I met up with my friend Isel and we had the best time talking to the farmers and vendors, feeling the yarns, and planning some knits. All the farms represented were Maryland farms, so it was a great way to support these local businesses. We both had a good laugh over the two alpacas with pop culture names: Bad Romance and Hot Toddy. Their owner was telling us that they are just over a year old.  They were communicating with each other with these little hums and grunts.

There are two types of alpacas: the Suri with their silky locks and the Huacaya with the fluffy pillowy hair.  Both are native to the Andrean regions of South America. They are a domesticated camelid, but smaller than the llamas and camels you see – some only about 3-4 feet tall.  Their wild ancestors, the vicunas, still roam in the Andes.  The alpaca was domesticated long ago, with their fiber prized for its silkiness, and hypoallergenic qualities.

Isel dabbles in spinning, so she brought home some roving and some lovely green yarn.  I happened upon some burnt orange yarn that was hard to pass up.  It’ll be perfect for a cardigan…

While I had nothing on my shopping list, I did come home with some things:

A vintage fabric refashioned into a hobo-style bag…
filled with some other goodies:

That is 11 skeins of yarn (7 of the dark purple) and a pack of sheepy pun notecards.
Not too shabby.

Looking over these skeins, it appears that I am into deep saturated colorways right now (with the exception of the light mint green). I spent some time on Ravelry looking at some different patterns.  I tend to get overwhelmed easily by the sheer number of patterns, and I also like finding great patterns that few people have knit.  Sure, I get why some patterns “go viral” but once that happens, the likelihood of me casting on sharply decreases. (With the notable exception of the Lacy Baktus and the Textured Shawl, interestingly enough… want to make both even though thousands of others already have) so I tend to look for those *undercurrent* patterns and relish in them… or write my own!  The search continues – I’d love to hear about a pattern that you know of (or have made) that doesn’t have a lot of project pages…

I met up with some dear long-time friends at the festival – people I “see” online everyday on Twitter, and it is so great to just continue the conversation in real life.  That transition still amazes me!  We met up on the grass hill outside the main barn and sat out in the sun for a bit (this is where I got the sunburn on my face and shoulders, no doubt…)

…And then I spent some quality time with some of the four-legged cuties…

A beautiful & relaxing day with good people and animals
and a wonderful way to usher in spring in Maryland!

]]> http://lollygirl.com/blog/2011/05/09/sheep-wool-recap/feed 23 http://lollygirl.com/blog/2010/10/20/rhinebeck-in-photos-and-a-few-words http://lollygirl.com/blog/2010/10/20/rhinebeck-in-photos-and-a-few-words#comments Wed, 20 Oct 2010 13:45:45 +0000 lolly http://lollygirl.com/blog/?p=3128  

I decided to go to the New York Sheep and Wool festival a few months ago.  I guess I wanted to see how it compared to the Maryland Sheep and Wool festival that is (essentially) in my back yarn.  It’s always something I had wanted to see and do, and this was the first year it worked out time-wise.  I traveled and stayed with a lovely group of friends in a quirky yet charming little cottage down by the river.  I met more people than I will be able to remember – friends old and new – and it was exciting and overwhelming and surreal all rolled into one.

(My housemates! L-R  Mai, Anne, Carrie, Charlie, Kate, Em, Kelly)

 We didn’t have water for 16 hours of our stay (not good!) but we made it work.  We ended up getting our water turned back on after a series of ridiculous events (involving calling the landlords’ parents!)  Who controls water with a *light switch*?

… Then we fested …

Friends from Ravelry, Twitter, Flickr and the ol’ blog days – it’s amazing how vibrant our little community is!

And there was shopping and hugging and squeals of delight.  And while I had a ton of fun… I didn’t come home with a single skein!  I teased that the only thing I bought was a fresh-squeezed limeade!

And after a little rest and some sustenance, we were right back at it for the big Ravelry party that night.  Goodness me.

Wonderful pleasure to meet so many new friends (in real life!) and to see so many old friends. 

 Can we do this every weekend?

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 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~

]]> http://lollygirl.com/blog/2009/05/04/mindful-mdsw-and-surprise/feed 158 http://lollygirl.com/blog/2009/03/19/the-yarn-odessey-around-puget-sound http://lollygirl.com/blog/2009/03/19/the-yarn-odessey-around-puget-sound#comments Fri, 20 Mar 2009 01:09:24 +0000 lolly http://lollygirl.com/blog/?p=1642 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…

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!

]]> http://lollygirl.com/blog/2009/02/02/rockin-the-red/feed 17 http://lollygirl.com/blog/2008/12/15/namaste-knitters-meetup http://lollygirl.com/blog/2008/12/15/namaste-knitters-meetup#comments Mon, 15 Dec 2008 16:51:24 +0000 lolly http://lollygirl.com/blog/?p=1255 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!)

