17 Jun Trendspotting at TNNA Summer 2016
The Stitchcraft team has just returned from another action-packed TNNA (The National NeedleArts Association), Summer Trade Show! This year’s show was in a totally new venue: Washington, DC, which proved to be a nice change of pace from the “usual” venue for the Summer show (Columbus, OH). In addition to taking a little time to sightsee, our team got a chance to network with the movers and shakers in our industry, spending time with designers, bloggers, manufacturers, and other folks who contribute to our robust fiber community.
Shown above, from L-R: Striped Pullover by Jen Owens in Plymouth Yarn, Diamond Arrow Poncho by Jan Runkel in Trendsetter Yarn, and the Parks Wrap by Brandy Velton in Brown Sheep Yarn.
The Summer show gave attendees a preview to the fall trends, both on the show floor and while attending the Yarn Group Fashion Show on Friday night. There were many beautiful garments walking the runway, but our team noticed that fair isle pullover sweaters and large, drapey ponchos were a recurring theme throughout. The Mango Moon sweaters made with Dale Garn Alpakka from Book 295 (below, left), and Dale Garn Lille Lerke from Book 311 Bror & Søster (below, right) are just a few examples of this trend.
Another trend we noticed was the continued popularity of USA-made yarns and products – there seemed to be more exhibitors featuring domestic wares than ever before. Favuor Valley Woodworking buttons (above, left) is based in New Hampshire, making their buttons with materials sourced in the USA; frequent exhibitor Brown Sheep Yarn (above, left middle) had a prominent “Made in the USA” sign and American flag displayed in their booth and has dedicated much of their advertising efforts to promoting their sustainable yarn production in Nebraska; Mountain Meadow Wool played a video in their booth sharing the story of their Wyoming-based mill and wool traceback database, featuring many domestically-produced yarns such as Green River (above, right middle), a fingering weight yarn spun from 50% Mountain Merino & 50% Bamboo/Viscose; Kraemer yarns debuted new colors in their Naturally Nazareth yarn (above, right), which is spun from domestically-produced wool in their mill located in Nazareth, Pennsylvania.
While walking the show floor, we spotted several woven items on display, even in booths which didn’t have weaving equipment. There were new styles of Zoom Loom Critter Kits (above, left) as well as larger projects made with rigid heddle and floor looms, such as kits from DJE Handwovens (above, right). Additionally, some yarn companies had small samples created with their yarns, such as this red, white and blue woven design on display in the Mountain Meadow Wool booth (below, left) and this sample created with a potholder loom using reclaimed sari silk yarn from Mango Moon (below, right).
Another exciting new trend to the show this year was The Business and Creative Services (BCS) Section, a new group that has formed under The National Needle Arts, separate from the Yarn Group. Focused on creating a community of writers, designers, fiber artists and marketing specialists to create a consistent message for the Needle Arts sector. Meetings are held at both the Summer and Winter trade shows. At the Summer show this past weekend, the BCS discussed goals and strategies for growing the community. Check out The National Needle Arts website here for more information. In addition to attending the BCS meeting, Stitchcraft also sponsored the Yarn Group After Party on Sunday night at the Flight wine bar.
You may have seen the Stitchcraft team handing out bananas and postcards while walking the trade show floor….along with account manager Mari’s baby Dash, who was wearing a banana suit!
If you’ve been struggling with bringing a fresh perspective and creativity to your marketing, pick up the banana phone to find out how we can help you manage your business goals. Contact Leanne at leanne@stitchcraftmarketing.com or 719-539-3110 for more information!
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