This was my fifth year at Maryland Sheep and Wool, so I feel a bit “seasoned” – even though there were some nice and welcome changes at the festival this year – more space for large vendors, recycle bins, extra lavatories.  It was nice to see the organizers improving on a good thing – making it even better for the future.  I initially planned to attend one day  only, but then I had the opportunity to go both days – and that was pretty great! There is always so much to see, but I felt that I covered a lot of ground and actually saw nearly every barn and vendor section this year – and I think this is the first year I can say that!

I got to meet up with some wonderful people – many of them for the first time, and re-unite with friends I have met in previous years. This year’s weather was extremely hot and shade was a very sought-out commodity. So, the meetings all happened under the shade trees, in the shaded pavillions, or standing in the cold drink lines!  One such meetup, near the lemonade stand, was the re-unite with Tania “Mikomiao”, a long-time Flickr contact.  We met briefly last year, but had the chance to snap a pic this time.  Tania was down from NYC for the day with several friends.   I also had the wonderful opportunity to meet Kim and Heather as well as Heather’s daughters.  Heather’s daughter Pia also happens to be a huge Penguins hockey fan – so it was wonderful to meet her!

She’s even wearing her “Got Evgeni?” shirt! 

I also got to see several Ravelry friends, and many more Flickr friends too.  Funny how it takes a big festival like this to actually see the local people!  I got to talk to Mai and Emily (who both live in the area, but we never meet up, unfortunately) and Tina who was down from NYC.  And many thanks to several people who said hello and introduced themselves while standing in lines, walking down the aisles ~ it’s so much fun to meet everyone!

On Saturday, my mom and aunt and I melted in the heat, but still had a lovely day.  My aunt is visiting from Alabama after years of hearing me talk about the festival – she finally got to experience it herself.  She knits a lot, and like my mom is also interested in felting.  They both bought a bag-full of roving, and my aunt bought this adorable felted animal book.  I can’t wait to see what they come up with!

Auntie with her felt book – first purchase at MDSW! 

 
Mom with her bag-full of roving on the scale 

I picked up Jenna from the airport – in from Seattle – and I think this is her fifth MDSW as well (four of them we have been together).  We enjoyed a fun night with Kris, Kelp Kelly and Allison at my favorite Indian restaurant… and although tiredness from all that heat (and sunburn) was hitting me square in the face, we also went to a pub for a few drinks.  I was such a lightweight and I nearly fell asleep at the table!  Nevertheless, it was great fun – and I only wish we had some photos to share!  (that happened last year too with no camera!)

Stashbusting has been forefront in my mind for several weeks, and while I did make some purchases at MDSW this year, I didn’t buy nearly as much as in previous years!  I tried to stick with unique fibers/designs that I haven’t seen in other places – as well as some very utilitarian non-yarn purchases…

Non-yarn purchases:  Kookaburra Wool Wash, Size 10 55″ needles, buttons from Jennie the Potter, a *wooden ball winder*, and two knit patterns from Noni (felted jacket) and ShiBui (mohair pulli)

The wooden ballwinder has been on my list for three years – I always look at it at Stonemountain Fibers – but this year, I took action!  Now, it is mine!  I haven’t tried it yet… but as you can see below, I have some new yarn to try it with! 

1. Farmhourse Yanrs Silk Spun Cotton, 2. Brooks Farm Acero, 3. Davidson Domy Heather – Sportweight, 4. ZWool Natural Dyed Wool, 5. Creatively Dyed Yarns Worsted, 6. Davidson Natural Bulky Wool, 7. Creatively Dyed Yarns Fingering, 8. Spun Monkey Handspun 

I didn’t realize until I got home that several of the yarns are in three distinct color families – neutrals, blues/greens, and golden browns.  I guess I am particularly drawn to these colors now!  I don’t have specific patterns in mind for many of them – but single skein projects are usually hats and scarves/cowls, so that is what these might become!  The Davidson Domy Heather in the periwinkle seems very well-suited for the Plain and Simple Pullover (Ravelry link) and may become that for a fall/winter layering piece.  The Creatively Dyed Yarns and the handspun were my splurges – I just fell in love with the color explosions!  The green CDY is  a fingering weight and seems very well-suited for some funky socks.  The worsted weight will probably be a hat.  The handspun will be a hat and cowl or mitt combo. 

