remaking a gift

amythefibergoddess gifted me with this awesome knitted gift. it meets two of my favorite things... knitting and wine! she found it in a local gift shop, and surprisingly is was actually hand knit. of course immediately i decided i needed to make one. we scoured ravelry to find a pattern and i ordered it. after i started knitting, i realized that it was so not going to work.

what to be done but cast on and try to replicate the pattern. i'm using size 10.5 dbp and nashua chunky yarn in a vine-y color. it is going great! i can't believe that i actually had the sense to bag the first one and apply myself to making a really nice one. hmmmmm, knitters maturity perhaps? so i put the entire project into my new knitting bowl, a gift to me and my bd this year.

rhinebeck

i'm still reliving the glorious adventure that is my annual rhinebeck trip. i look forward to this, well from the time that i depart it. you can never count on the weather in october, rain, snow, sun, we've done it all. you can count on a fairgrounds full of vendors and fiber folk, with lots of fun to be had.
this year, sandy joined us in our travels. we leave friday morning for my sister's home in westchester county arriving late afternoon. we were greeted with hugs and dog snuffles (the best), and i got to finally meet her newest doggie, g-lee (such a sweet girl). we were treated like queens with drinks and snacks, then my bro-in-law arrived with bags of chinese food. wine was flowing, conversations going and knitting commenced. we chatted away the evening in fine comfort. we bid them farewell the next morning, and after a starbucks hit, were on the road by 7:45. we made great travel time and i've got the directions down to perfection. we parked near the gate and onto the grounds at 9:10.

sandy had some pottery to pick up, so after quickly completing that task, she went off to help cc with her wheel purchase. here she is with her new ashford joy.

joan and i shopped and fiber fondled until we met up with amythefibergoddess. she was quited delayed on the bus, so didn't get a full day in!

we still managed to pack a car with stuff. the weather was nice enough to let me wear my rhinebeck sweater through the day. i was petted and complimented by a few enthusiasts which is always a hoot.

this is our one brush with woolly greatness..... i kineared stephanie pearl-mcphee. amy, cc and i were sniffing soap in one of our favorite booths, when who should be soap sniffing as well but the yarn harlot ... in the flesh. i quickly snapped a shot of amy with the harlot just behind her!
exhausted, we were in the car at 5:00 and home by 11:00. it would seem that i won the most fiber purchased.... (thanks amy for adding that up ;) but cc spent the most money.

now for a winter full of spinning pleasures!!!

countdown to rhinebeck

i'm a week away from traveling to new york sheep and wool festival. i just love this event. love it.
started scouring ravelry and their website to get my 'must see' list up to date. it dawned on me that i had purchased fibers at maryland this year and purposely set it aside to spin so i could get more if i needed it in october. strange, but it is october and the wool has yet to find it's way onto my wheel. moving that up on my to do list. so i need to get this....

 plied so that i can ply this....

must get spinning!