Eleven Stitches

Maryland Sheep & Wool (Part 2 -- The Haul)

Like Minty, I was a little overwhelmed when I first got to the festival. There were so many people and yarns that I wasn't quite sure what to do with myself.  When I went to Rhinebeck, C and I immediately got in the line at The Fold, and then went directly from there to Brooks Farm.  You might say that we jumped in with both feet.  At Maryland, I think I slowly dangled my feet in the pool, and I had a harder time adjusting.

Don't worry about me, though!  I managed to get used to the water and I was really happy with my purchases.  I feel like I got enough to feel like I took advantage of the festival, but not so much I feel sick thinking about it.

I got these first.  They're from Autumn House Farm, in the Bracken and Fox Grapes colorways (100% wool sock yarn). This was one of my planned stops.  I used their yarn to make my Here Be the Dragons socks, and I wanted to try out some of their other colors.

My next purchase was at Tess Yarns.   I was tempted by their non-sock yarns, but all I ended up getting was for socks.  These are "growth" colors for me-- I don't usually knit with blue or pale green.  I think it will be nice to try something different!  I didn't get any kind of ball band with these, but according to her website, her sock yarn is 80% wool and 20% nylon.  It was only $15 a skein-- a really great deal!

By the time of the blogger meetup, I had made it through all of the vendor spaces.  It was nice to take a little bit of time to think about what I wanted to go back for.  I decided my trip just wouldn't be complete without a stop at Brooks Farm.

Have you noticed yet that I bought all of my sock yarn in pairs?  This is Acero yarn, which is 60% superwash wool, 20% silk, and 20% viscose.  I haven't worked with this combination of fibers before, and I really hope that it works out as sock yarn. It isn't as elastic as my other sock yarns, but I'm hopeful I can make it work.  The colors aren't coming across as beautifully in the picture-- the yarn has a really heathered, sophisticated look.  I love it!

Jenni inspired me to get this yarn, and I'm so glad she did! This might be my favorite purchase of the day (OK, they all feel like my favorite purchase). It is called Solana, and according to Brooks Farm's website, it's only available at shows.  It's 100% superwash worsted-weight wool, and it's incredibly soft. It's so soft it feels like it must be mixed with silk or alpaca, but it's completely wool. I'm envisioning making a very comfortable, simple sweater with it.

All that and a T-shirt.  I was very happy with what I got, and I think it will be a lot of fun to use them up!

Maryland Sheep & Wool (Part 1)

Well, I'm back from the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival, and I had a great time.  I took the train down on Friday night and stayed with a good friend of mine.  We planned to arrive at the festival at about 10:00 Saturday morning.  We hit traffic at about 9:45 (four miles away), and we finally got out of our cars at 10:45!

The alpacas were quite popular

We started in the Main Exhibition Hall and worked our way through the barns and then the outside booths. I had left my carefully written out map of recommended booths at home, but I managed to remember most of the ones I wanted to hit.  The line for The Fold was still really long at 11:00.  I ducked in the booth so I could see some of the newest STR colorways in person, but I didn't get anything.  I was also tempted by the sock yarns at Ellen's 1/2 Pint Farm, but they were all really multicolored and I was really looking for somewhat solids.  We stopped by the very crowded Tess Yarns tent.  It's so cool to go in there-- everything is arranged by color rather than by type.  Once I found out that the sock yarn was in the corner, I pretty much stayed there!

The cutest sheep ever!  She posed for a picture.

I ran into Jessica at about 12:45, and she directed me to where the blogger meetup was supposed to be.  It turns out there were two places, and the one we went to was incorrect but the better choice.  I think most people ended up there. The first person I saw was Stacey, she of the awesome socks.  We sat and knitted with Jessica, Kim and Risa. and a few other bloggers (I don't remember all of your names-- leave me a comment if you were there).

Me, Stacey, and Jessica

Kelp! came by-- I didn't realize it was her at first until she handed me one of her little cards.  I saw Minty there (I'd also run into her in one of the very crowded barns), and I also got to meet Nova. Jody had volunteered to drive my yarn home if I got too much to take on the train (we have to have to make these plans just in case), but I confirmed when I saw her outside of the Brooks Farm tent that I would be OK on my own.

Nova and me

I met Jenni at the Brooks Farm tent also.  She was carrying around some fabulous yarn, and I asked her where she found it.  I ended up getting some in the same color!  While we were waiting in line, she noticed the sock yarn I had picked up, and decided to get some of that as well.  We inspired each other, apparently! 

A ram patiently waiting to be shorn

After making purchases at Brooks Farm, I really felt contented.  My friend and I walked around and looked at all of the really cute animals.  A few of the sheep came right over to me, but I got a bit nervous when they kept sniffing at my ring and my watch.

