the long (delicious) haul

Posted on Posted in book reviews/events, projects, spinning and fiber

buddha says, “wool is happiness”.
buddha lives in the yard at the house we rented last weekend. how lucky is he??

each year we rent the same house in the catskills at some distance from the fairgrounds. it’s on the “other” side of the river on a twisty-turny road that is very dark at night. why do we not get something more convenient?

it’s just too nice there. it’s a small house and only sleeps four people, but there is plenty of room for other (i.e., fibery) shenanigans.

the first thing we do is to transform the dining room into spinning/knitting central

here, beckie demonstrates the concept: before one is even truly awake, but AFTER the coffee is made, one sits at the table in jammies and picks up one’s knitting right where one left it the night or day before.
one may have to navigate through a few spinning wheels which are also left out in the open, but such skills are eerily instinctual to even the most inexperienced fiberholic, so the wheels post no unusual threat.

(the fact that all the wheels are blocking the fire exit is of course, of no concern; wool is flame retardant, after all.)

this is the view of our breakfast table. it is just the way we like it. those who value the use of their hands do NOT attempt to “straighten up”—that would create an inefficient situation where we would waste too much time hunting for DPNs, measuring tools, and pattern instructions.
just leave it the hell alone already.

here we have the living area . . . some year, we may use this space for doing yoga or something exhilarating like that.
we use it for its intended purpose—knitting and talking (there is a sofa that you can’t see on the other side). kim took a fancy to lying about on the dog bed there as well. no comment.

we, of course could bring stuff from our stashes to work on during the weekend, and indeed, we do bring a little to tide us over the first two nights til the show starts. but not too much . .. we don’t sacrifice cargo room for good sense.

i brought along two grafton batts to spin from my very deep stash. a little stash reduction never hurts.
i don’t seem to have pictures of them, but at 3 ounces each (they are supposed to be 3.5 to 4 ounces, but mine all weigh less), i knew that i’d have to spin fine if i wanted to get yarn for socks out of them. i tore up the batts and mixed the strips to get even coloration throughout the yarn; i’ve spun them before from one end to the other and don’t like that as much.

once again i’m a little disappointed about how little yardage i can get from these batts. they are corriedale and not so fine, so spinning any thinner gets you a more wiry and uneven yarn. the lighter one yielded a bit more, but the darker one will require adding some natural brown for heels and toes. drat. at least i finished them off . . the skeins are washed and drying now; i’ll show you the yarn tomorrow.

so now, i was out of fiber. i worked on my socks too and completed the acorn sock and the cardigan sock

(that one still needs a few decrease rnds, but for all intents and purposes, it’s done).

of course, in between the knitting and spinning there was MUCH shopping at the wool show and at morehouse merino.

on friday we took a ride to the morehouse shop in milan, NY. i specifically wanted to buy enough 2-ply sport yarn in a new color to make a sweater, since i plan to use the batch i have this winter (cannot be without a sweater’s worth, what can i say?). here’s what i bought

a beautiful medium blue (ok, dull name, but what would you say?). i realized while i was packing for the trip that i do not own a blue sweater. reason enough to spend the money i think. but seriously, this is the BEST sweater yarn i’ve worked with . . .soft, strong and doesn’t pill. what’s not to like? every stitch is a pleasure, which is why i’ve not tired of it after nearly two decades of knitting with it.

but i was restrained . . . i did not fall into the trap i did last year of overspending on sale yarn.
because saturday was coming.

i always approach wool shows with the worst possible strategy. i wander around with no list and no particular goals, and if i bump into something i love, i do not put up a fight at all.
now to be fair, i have pretty high standards and i have plenty of everyday wool at home, so i don’t usually fall in love with any but the most precious and beautiful things—those i will probably only see once a year at the show. and of which there are many examples.

within five minutes of being in the gate i bought a rug (told ya). and not a small throw rug either.
i felt totally justified in this purchase since it is not fiber for me, but for the house (the speed-purchasing behavior is not like me at all, but whatever). in fact it is one of only two things i actually was looking for. it will go on the newly-finished third floor landing and it looks stupendous against the ebonized floor up there.

i was awesome in the yarn department. i bought only one skein at the show.

