little bit of crazy leaking out

 These are samples from my all day class on Friday with Susan Forsythe.

By the end of the class I had a need to buy fleeces, lots and lots of fleeces.  I had a need to flick them, to comb them, to card them and then finally to spin them.  I resisted, I guess it helps that the vendors were only setting up, not actually open.  In spite of that fact, I did manage to buy these . . .

Back at the hotel that night I finished off the Bluebells and Buttercups Superwash from Dragonfibers, and plied it.  Love the colors.

Saturday there was the much shopping, but no buying.  I know, I was shocked too.  My class in the afternoon produced these samples . . .

I learned how to andean ply in class.  I had tried it before, but this was the first time I had it work the way it’s supposed to.  The yarn barf on the bobbin, that we will not speak of, it is cursed. 

This beautiful skein of alpaca, from Sweet Grass Wool, was a birthday gift from Emma.  (Thanks Emma!)

Sunday was the parking lot fleece sale, where I walked away with a Finn lamb.  This is the softest fleece I have ever felt.  Look at that crimp.

And this is the washed Romney from Iron Water Ranch. 

Sampler packs from The Dizzy Ewe.  Breed Variety Pack:  BFL, Corriedale x, Shetland Moorit, Merino, Jacob, and FInn.  God’s Critters Variety Pack:  Angora Bunny, Tussah Silk, Fine Count Alpaca, Merino and Young Mohair.

My last purchase of the day arrived today . . .

. . . and is now in the freezer.  

 This last weekend was the Oregon Flock & Fiber Festival.  Friday, I picked up Annie at 4:20am . . .

. . . and Emma at 4:45am . . .

 . . . both agreed it was way to early. We made a quick stop to stretch our legs, top off the gas tank and get a nice view of Mt St. Helens with the sun rise.

Upon arival at the fairgrounds we met up with Betty and she and I headed off for an all day class with Susan Forsythe and by the end of the day I was in search of a set of Forsythe MiniCombs and even though none of the vendors was officially open I managed to purchase a set. oops. 

Although we were up before the crack of dawn, we managed to stay up late, spinning, in our hotel room.

We arrived Saturday and things were really cooking, so many vendors that every time you walked through there was something new you had missed the first time around.  It was amazing, but never felt overcrowded since the vendors were spread out over two buildings, the open grassy area and the barn.

There was another class in the afternoon, this time with Janelle of Chameleon Colorworks.  I now understand the fractile stripe article that was in Spin Off Summer ‘07, along with three other methods of spinning painted rovings.  Dinner was wonderful as we met up with Betty and her mom, Martha, a good time was had by all.  For photographic proof, see Emma’s blog, here.

Sunday was bad for the budget.  The parking lot fleece sale . . .

Emma and I were looking at some Finn fleeces, so soft, and I swooped in bought one of them while she was still deciding.  All’s fair in war and fleece sales.  There was more wandering and shopping, no classes for us today.  Here is Annie with her alpaca shawl and new basket, I wish I had bought one now, but there’s always next year. 

In addition to the Finn fleece I bought a washed Romney fleece from Iron Water Ranch, pics tomorrow.  Emma and I also bought a lamb, we opted not to get the head, and it will be FedExed to us to be placed in the freezer.  Grass fed, no hormones from SuDan Farm. 

The ride home was uneventful and we resisted stopping at Ikea for some tax free shopping.

ETA: On the way home hubby called to see how far from home we were.  I may have told him I would call before we headed out, oops.  I asked how the weekend had been for him, it was the first time I had left him with the kids for more than a day/afternoon.  He told me he had grand plans of what he was going to get done while I was gone. Ha!  The quote, directly from his lips was: “I was bitch-slapped by the baseball bat of reality.”  Yeah, staying home with the kids isn’t as easy as it looks is it!?

I can’t wait until next year!

pattern:  Knitting Pure & Simple #981 Children’s Neckdown Cardigan
yarn:  Peace Fleece Worsted - Moscow Magic Pink
needles:  Clover Bamboo
cast-on:  Sept 8, 2007  cast-off:  Sept 14, 2007 
notes:  This was one quick knit.  Seven days start to finish!  I debated what size to knit and ended up knitting the 6-8 and adding an inch to the body and the sleeves for some growing room.  So much for that idea!  As you can see from the pictures, it fits now.  I’m sure it will last thru the winter into the spring, but prolly not much past that.  The buttons were puchased from VYT and I really think they take the sweater from homemade to handmade.  The Peace Fleece was a bit rough while knitting but bloomed and softened quite a bit after a good steam blocking.

This past weekend I did quite a bit of knitting, laughing, and eating.  All good things in my book. 

Friday night was Knit Night at VYT, hubby got home and I zoomed out the door and spent a hour or so knitting with friends.  Some have questioned why I go to Knit Night, I go to VYT almost every Saturday and it would seem going on Friday night would be too much of a good thing.  It’s not, Knit Night is only the first Friday of the month and I only get to go, maybe, half of the time because of Hubby’s work schedule, and I get to see people I wouldn’t get to see otherwise.  I walked out of VYT that night with four skeins of Peace Fleece in Moscow Magic Pink for a sweater for Bug.  (One skein is a just in case skein and will be returned if I don’t need it.)

Now, I have been trying to reduce the stash and purchasing yarn doesn’t seem like the best way to do this.  So I came up with a wonderful justification and I wound the skeins into balls after I got home from Knit Night and cast on while at knitting group on Saturday.  The yarn never entered the stash so it doesn’t count.  About half the gals agreed the other half rolled thier eyes, whatever.  This immediate casting on and knitting of The Peace Fleece Cardigan means that I have set aside the Bolero I was working on, but you gotta do what you gotta do. 

Actually the fact that I don’t have about 20 projects on the needles is a miracle right now.  I have a horrible case of, as Dave at Criminy Jickets call’s it, Seasonal Startitis Syndrome.  It’s been bad.  I look at yarn and want to knit it NOW, I see a pattern . . . NOW . . . NOW . . . NOW.  I have resisted, I really have.

Anyway, Saturday Hubby took me to VYT, since my car is in the shop, and then went away with the kids and didn’t come back for four hours.  Is he a good husband or what?!  That night after the kids went to bed I pulled out the knitting again and continued working on the cardigan while we watched The 4400 and BSG (gotta love netflix). 

Sunday morning my parent picked us up and we went upto my cousin’s for a birthday/anniversary party.  I knit the hour on the way up, part of the time there, and the hour on the way back.  I love going to my cousin’s, she is fun, laid back and always makes you feel welcome.  My aunt and four of my adult cousins were there, the kids had a blast with all the attention.  There were water balloons, trips to the garden, food, games of cribbage,  more food, and cake.  I came home with two bags of produce from the garden (beets, small zucchini, red onions and giant carrots), leftover carrot cake, and greek stuffed zucchini (yummy, have to get her recipe).  With all the fun we had there was one disapiontment: MY DEAR COUSIN IS NOT USING THE HANDKNITS!  Last time we were there I brought her a few knit dishcloths, they are sitting nicely on the counter as doileys, one with the butter dish on it and the other two were on top of the microwave.  I threatened to take them back, she says they are to pretty to use.  *sigh* Guess I need to make her some ugly dishcloths.

I kept chugging away on the cardigan yesterday evening, I even fell asleep sitting on the couch, while knitting, Hubby woke me up at 4am and told me to go to bed.  I was a little tired this morning, but the sweater is getting done.  I am enjoying knitting with the Peace Fleece, it has a bit of VM in it but less than Noro, I was worried it would be splitty since it is a loose 2ply, but I haven’t had any trouble so far.