I suppose I should blog...

Yeesh, October is crazy! I have let a backlog of events, purchases, etc. pile up and now I'm a little overwhelmed by it all. Here are a few highlights from Rhinebeck, I'll tackle Stitches East in the next post. Sorry for the links to pictures, I sized them incorrectly and they looked really bad here. I'll figure it out =/

This was my first visit, and it was lovely! Jenna and I used the buddy system and had an excellent, relaxing time. Maybe we were a little antisocial, we skipped meet-ups, the Ravelry party and Blogger Bingo but we're both having insane semesters, we're running on empty.

We feasted on the famous artichokes, as well as apple pie a la mode, milkshakes, and many tiny bits of cheese. Jenna's old BF Max showed us around Rhinebeck and we caught a snippet of the Darjeeling Limited from the projection room at his family's theater, Upstate Films. Met Jessica, that was awesome. I love meeting bloggers I've read for a number of years, it's really bizarre--we were both like, "haven't we already met?"

Minor purchases were made (Jenna was hyper-restrained/disciplined!). I picked up only one skein of yarn, tie-dyed angora from...I'm not sure where. I think it's the same booth and same yarn that Jenna and Huelo purchased from at Cummington Sheep and Wool in May, Acker Acres Angoras? I asked the woman what it looked like knit up and she said "I dunno, I just dyed it and haven't knit it!" I'm thinking it might end up looking like the sky in my favorite Van Gogh.

Some insane roving that looks like intestines from Foxhill Farm Fibers and Sheep. I'm regretting not picking up a bag that was really beachy, as well as two tiny ones that were yellow and bubble gum pink. I also grabbed some very cool wool fabric--tweeds and herringbones in amazing colors. It's actually pretty hard to find small amounts of soft wool in interesting colors, so I was excited to learn where they're hiding (rug hookers hoard them!). I'm hoping to try a Denyse Schmidt style scarf.

I'm starting to feel the pull for a spinning wheel! It's a big purchase but I've been really good this year. It might seem like I spend a lot on yarn, bags and shoes (and I do) but I'm really good at budgeting everything else. Clothing, food, books etc. are all done on the cheap. I really like this blogger's thoughtful approach to buying/shopping for a wheel. I have some offers to try some different wheels. The smaller/more compact the better so I'm thinking castle or folding. I know double treadle is supposed to be easier but I have an ankle problem that makes it hard to do things evenly with both feet...I might be better off with a single treadle. Aesthetically I'm drawn to the Kromski Sonata and Minstrel, the Ashford Kiwi, the Louet S75 and the adorable Schacht Ladybug.

One of the shopping considerations is what sort of yarn you'd like to spin. I love Jacey's yarn and I lust after Spincycle Yarns. What has really sent me over the edge is all the handspun garter stitch stuff that Adrian and Jared are churning out. Remember the Spunky Eclectic roving I bought at Cummington? Well, Jenna spun it up for me on her Louet S75:




It came out BEAUTIFULLY, and it's highly inspiring. It's South African Fine from Spunky Eclectic, colorway Rocky Mountain High. I originally thought I'd make a hat and mittens (Jenna reserved some of the roving so I could thrum with it) but it's so pretty I might do a really simple shawl instead, a Spunky pattern in fact! Full circle, nice.









More later,

CR