Yarn Along

I won some Sweet yarn! It is Silk Cashmere Aran hand dyed in Beautiful British Columbia from Sweet Fiber.  It is so soft I wish you could touch it.

You know it is some very impressive yarn when Harley Weimeraner has to come over to check it out.  Even a dog knows it is some awesome yarn.

I set a side my Plivver top to finish up another project. I can't wait to have this top done, but it is going to take a long time to make. No plain knitting on this project. Hopefully it will be ready in the Fall.

I am working as fast as I can to finish up my Shetland Triangle Shawl. I am doing it was a KAL and just about everyone has finished. I started late and I am finding it really hard to dedicate too much time to knitting these days. We've been out enjoying the warm weather and longer days. Not to mention those adorable baby alpacas Swag & Mr. Bates.  But this is such a nice knit to come home to and knit one repeat of the chart and go to bed.

I have also been processing some fiber. I want to have it done before Blue (my alpaca) gets sheared. so I can work on his as soon as it comes off him.

So that is what I have been working on.  Hopefully I'll have some FOs next week.

 

Joining with Ginny's Yarn Along

Yarn Along

 

I made another Terra Shawl. I just love this pattern. It is so simple and the perfect travel knit. I casted it on before we went to the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival and knitted it in the car.  I finished it up after we got home.  I used Cascade Yarns Heritage hand painted sock yarn and I just love the colors of it.

 

And just for fun here is skirt I just made from a knit I made last year with Miss Bab's yarn.

 

 

It used to be a tunic, but I ripped the top out and made it a skirt. It is so comfy!  I've been living in it since I modified it.  I tried to show how flowy it is.

 

The plant that was behind me had tons of bees on it. It worked out great because the kids were terrified of the bees and I was able to get my pictures of my knits. 

Also I found taking pictures of bees to be addictive.

 

 

I've been getting a lot of questions about what I bought at the festival.

I got everything on my list, plus a few extra things.

 

I got these books- you can read about them in this post.

 

I got lots of yarn and roving!!! The skein of deep purple on the top right is 400 yards (so a regular sized skein). Does that give you an idea of how large the other ones are!  I scored big on the prime alpaca for my Quill.  I was afraid that this project was going to cost me an arm and a leg, but when I saw Tess Designer Yarns was going to have 667 yard skeins of natural alpaca for only $15.00 each guess where my first stop was.  She only had a few of them and I got just about all of them.  Since the price wasn't advertised at the festival and I knew it from her website I grabbed them and wasn't letting go. You should have seen me arms totally full not letting anyone else have any until I knew exactly what ones I wanted.

 

yarn for my quill 3735 yards of alpaca (should be more than enough)

I got some roving for spinning.

 

 

I started spinning this purple roving and I planned on using it for my Shetland Triangle Shawl, but I decided to use this yarn for something else which is not casted on yet.

 

 

I have never used linen before, but I have seen a few cute tops and skirts with linen and I thought I'd give it a try.

I couldn't pass up on an affection set from Miss Bab's.

I got another skein of yarn from Miss Bab's and some toys for the boys.  I saw so many other vendors with so many wonderful yarns and it was so hard not to impulse buy.  One of the best parts of the festival is seeing all the hand knits.  I got so many ideas of things to make. I saw one shawl and it made me gasp.  It was so beautiful.  I couldn't get it out of my head.  After a few days I still couldn't get it out of my head and I wrote to the company that had it at their booth (they were sooooo busy at the festival I couldn't ask anyone about the pattern).  I got the most wonderful message back from them saying that they did the same thing. They saw it and it took her 3 years to find the pattern.  Trust me the pictures on Ravelry do NOT do this pattern any justice.  I am making it my personal mission to knit this shawl up and get some beautiful pictures of it.  I know you want to know the pattern...Lyra.  But trust me the in person is so much better.

I am doing a KAL with The Girl's in Sheep Clothing....and a few boys too.  We are knitting the Shetland Triangle Lace Shawl.  I am using Cascade Heritage sock yarn. I love the color.  This is a great lace shawl project. It has rows of knitting and purling in it. Woo hoo for that.  The pattern is very well written and so easy to follow. I have actually finished the pattern....but you can make it as large as you want by repeating the chart, so I am going to keep going until I run out of yarn.

