just a little hint....
whatever could it be? :-)
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catching up
OK, it's a wee bit late, but I should really talk about my Rhinebeck experience. It was fantastic! I took the weekend off from work, so it was a really nice break from the theater. The weather was perfect - peak fall foliage and clear blue skies. It was a bit chilly, though, and I stupidly didn't pack any handknits other than my bamboo Clapotis, but I managed to stay warm enough to enjoy it all.
The festival itself was pretty overwhelming at first, but once I got a handle on where things were it was much more manageable. I wasn't in the market for anything specific, so I didn't break the bank. Now that I know what's there and how it all works, I can plan my shopping for future trips. Frankly, I am really trying to bust the stash a bit before I go buying tons more yarn, you know?
I shared a hotel room Saturday night with three lovely ladies I hooked up with on Ravelry, and we had a blast. The logistics all worked out really well - since I was carless, I was dependant on people for transportation and I didn't want to be a big inconvenience, but it all worked out perfectly.
You've heard all about the party, I'm sure - so much fun! Crazy blogger spotting and knitwear-ogling and catching up with friends new and old. I got to see three generations of my friend Jen's family, who was there with her mom and her cute baby Mimi. I even won a needle case for Jen's mom! (We need to hook up soon so I can give it to you, Jen!) There was yummy food and really good local beer - the Hurricane Kitty was amazing!
Jess & Casey are true forces of nature - it's been such a pleasure and privelage to be a part of Ravelry from the very early days, and to see what it's become and how smartly they are growing it is really inspiring.
OK, the purchases - not much, like I said. I bought some fiber, though I never did get a lesson on a wheel like I had wanted, so the spinning will have to wait for a while. I got some gorgeous green silk/cashmere, and some merino in a colorway called "Laurel". Heh.
Yarn - this is a merino/silk blend with a subtle sheen called "Silver & Gold" -
It's really simple, but very pretty and soft (and it was on sale!). I got two skeins, so maybe a scarf or some gloves? We'll see.
My big splurge purchase:
Blue Moon Fiber Arts Silk Thread in the Grawk colorway. 1250 yards of silky thready goodness. This stuff is really hard to photograph - it's a black base with lots of greens and purples - like an oil slick? Anyway, I had to have it, and I was at the booth on the second day when the lines weren't so crazy - I skipped it entirely on Saturday since I am pretty much immune to the charms of sock yarn.
I have no idea what I'll make with this stuff - I've been cruising shawl patterns but nothing has really grabbed me yet. I think this will hibernate in the stash for a while - it needs to be made into something very special.
I did start a new project this week - while I was searching shawl & scarf patterns I found the Alhambra scarf. This one lept out at me because I fell in love with the Alhambra Palace when I was in Spain last year, and this is a really pretty scarf that interprets the interlocking tile motifs that can be found in much Islamic architecture. I thought of using my Seasilk for it, then I remembered some handpainted merino that I got at School Products a few years ago and it wa a perfect match:
It will need a major blocking (I just ordered blocking wires from Knipicks! How fun!) but you can see how the swirly tile pattern is emerging. It's a really fun pattern, 18 row repeat with lace knitting on both sides. It's only 62 stitches across so it goes pretty quickly. I may give this one as a Christmas gift, but we'll have to see. I may just fall even more in love with the finished product!
