Today I wanted to spend a few minutes and share my thoughts on Vogue Knitting Live NYC 2014's two "VIP" package events - the Friday night cocktail party and the Saturday night Gala dinner.
First, the cocktail party. To be honest, I was MUCH happier with last year's cocktail party. This year, the cocktail party was in a very small and cramped ballroom. Last year, the party was held on the Marriott Marquis 8th floor restaurant and bar area. With the floor-to-ceiling windows and views of Times Square, not only was that venue more fun, it also felt much more open. I felt VERY claustrophobic at this year's cocktail party. As a result, my mom, Diane, and I sat at a table in the back to have some breathing room. The drinks were fabulous and the wait staff and bartenders great - so thank you to the Marriott for that. The cocktail party featured the design contest finalists and several of their finished pieces. This was the best part of the party! I loved getting to meet the new designers and voting on their pieces. But - did anybody else notice that there was not a big announcement about who won either the judges choice or the people's choice?! What was the point then? Vogue Knitting either never mentioned it, or didn't do a good enough job publicizing it. I had very strong feelings about the designs and was hoping the woman I was rooting for would win! Check our girlyknits on Ravelry - you won't be disappointed!
Saturday night was the annual Gala dinner. This was BY FAR the best program ever at the Gala dinners. Barbara Kingsolver was the keynote speaker and she knocked my handmade knit socks off! What a great speaker! I personally am a big fan of Barbara's novels, but I had no idea how much she did besides writing. Barbara and her family have a large Icelandic sheep farm. I greatly enjoyed her speech about a year in the life of a sheep farm. I especially loved the pictures of the adorable kids! She was AMAZING! Another great perk of the Gala dinner is the Vogue Knitting fashion show which featured pieces from the upcoming issue of the magazine. Boy were those pieces gorgeous! I am getting very excited for the magazine now and I know that there are several pieces in that issue I want to put aside to make. Lastly, I have to say that the goody bags for this event were FABULOUS! Thank you so much to Rowan Yarns for the gorgeous yarn and pattern. I cannot wait to give it a go! These were the best bags yet! The only thing I did not like about the Gala dinner was that it was held in that same cramped ballroom. More light and openness would have made the room seem much less cramped. I felt awful for anyone with a walker - they would have been relegated to the rear tables and unable to make their way around the room at all. I was surprised that was something that Vogue Knitting did not plan for!
Anyways, please let me know your comments on these two events. I would love to hear your thoughts. I will be sharing more of my opinions on my classes, lectures, and OF COURSE, the marketplace throughout the week!
Until Next Time,
Broke Knitter
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