The Sheep and Wool Festival in Vermont was a big hoot - mostly because there were eight of us, and each one very interested in anything to do with fibre! (My favourite alpaca vendor wasn't there, so I had a moment of disappointment, but, hey, you can't have everything, eh?)
Once again I find myself with random pictures that don't cover the most important events but the moments where I actually felt like taking them.
Say hello to our friend baby alpaca - soft, cute and very nice to knit with. Not that he knows of it - yet...
I thought I didn't buy that much, but then quickly discovered that it is quite a lot. I would have coveted one of these:
It's 62$US, and for someone who has never tried spinning with a spindle before it just doesn't make sense to shell out that amount of money only to maybe find out that spining isn't the perfect occupation after all (right after knitting, of course). So I got this instead:
A very simple louet drop spindle to try it out and - being a penny pincher, but aware that I had to buy some since I wanted to try spinning right away - "colorful bits of fiber" for 1,50US. An ounce of merino/silk roving (yes, I am adventurous, I'm sure I need some experience before trying to spin this), a skein of sock yarn from Ellen Halfpint's Farm (such lovely, lovely things she sells...) and a copy of the much sought after IK Winter 2003 issue, the one that was missing in my collection, for 1$US. (Can you believe it sold on Ebay for about 18 bucks plus shipping?)
Fast forward to our hotel room where I whipped out the spindle and the fibre and tried to get started without any instructions or anyone around who'd already tried it. Look, I made this!
It's crappy, slubby yarn that would be way to thick to be plied, but in my opinion it is a lovely single ply - and no way on earth I am going to have enough yarn to make ANYTHING with it. I just love it. Not so sure about the whole spinning thing, I think I need more exercise.
Jennifer, Molly Ann and Mary admiring yarn. Mary actually bought some - I need to take a picture because it's really pretty.
Here's Véronik, Melanie and Kadi - I don't know where Deawn's hiding, I guess she was hanging out with Molly Ann the sheep!
After the Festival we went to have coffee at a Starbucks in Burlington - we will be remembered as the crowd who rearranged every single table and chair and continued to work with crazy gadgets all over the place. I am talking about Jennifer having to try out her new yarn winder, while we others sat and knitted and spun!
We went for Dinner to the "Five Spice Café" in Burlington, if you ever get the chance, go there! The food is delicious and I am still sad that I was so full after the entrée that I couldn't go for the Lemon Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate cake as dessert.
That's part one of our trip - tomorrow the rest will follow, with actual proof that I was there, too, that I bought more stuff and then I am going to introduce you to the newest member of my family...
There were some questions about my new job, people asked for details. Please understand that I cannot and will not put details here, it is just not up to me to make it public.
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