Rhinebeck!

I got to go to Rhinebeck! It was my first ever fiber fest. There was SO MUCH YARN. I got really dizzy from trying to look at it all, and I don't think I got through half of it. If I go next year, I'll definitely go both days and start early.

From the alpaca/llama tents:

This guy had such a charming smile, I just wanted to take him home with me!

Loved this guy's color and big eyes!

This bunny has both his front feet in the food dish...

In the sheep area, this guy had the most intense look...

This was a "judge my rump" contest. There was a judge explaining what she did and didn't like about all these sheeps' backsides...hmm...do you have a favorite?

This has got to be the biggest spinning wheel ever. You could sell tickets and ride that thing.

Rhinebeck was a really beautiful place with all the foliage turning. I highly recommend going if you ever have a chance.

Alright, on to the important stuff...
...drumroll...

The haul:

A couple of skeins of Glimmerglass Alpaca yarn made from a blend of 3 different alpacas.

Some very pretty roving from Steam Valley Fiber.


From the Fold: STR, Gypsy Girl Creations (can't wait to try this stuff) and a Brioche sock pattern.

2 skeins of Flock Sock from VanCalCar Acres. These were on sale because they weren't skeined "prettily" enough. Clearly, that didn't bother me.

Finally a couple of scarf kits from Morehouse Farms: Rat Race and Baby Alligator.


Happy Halloween Everyone!

Finally, a day off...

Sorry to have disappeared again... I'm playing in 2 orchestras right now, and my life has gotten a bit busy as I sandwich rehearsals for orchestra #2 in between performances of orchestra #1. My biggest concerns are to remember what days I need to be wearing concert clothes and to show up at the right building for the right rehearsals. Playing the music is the easy part. I can't tell you the number of times musicians have shown up to concerts having forgotten part of their concert apparel. "Does anyone have an extra jacket? Bowtie?" Once, a colleague of mine showed up to a concert with a mismatched pair of black shoes...and no, the heels were not even the same height.

I knit a pair of socks for a friend's B-day. These are the Crosshatch Lace Socks from More Sensational Socks, knit toe-up with Fleece Artist Merino sock yarn in the colorway Mermaid. The most exciting thing for me was that I conquered my fear of the short row heel!!! I still think double wraps are finicky, but it was much less of a strain on the needles for 2 at once Magic Loop. Cat Bordhi's YouTube Video on Wrapping and Turning was a great help.

Stitch Pattern closeup:

I also built a Lazy Kate following the instructions in Spin to Knit. The BFL Roving was from Spunky Eclectic, and the spindle is one of my new Avi Wassermans.

You slide the cop onto a straw,

Slide the straw onto a metal rod (regular nails were called for, but I didn't have any long enough...so I used some odd dpns)

Pull the singles through the little hook, and ply. (Plying spindle is a Cascabeles)

The spindle got REALLY heavy.
The Lazy Kate worked okay, but it did get stuck often, so I had to gently untangle (yank violently) the singles to fix things.

My B.F. went to Virginia, and brought me back some beautiful Cria Alpaca yarn from a local farm.

They even give you a pic of the Baby Alpaca and it's name: Snow White. How cute!

p.s. I'm in Ravelry! Yeay! Those who haven't signed up yet, go do it! You have to wait a little while, but it's worth it!