MDSW and French Girls

I attended my very first Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival! And I had a blast. There were seven of my knit circle that drove down from Delaware. After waking up at 5am and meeting in Elkton MD at 6:30am, two cars caravaned down to West Friendship, MD for some sheep & wool goodness. Luckily, I "accidentally" didn't give the DBf Gene my GPS and had it in my car. Thank GOODNESS too because I probably never would have found the place.

I found some fantastic skeins of loveliness that I didn't buy... like Tess's 50/50 Wool & Silk blend that was WONDERFUL but a little more than my budget. If the yardage was more I might have bought it. I did end up getting some 50/50 wool/silk from Brook's Farm in Texas. After the solo silk display tried to fall on me, of course. I also found a lovely etsy vendor Made By Ewe with GREAT prices.

I considered for a good long while about picking up a spindle and some gorgeous roving and doing some spinning... and I think I might put it on my wish list for birthday and Christmas. It wasn't in the budget for that weekend, though. I wouldn't have been able to get my solo silk!! Plus the drop spindle (well, trindle, actually) that I wanted was $40... and I know that I can find one for less than that. I also want to try some undyed roving first. I know that I can always find lovely handpainted stuff on etsy later on after I get better. I don't like being bad at things. I picked up knitting the first time in about 15 minutes, which is probably why I've kept up with it for so long.

I haven't been neglecting my projects! I was working on the Louisa from French Girl Knits for a while, but I kept screwing up the lace pattern--and it's the simplest lace pattern! I instead have started working on Wrenna using some lovely Cascade Magnum. I took off for the sleeves and am starting the hip shaping now, so it should be done soon. I did take pictures, so I will post those. I've also finally picked my socks (ok, sock.) up again... and it's starting to look like a sock!! I've finished turning the heel and I'm almost finished the gusset! Soon I'll be working on the foot and the toe. And then i get to start the second one...

After Wrenna.. I have a ton of things I want to do:
* ZickZack Tunic from Interweave Knits Spring 2009 in Cascade Heritage
* Sophia from French Girl Knits in Emu Superwash DK (if I can figure out that wacky seamless side construction with a crochet provisional cast on...)
* Little Blue Sweater from Interweave Knits Fall 2008 in Berroco Cuzco (what I was making my Louisa out of)
* Something out of my KnitPicks worsted High Peruvian Wool. I have about 1100 yards of it. I had a sweater in mind originally, but I think it's kind of boring now... so...

Sock Challenge

Now that the end of the February Lady Sweater is in sight (ONLY ONE SLEEVE LEFT! Still no pictures... I'm a slacker) I decided that it was time that I did something with my beautiful skein of Rio de la Plata multicolor sock yarn. At my final FLS class, I had to buy US 6 12" circs for my sleeves...since my Denises don't go that small, and I didn't think of that. While looking for my circs... I saw Hiya Hiyas 9" circs... and decided to splurge a bit. DPNs are fine, but I love circs. Plus my DPNs are 8" long and for socks, that's a bit large. Right now, I'm doing just a basic 3x1 rib sock. I thought tackling lace socks was not a good plan right off the bat. My first sock is 3" long right now. And the pooling is just fine... no weird pooling!

The colorway is fuschia, evergreen, and blue violet. Absolutely gorgeous. I can't wait to wear my first pair of hopefully many socks. And I promised Gene my second pair of socks... we're going to go to my LYS and pick out some sock yarn for him, and a simple pattern off of ravelry. I'm just busting through my resolution to challenge myself this year!