We started the day off with a great lunch at one of my favorite spots in DC: Teaism in Dupont Circle.

Veggie bento boxes for P and me – Udon needles for R and M

Over lunch, we discussed travels (Rangsiwan just returned from Brazil), photography (we were all outfitted with our Canons – but I think I am the only one who took photos?) and the yummy food.  And the best part?  It was so natural.  Meeting “old” friends for the first time.  Very nice. 

A freak monsoon-like rainstorm hit DC as we were leaving the cafe – we made a break for Marissa’s car to head to Silver Spring for the Crafty Bastards fair.  It is great to see that the fair has reached such popularity that they can now do it twice a year! 

The heat was the resounding topic of the day.  The sun was beating down, and while it was nice to have so much light, it was nasty hot.  Luckily, there was some shade to cool off, and even an indoor area with more vendor/artists.  And some Italian Ice. 

I had the wonderful opportunity to meet a Flickr friend who was showing at the fair – so cool to meet you, Tess! – and met the very talented Abby at Folktale Fibers.  I caught up with Paula at Woolarina - pulled up a chair and made in the shade for a short while.  What a fun time. 

After the fair, we said goodbye to Parikha, and headed into Silver Spring.  Even with the heat, there were a lot of people out and about.  We stopped off in Cake Love and R got a scrumptious cupcake, and then headed to the green. 

~Kids playing in the fountain~ (I was tempted myself)

After seeing the capoeiristas, I decided that I couldn’t complain about the heat anymore.  Amazing to see. Great music too!

Rangsiwan and I made plans for later this summer (when I will be in SF) and we parted ways.  I had a permagrin when I got home.  What a nice day! 

…and I even came home with a few goodies to remember it by…

Felted soap kits from Woolarina / Folktale Fibers Handspun
(and the pretty turquoise necklace in the shot above from Block Party Press)

We checked in at the Waverley Inn, a beautiful 19th-century Victorian mansion-turned-B&B in downtown Halifax.  The furnishings were quite fancy – mostly antiques.  The Waverley has been a mainstay in the Halifax scene for over 100 years, and Oscar Wilde even stayed there when he visited Nova Scotia…

Halifax’s Public Gardens had just opened, and since the season is later there, the spring flowers were just coming in – daffodils, tulips, budding trees!  It was great to relive spring all over again (with an added dose of allergy medicine, that is).

Our walking tour of the city continued to the National Historic Site of Citadel Hill:

We also toured the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, a quality museum that includes many artifacts recovered from the Titanic, as well as some really beautiful sailboats.

Next come the three Fs – all very important, and well-represented in Halifax:

FOOD!

I was pleasantly surprised to learn about Halifax’s happening food scene.  There was an abundance of quality eateries in the city – so many offering organic and vegetarian options.  This particular meal was our lunchtime stop at Sweet Basil Bistro.  Kris started his long seafood tour of the province here with a seafood chowder, and I warmed up with an amazing Cream of Chestnut soup (intriguing, eh?  I have to figure out how to make it!)  Served up with a little side salad and some freshly baked bread.  Other foodie highlights include Jane’s on the Common for brunch, The Wooden Monkey for local veggie cuisine, and The Bitter End for a nice drink with dinner.

FIBER!

It was an honest-to-goodness coincidence that this great yarn shop was located so close to our hotel.  I swear.  The Loop of Halifax is a cafe/yarn shop with a lovely selection of commercial staples, and several local(ish) yarns as well.  I contacted Mimi, the co-owner a few months back through Ravelry, and it was very nice to meet her in person.  (Too bad I missed Cathy and Bill - next time?)  That is Mimi and me in the third picture.  I am holding a very adorable needle felted puffin doll.  Mimi gave us some amazing tips about hiking trails, restaurants, shops to visit… we used her suggestions throughout the whole trip!  Great to meet you, Mimi!

FRIENDLY FACES!

I got to meet Megan (and her adorable shoes)!  and it was a mighty fine pleasure.  I had stumbled across Megan’s photos on Flickr and had also visited her blog, but it was on Ravelry where I really got to know her!  We had arranged the meetup before I left the States, and it just so happened that we also got to meet her very cool “other half”, Brent.  Brent and Kris talked hours of photography and hockey, while Megan and I caught up.  We got dinner at the Economy Shoe Shop, and then headed down to a bar for a little hockey action (this was before my Penguins lost the Stanley Cup series… Game 2).  Despite the loss, we had an amazing time with M and B.  There is a chance that they will be coming our way sometime soon, and we hope to show them a good time in DC   SO great to meet you both!

Oh, Halifax, I miss you already…

Next stop on the NOVA SCOTIA road trip:  Camping, lighthouses, and national parks on the South Shore! Stay tuned