Succsessful Fiber Hunting and Gathering, AND a Yarn Harlot

I mentioned the CT Sheep & Wool fest before, but didn't post what I got there. I can't show you the Dark Chocolate Alpaca Pops (C'mon, they're Lollipops of Dark Chocolate shaped like an Alpaca head!), 'cause the Husband and Childe ate them Immedjitlee. Which is good, 'cause it was hot by that time, and melted chocolate is yummy but no fun to clean up.

I aquired Sheep's Milk cheese rolled in Herbs De Provance - I'm not a huge fan of herbs, but this is nice...and the cheese SQUEAKS when you eat it! On your teeth, I mean - and the young lady selling it told me that I could cut some into boiled potatoes, and it would melt like butter. We stopped at the store for Potatoes, and yes, I cut the cheese...into the potatoes. People, PLEASE. ;) It was YUMMY, and Supper.





I also bought Creamed Honey, which is lovely - 'specially on fresh bread. It was a good price, methinks; $6 for a big ole tub of the stuff...and the fresh bread was mine, at home.





I also bought two sets of Brittany DPNs, US0 and US1. TOOTHPICKS, they are!! I'll be knitting socks with TOOTHPICKS! We shall see how they work, and I'm glad I've finally got them in my inventory, as I do read that many of my sock-making friends use those sizes.





I'm making a pair of socks for my daughter Boo on a pair of US2's, for the first time. I like the socks, but these aren't "sock needles" per se, they're really too long.



So...when I went up to WEBS in Northampton, MA on Sunday, I bought a set of "Pony Pearl" US2s. They seem nice; not exactly pointy enough for me, but I think they'll be okay. It was either those for $5.50, or the Rosewood DPN's for $19.50. Now, I would love nothing more than a set of rosewood dpns...but that's just not In The Budget right now. YEOWCH! The bamboo 2's were sold out; I think it's due to the upcoming Sock Wars III - they've just published the desired gauge/tension, and they used 2's to get it. Speaking of Sock Wars...

I've joined! No, I've never been what one might call a "fast" sock knitter - but I think it's good motivation, and no matter what happens, I'll get a neat pair of socks at the end of the competition. It's all good. :) The yarn that is suggested for SWIII is Southwest Trading Company's Tofutsies, and the suggested Colorway is #733 - originally called "Get Your Feet Wet", but renamed for the competition "One foot in the grave". :D I didn't know the number, just the name...so when I was at WEBS, I couldn't find it - and ended up with #864, "TOEpiary".


It's a greenish/bluish/greyish colorway, and one I thought a man could safely wear - since I won't know who my intended target is until I get my dossier on May 9th. If I make it through the first round - God Willin', and the Creek don't Rise - I'll go back & get #733 for the next pair. :)

At WEBS, I also got Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's latest book, "Things I learned from knitting...whether I wanted to or not".



I got it signed, too - because Steph was there for a talk & a signing! She spoke at The Calvin (also in Northampton, MA) because WEBS, while large, isn't large ENOUGH for the thousand or so knitters (no kidding) that showed up to hear The Yarn Harlot:

EXCELLENT talk, by the way - I mean, she's ALWAYS good, but this one was one of the best I've heard. Nice Job, Stephanie!!





I got to chat with Herself for a bit - and she remembered me, which is always cool. T'would be even better if I updated regularly, LOL. I got a picture of TYH holding Boo's first Sock, being made of Brown Sheep's Wildfoote:





TYH got a picture of me in my First Socks, and I'll be snagging THAT pic if she posts it! :) I asked Stephanie about her knitting bag - the one she uses to carry with her and knit while walking - because I want one for the 3-day Breast Cancer walk I'm doing this fall. Remember when I shaved my head last year (July 31st 2007) with my best friend Mattie, while she was going through chemo for BC?

Well, I'm building on that with this walk this year.

Anyway - I went up to MA with a bunch of my SnB friends, but we didn't get a group photo this year - every time most of us came OUT of the store, and we grabbed a camera, one or more ran back IN. :) Suffice to say, we ALL had a great time, and came home happy, tired, and full of inspiration. Can't ask for a better day than that, methinks!