Ewephoria

That's what I feel on MD Sheep and Wool Show day. It's like Christmas when I was little. Christmas now is more of chore. I don't procrastinate when it comes to Christmas...I can work up a good post-Christmas let-down weeks before Christmas.

But the Sheep and Wool show? That's pure anticipation and fun.

We did get there until about noon...maybe a little later. The crowds astound me every year. I told my brother, at one point, that it was almost crowded enough to make it not a lot of fun. And although the skies were grey for a good portion of the day, it was warm. And in the barns...it was hot.

Many of the booths were so crowded it was impossible to get in them. The lines were incredible.

But...we got to watch the sheep being judged and I saw the alpacas and llamas. (I didn't see any rabbits this year.) Here are some high points.


This patient guy was waiting in the ring to be judged.


I liked these natty guys and their red bucket.


Nice fleece.


These ladies were fat and happy.


We've been watching lots of the early seasons of Law & Order. This sheep just reminded me so much of Paul Robinette.

I think my best encounter, though, came with the ladies in the booth selling copies of Shear Spirit. Gale Zucker, whose blog, She Shoots Sheep Shots, I love, was in the booth of Nanney Kennedy, of Seacolors yarns. The yarns are gorgeous, and so soft...especially after washing. The finished garments she had were to die for. And the colors!


Soft and rich, at the same time.


Really. I need some of this yarn. Why, oh why, didn't I buy any while I was there? I dunno...I was overwhelmed. Plus, I bought this:


And Gayle and Nanney both signed it. And gave me a tattoo. Now, it was perhaps silly of me to buy this book...I have a copy on its way to me from Amazon. But I figured maybe I should have a blog contest and give it (that is, the unsigned copy) away....I just have to come up with an idea for a contest. I mentioned this to Gayle and she asked what my blog was. When I told her, she said, "I've read your blog!" I thought she was just being nice, but I have commented on her blog, I think, so I guess it's within the realm of possibility. Cool! Hi, Gale!

What else did I come home with? Well, as I saved money all year I knew I wanted to get some yarn from Brooks Farm. I love their yarns. And I came home with these:


Tierra Blend in a lovely, soft, barely variegated light blue.


Primero in a gorgeous rich scarlet.

And I really wanted to gift myself with a pair of those incredibly expensive (well, for knitting needles) Signature needles.


I got the 10" in a size 6 with middy points and the teardrop top. What's that you say? There seems to be yarn there, too? Yeah, well, Tess Designer yarns reached out and grabbed me and wouldn't let me go until I bought this sock yarn. The red and the blue for me, the brown for a pair of socks for Mr. Pointy Sticks.

And those other little things hiding there?


I thought these little beads would make a cool pair of earrings.

So, everything I bought fit in the tote bag I took, so I wasn't too extravagant.


Home again, with tired but happy feet.