STITCHES!

I am having the time of my life here at Stitches.  This year I only signed up for afternoon classes (due to my nocturnal nature) and it is working out spectacularly.  Instead of being in a bit of a fog from lack of sleep, I'm bright-eyed and bushy-tailed going into my classes.  I've taken two classes with elongated stitches and what fun!  The Fiendishly Difficult Stitches class was a nice brain challenge and the results are beautiful, different stitches I plan to use.  I hope Marike gets her book published soon with XRX because the garments she had knit up for display were stupendous and very inspiring.  (in other words, I wanted to cast right on and knit one)
I visited a booth in the market for lacemakers and found two good pattern books of lace knitting.  In another moment of weakness back on at the room, I wanted to cast right on for a falling leaf stole which I had bought the perfect yarn for from Miss Babs.  100% Tussah Silk in a mossy green - of course.  So I decided to wind 1100 yards in my hotel room without a swift or ball winder.  Won't do that again.  Took fooorrrreeevvveeeerrrr.  But, by the time I finished, my moment of weakness was past and I went back to the two projects I brought along to knit. 
Signature Needle Arts was one of the first booths I hit and the circulars are all they said they would be.  So I picked up another set of dpns and a circular.  Sue thoughtfully picked up their niftly little needle case for me so I don't lose any out of the fabric bag.  I get the stiletto tip so they poke right through the bags.  Such a joy to work with.  That was part of the idea casting on the new stole; so I could use my new Signature circular.  Oh well, I'm working on Ice Queen with a pine green kid mohair/silk from Sarah's Yarns that is AWESOME!  I'm adding some sparkly gunmetal silver lined beads throughout so it looks like snow sparkling on pine branches.   I also have the Pirate Queen's Booty Bag from the Webwench cast on.  Teagan picked black and white so that's what she'll have.   Aaarrrgh.   I'm knitting that in classes, save the beadwork for the hotel room.  Hmmm, seem to have a queen theme going on here.
Sue and I had lunch yesterday with Felicia, who we haven't seen for ages.  It was SO good to spend some chatty time with her.  We loved hearing all about her trip to GREECE!  Awesome!
Today is the Spinning for Knitting class.  I brought along my Spindolyn.  I hope I can pick up some tips for spinning to help speed up the snail's pace I currently spin at.  I like the portability of the Spindolyn because I don't want to be hauling the Charka everywhere so I'm giving this class a whorl.  (pun intended).
That's it for now.  I'm off to lunch and class and dare I spin through the market again?  We'll see................

Thought for the day:  Fleece on earth; good wool to ewe