Yarn Fumes

One of the best things about being a knitter in Maryland is having the opportunity to attend Maryland Sheep & Wool which is held annually on the first full weekend of May. This year's festival proved to be as fun and amazing as ever. It was especially wonderful to talk to and watch experienced spinners since I am trying to learn how to spin on a drop spindle. They were so patient while answering my beginner's questions as to the best fibers to start out with, drafting techniques and so forth. But all their wonderful fiber advice flew out the window the moment I stepped into the Loop booth. Fiber candy everywhere...it was impossible to resist!

bullseye bump in arctic spruce (merino/corriedale/nylon/angelina)

Another hard to resist purchase was at the popular Tess' Designer Yarns booth, where I walked away with 660 yards of cotton candy yarn.

I have several fun projects planned for this yarn, one of which is the Color Affection Shawl. Yes, I have caught the affliction/infection!

combined with neon rose and gossamer by Madelinetosh

And then there was the impulsive no plans but it must come home with me now buy of the day:

The yarn fumes and fried twinkies made me do it.



(Go to WIP Wednesday and join in the fun! I also want to say a huge thank you and shout of excitement for being one of the ten finalists in the 'Something A Bit Different' Creative Blogging Award. There are quite a few WIP Wednesday regulars on this list and I am thrilled to be among their company. Please check out the many creative posts for that day by typing 3KCBWDAY5 in your search engine.)

FO: Candy Ribbon Cowl

When I asked the little guy to come up with a name for my new cowl design, his first choice was Color Bug Cowl. It had a nice ring to it, but didn't quite fit with my vision. So he decided to rename it after his second most favorite thing in the world, candy. So presenting the Candy Ribbon Cowl:

I am so happy with how this turned out. The entire process, from inspiration to completion, was the most fun I have had with knitting in a while. Playing with different shades of the same color, from teal to aqua to the palest of blues, and offsetting it against the silvery grey, was so addicting! But my favorite part was discovering the royal quilting stitch pattern while browsing through Barbara Walker's amazing A Treasury of Knitting Patterns. It was love at first sight.

I decided to try knitting the cowl with cotton yarn in order to make it wearable year round. But a soft and drapey wool or wool blend would be lovely, too. I had a few doubts about the final dimensions of the cowl while knitting it. Too long? Not wide enough? But in the end, I think that the size worked out okay and gives it a bit of versatility.

I am playing around with the idea of posting this as a free pattern on ravelry if I can make any sense of my scribbles. Have a good weekend everyone!


(Please check out the talented knitters and crocheters participating in FO Friday)

Royal Quilting

Just a quick video showing my current WIP. Sorry, no head shot on this one since I was too lazy to change out of my penguin pjs.

(Check out all the crafty blogs participating in WIP Wednesday)

NYC

My mom and I had a fantastic time in NYC! We are already making plans to go back (hint hint to the hubby). It was so great to just wander around with no agenda in mind, admiring the gorgeous architecture and neighborhoods.

The Flatiron Building

We decided to skip the restaurants and just browse the different shops in Chinatown, sampling a little bit of this and that. We had banh mi sandwiches from here, then mango rice balls and sesame balls from here, then washed it all down with Vietnamese iced coffee. Sorry for the lack of food pictures, but we were ravenous after all that walking! The only things that we didn't manage to eat right away were the mangoes that seemed to be everywhere. If I hadn't forgotten to pack my utility knife, I am sure that those would have been quickly devoured, too!

As for the shopping, the variety of stores was amazing, although I mainly stuck to window shopping since most of my month's pin money was set aside for Maryland Sheep and Wool (more on that later). However, a few crafty finds still managed to jump into my shopping bag.

These embroidered silk shoe bags were a steal at $4.50 each. They are just too pretty for shoes but will make great project bags.

 I couldn't resist this silk scarf in my favorite color.

I used to have a pin cushion just like this when I was little and was sad when it was lost. The pretty flowered pouch will make a nice home for my current favorite on-the-go project. I managed to knit a few during the train ride to and from NYC.

 

Grays and Blues

Having fun experimenting with grays and blues and a new stitch pattern. I am not sure if this will lead to a new design or not....just enjoying the mesmerizing interplay of colors and pattern. This will be going into my travel pack because I am taking my mom to NYC for some shopping and sightseeing. Just us girls! It will be a whirlwind trip since this weekend is the Maryland Sheep and Wool festival and you know that I can't miss that. Have a good weekend everyone!