Delicious would be a word I’d use for some of the new and favorite yarns I brought home.  After all these years, I finally purchased a skein of Quiviut from Windy Valley Muskox. Along with the Smoke Rings cowl pattern, the grey/violet Quiviut made my day. Lisa Souza’s booth was a symphony of color and texture and wonderfulness. Her Poiple Baby Alpaca, with the most delightful bloom, was impossible to pass up. Over the years, I’ve purchased often from Lisa. She’s one of the most accomplished spinners and dyers out there. Her yarns always light my fire.

A new custom dyer and shop that sent me over the moon was StringTheory. I had to have two skeins of their Caper Sock, a mix of Cashmere, Superwash Merino and Nylon. The colors and blends shimmered and the quality of the yarn was exceptional. These gals know what they’re doing, and they do it well. Based in Blue Hill, Maine (a former stomping ground of mine), StringTheory happens to be Clara Parkes local yarn store. Lucky Clara.

Seriously, I felt as if I was on some Danish excursion as I drooled over the colors and quality of Isager yarns. In fact, I got an education in several other Danish designers and yarn companies. These included Vivian Hoxbro, imported by Harrisville Designs, and Kauni. Many of these yarns and designs were new to me, although they’re not new to the U.S.

For a $10 donation, I got a great knitting bag from Warm Up America. The organization really needs blankets. It’s such a worthy cause.

I love the Handknit Heroes (http://comicknits.com/) comic, which has marvelous knitting and crocheting superheroes. I also discovered The Knit Princess (http://www.knitprincess.com/)with her own comic.

A button from JustJul (the work is fantastic). Check out the store locator to find stores or online. I also got a set of square circulars from Stacy at The Fine Needle, and the Queenie Sisters‘ Prudence scarf added to my finds.

Speaking of Knitter’s Review’s Clara Parkes… Clara was signing her new book, The Knitter’s Book of Wool. A giant line formed, with Clara smiling and signing and chatting and signing some more. The book is getting much well-deserved attention. It’s quite fantastic, as are the patterns within it. I particularly covet Sivia Harding’s luscious shawl. Actually, I might have drooled on Clara, who was wearing it.

I’m always looking for unusual and interesting fibers. Why? I have no idea. I just love all the various fibers, particularly the natural ones.

I also stopped by the wonderful Bijou Basin Ranch booth home of wondrous yak fibers and yak people, Ellen and Carl Koop. I’ve knit with their yak/cormo and loved it. I keep trying to have them send me a yak. So far, no luck.

Seeing Ellen and Carl made me think of my friends at Buffalo Gold. Several yarn shops at Stitches sold their gorgeous buffalo yarn, but Cecil and Ron Miskin weren’t there. I missed them.

I’m sure I’m forgetting stuff. There was a lot to see and do and (especially) feel. I confess I longed for the critters, and I’m looking forward to another fiber festival soon so I can pet the goats and sheep and bunnies and lamas and more.

I also got this little fella, made out of a ball of string, at The Fine Needle. Isn’t he cute?

Gracie running. This has nothing to do with my post.

Except I came across this blog that…well….it’s far more deserving of a post than anything I can think of right now.

First of all, it deals with real UFOs. Second, it’s about knitting, naturally. Third? It’s positively and absolutely hilarious. How could I top that? Right.

So…with great fanfare and many frills, I would like to present the UFO (UNFINISHED OBJECT) PROJECT ADMINISTRATION SERVICE blog. If you—a knitter—are not laughing out loud by the second page, please see a doctor. Fast.

Excerpted from the UFO blog.

Dear Knitter,

UFO Project Administration Service was the answer to a proposal I was asked to give for the Jerwood Contemporary Makers 2009 Exhibition. The exhibition will run from 10th June -19th July at the Jerwood Space in London and will then tour.

You are invited to take part in helping us complete Planet Earth’s UFOs.  All the UFOs are posted opposite. Some are ‘WAITING’ for YOU, and some have been ‘TAKEN’ by SOMEBODY!

Take chances, make choices, tell stories, imagine the possibilities, and connect to the bottom draw of other knitters across the globe.

Please leave comments, and for more information or to book a UFO, e-mail ufo@prickyourfinger.com

Happy knitting and love,

Rachael Matthews

Me again: Immediately go to the UFO blog. See the unfinished projects for yourelf. Finish one of them. Join the manic fun.

The Hopkinton fairgrounds are extensive. I’d done the fair before, so I knew I’d need my fanny pack (talk about dorkie-looking) and my backpack (for my camera) and Ben’s bug juice, for the ever-present blackflies. Did I care I felt like a pack horse? Naw.

I met lots of old friends, like spinning and knitting guru Anne Hennessy (The Wool Room), master dyer and farmer Barbara Parry (Foxfire), farmer and master dyer Margaret Wilson (Mostly Merino), angora bunnista Charlene Schultz (HoneyBuns) and cashmere goat gal Pat Bacon (Roka Farm).

Pat always wears a smile.

I met a bunch of new folks, too, such as Julia Farwell-Clay. I love twist collective, and I sure was surprised to run into TC’s features director. I thoroughly enjoyed chatting with her. Pat Bull from Decadent Fibers and Ellen Garges from Maple Creek Farm brought their gorgeous yarns. Loved chatting with The Merlin Tree

Chris testing a Merlin Tree wheel.

folks, makers of fantastic portable spinning wheels. And two of the loveliest folks ever – Carl and Eileen Koop of Bijou Basin Ranch, raisers of Yak. I want Yak here in New Hampshire. Maybe they’ll open a branch in the East. I’d love it.

So many more folks, everyone wearing smiles, laughing, touching the fabulous fibers from yarn to roving and back again. Myriad books for sale, as well as drop spindles and knitting needles and needles for felting. Shawl pins and hair pins and silk and bamboo and soy. On and on and on.

Carl & Eileen's reaction to my wanting them to ship me a yak.

But, for me, it’s always about the animals.

Don't llamas personify dignity?

Teenie tiny - I almost put her in my backpack. I wish.

Llama, sheep (so many varieties!), border collies, alpaca, Angora bunnies, and Angora goats. Getting up-close-and-personal with the critters really made the day for me. Funny, how I love the smells of farm animals—rich, earthy, life itself. And seeing the kids —these marvelous 4-H-ers—raising and tending their animals always makes my spirit sing. Sure, we’re in an intensely industrial age. Heck, I Twitter, I Facebook, I Ravelry, and more. But kids still raise animals and they do it with enormous enthusiasm. What’s sweeter than that?

Here’s a whole bunch of photos taken at the mother of all fiber festivals. Enjoy!