Pagosa Fiber Festival

Last Saturday I traveled over the pass about 70 miles to go to the Pagosa Fiber Festival. It was a wonderful day with just a few sprinkles of rain. I took the boys with me and we walked around. There were many different vendors of wool and roving and yarn and spinning tools and books. The boys liked the animals the best. There were different kinds of sheep and goats and rabbits and llamas and alpacas. We watched a sheep-shearing demonstration. The man had been shearing sheep for 56 years and he was fast. I ended up buying some Australian merino(undyed) and some superwash dyed roving. On the way home we stopped at a malt shop and I had a huge sundae. It would have fed several people. I had no idea it was going to be so big. Set the diet back a gazillion years but it was a special occasion.

Projects

I think a little wrap up of projects would now be in order. I finished a little woven coaster made on a little picture frame loom I made. I used thrift store recycled cotton and linen yarn. I either put my cell phone on it to keep it from getting scratched or use it as a coaster. I think I will be make more to use the different colors of yarn that I have.
I finished the socks I had been knitting since November. They were also thrift store sweater wool yarn. This is the 3rd pair of socks I've made from that sweater. I'm sure I have enough for one more pair at least. They were driving me nuts though, they never seemed to get bigger.
I knit two bags for a KAL I was participating in. I used sugar and cream yarn in peppercorn colorway. They are really nice. Only took a week each to make.
I did a little spinning on a trip I had to take last week so that was good. I'm spinning on a spindle again because I can make the yarn a lot thinner. I'm still not great with the wheel.
I even picked up the shawl I've been knitting for a year and did a few rows. Maybe I can do more over the weekend.
I got some new yarn last week for socks so I've been trying to pick out a pattern that would work well. The colors are amazing so I don't need anything fancy to make them look good.
I also started working again on a blanket for my bed. It's the Babette pattern but I'm not using a gazillion colors like the pattern calls for. Just 4. I'm liking it a lot.
Have a great weekend!

Just so you know

I'm working on a pair of socks from my handspun. It's superwash merino spindle spun, wheel plied and the color is amaryllis. Very nice. I thought I had spun it bulkier but it's working well for the socks. The pattern is very easy and it's going quickly. I'm using #2 bamboo dpns. I have one more repeat on the foot and then it's the toe and they are done. Wool socks for summer!

New stuff

Well, here's my list for finished knitting/spinning things for 2007. (peer pressure to make a list, it is)

3 pairs socks
3 scarves (1 made with handspun)
1 hat (made with handspun)
1 headband

I'm halfway through another pair of sock and halfway through another headband(that I'm rapidly growing tired of knitting) and I started a hat yesterday because I wanted a hat. Not too bad a total for me considering everything else I do too.
I got great yarn for Christmas. 2 skeins of silk/wool and 2 skeins of Regia sock yarn. I don't have the first one in front of me so I can't conjure up the brand off the top of my head. The silk/wool I'm thinking of making into a scarf as soon as I get some Addi circular needles. The sock yarn I've decided today to try the Monkey socks.
I'm halfway through spinning some fiber from Spunky. The merino/bamboo colorway "Vineyard" and the superwash merino colorway "Amaryllis". I'm hoping hoping that I will get to order the fiber of the month again this month. I'm waiting to see how much I get back on my loans for classes this semester. I'm taking two classes and need books but I'm hoping to get at least $15 for new fiber. Oh, and $20 for a new spindle. My other one has developed a crack. Well, not developed. Ummm, kind of jammed between my leg and a doorway. My leg now has a bruise, the spindle has a massive crack in the shaft and the doorway has no damage to show. The spindle still spins, albeit heavier and kind of wobbly. But I'm *such* an experienced spinner it shouldn't....matter.....at......allllllll. Yeah, we'll see.