This year I decided to go to Stitches West on Friday only. I am not enrolled in any classes, so it was just a shopping trip. Last year Saturday was insane with a capital insane. Friday seemed the best choice. I was a beautiful day, bright and sunny with intense clouds. This is a shot I took while driving down I-880.
What did I get? Not much. My complaint with yarn stores holds true here. With a few exceptions, everybody draws from the same pool of yarns. There isn't much that is new or different. There isn't much that I can't buy at my LYS or on-line. When I have a project in mind, I prefer to support a LYS.
I did like the vendors that have lots of great original knit items like La Lana Wools (gorgeous naturally dyed yarns, some hand spun, some custom mill spun) and Philosopher's Wool. (very tempting stranded designs and kits). I also enjoyed seeing all the lace in the XRX Books booth.
But, you asked what I DID get, not what I want to complain about.
I got two back issues of Wild Fibers Magazine. One issue features camel, bison, and a story on the Navajo shepherds in Arizona. One of the breeds talked about in the Navajo shepherds article is the Navajo-churro, a now endangered breed that was a large part of the traditional Navajo way of life (post Spanish introduction of sheep).
As an aside, Navajo-churro is a mid-grade wool with a long staple length, well suited to rug making (makes sense given the stunning rugs created the the Navajo weavers). I have a gray fleece from a sheep named Albert. It is fun to spin, but not for next to the skin wear, maybe outerwear.
The other issue features Qiviut (the Inuit word for muskox). I have only skimmed the article so far, but this species nearly went extinct and has been resurrected from 34 animals. The fiber is shed and collected either from the pasture where it falls or by plucking it off the animal. The animal is not shorn.
While I was in the Wild Fibers booth I met Linda Cortright (editor and publisher). She is delightful. Stop by and visit with here if you ever see her at an event. I was beguiled by the raw qiviut and bought 25g for an ungodly sum of money. It is mostly down with a bit of the guard hair still in place. I haven't decided yet whether I want to dehair it or blend it or what. For now I will fondle it.
My only other purchase was a bump of dyed Wensleydale from Lisa Souza. I am such a sucker for Wensleydale. It is a mid-grade fiber with incredible luster. Unfortunately, it is in short supply since most of it comes from Great Britain and many animals were slaughtered in the recent hoof and mouth disease scare there. Hopefully the herds will be rebuilt soon.
I really wanted to get more spinning fiber. A few vendors had the usual merino or Falklands fiber that is handpainted. I didn't see any unusual, exotic, or luxury fibers aside from the qiviut (do you know how hard it is to type q without a u after it?). I recall there being a lot more last year. There was Carolina Homespun of course, but I can go there any time I want to drive 30 minutes into the city (also known as San Francisco, the city by the bay) So, I didn't get much at Stitches, but I am happy with what I got.
Ohwowwowowowow!
qivit.
Did I say wow! qivit, yet?
I had to hold myself back from getting some at Rhinebeck last fall. I didn't even touch it too much, because I knew if I did, I would end up shelling out the monies.
& you know (maybe) I have a deep love of the churro. I like blending it with super soft stuff, It comes out so nice & adds something so spectacular...
Posted by: pippi | February 25, 2007 at 04:12 AM