What I Meant to Write

I had all sorts of fun this weekend and didn't manage to write about any of it.  The good thing about the blog though, is that it's here when I want to post.  So now I'm skipping my usual Monday kickboxing session, or rather, skipping the dance workout they replaced my kickboxing class with in honor of Cinco de Mayo.  And to top it off, they made it "free guest day" which means lots of extra people.  So, I came home instead.  Seemed like a logical choice to me, given my general distaste for crowds. 

Friday I headed to Cindy's place, so we could get an early start to the day at MDS&W and what a difference it made! No traffic, no lines for the bathroom and almost no lines for anything but the tee shirt booth, which was as insane as usual.  I'm not sure I'll do that again, although I'm glad we did this year - I got a baseball style raglan and an apron to add to my collection.  No pictures, because I forgot to take any and I'm not getting back up to find my camera again. 

We spent a fair bit of time wandering the sheep stalls, where we saw one sheep just beginning to get a haircut (he was not pleased...this is the only picture I took where he wasn't complaining loudly.)

And another sheep at the end of her sheering...

There were plenty of lambs, some of them in clusters like these little Jacobs.

I loved watching the kids watching the animals.  These two were having an animated discussion about the alpacas, including designating one "the mommy" and the other "the daddy" and giving them names.

And despite my best intentions, I made some purchases.

Some alpaca roving in ocean colors, because watching "Carrier" has made me homesick for the ocean and I couldn't let go of it after I'd picked it up.  Three 12 oz skeins of Liberton Corriedale, which I'd bought last year for Cindy and decided I needed for myself - it was actually the only purchase I'd intended to make this year.  The shawl was at the Wild Fibers booth and just called to me.  I saw it while we were waiting in the tee-shirt line and decided that if it was still there when I had bought my tee-shirt, then it was meant to be mine.  It was, and so it is.  The basket holding everything was also a festival purchase, and will hold my roving while I'm spinning.  The basket got Scan's seal of approval while at Cindy's house.

The wool got even more approval, first from Ana, who obviously has some herding dog in her,

And then from Stormy, who has decided that it's a great kitty bed.

I may have already swatched the Corridale...more than once.  More on that once I've made a decision.  My parting shot is for Lorri, who will be getting this to learn to spin with her 7-year-old...

At the top is some pretty roving that looks to be well-prepared and is in the approved little-girl color range of pinks and purples.  The big bag contains similarly colored silk caps, which I think will be a less frustrating way to learn to spindle spin - I remember my first couple of attempts with the spindle ended up with the spindle flying across the room after a few fruitless attempts.  And I'm supposed to be a grown-up.  I also picked up some samples of raw wool and some silkworm cocoons do she can see what the unprocessed originals look like. 

Comments

[Lorri]

Ooo, drooling! Thanks for the fiber - our drop spindle arrived today. My attempts at using it were amusing.

So were the dance lessons going to be folklorico dancing?

[Shanti's Mom]

I'm sorry I missed the MDS&W this year but would have probably wanted to spend more time there than you did. Yummy stuff!

[LauraRN]

Hey, Shanti!! The worst thing about not going to MSW was that I didn't get to see you. Thanks for including the picture of the Jacobs lambs-- I think they're my favorite!

[LauraRN]

Hey, Shanti!! The worst thing about not going to MSW was that I didn't get to see you. Thanks for including the picture of the Jacobs lambs-- I think they're my favorite!