The weekend of April 1, a friend and I made the three-hour trek down to the Windy City for Yarn Con 2023.
Yarn Con is an independent fiber festival that features a lot of indie dyers from around the Midwest that was started in 2007. The first two days (Thursday and Friday) feature workshops and classes. The second two days (Saturday and Sunday) are a vendor marketplace that featured some of my favorite dyers.
I went down just for the vendor marketplace. There were 55 vendors; some of my favorites like Destination Yarns were present, and I got to find some new, cool dyers like Jems Luxe Fibers.
Admission was free and the first 50 in line got a free swag bag.
First for the bad: most of the fiber festivals I attend are outdoors. Due to Chicago spring weather (it was raining and windy), this festival was held at the Chicago Journeymen Plumber’s Union Hall.
The hall was very crowded on Saturday, which made it a little hard to shop. I think it would have been very difficult to navigate the floor in a scooter or wheelchair since I was standing shoulder to shoulder with other people quite a bit.
I came with a non-knitting friend, and she opted to stand off to the side while I shopped due to the congestion.
It’s clear that Yarn Con is popular, so hopefully the can source a location with more space next year.
Additionally the vendors were split up onto two floors and one balcony, and the balcony had very little walking space between the booths.
There were two food trucks available outside, but the lines for food and drinks were pretty long. I had some amazing baowiches from the Yum Dum truck.
Even though we were in downtown Chicago, the weather prohibited a lot of people from walking to restaurants a few blocks over, so I think an extra food truck would have been nice.
Overall, I think the con might need more space and food next year purely due to the amount of attendees (which is a great problem to have.)
Like I said, some of my favorite vendors were onsite.
Destination Yarn sent their Chicagoland colors with Cooperative Press as they couldn’t attend in person. I managed to snag three colors as well as this awesome project bag from Cooperative Press.
One of the fun parts of attending a fiber festival is that dyers will come up with a colorway that can only be found at that festival.
I managed to snag a skein of Miss Bab’s Yarn Con 2023 colorway Rainbow Carwash.
I also got a skein of Oink Pigments Yarn Con colorway Wolftopia.
I also discovered two dyers I had never heard of, but now love: Jems Luxe Fibers and Knit Circus Yarns.
I’ll be going to the beach in a month and these beachy colors are coming with me for vacation knitting.
The mini skein sets from Jems Luxe Fibers remind me of the ocean, while the two gradient sock cakes from Knit Circus Yarns are called “Life’s a Beach.”
Other popular vendors in attendance were Dye Mad Yarns, Black Cat Fibers and Up North Yarns.
Along with yarn there was a nice selection of roving, project bags, and swag like enamel pins and stickers.
There was also this super cool display from Mochimochi Land.
I really enjoyed my time at Yarn Con 2023, as the addition to my stash can attest. Hopefully next year’s con with be a little more spaced out.
Do you enjoy fiber festivals? Did you go to Yarn Con this year?
The colors, good heavens, I would show up just for the colors. I can’t knit or crochet to save my life, but lust is at home in my heart right now.
I’ve also attended book seller conventions in several indoor Chicago venues and, with apologies on behalf of my city of birth, am not surprised yours was in a too-small, multi-floor space with too few places to eat and our usual weather. But as you said, buyers and sellers carried on and still found real treasures.
I kept waffling about attending. It’s generally balancing my dislike of crowds with my lust for fibers. I hate buying fiber online. I need to touch it. Then, alas, my back made the decision for me. Take care of your core ladies! Thanks for sharing your experience and your finds. Maybe next year.
So gorgeous!! I haven’t been to a fiber festival for a while because I need to use what I have, but I am VERY jealous! You’ll need to post your F.O.’s or at least give a ravalry link!
Wow! I might have to plan family Midwest time in future so I can swing by (my extended family is in greater Cleveland, and I’m in New England). Wish I had known of this when my son was at UChicago. I love the idea of “show only” colourways, though I don’t have much patience with lines and crowds.
I haven’t been to one in a while, but I was thinking of going to the Estes Park Wool Market this year… this is making me want to go more, even though I am super close to SABLE status and need to knit from stash.
Looks like great fun.
I was in person at Yarn Con sometime prior to the pandemic. (Maybe 2018) Same hall with lack of space as the place became more crowded. OTOH, it was free to attend. My advice would be go early and make decisions rapidly. I was thinking of going this year but didn’t make it over.
I’ve been mostly doing my yarn buying online, and the colors on screen are pretty hit or miss. Nothing I can’t handle (so far), but definitely some changed plans. (Instead of accessories, the should’ve-been-teal forest green will be held together with a silk mohair for a sweater.)(One day. When I actually knit sweaters.)
I could go to a yarn event next weekend, but I’m in “ugh, people” mode. Don’t wanna. (I’m channelling my inner Murderbot.) Instead, I’m enjoying Lisa K. Ross’ Single Sock Spectacular KAL on Ravelry—by knitting a new pair two at a time instead of working to finish off the two second sock WIPs that have been languishing in my WIP pile for a year. I’m contrary like that.
The 50th anniversary of MD Sheep & Wool is in two weeks! I don’t need yarn, but am attending anyway. And, yes, I am sure I will bring home more yarn!
I love fiber fests! I’ve only been to Stitches West in Northern California and unfortunately haven’t been back since pandemic. I love seeing the yarn up close and meeting new dyers and crafty businesses. You’ve picked up some awesome yarns!