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Knit-a-Palooza Field Trip: MD Sheep & Wool

by CabinGirl
Fri May 9th, 2008 at 11:15:38 AM EST

Wow, it's been a long time since I posted one of these. Too long!

I went to Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival last weekend. Here's a picture of some of the Festival headliners:

There's all sorts of stuff at the festival, and not just sheep and yarn (although that is a major draw!) They have all sorts of events, a Sheep to Shawl competition (yep, teams include a shearer, 2 spinners, and a weaver, and they really do go from sheep to shawl right there in front of everyone.

Here's one of the more exotic blue ribbon winners in the handspun yarn category:

And here's a better picture of the winning yarn. A little creepy, but very clever, wouldn't you say?

The sheepdog herding demonstrations are always cool:

Sheep are, of course, everywhere at the festival. Here's a young shepherdess and her sheep:

This is the INCREDIBLY long line at the booth selling Socks that Rock, a boingy sock yarn that comes in incredible colorways.

I had a nice thing happen to me while standing in the line (which was probably 4 times as long as what you see in the picture): I had driven down with my mom early that morning, and we knew we had to leave the festival in the early afternoon so she could be back for a Kentucky Derby party. Everyone in line was making the best of it, chatting with each other about their future projects, whether they were toe-up or cuff-down sock knitters, how far we had traveled to come to the festival... When the girl behind me heard my mom and I talking about how we had to leave early in the day, she offered to take my yarn through the line with hers and meet up with me later so mom and I could see more of the festival instead of standing in line (we exchanged cell numbers). How cool was that?

There was a silkworm demonstration (ewww):

There was live music of my favorite kind:

Sheep and Wool Queens and Princesses mixing it up with the bourgeoisie:

And of course, since there's really no escaping from politics these days...these shirts were for sale at the festival too:

Now, do you think there was a subtle hidden message in there? ;)

Knit-a-Palooza Field Trip: MD Sheep & Wool | 15 comments (15 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

As always, (4.00 / 4)

Knit me some fabric of your thoughts.*

I'll try to take picture of my projects and yarn acquisitions and post them later. What's on your needles this week?

by CabinGirl on Fri May 9th, 2008 at 11:17:08 AM EST

Re: As always, (4.00 / 4)

How fantastic!!!! Love the pictures and especially the t-shirt. LOL

Doing My Part For The Left,Left Of The Rainbow

by refinish69 (refinish69 at gmail dot com) on Fri May 9th, 2008 at 11:59:01 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: As always, (4.00 / 4)

The t-shirt cracked me up.

We had a really goog time, but I think I have to plan for a full day there next year, because there's so much going on.

by CabinGirl on Fri May 9th, 2008 at 12:10:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: As always, (4.00 / 4)

I am not a knitter or anything but it does look interesting.

Doing My Part For The Left,Left Of The Rainbow

by refinish69 (refinish69 at gmail dot com) on Fri May 9th, 2008 at 12:20:18 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: As always, (4.00 / 4)

That looks like a LOT of fun (except the standing in line part - how nice of the other woman in line to take care of your yarn).

I think I'm becoming addicted to socks. Here's the latest pair, started a week ago Thursday and finished Wednesday night.

I finished grandson's sweater since the last Knitapoolza.

Plus, I've been working on hats & scarves for charity.

On these two I was playing with slip stitch patterns & then purling the contrasting color to make it a bit more prominent.

One way or the other, this darkness has to give....

by Denim Blue on Fri May 9th, 2008 at 01:46:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: As always, (4.00 / 2)

Your socks are cute...what yarn is that?

