Mistress Stash Enhancer

Saturday morning turned out to be a lovely day,  

Mom and I followed the masses yesterday to Rhinebeck Sheep and wool festival. We woke up early (7am), left Mom's house at 8 and arrived at 930. To our surprise, we where able to go in early. The first stop on our list was to the fold to score some STR. Among many others, I really I couldn't help myself.

While we where still at the Fold's booth, Mom and I met Amy from I heart knitting and Valerie from Knitting in pink!

 

 

 

From left to right: CTH supersock potluck colorway brights, Socks that rock medium weight in colors purple rain, rockober, rhodonite, puck's mischief, sock candy in kiwi. In the next pic the softest merino eva (Really. EVER.) from Greenwood hill farm in silver and 5 hanks of Moorland Tweed in Skye from Autumn House farms.

I've been waiting anxiously for the mailman. This afternoon he arrived, I rushed out to collect my package. Apparently I scared him, heehee. Next time, don't take so long Mr! I told him I've been waiting for this package. I was so excited when I realized this was my August Birthday Pal package I ripped the package open in the front yard! As soon as I ripped off the packing tape I could smell this lovely flowery smell. mmmmm! I was able to resist for a few minutes and I rushed inside to take a picture of the lovely wrapping. Which I would show you, but my camera decided to be a turd and ate the picture! I slowly started to unwrap each little package, Carole did such a great job! Here take a look:

(click to embiggen)

Wow! Such a great package! From left to right we have the most FANTASTIC sock yarn EVER! Carole dyed sock yarn for me to match the colors of my blog! Love it! I love what she named the color way "The Mistress"! I think you know what I'm going to be knitting up next! Next to that we have a book  that I forgot that I told her I wanted! The Knitter's book of Finishing Techniques, hopefully this will help with my lousy finishing skills. Up above that there are two yummy dips that I can't wait to try (good thing we are having a party this weekend!) Green Chile Dip and Queso Dip mix. Next to that some lovely soap made by Sandia Soap in geranium egyptian rose oil scent which is going to stay by my laptop so I can smell it all the time! Next to that there is a ball of Mission Falls 1824 cotton in color way 402. And then a beautiful Birthday card.

Thanks soooo much Carole! My present ROCKS I'm very happy that you where my pal! Thank you! Thank you! THANK YOU!!!!

Thank you all for your Happy Birthday wishes! Thanks Mom for your sweet post as well! : )

Allysa and I really enjoyed our visit with Mike in DC. I wish that we could have stayed a few more days it was that enjoyable. (Usually after spending one day and one night in a hotel with a toddler I'm ready to bolt!) But I had to go pick Corra and Bryce up at their "Dad's" (They where at their Dad's parents, anyway...) Friday, after we ate breakfast Allysa and I went to see Mike at one of the Verizon sites that he has been working at for the past few months in DC. Mike is a fiber optic technician. The inside of these fiber sites is just mind boggling. As technology hates me, I shouldn't be allowed in there! There are towers, and towers of computer cards, fibers, the cooling fans howling. Its just amazing. Anyway, after we met Mike's co-workers and Allysa charmed them all. We all went to lunch, and went back to the site. Where Mike said "Since knit happens closes at 5:30, and I don't know when I'm getting off work tonight. Here (hands me his credit card) take this. Don't go too crazy." I'm just in awe. He handed me his credit card, and told me spend as much as you want. Don't go crazy." Go ahead, I'll let you process that. I'll wait.

uh. HUH! Isn't he awesome? yeah I know. *giggle* he is! *sigh* Allysa and I proceeded to find our way from University Park (I think, somewhere near there at least) to Alexandria Virginia. After many wrong turns, a tearful phone call, some screaming (to myself) about why I don't live in the city I found myself at Knit Happens. I also found myself overwhelmed. I had no idea what I wanted. I've never been in this shop before, they carry a lot of yarns that I enjoy. And while I was looking threw the Lorna's laces. I heard the second most beautiful words to a woman's ear "Everything in the store is 10-60% off till Sunday." me thinking "No freaking WAY!" I told everyone in the shop that it was definitely a fantastic day for my birthday, and that my hunny gave me his card to go shopping. Boy, I've never heard so many people laugh! Here is my haul, I have to say I was pretty restrained. A lot of the yarn that I wanted they didn't have enough off. Like the muench Touch me, they had 3 balls of the color I *really* wanted. So I had to settle for green, which they had 4 off, to make the vintage velvet scarf from scarf style.

from left to right, we have

4 balls Muench touch me in color 3622 (forest green)

1 hank Alchemy Synchronicity in color-way the night air.

