Bohemia

May 19, 2005 By

I don’t know if you’ve ever had this experience, but it’s quite wonderful: Your mind is overflowing with ideas, they’re rushing at you, unrelenting, confused, yet they all make sense, and you can see the end goal so clearly, as if it already exists in the world instead of your mind. I used to have this experience with my writing – I could see the words printed on the page before they ever left my head. I haven’t had that in a long time. Apparently now I’m getting it with knitting. (Not sure I’ve ever had it with photography – wait – that’s not true. It happens in the moment when I’m outside among the flowers. I see what I want. Sometimes I come back home and I didn’t get it – and I will go back outside to reshoot. But it’s never the same urgency as with the writing. Never the same, if I don’t get this down RIGHT.THIS.SECOND. I will regret it for the rest of my life. How’s that for pressure?)

Enter Bohemia – a name so lacking in originality it might just be original:

What’s that you say? It looks like a swatch? Yes, just a swatch, but within this swatch holds the DNA if you will, the cosmic design, of an entire cardigan sweater. With saddle sleeves. And gorgeous wood buttons from Tender Buttons in NYC that haven’t been purchased yet and will probably cost more than the yarn but are stunning. Stunning I tell you. And exotic. Made from something like coconuts or the backs of beetles. (Okay, yeah, I know. Neither coconuts or beetles are wood – but coconuts grow on trees and beetles eat trees – don’t they eat trees? Indulge me people. I’m excited here!)

It may seem like a simple cable design (again, I’m stuck on this – can I call it design when really I’m just combining cables from the Harmony Guide to Aran Knitting?) but really it’s everything I’ve been looking for. I’ve been wanting to do cables, because, you know, short rows haven’t been challenging enough. No really, I’ve been wanting to do cables what with all the Alice Starmore floating around in the ether. But I don’t want to do an AS design (BLASPHEMER!! tut, tut, tut!) because I know I’d never wear it. I bought some JS DK Silkroad Tweed in the Boheme color (because the two colors I have sitting at home just weren’t right for this project) and immediately was inspired when it arrived. I thought maybe I’d use it for the Seed Stitch Cable Cardigan, but I started swatching it and didn’t like it. So I started looking through my cable books. This one’s too much. This one’s not enough. And then I found it.

See it? The crisscross in the middle grows out of three C6Bs. So what better way to surround it but with C6Bs? So nice, right?

I really want saddle sleeves on this sweater. I just love the way the cable can travel over the shoulder – ever since I bought Ann Budd’s book, I’ve known I was going to do a saddle sleeve cable sweater. So last night, while my swatch was nice and damp and sitting waiting to dry and be measured, I’m looking through the book and the measurements for the sleeve. My beautiful, lovely C6B into a twist is too big for the sleeve. Now, before you all come out of the wood work and tell me that I can change the pattern?!? please, let me live within my boundaries. I’m not changing the template pattern. It’s hard enough I’m trying to make my idea into an actual THING. But it’s all okay because I also realized that I’m probably going to need something else in the pattern anyway. Some kind of 10-12 stitch cable that will be perfect up the middle back and on either side of the front button holes. I won’t have enough room to do two large cables (surrounded by two C6Bs), but I’ll need to fill the space. Enter the new cable. I don’t know what it is. But rest assured, I’ll be pouring over the books today. Maybe I’ll throw an AS cable in there anyway. It’s possible. And for sure this new, yet to be discovered, beyond fantastic cable, will be traveling up my saddle sleeve!

Can anyone tell me – how do you chart on the computer? Is there software with all the little do hickies to make cables and twists, or do you make them up yourself?

God I hope this works out. I will be really, really disappointed if it doesn’t.

