!
Would love to win one!
Would love to join in sometime!
I would love to win a bag. Unfortunately fling is too far from my home for me to attend, it would be a dream trip!
Wow! What an awesome Goodie Bag! Would love to win it!! 🙂
This looks like such fun. I hope to attend one eventually.
Wish I was there!
Sounds like so very much fun…
Looks like you all had a great time !! I would love the chance to win a goodie bag! Thank you for the opportunity!