Last day of Sock Summit! So sad!

We started off with a Nancy Bush class, where she taught us three cast-ons. I can now do a braided cast-on, which makes me quite pleased with myself.

After class, we wandered around the marketplace one last time. We saw the guy at Skacel knitting 14 socks (7 pairs) at the same time on one long needle:

Then we sat in line for the luminary panel. I will never understand the people who wander in 5 minutes before the event and expect a front row center seat.

Anyway, Tina and Stephanie got up there:

And introduced the panel. Left to right: Meg Swansen, Barbara Walker, Judith MacKenzie-McCuin, and Nancy Bush.

Left to right: Lucy Neatby, Cat Bordhi, Deborah Robson, Anna Zilboorg, and Priscilla Gibson-Roberts.

Again, I don’t really know what to say. All of these women are inspirational. And HILARIOUS. Meg at some point talked about knitting camp, and how started at a time when women didn’t really travel without their husbands. Made me happy that we’re in a time when it’s not a big deal for Marisa and I to travel without our husbands and her son and get to experience a knitting convention, especially one as awesome as this.

Which now reminds me of something Barbara Walker said in the smaller lecture on Saturday – she at one time had a prolific doll collection that she made outfits for (Meg Swanson has half of the collection now and will be photographing them and putting on the internet). Someone asked her if she thought it was anti-feminist to have Barbies, and Barbara seemed surprised. I paraphrase, but she said something to the effect of “Why? She has the best PR person, and she’s more important than Ken!” Have I mentioned that I love her?

Anyway, then it was time for cake, celebrating the 99th anniversary of Elizabeth Zimmerman’s birth:

Which was then cut by her daughter:

And look, more Stephanie and Tina (by this point, I had become nothing but knitting paparazzi. Stars, they’re just like US! They eat cake!)

Once it was all over, Marisa and I left rather dejectedly. Seriously, SS09 ending was such a letdown. More than anything else we’ve ever been too. In good news, Tina said the word “first” at some point, and there are strong rumors for Toronto in 2011. Which is convenient, because Miyon is getting married in August of 2010. Marisa and I will totally give up Stitches West in 2011 for Sock Summit (there’s a limit to how many of these things we can go to).

Anyway, we wandered across the river to attend Bite of Oregon. The most notable food was the first we grabbed – mussaman curry from PK Thai was awesome. And my standards for Thai food are pretty high. Also, they had Rogue Brewery there, who chose Double Dead Guy Ale as one of the two available, which made me happy. So one of my last Oregon experiences was sitting with Marisa overlooking the river, drinking my freaking awesome beer.

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