Black Sheep Gathering 2013

Fiber Festival season is upon us, and though I need more stash like I need a hole in my head, I went nevertheless. One must support local business and local agriculture, no? And so long as I put less into the stash than I spin and knit up, it does slowly go down, right?

Besides, why miss out on all the fun?

I went down to the Lane County Fairgrounds to visit Black Sheep Gathering on Friday afternoon with friends, just to take in the marketplace. We didn't have a lot of time for sitting and spinning, alas, but there were spinning circles indoors and out. The fine weather made it a lovely time to be outdoors and spinning:

Indoors lies the marketplace! The Black Sheep info booth is by the front entrance, and beyond that, dozens and dozens of vendors!

Not only fiber and yarn, but also equipment, like this beautiful walking wheel, and sweet smelling soaps from Fog Wash soaps.

And of course a dazzling array of fiber:

Everything is better with friends, right? Lydia and Stephania (of Three Fates Yarn) carpooled with me and we had a good time looking around.

Out in the barns, there was plenty of fiber on the hoof. Here a pair of Blue-Faced Leicesters wait to be shown.

Jacob sheep were in the ring for judging.

And these Shetlands awaited their turn to be shown and judged.

A couple of the Angora goats decided it was nap time.

I was pretty modest in my purchases. So much lovely stuff that I could have brought home, but the stash is still larger than I'm comfortable with, so for myself I bought only 4 oz of an an angora rabbit blend (blended with Gotland wool, alpaca, and silk), and a gradient-dyed braid of Polwarth and silk from Huckleberry Knits. I'm going to try to spin the whole thing as one long gradient, chain-plied, for a shawlette, something I haven't done before so it will be an interesting new challenge. The six-ounce bag of Romney roving is for a prize for one of my Tour de Fleece teams -- got a good bargain on it!

Knittin' on the Rails 2013

Hello, back again after being far too busy for my own good. Much to post about FOs and such, but for now, a day away from the busy busy-ness to go on a yarn crawl to Portland on Memorial Day Weekend. Here are some highlights from the trip:

The Amtrak pulls into the station at Salem, where Helen and I awaited, bringing the delegation from Eugene.

This is the way to travel! Comfortably seated, a convenient table to use, lots of leg room, and plenty of knitting to keep us occupied. Airlines, take note.

Once in Portland, we bought day passes for the TriMet system and took a bus over to the east side of town, where we hit Twisted. Alas, I didn't think to get the camera out until after we were done, and missed documenting the Wonderful Wall 'o Sock Yarn. I'll leave it a mystery, then, and entice others to the delights of Twisted.

Just steps away was the Rose and Thistle pub, where we lunched on pub fare. I had to taste the Scotch Eggs, along with a good salad.

Back on the bus and back to the west side, where three beautiful yarn shops lie within walking distance of one another. First, Pearl Fiber Arts:

Just a few of the delights inside. Notice the beautiful Rockefeller shawl around the owner's shoulders, done up in rainbow-toned Poems sock yarn.

We took the streetcar up a few blocks to visit KnitPurl, and again, overcome by wool fumes, I forgot to photograph the interior. There were lovely things inside, trust me!

After a refreshing repast at The Tea Zone, and with the train's departure time approaching, we made a dash for Dublin Bay, where Helen found a few Jamieson yarns that she needed.

I was fairly conservative in my buying, considering all the wonders that I saw. I came away with a skein of Poems Sock for a future shawl, a skein of Black Trillium sock yarn for a sock pattern I have in mind, two books of adorable knitted toys, the Sock Report, and a pattern for a darling little short-sleeve cardigan.

Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival 2012

I've been on a bit of a summer break, but now that fiber season officially ended with Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival, it's time to do a little catch-up.

We couldn't have asked for a better day to be at the fairgrounds in Canby. The weather was in the 70s, the skies were clear, and the fairgrounds were packed with vendors.

Not to mention the animal barns! As always, lots of bunnies, sheep, alpacas, llamas, and goats.

Some pretty Border Leicesters gave us the stink-eye:

Lovely merino on the hoof! Give me some scissors and let me set my wheel down -- these babies are ready to spin!

The famous blue faces of the Blue-faced Leicesters:

And such pretty locks on the Angora goats! Mohair on the hoof!