In other knitting news, I’m completely bored by the Clap (hence the foray into Bohemia) and I am beyond missing short rows. My self-imposed exile (I WILL NOT START THE FRONT UNTIL THE ENDS ARE IN ON THE BACK!) is killing me – but I will not cave. I promise to weave in some ends today. And maybe start on the sleeve again. Oh yeah. I’ve got to do that Clap too. It’s a gift. Birthday’s Friday. It’ll be late, but do I want it to be THAT late?

Speaking of late, I owe people. People, I know! Please forgive me! The gifts/contest winnings will be coming. They will! I swear. I’m trying to give you the bestest gift I can so I’m waiting a little while longer. Just know I haven’t forgotten.

Wherever you are, whomever you’re with, have a beautiful day!

Filed Under: Bohemia, Design, Photographs

Git Yer Sheepy, Sheep, Sheep, Sheep

May 18, 2005 By

Due to popular demand PhotoArtCards is now offering the super duper deluxe Sheep & Wool PhotoArtCard Box!

Each box contains 8 PhotoArtCards: two of each photograph.
$2.00 of the sale of each box will go to
Heifer International towards a Knitting Basket.

color=”#82082C” size=”5″>$20.00 Per Box
Price does not include tax or shipping & handling charges.

So run on over and git yer sheepy, sheep, sheep, sheep! But first, a little business. I use a third-party in order to accept credit cards. 2checkout.com acts as the store, so to speak, and I act as the supplier. So they process your credit card information, WHICH I NEVER SEE. They also take care of any disputes that may arrive, for the seller and the purchaser. I’ve found them to be a much better alternative to paypal. (I don’t know of any 2checkout.com sucks web sites – let me know if they’re out there though!)

I will keep a running tally of how much money has been collected for Heifer and the knitting baskets in my sidebar.

As each card is assembled by hand, please allow three weeks for delivery. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks!

PS – Thanks Ann for being my first customer! : )

Filed Under: Heifer International, Maryland Sheep & Wool, Photographs

My Bleeding Heart

May 18, 2005 By

For Ann

Not much on the agenda today – some knitting, some photo stuff, some cleaning. Class went well last night. A good group makes all the difference. And I only had to do it for one night. No strings attached. I’m getting really excited about a couple of projects, one knitting, one knitting related. Hope to have more info in a couple of days.

While you’re enjoying this Wednesday, please remember the important things in life. Like our freedoms. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, ask Bill Moyers. (Thanks Mary and Kerstin for the link.)

Filed Under: Photographs, politics and other crap

Substitute

May 17, 2005 By

Substitute me for him
Substitute my coke for gin
Substitute you for my mum
At least I’ll get my washing done

I’m substituting tonight for a Fiction II workshop, so I’ve got work to do today. But I thought this was the perfect time to do the book meme that Lorette tagged me for a million years ago. (Sorry Lorette! I didn’t forget, I just got stuck in my life!)

Q: You’re stuck inside Fahrenheit 451, which book do you want to be?

Fahrenheit 451. A book about the dangers of the sublimation of independent thinking sounds good to me.


Q: Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character?

Oh sure. Robert Jordan. Rabbit Angstrom. The two guys are probably my biggest crushes. I don’t think Rhett Butler counts, as I read GWTW when I was eleven and I didn’t know then what to properly do with imaginary crushes. You can throw Howard Roark in the RB category as well.

Now if you want to talk about author crushes, well, they are legion.


Q: The last book you bought is:

I went on a mini-spree a couple of weeks ago. Borders was having a buy two get one free sale or some such thing so I bought: Pete Dexter’s Train, Sam Lipsyte’s Home Land and The Best American Short Stories: 2004, edited by Lorrie Moore. Then, as I was leaving the store, I found James Salter’s short story collection, Last Night. I LOVE James Salter. Really and truly love him.

Q: The last book you read:

Easter Parade by Richard Yates

Q: What are you currently reading?

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, for K1R2. (Don’t forget to vote!)

Q: Five books you would take to a desert island.

