Maryland Sheep and Wool

This post is a couple weeks late... but better late than never!  

Earlier in the month I attended the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival! 

Honestly I wasn't too excited that day and almost didn't go. It was the day after I returned from Copenhagen so I was a little jet-lagged. But the husband asked if I wanted to go and even offered to drive so I figured I had to take the opportunity while I could. He must have missed me a lot to offer to go to a fiber festival! 

The first thing I saw when we got there: bunnies! Fuzzy bunnies!!

This little guy loved getting nose rubs!

I asked how much actual bunny was under the hood and was surprised to hear there is about seven pounds of bunny under there. It's almost all fluff! Too cute. 

Next we went through all the animal barns. I'm still a little kid and get all too excited about seeing the animals. The hubs is more than patient and lets me get my farm fix and lets me run from corral to corral, oohing and ahhing all the fuzzy fluffs.  

I'm always amazed at the number of people at these fiber events! 

The tree cozy was cool - at random spots of the fairgrounds you would find acts of yarn bombing. And a sign indicating this was an act of fiber goodness from the Central Maryland Knitting Guild. Love it! 

I'm always amazed at wood turning. It looks so elegant when done properly (the act of as well as the final product). We purchased a letter opener with a finely turned handle for the mother-in-law. 

I wanted to adopt them... the hubs said no. 

More yarn bombing!

And now for the purchases! Actually I didn't purchase a lot - especially because I just bought souvenir yarn from Copenhagen! 

Nona by Spirit Trail Fiberworks

2-ply lace weight, 115 grams, 630 yards

50% Merino, 25% Silk, 25% Cashmere

As we started looking at the booths with yarn I gave the hubs a task: find me Tardis-colored yarn. And boy did he deliver! I have plans on making the Bigger on the Inside Shawl and giving the hubs a task was perfect. It gave him "something to do" while at the festival. I know he doesn't get excited over fiber like I do so this gave him something to do! Poor guy found some yarn but it was worsted weight so I had to explain to him that I wanted something thinner. Next he found cobweb weight... nope something in the middle. Finally we found a couple different skeins that were perfect color and perfect weight. I had a tough time deciding but ended up with this one because the model shawl in the booth had really nice stitch definition. It says lace-weight but really it's a little thicker. Not quiet fingering weight, so maybe a heavy lace weight. Spirit Trail Fiberworks is local(ish) and is located in the Blue Ridge Mountain area of Virginia. I spoke Jennifer, the owner, another reason why I ended up buying this yarn. She showed me the shawl which made me make up my mind. Stay tuned for my shawl (someday...)!   

  

Pakokku Sock by Into the Whirled

4-ply fingering weight yarn

75% merino, 25% nylon

Colorway: Martini and Rossi

I walked into the booth and all I saw was this: 

Image credit: http://intothewhirled.com/blog/?tag=sock-yarn

You know my obsession with self-stripping yarn. Well these are NOT self-stripping! These pool in a way that it "whirls" around the foot and creates a striped effect. Too freakin' cool! 

I purchased this particular color because it reminded me of roses. The hubs gave me a look when I purchased the yarn because it was not a "planned" purchase. But as soon as I told him it reminded me of roses, and the City of Roses (Portland, OR) he was fine. See how that one works? :) 

I actually don't know too much about this small mom and pop company. Their website doesn't have too much about the company. But if you happen to get a chance to see their yarns (or fiber) check it out. It's kinda cool! 

Finally...
Sheep Incognito by Conni Togel

Oh I love her stuff! Last time I saw her I purchased Knit Wit (below) this time I got Dare to be Different.

Dare to Be Different

Knit Wit

Conni is an artist from South Carolina that had a large selection of original artwork for knitter-kind. But she also had a nice selection of fantasy artwork including fairies, wizards and cute creatures. I've purchased from her before and this time I was SO excited to meet her! She was lovely and kind and if you ever get to meet her, or see her artwork -- check it out!