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I was good, though. I didn't get the credit cards out to play at all. Nope, the textbook buyer came through our building near the end of the term and I had some books that he could use. I set the fistful of cash aside as Black Sheep money.
The majority of my time there, about six hours of it, was spent at an all day beginning spinning class taught by Laurie Weinsoft of The Twisted Sisters fame (and I'm not talking about heavy metal rock bands here):
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicatcqucwgela-3IlHkz7T9laai5obI9-BDdryJnPmALR0rZhyphenhyphenm90d0JyQcnu_k20HOysYWGZ-UfOE6w7MBN2QaZl2Vg8ACuS5JFLs1KBL5zBU1HiC4tXmc01syfstaO7pkadskBDYEYZ3/s320/spinningclass01.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid6QnliwYiQKPANufZ-i8f4Tkw2HLblHfYZFK1_dnuHn-7rD45vHTkEMqgShm_0ecGx1fguSIOwNgObCdGoLXHsa9aIx8yf8zKvVmO7Yzuj1-ybYOwaC1crucGRNDR5AAVzHLb-a09ZttV/s320/spinningclass02.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig3-mJWCN5sZl5mF1efHgNbBFbT3WixVBNDG5twCUEBdqf1ImLDhc1qdmQO2888rq2Rqn2he33iUuoRTuyoW0VMseTacidA_uLog1oEgIkhe0NDhYsPkdBOYUP-h2VFned5yxpQYap0dlu/s320/practice-yarn.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXNQZ4fLC4n15nJC5pA2dmfgo9SJEpZ5HFUeGsWU5iEkpnAlrF2tq_QqLmAQT6xdVLQ3q-WnXgihzjLekS6uNj5ENdgXlgsO5NOHy6k0AiYl8AJYY8eoAF5GlhWAwquteXqTgLWS207pYb/s320/practice-yarn02.jpg)
Fiber, fiber...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij5nIU09f0C1NUAuQ68UBj4hhrimxJkG0Mew4T4W32vDiymMNQlHQgXsnFy0j_bZ794kZCTUaS9tJFJDZona7fsb95Yh2bifCzgQ_Z_mRMrDxmz5uCVPF7oOQjVPTsuUbrO9abl_t0Jcrq/s320/market04.jpg)
EVERYWHERE!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdvuyAMwqfO5ayFpD_OXNUlCs8Kz-6nZL6kRrw2F4JVuAzoHX_wvD7k7ZOb_2QGcFbMRgd39NDhxpACdpOvmfC0kQWmG5TekGuyVOeEbfbN85atV9YZ0t3z5cL1bEY4bw4i1ufnnlvON0M/s320/market-3.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEzH44qeObzAhUBOKWTsijgohCK9EB3f0HCXjvd9EhS41oOpvgEb5SY-EhRuJwsE0ShSdyp5w_EgAAQAtPey6SZy909Q8ftpqdnINqLxaEnRQpUIbmVVP6Y4k7VTht5BIJJpZkQ4xM8eqA/s320/market01.jpg)
And the holy of holies, Qiviut, the softest, most luxurious animal fiber there is, amazingly soft and rather expensive:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5xTWQvXjETITXBqNfJYDQSAzEGRZdXdRz_v0NaBXF2CIJ4MRx6cPT09Agp7k8ctr64FrSNXS-_NyoV3b-GuKS28LeAMqmU6AHZD1nGQEcbKfaTU2NXC-4N2HKG-Y4Q2Z-VyfPnYkKvkBl/s320/market06.jpg)
Dicentra Designs was there, with their trademark jewel-tone rovings:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj24Hvq6Afu9ChDPot34dt9RHsLXaE8C7eD4iLfsHDg_jZ17EX5TpDfr4E02hrfGRx0tgCUfxWCfI1mxZHHoxaFpcSQnNicvN_Q8_B6B6g9GBA7dhxweKgIR9H4oLFK8PyMXKTLl4M-Qj07/s320/market02.jpg)
So were lots of other lovelies, like these offerings from Wolf Creek Wools:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCLFFjnDgIYgj_5-Qn-c7TXrViWiWIFhnDAHqz0p5YygPgrCLi3qGVMg-pQ3CgPHLj990aDNfapxfKoOTqe3aAIh1iXDEN9JIT9a9WQjsvKMS-zlBjK8O2dxgRwBNhMqCHgjfWL_kEdom-/s320/market05.jpg)
There were also spinners everywhere. After all, why wait to get home to spin up the wonderful stuff?