For the second year in a row, we got to see all of Jennie’s lovely pottery pieces!  Last year, Jenna bought a mug, and I picked up a necklace and several buttons.  This year, I was thinking about a mug, but I held off.  She does have a particularly cute cookie jar that I had my eye on!  We met up with my friend Amy  and Little J at Jennie’s booth, and Amy got a mug and a little bowl – Jennie’s stuff is just too cute to pass up!  Here we are after the purchasing - hot, but happy!

Jenna and I enjoyed some downtime on Sunday afternoon over some potato ribbon chips.  MDSW is such a fun festival, but they are *severely* lacking any healthy eating options.  With the exception of drinks, this is the only food that I know of that a vegan can have at the festival – and that’s only after checking that is indeed fried in vegetable oil – and asking them to hold the cheese and sour cream.  Any vendor who offered some healthier fare would do so well there!  I do bring my own snacks – nuts, a fruit, etc. - but it’s another thing to carry in, and I would be happy to patronize a vendor that offered something other than meat-on-a-stick.   I don’t like to complain, because I know that MDSW is a big effort by lots of volunteers – and they remain admission-free to keep people coming in – but a local vendor/community group would do so well offering up something simple like sandwiches, wraps, or falafel.  I am wondering how a letter-writing campaign would go over… 

Nevertheless, MDSW remains a highlight of the year – both in seeing friendly faces and sweet animals, but also in taking the pulse of the fiber community.  Even with the down economy, it seemed like there were so many people out, enjoying the day, and buying lots of things.  It is always a pleasure to buy quality products from small businesses – with the proceeds going directly to them.  Even more of a pleasure to actually meet and converse with these vendors – and sometimes see the sheep/alpaca/bunnies/goats that the fiber came from! 

I tried something new this year for the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival.  It was precipitated by the experiences of previous years when I felt completely overwhelmed and out of touch with all of the sights, the people, and the things around me.  This year I made a conscious effort to be fully present in the moment – a mindfulness practice of not being overexcited and overanxious and just really focusing on the here and now.  I just let it flow naturally.  And I have to say, it definitely made for a lovely and meaningful experience.

I got to meet generous people who offered their time to come up and say hello.  It meant so much to me, so I thank you.  It is truly a pleasure to see so many friendly and welcoming faces.  This festival is such a highlight of my year for many reasons, but it is definitely the connections with people that mean to most.  Spending the weekend with my best friend Jenna definitely sweetens the pot… I visited her in Seattle in March, and just a few weeks later, she is here to see me (and to go to the festival, of course!)

…and of course, the yarn.  Practicing mindfulness at a commercial event can be a challenge.  Obviously, the point of the festival is to celebrate the animals, their fiber, and the arts surrounding the uses of said fiber – and you celebrate all of those things by pulling out your wallet and taking things home with you.  So, I thought that the best way to take this mindfulness aspect into a commercial event was to truly think about my purchases, and to support the companies/shops/farms that I bought from.  I went in with the intention of buying from small local farms and dyers- my definition of local expanded a bit, but nevertheless kept to the “small” qualifier, because nearly every vendor at MDSW is a small business, often family-owned and operated.  I wanted to support the local economies of my state, Maryland, as well as the few surrounding states.  My parameters expanded down to North Carolina, and up to Maine, and hopped over more than a few to Minnesota, but I am happy with what I got and the vendors that I supported.

1. Shetland Tweed fingering, 2. Hoodie + Pendant, 3. Handspun Wool,

4. Folktale Handspun, 5. Three Waters Farm Handpaint, 6. Pucker Brush Farm Handspun,

7. RoseSpring Farm handdyed, 8. Angora/Wool handspun, 9. Tess Raw Silk,

10. Noro Cash Island, 11. March Hare fingering, 12. Tess Merino Worsted

I still did enhace the stash by quite a bit, but believe it or not, much less than previous years.  The Noro was the only commercially available yarn I bought, and that is because the deal was almost too good to believe.  Noro has that power over me…The vendor highlights for me were definitely 1) Jennie the Potter’s booth.  Jennie creates amazing pottery, buttons, and pendants.  I bought one of her pendants and two sets of buttons that I have not photographed yet.  She is so talented, and I am now officially a huge fan   and 2) ever-present love for Melinda and her beautiful yarns as Tess Designer Yarns.  I was tempted by so so many, but came home with a beautiful blue merino (more story on this later!) and a lovely golden raw silk.  The thing that was so special about both of these booths is that I got to talk to both Jennie and Melinda for awhile and get to know them better.  It is wonderful to make those connections.  They both do such amazing work!

