I know – it seems like Spring Fling was ages ago! (April 21-25). And here we are, just getting to the recap and contest. Life has been a little a lot crazy for the past few months. But we loved having so many of you here for the Fling and we sure appreciate all of the lovely notes and emails you have sent since you arrived back home! Here’s a little recap, with a contest (and a reminder) at the end:
Although the Fling starts on Thursday, quite a few Flingers arrive a day earlier. We had Franklin Habit do his B is for Purl talk about historic knitting patterns on Wednesday night for anyone (Flingers or locals) who wanted to attend. I left wondering why anyone in their right mind would want to tackle knitting an antique knitting pattern. (Seriously. ????)
Both Wednesday and Thursday during the day we had fun hosting some of the Flingers for shopping and knitting on the red couches. (And I had fun doing color consults for several people!)
Thursday evening we had a lovely lovely dessert reception with delicious choices and no photos. sigh. And Franklin did his Five Women, Five Shawls talk, about shawls he had designed in honor of five women in his life. Interesting talk and beautiful shawls.
Friday brought the beginning of classes and shopping trips to Loopy. We had Franklin, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, Joanna Johnson and Marilyn King as our Fling teachers this year, and had great feedback from all of the classes. They did an amazing job.
I like to go on the Loopy trips (even though I am always sorely tempted to sign up for the great classes that are going on at the hotel.) It’s SO fun to have everyone wandering the aisles, helping each other with color choices, and then hanging out and knitting on the red couches until the shuttle bus returns.
Friday night is dinner on your own and then knitting in the knitting lounge – always fun! And at the end of that evening, that’s where my part of the story ends. I woke up during the night with such a pain in my lower back that I thought I must have kidney stones. (I have never had them, but I have heard they “are more painful than anything else” and that’s what this felt like. I could barely get out of bed.) A quick trip to the ER on Saturday morning showed no kidney stones, but my sciatic nerve causing the pain and numbness down one leg. (Never had that before either. Never ever ever want it again.) Since I couldn’t sit up or walk, I was sidelined for the rest of the weekend. And I was SO SAD!!!! But the fun went on just fine without me. 🙂 More classes and Loopy shopping trips on Saturday during the day.
Loopy Elf Michael went above and beyond the call of duty by heading to the hotel to take the group photo on Saturday late afternoon. It looks like almost everyone made it to the photo shoot. It’s always hard to get everyone looking up at the same time, though.
Fortunately, Web Guy and Knitting Daughter did a grand job (from what you all tell me) with the doorprizes and wrapup on Saturday night, with a little help from Claudia for prize distribution to the different winners. (That means running the prizes to the different tables. She’s quick!) We had such lovely donations from many wonderful companies, and it was fun to give all of that away.
A huge shout-out and thank you to Blue Moon Fiber Arts, Dream in Color, Cascade, Malabrigo, Soak, Lorna’s Laces, Shalimar, HiyaHiya, George Sichterman Woodwork, Atenti, Appalachian Baby, Kelbourne Woolens and Blue Sky Alpacas for their generous donations! And to my friends Sheryl (who takes off work to help at the Fling) and Janice (who flies in from Iowa to help at the Fling) for being on-location at the hotel, making sure everyone was happy and everything ran smoothly each day! And to my friends Claudia and Maria for popping over from Germany to help and hang out with us all weekend as well. So wonderful to have them all here!
And that brings us to the contest. I have one Goody Bag that I saved for a blog drawing. It even includes the special Loopy coffee mug that we gave out to all in attendance on Saturday night. Who would like it? Leave a comment below and we’ll do the drawing next week and will ship the whole thing off to some lucky person!
Our next Fling is scheduled for October 5-8, 2017. (All of the September weekends are already booked there for 2017. FPS.) We will have more wonderful teachers, fun classes, happy shopping trips, and another great goody bag for you, and we hope you all can attend!
One last thing – Camp Store Week One ends tomorrow (Wednesday, May 18th) so if you’d like a discount on Project One Yarn or Fabric, get those final orders in. And if you signed up for Camp Club, be sure to check out with your first month’s kit, which is in your shopping cart.
Sheri anxiousforthenextFlingtoarrivesinceImissedoutonhalfofthisone!
I am in love with that hippo bag and everything else with it! If only I could make a trip out to Colorado for one of the Flings. Winning this would be a nice consolation prize.
I wish I went to Spring Fling, but winning the goodie bag would make me happy too.
Oh my gosh! I LOVE that grab bag. So darn cute! One of these days I’ll make it to a Fling!
That goody bag looks amazing, I’m so happy that you are spreading the love, thanks.
That bag is so cute. I wish I had been able to attend, maybe 2017. It looks and sounds like it was fun.
It seems like the most fun. I would love a goodie bag.
