Vermont Road Trip

My weekend event was postponed due to weather, so I spent the time prepping for this coming weekend.

* September 30 & October 1 *

I'm looking forward to the road trip, and this time of year in Vermont is extra special.

There will be a great group of vendors on hand.  Our booth will be stocked with hand-dyed yarn, knitting kits and yarn bundles.  As always, we'll have a colorful display of samples for ideas and inspiration.  Look for our booth in the Vendor Pavilion.

The weekend is full of activities including classes, demos, sheep herding and more.  Check the website for additional information including a list of participating vendors.

If you're at the festival, be sure to stop by and say hi.

Used Equipment

Things are getting a little hectic around here.  One of my many lists went missing this morning, and I almost lost it. I spent way too much time tossing the contents of my desk and work table all the while muttering choice language to myself.  The list had gotten wet (everything is wet when there's a lot of dyeing going on), and it was stuck to the back of another list.  Crisis averted.

A little info plug for those of you going to Vermont Sheep & Wool this weekend.  This year the festival is holding a used equipment sale.  

This is a great opportunity to pick up an item that's been on your wish list or to get rid of something you're no longer using.  You'll find all the information you need on the website.  Note the sale is only running on Saturday.

Remember you'll find our booth in the Vendor Pavilion. And now I'm off to consult one of my many lists.

Moving into Fall

It feels like someone flipped a weather switch.  Fall is definitely in the air now.  I'm popping in with a quick promo for Vermont Sheep & Wool Festival.

This fiber gathering takes place on the weekend of October 1 and 2.  It's a beautiful time of year to be in Vermont.  Look for our booth in the main vendor building. Be sure to check the website for a complete list of vendors and activities.

This week's color inspiration is a mohair combo for the season.

Shades of fall.

A Weekend in Vermont

I'm off to a slow start today.  I had a great time in Vermont, but the weekend flew by all too quickly.

We had perfect wool weather . . . brisk and refreshing.

I always think I'll get a lot of knitting done when I'm traveling, but that rarely happens.

I did manage i-cord buttonholes, and then I found these buttons at the Katrinkles booth.  Another project almost finished.

Now I'm off to get busy . . . the to-do list is long.

Back on Track

After a fun and frantic weekend in Vermont, I'm taking a few minutes this morning.  I didn't get many pictures and the little knitting I did has to be ripped out, but I had a fantastic time.

Today my computer is out of sorts, and I need to gear up for an intense round of dyeing, but I'm going to savor a little time to regroup.  At the very least I need to get my knitting back on track.

Vermont Tip

I'm deep in show prep and have just enough time for a quick post. Today's tip.  If you're heading to Vermont Sheep and Wool this weekend, take time to see Sheep Breeds:  A World of Difference.  This display has a wealth of information about various breeds, but even if you're not into the nitty-gritty details, give it a look.  You won't be disappointed.

That's all for today.  There's more yarn to pack.

Snapshots from Vermont

After a delightfully busy weekend in Vermont, I'm slowly easing 
into my Monday.  Vermont Sheep and Wool was great fun all 
around . . . wonderful weather, inspiring conversations and companions, good food.  Here's a peek at the weekend.

There were animals.

And yarn.

On Sunday morning before the show opened, I made a quick stop at the Hampton Fiber Mill booth.

Michael wasn't there yet, but he had been posting pictures of this gorgeous sweater under construction, so it was fun to see the finished product.  Check out Michael's Instagram feed for more great shots.

Claire from The Woolly Thistle stopped by the booth.  She stocks some beautiful British wool.  If you haven't listened to her podcast, give it a try.  I'm smitten with her accent and could listen to her chat all day.

Heron Pond Designs was my next-door neighbor, and my side of their display was enchanting.

When in Vermont, I try to take advantage of all things maple.  On Sunday I was too busy in the booth to sneak out for a maple creamee, but I did manage to snag a maple donut in the morning.

Thanks to everyone who came out.  It was a lovely weekend all around.

Snapshots from Vermont

Oh, Vermont . . . you put on a fine fiber festival this weekend. 

Wonderful turnout, delicious food, perfect wool weather.  Here's a peek.

The artist who painted this food truck is from Montana.  Amazing. 

Tammy from Wing and A Prayer Farm had a beautiful selection of yarn and fiber from her farm.

It was great fun all around.  Thanks for a lovely weekend!