Don Quixote by Cervantes

So Long, See You Tomorrow by William Maxwell

Diary of a Seducer by Kierkegaard

Rabbit, Run by John Updike

The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky

These are the five books that came to mind. Not sure why. Not sure I’d actually take them, but this is what came to me first.


Q: Who are you going to pass this stick to (3 persons) and why?
Whoever wants it, consider yourself tagged!

Filed Under: blogging stuff, Books

HodgePodge

May 16, 2005 By

First off, for Chelsea, who wants me to post a flower a day for a week. (Okay, not just me, everybody! So join in the fun!) And for Lara.

Next up, we’ve got one you’ll all know. I feel like it should be on Army Warning Posters by now – beware of pretty girls with the Clap!

Alchemy Yarns of Transformation Silk Purse, Sea of Cortez colorway. The color is much darker than I thought it would be, but I still like it. The silk is interesting to work with – very slippery and fuzzier than I thought – also, don’t know if this is something that should be happening or not, but sometimes I find a spot in the yarn where the dye has not penetrated – you can see the white poking through. Normal? I don’t really care, just asking. I’ve dropped three stitches so far and am almost through my second hank of yarn. I started with seven. Used one and change for the increases – I threw an extra repeat in there – and will probably end up going through the rest of the yarn. By the way, thanks Emma for the tip link – very helpful!

New favorite Children’s Book:

Have you seen it yet? Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems. Seriously, after reading this 479 times in three days, I actually miss it. It’s a hoot, and the kids get to say their favorite word, over and over and over. NO! (This takes it’s place of honor in my kids’ books bookcase along with Bark, George, Rotten Island, and Duck Is Dirty. Classics all.)

I don’t know about you, but whenever I look at this, I see the Grand Canyon times two:

Pinwheel avec holes.


I’ve been too heartbroken to pick it back up. I promise it will be fixed before I head back to my sister’s – for my niece’s second birthday. (She’s having a Dora party don’t you know. She so freaking cute. She LOVES Dora. She calls Dora Dodo. But if you say to her, is that Dodo? She freaks out. No, Dodo. Dodo? you say. NO, DODO. Poor girl. We’re so mean!)

What’s this?


Maybe something, maybe not, but you’ve got to try, right? We shall see.

Have a great Monday!

Filed Under: Books, Clap-o-TEE, Design, Kids, Photographs, Pinwheel

From One Saturday to the Next….

May 15, 2005 By

My knight in shining armor drove down to Philly Friday night to pick me up – in the end though we didn’t get in until Saturday – just after midnight. I had officially been gone more than a week. NOT the plan. Oh well. I’m home – things are falling apart (our TV in the living room, the big mofo, blew up on us last night. NOT what we need right now) – but I’m home.

It was a busy shopping week, to be sure. (I’m regretting some of my purchases in light of the TV situation, but what can you do!)


This includes my purchases at MDS$W and others throughout the week. Click on the extended entry if you’d like details about the haul.

Here are some pictures from the festival that I finally got around to uploading. You want sheep – you got sheep!

I really didn’t take many at all – the lighting inside the barns was pretty dismal and well, I just didn’t try that hard. I’m pretty happy with these though.

And during the week there was face painting at the Zoo!

Saturday I had a brief, but intense blogger meet-up! The Wry Punster was in town for a show and I ran into the city to meet with her. The traffic was abyssmal, parking worse (should’ve NEVER taken the car in!) but as soon as Elspeth was in the passenger seat a spot opened up! Good parking karma if you ask me. We did a brief run through at School Products (I wasn’t that impressed to be honest) and a religious experience at Habu. I managed to spend $100 in the fifteen minutes we were there! Seriously amazing stuff.

It’s SILK. But it looks like snake-skin and is thick and not really soft at all. Like leather shoe laces, to be honest. I bought it with on of the bags in Loop-de-Loop in mind but there’s no way I have enough. I don’t know what I’ll do with it. Look at it and go ahhhhhh. Really. That might be all I need. SILK! 100 Percent!