But if you really want to turn my crank, let me comb out these pretty little cashmere goats. Their neighbors, the pygora goats, were just as lovely, but wouldn't hold still for a good picture:

What really makes OFFF, though, is going with friends. We set up on the lawn with our wheels and our knitting and spent the afternoon just enjoying ourselves. Katie spent some quality time with her Roadbug:

Nanci got an impromptu lesson on spinning with a Turkish spindle, and came away with a new spindle and fiber:

Nanci and I met up with Betsy who was tending a friend's booth:

Patch and her mother joined us with little Gwen, who insisted on doing more shopping, seeing animals, and came away with a giant chocolate muffin:

After organizing and posting my stash on Ravelry, including my spinning fiber, I decided I needed to slow down on my buying and swapping. If I knit at my usual rate, it will be at least three years before I can truthfully say, "I don't have much yarn and I need some more." And that's not counting the two fleeces I'm working on. Consequently I put myself on a yarn diet. Mind you, "diet" in a nutritional sense means "eat moderately" not "stop eating altogether," so a sensible yarn diet allows for a little moderate buying now and then. Being rather "full" of yarn does make all the lovely things a little less "must have NAO!" My loot was a beautiful silver and enamel scarf slide from Gita Maria, a third hank of purple yak/merino fiber from Abstract Fiber to go with two others that I have, which should give me enough to make a vest, and a fat skein of Twisted yarn from Blue Moon Fiber Arts. Y'see, there were these felted chicken slippers on display at the Blue Moon booth, designed by Mary Scott Huff, and Nanci and I couldn't resist (Nanci especially couldn't resist since she keeps chickens in her backyard). The real selling point? The little "chicken slipper bits" packets sitting right next to the slippers. I'm sure dozens of knitters thought like we did, "Oh, hey, here are the little bits of red and yellow yarn you need for the slippers, right here, no buying whole extra skeins!" Alas, I don't see the pattern on Ravelry yet to link to. When I find it I'll post it.

Knittin' the Rails 2012

It's that time of the year again -- not only fiber festival season, but time for a Portland yarn crawl! To make this a green crawl, we hopped aboard the Amtrak to ride northward. Just a small herd of knitters this year, but quite determined in spite of threatening skies. Not a problem, I brought an umbrella and sunscreen -- therefore it didn't rain and we didn't get hot sun, either. It worked!

Here come the train at the Salem station, bringing knitters from Albany to join us:

The Salem contingent awaits their chance to board. It was a crowded train on the way up, but once we all got seated, we were underway.

Mary Scott Huff, author of Teach Yourself VISUALLY Color Knitting, met us at Union Station in Portland, wearing the gorgeous stranded colorwork and felted jacket that she gives instructions for in her book.

First stop, Dubin Bay in the Pearl District, where they always lay out the red carpet for us, or at least a selection of goodies and a discount for yarn crawls. The selection of yarns is lovely, and just for the record, they ship to anywhere in the world that the mail service goes.

A lovely knitting nook with a wide window, as well as a television with sports playing, presumably for non-knitting companions. Today it was decked out with a lovely display of goodies.

From Dublin Bay we went on to Pearl Fiber Arts (formerly Urban Fiber Arts, but apparently someone else went and trademarked the name, alas).

Inside, another tempting array of yarn, including yarn from local growers, dyers, and spinners. The store is preparing to move a few storefronts down, so it's looking an little more sparse than it has in the past, but there was still plenty to tempt.

Some adorable little souvenir spinning wheels:

And some equally adorable knobbly-kneed little felted sheep:

We left Pearl Fiber Arts with 10% off coupons for The Tea Zone, where we had a delicious lunch, including the best grilled cheese panini (with tomatoes and avocado) that I've had in a very long time. I also left with some lovely tea.

After lunch we went to Powell's Books, a vast city of new and used books, where I didn't get a picture, but we made a thorough inspection of the knitting books and came back with a few. After that, we  took the bus across the river and straight to the wonders of Twisted. Let's start with the wondrous wall of sock yarn, featuring local dyers.

They've got some lovely spinning supplies, including these Schacht spinning wheels -- a Ladybug and a Sidekick.

We had a little time to sit and knit while we waited for our bus. Then it was off to the station to catch the train back home.

My haul was modest, but I came back with some choice bits. From left and moving clockwise, I picked up a foam needle felting pad, a skein of pure silk yarn from Blue Moon Fiber arts, a little needle felting kit for making a little elephant, a couple of ounces of Soothing Comfort herbal tea from Tea zone, a skein of hand-dyed worsted merino/bamboo blend from Alexandra's Crafts, a skein of Shepherd Worsted from Lorna's Laces, a bottle of Eucalan lavender, a bit of blue elastic thread, two skeins of turquoise blue Fibranatura Flax linen yarn, and two books from Powell's: 75 Birds, Butterflies & Little Beasts to Knit and Crochet and 100 Flowers to Knit & Crochet, both by Lesley Stanfield.