And just to be crazy I have a second project on my needles. I am more of a one project at a time girl, but I really need some hand knits I can wear in this warmer weather, so I am making a Plivver top.  Right now I am doing the ribbing and it is nice to work on and cuddle on the couch with the boys with.  The Shetland Triangle pattern isn't really hard to keep in my head, but I am finding the ribbing to be a little easier to pick up and put down.  I am using Madelintosh light for this top and I am loving it.  It is so soft and I love the color.

For reading my boys picked out "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein at the library.

And look how official I am! I bought a yarn along bag from Lori.  I love it! I have been taking it everywhere with me and it is just perfect! Thank you Lori!!!  I have said my times if it wasn't for Ginny's Yarn Along I would probably make three hats a year and maybe a shawl. But this Yarn Along motivates me to always have something to share and I get so many great ideas for what everyone else is working on how can I slow down?!  Plus the amazing people I have met on the Yarn Along. That is a huge bonus.

 

And just in case you missed my pictures of Swag yesterday here is one more.

 

 

Joining Ginny's Yarn Along
 



Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival 2013

 

 

Oh what fun weekend! My two sisters and two youngest nephews headed down to the Maryland Sheep &Wool Festival this weekend.  I went childless! They were left in the safe hands of their father. Thank you so much Freddy!

 

I'd also like to say Happy Anniversary to my wonderful husband.

 

Back to the festival. We drove down Friday night.  We all packed into my sister's mini van.  I got to sit in the back seat.  But to get into the back seat I had to climb through the back of the car.  So about fifty times I hurled myself over all our bags and to my seat.  My sisters giggled so hard every time I had to do it. They thought it was just too funny.

 

I got to knit, watch Finding Nemo and Elmo's World over and over again.

When we got to our hotel we got a text from my mom that she got a new dog! We knew she was going to meet him, but we weren't sure if she was going to get to keep him. There were several other people interested in rescuing the dog. But my parents are now the proud owners of a wonderful chocolate lab.  We are so excited for them.

 

The kids loved the hotel. 

We wanted to have dinner at a pub and when we saw the Pub Dog we knew we had to go.  What a way to celebrate my parents new dog!

 



We made a great choice on the Pub. It was so much fun. The menu had beer and pizza. All the beers and pizza were named after dogs.

 

You get two beers at a time here. Which is just fantastic.

 





It was the best pizza ever!  I liked the buffalo style one we got best. I can't remember the name.  The Old Yeller was pretty good too.

 

I bought two yarn along bags from Lori.  One for me and one for my sister Leanne.  I gave Leanne hers for her birthday. We had them with us the whole trip.

 

Responsible parenting.

Look there is even a dog at the Pub Dog!

 



 

Then we went back to our hotel room and put the kids to bed and watched Goonies.  Yes we are dorks, but happy dorks!

Then we got up bright and early and headed to the festival Saturday morning.

 



 

At the festival there are vendors every where you look. Building after building filled with yarn, roving, buttons, shawl pins, pictures, anything you can imagine!

 

LOOK who I ran into at the festival Willy G & Jeff! I did the Leaves of Grass knit-a-long with them.  I recognized their hats and Willy G had his Ravelry button on with his name so I had to introduce myself.  They are so much fun! I had such a good time talking to them.  They convinced me to join the KAL that is going on now. I really had fun talking about yarn, patterns, spinning, other bloggers and anything else we chatted about. They really are so funny in person. It is so fun to meet fellow bloggers / knitters in person!

 



 

 

 Gyros on the hill. A festival must.

 

 

 

Chase inspecting his mom's yarn.

 



Bye festival. See you again next year.

 

I barely fit in car on the way home.



 

I loved toting around my Yarn Along bag. It was so fun to meet people that saw it and said "Is that Ginny Sheller's yarn along?"  I told them my first name and they knew me!  I felt famous. Hee hee.  Have I mentioned I am such a dork.



 

So after a long car ride home I have a house full of new yarn and still tons of pictures to get through.  I'll post more sheep pictures tomorrow, but now I'm going to go sort out my yarn, roving and new books!