A New Project!!

Margaret and I went to SAFF yesterday. (I changed the name to protect the innocent.) I went with no intention of buying anything. I have everything....well, it seems like it when I try to get through my closet - or my wool room. But it's like looking for anything. When you are not looking, you find it.

I found "Iced" by Carol Feller. It's a Knitty pattern from First Fall 2010. It didn't speak to me in the online magazine, but when I saw it made up in a hand dyed yarn in MY colours, I had to have it. I don't normally make up a sweater in the yarn I see it in but this was impossible to resist. It's Happy Hands Yarn who came all the way from Wisconsin. My coulorway is right on the front page - "Mother Earth" - along with a picture of the sweater I saw! The picture below is just a tad dark, I think.I then needed two buttons...large buttons. And they had to be just right. An ordinary button would not do. Now check back in my blog on September 5, 2008. There you see my bag pattern (phree) along with the perfect button by Gail Hughes. She was at the show!! This was her first time and look at the perfect buttons I found to go with the sweater! (I do not have enough exclamation points on the computer to express my excitement!:-))
And here is the artist herself...Gail Hughes. She is now located in Kentucky and doesn't have a website, but hopes to get one with a list of all the shops who carry her wares. I know she is carried by Loopville in Knoxville, The Yarn Patch in Crossville, and Haus of Yarns in Nashville.
If I have said it once, I have said it a thousand times: The buttons will make or break your project. If you have a great pattern and use ho-hum buttons - "eh". But even a simple project with great buttons "pops"!

The Aftermath

Before I start on my purchases, I must relay a truly disgusting story. As soon as we entered the arena, we headed for the restrooms. It does not matter that we had already stopped twice before during the drive. It's morning. We are women. We drank coffee.

I head to the only open stall where there is a huge lake of water? on the floor. I shut the door, turned around, and Michelle (being a crab and always seeking water) falls to the floor when my fanny pack comes undone and then proceeds to land on Michelle to really soak it in. This is every horror story my mother warned me about.

It's not a total loss. I am in a bathroom, after all. I have soap and water and Catherine was prepared with Purell to slather on Michelle. Here she is taking a bath when we got home.......and just hanging around for the rest of the day.
This was the first of the two things I went to SAFF to purchase. It's VIP Fiber's Control Card. It's a yarn gauge PLUS if you want to spin a certain weight of yarn and know how many plies you want, it will tell you how thick to spin. I know this is all I need to now spin perfectly.

:-)

Perhaps this angelina will set off the fall coloured wool I dyed five or six years ago and entice me to spin it.... finally.
This is Politically Incorrect - One Night Stand Fiber Batts in the colourway "Winston". I see they sell on Etsy.
This is the only wool I purchased to spin. Even though it's only 4.1 oz., I know I can spin this fine enough and ply with a thread for lace weight. I can see this as a shawl or stole...maybe with some beads.

This is the one other item I went to SAFF for - the yarn bowl by Knit Witch.

I love the colour and the balls will be under control.
This was my final and unexpected purchase at the show, but I had to have them since I can not stop making and buying bags and totes. (see bottom) These are the straps for the multi-pocketed bag and wonderfully coloured leather leaves for embellishment on another bag as yet to be determined.

This bag was after the show at Earthfare in Knoxville. $25! Way cheaper than anyplace else I've seen. This will fit behind my seat and carry all those things I need but can't fit in my purse! Baby is protecting it.

I told you I can not resist a good tote.