Massachusetts Sheep and Wool Craft Fair

Saturday I drove east to attend the Massachusetts Sheep and Wool Craft Fair in Cummington, Mass.  I like going there. The drive through Berkshire County, past the grand houses in Dalton and onto country roads is very pleasant and a good spring tonic.  So far the fair isn't crowded so I can see things and the vendors have a moment to talk to me instead of just talking my money.  

I had no grand project in mind, but last weekend took care of that anyway.  I went to the Periwinkle Sheep's Open House on Saturday.  In a box of discounted yarn I saw a beautiful turquoise fingering yarn in alpaca and merino, and another and another until I had scooped up five, enough to knit almost any large project I wanted to. The price was discounted from $24 to $10!  How often does that happen? 

Since I am on a very tight budget, I set them with my things to contemplate.  In this era of $5 polar fleece throws, I wondered if I should really purchase them.  I don't really like synthetic polar fleece and it's yet another product of nonrenewable crude oil that corporations now want to tear up and poison our earth for.   Polar fleece blankets might be acceptable for my current job.  However, they may not be in another and I don't see anyone wearing them when they go out.  I am also a shawl or cardigan person, not a blanket wearer.  I also realized that I had been sitting at work wishing I had a larger piece of knitting I could wear instead of the small shawl I had.  I think I have now further justified my purchase :)

One of my reasons to go to the fair was to see my friend Laurie Perrin of Sliver Moon.  I received a big hug from her.  It seemed so odd not to see her former partner Kay ten Kraft there, whom we lost last year.  It still hasn't changed our love of yarn, though.  I did my first serious browsing in her stall then ventured out to other ones.

I didn't want to spend much money on the fair, but I ended up doing so.  However, I felt good about it.  I took two skeins of yarn with me.  One was a present of turquoise fingering yarn from the Periwinkle Sheep and the other was a hand-painted yarn from the Fuzzy Bunny.  I had always thought I wanted a larger shawl than many patterns and I know that now.  I was very surprised to find a very good match for the Fuzzy Bunny yarn.  It will help the bright colors stand out.  I also found the right color purple to go with the turquoise yarn, and it even seemed to be the same brand yarn.  

This photo was taken before my cameras died.  Part of me is now sighing that I used money that could have gone toward a new camera instead.  At least I don't think I'll be tempted by yarn for a while now.  I think I have enough to knit for a while, and I've barely knitted since I started my new job.