2 hanks of Koigu kpppm color p446121

2 hanks of Alchemy Haiku in colorway Dylan's Blue Depths.

3 balls of Noro Silk Garden color 232

2 hanks of LL in colorway Irving park

I also picked up a copy of debbie bliss's book alpaca silk, which I've wanted for a while.

Like I said pretty restrained. I did go up to web's while visiting my parents a week ago, and that had a lot to do with it too. that and I wasn't sure what Mike would define as "crazy!" *L*. After Allysa and I left the shop, we drove back to the hotel to wait for Mike so we could go to dinner. We really weren't sure where to eat. I picked Red Lobster. mmmm... what a great meal! Mike the sneaky little devil.  While we where waiting for our main course, I told him please don't ask them to sing. A piece of cake with a candle would be great, but please no stupid clappy dancy song. He told me that I was with him the whole time, when would he have the chance to have said anything. But that little sparkle in his eye said otherwise. After our yummy dinner, a piece of chocolate cake with a candle appeared. Mike had slipped the waiter a note in his menu. Like I said, sneaky little devil! *sigh* it was great.

Allysa and I had to leave Friday morning, amazingly enough we didn't hit any traffic. On the way home we stopped at Stitch your Art out. It was kinda sorta on the way home, ok not really. But I was thinking about my Aunt Adair. She is in the hospital, you can read more about it on my mom's blog here . This is what followed me home:

A skein of Classic Elite bamboo, in purple. A ball of Plymouth yarn's sinsation in purple. A hank each of Claudia's hand painted in midnight and twilight to match the two I bought about a month ago. (yeah, wasn't two different dye lots. It was too different color ways. Yeap.) I wasn't sure if I would have enough of the Sinsation to make a eye pillow for my Aunt, so that's why I bought the bamboo. We'll see. I'll be starting the pillow tonight. (Hopefully)

Now, with so much new yarn. What to knit?? My mind is thinking of all the possibilities of what, but I just can't settle on anything! I have to say, I definitely had a very happy Birthday this year! : ) 

oh! Before I forget again. Here is my Saturday sky. On Sunday.

Our trip home from Massachusetts to Pennsylvania was a long one. Probably cause we stopped at 2 yarn shops, for food 3 times, went through a lot of construction, and had a few breaks.

First stop: We stopped at a local yarn shop, which should be left unmentioned. The owner is a itch with a B in front and they are overpriced. I stopped because I *really* wanted to check out the yarn orphanage and find some bulky yarn to complement some yarn I bought recently from the Destash blog. This is what followed me home:

from right to left: 1 hank of manos in rosin color 26, 1 ball cascade fixation. The rest was from the orphanage and was 50% off! 4 balls Jaeger extra fine merino 3 in lilac (989), 1 in dark berry (992) and taupe (938) and 1 ball karabella in white (1350)  I'm going to have to figure with the yardage but I'm thinking of either a tank for me out of the lilac and white, if there isn't a sweater for the monster.

After we gorged on some doughnuts (I had to indulge Heather, we had ice cream too while at my parents! Just don't ask me where the camera was, k?) we hit the road. While on I87 heading South we saw this truck

We thought it was really cool! We don't see Corra's name out there too much, as it is a old fashioned name and isn't used much. When we got home I found their website clicky here. Don't know why a Canada company's truck was in New York heading South, but it was really cool to see it! After lunch we went to a yarn shop in Milford PA that I had never been to before. After driving around the whole town, and finally stopping and asking for directions we finally found Jill Deal fine yarns don't the kids look happy to have found it?

and walked out with all of this

from right to left: 1 hank of pink manos, 2 balls of kidsilk haze in color 600 and another mini kacha kacha. I'm so happy to have some kidsilk haze in my stash, I've never worked with it before and am looking for projects to use it in. I have 458 yards, and suggestions?

Looky! I got free yarn! Free yarn I can touch! Free yarn for you!

Lets have another contest cause just touching the tag of this yarn makes me itchy. Leave a comment from now till Sat at midnight to win 2 balls of Karabella brushed alpaca in color 1074 (blue) The lady at the yarn shop, and another woman who knit a baby blanket with this stuff said this is enough to make a nice bulky scarf and is lovely yarn. But Alpaca (llama and angora, you know the good stuff) makes me really itchy, my hands go numb, blotchy and sneezy, so I think its best this go to a new home! Good luck!

