Snapshots from Chain Link 2018

Where's the summer going? (And can I get any of it back?) Here it is mid-August and I haven't even blogged about July's crochet conference. Time to remedy that situation.

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At the end of July I was privileged to attend Chain Link 2018, the national conference of the Crochet Guild of America, held this year in Portland, Oregon.

My flight left in the early evening, headed west towards a slowly-sinking sun that gilded the clouds outside the plane windows:

After a night in Salem, my friend Amy and I drove northward to Portland. Shy Mt. Hood was visible on the horizon for part of the drive:

The conference was held at a hotel near the Portland airport. (Very near.) Here's a typical view from our window:

Good thing I love airplanes. :) The room was surprisingly quiet given its proximity to the runway.

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Chain Link offers a large and tempting array of classes. This year, I signed up for Multiple Motifs with Susan Lowman, a wonderful instructor who taught us the basics of making a continuous crochet motif fabric. Here are the samples I completed in class:

I also signed up for Vashti Braha's Self-Healing Crochet Stitches and How to Cut Them, which was so absorbing that I forgot to take any photos in class! Vashti is a true innovator, and a crochet kindred spirit, so her classes are always fascinating.

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One of the great events of each year's conference is the Design Competition:

Crocheters from all over submit original designs in several categories, including garments, accessories, home decor, Tunisian, thread, artistic expression, and more.

Here are just a few of my favourite entries:

I wish I could credit the designers of these amazing pieces, but their names were not included in the competition, nor have they been released as of this writing. (CGOA members can view the winning entries by signing in here.)

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In addition to classes and competitions, Chain Link is a great chance to connect with friends.

Teresa Kasner and Gracie Saylor, two long-time blogging buddies who live in Oregon, came to meet me at the conference. Here we are (along with Gracie's sister) in the Marketplace:

Teresa, me, Gracie, and Gracie's sister. Photo courtesy of Teresa.

And here I am again with my friend and roommate Amy:

Photo courtesy of Amy

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In case you haven't noticed, another delightful feature of a crochet convention is that everyone wears crochet! Here are just a few of the wonderful projects I saw worn by friends and fellow designers:

Top left: Shari White, Susan Lowman, Kathy White, and unidentified (in light pink) hanging out in the common area. Top right: Vashti Braha and Kathy White sharing a hug.
Bottom left: Linda Dean in a striking Tunisian wrap. Bottom center: Ravelry friend Kelly's adorable crochet fascinator. Bottom right: Kathy White's Veronica Shawlette.

All these glories require yarn, so each year's conference includes a Marketplace full of beautiful fibers to tempt and inspire us.

A few of my favourite booths:

Top row: Renegade Yarn Co. yarns (left) and booth (right)
Middle row: Schmutzerella Yarns (left), Inner Yarn Zen (right)
Bottom row: Oink Pigments (left) and RedFish DyeWorks (right)

Not only is there yarn for sale, but conference attendees get lots of freebies too. Here's my combined haul from this year's event (six of those skeins were purchased; everything else was a gift):

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Time flies when you're having fun, and so it did at the conference. Before I knew it I was sitting in Portland Airport again, enjoying tamales for lunch while waiting for my flight home:

Then it was back on the plane for another beautiful flight over the varied and lovely land that is America:

And finally, home to a green and refreshingly damp Wisconsin. (Oregon, though beautiful, was horribly dry.)

For more photos of Chain Link 2018, see my roommate Amy's post here. A video of the conference banquet, featuring a speech by Pauline Turner and the annual Fashion Show, is available on the CGOA website here.

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Have you ever been to a crochet or knit event? How was it?

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