"What a great idea, to have a mobile ATM outside!" a patron exclaimed as she was walking through the front entrance, past the raffle and swag table. YarnCon had just opened its doors, and even though the first fifty entrants received a goodie bag, this does not mean their wallets will not open to take home some of the unique wares offered at the show.
YarnCon, in its second and final day today, is the premier independent spinning, dyeing, and yarncraft event in the city of Chicago. As the show has expanded to both a larger space and longer time format of two days in this year, many vendors are new to the event, as well as customers and onlookers. The show, located at 1340 W Washington Blvd in the Journeymen Plumber's Union Hall, is also in a new neighborhood from years past.
While some vendors felt the stress of only having two hours to set up their booths, the vast majority were ready right at 11 a.m. when the doors were opened, and the yarn enthusiasts came pouring into the hall. Many attendees wanted to arrive early in the day, so as not to miss Juniper Moon Farm owner Susan Gibbs tell her story of her business, her farm, and talk about her yarn line, available for distribution through Knitting Fever, Inc. Admission to the entire YarnCon event is free, Gibbs' lecture was free, and lunch, provided by the Heartland Cafe in Rogers Park, is reasonably priced for an off-site event.
As this is a Chicago-area local event, many of the vendors are located in the city of Chicago proper, such as The Wool Dispensary and Fleur de Fiber. Some vendors, such as Grinning Gargoyle and the Carolina Fiber Company, are located in the suburbs, but the vendors have also traveled from as far away as Michigan and Wisconsin to display their wares. YarnCon is also a chance for customers to purchase from purveyors who sell their goods on Etsy.com, a website dedicated to handcrafted and vintage items.
Today, the first fifty entrants will again receive a goodie bag, and a raffle will be held with drawings at regular intervals from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., closing time for the show, throughout the day. Raffle tickets are only $1, and entrants will have a chance to win donated items from each booth in the show. Susan Gibbs will reprise her lecture at 1 p.m. in the main hall, and again the lecture is free.
For more information on YarnCon, check the event website.
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