05.07.08
Posted in Fibers, Photos, Spinning, Travel, Yarn, cooking/food, shopping at 5:17 pm by delipics
Happiness is attending a fiber festival –
See more festival photos here.
What an experience! I went with Maria and Jocelyn, two experienced MDSW festival attenders who showed me, the newbie, the ropes. We did so much!
Day 1:
- Wake up at 6:30 a.m., shower, continental breakfast at The Days Inn because not enough time to go to Waffle House.
- Pack bags, load-up the car with spinning wheels, get breakfast / coffee for Maria & Jocelyn.
- Drop off Maria’s and Jocelyn’s spinning wheels.
- Run to The Fold. Stand amazed at the line that is already there. Push way in to look at the yarn. Stand in line and chat with other excited knitters. Spend time going back to look, consult with friends, go back, consult — purchase two skeins.
- Help Maria take her fleece to Zeilinger’s.
- Wander around main exhibition hall. Become very excited by the process of wool rug hooking. Buy a starter kit, marvel at the designs of the rug hookers working at the table. Very nice ladies - they answered all my questions
- Lunch - pit lamb sandwich. Decide still hungry and get a lamb burger.
- Go to Judith MacKenzie McCuin’s talk on Getting Your Fleece Processed.
- Maria & Jocelyn go to their spinning class.
- Find a grassy, shaded area and nap for an hour. Wake up and work on Raquel’s scarf.
- Eat vanilla ice cream dipped in chocolate. Feel sick.
- Go back to main exhibition area and contemplate which yarn to buy. Decide to put off for tomorrow.
- Meet up with M&J. Share a plate of ribbon potato chips with everything - sour cream, cheese, jalapenos, bacon bits, fake green onion bits. Now truly sick.
- Just as we’re about to make our way to the car, we get distracted by the yarns and rovings at Persimmon Tree Farm. M&J buy more roving.
- Drive to the Ravelry party. Accidentally walk through a wedding reception. Arrive way too early so sit outside of the pool and chat with Michelle from Philadelphia & Kristy from Minneapolis. (Forgot their blogs names!)
- Ravelry party starts. Get nametags. Get drink tickets. Get drinks and munchies. We sit outside but get annoyed by the bugs and retreat to the inside. Get teased for being too New York and not able to handle bugs. Jocelyn’s friend meets up with us.
- Leave Ravelry party to get dinner - Ethiopian food in downtown Fredrick. Jocelyln completely charms the owners because she lived in Ethiopia for two years.
- Back to the Days Inn to pass out.
Day 2
- Wake up at 6:30 a.m. to pack up the car and check out.
- Maria goes to class. Go shopping with Jocelyn.
- Buy yarn from Persimmon Tree Farm in a beautiful orange and brown colorway.
- Buy yarn from The Fibre Company. $4.50 a skein!!! Go with ten of basic black and ten of a gorgeous blue to complement Darren’s eyes.
- Back to main exhibition hall to buy a rug hook and embroidery hoop. Want to start working on my rug hooking kit.
- Jocelyn convinces me to try out spinning wheels. Meet Jim of the Yarn Barn, bond over the fact that I’m from Lawrence, Kansas too. He teaches me how to spin and try out various wheels - the Lendrum Folding, the Kromski Sonata and the Ashford Traveller. So tempted to purchase one but exert self control . . . for now.
- Lunch - another pit lamb sandwich - this time the platter!
- M&J go to color knitting class.
- Find nap location from previous day. Start working on rug hooking. Take nap.
- Wander from tent to tent in case I missed anything good.
- Go back to the music performance area. Sit under tree and knit on Raquel’s scarf.
- Meet up with M&J, eat, pack and get on the road. There is so much in the car that I can’t see Jocelyn in the back seat. Thankfully we’re all petite women and we can fit amidst all the fiber!
- Arrive home safe, sound and fiber happy!
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03.04.08
Posted in Art, shopping at 6:24 pm by delipics
My wonderful, talented, creative girlfriend has opened her new Etsy shop! Please take a visit and check her out on -
www.lovelydaydesigns.etsy.com
Right now she has her hand-knitted scarves/hats on display but soon she will have other items, like her amazing pottery (I admit to being an owner of several of her pieces.) I am so proud of her for doing this - she is an inspiration to me.