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg58pGr04MMUIyAj6gc3mwz6Kw_X7FMTGrTjusk8a-eZktLw4_Qgi3BHEbbL79NlzTxzWgcMInp5w9iLB_nHm1OIALsusDQjxmZSOxaRUP9I-kqP99hoG6nV9NiOwXfBW9WQy3s6E1cjrM5/s320/market07.jpg)
The barns were full of sheep and goats to be judged for their wool quality. There were, of course, many black sheep, as well as these spotted Jacob sheep:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSXgFjh24mltVPDHTG2Fdt2D98r1mh9o4m80Y6l3YrB9n-ju_PXDjScs606UAChZW_v6AAZDrDOX8Kc8VNp2EuxcfPs5SLIjuOuIw39gdzD49_h3uZqByyZlPSpYfcfCtX6RxB1z04dXer/s320/barns01.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaaycL6KSSYGbg3TXkybeHuq0tAOhhTmrvxIA2W47qrjwAHpNLLrVjGcIWsqyMq_x-ltjxtEt5mLvUDL5e7BsBHA8BmYwFbXVPrM-DVioVBsmXx4HrUFrfBMmDKvnU82rO2xilycATvr9R/s320/barns04.jpg)
Adorable Pygora goats are not to be passed up. I'm still trying to figure out how I could slip a few into the back yard and convince the neighbors that they're an exotic breed of dog. "I know they go 'Maaa!' That's just their unusual bark, really!"
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPadYWFS-2ilO4OrSCxXe5IKTKoteWYpVyhAXXHAJrPOvoVtHMzPkVewzf4K7rYEjauAWFISqVID_uB-svx7xzbHM9deVx7X-GcqtxxEozGmM7oQdF5sdUIXBT-5QF_r5wExtN1SOfZPhD/s320/barns02.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRAyFarcZacPJEn8Vbr8f5BcLPGE858aZ_Bo0_x23lpoa10daCj71yRJg3mdK1fgKL1R68lEFNxoQYGdBIbYsWVq16BgXkMAQz_59mv2E3wLUH6JDhHGNkgfU-RPH6kRIyJ9GjL4Vk_cTf/s320/barns03.jpg)
So out of all that loveliness, how can one actually pick something out to take home? I knew that I wanted another bobbin for my Ladybug, so I made a stop at the Woodland Woolworks booth first and found what I was looking for. Then I cruised the entire marketplace, looking for things that appealed. Yeah, that wasn't hard. I didn't buy anything on the first pass through, but waited to go to the vendors that really stuck in my mind.
So I came home with 4 ounces of soft, fluffy lavender Cormo wool that feels like it still has some lanolin in it. This is from Dayspring Farm in Corvallis:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl47Tg1sZ-py_wPBoXX52I1ciqwphd9CAzeLNDiyDDjmncG2d_iuxr_OLxY-z4zoZom-1WrZEiEdYzFnwi09i1eUl5_Jk6nYwIW8Adf6OG14fz2lkJIqkcnSrHALvchnsSubowitv1zmi9/s320/stash-cormo.jpg)
I picked this brilliant Blue-Faced Leicester wool from Dicentra Designs, because what Lord of the Rings geek can resist a colorway called Minas Tirith?
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMQG7F5x8I-Gvc86a0NLyRn7LKligiCfXMLjTTI_6yOexnVTJ5BT-xAsK22YcbM7wsZ1VmROdTfUEIqzacQ60F3Ctr6EjOzTwgRePYpNwHpk4E95BtgX0E3EoLEilk8Fg8inNdELKk2jRd/s320/stash-BFL-Dicentra.jpg)
I picked out a 1 ounce bag of cashmere roving from Goat Knoll in Dallas. If you're going to go to all that time and effort to spin your own yarn, might as well use the really good stuff, right?
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFqg-1vWrLSn_WYmOalje8OtaTyHtf4xhN4tFkhkSpPmvM7B2ZPE8HwkLx0KwD-mI1IOyUDyw_rgQXoiUT40xYhV1Wbl0T9SyJt4pHf1e8uXGq4d-ro7S-QmUtBSdvrLb-gqZQEf5skCD/s320/stash-cashmere.jpg)
And as long as we're using really good stuff, why not get some REALLY good stuff? Yes, I couldn't get my mind off of that Qiviut. Now I have ::swoon!:: Qiviut to spin!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGkWETZEAWRygLfUr0kx6CciPsstML1v_I8voqxKIs8ESQeKLsx2e3QV3vXNFxwqy_fJjA8EbObAv4MyRrXFk01hWWKAkUBcdYAFseUHe2m25TX7OcgLw0uI-8xnIHcaE5eeKNlhluQtqL/s320/stash-quiviut.jpg)
7 comments:
I love the rainbow skein!
Sounds like a wonderful time! I love seeing all the goodies you picked up! :D
wow, I am SO jealous that you get to have two great festivals in your state!
I completely...COMPLETELY... understand! The class I took at the Estes Park Wool Market was given by Maggie Casey of 'Start Spinning' fame.
And I bought an ouncs of buffalo...or bison...or whatever. Not qivuit exactly. But still got a raised eyebrow from the Guy at $20/oz.
Also...I am seriously going to have to get to the NW one of these days, and I think one of your festivals might be just the ticket...
Best reason to plan a trip to Oregon: Sock Summit 2011! It'll be the end of July, in Portland.
Laurie is the best teacher ever. She taught me and now I have the habit. You took a photo of the spinning circle while I was on a break. The twins are there and so is my yellow basket on a chair in the foreground! Lisa from Dicentra does have gorgeous saturated colors. Check out Woolgatherings' roving. The colors are more subtle but lush.
Enjoyed your post!
enerrer 4
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