I'm back! (Whoo-hoo!)

Actually, I really didn't go anywhere, but was just busy. Busy cleaning up, having parties at my house, knitting, and resting up (and reading a little bit). So, this is what I am working on.


I had to frog the back, because (silly me) I hate doing gauge swatches (you think I'd know by now...) and didn't do a good job of figuring out the gauge...and wound up with a back that was big enough for a person who's like, 6'5" or maybe about LeBron James' height. So I decided to just knit the fronts first. I tell ya, it feels like it takes forever because you not only knit the sleeve, but you knit the sleeve and the front at the same time. So it feels like you've not accomplished much...but you actually have.

I'm almost done with the left front and left sleeve. Hopefully I'll finish that tomorrow, and can get started on the right side (which will feel like it's taking just as long, if not longer, as I probably will start working a little more this week). Then the dreaded back (again!). Oh, by the way, I figured out the gauge this time. Sigh. Just had to go down a needle size.

As far as other yarn/knitting content goes: I went to the Great Lakes Fiber Festival in Wooster, which I think was a blast. I only took about 3 pictures there, I think I had a brain burp, and though i said I was going to take pictures of the barn interiors, I forgot to do that, except in several cases. But there was lots of lovely yarn and the crazy buffalo lady (did you know you could spin yarn from buffalo coats? I sure didn't. Not till I was looking at some lovely alpaca yarn, and wandered to the next booth, where the lady cornered my poor boyfriend and told him stuff like, how buffalo wool is so durable, that she had a pair of socks made from buffalo wool, and all her lambswool/sheep/alpaca/angora/etc. fell apart in less than 5 years, but her buffalo wool socks have stayed in good shape for years and years. And that she cried when she learned how many buffalo were killed back then (enough to feed and clothe the entire western hemisphere). Poor boyfriend. He wanted so badly to get away from the buffalo lady, but couldnt' quite figure out how to end the conversation, but as soon as he saw some potential customers enter the buffalo lady's booth, he was off like a bat out of hell. Hee-hee.

Ok, some of my acquisitions included some very pretty yarn (some as gifts, which i will not post here in case anyone stumbles upon pictures of upcoming gifts), but also some beautiful roving, which is more temptation for me to become proficient at spinning.

Speaking of spinning, there was this absolutely cranky lady who taught me how to use a spindle; she wasn't exactly the most patient person in the world, but I now know how to use a drop-spindle. The boyfriend tried it too, but couldnt' quite get it, and she wasn't very patient with him. You can see how much he loves spindling:

(Hint: He never wants to do it again.)

However, he did enjoy going to the festival, which is a good thing. Plus, he saw some things he almost--I mean it!--almost bought--but his common sense prevailed.

What was it, you ask...

A very cute, very fluffy angora rabbit named Ashley! I'm not even kidding. He was seriously contemplating buying a rabbit!

(Not that I'd mind...hehe. Especially when I can get angora from it). But he thought about it, and was like...well...I'd have to buy all kinds of stuff, like a cage, food, etc., etc....before I can get myself a rabbit. But he did get the lady's phone number, and I would not be surprised, if sometime this year (or next year) he got a rabbit for himself. I think Harvey would be a good name. (Right? ;))

And I got these at the festival:

I will take pictures of the roving later. I'll share those tomorrow or the day after, and think of fun projects for some of these (the last yarn that I showed a picture of--the woman gave me a scarf pattern for it, so I'll try it out.)

And there was sheep judging. The boyfriend was disappointed that it was not a shearing contest.