Sunday, November 3, 2019

Year of Projects: Year Six, Week 43

Good morning!  I really have no new crafting news....I have added some rows onto my Merry Knitmas socks...I spoke to Oink Pigments yesterday at Fiber Festival of New England...she is very surprised at how the sock is knitting up...no it is not self-stripe, but should be more of a variegated,,,

So, yes I went to the Fiber Festival of New England.  My friend, Danae went with me.  She is non-fibery, but had expressed an interest in attending an event.  She was surprised at the prices of things...LOL.....

I know a lot of the vendors, but unfortunately this is a very white event...there were no vendors that were diverse (that I saw)....with all the recent discussion in our community, you would think they had reached out to more diverse vendors.....I sent them a message and hopefully they will follow up...I know some other people also questioned this.....and at least one black attendee felt uncomfortable...vendors not greeting her, but greeting the person that walked in to the booth behind her, who happened to be white.  I'm still so surprised that this is happening in our community.  It's disappointing...

But I did make some purchases, not a lot, but enough...
The two skeins of yarn are from White Birch Fiber Arts, self stripe, of course....Squad Goals and We the People...the chicken yarn bowl is from Brown Bunny.  I also bought a smaller chicken bowl from her.  I also bought the festival sweatshirt, as I try to support them each year.   A new bag from Jessalu and then a small purse.  The purse is from a vendor that recycles men's suits.  I bought a much bigger purse from them a couple years ago at Rhinebeck... oh there is a very colorful pompom that you can't really see......that;s it...that;s all I bought.....Maureen and I are planning on going to Vogue Knitting Live in NYC in January..we go every couple of years.  Maureen wasn't able to go yesterday as she was campaigning for a local candidate.   Then Stitches United is back in Hartford this year...that's in March.....

Going to spend the day working on some socks...need to get past some heels!  Maybe I'll have a finish next week!

2019 Finishes!!!!!
Muertos: 8/13/17-1/19/19
Who Socks: 10/7/18-1/22/19 (the Who socks were never on my list)
My Shelly Valentine: 2/10/16-2/9/19 (almost three years exactly!!!)
Alpaca Fun: 2/24/19-3/3/19
Green is the Best: 12/23/18-3/10/19
Willow Fields: 9/6.14-3/16/19
Lucy's Zebra 7/5-7/6/19
Black Widow Shawl 5/5/19-7/12/19
Lucy's Elephant Reserve 7/24/18-8/2/19
Shark Socks 7/28/19-8/12/19 
Swedish Block 8/20/19 - 8/24/19
Garter stitch block 8/24/19
Samples 8/28/19 finished
Throwback Poncho October 12, 2019
Mixed PomPom Hat October 13, 2019
Brainzzz - October 26, 2019

Works In Progress:         
WIPS: Crochet:
Round Ripple: (Started 2006 (?) Aiden)-not sure he'd want this anymore, being a high school freshman and all, but I think I'll finish it for him. He is now a sophomore.
Around the World Afghan: (April 2010): about ¼ done - I looked at this recently and I'm still liking it, so I'll keep it...maybe make it a baby blanket instead.
Sunrise Sunset Afghan: this has been hibernating awhile, 6 squares done. I still love the look of this.
Tabard Tunic (NW Diss 2/1/14) - Haven't made a final decision on this yet.
Venetian Cowl (July 1, 2018)

Knit: 
Learn to Knit Afghan: (started 2010): 3 squares done, I put this in the giveaway yarn bags..not thrilled with colors....will use squares at school for water bottles..
Shark in the Woods (11/27/14)- I really love this, but it's a lot of cabling and I'm not a fan..about 1/2 done.
Vanilla fingerless mitts (12/25/15) - Think I'm going to frog and do different mitts or crochet them.
Zombie Vixen mitts (10/17/15)- still working on them, again cabling
Garter Path Shawlette (5/30/16)- I have frogged this a couple of times...
Swinging with Winkle (6/4/16)- I love this so much!  Just need to finish it! Added a few rows
Meandering Top (5/20/16) - Took it out, at the separation of arms, looks really big!
Bulky Cowl - this hurts my hands to work on...think I need slippery needles...
Splediferous Blanket - (4/15/17) Roald Dahl club, mitered blanket
Selbu Mitts - 3/26/18

Beekeeper Cardigan - 7/1/18
Merry Knitmas - 10/1/19
Rhinebeck Socks - 10/6/19

Socks:
Kai-Mei: (April 2012) - has not changed, 
Espalier Socks (Jan 10, 2016) - started and stopped...

Candy Cane June 21, 
2017Games Socks- 2/15/18
Cloudy Rainbows - 5/11/18 

Sunny Skies - 5/12/18
Merry Xmas - Box O'Chocolates: 2/9/19, frogged 7/21/19
Snow Day: 3/4/19
Merfolk: 7/25/19
Monster Mash: 8/16/19 (cuff started awhile ago)

Scarves/Shawls:
Splashy Flowers: (May 2011) - add a motif scarf, don't see that being finished soon...
Light in Shadows (1/14/14) - I love this so much...need to start the new direction, so need to sit down and figure it out..
 

Bags:
Beach Bag: (started May 2010)  Just needs lining sewn in, I used it this year without the lining...so may just call it a day on this.... 

 KAL/CALs:
 
Fire and Blood (5/4/14) - not anytime soon
Outlander MKAL (8/8/14)  - possibility of finishing this..the yarn is so yummy

7 comments:

Leftycrafter said...

Some very lovely acquisitions. That is very strange with the sock yarn pooling like that. Will be fun to see what happens next.

Lucy Bowen said...

Love the acquisitions. I am surprised the organisers of the show weren't more aware of their lack of diversity and representation. Hopefully your observations will help them move forward. VKL sounds very exciting!

HighlandHeffalump said...

I’m intrigued to see how your socks look when they are finished, perhaps the patches of colour will start to look like things, I am always thinking random patches of colours look like an animal or something. I know at Loch Ness Knit Fest they were proactively looking for and encouraging applications from diverse vendors, but the Highlands is a very white area of the UK and so far away from the more densely populated and diverse cities. To a visitor from another country it may look like it wasn’t a diverse group of vendors. Other festivals I’ve attended in more densely populated and diverse cities have definitely had a good mix of vendors.

Babajeza said...

I see I need green socks. On to yarn shopping ... Have a nice week! Regula

Sam I Am...... said...

Good for you for speaking up! I wish more people would. I am 70 years old and have never seen the kind of hatred and animosity in out country for years now but I think the 'haters' are just feeling more emboldened. It's so sad yet I am hopeful that the millenials will bring us back together as a country.
I love your purchases and what a great idea to make purses out of men's suits! I see them all the time at the thrift stores. I love your Christmas socks and the other yarns you got...what fun! Plus, those chicken yarn bowls are a hoot! Have a good week!

Breathing Life said...

Interesting how the sock is knitting up - more pooling than striping and I like it. Your acquisitions are yummy and I love the chicken yarn bowl! Good on you for writing the organizers about the lack of diversity. If we take the time to speak up and speak out then we can make a difference.

kathy b said...

Very sad hear that a customer and fellow yarn lover was blatantly discriminated against! I would hesitate to go back, but I do think you did the right thing by discussing the interaction in a note to the organizers.