All photos from the trip HERE.

I didn’t take any classes this year, it was overwhelming enough just being in a huge showroom with yarns and fibers that I didn’t even know existed. I will take an inventory and blog about my precious purchases later, but for now I’ll focus on the trip itself. We left bright and early on Friday morning and met up with a crowd at Waffle House. I had a pecan waffle and it rocked. I don’t normally do sweets or carbs at breakfast so this was a real treat.

Susan was positively gleeful from the discovery $85 in her SAFF purse from LAST year, and I was soon to discover why.  It only took us about 2 hours to get there. Not a bad road trip and I was antsy. I was finishing up the neverending 3/4 sleeves from my diminishing rib cardi and was lamenting the amount of space it was taking up in my bag. I also vowed not to purchase anything on day one, no, I would be mindful and wait until at least day 2.

I bought a beautiful sterling shawl pin and a sweater’s worth of yarn before lunchtime.

I was absolutely high from the spending and had to sit down for a while to recover.  We ate at Carrabas that night and I committed carbicide with gnocchi and sausage and bread and calamari. On to the Hampton Inn to laugh and knit, and laugh (we’re a loud bunch) talking about homosexual gorillas and exchanging recipes. I learned what qiviut was and how yummy it was to behold and how pretty Janet worked it up and how dangerously decadant an expense it could be.  I shopped and knitted my Saturday away, and since it was no longer raining we went and looked at the animals (probably mom’s favorite part of the trip)

I also bough sock yarn for me, it might not end up being socks as I got this KEWL beaded scarf pattern too. Come to think of it, I bought a lot of stuff for beading yarn. Go figure.

Me and my yarn will be VERY happy together thankyouverymuch.

I drove mom’s golfcart all weekend (the Prius) and didn’t like it one bit in the rain but converted after I figured out what all the buttons were for. There’s a lot of buttons to push in this car and no key!

All in all it was PERFECTION and we’re already scheming about next year. Like I’m bringing much smaller projects and making this and some of these and bringing much more cash. Anyone want to give me some of their unwanted cash for SAFF next year?

I’ll give a teensy peek of the finished stealth project, ok?

Hey- she reads my blog! I can’t show it to you or mention it much- except I had a ‘block party’ at my house this weekend and said item is beyoootiful! I promise, two-three more weeks, tops.

In other knitting news, I started another project for another birthday- she doen’t read my blog so I can show you this:

Yes, that is a 9 Volt battery for scale. Scale is important. And, so I’ve learned, is gauge. I’m making a shawl. It needs to be warm and washable (she is a new mommy). I found the pattern on the Lion Brand site- I know- very unsexy, but it will be pretty and she will like it and the baby can barf on it and she can wash it, verrrry important. It is on probably the longest Denise needle ever created. I had an “A-HA” moment when I balked at purchasing a $17.99 Addi Turbo #8, 60 in. I have a Denise kit, why not just purchase the 52″ lead? How many times will I be asked to use such a length in a pattern, honestly? And when and if I am, at least the damn thing will be interchangable. Not to mention that at about $6, it is a winner. The pattern so far is 201 stitches worked back and forth in seed stitch for 15 inches- THAT I can do! It is also a good knitting project to have when watching a movie in subtitles- I watched Pan’s Labyrinth this weekend- wonderful but not, I repeat, NOT a movie for children. Anyways, back to the shawl, it will have this gi-normous ruffle that will pick up all the way around (hence the mondo needle) so it will be a little girly. Which is also good. I’m using Lion Brand Wool Ease in Chestnut Heather- shut up, I like it just fine. I made my Kyoto with it last year (My ‘first’ real sweater and I can’t wait to wear it again, it is truly awesome.) See?

Wool Ease feels warm and soft because of the wool, but you can WASH it-because of the other stuff. I find that important, because, in my home, whether the tag says so or not, sometimes things just get warshed. I did NOT use a washable yarn for the stealth knitting, I used something decidedly more 100% Merino and num-num-nummy- but it was pretty, and a gift for someone that is growed up enough to be able to handle the responsiblility.

Oh how could I forget? Guess who arrived in the mail today?

I was prioritized by the good folks at kpixie.com. Still no sign of the initial order, sad. But, after my loopy, lengthy, verbose letter , they sent another pattern by priority mail. I feel so special. And no, I don’t think I over reacted at all. I might have spent a little too much of my time obsessing, because I was feeling bitchy and they were the lucky recipients. But look at that face- I suppose Baby Bobbi could be a good beach project (2 weeks!) although those ‘seeds’ aren’t going to plant themselves.

And, because I can, a little ‘eye candy’ which, in this case is actual candy.

Elvis Pez Despensers, uh-huh, Momma. Cola flavored pez. From my Mayun. There is a CD in there too, although I’m not allowed to open it. Action figure geeko says it wouldn’t be ‘collectable’ then.

This marks my very first socially conscious project. (Horray for social commentary through art and craft and fiber!) And it involves knitting a big damn cozy for an abandoned gas station in New York (and the gas pumps too) as a statement about our society’s over-dependence on fossil fuels.

Check it out at the International Fiber Collaborative. The organizer, Jennifer Brooke Marsh, is a fiber artist and grad student at Syracuse University. She has called for artists and groups to contribute 800- 3ft by 3ft squares- to be sewn together create said cozy (which is what I’ve taken to calling it, because to be swaddled in fiber goodness is decidedly more cozy than to not, wouldn’t you agree?)

I said to myself, “Self” -because that is what I do- “Self, this sounds like a fun and interesting endeavor that I can sink my teeth into, and I am sure to be able to russel up some folks to lend a hand or a swatch -or five.”I am more excited about this project than many of the other causes that have crossed my path because this is reminiscent of the knit graffiti I have found both so humorous and appealing- seen in the work of such groups like Knitta Please - but this is on a grand scale- so it borders on the ridiculous, with that can’t-be-ignored-even-if-you-tried quality, like that mammoth knit rabbit in Italy. AND it has a purpose. Having a purpose in the world is a good thing. Now, even though it is such a large size, my contribution or portion will still be relatively small. Like smaller than an afghan. (Me Likey!) I often think I would be a better ‘joiner’ if I wasn’t such a commitment-phobe.

So I posted it to my SNB pals and already have quite a few takers. I think we are going to try to make our square Georgia-themed (thank you Jenny for that idea.) I’ll be taking squares, blobs, nuggets and whatever else from folks at the meetings this fall.
I seam them together myself.

Yes I will.

I swear I won’t bitch and/or moan about the process. But there may be cursing. (There will always be cursing.)

I’m planning, so far, to make a square for the Bulldogs (my alma mater) and one for Tech (my Dad’s) and something with a chicken on it (for Gaines-Vegas) or a Mr. Peanut or something- I dunno yet. In my vision, I’m seeing hot-mess of some serious ugly- but it will be warm.

I am open to other ideas (um, and some pieces of the puzzle if you’ve got them.)

Peace, love, joy and happiness to you and yours this weekend!