So Much to Say, So Much to Say.....

(Dave Matthews Band in the background)

Well... Day one of full-time Mommy week in progress. My wonderful provider has a week of vacation... and I am on duty. I have plans.... and I am not above using bribes to make this week go smoothly!

This weekend was nice..... Saturday was a full day of work but was kicked off by a breakfast meeting with Lolly and Colleen! How nice was that! Really gave me some get up to put in my get up and go... if you know what I mean.

And.... my little brother popped up from out of state to take his big sis out for a drink ( or three... or more...) My brother... my baby brother... is 21!! It was a little surreal, but great! The cowboy got some good time in with his Uncle Keddin', too. He was a very happy boy.

Sunday was a day of recovery for me.... late night + alcohol = hangover. I was good though.... I dyed a ton of yarn to be shipped tomorrow. Whew!!!!!

Tonight.... the Sucky Knitters meet @ Borders in Columbia...7pm!

Sheep and wool this weekend... counting the days......

Sheep and Wool

I am so damn excited for sheep and wool.... as soon as the buds are on the trees and my allergies kick into high gear... I start thinking about SHEEP AND WOOL! Let me break the festival down for you all:

• Free admission and parking ( no pets)
• Tons and tons of livestock..... sheep, alpacas, some bunnies????? Maybe I was dreaming about that.
• More wool and fiber than you can ever imagine.... barns and exhibition halls full of fiber and fiber related tools.... ahhhh......spindles, wheels, cards, roving, top, dyes....(eyes glaze over and drool drips from mouth....)
• Craftsmen. Artisans...I bought D a handcrafted leather belt from Lanny Tewell... he makes pretty purses too.....
• KETTLE CORN. yup.... that would be the cowboy's lunch/dinner when we go. He does not object.
• Sheep dog competitions.... we will be reliving highlights from "the pig movie"

• Sheep to shawl competition..... they sheer, clean, card, spin fiber and weave it into a shawl in 4 hours!!

Now there is the new addition.....

Come and party 'til the sheep come home!

Email me if you want to meet up! I would love to get a chance to meet you all!

On Friendship and Knitting

Did I ever tell you that my grandmother taught me to knit?
My grandma, Irene, was this tiny little lady with the loudest voice and most colorful language that I have ever encountered (even to date). We lived with her when I was younger, and she and my great aunt Helen, became my babysitters by default. Anyway....grammy probably was fed up with a 6 year old running around and messing with her yarn... and she taught me to knit. She taught me by sitting across from me and having me mimic her hand movements. She was a left handed knitter and was an effective teaching tool.
I picked up knitting again as an adult and have discovered this amazing community of knitters in bloglandia.
I have gotten to know some of you like sisters... and really appreciate all of the kindness I come across in cyberspace. I wish I lived next door to some of you.... and have met folks that I actually live near that are becoming new friends. I am grateful for all of you and your support in this fiber spiral that I am in. It is a good ride friends..... Mama is so not complaining.
That makes start thinking about Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. I know that a lot of you are coming to Columbia for MD Sheep and Wool. And wouldn't it be fun to meet up? I think so. Maybe dinner on Saturday night??? (My husband has been calling this the KNIT-BLOGGERS BALL)
If you are interested in meeting up... email me here. I really want to get together! Maybe MOUSE the button-goddess wants to make a "KNIT BLOGGERS BALL" button? hmmmm......

And ... speaking of kindness.... Mama got some KOIGU-Love from her friend Scout. If anyone has ever interacted with this lady you would quickly come to understand that she is a dynamic and kind woman that is so very passionate about fiber. So this is what she sent me:

Much love and gratitude to you mama!

Jill sent me a beautiful skein of orange Manos, a groovy MOM calendar and a pattern for felting flowers.... all for leaving a comment on her BLOG-VERSARY! Thanks Jill... I already felted the Manos into an Easter basket for the cowboy!

PuppyMomma bought me lunch on Friday... and now I have a new friend!!! How cool is this blogging thing?

So... back to Irene. See... I feel that my knitting and connecting with other knitters and the kindness of other knitters is all because of Irene. I feel like I am honoring one of the best parts of her with my knitting. Her willingness to be kind and be giving. She was no saint.... but she was a really great lady. So, Irene has a hand in this fiber-love of mine and I can hear her say" Dolly, your doing O.K."