Oooooh, I’d love that grab bag. So sorry to hear you were laid up. Hope you’re feeling much better.
I loved my attending my first fling. I’m looking forward to the next one!
I will make it one day!
A loopy retreat is on my bucket list! One day….. Hope your feeling better Sherri!
Ah how I wish I could make it to events like that! Looks like so much fun!
Fling looks like a wonderful time! The goodie bad is amazing.
Someday I’ll make it to the Fling! And what a grab bag!
Oh how nice! I want to make a trip to Ft.Collins this summer to see all of this in person.
Spring fling sounds so fun! Pencilling in October 2017!
Hope you’re feeling better! Thanks for thinking of us blog readers with this giveaway!
The goodie bag looks fantastic! Nothing can make up for missing an opportunity to see Franklin, but this will sure help!
What an awesome goody bag! And even more awesome that you are giving it away! Thanks for the chance to enjoy Fling vicariously!
Looks like a great time! Glad you are up & around again!!
That looks like so much fun! Maybe sometime in the future I’ll be able to join in!
The pictures were wonderful. Thank you for posting them so that those of us who couldn’t make it for whatever reason could have a glimpse at the fun you all appeared to have.
Spring Fling sounds like so much fun! Ever consider relocating TLE to California???
The goody bag looks so wonderful. I would love to win it, and would then be able to pretend that I attended the Fling!
I love the bag!!! and SO wish it was possible for me to attend a Fling! It would be a tiny slice of Heaven! 🙂 TLE is my FAVORITE LYS even though it’s virtual! 🙂
That’s an awesome goody bag. Seldom have I seen so much yarn happiness in a single photo. 🙂
Thank you for the wonderful Spring Fling experience! I’m still reflecting on what I learned and remembering the generosity of the Loopy Ewe and their vendors, the teachers who did a lovely job sharing their knowledge with us, the people I met, the people I was able to reconnect with, the YARN I saw and coveted (and some I was able to purchase), the Elves, and the lovely Colorado weather. The food and lodging wasn’t bad either. :<) I'd like to win the goody bag and its contents for my roommate who wasn't able to join us this year.
That goody bag looks fabulous! I’d like o attend next year!
I would like it!!!!!! *Jumps up and down; waving hand wildly*
One of these years I hope to attend the Fling, doesn’t matter whether Fall or Spring. (I seriously didn’t mean to rhyme that!)
So sorry your back went out! The Fling looked great this year. Fun to see folks I knew in the group photo! Hanks for a chance at the goody bag!
Love that hippo bag
The hippo bag is super cute!
Disappointed that I had to miss out on Fling this year due to expecting my first child in just a few weeks – a cross-country trip in the 3rd trimester just wasn’t doable 🙂 Hope that you’re feeling better, Sheri!! Thanks for offering the goody bag giveaway for those of us not able to attend Fling this time.
I remember going to the first Spring Fling in St. Louis “years” ago! It was so much fun! I hope to make it to CO someday.
The goody bag looks awesome! I have a red Loopy mug from a while back with no handle but I still use it!
Hope your back is all better now 🙂
I’m so sorry about your sciatic nerve, but it sounds like the elves and their able assistants stepped up to the plate. I would love to snag that last goody bag, but I’m sure it will find a happy home.
I’m unlikely ever to make it to Spring Fling, being overseas. I’d love to win the goodie bag just to see what I’m missing out on!
What a nice goody bag! Looks like a lot of fun.
Hoping that you are well on your eyes to recovering from your sciatica!
What a wonderful bag and thanks for sharing fling with us. I’m hoping one day I will be able to join the fun. The bag of goodies would be wonderful to win.
WOW that is a great looking goody bag….so sorry I couldn’t fling this spring!
Someday I will make it to a Fling! It looks so fun, and the goodie bag looks great!
Oh my gosh–how lovely to share a big of Spring Fling with the rest of us!!! Thank you!!!! Fingers crossed.
I’ve always wanted to attend but just not possible to travel so far. Love your business.
Penny
Thank you so much, Sheri, for making an extra one available! I would love to win something because now that I am back in school, I’ve had to stop buying yarn (aaaaargh).
I wish I could have attended. Plyaway caught my fancy this year.The goody bag looks fantastic!
Spring Fling is still on my bucket list since life hasn’t treated me the best lately. Love the pics and living vicariously though! It would be AMAZING to win this goodie bag!!!
Someday I hope to be at String Fling. For now, I would just love getting picked to win the goody bag. Pick me please!
Someday I will make it to The Loopy Ewe out in Colorado! Loved when you were in St. Louis! Thank you!
The Loopy Ewe is amazing!!!
This sounds like a ton of fun, wish I had been able to attend!
Thanks for sharing the photos! Maybe someday I will be able to attend.