True Confessions

We had a great weekend at Maryland Sheep & Wool! We sold more yarn & puppets on Saturday than we've sold in an entire weekend before. We were really busy and very tired at the end of the day.

I was so busy I didn't take any pictures! And I only bought a few things. I wanted to get two skeins of Brooks Farm Duet to knit a Wool Peddler's Shawl from the Folk Shawls book. Last year I went to look at their yarns for the first time, but I was so tired I just couldn't decide on a colorway. It was still a challenge to choose just one, but I plunged in and got the job done. It's hard to go wrong with blue in my wardrobe!

I also got a new spindle from Bill Hardy, whose wife Celeste I know from the Waterford Weavers Guild. It's just lovely. I haven't had a chance to spin on it yet, but I will soon.
And I bought a wee skein of Claudia Handpaint from our booth neighbors at Cloverhill Yarns. I just love the colorway, and I went back to my booth and picked out a coordinating color of Fleece Artist Sea Wool to go with it. And, OK, I ordered some Tye-Dye yarn to make the cute little top that is in the ads this spring & summer. But that will come later.

Here are the real confessions: I did a little online shopping last week, on the strength of our successful show. I felt like I deserved a few rewards... so I ordered some black & off-white sock yarn to complete the stash for my Jack Sparrow's Favorite Socks. (These are going to be for me!)

Then I went over to Two Swans and ordered the last ball of Kidsilk Haze that I needed for another project. I've been eyeing the Glade sweater in Rowan #40 since last September. There's something about the color and the stitch pattern - I just love this sweater. But it's a hefty investment in Rowan yarn, and upon further consideration, I realized that it wouldn't really fit into my wardrobe - I probably wouldn't really wear it. So I decided to knit a scarf using those yarns and that stitch pattern. I managed to collect 5 of the yarns from my spring travels - some from Yarntiques in Johnson City, TN and the rest from Ewe Knit Kits in Virginia Beach, but there was one more color of KSH.

I remembered that Two Swans was a Rowan stockist (that sounds so posh!) so I went to her website and found what I needed... and I found some Sakatieli that I didn't need but that I suddenly really wanted. I was going to buy two skeins until I had a look at the Ilga's sock pattern (Nancy Bush, Favorite Socks)and decided, what the heck, I just made some money - and I bought 7 skeins. It is just gorgeous. I love it. It is going to make some wonderful, special socks. Isn't it beautiful?

And then I ordered some Lanaset dye from ProChem. We used this dye at the guild dye day a few weeks ago and I lurve it. Especially how well it takes up and how little rinsing is required. So there is a project for the summer... I have a bag full of undyed yarns, longing for some color...

And that's all. No more yarn purchases until I get some FO action and unload some more old stash! Although my trip to Northampton this weekend just happens to coincide with the WEBS tent sale...