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07.12.07
Posted in CTS/RSI, shopping at 4:25 pm by delipics
Frustration level was high the beginning of this week when I had to say no to an intensive Summer Spinning II class because of my wrists. I kept thinking, “Maybe I can do this . . . ,” but then I gave myself a doh slap, “You have got to get better first!” Even though I know it’s for the best, I’m still upset because taking this class was on my list of summer fiber goals. I’m keeping focused on the fall for all sorts of fiber catching-up.
But now for the good news - my PT says if I’m good all weekend and I don’t have any pain I can start strengthening exercises. My right wrist is getting better but it has also become weak. Monday I actually had no pain for most of the day. The rest of this week has been off and on but still mostly pain free.
In my longing to knit I’ve actually been thinking of buying this.
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04.03.07
Posted in Knitting, Lace Knitting, Socks, Sweater(s), Yarn, shopping at 5:24 pm by delipics
I am project-less and it’s a weird, weird feeling. I had devoted myself exclusively to the lace shawl, no other small project waiting in the wings, because I was determined to finish the darn thing it.
This transitional area between projects is an exciting space to be in - looking through knitting and crochet magazines and books, surfing the internet for knitting or crochet patterns, staring at the yarn stash. I have a couple things in mind:
- I am taking a knitting class with a friend and I think I have decided on the project - the cozy v-neck pullover with deep ribbing from Stefanie Japel’s Fitted Knits. I like the classic look, the body-forgiving ribbing, and if I start it now, I will probably have actually finished it in time for sweater weather.
- I want to make another lace project - a shawl? a scarf? a bag? Not sure yet, but I am fascinated by the lace knitting so I want to keep on going.
Here’s the thing - I wanted to stick to the yarn stash. No, really! I think I can find something in the stash for the as-yet-to-be-decided second lace project and even possibly for the socks. But I am going to have to buy yarn for the cozy v-neck. Tomorrow I am going to School Products for a looksie.
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04.02.07
Posted in Lace Knitting, Photos, Yarn, shopping at 3:19 pm by delipics
How to welcome spring on a Saturday afternoon . . .
Freshly baked rhubarb strawberry pudding cake and catching up on the blogs, currently displaying the Yarn Harlot. (You know you have too much yarn when you arrange it artistically to display on your dining table.)
Next, admire your new spring shoes . . .
Yes, I had to buy both!
Then gaze happily at the wonderful gift of Peruvian alpaca yarn from a good friend . . .
Thank you Roxie for finding alpaca yarn even though you only had 15 minutes at the best market in Peru. Mmm, the possibilities of new yarn.
And finally find the right edging for the lace shawl . . .
This is a picot bind-off. I happened to be flipping through my copy of Vintage Knits and the edging on the silk ribbed camisole jumped out at me. I still have to block it but it’s going to be ready to wear just in time for spring.
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03.11.07
Posted in Photos, Travel, shopping at 3:03 pm by delipics
Last weekend, my honey took me to The Little Knittery, an adorable yarn store in the Los Feliz neighborhood of L.A. It shares its space with perhaps the second best combination that could go with yarn (number one for me being food) - clothes! - the really cute clothes of Steinberg & Sons.
I had a very nice conversation with the owner of The Little Knittery. I liked the selection of one-of-a-kind yarns and the comfortable sit-and-knit section of the store. I asked her if she has noticed if West coast knitters are becoming more interested in spinning and we laughed about people who don’t understand why anyone would want to learn how to spin or dye their own yarn.
And while I did not buy any new yarn (oh the Misti Alpaca!) I did check out the offerings of Steinberg & Sons and walked away with this:
The dress is by Lewis Cho. I like the details to it - the asymmetrical belt and the one perfect button to the side. It’s versatile - I’ve worn it over jeans and alone with boots. What I think would really add to it is a knitted garment. It’s too cold to wear sleeveless here on the East coast, so I was thinking a cropped top - maybe Stefanie Japel’s One Skein Wonder. It would cover my shoulders and nicely complement the empire waistline and gathers around the neckline. I bought the pattern a while ago and have yet to knit it up. Any other suggestions?
I close with these two funny photos of us chowing down, shabu shabu style in Little Tokyo - long lines but worth the wait!
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