Sunday, April 30, 2006

Getting the KnitGroove back.

I seem to have stumbled upon the perfect cure for a knitting dry spell. Simply go to a Fiber Festival!!! Yesterday Pea and I headed up to Vernon, Connecticut to do just that.

I was excited about going because this was my first ever fiber fest. But I was extra excited because I had plans to meet up with two other bloggers!!

JessaluElizabethI was lucky enough to share the festival with Jessalu Knits Jessica and Random Fibers Elizabeth. I was so thrilled to meet each of these ladies, along with Elizabeth's friend (in the center of the photo on the right) who's name I've already forgotten. (I am notoriously bad at remembering names.) Meeting Jess was like hooking up with an old friend, since I've been reading her blog for quite some time. She was just as sweet and fun as I knew she'd be. Elizabeth is a fairly new blogger (so go over and show her some blog-love, okay?), but I had already known we'd get along just fine as well. We all had similar tastes in yarn (sock!!!!) and it was so much fun to share my first fiber fest with other knitters. Don't get me wrong, Pea does a wonderful job of humoring my knitting obsession and can do pretty well in a fiber conversation (love ya, Sweetpea). But it's even more fun to be shopping with your girlfriends, and that's exactly how I felt yesterday.

And boy oh boy, did we ever shop!!

One of the first things I said, when asking the first vendor about the differences between drop spindle spinning and wheel spinning, was that I had no desire to become a spinner. So how did that drop spindle and roving end up coming home with me? Well, at only $5 for the whole kit, it would be silly not to at least try it, right? That first vendor was so helpful and nice in answering our spinning questions - speed and price are the main differences, but he said you can spin the same quality yarn using either method. After that great explanation, it would seem rude if I didn't buy some of his sock yarn, right? And when you can't decide between two colorways, you have no choice but to buy them both!!

Up next is some beautiful Brittany Birch needles that, at a price less than bamboos from Jo-Ann's, were just screaming to come home with me. I also got my arm twisted into some Opal sock yarn (thanks Jess - I would have regretting not buying this!!!!). And to the right, some lovely soft fingering weight alpaca at a steal!! I think this will become my first lace shawl . . . and is also part of a little contest I'll tell you about at the end of the post!!

All that shopping left our feet and wallets sore (although the bargains were great, so our feet were in much worse shape then our wallets). We took a little break at the Knit Bloggers Picnic.

If you spin it, they will come!!! I wish I could link you to everyone who was there, but the only blog I caught was sweet and funny Carole's. We had a great time hanging on the sun with all the knit bloggers!!

Okay, I know, you want to hear more about that contest I mentioned. Well, another blogger I was happy to meet was Lauren, and she mentioned on her blog that the Still River stall was fabulous but the lighting was terrible. I can certainly attest to that! The Times Remembered stall where I bought my fingering yarn was just as bad, and they also encouraged us to take their yarn outside to see the true color before buying it. After running back and forth about a dozen times, I picked up the yarn I finally bought.

The color is beautiful, but here was the true sign that I was meant to buy this yarn. The colorway has the same name as my DH, although spelled differently. So, up for grabs is a pretty 190 yard skein of Steadfast Fibers Wonderful Wool in the Boysenberry colorway (it's not pictured in the link, but it's lovely purple shades). Leave me a comment now through Wednesday and tell me the name of my fingering weight yarn. On Thursday I'll randomly draw a winner from all correct answers. (Sorry Jess and Elizabeth, you're not allowed to answer since you already know the color!!)

25 comments:

knittinmom said...

Wow! How totally fun. Nothing like a good fiber fest to get your knitting juices flowing again!

Elizabeth said...

It was great to meet you - I wish someone had been taking a picture as we were both on the phone, actually video would have been better.

I knew as soon as you mentioned a contest what it was, and that I wasn't eligible.

Thanks for posting the sock yarn - we left before you decided. It will be gorgeous when knit up. Glad you had a fun day!

Casey said...

A fiber festival! How fun!! My wallet is glad I wasn't there but the rest of me wishes I could have been. It looks like you got some great stuff. I always love buying things right from the people that make them!

Anonymous said...

I had a great time, too! Glad we could finally meet in person :o)

Jen said...

I'm glad you got to meet some real live knitbloggers! And score some great swag at the same time...

sheep#100 said...

