First of all, it was probably the only time I've gone (and granted this may have only been my 3rd or 4th time) and the weather was Absolutely.Perfect. Sunny, but not hot. Nice breezes, but not making you feel chilled. I think the weather also made everyone who attended feel in a better mood, 'cause I didn't run into any whiny people like I have at other times.
The bus ride from Philadelphia to the festival grounds was pleasant, and I even won one of the raffle prizes - a throw kit from Schaefer Yarns! It was beautiful, but with my efforts to be more cognizant of what I will eventually/actually knit or not knit, I knew it would just linger in my stash. But my friend Kate, who was attending her first MDSW, was thrilled to take it off my hands, and the colors included were ones that she is always using and wearing. So it was a win-win after all!
Two buses from Rosie's made the trip, and unfortunately for the one that left ahead of us, upon arrival at the parking area, the bus got stuck in a ditch. They finally let everyone off both buses, since it was clear that it was gonna take a while to resolve things. So, after an oatmeal-chocolate chip cookie for sustenance and energy from Andrea, the three of us (me, Kate, Andrea) headed off for our adventure.
We headed to the Festival Store building first, 'cause we wanted to see if we, ahem, needed any festival gear. Turns out that Andrea and I needed T-shirts, and Kate needed a backpack. Then we got going in earnest, starting at one end of things and working our way through.
Of course, we saw lots of wonderful animals. But I realized towards the end of the day, that I'd only taken these pictures of any of them:
I guess after being sheared, these two had no desire to
walk to the front of the enclosure to be petted!
I loved the fact that this sheep had these small white spots on her, that showed up so well on her black coat:
And this guy - well, I HAD to take a picture of his curly horns - he was quite proud of them, with good reason:
I guess the things about having horns, is that you never have a bad horn day ...
And what, you may wonder, did I buy? Well, as I said beforehand, I wasn't really looking for anything in particular, so I didn't feel the NEED to buy something. Other than my T-shirt, I did decide to get these two things for myself.
Though I am not usually a huge fan of orange, this skein of yarn at the Dancing Leaf Farm booth really appealed to me. I thought it looked like a Creamsicle.
When I bought it, I was thinking that maybe the Citron pattern would work, but it's slightly less than is called for in that pattern. So it may just become socks, I don't know at the moment. But I think it's pretty, and I'm glad I have it now.
And, while perusing the Bartlettyarns booth, I saw these and bought them, for some future and yet-unnamed project:
They are a nice size, and a decent weight without being heavy, so I know that someday they will be just right!
We walked around and saw just about everything, I think. It was crowded enough, but didn't seem as packed as previous years, which kinda surprised me, given the weather. The other thing that was even more in focus than last year was the emphasis on spinning. There were a LOT more vendors with spinning supplies and rovings than I ever remember being there before. I don't know how to spin, though I would like to learn how to spin with a drop spindle - just because I feel like it would be a good thing to understand. But I still enjoy seeing the beautiful rovings, and feeling their softness.
Our bus ride home was quick and uneventful, and as usual, much quieter than the ride down to Maryland, as by the end of the day, even the most intrepid among us were tired! And about an hour after arriving home, it started to pour rain, so our timing was excellent as well.
All in all, a successful day, and a fun one. I came home with most of my money, and a few special things I was happy to buy, as well as the contentment of being around, and being able to pet, a lot of excellent animals.
Sometimes, I really don't ask for much in order to be happy!
*****
I hope all of you are having a good Friday the 13th. Alas, I especially miss the Garden Kitty today. But as he is not sick anymore, it's OK after all.
Happy Weekend!
6 comments:
I missed Sheep & Wool this year, so I'm glad to get your report. Sounds like a good time, as always!
Some day I'll make it to MDSW - until then I'll live vicariously. Sounds like you had a nice time. You may want to check other peoples' Citrons on Ravelry to see if you can get away with less wool. I have a feeling you can stop, sort of, any time with that pattern, so you might be able to do it.
Those buttons are cute and that yarn does look the color of a creamsicle. Cute. I'm partial to orange.
Hmm. I wonder if it's the economy? For the attendance? Maybe not the spinning, although it might be. Mostly I think it's knitters that are looking for new challenges.
I LOVE those buttons. And the yarn looks beautiful. I too am partial to orange. If you can't/don't want to make Citron a little smaller, what about adding an accent color or going up a needle size? Sounds like you had a truly wonderful day and your generosity with the raffle prize added to the wonder. Thanks for the post. I've been waiting all week.
Bridget- It was a day out, right? I like the animals, and your yarn and buttons are lovely. Isn't it freeing not to feel you have to buy something?
That's where I'm at too.
Wonderful report. Thank you.
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