Never permit a dichotomy to rule your life, a dichotomy in which you hate what you do so you can have pleasure in your spare time. Look for a situation in which your work will give you as much happiness as your spare time.

-- Edward L. Bernays

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I would like to say thank you to everyone who visited my booth at Maryland, and everyone who likes my yarns and fibers. I do so love to see everyone in person at shows, and am always so happy whenever people get excited about what I have made. It is your support that allows me to continue my fiber arts pursuits, something that I love and something that rarely feels like work. So, thank you, from the bottom of my heart. And happy knitting and spinning!

Maryland Sheep & Wool was wonderful this year. I always love this show ! I see so many people I know, and always meet new and wonderful people. I'm not going to even try to remember everyone, because I'm sure I'll leave someone out. But it was great to see all the regulars, and meet so many new fiberistas!!!

Maryland is always a fun show. There is such great energy, and such a hum of excitement about it, that happens every year. Even though there are lines to check out at vendor booths, lines to buy food, lines to go to the restroom ... everyone seems to stay very upbeat. I love this show.

This year there was a drawback, however. I know this is all over the blogosphere, but the thefts that occurred at MD this year were very disheartening. Yes, there weren't HUGE numbers of thefts, but there were more than in previous years. There were animals let out of pens in the middle of the night. Knitting samples were stolen from Brooks Farm and Carolina Homespun, and maybe others that I didn't hear about. A drum carder was stolen from another friend's booth ~ Barbara Gentry at Stony Mountain Fibers. About $400 in merchandise was stolen from the gentleman who sells the shearling slippers and hats. Cash registers were broken into overnight (luckily no one left cash in their booths, but most didn't leave the drawer open, which is obviously a good idea).

And just because there weren't that many thefts doesn't make it okay that there were thefts at all. I've seen some comments around the internet that seem to say because there were so few thefts based on a comparison of thefts to attendees, that it really isn't that big a deal. It is a big deal, both to the vendors who had items stolen and to the other vendors at the show who had to worry about merchandise disappearing. It should be a big deal to all of us who were there, that this kind of thing would happen at one of our best events of each year. That possibly there are individuals in our midst who would steal from us. That someone else could be so insensitive as to do this to another person ~ not a store, or a corporation, or a business, but to an individual person.

Were these thefts perpetrated by dishonest fiber people, or by other non-fiberistas staking out the festival? I don't know that we will ever know the answer to that. I know I personally hope that they weren't done by some of "us" ... though why anyone other than a knitter would steal a handknit shawl or hat, or a drumcarder, I don't know if I understand.

Was anything stolen from my booth? Nothing obvious. I won't know if any yarn was stolen until I have a chance to do my inventory. I hope not, but there's not much I can do about it if it did happen. There is always that chance, and I really like to believe all people are good and kind and honest and caring. Obviously, there are some out there who are not, as evidenced by the stealing at the festival.

I truly hope the karma they are creating comes back to bite them in the ass, in a big, big way. Either in this life, or the next.

Because stealing is wrong. Period. And I know that the thefts that were perpetrated were against individuals who work very hard to succeed at their small businesses. To me, this is different than shoplifting at Walmart or Target or some other "store." That is wrong, too, but to me this kind of thievery is more wrong. This is directly taking another individual person's livelihood and hard work. Directly reducing the money a vendor makes at a festival by stealing something that still needs to be paid for by that vendor. It makes me mad, and sad, and frustrated, and insulted all at the same time.

I know for myself personally, I have zip-tied my samples to my booth displays for years. In the past, this was more because I just didn't want to worry about them then from a "real" concern about them being stolen from right in front of me. And yet the thefts of the shawl and the hat were in the light of day, not overnight as some of the other thefts were. The vendors were in their booths, other customers and people were around. That's ballsy. And I hope the two people who stole these items suddenly find a conscience and are ashamed at what they did. Because it is SHAMEFUL.

So. On another, more fun note ... my Ten for Tuesday (ok, Wednesday):

Ten Places I'd Like to Visit that I haven't Been:

1. The islands off the coast of Scotland ~ Skye, Mann, Ronaldsey, the Shetlands, the Orkneys. I've been to mainland Scotland (and would love to go back) but not the islands. Yet.
2. British Columbia.
3. Tiera del Fuego and The South Pole. To see the penguins.
4. Machu Picchu.
5. The Great Wall of China.
6. Patagonia.
7. The southern coast of Turkey.
8. Greece.
9. Iceland.
10. The Black Forest of Germany.
11. Tibet.

