Ct Sheep and Wool!

I went to the CT SHeep and Wool fesival this past Saturday! Granted, it's not Maryland SHeep and Wool by any stretch of the imagination, but it is lots of fun!

The festival is spread out among three barns, and a mess of tents.

They have sheep...

...and alpacas.

DH and I had a good time walking around, looking at the animals, and, of course, yarn shopping. We watched the sheep shearing. Frankly it doesn't matter ow many times you watch it, it is always cool. We ate yummy lamb stew and lamburgers. I sat and knit for a while, and people watched. We pet bunnys, and watched the sheep dog trials. I hear ya. GET TO THE YARN!

I only bought a little yarn this year.

one hank of Briggs and Little sock yarn. I've never used it before, and I cannot pass up a "new to me" sock yarn.

I also came home with three giant hanks of "Times Remebered"50% merino, 50% alpaca worsted yarn. I coveted this yarn last year, but decided to buy something else. This year it was all mine!

There was a nice wool "tools" vendor that I bought a WPI guage from. I've never seen wood like this before!

I also purchased a shawl pin from him.

My day was capped off by meeting Zantimissknit from the Knitty board! Overall, a very good trip.

Since DH and I cannot go "geeking" for me, and not for him, we hen took a spin past "Time Machine" in Manchester. He went in to look around, and I sat outside and knit away. I was jonesing to knit in an extreme way. While sitting there, I snapped a few pictures of the building. The shop is in the old "Bon Ami" factory. I love using old buildings for new things.

Sunday we went to the mall. I found a dress for my formal funtion coming up in June. (whew) Only second the the horror of bathing suit shopping, IMHO. But after the dress adventure we went...

KNITTING!

duh.

I snapped a quick picture of the final lace panel in my FPS. (tear)

And the first top triangle.

Then I got so involved in the knitting that I stopped taking pictures. I am now two tiers up the side of the right border! The border is going quickly, I just wish seed stitch wasn't so mind numbing.

Tomorrow, pictures of the border!

May Socktopia themes

It cannot possibly be time for April to end yet!!?? Come on! It just started! I guess we are winding down, and that means it is time for the May Socktopia Themes!
They are:
Yikes ! Stripes !
Fiesta
May Flowers
Ahoy, Mateys
Springtime in Paris

OMG! My mind is bubbling already! So many ideas!! Thankfully May is a slower month at work. We tech our last show of the season on the 4th, and open ON MY BIRTHDAY, the 16th. Then I am out of town for a few days, then.. we.. have ... the ...gala. Wait. This was supposed to be a SLOWER month. Oh well. At least my evenings will be slower. (famous last words)

I decided that I am going to the Connecticut Sheep and Wool Festival this Saturday. Do I need more yarn? Hell no! But, I don't care. I'm going anyway. DH is coming along, so I shouldn't be TOO bad. Well, he is an enabler....

No new pics, again, but it is understandable, as I have had no time to actually knit. I've thought a lot about it. Does that count?

a good weekend

I had a really good weekend. I spent Saturday in NYC with my Mom. We went shopping, dining, and saw the 'Lace and Subversive Knitting" exhibit at the Museum of Art and Design. Very Very cool.
My Mom is an enabler extreme. It's a good thing that she lives 4 hours away. If we lived closer than that I would never have any money! I bought three (yes, THREE) pairs of shoes at Century 21. One pair is a Marc Jacobs wedge - very sexy. I am going to wear these for my birthday! I am wearing pair #2 today - New York Transit flip flop wedges with one giant triangular glass bead on each foot. The third pair is another black sandal, but these at Bandelinos, and are ultra comfy. I also bought a purse. It's a brown Coach tote. It's a sweet purse.
We ate brunch at a little cafe near Lincoln Center. we didn't see a show, but we did go to the gift shop. I amazed my Mom by flipping though a souvenir book of the opera from last season, and naming the designers by the renderings and designs. I realized, after a while, that I kinda sounded weird. It was all, "I know her. She's nice. Oh he's weird. Oh Linda designed our first show this season." I wasn't trying to sound pretentious. It just came out that way. She kept quizzing me though - much the same way that DH does in a yarn store. "What's this made out of?" I'm usually right, FYI.
We ended our day at the museum. I was a little concerned that Mom wasn't going to care for the exhibit. She's not much of a museum kinda girl - but she is a knitter! She loved it. (whew) We chatted with a lovely woman from Brooklyn about knitting at the basement installation. She said that it was a good thing that we didn't go there first. We wold have never made it to Century 21!
Our day ended with dinner at Lindy's. (drool cheesecake) Overall, very fun, and a good time.
Needless to say, I got very little knitting done on Saturday day. I was all set to go home a knit at night.
well, my friend Nate was in town and called up to go to the bar. I went, and did no knitting. That's OK, I thought. I'll knit all day on Sunday.
ha. Nate called to go to brunch.
After brunch I will knit all afternoon!
"Come shopping with me", said Nate.
OK - outlet malls are fun. "I will knit all night" I thought.
"Bye Nate!" It's only 6pm. I can knit all evening!
Wait! I have to go to Borders - must buy More Sensational Knitting Socks.
It's only 7pm - plenty of time to knit.
Shoot! I have to go to the grocery Store! Tomorrow night is the shop party*!
Home by 8:15.
Make strawberry pie. Get Cheese dip ready.
Finally get to knit.
Knit for 2 hours.
Fall asleep on couch.
(sigh)

