Stitches!

OMG.
Ok, so it's like dying and going to the Big Yarn House in the Sky. It's ridiculous how much yarn is under one roof and you go into a kind of fiber-induced over stimulated coma.

It's great!

You get to see and TOUCH things like 100% lightweight cashmere, silks, gorgeous hand-dyed everything! See cool patterns, a rockin's Knitters Fashion show with lace to die for. Knitters Universe is pushing a new title and holy cow there's some gorgeous stuff in it. You can take a peek

Victorian Lace Today

Made me want to tackle lace..one of these days..after I knit up all I have in my knitting queue, but we're getting to that in a moment.

So the day starts at 6:45 am, with me waking to the sound of an alarm and NOT my 2 year old. That was bizarre, an alarm hasn't been used in this house for ages! I get ready, head to Starbucks for the must injection of caffeine and a sugar. Meet up with the bus full of ladies with long string and tons of pointy sticks, who are almost giggling like little girls with excitement. It really was cool in an odd sort of, I actually fit in with these ladies, way. *cough*

We drive for 2 hours and get there as the doors open. I was kinda flying solo and had no true agenda, besides 'See, touch, buy' Hopefully in that order. Not buy, buy, buy, buy...watch husband go into shock. I wandered, with huge eyes and hands outstretched, not unlike the majority of other folks in attendance. I mean, we can ALL buy these yarns somewhere online, but here, here you can touch, smell, and be with your intended first! Whoot!

I didn't take my camera, which was a good thing anyway, because photos aren't allowed in the actually yarn market. Granted I should have taken picts of my fellow travelers etc, but oh well.

But I do have a camera at home and here is my lovely haul!!
Hidden in those bags is my booty. (no not that kind of booty) Knitter Booty!

My first purchase of the day nearly made me giddy. Granted I was flying on caffeine and sugar and not much else. I took a class at my LYS on 2 socks on 1 cirs and the instructor showed me the most amazing socks. Socks That Rock. I was smitten. I wanted to knit a pair SO bad. And then I looked at prices and well..that was that.

http://www.bluemoonfiberarts.com/

The quality is amazing, the colors outstanding, the product enough to make the most seasoned knitter pause and say 'Oooh'. You should have seen how mobbed their booth was! And it was actually something I went with the intent to buy. And buy I did. 2 skeins and their pattern booklet. $69 bucks later..oi..what an expensive pair of socks! But damn it, I'm worth it!! My colors aren't listed on their website, but rumor has it a new updated site is in the works. I got Covelight and Rock My World. A light colorway and a dark, that's the key to their 'look'.


Drool. Joy. And Frustration, all rolled into one! I can't cast these on yet. I just CAN'T. My queue won't allow it. *sniff* More on the queue later.


Then I found a fun booth JoJoland International (http://www.jojoland.com/) Which is a company run by asians importing asian amazing yarns. I managed to score 2 skeins of fingering-weight hand dyed wool sock yarn, so $10! Whoot. $5 a piece. Good deal. I'm actually thinking of making a scarf out of it with mitered squares.



Then I came across an author signing. A children's author. Signing books. On knitting. Um, as IF I could walk past that? So Abby now has a lovely signed edition of Knitting Nell. Very cute and the author was really sweet.

http://www.juliejersildroth.com/

After getting some food I soldiered on and got a subscription to Knitter's Magazine along with my cool circular needle case. Those are my needles already nestled in there, alas it came empty!



In the top photo is a gift I bought someone. I bet they spot it!! And other's might too!

At this point I would have happily gone home, having done well in my stash acquiring vs fundage leakage. I was fine. I was actually golden! But I had 1 1/2 hours to kill before the bus left. What is a girl to do? I'd left my knitting on the bus, and didn't want to cast on something new because, well I'm anal that way..so I did what any knitter would do in this case. Spent more money and bought more yarn.

I dove into the WEBS booth with gusto and carefully picked out an inexpensive but beautiful yarn for a lovely sweater for myself. Boy am I self-centered or what?? Anyway, here is it and I love it.

My sweater pattern

And I picked coral. So there, I was done done done..I ate some ice cream and headed towards the bus and more knit chatting and working on Abby's Sweater. :) I finished the left side, this is how far I am now.

So I'm still on target with getting it finished by the time school starts on the 5th or at least relatively close. I have 2 sleeves and a hood to knit. Then I have to put it together and pick up the button band. That should be entertaining since I've never done it before. I'll just have to chat up the Queen o Button Bands - C. I'm sure she can give me a hand.

Ok I'm wiped and off to bed to dream of spindles, swifts, ball winders, lovely soft cashmere lace, amazing fair isle sweaters...ahh...

To be discussed later..the Queue!