This sheep's name was Angie

It was a very fun day.  I'll have pictures of my latest acquisitions for you next time!

ps.  Thanks for all the nice comments on my sweater!  I did take notes while I was making it, and I'll try to put up a pattern soon.

Drop Stitch Ming Sweater

Just in time for Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival, I present the Drop Stitch Ming Sweater!

Pattern: My Own
Yarn: Artfibers Ming in Colors 11 (4 balls -- should have been 5) and 9 (2 balls)
Needles: Size 6 Addi Turbos
Time To Knit: March 31 - May 2

This was an enjoyable and easy knit!  I think I blocked it a little too aggressively, so the ribbing doesn't pull in like it's supposed to, but that will be fixed the next time I wash it.

I did end up running out of color #11 about 10 rows too early.  I just subbed in the blue, and it doesn't look too bad.  This is the conversation I had with David as I realized I wasn't going to make it:

Me: I think I'm going to run out of yarn.
David: (snort) Yeah, like that's possible.
Me: What I meant to say is that I'm going to run out of this particular color and type of yarn!

I really love the sheen that the silk content adds to this sweater.  And the sleeve drapes just the way I hoped it would!

I'm planning to wear this to  MDS&W, so look for me there!   

Plans

Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival is only two days away!  I'm very excited!  Last year, I was a fairly new knitter, and my lack of experience showed in my purchases.  I got 800 yds of loop mohair yarn (enough for a sweater), only to eventually realize that I don't really want a furry, itchy sweater.  I also got some very pretty microfiber ribbon that tangled so badly I eventually just gave up. 

Not this year!  This is what I'm looking for:

• Sock yarn for my Sockapaoolza pal.  She's looking for something "wild".  I have an idea for a sock pattern that I've been wanting to try out, and this might be the perfect way to do it.
• Mostly solid sock yarns for me.  I just like fancy stitches too much to go too crazy with the colors.
• Possibly I want to get yarn for the Swing Cardigan from Vogue's 2007 Spring/Summer issue. I really like the details on this sweater, and I think it would be really wearable.

I've seen several recommendations of places to visit while I'm there, and I have them listed on a printed-out map of the fairgrounds.  I also wanted to mention the Meadow Medley tent.  I have a friend who dyes yarn with only natural dyes, and it's beautiful stuff!  I think there are several people working together in that booth, so be sure to look at Suzanne's yarn.  She's awesome.

Since I used to live in Columbia, I know the area fairly well.  I'll be hitting my two favorite restaurants while I'm there, Eggspectations and Donna's.  They're actually across the street from each other, and they're both delicious!  I'm so excited that I'll get to eat there soon :)

I was having a hard time trying to decide which sock to start.  I was having trouble settling on a pattern. I got my April shipment of the Petals Collection in the mail yesterday, and it was gorgeous!  It was my favorite package yet.  I'll be knitting that up soon, I'm certain.

In the meantime, I'm working on this. 

Sundara sock yarn in Cherry Blossom with the Embossed Leaves pattern from Favorite Socks.  The patches of brown yarn are so infrequent that this is really a mostly solid yarn.  I kind of like the idea of using the Cherry Blossom yarn to make a leafy sock. It will look like one of the trees-- mostly pink with a glimpse of a dark brown branch.

A May Resolution

I finished my Merino Lace Sock this weekend.  I have to say, I really enjoyed going from my first Child's First Sock directly to a new sock.  There was the excitement of a new pattern and new yarn, which still the comfort of knowing I would eventually return to a pattern that I (now) know really well.

I want to do that again.  In fact, I've decided that May is my Month of Single Socks.  I will only knit the first sock in a pair and then move on to a different sock. There are several reasons that I decided on this.

1) I enjoyed doing it with the above two singles (aka Coordinating Socks).

2) I have received a lot of sock yarn recently, and I want to knit with all of it at once.  Even with this one sock thing, I'm having trouble deciding where to start. The Knitting Philistine suggested to me that I start with my favorite one.  Hmmm, could you pick a favorite?

3) I have a lot of traveling to do this month.  I'll be making trips to Maryland, Boston, San Francisco, and Indiana in the next five weeks.  Socks are a perfect project for traveling. New and different socks are even more perfect than that.

4. It's now May.  I won't be needing to wear woolen socks again until at least September. I can mix around the order that I make them and still have them done in time for colder weather.

5) I'm not the only one.  OK, all of these other lovely ladies might be knitting perfectly sensible pairs, but I want to knit what they're knitting, and that requires some skipping around.

I'm finishing up a sweater tonight, and then it will be socks!  Different ones!  For 31 days! I can't wait.

Edited to Add: It looks like I now have some company!  Single sock knitters unite!

ps.  Don't worry about me not finishing what I start.  The socks will all be pairs eventually. I really like to finish things :)