Spring

I love it when the flowers start to bloom, even if it isn’t good for my allergies…

Maryland Sheep and Wool, Part 2

 

So, part 2 of the festival. 

MD S&W Purchases 2009

My plan was to get 2 new spindles, one of which had to be a Bosworth.  I also wanted a niddy noddy for skeining yarns and approximate yardages, and some new fiber.  I managed to get all of those things just as planned.  Getting there at 8 am allowed me to do some shopping before the rush.  I got a niddy noddy and a yarn ball holder straight off.  I’m not sure of the vendor, but they’re the people with all of the books.  I also managed to get to the Journey Wheel booth and get my Bosworth featherweight with a purpleheart whorl, .64oz/18gms.  In the main hall I also went to the Little Barn booth and got two batches of roving in very pretty colors.  The purple is already being spun up on the Bossie.

I also could not resist picking up a Trindle from Gale’s Fiber Art along with some Tussah silk roving.  The two went together nicely and look like this currently:

Gale's Fiber Art Tussah Silk spun on a Trindle

I ended up going back on Sunday with my mother.  I knew a trip with her would be more leisurely, and it was.  I got to spend more time in the main building because she was more interested in the handmade items (mostly soaps) that were available at the show.  We both stocked up on handmade soaps and lotions. She got some for just about everyone in the family.  My second trip also gave me the opportunity to see The Spanish Peacock’s booth.  I picked up one of his “seconds” that spins wonderfully.   It’s the spindle that stands up tallest in the first photo.  I made some great purchases all while staying within budget.

About a month before the festival I decided to order a Golding Ringspindle, just in case I missed the opportunity to pick one while I was there.  I got a 0.45oz Cherry Tsunami and immediately put it to use on this Merino/Tencel that I got as part of the Spunky Eclectic Fiber club in 2007.  It’s finally being spun up into something beautiful.

Golding Tsunami 0.45oz RingSpindle with Spunky Eclectic Merino/Tencel in "Aspen"

 All in all, a great Sheep and Wool Festival for me this time.

Maryland Sheep and Wool, Part 1

Saturday morning I woke up fairly early because I was very excited about going to the festival.  The first time I went I was totally overwhelmed, but this was my second year and I was better prepared for the number of people who would be there.   I also made the mistake of starting out at 8 am the first time, and was sitting in traffic for an hour on my way there.  This time I started out at 7:20am and arrived at 7:50.  I made my first purchase by 8:20am and was on my way home by 10:45.  Perfect, because by that time the festival was very crowded.  The rain forced most people into the buildings, making the crowds seem worse than they probably were.  But, here’s a picture of what things look like when you’re one of the first shoppers to arrive.

There was fair food…

You can see how there seem to be no people around. This was at about 10am and everyone was in the barns.

There were sheep…

 And an amazing amount of wonderful projects that were entered to be judged…

 

I enjoyed myself more this year than last because I took the time to wander around and see all there was to see.

Next time, my purchases.