Maryland Sheep and Wool - the abbreviated version

Is it possible to fondle too much yarn?? If you can even imagine such a possiblity, I came dangerously close Sunday at Maryland Sheep and Wool. It was my first trip to the fiber festival. And it was overwhelming. Stitches East on steroids.

I took a bus trip with the Bucks County Guild of Crocheters and Knitters and was lucky to have a MDSW veteran, Maggie, as my guide. After a lovely road trip that included sock knitting and chatting, we rolled into the parking area about 11 o'clock. And from the moment we left the bus, we were on a mission.

First the t-shirts. Getting some MDSW festival merchandise is a must. Fiber enthusiasts have shirts from each year they attended. Worn proudly like a badge of honor or your fiber credentials, if you will. And to get a t-shirt involves standing in line. We stood in line for about 10 minutes, in the midst of all the food concession stands. In those 10 minutes I went from "eat lamb, no way!" to "boy, that smells good!" to "I'm so eating whatever it is they are grilling!!"

Once the t-shirts were bought, we were off and running and even at the brisk pace that my festival mentor set, we didn't see it all. Impossible. And that was with no bathroom breaks and a lamb sausage sandwich in hand, as we went vendor to vendor. Yarn, roving, fleece, needles, more yarn, spindles, wheels, more yarn, looms, shawl pins, swifts, baskets, more roving, buttons, more yarn, more, more, more!!

And of course, a big draw to MDSW is the animals. We saw sheep, goats, alpacas, bunnies, and my favorite of the day .... a Llama named Quentin.

I thought he looked very regal and handsome. When he saw the pictures, my son, empathetic soul that he is, thought he looked embarrassed to have been shorn.

By 4:30 we were running for the bus. It's a good thing I didn't go with any grand stash aquisition plans. I bought 2 skeins of sock yarn, pictures to follow later. And a couple of bars of lovely smelling goat's milk soap and the requisite t-shirts.

Overwhelming! I'll do better next year. Put it on your calendars KnittingNovice and JennyGirl!!