I spent last weekend at TNNA‘s summer show, and I think I’ve finally recovered from the sensory overload. Any description I try to write comes out as word salad—it was a lot to take in for this near-hermit—so here are some highlights in pictures. There’s a terrifying clown further down the page, so if you have a thing about scary clowns, you have been warned.

There was a metal sheep

and a metal Arnold.

There were zombies

and zombies*

and zombies.*

I found an ancient yarnbombing that had become one with the tree

and watched a barista in the North Market turn a broken cup into a baby igloo.

The quite lovely Ann Kingstone (designer of one of my favourite sweaters) bought me my first Jeni’s ice cream (blackcurrant frozen yoghurt, in case you’re wondering), but I ate it before I even thought to take a photo.

I met all sorts of kind, talented, fun, silly, sassy people; reveled in a weekend surrounded by knitters; and left with, among other things, some gorgeous yarn from Spincycle for a new design and some beautiful hat patterns from the delightful Woolly Wormhead. (Now I know what to make with those 4 oz. braids of spinning fibre. Huzzah!) As exhausting as it was, I feel inspired and grateful to be part of such a community. Their invigorating company was just what I needed to get through the mad crush of getting new designs out for the coming fall and winter, even while the Alabama summer turns the air to soup. Bring it on, I say. Bring it on.

*The last two zombie photos are from the Instagram stream of Shannon Okey/knitgrrl, a.k.a. the force behind Cooperative Press, and are posted here with her permission.