Upcoming events and they are coming at me fast. This Sunday is my Family's Gathering. I am excited as I have not seen my Grand Children for a month. We will be making plans for the older two to come spend some time with me, I am thinking over a long weekend. I want to take them exploring and I hope the weather is dry the days they are here. I want to show them the Riverfront Park in Independence and the wildlife refuge just up the road from my house. Later in the summer I want to take them to the marine park in Salem and see if there are tadpoles, like I found with my kids a few years ago. We can raise them here and then I can share posts with the kids and they will see how much they have changed when they come back to see me.
The next weekend after the family gathering is Black Sheep Gathering in Eugene, OR. I love this wool festival. It is the first one I ever attended and it is big and awesome. There is wool and fiber from everything and everywhere. I won't have much to spend so I will look for something very special to buy. I love to spin and am always on the look out for very soft roving. I like to try new and unusual fibers as well. Last year I got a blend of silk and angora that I have not spun yet. I also got yak and silk to spin and ply with it. I don't know what I want to make from it so am not sure how to spin it. It is not enough to make a shawl, but I could make a scarf or fingerless mitts or wrist warmers. It is pastel colors and white; colors will be one strand and white will be the other strand and I will ply them so it will have a barber pole effect making the pastels softer and the knitted beauty will have a heathered look. If I make wrist warmers or fingerless mitts I will see them while I wear them, if it is around my neck I won't see most of it. Hmmm. Will be fun to see what I find this year.
In other news, three fates yarns, my local independent dyer is having a giveaway to celebrate 1000 people liking her Facebook page. By tweeting and blogging about it you get an entry for each in the drawing. So here is my entry, she is giving away yarn. Stephania has wonderful yarn and she gives them really great colors. I am currently knitting a mystery shawl (pattern from Wendy Johnson) with three fates yarns BFL Platinum yarn. The colorway is Aqua Vite and I love how the semi solid is working with the lace in this shawl. There is something about BFL that makes me happy as it slides through my hands whether I am knitting it or spinning it. BFL is Blue Faced Leister, a sheep breed with nice long wool that is very soft.
Since I have started spinning I have been learning a lot about sheep and other fiber bearing animals. I had no idea there were so many breeds of sheep and the wool from each is not necessarily good for spinning. Some wools are better suited for wall hangings or rugs, some for outerwear and soft ones are for against the skin items.
I will keep you updated on other festivals that are coming up this summer as well as the family outings.
Till next time.
LaVelle
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