I must be honest, I kind of dread the post-festival blog post. It is just such a sensory overload and even one day after, it kind of feels like a dream - a sweet fibery dream - of meeting amazing online friends and seeing beautiful animals and the lovely yarns. And after four years of attendance (and subsequently blogging about it), I always feel like I am going to forget something or someone.

As you might expect, I took a few photos - but not nearly as many as I planned. I was pretty busy handling yarns and hugging people. For the full set of MDSW 2008 photos, go here. Here are some highlights:

Amazing people: Isel, Jenna, and Kate. I met so many people that my mind is a little dizzy. Long-time blog friends (so many many many many more!) and some new(er) Ravelry and Flickr friends alike. I was thrilled to meet everyone!

So many beautiful animals! The sheep breeds are probably the most ubiquitous animals at the festival, but it is common to see the goats, llamas, alpacas, and (sometimes) bunnies too. Amazing coincidence: this handsome llama is actually owned by my old friend that I used to work with (in my first year of knitting!) We reconnected at the festival when I was up in her llama’s face taking photos! It was amazing to see Holly again! (remember Holly? she helped me overcome my fear of DPNs so many years ago!)

YARN! oh my gosh. I bought a lot. I really need to work on this attachment to material objects philosophy.  It seems to get me every year around this time.  I enhanced the stash, as they say.  Surprisingly, I did not buy any sock yarn this year.  A big step, considering that that has been the bulk of my purchases in previous years.  Nope, this year it was all about sweater yarns, and some drapey luxury fibers for elegant accessories.  My companions bought a few things too; I am sure they will be talking about them very soon!

[Click here for details about each skein]

It was not clear to me until I saw them all grouped together, that this year’s yarns are not my traditional color palette.  You may have noticed that I tend to group around certain colors, namely blues/violets, pinks/reds, and greens.  I also love brown, and have a lot in my stash, but not as many FOs in that particular color yet.  However, this year seems to be all about neutrals, or subtler shades of my usual choices.  Maybe it is a subconscious nod to the upcoming Project Spectrum AIR element with the grays and whites?  I got some very unique things this year - namely the beautiful handspun yarns from the Navajo Churro Cooperative.  The natural colors and wonderful texture of the yarn was enough to put them in my bag!  I also ran into some fabulous deals that were too good to pass up(Fingerlakes Wool and The Fibre Company).  I splurged for the linen up top, but I figure the stuff will last forever (if they found it in Egyptian tombs…) I was also very happy to see the Botanical Shades booth again this year - I used their indigo dyed alpaca blend for my Aftur pullover, and this lovely grass green will make an amazing garment as well.

Saturday’s weather started out a little gloomy, but the day brightened up and actually got a little warm.  I got a minor sunburn, even when rocking the SPF 45.  Sunday, always my favorite day to attend, was milder weather-wise and crowd-wise.  Mom, Jenna, and I had a lovely relaxed time.  We even got to sample some goat and sheep cheeses, drink some lemonade, and try one of the yummy dip ice cream cones.  At the end of the day, we sat out and reflected on the experience.  We smiled with contentment… one of those tired genuine smiles after a great day. 

The real highlight of this year’s festival was observing the very real success of Ravelry in a relatively short time period. I joined Ravelry in it’s infancy, and it has grown into such an amazing community. Casey, Jess, and Mary-Heather (and all the volunteers!) have poured so much of themselves into it, and we all reap the benefits in the form of the website and the activities surrounding it. For this, I am so grateful. Maybe a little less knitting since I find it so hard to click away from the forums, but no less gratifying or enriching!  There was a festival meetup for Ravelers, as well as a wonderful post-festival Ravelry party at one of the local hotels. 

I had met Jess several times at previous festivals, and it was wonderful to see her again.  This time, I got to meet Casey and Mary-Heather too.  They were the stars of the show! Mary-Heather and I have corresponded for years, and I was so happy to finally meet her!  …and Kris (who came to the party with me!  surprise!) chatted with Casey and met so many of my online friends.  I think he was surprised that he was recognized a few times as well!

Mary-Heather and I were all smiles!

We stayed at the party and witnessed the way that Ravelry has touched the community.  Everyone was so friendly and excited to be a part of it!  I met so many nice people, and reconnected with some old friends as well.  I don’t have the time to link to everyone, and my memory may fail… but know that I was very happy to see you!

…and now, back to real life… the fiber event of the year has come and gone, once again. 

 It was so sweet while it lasted! 