I didn’t take as many photos this year as I usually do – maybe because it was rainy and overcast – but you can view what I did take over here.  I had the opportunity to meet some really amazing people that I got to talking and did not even get a photo… I regret that, but I don’t regret the chance to talk more with them.

—

So, for all of this talk about me procuring new yarn, I thought it was about time I did another contest around here – a chance for YOU to procure some of your own!  Plus, I would love to hear from some of you that rarely comment but tell me that you read my blog (you know who you are!)

The new cowboy kerchief from Morehouse Merino (who sadly does not come to MDSW anymore…) The winner will be able to choose between the two colorways in the middle of the photograph:  the gray/yellow or the maroon/blue combo.   I will choose the winner randomly by Wednesday afternoon (May 6th) at 4pm EST.  If you like, you can leave me a comment telling me more about a time when you were completely “in the moment” – whether it be while knitting, spinning, doing yoga, or just about anything else.  I would love to hear about it

~Thank you~

You know me well enough by now – and  you know that I never turn down a little yarny tourism in a new city.  Luckily I had my girl Jenna to help me plan for a fun evening of shop hopping.  And it was so much fun to meet up with a few Seattle friends, Rebecca and Laura!

FIRST STOP: Fiber Gallery in Seattle – a lovely shop with so many beautiful yarns.  What a treat to meet Jessica, the manager of the shop, and a fellow long-time blogger!

Rebecca is a shopper with a mission!  she picked up some lovely things in record time – while I was still waltzing around on yarny high, she already had yarn in hand and was at the register!  Jenna was instantly drawn to a cute little ball of single play variegated yarn (Zauberball!), and I poked around being indecisive for a good amount of time.  Of course, once I decided, I was very happy with my choice … see?

Malabrigo Lace in gorgeous colors: Tuareg, Verde Esperanza, and Bobby Blue

…next to Bad Woman Yarn to meet Laura!

A lone ball of Schulana Sojabama came home with me – a nice color match for the leftover ball I have from my Pintuck.

…and we wrapped up the evening with a quick trip to Weaving Works.  Unfortunately, our time was short – the shop was closing, and I had to make a decision fast.  Of course, once I saw the yarn, I knew it was for me right away… I wanted something unique and special to this location.  I found it!  …and finding this kind of made up for the fact that I didn’t get to look at any of the huge book selection or the weaving things.  Next time

Spincycle Handspun

We had a great dinner with Laura and Rebecca at a yummy Indian restaurant.  As always, I am always so pleased with how easy it is to find conversation and common bonds with online acquaintances.  Laura is in grad school and her classes sound like things that I would absolutely love – she shared a few of her required text titles with me   and Rebecca and I had plenty to talk about since we both love yoga!  So nice to meet you ladies, and I hope we have the chance to talk more soon!

At the Nordic Knitting Conference, there were several vendors selling beautiful yarns, and I picked up some lovely laceweight (hey, it packs pretty easily in an already-full suitcase!) in these muted tones.  I was thinking about a lightweight sweater – maybe with stripes.

Last weekend, Jenna, Kris, and I headed over to the Bainbridge Island and the Olympic Peninsula – we crossed the Puget Sound on a ferry!

That was a fun process in itself, and once we got to the other side (we passed under a rainbow to get there – what a great way to start the day!)  we headed a beautiful yarn shop on Bainbridge Island: Churchmouse Yarns and Teas.  And it seems like they knew I was coming… the whole display in the front of the shop was yoked colorwork sweaters!

Churchmouse had a nice little clearance bin going and I also picked up this old Rowan book and a shop scarf pattern.

My yarn odessey around Puget Sound was complete!

…but I do have some more Washington adventures to share…

How great is it when you find people who share the same interests and passions as you do?  it is like that instant connection and you just feel like “yep, this is perfect!”  I gotta say, it is too funny that I have found a community through knitting (and through the blog and Ravelry) that share such similar interests and hobbies as I do:

Knitters who love hockey?  Knitters who practice yoga?