The grandson's sweater is gorgeous! And you did that so it would be seamless, didn't you?

and your charity knitting is pretty too. My only experience with slip stitch patterns is the eye of the partridge heel I put on my latest pair of socks for CBtE (pictures coming soon). What charity are the going to?

by CabinGirl on Fri May 9th, 2008 at 06:53:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: As always, (4.00 / 2)

It's On-Line sock yarn, Nepal color #785. It's normally $16 a skein (enough for both socks), but the LYS had it at 75% off so I bought this skein and one of #781. The red sweater is seamless - knit in the round up to the armholes, then back & forth for the yokes. The shoulder seams are 3-needle bind-off and I picked up the sleeves from the armhole and worked down to the cuff. Just a few yarn ends to run in when it was finished. {g} The hats are similar to the Eye of the Partridge pattern. I slip the MC stitch and knit one in CC, repeating around. The next row, I use MC and knit the slipped MC stitch & purl the CC stitch - or you can just knit around with MC. The next pattern row, I offset the CC by one stitch. Our knitting group provides hats and scarves to several local charities and to the local Head Start. We sent 101 set to the local shelter for homeless veterans last Christmas and donated afghans to Hospice.

One way or the other, this darkness has to give....

by Denim Blue on Fri May 9th, 2008 at 07:53:35 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Beautiful work Denim Blue (none / 1)

Love that sweater too!

parvum opus

by olivia on Fri May 9th, 2008 at 08:11:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Beautiful work Denim Blue (none / 1)

Thanks! The snowflake pattern is from Alice Starmore's Book of Fair Isle Knitting, the rest is based on Elizabeth Zimmerman's Percentage System.

One way or the other, this darkness has to give....

by Denim Blue on Fri May 9th, 2008 at 11:25:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Knit-a-Palooza Field Trip (4.00 / 3)

I'm glad to see you posting this again, CG. I'll have to check out the photos later on when I'm not subject to their blocking by my evil overlords.

Fear will keep the local systems in line. -Grand Moff Tarkin Survivor Left Blogistan

by boran2 (blogistan@yahoo.com) on Fri May 9th, 2008 at 04:38:27 PM EST

Re: Knit-a-Palooza (4.00 / 2)

That sheep and wool festival sounds very cool, I don't believe we have anything like that near here.

I've been very busy with my crocheting, and I found a site to sell my surplus which is growing by the day. Check out the link for Etsyto see some of my latest work.

The site is good for selling all kinds of handmade or handcrafted items, including food, so be sure to look around.

Click here to step into the Village Blue2

by diane101 (dianed101 @ yahoo.com) on Fri May 9th, 2008 at 06:58:54 PM EST

Re: Knit-a-Palooza (none / 0)

Just finished this afghan and boy am I relieved, I don't like these long projects.

Click here to step into the Village Blue2

by diane101 (dianed101 @ yahoo.com) on Sat May 10th, 2008 at 02:32:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Knit-a-Palooza (none / 0)

Very pretty! Is that a shell stitch pattern? I need to start using up the small balls of yarn left over from hats and scarves by crocheting afghans.

One way or the other, this darkness has to give....

by Denim Blue on Sat May 10th, 2008 at 03:10:35 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Looks like fun! (none / 1)

Thanks for sharing those pix CG! I was looking forward to see more ever since you posted that top photo in the cafe the other day. :)

parvum opus

by olivia on Fri May 9th, 2008 at 08:06:53 PM EST

Re: Knit-a-Palooza Field Trip (none / 0)

That looks like it was a lot of fun. Did you get a chance to stop by the Ravelry booth?

I've been wanting to get some of that eyeball yarn. It makes a great scarf.

I'm still working on my sweater. Actually, I should say it's sitting in a box right now. I finished the front and back, but now I have to pick up the neckline stitches and I just haven't had the guts to try it yet. Since I don't have much in the way of a stash, and we just got a Wii, my knitting is not progressing at this point. :>(

I'm also busy making a costume for an anime convention for KamaKid.

Did you ever finish the purple sweater? I'm dying to see how it came (comes) out.

There's a sense that people in America aren't getting the truth. - George W. Bush (Gee, ya think?)

by Kamakhya (onyx at earthlink dot net) on Sat May 10th, 2008 at 01:44:08 PM EST

Knit-a-Palooza Field Trip: MD Sheep & Wool | 15 comments (15 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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