All told, I got half of A sock knitted this weekend.

*The Shop Party is the big end of the season party thrown by the Scene Shop. Every year it has a theme. This year was Las Vegas. There were stripper poles. That's all I am going to say about that.

No knitting time won't stop me from buying yarn!

It's true. I may not have time to knit, but I seem to find plenty of time to buy yarn. or at least swap for more of it!
Other than the Farmhouse Yarns Sweater Skein from my post a few weeks ago, I have accumulated quite a bit more yarn. I am supposed to be thinning the herd - not adding to it. Oh well!
So what, oh what did it get?

I swapped a bit of sock yarn for 6 skeins of Fantasy Natural, 100% cotton. Since I got the "No Sheep for You" book, I've been itching to knit something cotton. This is a truly gorgeous semi-solid cotton. I can't wait to start something with it!
I also spent a few bucks at the Sarah's Yarns sale and got 4 skeins of Artyarns Supermerino. mmm. cushy socks. And summery colors to boot!

Let's see, what else... oh yes! I swapped ages ago for some lace weight goodness! Check out this pile! One skein of "Hand painted Yarns" lace weight in black, one skein of Crystal Palace Kid Merino in a blaze sunset color - a yarn I have wanted to use, but until now have not had the pleasure (and what a pleasure it is!!) - and a bunch of bits o' mohair lace weight in other colors. I can always use bits. I use them on cards if I cannot use them in a knitting project.

Lastly, I traded some Paton's Classic Merino for this sock yarn:

I've never used Lana Grossa Cotton before. I'm looking forward to it!

as for my work life, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak. I had a great opening night last night of "Our Town" at Yale. The show is wonderful. It came out better than I could have imagined. (Lot's of praise for me from many people, which I can't say I mind.) I cannot wait for some much needed nights of freedom next week. That FPS is going down!

April Socktopia Socks!

I finally finished my April Socktopia Socks. Whew. It was a hard one. the pattern wasn't difficult, once it stuck in my brain, I just had a heck of a time finding time to knit this month! I've been draping two shows, designing two shows, and doing my regular job - needless to say, not leaving much knitting time. But I persevered!

Presenting my April Socktopia submission in the "Sunshine on my Shoulders" category:

Pattern: "Fancy Silk Sock" from Knitting Vintage Socks
Yarn: Lang Jawoll
Needles: Knit Picks Size 2 and 1
Notes: These gorgeous socks are for my good friend's Mom for Mother's Day. Lesley's Mom is a Librarian, and in true librarian fashion, is enamored by all things historical. She also loves little homemade gifts and treasures them completely. When Lesley approached me about knitting a pair of socks for her Mom, I asked her to tell me about her. When Lesley started to describe her Mom, it was as if she was describing her best friend crossed with an angel. You can tell they love and support each other in amazing ways.
We selected the pattern we did because of her love of history. The Knitting Vintage Socks book is great because it gives you little historical bits of information, as well as update the patterns for modern yarn and feet. We are going to include the information from Nancy Bush's book along with the sock gift. (She'll love it!) The color of the yarn is one of her favorites - chocolate brown, and they should fit her feet perfectly!
All in all, a fun knit, going to a great person, who really is the "Sunshine on my Shoulders" for my friend Lesley.

another RAK!

