JessaLu Knits (and Spins!)

<p>Yesterday I decided to have a little self-control.  Yes, it hurt, but it was necessary…</p><p>You see, I bought all that lovely fiber on Saturday that I just can’t wait to start spinning (and I have started with the cashmere/silk and YES I can spin it.  Too difficult - bah.)…but I already have a pile of fiber in the corner of my living room that is just as beautiful.  SO I decided to grab some of that and spin it BEFORE I start the BFL from Foxfire.  </p><p>This is roving I bought on Ebay from I-can’t-remember-where in the colorway ‘Roses’ (okay I made that up, I can’t remember what colorway they named it but it had something to do with roses…):</p><p><a href="http://jessaluknits.yarncourtesans.com/uploads/Photos/10-24-06003.jpg"><img width="175" height="131" src="http://jessaluknits.yarncourtesans.com/uploads/Photos/10-24-06003.serendipityThumb.jpg" style="border: 0px none ; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;" alt="" /></a></p><p>…and when I wasn’t spinning, I was knitting.  I started a pair of socks from my handspun last week so I’d have something nice and vanilla to knit while at Rhinebeck (they never saw the light of day but hey, I was prepared for any eventuality):</p><p><a href="http://jessaluknits.yarncourtesans.com/uploads/Photos/10-24-06008.jpg"><img width="175" height="131" src="http://jessaluknits.yarncourtesans.com/uploads/Photos/10-24-06008.serendipityThumb.jpg" style="border: 0px none ; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;" alt="" /></a></p><p>This is the Spunky Eclectic that I got in my <a href="http://jessaluknits.yarncourtesans.com/exit.php?url=aHR0cDovL2plc3NhbHVrbml0cy55YXJuY291cnRlc2Fucy5jb20vaW5kZXgucGhwPy9hcmNoaXZlcy8yNjQtT2YtTWljZS1hbmQtTWVuLi4uLmh0bWw=&amp;entry_id=333" title="http://jessaluknits.yarncourtesans.com/index.php?/archives/264-Of-Mice-and-Men….html" onmouseover="window.status=’http://jessaluknits.yarncourtesans.com/index.php?/archives/264-Of-Mice-and-Men….html’;return true;" onmouseout="window.status=”;return true;" target="_blank">Yarn Aboard package</a> - it’s knitting up nicely and I’m very happy with the color changes ;o)  (happier than with the first hank-o-handspun which I still think <a href="http://jessaluknits.yarncourtesans.com/exit.php?url=aHR0cDovL2plc3NhbHVrbml0cy55YXJuY291cnRlc2Fucy5jb20vaW5kZXgucGhwPy9hcmNoaXZlcy8yMzEtVHdvLXRoaW5ncy4uLi5odG1s&amp;entry_id=333" title="http://jessaluknits.yarncourtesans.com/index.php?/archives/231-Two-things….html" onmouseover="window.status=’http://jessaluknits.yarncourtesans.com/index.php?/archives/231-Two-things….html’;return true;" onmouseout="window.status=”;return true;" target="_blank">looks like ass</a> - even more so when knit up)</p><p>I’ve been slowly working on the Bayerische socks, but they’re not exactly car knitting so they’re moving along veeeerrrryyyy sllllloooowwwlllyyy and I doubt they’ll be done by the end of Socktoberfest.  In my defense, I took 11 days to knit a sweater to wear to Rhinebeck…that kind of cut into my sock knitting time ;o)  Oh and the Grey’s Anatomy knitting?  I decided that I don’t like <a href="http://jessaluknits.yarncourtesans.com/exit.php?url=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5rbml0dHkuY29tL0lTU1VFZmFsbDA1L1BBVFRmYWxsaW5nbGVhdmVzLmh0bWw=&amp;entry_id=333" title="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEfall05/PATTfallingleaves.html" onmouseover="window.status=’http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEfall05/PATTfallingleaves.html’;return true;" onmouseout="window.status=”;return true;" target="_blank">Falling Leaves</a> so much and have switched to <a href="http://jessaluknits.yarncourtesans.com/exit.php?url=aHR0cDovL2F1dG9zY29waWEuY29tL2FtZWxpYS9hcmNoaXZlcy8yMDA1LzA4L2JlY2F1c2VfeW91YXJlXzEuaHRtbA==&amp;entry_id=333" title="http://autoscopia.com/amelia/archives/2005/08/because_youare_1.html" onmouseover="window.status=’http://autoscopia.com/amelia/archives/2005/08/because_youare_1.html’;return true;" onmouseout="window.status=”;return true;" target="_blank">Elfine</a> - which is also a leaf pattern.  At least, I <i>will</i> switch as soon as I take the time to rip out the 2&quot; of Falling Leaves I already did…*sigh*</p>