(i’m suffering from a little yarn bloat at home, enough that even i have the brakes on hard).
but this skein just seems very special.

naturally-dyed sock yarn from ancient threads farm & fiber mill, in a sort of maize-yellow with streaks of taupe-y gray.
now don’t go rushing their etsy shop and get frustrated by a low inventory . . . they were pretty sold out at the show; it might take a few days for them to get refilled.
which was good for me because my choices were limited and much agonizing over colorways was eliminated.

where i really lost all sense of proportion was in buying spinning fiber.
let me reiterate: i SO do not need more fiber.
i have lots of fiber; enough to last me at least a year or two of constant spinning, which ain’t even happening.

but there you have it . . the real danger of wool shows. all that one-of-a-kind stuff, sooo many people retiring and not doing shows again. yes, i know there will always be more wool, but . . .

then i saw stephania’s booth. in the first building. this was not good for my fortitude.

another artist who works with natural dyes, for which i am a tried and true suck-ah. aren’t these gorgeous. sigh i sure do love me some nice tweed. and that ocean-glass green. mmm.

two pounds of wool later (there is an olive bump that did not make it into the picture) i exited the booth quite dazed.

i wandered some more and helped karen spend her money. here’s a tip: if you are a seasoned wool-show attendee, be sure to take at least one newbie every year so that you can spend vicariously through them. newbies are completely free of stash guilt and usually buy with abandon. it’s fun and much less painful than shouldering your own guilt.

i held out pretty well til the last building, which i knew ahead of time would be a tough one. the big building at the end of the row has two danger zones and they are nearly on top of each other.

foxhill farm, a cormo breeder with possibly the best fiber on the planet

i got out of there with just two bags, one moorit in pure wool, and one gray cormo/alpaca blend. it was either that, or buy everything. fortunately the kinnearing incident distracted me and i got a grip.

after a deep breath and a little side trip to help kim pick out some yummy yarn at another booth (one that i admired, but was not interested in), i strolled a few paces down the aisle and my heart sunk and soared at the same time. here was trouble:

hatchtown farm, purveyors of incredible coopworth wool

honestly, when it comes to coopworth i have a real addiction, especially toward the steel gray variety. but that white was SO soft and so creamy, i had to take some of it too (just 3 ounces, but still).
i have always loved this fiber—it was one of the first things i tried as a new spinner and it worked a treat right from the first. it makes super-excellent sock yarn—long-lasting and soft.

when you first spin it, the singles are wiry and a bit scratchy, like border leicester or something similar (it is a long fiber). but don’t let that fool you—it is completely transformed in the wash. since it contains a lot of grease (nice on the hands but disguises the texture), you don’t see how lightweight it is til it’s clean. washing it makes it poof up greatly and turn all soft and springy; not like the just-spun yarn at all. it has the benefit of being a long, strong fiber along with a soft springiness that makes it comfortable to wear.

they also had a fabulous gray-to-charcoal sheepskin there that i very much wanted for david (the only other thing besides the rug that i needed to look for, and his only request), but i wanted to think about the price. that only took about 5 minutes, but when i went back it was gone. damn.

oh well. see, this is what makes people spend too much though . . the idea of losing that one thing you like.
normally i count this as good luck; another item that does not come home with me. in this case though, i goofed and was disappointed; i really wanted to go home with a stunning sheepskin for david and instead i arrived empty handed with a few paltry chocolates to make up for the fact that i hesitated.
i consoled myself with a turned orifice hook in dark wood, but it’s just not the same (and, ahem, not for david).

that was it for saturday . . the rest of the day i wandered some more and talked to people and helped karen and kim spend their money.

the next day we got there a little later and went to the book signing. beckie, kim, and karen had never heard stephanie speak, so we planned to go to her talk. when we got there however, the crowd was dense and the audio was not conducive to hearing, so we went wandering again.

here’s where i fell down some more. i had been through the show and found things i didn’t have but wanted to try. going through a second time, i saw things i had resisted the day before, but was suddenly panicky about.

like foxfire fibers cashmere and silk.
i already have some camel/silk roving that is not spun up yet, so i resisted this stuff on saturday. but somehow, on sunday i could not.

