Friday, April 3, 2009

Sheep & Wool!!

Life's been full of ups and downs lately.. Ryan just had his 3rd round of chemo, we had a fantastic trip to Florida, and I *still* haven't gotten Addy moved. (The last is a huge source of stress for me right now - I've had her new farm picked out for a month now, but just can't seem to get it all properly worked out.)

But good news is on the horizon! Sheep & Wool, Maryland's huge fiber fest, is in less than a month! I know that non-fiber types think I'm crazy for even considering attending this event. I wish I could drag them all along.. all the adorable lambs and alpacas are sure to convert them instantly. And then all the colors and textures will hit them....

Admittedly, my favorite part about Sheep & Wool is that my mom and sister are coming up for it, just like last year. That's actually the last time I saw my sister, a fact I can hardly believe. And it's been almost as long since I've seen Mom, so this visit is well past-due.

However, I'm also pretty excited about seeing a lot of indie yarns in person. I've had iffy luck this past year with buying yarn online.. often when it arrives, it's not quite the color I expected. (Though it is almost always gorgeous anyway.) So one of my first stops at Sheep & Wool will be to the Cloverhill booth, where Jolene has gathered yarn from many different indie dyers. (One stop shopping!) She'll be posting about these dyers on her blog as well as holding contests up until S&W. So check her blog out!


Last year I went to S&W with a project list and my budget in cash. This was extremely useful, since I was able to buy yarn for specific projects on my "to knit" list. The year before, I came home with several random skeins of gorgeous yarn that I had no plans for. Cowls are always nice, but I think I will get more for my money if I figure out what I "need" beforehand.

Today's Friday, Rita's is open for the season, and there's a native plant sale this weekend. Things are looking up.

2 comments:

Ryan said...

Don't forget that Opie's is now open too! We'll have to eat there with Trevor on Saturday, whether he likes it or not!

Mom said...

Hey Emily,
Well, Since I commented on Ryan's blog, thought I'd check yours out and of course it's just the best and so much fun!!!
I'm getting very jealous with all the mentions of Opie's and Rita's!!!!
Cannot WAIT for the Sheep and Wool Festival.....WHOOOOOO!
Love, me