Elspeth – it was great to meet you – hopefully, if we do it again – it will be leisurely and quiet and not involve a Saturday at 29th Street. Hope the show was fantastic! (I’m sorry if I talked too much. After we split up, I felt like I talked too much. Maybe I was nervous?)

Want to see the other fibery goodness purchased this week? Keep reading….

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Maryland Sheep & Wool, Stash

Stuck!

May 13, 2005 By

I’m STILL in Philadelphia.

At least when they decided to suspend train service between New Jersey and New York, I was on the train, which was sitting in the station in Philly. God help me if I had been out there somewhere in the middle of NJ with no idea when I’d get off the fricking train, and where I’d end up if I did. Even if I did have 4,629,871 yards of yarn with me. Literally. Remember, I don’t lie.

My nephew, who cried when I left, was overjoyed that I came back. He’d still be hugging me if his mother didn’t make him go to bed. I can’t wait to see my niece in the morning – although she doesn’t quite get it – when they all came home from taking me to the train station, Charlotte asked, “Where’s Cara?” She’s too cute for words.

Still, I miss my husband. I was supposed to go home Wednesday. And here it is Friday. I’ve been gone a week. AGAIN. I cried on the train when we made the decision that it was better for me to get off the train and go back to my sister’s. This is not a reflection on my sister or her family. But you know. I miss my life. I miss my home. I miss my love.

And to make matters worse, when I was weaving in ends on the baby’s Pinwheel Blanket, I truly and royally fucked up. I started out using my new favorite duplicate stitch method – but didn’t like it in the end. So I pulled the ends out again (it was a new yarn join) and rewove them diagonally (it looked great), but when I got to one of the ends, I pulled out a little too much, or the wrong string, or who the hell knows what and after fucking withfixing it I managed to make two humongous holes. Right in the middle of the freaking blanket.

I have no idea how to fix it besides pulling out the cast off and dropping down the stitches to the holes, fixing it, then pulling the stitches back up the ladder. Tedious? Yes. Will it get me the result I want? Probably. So that’s what I’ll be doing. There was a chance that I would get some help tomorrow, but I won’t be home in time.

I’m just about at the end of the increases on Clap-O-TEE. Yippee yi yo. Tomorrow, while I wait for some way to get home, I’ll be starting the straight rows. Thanks for the advice on it, by the way. I got the answers I needed. I did manage to wind the next hank into a ball while waiting for Amtrak to decide that yes indeedy they were going to ruin my night.

I’ll have pictures of the colossal fuck-up, the Clap-O-TEE, the tremedous weekend (and week – eek!) yarn haul and the absolute most adorable face-painted Spiderman and Miss Piggy you ever did see – that is if I get to go home sometime in the next million years.

Filed Under: Pinwheel

I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends

May 12, 2005 By

It feels weird to follow up such a serious post with of all things a knitting question, ; ) but that’s what we’re here for right?

So, I’m making Clap-o-TEE. I’m using Achemy Yarns Silk Purse. I have seven hanks – each about 138 yds. I’ve just about finished the increase section (as specified by the pattern), with less than a 1/4 of the hank still left – really it’s not much. I could probably do another 12 rows of the increase section and finish off with the final six, and be done with the hank.

My question to all you Clap experts – what’s the breakdown? If I were to use 2 hanks for increases, would three hanks be enough for the straight rows and two for the decreases? Will that make it too short? Do you use the same amount for increases as decreases? Should I try to do about a hank and a half for the increases? I’d like it to be pretty big. I was also thinking of just doing one hank each for the increases and decreases and if I have left over making some kind of little silk purse to match. What do you think of that? It’s a birthday gift, by the way.

Thanks for any and info on the clap. I’m liking this pattern – I think it’s going to be awhile before the pencillin kicks in.

Have a great day! We’re off to the zoo! The REAL zoo, not the one it seems like I’m living in….

