Maryland Sheep and Wool day 1
May. 7th, 2022 10:27 pmIt rained. A lot. So much mud.
Fortunately, Mom (who didn’t want to ruin her sneakers) suggested that we look for rain boots last night. It’s rural enough here that there was a Tractor Supply Co a short drive away, and cute patterned rubber boots were a whole $20. Totally worth it. Our feet stayed warm and dry and I made sure to go to every damn vendor in a tent because they were not having a nice day.
I shopped victoriously: a store had the level winder attachment for my e -spinner that has been out of stock from the manufacturer for some time. It cost a little more than my EEW6 did, but everyone at the spin-in tonight assured me that it was going to change my life :D
I got to see the Neighborhood Fiber Co peeps in person (I bought their merch, Mom bought their yarn). I was sad that the Ketanji Brown Jackson colorway was a blue I would never use (and I honored![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
mimerki’s request to not bring them yarn).
My spinning class got me fired up about color blending so I bought some fiber with that in mind. We only stayed through mid afternoon today - the cold damp was hard on Mom’s joints and honestly I was tired too - walking through squishy mud in rubber boots uses some muscles I don’t usually engage in city life. So while we were lolling in the hotel room I knit my last sample yarn into a single scant fingerless mitt instead of a swatch. I love it and it makes me more excited about my idea for the fiber that I bought.
Dinner ran a little later than planned but I still got back to the fairgrounds for most of the Saturday night spin-in. I missed almost all of the contests and drawings (event advertised for three hours, all giveaways happened in hour one). I made fast friends with my power strip and ended up in a group of five random folks - 3 EEW6, 1 Sidekick (my treadle wheel at home), and one DIY wheel. The DIY was a determined high schooler - she learned on a borrowed Louet and decided to repro it in wood shop because she didn’t have money. So she did, including 3D printing her bobbins and painting both sides of the wheel. The kids are alright. The other EEW peeps were an immigrant from Gothenburg Sweden and someone who spends the winter mushing her Malamutes. The Sidekick person grows her own indigo and does shibori. Spinners are a bunch of weirdos and I love them.
Also got to squee today with someone about buying knitting nerd Tee Turtle shirts at gaming and comics conventions (we feel so seen), and a couple passing comments about the SHIELD patch on my jacket.
We also saw some sweet sheep being combed, trimmed, and fluffed for the show ring. Surprise highlight at the end of the day: bakery stand by the gate with delicious flavored scones (I had lemon-ginger, Mom had cranberry-orange. We’ve determined that tomorrow with start with those instead of ending with them.)
Hopefully tomorrow Mom will be up for standing through the sheep dog demos. (SHEEP DOG DEMOS!) And maybe some of the sheep to shawl competition.
Fortunately, Mom (who didn’t want to ruin her sneakers) suggested that we look for rain boots last night. It’s rural enough here that there was a Tractor Supply Co a short drive away, and cute patterned rubber boots were a whole $20. Totally worth it. Our feet stayed warm and dry and I made sure to go to every damn vendor in a tent because they were not having a nice day.
I shopped victoriously: a store had the level winder attachment for my e -spinner that has been out of stock from the manufacturer for some time. It cost a little more than my EEW6 did, but everyone at the spin-in tonight assured me that it was going to change my life :D
I got to see the Neighborhood Fiber Co peeps in person (I bought their merch, Mom bought their yarn). I was sad that the Ketanji Brown Jackson colorway was a blue I would never use (and I honored
mimerki’s request to not bring them yarn).My spinning class got me fired up about color blending so I bought some fiber with that in mind. We only stayed through mid afternoon today - the cold damp was hard on Mom’s joints and honestly I was tired too - walking through squishy mud in rubber boots uses some muscles I don’t usually engage in city life. So while we were lolling in the hotel room I knit my last sample yarn into a single scant fingerless mitt instead of a swatch. I love it and it makes me more excited about my idea for the fiber that I bought.
Dinner ran a little later than planned but I still got back to the fairgrounds for most of the Saturday night spin-in. I missed almost all of the contests and drawings (event advertised for three hours, all giveaways happened in hour one). I made fast friends with my power strip and ended up in a group of five random folks - 3 EEW6, 1 Sidekick (my treadle wheel at home), and one DIY wheel. The DIY was a determined high schooler - she learned on a borrowed Louet and decided to repro it in wood shop because she didn’t have money. So she did, including 3D printing her bobbins and painting both sides of the wheel. The kids are alright. The other EEW peeps were an immigrant from Gothenburg Sweden and someone who spends the winter mushing her Malamutes. The Sidekick person grows her own indigo and does shibori. Spinners are a bunch of weirdos and I love them.
Also got to squee today with someone about buying knitting nerd Tee Turtle shirts at gaming and comics conventions (we feel so seen), and a couple passing comments about the SHIELD patch on my jacket.
We also saw some sweet sheep being combed, trimmed, and fluffed for the show ring. Surprise highlight at the end of the day: bakery stand by the gate with delicious flavored scones (I had lemon-ginger, Mom had cranberry-orange. We’ve determined that tomorrow with start with those instead of ending with them.)
Hopefully tomorrow Mom will be up for standing through the sheep dog demos. (SHEEP DOG DEMOS!) And maybe some of the sheep to shawl competition.