ooops; shoulda left my money home. but it’s pretty, right?

beckie and i wandered around trying spinning wheels and looking at spinning equipment. we tested a few wheels and i found the bobbins i needed for my merlin tree wheel.

mmm, nice new bobbins. always good to have some extras.

and then i did it again, this time at the touch of twist booth.
i already have some of their wonderful rambouillet and silk blend roving. but when i went in, there were only two left in a gorgeous gray/blue blend. i snatched one up without even thinking.

and made karen buy the other one (misery loves company). it was total unadulterated force-feeding on my part, but i do think she’ll like it.

thank goodness it was the end of the day by then . . . just enough time to hit up the cheese-tasting in the food building (YUM!), and finally succumb to the artichoke booth (it was ok, but not as good as i thought it would be, though they might have been in an end-of-weekend slump at that point, and not totally on top of their game).

so that was it. time to say goodbye and celebrate kim’s deflowering by going home to spin and knit.

she will never be the same.

31 thoughts on “the long (delicious) haul

  1. I have the companion of your rambo/silk, except mine is orange instead of blue Isn’t it glorious stuff? The little bit I’ve sampled spun up looking just like Lola, my tortoiseshell cat. 😉

    And YAY for Coopworth, the most underrated fiber of all, and for your gorgeous acorn sock–it’s so pretty in that golden color. 🙂

  2. Beautiful fibers! After this treat I have an urge to go and dust the spinning wheel… I don’t even remember how many months ago I did spin.

  3. Looks like loads and loads of fun. I have been on the lookout for some silver fleece, myself. I saw the prizewinning fleece at the fair near my IL’s house, and I have been dreaming of it ever since. I was so stunned I couldn’t even remember to ask the breed it came from. I can still remember the feel of the lanolin on my fingers…

  4. Which Merlin do you have? I have a Hitchiker that I need to sell at some point (they are like a gateway drug to spinning), and eventually might get a Saxony wheel, alto my Maja Suzi does pretty much whatever I need her to do.

    I need to spin, but I have no more room in the house!

    Very glad you had fun. Well deserved. I’m still trying to talk myself down from Maryland Sheep and Wool, because I have too much stash at home, and need to seriously trade/knit/spin it all up, so I can have space for more, without putting wool in the freezer!

    🙂

  5. Sounds like such a wonderful trip, and what delicious choices! I’m helpless when faced with the unique and luxury fibers, and it’s much better for my fiber storage situation to enjoy these vicariously. 🙂

  6. Did you actually try those deep-fried pickles? I did. I bit into a very hot one and almost burned off the lining of my throat with the hot vinegar. Not something I’d order again. 😉 I did like the artichokes though — when mixed with the beans & greens.

    Love that purple yarn. It reminds me of a similar color of Trekking.

  7. You just had the best time, and you found the most beautiful house and yarn!! Wow! I’m drooling with envy. I can’t wait to see what magic you make with your haul!

  8. When I got home, I realized I’d bought more fiber than yarn. Which is just fine– now I have a sizable stash of both! And incentive to continue working on the spinning. And now I have a vocabulary for all these different kinds of wools and wool-blends! Yay!

    I knew you wouldn’t steer me wrong in purchases, Anne… I feel lucky to have had such good guidance. Thanks!

  9. I want that Buddah! He is fantastic with his mossy belly! Your house looks like the perfect perch for the weekend
    It looks like you’ve got some pretty nice new aquisitions.
    I didn’t purchase a single skein of yarn. It was all about the fiber for me this year.

  10. I have heard wonderful things about Coopworth. There is a definite danger to even READING about Rhinebeck. I keep checking out the prices of fiber versus a fleece – and I don’t even own a wheel yet!! fiber insanity.

    But… I am going to visit Woodland Woolworks this weekend when I visit my daughter at college. hee hee. I get to see my daughter AND play with spinning wheels. hee hee.