Filed Under: Clap-o-TEE

Fast Times at Maryland High

May 11, 2005 By

or What Do You Care What Other People Think?*

There’s been lots of talk in this wonderful world of knitblogs about inclusion, exclusion, friendships, tensions – it’s palpable. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was thinking about it the whole time I was in Maryland.

Who did I want to meet? Who wanted to meet me? What if those lists didn’t match? What if I wanted to meet someone that my companion didn’t want to meet – was I obligated to stay with her? Would she ditch me for someone better? (Thank god for Jen – she’s a confident as she is generous – she could’ve cared less that we split up here and there – now that’s someone I want to spend time with! 😉 )

In the past four months I’ve been fortunate to have met a significant number of knitbloggers – in person – between my trip to Boston, The Yarn Harlot’s visit to New York, Maryland – and every time it was exciting, and I believe I forged, or cemented, real, lasting TRUE LIFE, friendships. What more could I ask for in this blog world?

On the other hand, in every instance I had a nagging feeling of what am I doing here? That wallflower feeling so prevalent in high school – maybe you don’t know it? Where everyone is talking to someone else and your stuck in the middle of a large room, club soda in hand, trying to look like you’re thinking some great earth-shattering thought when really I’m just standing there alone feeling left out? How about those nagging thoughts like I KNOW everyone’s going out afterwards – where’s my invitation? They don’t want me to come – they don’t like me – blah, blah, blah.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not looking for people to stop in and leave me comments – we love you, we wanted you, you’re the greatest girl in the world. I don’t need it. Really. I don’t want it this way either. I’m actually very confident and know exactly what my life is about. It’s about loving and caring for my husband, my family. It’s about being a generous and sympathetic friend. I’m a perfectionist in the worst way. I panic. I have anxiety. I am extremely goofy. I’ve lived for a long time thinking that if I’ve been hugged, laughed, and told that someone loves me, it’s a good day – no matter how horrible it was otherwise. I love knitting and writing and taking pictures – sometimes in that order, and sometimes not. All in all, I’m a human being and human beings, no matter how much we endure, are emotionally frail. There’s a reason we stop believing our mothers when they’ve told us eight million times how beautiful and wonderful we are.

I’ve also recently found out that I love my blog. It’s given me something, frankly, I never really thought about. A community.

I’m a solitary person by nature. I’m a writer, and a loner and there’s nothing I like better than sitting in my house and knitting. With Georgie in the next room – and if it wasn’t for my niece and nephews – I’d never have to leave the house. When I started knitting it was in a void. My grandmother taught me one rainy afternoon – she gave me shiny metal needles and some day-glo orange Red Heart yarn. Three weeks later I had a baby blanket. Occasionally I’d go to a knitting shop to ask for advice, or I’d look on the Internet, but really, I was going it alone. I met Jen online in a completely non-knitting capacity – and because of our proximity, we became real-life friends – we’ve never had an online relationship really – but she was the one who introduced me to the blogs. I’d been wanting to document my projects for awhile – and that was really the main reason for starting my blog. The blog has single handedly gotten me writing again. Not necessarily what I’m meant to write, but writing nonetheless. And that can’t be BAD.

Along with my perfectionism comes obsession (and really – find me a knitter who isn’t obsessed) and it wasn’t long before I was reading every knitting blog that I could find. Slowly I became a regular reader of many, and they started reading back and then I made friends. Real friends. Some I’ve met in real life, some I may never meet, but they are a comfort to me, they bring humor and fun into my life, and they support my knitting. This last one is really important because there is no one in my “real” life that knits. When I first met Jen, it was crazy. I’d call my sister and tell her – “She knits. And she doesn’t mind going to every yarn store within a 25 mile radius. All in one day! I’m in love!” My sister is VERY grateful for you Jen.

