Mason Dixon Knitting World Headquarters!
Now I tried to fit everything that happened in Nashville last weekend into one post, but when I tried to combine all that is SSK and MDK it was just too much goodness.
My first adventure was with Ann Shayne of Mason Dixon Knitting. Ann is my kind of woman, with limited time to play and sass she knew just where to take me. Lunch to swap stories, Parnassus Books and Mason Dixon Knitting Headquarters to fondle yarn and spin ideas.
Before I get to the yarn, just a couple of words about Parnassus Books - Holy crap what a great store! This one, co-owned by author Ann Patchett, is up there with Powells, Book People and the Tattered Cover.
That's Ann up there in the photo and I want you to imagine that she offers a bouquet of Jill Draper mini skeins to everyone that walks through the door at Mason Dixon, it's just the neighborly thing to do.
The MDK offices are full of yarn and I pet and squeezed all of it. They pack and ship every skein they sell from this office. Not one skein of yarn would get sold or shipped, and I believe that Ann and Kay might have trouble finding their own butts without the help of Liz, the woman on the right with her dog Daisy. She is the most organized woman I've ever met. Look at the color coded binders on her desk, frightening.
Bonus visit: Fringe Association is in the same building as MDK. I got to hug Karen Templer and she didn't even comment on my strings of drool as I surveyed her mighty inventory. I could have easily bought one of everything. As beautiful as things look on her site, in person it's even better.
I got some sneak previews of new Mason Dixon Knitting kits and the upcoming Field Guides, so many cool things! There was also some plotting and planning, I'm super excited.
Did you see the PLY news, today? PLY Magazine is going to start publishing books! And guess who has two thumbs and is on the book publishing team, yep, me. Again, with the excited!
Have a spinning book you want to write or an idea for a great book that you want someone else to write? The announcement and info about all of those things are on the PLY blog today.