Handmade Nation

Things to do & apply for

Applications for the 3rd annual Strange Folk Festival are being accepted at strangefolkfestival.com now thru July 6th! Our 2008 show will be September 27th and 28th, Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

This event is juried, and we will be choosing 120 vendors. There is no fee to apply. The vendor fee will be $65, and they have the option of renting a table or bringing their own tent. Last year, we hosted 100 indie artists and crafters from across the country in a one day event that attracted over 5,000 attendees from the St. Louis area

YarnCon is Chicago's own yarn-centric exhibition -- a place to promote, sell, and celebrate the yarny arts.

We are two Chicago knitters and otherwise crafty gals who love supporting local artists and businesses. In the last couple of years, we found ourselves seeking out local producers of yarn and other supplies to feed our growing habit and simultaneously satisfy our desire to promote the local economy.

In the course of our day-trips to fabled spinning supply shops and meeting friends of friends with alpacas, we had an idea: to bring these producers, crafty folk, and other fiber fiends together under one roof in the heart of the city. And so YarnCon was conceived.

Inspired in part by fantastic local shows like the DIY Trunk Show, Renegade Craft Fair, and DEPART-ment, YarnCon aims to be the premier market for independent producers of yarn, knitted/crocheted objects, fiber for spinning, tools, gadgets, books, patterns, instructions, and gifts related to spinning, knitting, crochet, and weaving.

Whether you're buying, selling, or just want to come hang out and knit, crochet, or spin in a great Chicago park fieldhouse for the day, YarnCon has your number. Come by and check out the goings-on on October 4, 2008, or contact us at info@yarnygoodness.com for more info.