  11. Very very nice haul! i so enjoy reading your blog:) I’ll stay tuned to see what this fiber will look like and more importantly–what its destined to become:)

  12. Wow — you got the most beautiful fiber! (And, of course, now I’m stalking the Ancient Threads site for sock yarn, sigh…) Does Kim spin too? Do you know if she knows anywhere in San Diego for a non-spinner to maybe, y’know, get sucked over to the Dark Side? Because that fiber…I need to have a reason to acquire fiber like THAT.

  13. Beautiful fiber! I know so little about the different types of wool, that I really learn a lot when I read your fiber/spinning posts.

    I’d call your blue sweater yarn Lake Blue, it looks like Lake Michigan on a bright summer day.

  14. OH.MY!!! You must have had a blast getting all of that scrumptious fiber!!!!

    Seeing the pictures of the house………next year if there is room, I’m coming. It is fabulous!!!

    Thank you for posting the finished cardigan sock. It is more than exciting for me to see my yarns worked up in such a beautiful pattern. Both sock patterns and Deb’s yarn are fabulous!

  15. I feel you showed great restraint. You bought things you loved and that are so exquisite. there shouldn’t be any guilt on your part at all! I love the set up of the house. sounds fair to me, fibre things stay where they are put, easy to find, no time wasted and joy for all! it is a fibre get away after all.

  16. What a wonderful sounding girls’ weekend! And a very nice bit of prose about it. I agree you showed amazing restraint, and chose well. No guilt trips allowed!

  17. Now I really really wish I’d found a way to get to Rhinebeck this year. Lots of lovely fiber there, my dear. Good job on the purchasing. I’m bummed for you about the sheepskin. I hate it when that sort of thing happens to me. Not least because I usually react with the pendulum swing the other way of buying it next time more often than I might have otherwise. And that nearly always is bad for the pocketbook until the pendulum starts back down, anyway.

  18. I just love the house you rent. What a peaceful respite for 4 friends. Lucky you. Your spinning is gorgeous, especially the pale one (my colors!). The cardigan socks are perfectly named, as are the acorn socks. I started out at Foxfire and (restraining myself) spent $166 there, met Clara Parkes while she autographed her book, shopped elsewhere, then finished up with the Windy Valley qiviut. An expensive day — and I don’t regret one purchase! You were smart to go to Morehouse on Friday. I went Saturday on the way home. Cars were parked precariously all the way up the side street; the shop was packed, but everyone was still nice and patient. I’m returning this Sunday for the foliage on the drive down and their last day in the shop. I, too, need sweater yarn and their colors just need to be selected in person. I’m so sorry they are closing the shop. Online will be tough, but then there’s Rhinebeck. I want natural, undyed wool, but — wow! — did you ever select a gorgeous blue. I, too, am feeling yarn bloat. If we’re acknowledging it, I guess we really have too much. I’m promising myself that I will purchase no more for quite a while unless at fiber festivals. Oh, by the way, One Planet Yarn & Fiber has just sent me an email that my yarn for the thistle shawl has been sent — hooray! November 1st will have to be my cut-off date!

  19. Oh, I am seriously having wheel envy right now!!! Right now I just have my little Charkha, and I suppose that will have to do until after I graduate and I get out into the “real world”. Right now all the funds have to go into icky things like books and such. I cannot wait until I can get a full sized wheel!

  20. I *love* the mossy Buddha!
    I totally understand that you could not resist buying the stuff that came back home with you: it is all exquisitely lovely! Nice preview of what I’ll find there next year…

  21. I think I need to be accompanied by an expert next year, your haul rocks! And I DEFINITELY need to learn to spin now!

  22. Wow! What a fun trip! MD S&W is enough for me though. I will save money and “do” Rhinebeck vicariously for a couple more years! LOL

    Can’t wait to see what you do with that blue yarn. I have some in a similar color that I had tagged for the twisted yoke cardigan out of IK, but maybe I will have to wait and see what you come up with!

  23. Anne….. you are a total yarn enabler!!! Pushing pushing pushing….. I LOVE IT!!!!!! And what are you talking about??? That artichoke was Yum-City!!!!!!

  24. I can identify w. your description of the table! “..just the way we like it…” That is a wonderful way to take the trip – the same house rental, roomy, the tools. Love your buys – thanks for the links, it’s always! good to have new sources 🙂

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