Darla Fanton

Lunch with Friends

I spent September 26 through the 30th in Oakland, CA teaching at the Fall Knit and Crochet Show and even finding time to take a class, which is a rare treat for me.

In addition to my students, who I am always thrilled to meet (or see again), Conferences also give me the opportunity to reconnect with fellow designers, teachers, and industry personnel who I usually see only once or twice a year.

In Oakland I had a delightful lunch with Nazee Fard, founder of Needlecraft University. We were joined by Kathleen Sams and Vicki Blizzard from Coats & Clark. These are three very delightful women whom I have known for quite awhile and lunch-time flew by. Soon I headed off to teach Tunisian Entrelac, Nazee headed to the Show Floor to shop and Vicki and Kathleen headed to the Show Floor to teach the Learn to Knit and Crochet classes sponsored by Coats & Clark.

Before we parted Nazee shared a photo of an absolutely gorgeous shawl she knit for an upcoming issue of Lace ‘n More. Lace knitting is so popular right now and Nazee’s work is lovely whether she is using knitting needles or a crochet hook.

Nazee also offered to take me to Lacis, a shop filled with things any textile lover would enjoy. Unfortunately I couldn’t fit it into my schedule. The next time I’m teaching in the area, I’m just going to have to arrive a day or two early to do some sightseeing!

While I’m busy retrieving class photos from my camera, I’ll leave you with a link to a slide show from the Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles, featuring incredible knitted lace by Marguerite Shimmons. Enjoy the eye candy!