6/23/21 Wednesday
We arrived at the Doubletree Hotel in Rochester, MN around 1:30 pm. They didn’t have any King beds available until 2:30 so we hung around the lobby until then. It was fun meeting up with friends. Don couldn’t find his AirPods so after 2 trips to the car and looking all over, we decided that he must have left them at home so I connected mine to his phone. At 5pm, we met Susan, Pam, Amanda, and Michelle in the lobby and walked to Pittsburgh Blue Steakhouse. We had the Happy Hour menu for dinner and it was good. We all bought appetizers and then shared them with each other. When we came back, I sat in the ballroom and knit until bedtime.
6/24/21 Thursday
I was up early and my friend Pam, texted me around 6am that she was in the lobby knitting so I joined her. Then I woke Don up at 7 and we went to Bruegger’s Bagels for breakfast. After that, I went to the ballroom to knit until 10am when I had to teach my first class. I taught how to cable without cable needles and I had 10 students. It went well. Then I went to the drop-in sessions for designers Josh Ryks-Robinsky and Stephanie Lotven. After that Don, Pam, Ellie, Eleanor, and I went to lunch at the food court in the mall which was accessible by skyway and took about 5 minutes to walk to. After lunch, we came back and I went to the sessions for Shana Cohen and Megan Williams. All of these sessions were wonderful! They talked about their designs, showed samples, and even let us try things on. At 4pm was the opening ceremony and I was one of the lucky ones who won a door prize today! When it was over, Don and I went back to Pittsburgh Blue for happy hour for dinner. We had the Thai Chili wings and onion stack. After dinner, I went back to the ballroom for the PJ Party and hello event and treats plus the photo booth. It was a long day but a lot of fun!
6/24/21 Friday
I got up early and went to the lobby until 6:30 when I had to wake up Don. We went to Brueggers Bagels again for breakfast and then walked the ZK 5K. We finished in 55 minutes 54 seconds. I look forward to that every year. After that, I had enough time for a shower and then I had the mini skeins swap and the Designer showcases again featuring Shaina Scott and Kristen Ducker. In between the 2, I ran to the food court for lunch and had a slice of pizza and a drink ($6). At 1pm, I was the featured designer and since it was lunchtime, there weren’t many people there. and then stayed for the session with Lisa K. Ross. At 3pm, I had another class of Cables without needles which went well. At 4:30, we had a Romi Hill Shawl show and share. Then at 5:30pm, we took a group photo. After the group photo, all the teachers were taken out to dinner by Megan and Amy, the hosts of the retreat. We went to Victoria’s and the food was excellent. Our guest speaker at 8pm was Gaye Glaspie (GGMadeIt) and her speech was very inspirational.
6/265/21
I helped Erin (from Duluth, MN), od Three Irish Girls, and Angela (from NJ) od Molly Girl Yarn get their yarn down to the ballroom at 5:45 AM. Erin’s cousin, Cindy owns a yarn shop in Cuyahoga Falls, OH. After setting up the booth, Cindy bought us all breakfast from Pannekoeken and we ate it on the front porch of the hotel. Then at 9:30, we were open up for shopping to the 3 winners of ZK challenges. At 10, the marketplace opened up for retreat attendees and lasted until noon. I worked the checkout register (Square) on the iPad for Molly Girl Yarn. For lunch, Don and I went to Pannekoeken for our anniversary lunch, and even though we had to wait 30 min. the food was very good! The public marketplace opened at 1pm and lasted until 3 but I didn’t have to work again because they had an afternoon shift to help. When it came time to pack up and leave, I returned to help the ladies pack up their booth. After that, I sat and knit with friends until the closing ceremonies at 5:30p. Then I went back to the room to relax until the 8pm treats which were a variety of chocolates and they were SO good! What a wonderful way to end a retreat!
Things I Learned:
6/24/21 Thursday
I was up early and my friend Pam, texted me around 6am that she was in the lobby knitting so I joined her. Then I woke Don up at 7 and we went to Bruegger’s Bagels for breakfast. After that, I went to the ballroom to knit until 10am when I had to teach my first class. I taught how to cable without cable needles and I had 10 students. It went well. Then I went to the drop-in sessions for designers Josh Ryks-Robinsky and Stephanie Lotven. After that Don, Pam, Ellie, Eleanor, and I went to lunch at the food court in the mall which was accessible by skyway and took about 5 minutes to walk to. After lunch, we came back and I went to the sessions for Shana Cohen and Megan Williams. All of these sessions were wonderful! They talked about their designs, showed samples, and even let us try things on. At 4pm was the opening ceremony and I was one of the lucky ones who won a door prize today! When it was over, Don and I went back to Pittsburgh Blue for happy hour for dinner. We had the Thai Chili wings and onion stack. After dinner, I went back to the ballroom for the PJ Party and hello event and treats plus the photo booth. It was a long day but a lot of fun!
6/24/21 Friday
I got up early and went to the lobby until 6:30 when I had to wake up Don. We went to Brueggers Bagels again for breakfast and then walked the ZK 5K. We finished in 55 minutes 54 seconds. I look forward to that every year. After that, I had enough time for a shower and then I had the mini skeins swap and the Designer showcases again featuring Shaina Scott and Kristen Ducker. In between the 2, I ran to the food court for lunch and had a slice of pizza and a drink ($6). At 1pm, I was the featured designer and since it was lunchtime, there weren’t many people there. and then stayed for the session with Lisa K. Ross. At 3pm, I had another class of Cables without needles which went well. At 4:30, we had a Romi Hill Shawl show and share. Then at 5:30pm, we took a group photo. After the group photo, all the teachers were taken out to dinner by Megan and Amy, the hosts of the retreat. We went to Victoria’s and the food was excellent. Our guest speaker at 8pm was Gaye Glaspie (GGMadeIt) and her speech was very inspirational.
6/265/21
I helped Erin (from Duluth, MN), od Three Irish Girls, and Angela (from NJ) od Molly Girl Yarn get their yarn down to the ballroom at 5:45 AM. Erin’s cousin, Cindy owns a yarn shop in Cuyahoga Falls, OH. After setting up the booth, Cindy bought us all breakfast from Pannekoeken and we ate it on the front porch of the hotel. Then at 9:30, we were open up for shopping to the 3 winners of ZK challenges. At 10, the marketplace opened up for retreat attendees and lasted until noon. I worked the checkout register (Square) on the iPad for Molly Girl Yarn. For lunch, Don and I went to Pannekoeken for our anniversary lunch, and even though we had to wait 30 min. the food was very good! The public marketplace opened at 1pm and lasted until 3 but I didn’t have to work again because they had an afternoon shift to help. When it came time to pack up and leave, I returned to help the ladies pack up their booth. After that, I sat and knit with friends until the closing ceremonies at 5:30p. Then I went back to the room to relax until the 8pm treats which were a variety of chocolates and they were SO good! What a wonderful way to end a retreat!
Things I Learned:
- I learned how much I had in common with others at the retreat.
- I met new friends.
- Seeing projects in person was so much better than just seeing pictures of them.
- I want to make all of the things and I want them finished tomorrow.
- I enjoyed helping out in the yarn booth.
- I never want to be a vendor at a craft fair because it takes too much work to haul your good to the event.
- People are SO generous and if you need something and they have an extra one of it, they will give it to you.
- A man from the Mayo Clinic attended the marketplace because he saw the event mentioned on Instagram.
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