That is where the excitement ended on our trip home, we went though many construction sites made a few more pit stops, and ate at Wendy's before we finally made it home 11 hours later, 8 hours of drive time. Let me tell you, its good to be home.

Bryce has to go to the Allergist tomorrow, we are both nervous about it (him more than me) but I hope we find something that will help his eczema and his allergies. This should be fun.

Maryland Sheep and Wool was a total BLAST!! (even though most of the time I was really stuffy and kinda dozing with my eyes open in a state of awe. I'm not sure if this was the wool fumes or all that damned pollen.) Mom and I are most defiantly going next year. (Just choosing a different hotel!!) I was fully expecting the festival to be like Walmart 5am Black Friday, it was busy but not that bad. I'm glad I didn't bring the kids, my head would have exploded!! Saturday morning we headed over to the fairgrounds from Fredrick, after fighting off a bus that really thought he was special and didn't have to wait in line (gr) like everyone else (double gr) we parked and made a bee-line for The Fold's booth. Lookie I scored these babies before they where all sold out!

Left to Right Boysenberry, Tigers eye, Scaponia, and two Lorna's laces Carol Green from the stall across the way

Mom and I went and visited Autumn House Farms a scooped up two more hanks of Sumptuous. Which they now call Del Rio in Fox Grape.

mmmm.. so soft

We wondered around for a little bit, Mom bought us both a darning egg. I've been (sorta) looking for one for awhile now. This summer I'm going to look around at local auctions, thrift shops and such for some antique ones.   I went into the next booth over, Susanne's knitting shoppe and bought a Koigu Charlotte's web shawl kit for $55.

oh yeah, I bought the two blue hanks at the end at the same place I bought the LL

Then we had lunch. I had a lamb-burger, I hate to say this.. but it was good!! After lunch we headed over to the stage area for the knit blogger met-up. Where we met fellow knit bloggers

We went outside, wondered around looking for Brooks Farm. I found Tintagel Farm, and sinfully bought (the middle and then the top hank) 50/50 Kid mohair and fine wool in color Bramble, and a hank of 100% Silk in colorway Waterfall ($15!!!) Could you have said no, I didn't think so!! At that point Mom was tired of listing to me sniffle and whine about my feet hurting, so we headed back to the hotel.

Sunday morning I was determined to find Brooks Farm. So we headed back to the festival. I was suckered in to one booth where they had a few hanks of this lovely outside, next thing I knew I was at the counter buying it!

Harmony

Then we went and bought T-shirts and key chains and postcards and and and... I'm all wiped out from all the wool fumes and allergies.... Please say Hello to my little friend

And if your brave enough.. click here for the Haul all together. I'll leave you with a sheepy montage.. enjoy!

 

 

Dude, guess who (finally) called Dell?? I gots my power cable!! *dancing* yay!

Check out these little itty bitty teeny little socks,

don't they just make you wanna go "awwww!!! They are just so cute!!"

I used a mini cadbury egg for scale. If anyone is interested in a pattern, leave a comment and I'll make one up.

I wonder if these little cutties will count for the 200socks a-long and count your socks.. hmmm...

The Lucky Stripe (orange and red) where apart of my Project Spectrum postcard swap, here is my card and the super cool shiney card from my pal

A sun for orange and yellow month...

light, heat, life, death- all

are encompassed in one simple symbol

amazing! Thanks! : D

I'll leave ya'll with my recent stash enhancements
 

Claudia's Handpainted sock yarn in Passion Fruit (which I had to distract Mom with her early Birthday/Mother's day yarn so I could sneak it into my suitcase!) 1 bag of Debbie Bliss Cathay in color 09 (pink) 2 bags of Debbie Bliss Cathay in color 15 (purplely blue) and 2 just in casers Debbie Bliss Cathay in color 14 showcased in picture 1. In picture two we have Craft gloves, two sets of needles and two hanks of Noro Cash Iroha (very yummie yes!!) and 7 hanks of tweedy cotton classic in color 466.

 

Throwing it at ya: a couple of weeks ago, I emailed Julia at Knitterely things, asking her if she would be kind enough to create a skein of yarn for my Mom. She came up with the beautifulest of colorways for my mom, even naming it after her Crazy Jane. Thanks Julia, you are the best! I gave Mom her yarn when I saw her last weekend I just couldn't wait till her birthday in June! She loves it! She showed it to everyone at the Harlots event!  Mom loves loves LOVES her yarn! Go look she has 4 inches knit already!! WOW! Julia, I don't think I've said this enough, thank you!!! Mom, enjoy your present, I love you!