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!
It looks like everyone was having fun at the fling, I hope to get to one some day.
Looks like a lovely time!!
Looks like everyone had a lot of fun! Thanks for the opportunity to win a goodie bag! 🙂
Looks like so much fun – one day!
Looks like a fun and learning event!
Oh my! A retreat sounds like such fun, maybe I’ll be able to attend the next one!
Sounds like so much fun.
That looks lovely. Wish there were more events my way.
I was so happy I was able to visit from St. Petersburg, Florida during my recent trip to Fort Collins. I love your town, and your store even more!
Awesome! Thanks for this opportunity to win one of those awesome bags! And yes, I want to attend one of your flings!!!!
I would love to win a bag.
Wish I could have been at the fling.
A Loopy Fling is on my bucket list! It looks like so much fun
Hope I’m not too late to participate. Thanks for sharing with us.
I’d love to win one!
That sounds like such a fun weekend! And given how crazy life is being around here these days, a whole weekend dedicated to knitting and relaxing sounds absolutely dreamy!
So, THAT’S why the yarn harlot was in Fort Collins!
Looks like a blast. Dragons! There be yarny dragons.
Just went through a huge de stashing process… so clearly I need to top up again! The yarn (and the dessert) both look delicious!
Looks like so much fun!! TLE is on my bucket list of things to do!!!
It looks like so much fun! Maybe one day I will get to attend a fling.
The Fling looks like loads of fun. Hopefully I will be able to attend in 2016. It just was not in the cards this year 🙁
It would be so cool to win a fling bag! Crossing my fingers, oh wait, can’t knit that way, will have to cross my toes?
looks like so much fun. maybe i’ll be able to drag my husband along some day.
I would love to attend the next gathering !
The Fall Fling looks like it was wonderful! One day I will get there!!
I didn’t even know about Fling until this year! – wish I still lived in CO.
What an amazing event, I never knew of it before and now I am really pumped to read about what happens at it. Would love to be able to attend at some point. How energizing!
Still wanting to make it to the Loopy Fling. Determined to get there next time!! Would love a goodie bag, thanks Sheri!
Your enthusiasm is a beautiful thing to behold. Please prominently post the location of your flings. Thank you. Suzi
What cute bags. What a time you must have had.
I would love to win;)
It looks like you all had such fun!
Saving my pennies in the hope that one day I will be able to join in the fun!!!
It is my dream to be able to attend a Fling someday! What fun!
What a fun time!
I was supposed to go to Fling … but sadly, sometimes life happens. I would love to win one of the bags!!
The desserts look yummy!
Looks like a wonderful time was had by all. The food looks great, but the knitting looks better!
I have been looking for a knitting weekend getaway! I will have to try to make the next one.
One of these times, I will be there!
That looks like fun. Please pick me for the prize. 🙂
Someday I’d love the chance to go!
This is awesome!
I would love to win one of these gift bags! Love the yarn!!!
Looks like a lot of fun. Thanks for a chance to win a goodie bag !
Great times!
Surely wish I could have been there. It looks like SUCH fun…maybe next year. In the meantime, knit knit knit!!!
So fun!!! I’ll work harder to find a sitter so I can get to one of the Flings!!!
I would love to win a goody bag!