That being said, there's great advice available online to make the most of your festival experience. Perth Festival of Yarn has a section on its website entitled Yarn Fest Survival 101 (scroll down after the floor plan)
Knitting expert and Perth festival tutor, Karie Westermann, has also compiled The Fibre Festival Survival Guide and crochet guru, Fay Dashper-Hughes, shares her top ten tips for surviving and thriving at yarn shows in her Crochet Circle Podcast Episode 33 (watch at 13 minutes and 41 seconds in) or you can read her Shownotes.
So, with just a short time now until I go to Perth, I thought I'd share my own thoughts on making this a fabulous festival!
Friends
I'm meeting a friend at Perth Festival of Yarn so will have company to peruse all the stands. Here's her knitting, her very covetable mug, and her gorgeous dog! She lives in Perthshire so it's a great chance for us to spend the day together.
As I've attended a few yarn festivals before, including Edinburgh, Dornoch and Dingwall, I'd still go even if I was by myself.
Fibre folk are generally very friendly and there's a feeling of camaraderie amongst festival goers. Striking up a conversation isn't so difficult when you already know you've got a shared interest and may both be wearing compliment-worthy knitwear!
Feet
Be kind to your feet!
I can't let myself get too hungry. It makes me 'hangry' so I'll be hanging out beside the biscuits from time to time with my portable knitting project and a cuppa, eyeing up what everyone else has bought whilst I re-energise.
Focus
Printing out the Floor Plan is a must. Mine's now liberally annotated with highlighter to make sure I don't miss out on the stands I really want to visit and the people I really want to meet. I've got my notebook from Popcorn and Crocodiles that I blogged about here and I've assembled patterns, swatches and buttons to take with me to remind me of knitting projects in my future.
I know there's still a chance this might go completely out the window once I get there and see all the pretty yarn and knitting paraphernalia (and get chatting) - that's why I need to focus!
Fibre
Finally... it's all about enjoying the event, the company of friends, making new connections and filling my shopping bag with happy purchases.
I've even got a wee surprise up my sleeve (well, pinned to my chest!) so look out for me, say hello and I'll give you a neveratalooseend button badge!
It's survival of the fittest...or is that knittest!!! great advice and I hope you have a wonderful time at the festival
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