Knitting and knit-bloggers by extension have opened up my life for me. I’m not one who likes to travel – as I said – I’d rather stay home. But lately, whenever Georgie brings up a place he’d like us to visit, my first thought is that there will be yarn stores there, and no doubt – knit bloggers. And that thought makes me feel like I could be comfortable anywhere.

Back to the whole tension thing: I’ve now met a good number of “famous” bloggers – and let me tell you they’ve seemed as uncomfortable with their “fame” as the people approaching them. Blogging is a dichotomy – in many instances it’s an intensely private journal that just so happens to have a very public face. At least it is for me. I shouldn’t presume to talk for others. But I can say this, for the bloggers I’ve met in person it’s been true for me that if I like your blog, I can pretty much say that I like you as well.

What was especially nice about Maryland was that I met bloggers whose blogs I’d never really read before. It was because I got to spend time with them that I will now follow their blogs – they are friends. There were also hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people at the festival. It was impossible to meet everyone you wanted to meet – it was overwhelming in so many ways. I’m honestly worried about Rhinebeck. There are too many people I’d like to spend time with – and not all of these people will overlap, I’m afraid. You’ve all had this experience, I’m sure. Friends from different walks of life, different ages, different backgrounds, different sensibilities. The dinner party where you bring everyone together and after five minutes you want to crawl in a corner. Chemistry is like lightning – you can’t control where it strikes. I’m afraid that the only thing that really connects these groups is me. And knitting. Narcissistic and tenuous at the same time. How’s that for being bold? I’m feeling pressure already to please all of the people all of the time. What to do? I don’t know. I’ll figure it out later. Inevitably, someone will be hurt (I’m talking generally here.) And to that I say tough. That’s life. I try to keep in mind always – there’s always going to be someone better off than me, and someone worse off than me. Perspective is necessary.

This is a long rambling post and it’s late and I’m tired running around with the kids all day. But I wanted to get this stuff off my chest because I’ve been thinking a lot about it. And after all – it’s my blog. I can do what I want with it. You don’t have to read it. Heck, I don’t have to read it.

I will end with this: I am the same no matter where I am, or who I’m with. I’m one of those people incapable of lying, so I can’t put on a persona to save my life. If I’m enthusiastic, it’s true. If I’m sad, it’s true. If I don’t like you, well, I’ll become very polite and end the conversation as soon as possible. If I’m your friend, I’m like the loyalest of dogs. You will not get rid of me unless you beat me over the nose with a wet newspaper too many times to count. I mate for life. I’m a swan. This is me. This blog is me, and if you’ve met me in person I can tell you that what you see is what you get. Take it or leave it.

Self-Portrait, November 2002

* Richard Feynman never cared a stitch what other people thought of him. He’s a personal hero.

Filed Under: blogging stuff

The Sheep! The Wool!

May 9, 2005 By

The Bloggers!

What a weekend! I learned quite a bit about myself – it’s funny really. One of the things I learned is that I’m not a casual picture taker – there are a few pictures to be sure, but only when I thought I could get something that met my (very) high standards. (You should know, these are standards I set for myself, not anyone else. I have an ideal photograph in my brain that I’m constantly striving for – it’s like that ideal story that never actually makes it to the page, even though it’s sloshing around my brain ALL THE TIME!) The few pictures I have will have to wait anyway – I’m down in Philly until Thursday it seems and I won’t be able to process them until I’m back. So this post is commentary only – feel free to skip it if you’re totally sick of Maryland and anything having to do with Sheep or Wool.

Jen picked me up Friday afternoon and after a brief panic attack on my part, we were merrily along the NJ Turnpike. We hit minimal traffic and Jen successfully maneuvered us to the Sheraton Columbia. We were both pretty beat (thanks Jen for the newly pregnant and exhausted excuse – wouldn’t want people to think I was a wuss 😉 ) so we climbed into our pjs and watched some TV (Gilmore Girls!) and chowed down on Keebler Iced Animal Crackers, Craisins (the cherry kind), almonds and anything else that wasn’t bolted to the wall. No sooner could you say Gyro and we were hungry again. We headed out to the mall across the street and shopped a little bit (can you believe it?!? With all that wool to be bought?) and then headed over to a personal favorite, PF Changs. A 2.5 HOUR FREAKING WAIT! Take-out is our friend. Pay-per-view is another friend. Asleep by 12:00.

