MDSW

Lovely, overwhelming, beautiful, inspiring.
I enjoyed MDSW more than ever this year. Every year just seems to get better. You'd think winning a ribbon and taking a class with Judith Mackenzie McCuin last year would have cinched it as "BEST YEAR EVER" but no. I think it's because MDSW is very much about just being there and experiencing the whole idea, so that the specific details of the years don't really define it for me. Although speaking of specifics, I will say that it was terribly sad not to have the third member of the trio there...

The purchases were perfect this year I must say. I went with specific wants, got everything I hoped for exactly, didn't spend more than my budget, and never once felt completely overwhelmed to do something foolish (although I did seriously start to take that gorgeous, huge, $90 corriedale fleece out of the fleece sale, yeah that was a bit close). I did buy some fiber, but only things I really wanted and that I know exactly what I want to do with. I'm mostly struck by how different the three fiber purchases are. The first is a wildly orange/red cormo roving which is really not conveyed in the photo although I'm getting better with the color thing. The next is a lovely rare breed called Manx Loghtan mixed with angora -so soft, calm and yummy. The last is a classy little lilac tencel/merino top which feels it a bit beneath her dignity to be seen with that rather common cormo.





The most exciting thing was getting a drop spindle. I don't know if it's an especially good one, but it was funny how quickly I became incredibly attached to it, defending it from the smug looks the splashy Golding spindles gave it. I can spin on it so I guess as a new spindler that's all that really matters. The most surprising thing is that I wasn't really prepared for how satisfying it is. I love the thought that I'm connecting to the earliest spinners, the ones that pre-date man's telling of our spinning story, the spinners that began the story.


Perhaps the most triumphant aspect though is that I was thinking about a bobbin winder. "Thinking" because this would truly be a luxury purchase, not something I need and that I will only use occasionally. Of course, the one I liked best at the festival was also the most expensive and by expensive I'm talkin' the corriedale fleece and substantial change! So I left it there...and then came home and won an ebay auction last night for the very same winder for HALF the price, HALF!! My first ever ebay auction and not only did I win it, I won it even though someone tried to snipe me right in the last two minutes. Very exciting and did I mention I got it for HALF the price of the one at sheep and wool. Of course the seller hasn't contacted me yet and it will probably arrive with some problem, but the picture looks good and the seller had great recommendations! I'll let you know if it ever finds it's way from Sweden!!



And to top it all off, I finished my socks from my own handspun last night waiting on the auction, probably the best handspun/knitting project to date. I love them...and so does Max.