MDSW 2011 Recap

Guess where Piper and I went today!



You don't care about the shy sheepies, do you? You just want to see the yarn! I actually didn't buy a whole lot today. I touched many skeins of soft yarn, but can't say there were many colourways that drew me in.

This was the first yarn I bought - and one of the reasons why is that Creatively Dyed Yarn had an outside stall, so I was able to get in there with the stroller and not have anyone give me dirty looks. I could have spent much more money here, but I wanted to spread my funds around.

This is their Voodoo yarn (100% superwash merino, 150g/350 yards) in 'Head.'



And a close up:



I picked this one because it was a very warm shade with lots of little bits of colour (purple, green, pink, etc.) thrown in.

My second purchase? The Flock Bransonas Hand-painted sock yarn (75% wool/25% nylon, 100g/460 yards)in 'Hallmark.'



And a close up:



I'm not sure if this comes across in the photo, but this yarn is dark green and apple green - with a thread of electric turquoise going through it - very striking.

My third purchase? A similar shade to my second purchase, but a very different feeling yarn: Three Irish Girls Glenhaven Cashmerino Fingering yarn (80% merino, 10% cashmere, 10% nylon, 3.5oz/370 yards) in 'Rain Rain Go Away!'



And a close up:



For all its blues and greens, this yarn screams feminine to me. I love Three Irish Girls' shades and I really agonized over which shade to pick.

And my fourth, and probably the favourite of the bunch, purchase - Sanguine Gryphon Bugga (70% superwash merino, 20% cashmere, 10% nylon, 4oz/412 yards) in 'The Grouchy Ladybug.'



And a close up:



Honestly, if I hadn't have been drawn to the colour in the first place, the name of the colourway would have done it for me. Have you ever read Eric Carle's book, The Grouchy Ladybug? I read it to Willow a few years ago and it was hilarious - about a ladybug who picks fights with everyone and learns a few lessons along the way.

And Piper? She was an angel. Here she is, trying to decide if she should become a redhead or not:



She slept the entire two-hour drive down to MDSW, and I had her in her stroller for the first hour and a half - until it got too crowded to manuever through the barns. After that, we went back to the car and switched to our Snugli in 'Green Roses' carrier and walked around for another hour and a half. It was much easier to get around with her in the carrier, and she didn't fuss one whit. Walking around with the stroller was challenging - people definitely get pissed at the people with strollers and pull-carts - but I have to say I was 'driving' very conscientiously - and to the lady who gave me the stink eye when she tripped over my stroller... if you hadn't decided to cross in front of me diagonally without looking, you wouldn't have tripped... because I was stationary at the time. Just sayin'.

A big, BIG thank you to my friend Kathy - more than once she stood with Piper in non-crowded areas so I could wade into the throngs and pay for my purchases. I couldn't have done any shopping without her. And thank you to Michelle, Patti, and Julie, who babysat Piper in the music tent so I could get some kettle corn! Yes, I will be paying for that one at Weight Watchers tomorrow, but I enjoyed every bite of it.