Hi Knitters,
Get ready for a long one today. I have some business to take care of first. The winner of the 60 Quick Baby Knits book and the Soak gift set is......
melxcloud (rav id)! She has already sent me her mailing address so it is a done deal. Congrats to Melissa and thanks to everyone for entering. What a great response.
Next up on my list is that I am teaching in the fall at two major events. The registration for my classes and all of the classes are now open. You should look at the teacher list, it is amazing. I wish I could go and just take classes and not work. Both of these events are going to be such fun. I can't wait. I hope to see you in L.A. and St. Paul, Minnesota.
Times and class descriptions are on the site.
Now onto the Kentucky Sheep and Fiber Festival that I attended last weekend...
Above is a photo of a little lamb named Luna. Luna belongs to my host for the weekend, Dianne.
Click here to visit Dianne's wonderful blog. She is a farming and fiber talent. Dianne and her friend Mary took such good care of me, driving me around and making sure my every need was met. I'm not used to being catered to like that. Dianne and her friend Theresa took me out for a delicious meal on Saturday night, too. That was a treat. Thank you for a wonderful weekend and the good company! I had a terrific time.
Here is another one of Dianne's sheep.
Tanglewood Farm is the name of Dianne's farm. She also has a really cool Lamb Cam set up in her barn.
Click here to see the Lamb Cam on Tanglewood Farm. It is fun to watch the live action.
I enjoyed seeing all of the animals.
One highlight of the trip for me was getting to meet Laura and Leslie of The Knit
Girlls. They drove all of the way from Mississippi which was 7 hours away. I've mentioned it many times before but this video podcast is a great watch. Both of these young women are outstanding knitters and spinners. They both test knit for some of the best designers around. Both have their own designs as well. I own all of their patterns and have knitted a couple of Laura's patterns already. I have plans to knit both of Leslie's shawls as well. They are incredibly talented. Plus, they are funny together and easy to watch. Their easy banter holds your attention and keeps you entertained. You can tell it is a genuine friendship.
When my book signing started Laura and Leslie were in line and their greeting to me is still making me laugh. Leslie said, "You look about 10 years younger in person than you do online. You look so much younger. You need to get a new photo up on your blog." It was like I shocked her with my younger than expected appearance. I thought that was so funny. I asked them if they thought I was going to be a little old lady. I really am still laughing about it. I asked Laura if she thought I looked older in my photos online and she agreed with Leslie. Isn't that funny? I never think about stuff like that but now new photos of me will be coming shortly (just kidding). I had no idea that "old" thing was going on. I don't feel old so I don't think about looking old. Funny stuff. I don't know, do I look old in the photo above? What's a girl to do? Anyway, I got a big kick out that.
I was thrilled to get to sit and visit with The Knit Girllls for awhile after my book signing on Saturday. They were cute and fun and great to talk to. I loved hearing a little bit about them. Laura's mom was with them and I loved hearing about her, too. Laura and her mom are both educators and Leslie works in the casino industry and has a young son. They are all hard working, lovely and fun. I was super excited to meet them and then to get to actually chat for a bit was an added treat. Thank you for spending time with me! It really was a highlight of the trip for me. I appreciate you taking the time to get together.
The Knit Girllls have lots of plans in store for their podcast and this summer they are hoping to film more tutorials. Their tutorials are so well-done with clear instruction and professional quality filming. I can't get over how tight and clear the tutorials are. You will love this fun pair of knitters.
Click here for the Ravelry group for The Knit Girlls.
Back to the festival in general. There were huge and fluffy angora bunnies that were very patient with little fingers wanting to feel their fluff.
Little lambs were around every corner.
Alpacas...
Goats....
and more sheep were fun to see.
Then I looked around the vendor tents!
Miss Babs was at the show and I couldn't wait to make my way over to see her yarns and fibers. I came home with a bunch of
Yowza! I'll share photos of what I got later. I have enough for a sweater in one colorway and enough for a shawl in another color. It is so incredibly beautiful. I have been hearing about Miss Babs yarn for forever. Hence, I have been wanting to try this yarn for years. I am pretty excited about it.