Blue may not be my usual color, but my mother-in-law's hair is thinning and she's feeling embarrassed about her scalp showing through, so I'm making her a few hats, one for summer and two for winter. The summer hat will need the elastic thread, which is why I picked it up.

Tra, la, and I did it all except the books with cash I'd been setting aside for yarn.

Small Business Saturday

No, I don't do the war on Thanksgiving -- a.k.a. post-Thankgiving sales, a.k.a. "Black Friday." I don't do well at all in noisy crowds of strangers, especially in enclosed spaces, and I can't stand the greed-fest. I'm not opposed to shopping, but I am opposed to stores encouraging people to camp in their parking lots on Thanksgiving day instead of being home with their families, or that start their sales on Thanksgiving itself. I've noted which stores in town did that and will not be shopping there all the next year. Maybe, like Bill O'Whatshisname who yammers about the supposed "war on Christmas," I could start a movement about the "war on Thanksgiving." And I think I'd have a much stronger case. I did Buy Nothing Day instead -- at least until the kid from the local high school wrestling team came around selling wreaths. But that's a fundraiser, so it doesn't count.

I waited for Small Business Saturday and patronized Tangled Purls, one of two yarn shops in town. Not that I really need an excuse to check out the books and yarn, but I'll take one anyway. Came home with The Knitter's Handy Book Of Patterns and a skein of Madelinetosh sock yarn.

Then the family went to our locally-owned theater pub and saw The Muppets. Ah, a lovely feel-good holiday moving. Next we want to see Hugo, and we're really looking forward to The Adventures of Tin-Tin. Directed by Stephen Spielberg and Peter Jackson? Sounds good already.

Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival 2011

Marking the end of fiber festival season in this part of the world, Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival happened this weekend, to both sun (Saturday) and pouring rain (Sunday). I went up with a friend on Saturday and spent most of the day there, looking at the critters, breathing in the fibery goodness, and taking time in the afternoon to sit and knit with friends.

This young lady had a beautiful angora goat (the kind that give mohair) for sale that she was parading around, attracting the younger set who wanted to pet the long, curly locks.

As for the other angora, the kind that give angora, there were lots in attendance, some being sold. This lovely fellow was wiggling around until he saw the camera. Then he sat down and posed.

The adorable alpaca, with his fresh haircut, wanted to get up close and meet everyone. Definitely wanted a shot from his good side.

Gotland sheep were the featured breed of the year. If I'd wanted the fleece, I could have had it sheared for me right then and there:

Churros gave a lovely showing as well:

I'd seen pictures of Scottish blackface sheep, but I had no idea they were this tiny. These little guys are almost lap-sized. While the fleece is often coarse, this little flock felt like they were soft enough for good outerwear.

I didn't catch what breed this little lambie-pie was, but it was some kind of hair sheep:

For all you Blue-faced Leicester fans, here's that famous "blue" face:

In the marketplace, I saw the new Schacht Sidekick being demonstrated at the Abstract Fiber booth:

Every year I'm tempted by these glass needles, but I haven't succumbed yet. Maybe sometime. There was a pair out for demonstration just to prove that they don't really squeak when you knit with them.

And at the Blue Moon Fiber Arts booth -- anyone who practiced the flash mob dance for Sock Summit should recognize Steven. Tina (one half of ST1) is behind him to the left.

This was a great book booth, with lots of vintage and antique books. I picked up two books of sweater patterns from the 40s for my vintage collection.

The best part, of course, is meeting up with friends to knit and spin together, and to show off all the new pretties.

I was pretty restrained this time around, since my stash boxes are stuffed full. I even had cash left when I was done. I picked up (clockwise from the left) a 4 oz hank of silk/alpaca blend to spin, a 2 oz cup of B-type pygora fiber, two 2 oz hanks of pure silk spinning fiber from Blue Moon (in the Morticia colorway, which made it totally irresistible), a skein of mill ends Socks that Rock from the Blue Moon both, and in the middle, 4 ounces of English angora, which is pretty compacted but I don't think it's badly felted. If I find felted bits, I can use it for needle felting. It was only four bucks.

Now I've got to get to knittin' and spinnin'!