Knitting on PBS

A new knitting show replaces Needle Arts Studio with Shay Pendray on PBS starting July 20. This makes the fourth PBS show in Maryland dedicated to fibre arts (that I’m aware of). Knitting Daily TV will feature Eunny Jang (editor Interweave Knits, designer) Kim Werker (editor Interweave Crochet, author Get Hooked, Crochet Me) Liz Gipson (editor Handwoven, designer), and the former show’s Shay Pendray (host Needle Arts Studio, designer). That’s a lot of talent and each episode should provide oodles of fiber satisfaction. The show will cover many angles of fiber arts and will have a companion website for patterns and clips fully functioning in July at

http://www.knittingdailytv.com

Far out.

Zooming Right Along . . .

. . . like The Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival never happened.

I went to The Massachusetts Sheep and Woolcraft Festival when Bobby and I were in New England for ten days at the end of May.

After a car show, The Baseball Hall of Fame and a few days of town hopping on the coast, it was on to stay in The Berkshires for the last leg of our vacation. Saturday was spent at the Massachusetts Sheep and Woolcraft Festival. Such a lovely bunch of laid back sheepie folk. It’s more intimate than MDSW and I could navigate the paved site quite easily on my scooter. The elevator to the fiber competition exhibits was apparently broken (it was blocked off) but Bobby said there wasn't much besides the fleeces so I wasn't that disappointed. There were Sheepdog trials all day and watching the working dogs was quite fun, especially when folks explained the finer points of judging to me. It broke my heart to see a good dog get a contrary sheep who just wouldn’t stay with the other two in the group but chose to run back to the pen and ruin everyone’s high marks. I love seeing the animals – sheep, goats, llamas. There weren’t any alpacas at this fair. Waaaah! I did get to see some shearing and the 4H showmanship contests. It’s serious business for these kids. I said to Bobby, next there will be Alpaca and Llama competitions at these functions. Woo Hoo !

There were two buildings of vendors and lots of outdoor booths, nicely laid out and accessible. There were only about a third I couldn't get into with my wheels and none of them had the big "drop" like at Maryland. Shweeet! In fibre, the lean at this fair is definitely toward spinning and weaving. Roving, roving, roving. And batts. The wheels, spindles and looms for sale were plentiful as well as all the trappings. There were spin-ins and weave-ins but not a knit-in. But yes, there was yarn. I bought some crazy soft white wool to pet for a while and some funky multi hued wool at a booth with discontinued yarns on sale. Bobby bought me a little sheep pin to remember the day. I put it on my hat with my Ravelry pins - oh yes, there were Ravelry folk there. The darling of the modern knitter. I recognized Ravelers and was recognized by my Ravelry gear – it's like a secret handshake. Very cool although there was no formal gathering of the Ravelry clan as there had been at Maryland’s festival. All in all a great day with lovely weather too.

And did I mention the lamburgers? And the $1 hand dipped ice cream cones?

It's good to be a knitter.

I know I am remiss in my duties to write about MDSW. I went. I had fun. I saw friends. I bought cool stuff. I ate lamburgers. I went to the Ravelry gathering Saturday and the party Saturday night. I did not win a prize. I beg your forgiveness for not cataloging my every sight, smell and dollar spent.

I know you are a forgiving lot.

Oh! Did I mention that I finished Bobby's scarf? Now I'm working on the matching hat. A wife's work is never done.

Enjoy the pictures - you'll have to look at the whole trip to see the sheep. If you're a real glutton for stories about the trip, click the button for my brain cancer blog over on the left and there's two days worth of blah blah blah there.

We did have a good time.