Click here for the Miss Babs website!
The yarns and colorways were like nothing I have seen before.
I am kicking myself for not grabbing a bunch of this fiber to spin. Isn't it gorgeous? I'll have to keep thinking about the Miss Babs yarn that's in my house already. I can't wait to cast on. Maybe after I get some things spun up I'll order some fiber online from Miss Babs. That's my plan.
Onto more sights...
There was hand dyed yarn everywhere you looked.
Wool and
wooly things made you want to dive in.
There were spindles and spinning wheels and roving, roving, roving!
I liked this booth very much. The spindles were so appealing.
Baskets filled with all sorts of
roving caught my eye.
There were handmade buttons, stitch markers, bags, felted items, rugs, weaving, ceramics, artwork... it went on and on. I loved it all.
I loved this natural wool. I like a good hearty natural wool anytime.
Then I made my way back to the
Dyeabolical booth! I had been there very briefly the day before. It was incredible. I currently have some
Dyeabolical roving on my wheel which I haven't touched for a couple of weeks. I am craving some time on my wheel this week so I am hoping to get that fiber finished up and start something new. I loved this booth so much. I even got some sparkly sock yarn for TC. She is going to be so excited when I show her. I'll get a photo later.
Click here for the Dyeabolical site. 
I bought over 800 yards of a black-purple mix in a worsted weight and a gorgeous variegated sport weight hank. I am crazy about these yarns. I may have bought a little more roving, too.
Her sock yarns are stunning.
The roving is so fun and saturated.
Dyeabolical yarns showcase a true color talent. It is awesome stuff!
Here she is, the genius behind the yarns and fiber. Rachel, I absolutely loved chatting and getting to meet you!! What a fun and charming woman. Thank you for such a treat at the festival.
I have a few more animal photos to share.
Fascinating.
This is one of my favorite photos and animals of the show.
For a city girl it is fun to see the animals that provide the fibers I love and work with on a daily basis. I have a true appreciation for the animals and their owners. There is so much hard work and effort put into raising these animals.
During the festival there were dog competitions for herding sheep. I watched a tiny bit of this going on behind the festival grounds. It was interesting and entertaining to say the least.
I'm done for now. I didn't even share the entire thing. I will share some of my yarn-y finds at a later date.
Take care!
best, susie
Hi Knitters,
There are 21 color names including Magenta(ish), Espresso(ish) and Chartreuse(ish). I love the (ish) added to the end of the names.
The colors range from natural shades of white, gray and browns to saturated colors that really pop. Sheep(ish) is a blend of 70% acrylic and 30% wool and it is machine washable. One interesting note is that it is a roving-type yarn which means it is a single ply with a gentle twist. It has a sheen to it as well.
The publicity pack shows the commitment of Caron to produce something new and catchy and just plain fun! The kit came with a little project bag that includes a removable sheep charm. The embroidery hoop with the color samples is clever and cute.
Also included is a copy of the publicity video and a button and a skein of the Sheep(ish) yarn. I think this team is off to a great start. The yarn is soft and lofty. Best of all it is affordable and can be easily found at craft stores everywhere.
There are 21 color names including Magenta(ish), Espresso(ish) and Chartreuse(ish). I love the (ish) added to the end of the names.
The colors range from natural shades of white, gray and browns to saturated colors that really pop. Sheep(ish) is a blend of 70% acrylic and 30% wool and it is machine washable. One interesting note is that it is a roving-type yarn which means it is a single ply with a gentle twist. It has a sheen to it as well.
The publicity pack shows the commitment of Caron to produce something new and catchy and just plain fun! The kit came with a little project bag that includes a removable sheep charm. The embroidery hoop with the color samples is clever and cute.
Also included is a copy of the publicity video and a button and a skein of the Sheep(ish) yarn. I think this team is off to a great start. The yarn is soft and lofty. Best of all it is affordable and can be easily found at craft stores everywhere.