This was an easy one to list ten for (okay, 11, but I couldn't decide which to cut). I could probably easily list 50. I love to travel, and hope to do alot more of it in the future. I had a great aunt who did the best thing ... she worked and lived in NYC, and would work until she had enough money to travel, and would then go and travel. She went all over the world (which I think is so cool, because she did this back when women didn't really travel much by themselves), and collected dolls from everywhere she went. I had her doll collection, but most of it was unfortunately ruined from the heat in my attic growing up, where it was stored.

Now off to get ready to leave for NH. Later!

First comes thought; then organization of that thought, into ideas and plans; then transformation of those plans into reality. The beginning, as you will observe, is in your imagination.

-- Napoleon Hill

******

Life continues here in a frenzy of activity. Last minute dyeing, lots of skeining and pricing, not to mention kid activities and all the stuff of daily life.

I really and truly think I have more yarns and fibers for this show than any show in the past, which is very cool.

Here's a little eye candy ~ a pile of braided, handpainted combed top in lots of different blends (I definitely have more combed top braids than I've ever had before):

The farmer I bought the manx loaghtan from sent me some photos of her recent babies, and gave me permission to share them here:




They're amazing sheep. Check out momma's horns ~ I think they are so wild! If you want to read more about the manx loaghtan, check out the association website ~ Manx Loaghtan Breeders Group ... the "origins" page has a short history; it's interesting (and there are some great photos of manx loaghtan with even bigger horns).

Well, this may be my last post before MDS&W. I'll see how I do in the following days with getting ready and final organizing, but I hope to see some of you at the show!

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and I, I took the one less travelled by. And that has made all the difference.

-- Robert Frost

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I received a HUMONGOUS box yesterday from one of the mills I use to process fibers. Very exciting ~ it's all the fibers I was hoping to have ready for Maryland Sheep and Wool. Here's a preview:

Tunis dyed dark blue and sky blue,

blended with some white Huacaya Alpaca

Pear and celery colored CVM (California Variegated Mutant)

blended with white Huacaya Alpaca

Natural CVM in dark brown, grey and cream


CVM in greens

CVM in natural brown

I also picked up a package yesterday afternoon at the post office: the Manx Loaghtan I ordered from a farmer in Great Britain arrived! I called the mill to see if there was any chance they could have it ready for Maryland, and it looks possible. So, back in the mail it goes today, with fingers crossed. I haven't had any manx loaghtan for several years, because the former farmer I purchased it from stopped selling it. Happily I found another source, and hopefully this one will continue in the future. Anyway, it's a brown color a bit lighter and golder than the CVM above, with cream-colored tips.

CVM is really soft fiber, and the celery/pear color blended with alpaca is really, really nice. I am going to have to get my act together and spin up a bit of all of these, just to see what they're like (and to torment myself, since I try to be disciplined and not use any of the fibers I get to sell for my own personal use) (no fun, that) (but seriously, I'm not even spinning the stuff I have in my own stash, so why add more?)

Still, as always, on the search for new fibers ...

Okay, Ten for Tuesday is Ten for Friday this week ...

My Ten Favorite Actors

1. Judi Dench (amazing, amazing) (I loved her in Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Henderson Presents especially)

2. Colin Firth (love him in so many movies, not least of which is Pride and Prejudice, Girl with the Pearl Earring, The Advocate)

3. Clive Owen (love him in Elizabeth: The Golden Age ... he's probably on the list because I just watched this movie)

4. Johnathyn Rhys Myers (he's so good as Henry VIII in The Tudors, and fabulous in the diversity of roles he can convincingly portray)

5. Johnny Depp (he can just do any role ~ from Edward Scissorhands and Chocolat, to The Libertine and Captain Jack Sparrow ... he's a truly amazing actor)

6. Cate Blanchett (love her in the Elizabeth movies, what a fabulous actress)

7. Robert Redford (love him in SO many movies ... not least of which are Out of Africa (love this movie), The Horse Whisperer and A River Runs Through It)
8. Tom Hanks (amazing in The Green Mile, The DaVinci Code (I liked it, though yes, the book was better), he was so funny in The Ladykillers, Castaway ... then there's Forrest Gump, which I love, too)

9. Scarlett Johansson (Girl with a Pearl Earring, The Horse Whisperer ... looking forward to seeing her in The Other Boleyn Girl)

10. Meryl Streep (in a league of her own. The Devil Wears Prada, Dancing at Lughnasa, Death Becomes Her, Out of Africa, The French Lieutenant's Woman)

And last, for your amusement, a photo of my "puppy" Phoenix (now a little over 10 months old) and my friend's puppy, Chelsea (and 8 week old Airedale who just arrived to their home last night). Chelsea was not impressed by Phoenix's size in the least. He didn't know quite what to make of her (was she a play toy, or a snack?):

Too cute.

