Kid 'n' Ewe

This was my first trip to Kid 'n' Ewe. I had never heard of it until I found my knitting group last February. It is a fiber festival in Boerne, Texas (pronounced "bernie") down near San Antonio.

Dawn, Tasha, Liz, and I drove down together...well, Dawn and Liz did the driving. They very nicely accommodated my motion sickness and allowed me to ride shotgun the whole time. I hate this motion sick crap. It turns me into a Special Needs Traveler and I hate that. I took my Bonine, wore my SeaBands, and was able to knit the whole way.

We stopped off at The Knitting Nest in Austin for a bathroom break and a short visit. I picked up some Addi's to knit socks since all I had brought with me were dpns and I have issues knitting with metal dpns in the front seat. I can just see the airbag exploding and a size 1 needle puncturing my lung or heart. I don't think bamboo would make it through the rib cage, but a 6-8 inch metal needle probably could with enough force. I love The Knitting Nest. Not least because they hosted Franklin earlier this year for the 1,000 Knitters shoot and therefore must be Very Good People. They also carry mmMalabrigo, which I resisted buying this time since I had no idea what I would find at Kid 'n' Ewe.

We got to the fairgrounds right at 3pm Friday. Tasha and Dawn were signed up for a 3:00 knitting with wire and beads class, so they literally took off running from the car while Liz and I parked and headed into the first building. I wasn't there five minutes before I came across a skein of yarn at the Bluebonnet Hills booth and fell in love, true love. It was not sock yarn. I had determined that sock yarn was going to have to be pretty darn spectacular if it was coming home with me because I already have so much. This is "heavy DK weight" and it is gorgeous. So gorgeous that the next night while waiting for our dinner reservation, I hand-wound it and cast-on for a scarf.

Since that photo doesn't really do it justice, here is another one.... the color is really somewhere in between. Love. I'm doing the one-row handspun scarf pattern from the Yarn Harlot. The same pattern I used for C's scarf last February.

I only bought two other skeins of yarn Friday. They were purchased from FiberLady, whom I discovered lives close to me. There was a gorgeous lace scarf on display (Mystery Stole 3)and after I scored the last skein of the handpainted 100% bamboo laceweight in the color I loved, she told me that the scarf had been knit from roving that had been dyed in the same colors.

I also bought a skein of laceweight pumpkin-colored bamboo/cotton yarn to carry along with the 100% bamboo because I think it will help mitigate the striping. I don't want heavy bright striping in my lace. I apologize for photo quality. It has been overcast all day and started getting dark even earlier than usual since storms are moving in. I turned off the flash on that pumpkin yarn because it was photographing all shiny even though it is not.

I fondled the Brooks Farm yarns, but waited to purchase because I didn't have yarn requirements with me.

Friday night we ate at El Chapparel in Boerne, a restaurant I cannot recommend. The food was less than fabulous and the waitress was absolutely terrible. She looked pissed off the whole time, never checked in on us, never asked if we wanted new drinks, and was generally a big sourpuss the whole time. Awful.

After show and tell that night at the cottage, I fell into bed and slept very well. We stayed at a great B&B/cottage and I'd look it up and give details, but I think it may be better to keep that place a secret. It was ideal for our group, which also included Andrea, Melissa, Betty, Lise, and Lise's husband, Brad.

The next morning there were plumbing issues at the cottage, but we finally all got showered and out the door. Dawn headed off early to a spinning class and the rest of us hit the fairgrounds on a mission to buy yarn. I headed straight to Brooks Farm to claim the green Riata I had eyed the day before. Once I realized I forgot my yarn requirements yet again (they were at the cottage), Tasha and her iphone came to the rescue and I'm telling you, I drank the iphone kool-aid this weekend. I won't get one because truly, folks, I have NO NEED whatsoever, but I'm here to tell you, that is one awesome device. She looked up my pattern on-line and we were off to the booth. I got there just in time because Betty was eyeing my yarn. She was very nice, though, and chose a beautiful purple color for herself even though I think she really wanted the green. But she walked away from the green long enough for me to grab my six skeins and loop those bundles of joy over one arm while I shopped for Solo Silk. It's a dog eat dog world at Brooks Farm... quantities and dye lots are limited. I was lucky the green was still there at all.

Six skeins of Riata, folks. That's a serious bonafide splurge. But I've loved Linden since I saw it and I didn't have any aran weight in my stash.

The green is not as shiny as the photo suggests. The camera flash picks up the silk in it. It is 50/50 wool and silk. I am going to use it for Linden, which, if you follow the link, you will see is a swing jacket with a cable that goes around the neck. It's not a super easy pattern, and I want that jacket to stand out in a crowd. It certainly will in this green yarn. Yum.