It’s been a very long time (not sure I can remember the last time) that I shared a room with someone who wasn’t my husband or my relative. Jen was a superlative roomate. She brought along great snacks, had cute PJs (with sheep on them!), didn’t mind eating in and was an extremely quiet sleeper. I was blow drying my hair Saturday morning thinking just that – wow – I didn’t even hear her breathe – when she said to me – “You’re a really quiet sleeper.” Hey Jen – maybe we should ditch those snorers we’re currently sleeping with!

Saturday morning we were on our way about 8:40. We would’ve been to the festival by 9:00, except everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, was also on their way. We stood in a slow caravan to an open field, parked the car and headed off. Jen was over the moon after the first lamb bleet – me, not so much. I’m not a real animal person, to be honest. I thought the sheep were interesting – made some funny noises, but mostly they gave me a headache as I was walking through the stalls. Is that sacrilege? I’m sorry, but I’m nothing if not honest.

So we walk down this big hill past some barns and then we’re there – in the thick of it. When we arrived at 9:08, the line to buy t-shirts was like 45 minutes long. Apparently everything that anyone would want was gone by 9:15. I did manage to get a t-shirt that I’m very happy with. (I’m wearing it right now – third day in a row – how gross is that? I’m not taking it off until Rhinebeck.) I would’ve loved the oh so cute hoody that Lara took home, but that’s what I get for dillydallying in the yarn barns.

The one thing that really overwhelmed me was the smell of lamb cooking. It was scrumptious! My husband is Greek – so lamb is comfort food in my extended family. In fact, just last weekend we had some exceptional lamb for Greek Easter (from Niman Ranch if you’re interested.) Anyway, it all smelled wonderful – although I have to admit, carnivore that I am, it was kind of weird to have the lambs in the barn and the kebobs on the bbq right next door. Still, it didn’t stop me from a fantastic lamb on a roll sandwich. Mmmmmm.

Apparently, I shop for yarn the same way I shop for everything else. I’m an in and out kind of girl. If I don’t see it immediately, I’m gone. And I can scope a room in like 10 seconds and know if it’s there or not. In my mind I KNEW what I was looking for – yarn that I couldn’t find anywhere else. Handpainted. Super soft. Unique. Something special. Alright. You can stop laughing now.

We hit Brooks Farm early in the day, so there wasn’t a line to buy anything. Not only was their yarn possibly the nicest I saw all day, but they were by far the nicest vendors. Funny, accomodating, polite – even at 5PM on Saturday with their stock half gone. Kudos to you! In the morning, I bought five skeins of Four Play – four for me, and one for a SP4 Angel gift. I’m planning on making a shawl that I saw hanging in the booth – it’s from The Purl Stitch book. Ingenious pattern – four rows of garter stitch on size 6 needles, two rows stockinette on size 10s – repeat until end. So simple, yet so elegant.

After walking around the festival for eight hours and hitting almost every booth twice, I managed to find myself back at Brooks Farm. I hit them up for 1500 yds of Duet. Lara and Chelsea were my handy enablers on that purchase. Thanks girls! This yarn might be my favorite purchase of the day.

I made almost all of my purchases before the 12:30 knitblogger meet-up. I kid you not. Besides the Brooks Farm, my main purchase was some gorgeous 55% mohair, 45% merino from FireSong – the colors are amazing. Rusts, oranges, and an amazing gray/blue running through. I hope a photograh can capture it. I bought 1380 yds. I’m hoping for a cardigan.