Ah, life is complete!

After meeting some fabulous yoginis who love knitting last weekend, it was all about meeting hockey fans who knit this weekend!  Many thanks for Judy for spearheading the awesome NHL Sticks n’ Stitches matinee game between the Washington Capitals and the Ottawa Senators! We knit, we cheered (we had so much to cheer about!) and had such a fun time together!  and it is always fun to actually *be* with the people that you talk to so much online!  Amy and I talk all the time through forum posts, emails, and private messages, and now we got to have a whole afternoon together!

(Judy, Jessica and her BF, Kelly, Melissa, me, Amy, and her adorable daughter J)

A full house – surprising on Super Bowl Sunday

The Caps Drumline – entertaining before the game and during the 2nd intermission

[All Game Day Photos Here!]

It was the perfect day for a game!  The weather was downright balmy after the below-freezing temperatures of late and Kris and I got in to the city with time to spare before the game.  We met up with the peeps and headed to our seats where we were highly entertained by both teams – and the final score was 7-4 win by the Caps.  So exciting!  and the Caps’ big star, Alexander Ovechkin definitely put on a show – he got a hat trick!  So much fun!  I hope we can do it again soon – maybe next season?  Even if you have never been to a hockey game before (or know nothing about the sport, the atmosphere is so much fun!  … even when your husband’s beer spills on your coat after you celebrate a magnificent goal… )  And while my #1 team is the Pittsburgh Penguins, I definitely enjoy watching the Caps play – they are my solid second team – and it is wonderful to see them having so much success right now. 

To commemorate the fun Sticks n’ Stitches game, and because I lack any Capitals gear, I decided to cast on for a cowl to wear to the game.  I finished my cowl quickly with the bulky  Chinese yarn that Kimberli gave me back in 2005 – it is a great variegated red and maroon wool and really worked up well in the seed stitch. Simple, easy, and warm.  I love to wear red and black together!

…and then we promptly got home from the hockey game to head to the Super Bowl party – we had time to change the red to black and gold for the Steelers.  Football doesn’t usually hold my attention as well as hockey, but last night’s game was one of the best Super Bowls in recent memory.  So happy with the final results!  What a sporty day!

It was an absolute joy and pleasure to meet up with the DC contigent of the Namaste Knitters this past weekend!  We met through the Ravelry board that I started in 2007 for knitters and crocheters who practice or want to learn more about yoga.  Please feel free to join the group if you are interested!

 Theresa, Jen, Amanda, Rossana, Flissy, me, and Shani
(missing from the photo are Rayna and Petra who had to leave early)

Rossana organized the space and led us in a wonderful practice at the Quiet Mind Yoga studio in the Columbia Heights neighborhood.  Before the yoga, some of us met up at an Ethiopian restaurant and then headed to the studio to chat, knit, and snack on some yummy treats before we practiced. 

We did a short flow practice in the beginning with sun salutations and some triangle poses and then set up with props galore for an amazingly relaxing restorative practice. Restorative yoga is just what it sounds like – you rest, you relax, you de-stress.  It is like the “dessert of yoga” – indulgence!  WIth the assistance of some props (bolsters, blankets, straps, scented eye pillows) you can completely relax into stillness of mind and body.  Perfect!  Our restorative pose was Supta Baddha Konasana (click to see complete photo)  which is a particularly relaxing.  Petra, at right, was enjoying the pose so much that a grin came to her face!  (well, that and she knew I was photographing her!)  We were in the pose for about 15 minutes and then moved into Savasana .  Afterward, we were all peaceful and full of smiles as we gathered our knitting projects and our bags to leave the studio.  Many thanks to Rossana for leading the session and to everyone who came to join us!

I am hoping that we will have many more Namaste Knitters meetups in the future.  I announced the meetup in some of the regional groups on Ravelry as well to gain interest from a wider audience.  This is a difficult time of year to commit time on the weekends, so the meetups in the new year may work better for others.  This was our fourth meeting of the year in the DC area.  May 2009 be filled with knitting, new friends and yummy yoga too! (and if you want to make sure that you hear about DC-area meetups, please join the group for the lastest news!)