I have to guess it is called "Peat".

Olga said...

Sounds like you had a super time...and trust me, that spinning stuff is totally addictive. I learned to spin with a drop spindle not very long ago (and they *gave* me a handful of roving and the spindle, so it was like selling crack, you give them a taste and they'll come back for more!). I love it, but haven't had the time to buy any roving to spin with.

My guess at Pea's name will have to be totally random--Sandy. Although it think "Peat"'s a better guess!

Jenn said...

Glad you had a good time! Always nice to get to live vicariously through other's fiber festivals!
I've got no good guesses for your contest - Dave?

Noey D. said...

I'm so jealous! First that you got to go to such a nice Fiber Fest, second that you got some goodies, and third and most importantly, that you got to meet fellow Knit Bloggers!! Very cool!

Sonya said...

What a great haul! And very exciting to meet other bloggers. I have not had the pleasure of meeting live bloggers, but I hope to someday! I'm guessing that the yarn must be Peat?

Anonymous said...

I was thinking...Sam On...(LOL) wish I'd been there! I went to a purse felting workshop and was thinking that was a great way to end a dry spell but yours is better!

Lynda said...

Wow, what a great day, the friends, the yarn, the food. What fun!

Hmmm, don't know on the name, I'd have to guess Pete, too, but only because I'm cheating by reading the other answers first!

MissyJoon said...

First off--I think you should have purchased one of everything you chose and sent it to me--everything is beautiful!
My hunch is the yarn is called "Peat" Moss--whatever the name, I am glad it has such good karma for you;0)
But, if I was naming this yarn, I would call it Bermuda Beach--it reminds me of the sand in Bermuda!

Cathy said...

Goodness Karen! What a great time you must have had - and you brought home some wonderful bargains! I can't wait to hear how you like spinning on the drop spindle! I do know that your dh's name is Pete, but not sure what that gorgeous sandy colored yarn is doing with a name such as that! hmmmmmmmmmm.

Have a great night!

Heide said...

My guess is also "Peat" for the color (gorgeous by the way). It took awhile of scouring past posts to find a clue as to your DH's name, but alas, I think I succeeded... unless Pete is your dog or cat. Hmmm. Anyway, your weekend sounds like it was absolutely delightful.

Theresa said...

I'm so on this Peat/Pete bandwagon. My sister has hazel eyes and we used to tease her that they were the same color as pond scum. I think she MAY have forgiven me by now. . .

Anonymous said...

Oh wow, what a great time you obviously had at that festival, I almost got a bit envious readong about it - I wish we could have something similar over here as well!
It must have been so great meeting all the fellow bloggers and fiber enthusiasts - and oh, all that amazing stuff that you bought, I almost started drooling while looking at the pics! That's yarn porn at its finest! I can't wait to read about your first spinning steps, and to see what you're going to make with all the beautiful yarn you got for yourself! Thanks so much for sharing that day with us!

Ya-Ya said...

Karen,

If it wasn't for my crazy weekend, I would have loved to have gone to that festival. Make sure you let me know about the next one! Love all the stuff you got. Can't wait to see what the yarn looks like after you spin it.

Kym said...

oh cool!! that looks like so much fun- i've never been to a fiber festival. i'm so jealous!

looks like you got some great stuff. you'll like the spindle- i took a class on how to use it and it was pretty fun. i don't think i would remember how to use it now though :) how quickly you can forget!

Carole Knits said...

Hi Karen! I'm so glad to have found your blog because I never caught the name of it on Saturday. Glad to know you!

Ragan said...

WOW! Holy shopping trip! It looks like you had FUN!!!! Hmmm...I will have to read through all of your posts again for clues...and make a name guess!!
:)

Elizabeth said...

Glad to see you on the Lace Ring - this should be lots of fun. I'm hoping swatching to practice the lace pattern counts as training...

Jenny said...

Um, Peat/Pete sounds good, although it's not a very dark brown. Unless his name is something like Stone, or Khaki, or maybe even ... Sandy?

kathy b said...

Pee/Pete

I just want to get my name in!

Anonymous said...

Unless his name's something like Sandy, Peat/Pete is probably closer!

What beautiful things you came home with. Can't wait to see the lace begin...

Blessings~

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