The Cabled Coat makes its debut, and we consider the advantages of zen photography

I love it when a plan comes together. My daughter arrived right on time (and this is no small miracle. Huzzah for her!), my inlaws arrived to collect us, and off we went to NH S&W. Never mind the fact that I spent the early part of the morning stitching madly at The Cabled Coat, trying desperately to finish it in time. I briefly considered trying to work on it in the car on the way, but discarded that notion when I realized that I would either A) puncture myself with a dull yarn needle, or B) make myself so carsick that I'd be puking out the window all the way to the festival.
I got it to this point -and called it close enough. The last flappy bit could be a design feature, and the yarn end was obviously a very delicate tassel.
Besides, I figured I should leave the flappy bit, just to crack up Laurie.


I remembered to pack up my camera, and threw, not one, not two, but THREE sets of batteries into my bag. I was so ready to document the festival.
Except for the part where I never took the camera out of the bag. Not once. We were there for hours, we saw amazing and wonderful things, and I didn't get a picture of anything...

So, you'll just have to use your imaginations while I show the photos I could have taken if I had remembered to pack my brain with the camera.

We saw the cutest little lambs:











and these:











and some of them were even Shetlands! Look at the colors on this little one's fleece.










These llamas were my favorites. Isn't the one on the left the most beautiful one you've ever seen?











One of the highlights of the day was the 4H kids costume competition. We saw Little Bo Peep and her ribbon-bedecked little lamb:












And this young man who'd outfitted himself as a cowboy and his sheep as a longhorn steer. Aren't those horns clever?












But my favorite by far was this little girl, who dressed up as a lilac bush by strapping flowering branches to her back, and dressed her lamb up as a bumblebee. Isn't that just the cutest thing you ever saw?












Here's a great shot of Laurie and Manise as I showed them the flappy bit. I think I really caught the twinkle in Laurie's eye, don't you?












I loved showing off my sweater - I got a lot of comments on it, starting with the lady in the ladies' room who complimented it as I was waiting in line. The nice ladies in the spinner's guild building all wanted to get a closer look, so I ended up twirling for them. And several other people flagged me down over the course of the day to check out the sweater.
I'm not used to getting so much attention. I tried to pretend I wasn't shy.

And I really enjoyed being warm in my big wrappy sweater. It was freakin' COLD!

And just to end the day on the highest possible note, Judy at Ball and Skein had the perfect pattern for the merino tencel I spun last fall. Feather Duster is absolutely the shawl I'd been dreaming of - the yarn reminded me of ostrich plume colors, and this feathery pattern will show those colors off to perfection.


I love wool festivals. Can't wait for the next one!