5-Minute Blog Post

This may become a regular feature! anyway, time is ticking.

First, the Drive for Change trip. We headed out for Reno on a Friday and then to Dayton, about an hour further on for canvassing on Saturday and Sunday. I've never really experienced the desert; it was stark and pretty at the same time, and the lack of big buildings or huge trees made for some pretty stunning views. The campaign workers asked us to try to be inconspicuous about the fact that we were coming in from California, so I didn't take as many pictures as I would have normally, but we did manage a picture of this trebuchet sitting in someone's side yard. It was pointed at the neighbor across the street's garage, but I'm sure that was just coincidence...

The rest of the photos are here.

Then came Color: A Fiber Festival this last Saturday. As previously mentioned, I descended gracefully from the SPE wagon. Originally I had intended to but nothing, and it would have worked if Jasmin hadn't started crowing about being morally superior. I blame her. I bought from A Girl on the Rocks, Pigeonroof Studios, and new-to-me Celleach Dyes, which is run by the lovely Kelley and her family - including Brynn (who helps skein yarn) and Rowan (who might be the cutest 3-year-old on the planet right now).

Pictures are here.

Then on the way home, No-Blog Rachel informed J and I that there was a yarn swap planned at Purlescence for Sunday, which promptly absolved me of all my Saturday purchasing. I went through my stash like a whirlwind, culling things left, right and center. Then I divided the pile into 3 bags: Wool-Ease (originally purchased to make sweaters before I knew better), Baby Yarn (gag acrylic!) and Stuff Other Knitters Might Actually Want. That's not to say that Wool-Ease and Baby Yarn aren't perfectly respectable yarns; they certainly are. I'm just a snob, really, when it comes right down to it.

This is what 12 pounds of yarn looks like.

I didn't intend to pick anything up at the swap, but J had left 5 skeins of lace-weight tan that would be perfect for over-dyeing. At 6000 yards, I couldn't pass it up - especially with my Lace Bibles staring at me, and my new as-yet-unexplored interest in Niebling. (ETA - Thanks for catching the spelling, and for the suggestions, Diela! I have a better place to start now. :))



I also grabbed a stunning red in the same brand; only 1200 yards this time, but it's enough for the Faux Russian Stole that has been drifting through my dreams.

This particular red is one of my favorites, most likely because my blankie when I was a child was this color and so I associate it with comfort. Plus I just love red.

And finaly, J dug this out of her stash so that I can make a mis-matched pair of socks for the eldest Relatively Normal. She doesn't wear socks that match, and since I promised her a pair for Hanukkah, I'll be making 2 different ones.

Elphaba Sock #2 is trucking along. I'm about to start the calf increases, so there are only about 12 more inches of sock to go...