Color Pop

Another Friday, another new color.

Bittersweet.  

This color will get your attention, and it's perfect when you need an accent.  I've already paired it with a couple grays . . . plotting and planning a new project.

With that I'm off to finish packing.  If you make it to Vermont Sheep and Wool, you'll find me in the Vendor Pavilion.

This week's color inspiration is also attention-grabbing.

All the colors of fall in one little bundle.

Midweek Memo

Here's a quick PSA.  If you're in New England and you're looking for an adventure, hit the road to Vermont Sheep and Wool this weekend. 
This is a sweet little festival in a picturesque location.  I'm not sure about the fall foliage this year.  Even if it's a bust, the scenery is still pretty.  As a nice bonus, they have good food at the fairgrounds.  I'm looking forward to the weekend.

Today the weather is gray.

Assembling multi-colored bundles is a sure way to brighten things up.

Snapshots from Vermont

I'm off and running after a beautiful weekend in Vermont.  Going into the weekend there was so much conversation about the weather and Joaquin moving up the coast.  Early predictions were for a wet weekend in Vermont, but in the end we had glorious, dry fall weather.

Take a look.

This skirt has a story.

Marcy walked into my booth, and I commented on her lovely skirt. She proceeded to tell me that she came up with the skirt idea to use leftover sock yarn.  Of course one thing led to another and along the way she bought more yarn to finish the project.

Marcy had a gored skirt that she liked, and she used that as her template.  She took one of the gores from that skirt and did the math to figure out the increases for her knitted gores.  The gores are knit with the linen stitch.  Her original skirt had 18 gores, but the knitted ones were a little more elastic so she needed only 16.

Then Marcy crocheted the gores together.  I asked her if it was tedious to assemble them all, and she said not really because she had slipped the first stitch of every row and had a nice clean edge. Everything matched perfectly.  The cool thing about this skirt is it's reversible.  On one side there's a seam ridge with a little bit of texture. On the other side there's a smooth seam line.  Marcy can wear it either way.

Marcy completed her outfit with this jacket that she happened to find at a shop.  Not pictured is the hat made out of this yarn - the original project that got the whole thing started.  She tied it all together with burnt orange socks.  This skirt was such a success that she's already planning another one.

Detailed needle felting.  I can't imagine how many hours it took to make this.

Vermont in the fall . . . always a treat.

A Little Bit of Everything

I'm in the midst of my usual Monday scramble after a weekend on the road.  I was in Vermont, and it was splendid.  The weather had everything from damp to delightful, and it was great to see so many people come out.  

The weekend was full of variety.  I gave a demo and encouraged a group of knitters to take the plunge and try thrumming.  I also had a wonderful discussion in the sugar shack with one of the Orange County Sugarmakers.  He explained the new maple syrup grading system that will soon be used in the US and Canada.  I'm a big fan of maple syrup and found it all very interesting.

Here's a glimpse into my weekend.

Quechee Gorge as the fog was lifting on Sunday morning.

The picturesque fairgrounds.

Paper art from SisterZart.

The yarn tasting.  This is just a small sample.  There were many plates to choose from.

Thanks, Vermont, for a weekend full of wonderful fun!

Double Duty

This past weekend I had two booths running in two very different locations.  I sent one booth off to the mountains of Vermont for Vermont Sheep and Wool.  I took another booth and headed across the border to St. Andrews, New Brunswick and KnitEast.  Both locations are lovely, and both had gorgeous weather as a bonus.

My team in Vermont didn't take many pictures (I guess I left that out of the job description), so the only ones I have are from KnitEast. Here are a few highlights from the weekend.

The KnitEast weekend included a full lineup of classes and a market.

Yes, the market was held in a curling rink.  

Cricket Cove, the shop that sponsored this event, had a wide variety of yarn available, including a nice selection of Fleece Artist.

I may have experienced a moment of weakness in this section.

Ready-to-wear for those who couldn't wait.

I resisted these, but aren't they adorable?

There was yarn bombing everywhere.

It was a lovely weekend chatting with new knitter friends and old.  I was delighted to meet Lyn.  Every time I turned around she was wearing a new beaded shawl.

This is her Laminaria with thousands of beads . . . absolutely stunning.

In the blink of an eye, the weekend was over.  Now I'm back at work plotting my next adventure.  From the mountains to the coast, thanks to everyone who came out for this fiber-filled weekend.