ES Goes to Latvia and Brings Me Back Fiber Related Gifts

I thought I would share some recent events with pictures. First off is the indigo plant that I bought at MS&W. Liz bought one also and shows a picture at the bottom of this post. My plant is doing very well out on the balcony and even has some little red buds forming. I've never grown indigo before, so I am enjoying this plant as I watch it grow. It amazed me at how fast it adjusted to the pot I put it in and the sun it is getting. It has grown quite a bit since I brought it home.

In other news and pictures: ES went to Latvia for a conference last week and he brought me presents. He brought me the nesting dolls. "C" got quite a smile on his face when he saw them and had a fun time pulling them all apart and setting them up. Yes, he is still a child at heart, even if he is almost 18 yrs old. The stacking doll is now sitting at a place of honor on the mantle waiting for little fingers to come play with it, or big fingers for that matter.


The second gift ES brought was this skein of single ply yarn. There are 340 grams in this skein which is pretty close to the color in my monitor. It is a grey/light brown color. I haven't figured out how many yards are in there yet, but know there is at least 600. This will make a really pretty shawl, maybe something from Victorian Lace Today. ES told the story, when he gave me the yarn, of buying the yarn. He said that the lady he bought it from was very definite about it being wool, a very good yarn and at a very good price. She did not want to sell him anything else but wool which worked well because ES wanted the wool. The little white spot in the center is actually the sticker that has the price and the weight. ES says he couldn't get across to the lady that he did know a little about yarn, because his wife was a spinner and a knitter and he has picked up some knowledge from that fact.

The last gift he brought me was this pair of hand knit lace socks in the large size. He says there were only two sizes there at the street market, small and large. I think ES did a very fine job of bringing back surprises from his trip to Latvia. He even brought back chocolate, but gave that to "C" which I don't think he has eaten yet, by the way.

ES's next trip is to Chicago and I get to go with him. Maybe I can find some suvienor yarn when we go there next month.

Until next time, Happy knitting and spinning.

Buzzards in Virginia?

This was the weirdest sight today. I was taking "C" to young mens, a church organization, and saw this bird. It looked like a buzzard of some kind and it was eating road kill! After dropping "C" and a friend off, I drove back the same way to see if it was still there and it was. I got this picture with my cellphone then, I didn't think I had my digital camera with me, so the picture isn't too good. "C" wouldn't take the picture when we were heading down the road together, so I HAD to go back. When I first saw the bird it was in the middle of the road stopping traffic. When I went back, it had moved the road kill to where you see the bird now. I sat a watched for about five minutes and then had to head home.

I have to wish ES a Happy Birthday. He turns 50 years old today! I asked if he felt old and he said he didn't yet, but he's sure that will come in about 20 years or so.

Pictures of MS&W

Seeing as how I can get the pictures to download today, I thought I would share pictures of what I purchased at MS&W (finally). I only bought one skein of yarn that was from Tess Designer Yarns, where Liz bought her microfiber ribbon yarn. This pretty aqua color will end up being something for ES's step-mother, I think.

The second purchase was 8 ounces of merino fiber dyed purples, pinks blue and some green. I passed this by on the first walk through the vendors and hoped it would be there when we went back. I am not sure it was the same batt, but it is pretty and spinning up nicely. It's on the Hitchiker right now.

The most "have to have" purchase was from Creatively Dyed. I love her fiber and colors and couldn't pass up getting some more of her fiber. I love the colors and feel of this fiber and can't wait to get it onto the Lendrum on it's next rotation into spinning time.

The only animal picture taken was by Liz of the alpaca we saw as we started wandering around Saturday morning. They were so cute!


The final picture today is of the one bloom on the newer Christmas cactus. The bloom is now gone, but the older cactus has two blooms getting ready to open. I love it when flowers bloom when they aren't supposed to.

Next up, I have some finished yarn to show and a couple of baby sweaters almost ready to go. So much going on. Happy knitting and spinning.

MS&W and Other Ramblings

I was going to put pictures of the Maryland Sheep and Wool festival up, but for some reason I can't get the computer to download the pictures!!

It has been a long time since posting and the time just seems to get faster and faster with no reprieve in sight.

MS&W was fun. It was good to be among the fiber festivals again. Liz and her husband picked me up early and we headed up I495. It was a really pretty drive and we didn't get lost. Although at one time we wondered if we were on the right road, but we came around a corner and there was a line of cars miles long. We were in the right spot! For my Idaho friends, the fairground is similar to the Eastern Idaho fairgrounds at the animal section. The big white building at East Idaho is the same size as the animal buildings, plural, here. The rain held off for most of the day, we did have a little early on. I'll post the pictures from there, when I get ES to figure out what I've done to the picture reader.

MS&W wasn't the only thing happening this past weekend. ES ran a half marathon in Frederick MD on Sunday. We left the house about 5 am to get him there in time! He ran his personal best at 2:33. He came in about four minutes before the first marathon runner and I thought that was really, really good. I'll have pictures of that also, if you want.

I have spent the week, for my spinning time, with the Lendrum doing a lot of plying. So far I have plied six bobbins worth of stuff. I am ready to be spinning other fiber on a couple of wheels now, the Lendrum and the Hitchiker. By the way, at MS&W I was able to see and test Merlin Tree's new wheel, the Roadbug. I am seriously thinking about that as a double treadle! I'll have to save my pennies until next year though.

Well, until next time--with pictures-- Happy knitting and spinning.