OFFF 2017

Fiber festivals I really love them. I usually text Hubby when I arrive and say something like "I'm with my Peeps!" This year I may have even said "My Sheeps!" There is nothing like walking fairgrounds and seeing yarn and knitwear every where. Nothing like it. Ok fine I will admit to missing the gear up to Rhinebeck. All the excitement and chatter. Attending a knitter's mecca. It was fun while it lasted. 

I missed Black Sheep Gathering this year due to 100+ degree weather giving me the urge to strip off every piece of clothing not the urge to wrap up in woolie goodness.

But September in Oregon I got a taste of the fun again. Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival is held in Canby OR, close enough and cool enough for me to take myself off to join my peeps. After a lovely leisurely breakfast of scones and tea with my adorable family, I set off. No early morning wake up for this festival. It is not cut throat like Rhinebeck, something that I can like quite a bit.

I tend to do a walk through making note of who I'd like to come back and buy from at less hectic festivals like these. This time I walked up to a booth selling counting bracelets and decided I had found something I'd been looking for a while. It works like an abacus, two rows of beads. Nine beads on one and ten on the other. To mark where you are in a pattern you move one of the nine to the side with the sheep charm, on the tenth row you move one of the ten towards the sheep, and move the nine back to restart. So that little bracelet keeps track of up to 100 rows. Nifty huh?

I rarely wear jewelry so I felt elegant as all sheep with my shiny blue beads and sheep charm dangling. I really should pull out some of my favorite pieces. Now that I don't have to answer a phone at work I could get back in the habit.

I wandered out to the sheep and llama barns. I texted D saying I could bring home a couple of alpacas for only $1000, I'm sure Burt would like some sisters. Cat bed? Shmat bed I'll just go curl up with (on) my sisters.

In the llama barn I'm sure I was cursed. I foiled a llama escape plan. The lady went in to clean the stall and the gate popped back open while her back was turned both made a quick exit. I swear one of them had a little cartoon balloon above its head saying Ffrreeeeddoomm!!!

You know me I'm a farm girl at heart, I threw up my arms and said Whoa repeatedly. What? Whoa works on horses why not llamas? I did not want to grab for the halter, I don't like stranger's hands near my face why would a llama, so got to touch llama neck hair. Ever so soft! Honey if I'm a great wife, maybe next year I can pop the trunk and bring back some wool on the hoof???

I meet up with a fellow Raveler and had a lovely chat about our felines. We wandered into the stalls where I enabled/encouraged her to buy more fiber because a sweater is better than a vest. Oh don't act like it is not true, sweaters are awesome. Vests are of course awesome...without sleeves, which makes them less awesome. (Yeah, that one got away from me a bit.)

As I was petting and fondling all the lovely fiber, commenting oh this breed, oh that breed a plan formulated in her mind. She took me to another booth she's been to and showed me a 30 breed fiber sample pack. One ounce of 30 different breeds of sheep, all clearly labeled just ready for the sampling. What a nifty idea! But alas I am in my heart a product knitter, what would I do with 30 little skeins of yarn? I'm all for experimenting for experimenting's sake, but 30 little skeins of experiments without an end product to enjoy? That is just not me.

Then we walked around the corner and saw a garland of mini mittens and socks. Ding ding ding we have a winner!! A mini knit item garland for Christmas or anytime? Sign me up!!

I came home a happy little knitter. And promptly found my spindle full of wool from the last time I spun. So a sweater for Hubby, that I have still not pulled out of the bag for measuring, is not the only thing that has to get done around here before I can start some new fun. Don't worry, just like the sweater I am more than halfway there. Burt will attest to my spinning lately.

This post was written in October but I'm back dating it so I will be able to find it before I go back to OFFF next year. What things get busy but we can always write down the details and change the dates as needed.