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.