I love productive travel

I started with the beginnings of a toe. I returned with half a sock. I might have a completed pair in a week or so.

Pattern is Elementary Watson Socks by Sherry Menton. Yarn is Madelinetosh Sock in Well Water. Size 1.5 needles. I would definitely make this pattern again. I did alter the pattern such that the cables are symmetrical.

2016 MD Sheep and Wool

I had a bit of a field trip this past weekend. A local yarn shop arranged to have a bus drive a group to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. I happened to get an e-mail from them and, on a whim, signed right up. Amy and CJ were great hosts and I think everybody had a lot of fun.

The weather turned out to be fantastic--sunny and warm with light winds. We had no trouble with traffic either on the way there or back.

I found a bunch of yarn I couldn't leave alone. I even picked up the yarn to knit myself a Queen Susan Shawl.  I'll use cobweb weight Leicester Longwool from Wool Out Of Wales. I purchased 7000 meters of yarn. They want me to post progress pictures.

This is the 2016 MDSW colorway from Miss Babs in her sock yarn. I think it will become a scarf.

 

Colorway: Mayhem

 

The purchases in my messenger bag.

 

 Purchases all laid out.

 

I watched the start of the Sheep to Shawl Competition. By the time I remembered to go back to check on their progress, all of the shawls had been cut from the looms. I had no idea they'd be that fast! The Alice In Wonderland themed team won the competition.

Needle felted figures at The Fiber Fairy

Sweater at Spirit Trail Yarns

 Octopus and Candlesmoke mittens at Spirit Trail. I may have to practice my colorwork!

Prize winning fleeces that I managed to avoid buying.

There were quite a few Gotland fleeces, which got me thinking about spinning and weaving a Fellowship Cloak again.

Sheep in the barns

 Bobbin lace demo.

 Woolbuddies booth!

Hand-made brooms!

 Prize-winning fiber art!

  Judith McKenzie talked about the history of sheep and wool

I also met Anne Hanson of KnitSpot and when I purchased a pattern from the KnitSpot booth, the shop girl recognized me from when I purchased my Mayan Puzzle pattern and yarn last August! I was quite surprised. :-)

I missed seeing the Green Mountain Spinnery booth, but that may well be for the best. I mostly avoided buying spinning fiber. I missed seeing the sheep dog/herding demonstration in favor of seeing Judith McKenzie's talk. Next year I may have to try a class or two.