…I heard a rumor that there was this thing going on in upstate NY…you could do some serious stash enhancement and there might be a blogger or two wandering about… ;o)

I set out Saturday morning - okay, late morning since I had a few errands to run before I could head out. I arrived around lunchtime to find a line that rivaled all the lines I faced while at Disney World - it took me 15 minutes just to get to the ticket booth (my fault for getting there late…). I headed for the nearest building and ran into Cyn and her friend - who kept me company for a while (for which I am very grateful).

My first hit was Foxfire Fiber. You see, back in May at the Mass S&W when I first learned to spin I really wanted to buy some of their cashmere/silk blend and they wouldn’t let me - because I was a new spinner. (For those of you who know me, this was definitely a challenge. I don’t take getting told, “no, you can’t” very well ;o) ) So, I went to this festival armed with my spindle loaded with silk so I could show them that I can handle the cashmere (oh yes, I did). The girls at the booth got quite a kick out of my story - and my proof ;o) I scored two bags of the blend and two of the BFL - I have plans, oh yes, I have plans…

Once I was done there it was time for the blogger meetup. There were bloggers as far as the eye could see! I saw old blogging friends here, there and everywhere (and over there too! Hi (blogless) Sharon!) - oh, and made some new ones as well :o) (as I told everyone, my memory? Not so good - so please, shout out in the comments…thanks!) I was there for the meetup last year and let me just say, this one was WAY bigger. Way. (There were also a few bloggers that couldn’t make it and were missed…very much missed. There were also bloggers that I knew where going and I didn’t see - too many to list and I’m sorry I missed you :o( )

Hi Deb!

After the meetup, a few of us wandered over to the other barns - where I scored a purpleheart Bosworth (from the Bosworths, of course) and

oh you blend…

8 oz of wool/mohair blend from a really nice lady in bldg 31 - and I was so spaced that I totally forgot to find out who I was buying from!

At that point, we were all pretty tired - however, Carole managed to whip up enough energy to make a break for the fleece sale ;o)

I did another quick walk-through of Building A to check with Dave as to whether he had my wheel ready (he didn’t *sniffle*) and I grabbed another spindle from the Grafton Fibers booth (and said hi to Linda - who was exhausted and practically batt-less by that time).

After that, I went to try to find my car (can I just say - thank God the starter RR put in it has a 1/2 mile range and the horn is nice and loud…) and then find the hotel where Carole and Laurie were hosting Winebeck. Holy traffic, Batman - it took forever to get outta dodge. Good thing I had a book to listen to and a sock to knit on while I sat in traffic ;o)

I finally regretfully tore myself away from the wonderful conversation at Carole’s around 9ish and made my way home (next year you guys are going to be stuck with me). Once I got there I was asleep within 15 minutes - the day had completely wiped me out. I woke up this morning and felt like I had been trampled - take note…a month of bronchitis on the couch does not prepare you well for the rigors of Rhinebeck ;o)

Want some more pictures? Suuuure you do ;o)

On the Left is the cashmere/tussah, on the Right is the BFL from Foxfire. It was worth the wait ;o)

Grafton spindle and cashmere/silk on the Left, Bosworth and BFL on the Right		The remains of the fleece sale…

All in all it was a great day with great company - and I got everything I wanted! Yay!

For those of you who will be playing Rhinebeck Bingo and will be in search of me this Saturday, know this (shamelessly copied from here):

• I have curly blond-ish chin-length hair - and a tendency to forget things…proving my blond-ness
• I am 5′ 7″ which can be considered medium height - or tall-ish, I’ll let you decide
• I will be wearing a purple sweater. Unless it gets warm, then I won’t be ;o)
• I will also be wearing hand-knit sockage.
• I can get kinda freaked out in crowds, so please don’t corner me in a booth. I might cry, or I might make a break for it. Either way, it’ll probably scare the hell out of both of us so please…give me some elbow room…k? Thanks :o)
• Odds are good that I’ll have headphones on (see above about crowds - I listen to my mp3 player to distract myself that I am surrounded by thousands of strangers). It’s okay to tap me on the shoulder to say ‘Hi’ - I don’t bite ;o) At least…not at first…

That’s all I can think of - I’m looking forward to seeing old friends and making new ones!

Want another sweater photo? I wasn’t happy with most of the ones RR took so I messed with the best one a little bit in Photoshop: