Catching up - CGOA Chain Link, Manchester, NH

I KNEW if I waited long enough, I wouldn't have to post much about the CGOA Chain Link conference - everyone else who was there would do it for me. :-) Check these out: Designing Vashti, The Crochet Dude, Everyday Crochet, and Crochet with Dee. The Crochet Dude was in charge of Professional Development Day, and did a bang-up job! Read about it on his blog. Vashti and Doris tell what it was like to be there. Dee gives a blow-by-blow description of the whole conference, including video of the great fashion show on Saturday night - which included kids, and a "runway strut" by Brian. (One lesson to remember - never follow kids or Brian on a runway!) I was there - but oh, so busy. Seven classes, board meeting, Market preview, Saturday night dinner and fashion show, meeting with the new Professional Development Chair, membership meeting, and many other meetings, including the "Musketeers and friends" meetings. We had one at least every day! Oh, I did get to go to the market, and I did get to purchase some yarn. Many times! But look at our official office sign, along with our official lamp - anybody remember lava lamps?



One thing I didn't do - I did miss out on a side trip to Maine - for the best lobsters, I understand, because I had to teach on Sunday! But - I did get to go to WEBS, twice! Once going to New Hampshire on the way to Chain Link, and once coming back. And, because we drove (well really, Jane drove, I crocheted) we got to visit 2 other yarn shops on the way home. And one even had a 20% off sale on everything in the store. Check out Jane's blog, Yarn Adventures, to find out more about those two shops.

Let me tell you about WEBS.
The outside - well, it was not too exciting. Looked like just another big store. Well, the store WAS BIG! Huge, as a matter of fact.



When I walked in, I was not prepared for what I saw. Rows and rows of yarns, yarns, and more yarns. And, I understand, needles, hooks, and buttons. (I was so mesmerized by the yarns, I didn't even look at the hooks!) This is a view of the store when you first enter it. Notice how the shelves of yarn just seem to stretch for miles!



This is a picture of just one part of one of the aisles in WEBS. Now you can see why I completely missed the hooks, needles, and buttons!



In the back of the store - which was a good distance from the front - there was a warehouse - and it was open to the public. More aisles and aisles of yarns. It was like a candy store! Only better! I discovered their Valley Yarns in the warehouse, and immediately fell in love with the various worsted weight cottons. I'm into cotton yarns right now (maybe because of the hot summer weather) and I was able to get some cones and skeins of Valley Yarns, and other cottons that looked intriguing. And that was just the first visit. On the second visit, on the way home, of course I had to get more. The only thing stopping me was that, between the two of us, there was limited room for more yarn!
This is just one aisle of many in the warehouse!