Said Dreamers....

Some thoughts...

Did you ever have that dream that you were giving a public address naked? Or maybe the one where your high school/college calls and says that you didn't really graduate because you missed a PE credit?

I believe these dreams are produced when said dreamer is overly anxious.... there is something that said dreamer needs to work out in the dream state. Well..... this said dreamer is a little anxious but extremely pleased that my little sock yarns are getting such rave reviews from you all. Thanks.... I really love this and appreciate all of your ideas and support. There are some REALLY discerning knitters out there that have skeins in the mail/ in development... makes me a little anxious, BUT extremely pleased.

See, this said dreamer really believes that it takes a village to do anything in life. Thanks to you all for being a part of that (for better or for worse!) ... I have gained such valuable skills and insight from corresponding with you all. So Mama wants to say Thanks!
And as a thank-you to all of those who read/lurk and comment..... I am having a contest!

Leave a comment on this post by Sunday April 2nd and I will put your name in a raffle to win... you guessed it!

One skein of C*EYE*BER FIBER yarn

in the colorway of your choice!!!

Drawing to be held on Sunday, April 2nd!

In other news:

I have a couple of personal things to report....

Did Mama ever tell you that I have never had a babysitter outside of family and villagers...EVER...in 2 1/2 years! All of that is going to change! And... she came to us through the power KNITTING! I met the sister at my first SNB (well... they call it a knitting meetup)... and was intrigued by this amazingly intricate blanket she is making for her boyfriend. (She is 16!!!) I sat with her and it finally dawned on me that she may babysit.... set up 2 (count them) 2 dates in April!!! Gotta love a sister who knits! I had to discourage her from taking partial payment in yarn!!! You see the road she is heading down????.... Go give her a HOLLA and check out her blanket!

And... even though all of you read Scout..... go wish her a happy Birthday!!! Butter that nose mama... may you have a great year!

When Mama is not Hocking Her Wares, She is.....

I know that most of my posts lately have revolved around the C*EYE*BER FIBERS... so tonight I thought I would post about my recent non-yarn dyeing activities.

My Jaywalkers are coming along quite nicely. I have turned the heel on sock 2 and the girls are looking mighty fine! Gotta love a Jaywalker! (well... with a subbed short-row heel).

My SP7 sent me a VEDDY NICE package. I got a new knitting mag... some cute magnets and buttons... a skein of OPAL dreamcatcher and some ARTYARNS merino... My god do I love the ARTYARNS! It is so damn soft! Thanks SP7... whoever you are! I also got my first INTERWEAVE from her gift subscription. Made me VEDDY HAPPY!

Oh...there was A TON of chocolate in the package... do you see that it is missing? I actually had it for dinner one night... and fought the cowboy for it! He is a big fan of chocolate (that's my boy!)

I am thinking of what to do with the artyarns... I am taking suggestions. Email me to put your 2 cents in.

I am spinning the top that I dyed... Keohinani, I am a park and stop handspinner , too. I love the spinning and the top really is amazing. I am hooked! I am counting the days until

Sheep and Wool

(BTW... that would be 41 days!)

oh... and if you were interested... I still have skiens of scout, emms, and supergirl up for grabs!

And Now for Something Completely Different.....

My handspinning class was today. I LOVED every minute of it and the time flew by soooo fast! My yarn isn't a lot to look at... but it is YARN! I am so amazed that I learned the beginnings of making yarn. I can make yarn.... OMG! I am hooked!
I carded fiber (and even liked it!) I saw limitless possibilities for color.... I am such a fiber Junkie!

Maybe I will create a ring called the FIBER JUNKIES? ummmm...I digress.

So... when we started the class... the instructor Jane Hyland (who is a great instructor at Cloverhill Yarn Shop... if you can... take a class with her!) asked us to introduce ourselves, our fiber history... etc.
I went last and said" Hi. My name is Erin. I am a fiber-holic."
Without missing a beat, the other five members of the class and Jane said "hi Erin!"
I so knew I was in the right place. The most awesome thing was.... everyone in the class had this intense desire to learn more about fiber and the craft of spinning. I had such a great time... and I am so hooked. Did I mention I have an obsessive personality?