Stash Enhancement from MDSW!

Okay, the pix are up!

First, my pride and joy from the weekend: My brand new "El Cid" Spanish Peacock spindle!







Wow, it spins like a dream... I also picked up a wrist distaff to go with it, and it's working like a charm! :)






Hang the little elastic bit off my wrist, and just go for it! I need to pick up a fishing swivel for it, though... While I can slowly unwind it, I think it would work better if I had a swivel on it.

Now for those who didn't already get sick of Bahama Blues while I was working on it, I present you with: MORE Bahama Blues! :)



I bought another 3/4 of a pound of the stuff... I thought 770 yards wasn't quite enough to do what I wanted to with it! Fortunately, they had similar batches of colors to last year (not identical, but since bahama blues was a range of colors, I can always alternate skeins anyway).

I also bought a bunch of silk cocoons for a friend who's interested in learning. 60 to be precise:



On top of that, since I'm interested in learning how to dye (and I needed another hobby, right?), I picked up 2 pounds each of Superwash Merino and Superwash BFL from Little Barn at EXCELLENT prices! I love a sale!



I also picked up a package of flax, so I can make bowstrings at the festival this year:



This should be really cool. And now Dash and Hamish can't tell me I'm "girlifying" the militia tent! :)

From Yarn Barn of Kansas, I picked up 8 ounces of Superwash Merino in Deep Sea Green:



And then I scored big time at Bijou Bison ranch... Yak yarn isn't cheap. Well, not only did I get stuff from their clearance section, but I got it at 25% off! :)



That's one skein of sock yarn (85% yak, 15% nylon), plus one skein of fingering-weight 50/50 yak down and alpaca blend in fingering weight. WHEE! Oh, and yes, they came with the included patterns... I'm seeing Foggy Bottom stuff here, since it's brown and white, and they just look so cool! :)



I'm loving that sideways cable. :)

And now, the stuff from Autumn House Farm. First, a DPN holder that's all wood, looks beautiful, and I've seen it in action holding the sock. Works like a charm!



They also had a sample of shetland. I've never tried shetland, so I figured I'd give it a shot:



I got 800 yards of Finnegan's Fuzz in October 13th colorway for making a shawl:



And I got 400 yards of a sock yarn that has a little wool, a little cotton, and a little angelina:



Did I mention I had a coupon? :)

So for the collection on the whole?



Okay, I'm staying away from fiber shopping for a while to come at this rate... With the dyeing I want to do I have plenty to keep me occupied! :)

I also had a good time at the Spin-In at the Dining hall that night... I met Andrea Price (she's just written a book called Knitspeak that translates knitting terminology to plain English, otherwise known as "the pink book"), and there were several people (including BitsyKnits, who was going to go get one the next morning if there were any left) who really loved the new El Cid spindle! By the way, BitsyKnits and WildHare (Bitsy's from Jersey and WildHare's from MD) both sell the Spin-o-loution wheels... I got to try Bitsy's Mach 1 wheel and saw the Bee wheel, and they're just so wonderfully fluid! One of these years, I will sell the Louet S10 I have at home (that the husband keeps putting away because it's too big to have out, so it rarely gets used) and get one of those Bees... It's portable (fits in a carry-on suitcase) and it's all sealed bearings so it never needs oiling! It's just such a perfect little wheel, since it can be put away in such a tiny compact space and yet still gets good ratios because it's effectively built like a large charkha, with multiple gearings! Wonder if I can have enough people drop a hint at the husband that if I got the Bee it would take up less room and would be more portable so I could take it out more often yet keep it out of his way... Perhaps as a birthday present? I know I'd have to sell the Louet, but if I got the Spin-o-loution Bee, I'd be perfectly happy to sell the Louet. :)

Oh my yes, I had a good time this weekend... :)

Funny thing was? I didn't even get to HALF of the festival! I swear, I need a whole weekend for this... And I wanted to take classes and enter competitions and... Oh sheesh. I'm doomed. :)