I made some gift purchases at the Peace Fleece booth – some handpainted needles and the Everday Cardigan pattern for myself. And more gift purchases at Cloverleaf Farms. I also bought something special for Vicki – it was the first purchase of my day and has nothing to do with wool or sheep or spinning or knitting. Imagine that! But it called out to me, “Vicki, Vicki, buy this for Vicki!” So how could I resist.

I have to admit, by the end of the day I had just a twinge of buyer’s remorse (it seems like I kept buying the same colors over and over) and I would’ve loved to have lived like Jenny – she felt like she couldn’t buy anything without a project in mind to go along with it. Words to live by. Also, as with any shopping experience, the less crowds the better. I also had this feeling like if I didn’t buy it RIGHT THIS SECOND I’d never see it again. There was an urgency to the whole day that didn’t bode well for keeping track of your purchases. I’ll be smarter next time.

Walking around was quite the experience – one minute I’m completely engrossed in the yarn, the next minute I’m searching the crowds for familiar faces. The blogger meet-up was a great success and continued on throughout the day. I met Carrie, High Energy Jenny, Anne Marie, Lara, Chelsea, Sarah, Sarah, Dana, Joy, Kaitlyn, Christine, Anmiryam, Eilene, and about a million others – I’m sorry I don’t remember everyone’s name – but I do remember Donna‘s incredible Calmer Mariah. I’ve been dreaming about it. Really.) Lots and lots of fun – everyone!

Carolyn and I met up briefly and she gave me a yarn gift – so appropriate! – for knowing what/who FFFB were. Thank you Carolyn! I feel like I didn’t get a chance to thank you right – and we barely had time to talk. And Norma was there! Norma gave me the biggest hugs of the day – except for maybe Lolly – but I’m blowing Norma’s cover. She acts all tough on her blog – throwing around the Fbomb all day long – but she is the sweetest! A total sweetheart – the biggest smile each time I ran into her. And Norma, your hair looked to me to be the perfect shade of blonde. 😉

Some of my favorite moments of the day:

– Wandering around with Carrie – especially in the sheep barns. We were standing next to this one sheep who had an especially deep bleet – I mean bottom of the barrel James Earl Jones bleet. I was saying to her, “Hey – this sheep has a really deep…” And then BLEET. (Read it like an incredibly fat man belching a six pack.) Carrie about jumped into the stall next to her. Very, very funny.

– Standing in line for lamb meat with Lara and Chelsea. That Lara is a hoot and a half. I had such a fun time with both girls. Just so nice – totally the people you want to stand in line with while waiting for lamb. Or deciding what color Brooks Farm looks best.

– Getting a call from no-voice Lolly while roaming the fairgrounds and saying – where are you? where are you? and walking right into her! I’m so glad we got to hook up! I know it was a rough weekend for you and I’m grateful I got the chance to give you a hug! Hope you’re feeling better.

– Sitting on the grass swapping stories with other bloggers, eating lamb. Oh yeah. The Harlot was close by as well.

– Checking out the dog shepharding demonstration with Jen and Carrie. (Really it was sitting around on the grass chatting afterward….)

– The ride home with Jen – going over the day, planning for Rhinebeck – having her meet my babies. I’m so glad you got to see them! Aren’t they the cutest?!? Could you totally feel the love?

There wasn’t much I didn’t love, love, love!

Things I learned for Rhinebeck:

I won’t be spending the same money on yarn. I will have projects in mind. I will stay for the whole festival. I will socialize more (dinners, after hours parties – since I won’t be worrying about the shopping, I can sleep in!) I will (try to) take more pictures. I will eat more lamb. Seriously. It was damn good lamb.

There was some kind of bad news. No matter how safe I tried to be, I couldn’t help but catch it – I mean there were knitbloggers every where! It was probably airborne. Yeah. You know it. I caught The Clap. Pictures to come. It’s not pretty (it’s actually gorgeous!)

Filed Under: Maryland Sheep & Wool
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