In the Fibre Rodeo

Well sort of. Five bucks an entry for possible bragging rights at Stampede is a pretty good investment. Finally got up the gumption to throw my hat in the ring, and enter my quota of two items in the Calgary Stampede Western Showcase.

Tough call, though, to decide what to show. There are so many talented knitters out there, I'm really looking forward to see what everyone puts in! I probably should've entered some spinning but didn't manage to get up my nerve.

And for my two items: I elected to put in my first-ever finished lace project - I knit an Arrowhead lace shoulder shawl start-to-finish (in sport weight hand-painted Mountain Colours Swizzle in blue/purple jewel tones) for my mother in honour of her 60th birthday (pics to come) and my Entrelac Cap, seeing loads of people loved it. I've spent a lot of time on Entrelac this year - and I fear a few of my students will put my simple squares to shame - but it's all about the journey for me. This year, I conquered that fear of lace, and learned entrelac well enough to teach it.

The best news of all: I get to BE at Stampede, spinning my heart out, with the Rare Breeds sheep, in the Barns (the Ag building) for two evenings (July 7 & 8) AND with the Sheep Creek Weavers on July 11 in the Round-up Centre. I shall have photos...and (greedily rubbing hands together)...some Rare Breeds fleece!!

This week: Up to Olds Fibreweek on Sunday to learn Natural Dyeing with Jen Black - good fun!

A taste of fibre

One might argue I do have enough fibre in my diet, but I don't think so.

Especially when I've been tempted with a gorgeous Fibre Tasting hosted by Bess at Make 1 Yarn Studio, with fibre courtesy of another fabulous fibre friend (can you say that 5 times fast?), Erynn Carney, of Twist of Fate, now in Kamloops, BC.

It's just one of the fun events Bess has going on at the shop. (Let's not forget about World Wide Knit In Public Day - this Saturday, June 13, in Calgary - a co-host with The Knitting Room. We're meeting at Make 1, leaving from Bridgeland LRT station at 11:30, and ending up at Riley Park. Bring a lunch and hat and other necessities for the jaunt.)

This Yumminess Orgy happened at Tuesday knit night yesterday - oooh....too much to ponder. Yes, I certainly petted the 'Tosh.

But there was a gorgeous fishbowl full of some fibre yumminess. With samples of things that had fabulous names: sock yarn in Walk The Line (left) (80% Merino, 10% Cashmere, 10% Nylon = YUMMY) and Mermaid's Tale (right) (70% Superwash Merino and 30% Seacell - gorgeously soft).
And in fibre clockwise here: Blue-Faced Leicester in Rumble (gorgeous blues, greens & burgundy), 100% alpaca in Vision (blues), oh-so-soft superfine superwash merino in Cherry Bomb (our dear AnneKatrin, lover of all things red & black made off with this after we had a go), Organic Wool in Ooh, My, and hand-dyed Tussah Silk. What you don't see (or maybe peeking through on the spindle is some lovely pink-black Superwash Merino & Bamboo called "Panda Likes It".

And my new little medieval (reproduction from a true relic) pewter-cast dropspindle (quite a tiny but mighty wee tool) had a fabulous time learning how to spin with me, being wooed by the luxury fibres: superfine merino, seacell, silk, a touch of cashmere, organic wool...we became better friends. (We'd been having a difference of opinion since I brought him home; he was behaving all belligerent and wobbly but turns out he just needed a little fibre in his belly to settle him out.)

All to show a little fine food will take a friendship a long way.

And for me, although it was little tastes of everything all night (well sometimes a plateful), thanks to Bess' generosity, I (and my spinning bag) certainly went home full.