Fleece Fair

I just attended my first-ever Fleece Fair, the newly-renamed Fiber Event in Greencastle, Indiana. I don't ever want to wake up at 6:30 am again, but I may decide the fleece fair was worth it.

I rarely take craft classes. It's just as easy to learn from a book, and it's cheaper and easier to schedule. But there's that get-off-your-butt-and-try-this benefit that a class offers, so I took a class in dyeing sock yarn with Yvonne Clifford and Mary Ann Cripe.

This is the result. Two skeins of my very own hand-dyed sock yarn. Which will soon become two pair of my very own hand-dyed socks. Now I just need to start spinning yarn in useful quantites, and I can feel very hands-on.

It was really a pretty simple process. We soaked skeins of yarn, laid them out, applied dye with squirt bottles, wrapped everything in plastic wrap, and microwaved the yarn to set the dye. The big advantage to taking the class was that none of this was my equipment. The instructors brought the equipment, dyes, and even tablecloths with them, handed out the yarn, and then took it all away. They even did most of the cleaning up. So I don't have to have a dye powder collection, or a dedicated dyeing microwave. The only thing that's entering my home is the sock yarn.

The only thing from class, anyway. It's not a fiber event without shopping, and 2.5 hours of driving and a pre-dawn wakeup for two skeins of sock yarn would be terribly unprofitable, no matter how excited I am about the yarn. But I'd resolved to restrain myself, and I was almost successful.

I'd printed out the patterns for many of my wish-list projects, so I could shop with a purpose. As it was, I only got one thing from the list. This Briar Rose Fibers yarn (with the irresistible name "fourth of july) is destined to become a Clapotis scarf.

I've never heard of Briar Rose Fibers before, but everyone else seemed to be very excited about their presence, so I'm very optimistic about this yarn. If I can keep it away from the dogs.

Then my resolve broke down. Not only did I venture off the list, but I broke the "don't buy yarn unless it's for something" rule. I have no idea what I'm going to do with this. I have no idea what I can do with this - it's beyond fine at 530 yards to 50 grams. But isn't it beautiful?

It's Conjoined Creations Pastimes yarn, 100% soysilk, in the "Ed Sullivan" colorway. I've never seen anything like this before. It feels really good too. But is it good for anything?

In my defense, the vendor, Weaver's Loft, was the only one selling desperately-needed weaving tablets, but it seemed rude to make her run a credit card for $10. And I knew using the convenient on-site ATM would be a bad idea.

And here's what I came home to. Oscar, caught in the act trying to turn a glass candle holder into a chewy toy. I guess I squandered all the good-dog time that yesterday's camp visit bought me.