I didn’t do too much damage at Estes this year, though I wasn’t nearly as restrained as last year. I’ve been planning for a while. I had extra birthday money coming my way yet, though it was via a credit card and it seemed using credit this year was harder to do than last. I knew my first stop did not take credit so I was prepared for that one. I bee lined it to Woolly Designs before I could use up my cash and got a lace flyer for my Majacraft Suzie Pro. Getting truely fingering weight 3-ply yearn seems the equivalent of spinning lace weight to me and I’m wondering if the fat core bobbins won’t help me. I also picked up a couple more regular bobbins as well. I think I am still in need of an orifice hook. I know Majacraft says that isn’t necessary, even with the lace flyer, but I think it would go smoother with one. If anyone has a favorite supplier, let me know!
Next up, I bought some llama silk blend from “With Love from the Kids!” in Livermore, CO (no web site, there is an e-mail if you’d like let me know and I’ll pass it on). I got 4 ounces of it. This particular one is called “the white guy & Pull roving.” It is soooooo soft you wouldn’t believe it. Okay, if you’ve handled llama silk blends before you probably would believe it. I have nothing in particular in mind for it at the moment, except perhaps lace in a vague sense - balaclava? tam? gloves? Don’t know. But I am finally at the point that I’m not afraid of using special fibers and blends. I feel I spin well enough to do justice to something as lusciously soft as this - finally!
This is some Bonker’s Fibers roving called Shale de Lush. That is a pretty accurate description too. It is mostly a deep gray in color with hints of blue and pink and ligher gray and it too is super soft. It is a blend of merino, rayon and cashmere! *drool* Again, no specific project in mind for this yet, but I got two hanks of it for 4 oz total. I’m thinking maybe a lace scarf, but time will tell. I’ve got so many fun things to spin between what I dyed last week and EPWM I have no idea how I’ll choose the next spinning project.
I couldn’t leave without buying some yarn, now could I? Of course not! This was my third EPWM and I hadn’t yet bought any Brooks Farm yarn so I decided it was about time. I missed out on the small quantity of sock yarn last year so I decided to get some of that this year. I got a gorgeous turquoise that subtly spans the blue-green spectrum of colors for me. I think this might grow up to be my wearable Queen of Diamonds socks! Then I also picked up a rich red for DH as he like cranberries, maroons, and other rich reds and looks fantastic in them. The Acero is a superwash/silk/viscose (rayon) blend and I’m really itching to start working with it!
After touring the animal tents and barns I popped back into the market and bought some natural dyed roving from Handspun by Stefania. I love the colors in their booth every year, but a lot of the wool they dye isn’t the softest. However, this Corriedale/Silk blend dyed in cochineal, logwood, and madder is like butter! The color was also right up my alley with purples, deep pinks, and a tiny splash of orange that failed to be capture by my camera. I got 8 oz of this because it was so soft and I think before too long I’ll be up for a longer spinning project.
All in all it was a good shopping expedition. I did miss a few booths that had previously been there each year. In their place were several breed or animal specific associations which I found odd. It meant there were many, many booths selling whole fleeces, when previously there had only been a couple with more fleeces available in the barns. I was almost sucked into buying this gorgeously white CVM fleece, but it was a half fleece of only about 3 pounds. I already have a 1/2 CVM fleece and at 3 pounds, once washed it would not likely be enough for a sweater for either DH or I so I left it behind. Perhaps next year if I get there right away a fleece will speak to me. In the meantime I suppose I should work with the one 1/2 fleece I already have :-)