Off to work now on a washer full of different combed top blends. And merino lace.

Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers.

-- Voltaire, French Philosopher and Writer

******

Lots of dyeing and knitting going on around here these days.

Getting ready for MDS&W, and working on having lots and lots of yarn so I can restock continually throughout the weekend. I'm also dyeing up alot of new combed top as well, so will have lots of braids in lots of colors. And working on the current yarn and fiber club shipments ~ the yarn club yarn is dyed and dry, and just needs to be labelled ~ should go out by this Friday. The next fiber club shipment is soaking now for dyeing this afternoon or tomorrow.

Knitting ... I finished the Forest Canopy Shawl, which is now blocked as well.


This shawl is more of a bright spring green than this photo.


The pale areas are more green-yellow, and overall the shawl is a brighter green. Photographer I Am Not.

Yarn Used: Spirit Trail Fiberworks "Penelope" (50% bombyx silk / 50% merino two ply) ~
Yards: one 400-yard skein
Needles: Addi Turbo circular, US 7
Changes: added three more pattern repeats to the body of the shawl, and three more edging repeats.

I started the Icarus Shawl over the weekend. For this shawl, I'm using STF "Lachesis" ~ 100% alpaca laceweight. I'm knitting it with two strands, since this pattern calls for a "fingering" lace, and Lachesis is definitely a LACE laceweight, not fingering. It's moving along nicely, and I'm really enjoying knitting with this yarn.



Again, not a great photo ~ this yarn is mostly soft hues of reds/golds/greens, with some bright red here and there. It's very soft and nice to work with, though looking rather wonky prior to being blocked. It'll block fine; I just didn't feel like pinning it down for a quick photo.

I am really liking this pattern as well, which is pretty mindless (perfect for me to be knitting in the evening ... knock on wood I haven't had to unknit much ... except for the eight rows last night because four stitches popped off the needle and unraveled in front of my eyes. ugh). At this rate, I might just have this one finished to show off at MDS&W as well.

Yarn: Spirit Trail Fiberworks "Lachesis" 100% Alpaca Laceweight
Yards: I have a little over 2,000, since I'm knitting it holding two strands together
Needles: Addi Turbo Lace, US 3 (God, do I love the AT lace needles! I want them all)
Changes: None so far, though I might continue with the body patterning for an extra bit, depending on how big the shawl is when I finish the number of repeats called for (since I'm using a different yarn).

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

******

Ten for Tuesday (yeah, it's Wednesday, so sue me).

Well. Since our house isn't FINISHED yet, my Ten things I'd like to accomplish, given mostly the time to do it, are:

1. Design and install mosaic walls in masterbath shower (my job, and needs to be done sooner than later).
2. Install kitchen backsplash tiles (my job).
3. Finish installing exterior siding battens on the side of the house that wasn't finished (Brett's job).
4. Install screen around screened porch (so it will actually BE a screened porch) (Brett's job. maybe my job, too. unfortunately).
5. Paint (the entire interior of the house, but for the kids' rooms, is still just primed) (my job. ish).
6. Make stained glass windows for meditation room window and half-circle window over front door (my job).
7. Landscape front of house (Brett's job. sort of).
8. Install screens in sliding doors in basement (Brett's job).
9. Install solar hot water system for basement floor and house water system (definitely someone else's job).
10. Buy furniture for the screened porch (my job).

There's more. But I think these are the most important (but then again, maybe I'm blocking some out subconsciously).

The Forest Canopy Shawl is nearing completion. I've just finished three extra repeats of the body pattern ... considering a fourth, but will probably move on to the edging because I definitely don't want to run out of yarn. So, there should be a photo of this completed in the near future, hopefully.

For your viewing enjoyment ... a few new yarns recently from the dyepot:

Well, there's quite a bit more yarn, but I haven't made the photos all pretty like this. So, for now, this is all I have to show. More later.

This just in: from the Feb/Mar 2008 issue of Mother Earth News ~ What You Need to Know About the Beef You Eat. Warning. This article appalled me, and made me very glad, on multiple levels, for the beef I am able to obtain from local farmers.

On that note, off to work now.