I've been RAKed! Again!

Lindydiva, another Knittyboarder has RAKEd me with a great surprise package of vintage patterns, a gossip book, and lace weight yarn!

I can't wait to dive into this! Thanks Lindydiva!!

In quick knitting news, I am 1 tier from being done with the lace portion of the FPS, I am nearing the end of the gusset decreases on Socktopia April sock #2, and I have 1/3 of my end of season knitting done for my staff! ok. not too much progress, but it makes me feel good.

In joiner news, I have joined yet another online "thing". It is Sockapalooza4 ! Anyone joining with me? see the details:

http://alison.knitsmiths.us/

Popping out of my hole for a day

I feel like I am coming out of hibernation. It has been so long since I posted, and frankly, so long since I had a chance to really sit and knit! This weekend I *actually* got to do a bit of knitting! Feel free to be startled and dumbfounded.
So, to catch us all up....
The themes for April over in Socktopia Land are:
…Orange you glad I didn’t say bananna?
Let’s get Physical.
Bumblebees and Butterflys.
Sunshine on my shoulders.
April Showers
I am knitting away on the "Sunshine on my shoulders" theme. These socks are a gift for a close friend's mother. Pictures to come when they are finished! The awesome host of Socktopia, Momma Monkey, has put up some gorgeous patterns! I cannot wait to knit them up! Alas, the list keeps getting longer, and I am not going to have real down time until the second week in May. My load lightens up significantly after this coming weekend, but I still have a "butt load" of work to do. I tech a show this weekend, have two weeks, then tech another show, followed by a trip to Upstate NY, followed by my job's big fundraiser Gala - of which I am keenly involved. Dang.
I went to the Farmhouse Yarns sale this past week. I bought another sweater skein. I still haven't knit the first one, but I fell in love with the color.

I took some friends from work to the sale. They were dutifully overwhelmed. Both bought yarn for several projects, and made me promise to organize a trip for the next sale. Unfortunately, I got so excited about the yarn I forgot to get a picture of the spread. Gorgeous, massive, and dive in worthy. even if it was a bit cold for April - like 35!!
This weekend, in addition to *actually* knitting, I went book shopping. Like I need more books, but whatever. I am a complete bibliophile. I love books. Let me say it again, I love books. My apartment is turning into a giant bookshelf mating with an Applebee's restaurant. Vintage stuff and books. We are moving to a new place this summer. I really don't NEED more books to lug, but WTH. what's one more box?

anyway, I got three new Knitting books!

"No Sheep for You" - Amy Singer, from Knitty, wrote a book involving no wool! She is allergic, and was disappointed in the lack of food resources about knitting with other fibers. Her book is great. I am not allergic to wool, but I got the book for the great patterns - that have sizes that go up to my bust measurement!!, and for the invaluable information about knitting with other fibers. She even discusses substituting non-wools in wool patterns. I knit for a lot of people that this information will come in handy for. I want some cotton right now!
"Lace Style" - another Interweave knits book. Dh thought I had it already. I assured him I did not. I have "wrap style". Totally different book. I love lace. I will knit lace into just about anything. Not just wraps for me! Gloves, socks, hats, sweaters, dresses.... I could not pass up a chance to add to my lace library. I have a good imagination, so I can look through the Barbara Walker books and pick a pattern, knit it into a piece, and the outcome will look very much like what I imagined. Unfortunately, other people cannot do this. I like the books with good pictures of various objects. It helps me explain what something will look like to a non-imaginative knit recipient. And I don't always like to do all the work.
"Favorite Socks" - I've been waiting for this Interweave book since I saw the pre-order go up on Amazon. It's a sock book. Don't be daft. Of course I was going to buy it.
I read all three books cover to cover, and am just shaking to try... anything!
On the FPS front, well..... uh. I have a picture!!

I have not even moved on it since I decided to cut some repeats. I hope to get a bit of it completed this week, before I go back into hibernation this weekend. Err. I am so behind schedule. I really wanted to be wrapping this up this week. No such luck.

Guess what this is? It is a RAK! I got RAKed from the Knitty board by Tonnall! Thanks! My whole shop was awed by my cool gifty! Thanks again!
Well, that's it for now. I hope to be a bit better about posting in the next few days!

Tootles!