NoSo 2009!

The weather here was awful. It's been raining (either very hard, or with such a heavy mist, I felt as if I'd moved to the Moors of Scotland!) all day. What a delight that we could spend this sort of a day here:
Roanoke's Annual Charity Knitting event - the NoSoKnit. (Believe me, there were no empty spaces once the event got started, these photos were taken early) This is to the right of our table and this
is to the left (and I can't seem to lighten it, I'm sorry).

Every year, we are handed yarn to knit a charity item (and since it's traditionally been an acrylic yarn, you know that's a huge challenge for me - this year? I finished something I'd been working on forever and didn't use the yarn in my bag - and the yarn they got this year for the charity projects next year is much much nicer on the hands, so Yippee).

There's a contest for the most imaginative use of the donated yarn:
This little guy won!
And this one was the runner-up (apparently the votes were so close they had to acknowledge him - which I think is only fitting...after all, I voted for this darling Red Hat Lady-colored Bunny!

The price of admission to the event includes one knitted item for charity. We're encouraged to knit premie and infant clothing for Carilion Hospital nursery, scarves for cancer patient's at our two area hospitals or something for battered women at The Turning Point (a local shelter). Donations of acrylic yarn, buttons, and needles are delivered to The Alderson Women's Prison Knitting Program in Alderson WV.
I assure you, this shot was taken early - the mountain of donations was staggering. Knitters Rock!

Everyone receives a door prize. Many of us donate them, but this year a lot of them came from our beloved Knitter's Knook owner, Becky, who now lives most of the year in China with her husband. She was so missed this year...and there were more than a few of us who mentioned how much we missed being able to visit Becky and sit and knit in her cozy shop!

Anyway, this was my door prize - there are 3 sks of each color in Lopi to make a felted bag:

There are always three vendors of yarn, one is a permanent fixture and the other two rotate each year. I was relatively good (and it wasn't easy) but coming off Sock Summit and my recent purchases (newly ordered, haven't arrived, promise I'll show you when they do!). From Orchardside, I picked up the missing size 0, 16-inch Addi circular. I now have a set, which is useful when you knit socks on two circs, ya know?
Yes, that's also Koigu. Gorgeous, no?

And then, I lucked out and picked up this skein of The Unplanned Peacock.
Natashia dyes lovely yarn (not just sock yarn, gals, she dyes it all!) and I snagged this skein of Lobelia. Somehow, I don't think this will be socks.

We knit and knit and laughed and talked. I had a great time, saw a lot of folks (like the Bedford gals), missed a few (like Sandra and my pal Lynette, who's blogless) and enjoyed seeing all the wonderful wares of the vendors. Lunch was great, as always.

What a day! If you're in the area and you'd like to join us next year, reserve the last Saturday of September on your calendar, and sign up for the notification on Ravelry (Ravelry link) and Yahoo. Oh. And start knitting your charity item - remember - only acrylic yarn!

*wink*