Briefly Checking In....

This is going to be brief and photo-free, because I despise this dinky laptop keyboard, and because I forgot the power cord for my camera dock. MDS&W is definitely worth experiencing, even if you have to travel significant distances for it. It's huge. It's overwhelming. It's everything everyone says it is.

Jen of Spirit Trail Fiberworks was a last minute entry (YAY!) and I "lost" my walking-around buddies to booth babe duty for much of the day, but all was good. Exploring alone was fun, and in the insane crush of humanity probably a lot easier than trying to browse with a companion. It was crowded. I mean, it was Disney World in July crowded - a sea of people, shoulder to shoulder at times. Amazing. Fortunately it was not Disney in July HOT - the weather could not have been nicer, which I'm sure contributed to the crowds. About 70 degrees, not a cloud in the sky. I am currently experiencing extreme homesickness for Maryland. Actually, homesickness started when I hit Northern Virginia and made the merge onto 495, but it intensified when I reached Frederick, where we are staying. I wish I could afford to move back here, but I'm trapped in the FL economy now. Sigh...but I digress....

Yarn. Everywhere. Fibers of all sorts. Tools to play with the fibers - wheels to the left, wheels to the right, and no, I'm still not going to spin. I did, however, upgrade my concept of a first loom purchase - instead of the inkle, which really doesn't create anything too functional, I'm going to go ahead and buy a small rigid heddle loom today.Kromski Harp Loom. Oddly, I didn't see a wooden swift that impressed me, so I feel no qualms about blowing more buckage on a more "real" loom as my learning loom. And look, it folds! See me rationalize? I've bought very little so far, just some goat's milk soap, the scent of which drew me immediately, and some lovely handpainted merino mohair blend from Firesong, which might become a Clapotis (it would be perfect for it and I am intrigued by the pattern) or might become something else. I'm also going to hit Morehouse Merino for a small lace scarf kit in poppin' tropical colors that I fell in love with as the vendors were closing for the evening. She had plenty, and I'll be there first thing this morning. Today will be the serious shopping day - the festival pros I'm traveling with assure me that today will not be the Woodstock-ish crush of humanity that was yesterday. So today it's loom, cheese, and a tiddly bit more yarn. And if the camera holds out, more pictures. I took quite a few yesterday - sheep, alpacas, sheep shearing, border collies at work - and today after my shopping mission is accomplished I plan to spend more time sitting on the grass watching the sheep shearer - on whom I think I've developed a bit of a crush, I have a thing for men who do challenging jobs with that air of nonchalant authority - do his thing. He was just fascinating, he understands those animals and can explain not just his shearing but the qualities of yarn, the uses of the different kinds of wool, the personality quirks of sheep - all delivered via a Britny Spears type headset microphone while he wrestles a large and usually none to happy sheep and wields very heavy power clippers. I walked in midway through the demo and was enthralled. Today I will watch for the sheep shearing time and grab a snack and pull up a chunk of lawn to see it from the beginning.

We stayed so late and the restaurants were so crowded, going out to dinner turned into pizza and beer and hilarious conversation in Bess and Clara's room. I checked in with Girlchild, who is losing her mind running doggie day care and can't wait for my return, and collapsed into bed a bit before 11. All the fresh air and walking and sunshine - so not like my cubicle hell life - made me sleep so wonderfully and not think of work at all. This trip was a GOOD thing.