Given the opportunity, I can definitely drop some cash on nice yarn. I have done it before. As I stated previously, New York City could appropriately be called New YARN City with all of the shops and the amazing selections on a relatively small island (Manhattan). In previous years, I have brought a second bag for my purchases… this year, I showed remarkable restraint.

…not because I am immune to the siren song of great yarn…

More like the fact that the BIGGEST yarn festival is virtually in my own backyard this weekend.

I alluded to my purchases in the last post. After spending a good chunk of time camped out on the floor at Kinokuniya bookstore, I brought home three craft books:

The bottom two are pattern books featuring lovely intricate designs. There are many colorwork projects and some beautiful accessories as well. The second is a smaller book focusing on Men’s Knits - specifically sweaters and vests. (As you know I like to knit for Kris, so one of these sweaters could very well be on the needles for the 2009 anniversary sweater!) The third and final book is a collection of Eastern European folk motifs charted for cross-stitch and embroidery. I think the charts would be perfect for knitting as well as embroidery. The simple Japanese aesthetic really appeals to me - I could have left the store with many more books in hand!

At School Products, I came away with a cone of Aran-weight wool/alpaca/silk blend. It weighed in at 2.5 lbs, so I should have approximately 1100 yards, according to the calculations. Plenty for the stranded colorwork I am planning! If you have rough estimates in mind, this is the place to go to find nice yarns and blends. I am always pleased with their selection of natural fibers. I almost walked out with some yak fiber too… but I left it behind for the next trip.

It was my first time to visit Gotta Knit! and Erin and I was happy to meet Goldie, the sweet owner. She told us that the shop had just moved to Midtown after being in the West Village for many years. They are on the 5th floor of the building, but if you look up from the street, they have a visible sign with the store’s name. There was a nice selection of luxury fibers and some “new-to-me” yarns. Upon walking in, my eyes fixed on a cream-colored Noro skein on the table. I figured it for the new Kuryeon sock yarn, but Goldie told me that it was even better - the new(er) Silk Garden sock yarn. Imagine my excitement! Goldie told us more about the shop’s expertise: when you buy yarn at their store, they will actually customize a pattern for you using the yarn. You can tell them the style and kind of garment, and they will write it up for you! An amazing and unique service. This skein of Noro and two issues of Rebecca came home with me.

The two new yarns in my stash were quickly “balanced” (as Jenna puts it) by the cast on of my new small transportable knit: Laila’s Socks from Folk Knitting in Estonia. Truly inspired by Terhi’s amazing version of these socks last year, the yarns jumped out at me when I did a quick survey of the sock stash. I made this bit of progress on the train ride to New York.

Cherry Tree Hill Supersock in Loden / Louet Gems Pearl in Mustard

…quite possibly a match made in heaven…

I can hardly believe that two months have gone by so quickly! The FIRE element was a nice way to start off the newest cycle of Project Spectrum - very hot!

A highlight of my own FIRE exploration was the emphasis on warm foods - with incorporations of red and orange fruits, vegetables, and spices in the dishes. The element has also afforded the opportunity to explore my new fibery art of weaving- even if the results were not always the way I envisioned them. (I still learned from the experience!) And while I did not complete one of the color-themed projects on my needles (yet!) I loved the process of working on my Phyllo Pulli, the Printed Silk Cardigan, and my GGH Socks. I will continue to knit them and have three finished knits, even if it falls within the next element group. Don’t you know that the best thing about Project Spectrum is the lack of deadlines?

As Project Spectrum continues with the EARTH element (greens, browns, metallics!) please feel free to continue sharing your creations in the Project Spectrum Flickr Group and contributing your discussions on the Ravelry Project Spectrum group. Just as before, there will be another Artist Trading Card swap for the EARTH element, with signups open now! (See this post for all of the information! please read carefully!)

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The Homespun Yarn Party was a great success - and a lot of fun! Coleen and I headed over to Takoma Park Community Center and were greeted by dozen of fiber fans. It was a great turn out - and a wonderful chance to meet many new friends and to see many old friends too! My camera battery was out, but luckily there is a Flickr pool with some fun pics of the vendors, and many of the customers. (Jody took pics of our related socks!) So, what did I come home with, you ask? Well, I did support several of my local fiber vendors!

That is a hand dyed yarn - induced smile!

Left to Right: The Sanguine Gryphon “Little Traveler”
Spirit Trail Fiber Works “Victoria”
Crash Into Ewe Jewel Collection

You really must see the closeups to get the full effect… I am loving these!

