Wool Yarn Fabric Clothing: May 2018

Hello world! Yes, I'm alive. I survived the birth. I just haven't had much time for crafting, and therefore even less time for blogging.

I am getting back in the groove however, and am actively working on two spinning projects and a knitting project, mostly on my commute. Today though I'd like to report on last Sunday's trip to the Maryland Sheep and Wool festival in Howard County.

This wall of color pretty much represents the festival pretty accurately, I think

My mother, who doesn't knit (although she used to crochet) came down from Boston. She drove down my grandmother from Philly (who definitely knits - she taught me) and I brought up my mother-in-law from Baltimore (who stitches, knits, and crochets) and my baby (who doesn't know how to knit yet but he will).

Sweater made for the baby by his great grandma, with matching hat

I vowed not to buy any fiber this year because I have not been crafting much - I've done almost nothing with all of the yummy things I bought last year. I also saw how much I already had when we moved in September; there's nothing like a move to get you stash-busting! All I ended up buying was: a booklet on the history and variety of hand spindles around the world, two extra bobbins for my Ashford wheel, and two pairs of earrings made with *very* mini skeins of yarn.

I also didn't end up going to any demonstrations because I was carrying the little one around. That meant that I mostly looked and took pretty pictures. I also got to feel qiviut for the first time and it was amazingly soft (and amazingly pricey).

There were so many things to look at. Wheels and spindles:

Several new wheels and bobbins

People (and the lovely handmade clothing they were wearing):

Main boulevard at the festival

Animals:

Black sheep being pet by some small people

Toys and other small crafted things:


Little felted sheep

And, of course, yarn and roving:

Mohair yarn

"Skein of Thrones"

Undyed alpaca yarn

Very bright braids of roving

We also spent a good amount of time looking over the projects submitted for judging. I suspect the high quality of things there is why I did so well at the Maryland State Fair - MD Sheep & Wool tends to get the pick of knitted and spun items.