Seriously. NO YARN. AT ALL. The closest I came to getting Actual Yarn was this - the green and silver sparkly stuff. It was indeed sparkly, but I managed to NOT get it. (Yeah, I was pretty impressed with myself, too.)
In fact, I made it all the way down the Main Hall and around the corner, and then I saw this resting on a shelf...
Yeah, it had to come home with me. Someday, you see, I'm going to have Angora bunnies. (I'm not allergic to bunnies. Only thing with fur out there that holds true!) So, really, I need to be able to spin their soft, fluffy furbits. (Really. It's not because I love bunnies, and loved having bunnypets growing up.) Now, if I have Stuff to Spin, I decided to get a spindle. I have two; one I made out of a wooden candlestick (didn't work great), and one that came with a learn-to-spin kit I got from Maine Woods Yarn & Fiber. (Hm. Looks like I actually did a thing on spindles & spinning a while back. It was a fun re-read.) Now, if there's one thing I've learned with pretty much any craft: if you can afford the GOOD tools, get them! So...
Here's my new Golding. (My first one!) It's a Cherry Pinwheel, and tinytinytiny - just .8oz!
So, having gotten a spindle, and not wanting to re-learn to spin on my bunny fiber, I had to get some other stuff. I figured a fun, colorful bag would be a good start. (My mom DID buy yarn, so I also got two small bags of stuff-that-matched the silk yarn she bought.)
I spun about half my bag of blue fluff on the way home - the Golding is super-balanced! I'm still overtwisting, and need to work on that. I'll get there!
Having gotten fiber already, I was weakening. Now, two years ago, someone brought this Giant Ball of Soft Stuff to the S&B in Fairfax. I remember it was pink, chocolate and white, and it looked like candy. I was fascinated. So, not terribly surprising, two followed me home. (Along with a twist of something Mom picked out. I guess I'm spinning for her, too, now.) The black/white/brown makes me think of a cat; the silver and green... well, if you've read this blog at all, you understand.
I also got a pattern or two, a Kollage square crochet hook (size B, for my OWL, since my regular hook was hurting my hands), and music.
Yes, music. Maggie Sansone was there, playing her lovely hammer dulcimer. I bought both samplers and two albums, and that's what I've been listening to all week. Lovely stuff, especially if you like Celtic/Irish/Folk.
I managed to NOT bring home a French Angora Bunny (yes, a live one - the house isn't ready for bunnies yet) by distracting myself in a tent across the way from where the rabbits were. There, I found a bag that matches my umbrella from the TKGA Convention last summer. (Shelldon approves.)
Most of my money, though, went towards a bunch of Sheep Incognito by Conni Tögel. I got three prints (click through to see them on her site) High Strung, Lean on Me, and Woolvalanche - which isn't on the site that I could find, but I got to see the original canvas, which was AMAZING. I also got the 2011 Calendar (half price!):
... and the 2012, as well. PLUS, Conni gave me two little cards (well, four - two for me, and two for my boss-who-knits) and a sticker (with "Baathing Beauty," "A Ram, A Lamb, a Ding-Dong" and "KnitWit," respectively). I so totally want her book:
(And yes, it's on my Amazon wishlist. For now. I may get it soon. Like for a Anniversary or something? I will ALSO be getting a print of her "Silence of the Lambs" at some point!)
Not bad for my first Wooly Fest ever. If it wasn't for the September TKGA Conference (and the limit on how much vacation I'm allowed in any given month), I'd consider hitting the Garden State Sheep & Fiber Festival - but clicky through on the brochure if you live near it!
I'm already looking forward to next year!
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