After I took up weaving, I began to see some of the items in my yarn stash in a new light. Things that I bought for specific knitterly purposes seemed somehow better suited for weaving. While I haven’t been too hasty and warped and cut my yarns up yet, I know that I will have many decisions to make in coming days… cast on or warp up?

Brooke at The Daily Purl has made some fabulous stoles and scarves with Habu warp and weft yarns, so those are definitely tempting me. But, then so are Olga and Vanessa’s Habu knit creations…

With the help and advice of some weaving friends I met through Ravelry and Flickr, I decided to add a few specific weaving yarns to my stash - just to avoid some of the tension problems I have experienced of late. I am hoping to warp up this linen soon and began work on the denim rag rug!

There is no doubt about the strength of this yarn: 100% linen! It should make a great rug warp, and I liked the natural undyed color to go with the simple indigo of the jean rags. I picked this up from WEBS, along with a few other weaving yarn goodies.

Valley Yarns CotLin 8/2 cones

I really liked the springy combination of these colorways, and the three of them came with a dishtowel drafting pattern for the loom. If I can find the patience and wherewithal, I will attempt the plaid dishcloth! With 3000 yards each, I can afford to experiment a little and play around on the loom.

And as I learn more about my loom and its capabilities, I am also looking at my sock yarn stash in a new way. After seeing some fun store samples woven up at The Mannings, I think it would be a blast to experiment with the colors of sock yarns. After a winter sock “drought” - my last pair being the Autumnal Equinox socks for Socktoberfest - I finally cast on for a pair of socks yesterday after feeling the urge to see how this yarn would knit up. Definitely wanted to knit with this one - there was no thought of using it for weaving.

The feminine companion to the other GGH socks I made for Kris… another thanks to Debi for sending these (now discontinued) yarns in a trade almost two years ago!

After seeing a parade of beautiful socks by Chawne, I felt the time was right to finally cast on for some socks. I was waiting to finish my sister’s sweater, but I thought: why delay happiness? These socks are making me pretty happy! I started them on the train while I was traveling downtown to see Amber, who was in DC for work. We had a yummy Ethiopian dinner. And while we did not knit or take photos of our outing, we had a great time

So, as I look over my stash, I am thinking about all of the possibilities and all of the fabrics - both knit and woven - that can be created. It excites me. It’s like a newfound spirit of adventure: seeing my stash with both weaver and knitter eyes!

There was not as much colonial fiber culture in Williamsburg as I was hoping for - then again, maybe I expect more than the average person. I saw a sign for a weaving demonstration by a colonial re-enactor, but since we were there later in the day, we missed the demo. I saw plenty of hand sewn clothing (on sale, no less) but very few sewing machines or the looms used to produce the fabrics. Textiles and fiber culture are a large part of the material culture of any group of people throughout history, yet, they are so often overlooked. Presumably, the fiber arts are seen as such a regular routine task - like cooking - that they are not discussed.

Luckily the “fiber culture” is alive and well within the walls of the yarn shops of the Williamsburg, Virginia area!

Knitting Sisters is not in the colonial area of Willamsburg, but is in a nearby village center. The shop is so cute and has a great selection of yarns, books, and accessories. I particularly liked their kits that the store owners put together - I was tempted by a beautiful cabled pullover in a lovely plum colorway of Noro Cash Iroha. Then I remembered the bins of yarn at my own home, and I decided to check out the books instead. I did find some goodies there:

Rowan no. 31 - the great years with Kim Hargreaves
Piecework Nov/Dec 2007
Norah Gaughan vol. 1

I didn’t plan it, but it just so happened that the yarn shop was across the street from the conference hotel! My second find was a little bit of serendipity as well… we were walking through historic Yorktown - known for its Revolutionary War battlefield and its historic downtown section. I was looking over the map and saw a shop called Colonial Fiber Arts. I mentioned that I wanted to “just walk by” to check it out. I am so glad that we did. It is a lovely fiber shop - with looms, spinning wheels, roving, dyes, and some lovely yarns too.

…and I found something too pretty to pass by…

This was one of the beautiful handspun blends produced by the spinners at the shop. These two hanks are a wool and hemp blend (60/40) and have 250 yards each. The price was quite reasonable, and the yarn is unique. Although I don’t have a pattern in mind yet, I think it would make a lovely stole. My yarn “diet” has been quite strict of late, but I felt like this yarn was a worthy “cheat”. I liked the idea of supporting the local spinners and using the beautiful natural fibers… well, that and the deep red totally mesmerized me.