I first attended the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival in 2009 and I’ve been there most years since.  This year the weather wasn’t the greatest on Saturday so I went on Sunday for the first time.  The weather still wasn’t great although the crowds were smaller and I could roam around a little easier.  As always, I started at the main building and worked my way back to the parking lot.

I learned to weave in March so I stopped at the Yarn Barn of Kansas.  They had all types of looms and accessories.  I had a lovely conversation with Susan who was kind enough to explain how to use all the different types of accessories.  As a beginner, I have what I need so I took their catalog and my new knowledge and moved on to the many yarn booths.

Spirit Trail Fiberworks is a favorite stop.  I used their yarn to knit these gloves.  I was looking for yarn to knit a scarf so I wanted a heavier weight and found this Zalti with a gauge of 14-18 stitches over 4 inches on sizes 6-9.  I’m working on a new design using this stitch pattern swatch from my Stitch Pattern Saturday swatch.

When I stopped for lunch, I met Kate the owner of Dragonfly Fibers.  A trip to her booth led me to wonderful yarn in beautiful colors.  The richness of these browns plus a displayed shawl titled Fire Island Sunset made me quickly decide to buy this Traveller Yarn.

From there a stop to buy my festival gear.  A new tank top for me!

And of course, a stop to thank the sheep for providing such an abundance of fiber for knitters everywhere.

From there, I went to the Skein and Garment Competition and discovered this wonderful doll dress.  Such beautiful workmanship!

Finally, as I got closer to the end and the parking lot.  I wandered through the tents and found Neighborhood Fiber Co., a Baltimore studio with outstanding yarns.  I left with this 400 yard skein of Superwash Merino with the color named Charles Village.  This will become a scarf, cowl, or shawl for me.

And then it was time for me to head home.  Another wonderful festival full of inspiration for my knitting projects.

Now at home, my newest publication is at the printer and ready for pre-orders.  I’ll be sending out the pre-orders the week of June 19, 2017.

 

So here is A Hug from Henry.

 A children’s picture book that includes the knitting pattern for Henry the 5 inch bear.

The book is available alone or as part of a kit that includes 100 yards of yarn especially dyed for Henry by Hearthside Fibers.

To order your book or kit, simply FILL OUT  THIS FORM and I’ll send you an invoice through Paypal when I’m ready to ship your items.