Urban Craft Uprising

This past Saturday I sauntered over to Seattle Center to check out Urban Craft Uprising. It's awesome living within walking distance of such a popular urban hub, especially since I did something a little crazy... I stood outside for two whole hours so that I could get my hands on a swag bag. What are swag bags? They are UCU's increasingly popular door-buster bags full of delights contributed by the vendors. Only the first 100 people in line each day get one, so competition is fierce!

Happily I was there in time to be number 83 and got my swag bag. Can you spot my shadow in this picture? I had to wait hours to get my bag, so I'm going to be a jerk and make you wait until the end of this post to find out what was inside! I thought standing in line was going to be awful, but the lovely people in line with me made it awesome. We had a great time together while trying not to lose our toes to the cold.

There were so many gorgeous handmade items at UCU and I got several holiday gifts while I was there. I'll bet you can guess what else was there... crochet! There were many crochet and yarn related vendors present. Here is a sampling.

Kristen Rask of Schmancy was there selling adorable plushies and promoting her new kits and books. She also did a book signing. Aren't those cacti awesome? Kristen runs a toy shop here in Seattle.

The folks over at the Yarnia booth had many beautiful cones of yarn for sale. If you visit their store in Portland, Oregon you can arrange your very own custom skein of yarn. You can also do this online. Cool! Someone in line with me got one of the cones in their swag bag. I was so jealous! They had two small swatches pinned to every cone, one knit and one crochet. I really appreciated that since most of the time it seems that only a knit swatch is provided.

Anna Sharp of Victory Garden Yarn had delightfully squishy, soft, and cosy crochet winter items for sale in bold colors. I should have asked her what yarn she uses to make her items. It was the softest wool acrylic blend I've ever felt.

Diana Schreiber of Moss was so friendly! Here's a confession: I don't usually like crochet jewelry. It can sometimes be a little gaudy. However, Diana's pretties weren't gaudy at all. They were sweet and delicate with accents of beads and metal. Her tension is perfect. I ended up walking away with a holiday gift for a family member. Truly stunning pieces. To add to her awesomeness, she even dyes the thread that she uses herself.

Yarnarchy was showcasing some eye-catching yarns. I wanted to buy some so badly, but I'm not allowed to buy any more yarn until I finish the projects I'm working on! Fooey. At least she has an Etsy shop so I can snag some when I'm ready. I mean, just look at those beautiful greens and purples! It's like a garden.


In addition to being filled with talented vendors, the exhibition hall was also filled with fabulous craft enthusiasts. Many of them were sporting crochet accessories. I asked a few kind souls if they would mind me taking their picture. They graciously obliged me!

This woman and her darling baby were both wearing crocheted hats. Giraffe baby hats have been really popular this year in the crochet world. It's obvious why. What a cutie!

This felted crochet bag caught my eye from far away and I wove my way through the crowd to get a better look. It's fabulous! This amiable lady also had rad purple hair. Outfit success in my opinion!

A fuchsia crochet cap adorned the head of this genial attendant. The top kind of reminds me of the Divine Hat. I love seeing more and more people wearing stylish crochet items out and about.

I loved chatting with this lively lady. She told me her colorful thrifted crochet hat often sparks compliments. She looked so radiant with her bright hat, coat, and scarf.


Did you think I'd forget to show you the contents of my swag bag? No way! Here's what I got.

A printed doll dress, a notebook made from a used book, a macaroon, a soap sample, a bookmark, and a gift tag. All in all a great morning at the craft show! Urban Craft Uprising happens twice a year, so if you missed it this time around there's always summer. Maybe I'll see you there!