It took me a while to chose the Solo Silk I wanted. the Knitting Fairy's daughter, Megan, helped me. I was already eyeing the Triple S Shawl, but seeing it in person clinched the deal. It's fab-u-lous. And I like that it is knit in pieces and then seamed together. I know...seaming is a bitch, but I think it will be okay. I know the Knitting Fairy and watching her knit it in increments made it seem so doable. And if I have questions on how to join it all together, she's right here in DFW to provide lessons.

Brooks Farm didn't have many green Solo Silk colors to choose from, and in fact, didn't have many Solo Silk colors at all there (maybe 30-40). Stitches East was this weekend, and apparently they were showing there, too, so they didn't have full stock at KNE. Greens probably would have been my first choice, but I am very excited about the palette I chose. Four colors are needed...each used in varying amounts. So as I make individual squares, I'll have a chance to play with the arrangement and see which colors I want to use more than others. I wanted to pick the colors in person since computer monitors can be tricky and matching the yarns is important for this project. I do wish some of the Brooks Farm ladies had been friendlier, but that's just nit-picking because their yarn is gorgeous and I'm going to have a much longer relationship with their yarn than with any of them.

I then headed to the Plain and Fancy booth. I had purchased a kimono pattern there Friday and was ready to pick yarn for it. I can't find a photo of the kimono jacket on-line, as it must be a very new pattern, but it is a great jacket. In fact, at least half the group this weekend purchased the pattern and yarn for it, so it will be fun to see how it turns out in all the different color combos. I went with blues. These colors will look good with the jeans I wear 99% of the time. The jacket has a boxy construction with contrasting color at the shoulders and lapel. Plain and Fancy doesn't seem to have a website. She lives in east Texas and dyes beautiful yarns and she is available via e-mail, but doesn't seem to sell on-line or in shops. Tasha did a different kimono=style pattern with yarn she bought there last year and it is beautiful. She wore it in the fashion show Saturday night. The only hand knits I wore all weekend was my headband on Sunday. Mr. Greenjeans still doesn't have buttons, but I would have gotten some had I known it was going to be so freaking cold at night in south Texas.

Amy was there Saturday, so it was good to see her (she was in San Antonio for a teacher conference) and I bought her a turtle finger puppet. I did some damage at the finger puppet booth, but I haven't photographed those yet, so those will have to wait.

Dawn and I fed the two alpacas that were there and walked out to see the cashmere goats in the barn. I wish more animals had been there.

Late in the day, I made it over to the Buffalo Gold booth, where a scarf made of the silky and shimmery Buffboo caught my attention and held it. Must. Have. So I splurged and purchased a skein of the Buffboo in a shimmery silvery brown color and the photo does NOT do it justice. At all. I also received a little copper buffalo-shaped necklace pendant for being a member of the Herd.

So much yarn, so little time. I wouldn't know what to cast-on with first had I not cast-on when I did with the Bluebonnet Farms alpaca.

Saturday afternoon, we visited Rosewood Yarns, a store in Boerne. They were teaching a tatting class Sunday that I would have taken if we were staying Sunday, but we weren't and I didn't, although I would like to learn to tat since it is something my dad's mom did and I have some of her tatting in my cedar chest. Rosewood has a seriously wonderful collection of knitting books. Not just new stuff, but older books, too...books with reprints of old Welden's issues Books with practically antique lace patterns. great books. Books collectors probably look for. I picked up a ball of Jojoland Melody that I think will blend well with four skeins I have. I need five for a shawl I want to do and the dye-lot is way out of date and seemingly impossible to obtain, even on Ravelry.

Saturday night, seven of us ate at the Tin Roof Steakhouse and it was the best meal I have had in a long time. Seriously good steak, folks. Everything was good. the bread, the salad, the asparagus, the sweet potato fries, which were to. die. for. Everyone loved their food and our waiter was great. I also liked that they didn't rush our meal. It felt like I was back in Europe. A nice, long dinner with friends...good wine, good food, good friends.

The next morning we dealt with plumbing issues again (the only downside to the cottage) and headed out. We stopped by the KNE fairgrounds again for some last minute shopping and then headed north. We ate brunch at the original Kerby Lane in Austin, a popular brunch place we had to wait quite a while to get into. The food was nice, though. Great buttermilk pancakes that do, in fact, taste like snickerdoodles, as Liz had told me they would. Dawn shared her gingerbread pancakes. We weren't sure we would ever need to eat again when we left.

After quite a few stops on the road, while I knitted away on my scarf, we cruised into Dallas at around 7ish and I was surprised to find C at home, since he had said he would be going into the office. He was procrastinating and headed in a bit after I got home. I won my fantasy game by a healthy margin, but he lost his. He is still in the lead, though, in the league and I am still ranked second. I heard on the radio today that Clinton Portis is iffy with a knee sprain for their game against the Cowboys this weekend, which is good for the Boys, not good for me. He's the number 1 back in the league right now and I rely on him. I hope if he does go out that he will be back for my playoffs.

C's home now, and wandering the kitchen looking hungry, so I suppose I will cook some dinner and then iron him shirts for this week.