Totally Loopy

It's Tuesday (yes, I know you already know that but I think I just figured it out so walk with me a while, won't you? LOL) and even though I've been officially back from the Spring Fling for 1.5 days - I could swear it's only been 10 minutes. This is to say that I had a super great time and that life went on fairly well without me and all should be fine and good and is really but I'm still VERY exhausted and SUPER excited and have sooooo many ideas, faces, conversations, eventful moments, etc. swimming around my head that I actually resent that special need that the body has to shut itself down for hours on end (I mean, I could be knitting then if I wouldn't fall into that sleep shutdown and poke myself with sock needles) when I would otherwise like to be trying out every.single.thing I learned/thought/dreamed up over the weekend.

Being an oober dork is not easy but I have managed to maintain that distinction by escaping the fling with no pictures. You read that right.....I never took the camera out of the bag. It was weird, really, because I meant to. But, then it seemed everywhere I went people were snapping pics and I just sort of forgot to take some of my own. I blame it on the math that I was doing while working on my homework for the awesome design classes I took with Cookie A., whom I lurve to pieces and will just have to follow around like an unworthy puppy for all of eternity. If you haven't gotten to, and you get the chance to, do take one of her classes. It was really fun, super inspiring, and I, yes, even I, learned alot - so there - now you know she is a teacher with super powers LOL. Unfortunately for me, I didn't receive her book until two days after I left so I couldn't read it before the fling or get her to sign it for me - a favor for which I am considering rewarding amazon.com with a knitted piece mirroring some vile bodily fluids or something. Even seething with a boiling passion to horrify for having to wait two weeks for the book I was DESPERATELY NEEDING did not spoil my excitement for jumping into it upon my arrival at home and, ya'll, it is a must have.

I nearly squealed with excitement and fell out of my chair hyperventilating when I got to meet Cookie A., Wendy AND Anne in the same day. Seriously, I had to go up to my room that night and just stare at the wall for a minute in awe of it all. I only hope the bug-eyed gaze of panic on my face didn't scare them or creep them out too badly. I don't think so, though, because I do remember being able to actually carry on conversations with them. At least, I think I remember it (giggles).

But, truly, I have to say a great big 'thank you' to Sheri & Family and Janice and the Loopy Elves. I've had a long time crush on Sheri. I think I'd like to be like her when I stop being a total freak and grow up. You can tell alot about a person when you meet their family and Sheri's family only backs up my long held notion that Sheri is a phenomenal human being. It was an honor to meet them all and cute beyond words to see them working together in the shop. So, there's that part of her that I just think is deeply beautiful. Also, though, is the professional yet ever kind and joyful person that she is. In case you were wondering, it is contagious. When you stand next to her, and breathe the kind and joyful fumes, you feel better. Without even knowing it, you'll find yourself being more kind and joyful because of it. I just love people like that, don't you? People who inspire you, who challenge you to meet and exceed your own boundaries, and who share their knowledge, enthusiasm, and compassion with you while you're taking that bold step - that's the sum of the privilege it has been to work with Sheri. I hope it goes on forever.

So, I like to think I have some things in common with Sheri. One thing I know we both have in common is the love of being 'givers'. I can hardly go anywhere these days without taking a few presents along. I think I've been that way all my life. I totally dig the feeling of giving someone a present but Sheri really showed me how to do it very well. When we checked in, we received a gift bag that BLEW MY MIND. Over the weekend and with many sessions at the hotel of petting my stash enhancements, I got the gifties all mixed up in the stuffs I bought on the shopping trip to TLE but the coffee cup included in our Knittubes got constant use in the hotel room (and in my studio this morning). It's seen, here, being hugged by some alpaca/silk roving I bought on my shopping trip from Gale's Art. Beautiful jewel tones - just like I like it. I've been petting it much so it's looking a little rougher around the edges than it did when I first brought it to my hotel room to, uhm, 'get to know it'. heh heh

I couldn't wait to go to The Loopy Ewe to score some loot - which I did. Starting from the left of this photo, I tried out a few ball of the elasticized Panda Cotton - I'm hoping to get those made up into some fiery socks for Thing 3's August birthday. He's a pretty active kid so I'm thinking the elasticized yarn might make good, rough wearing and stay up all day socks for him. Yeah, you see that mermaid-ish skein next to them on the left? You're right - that is the Wollmeise. I won it for identifying Sheri in a photo - actually, I won a red skein but since the red skein on the far right (schaffer yarns 'nicole' - there's no colorway indicated on the label) was in my giftie tube and the person next to me had a skein of 'tiefer see' Wollmeise - we traded on the spot. Such is the fever one gets when holding the Wollmeise - you instantly know you have a fine gem in your hands and that everyone else in the room knows it, too. Fangs might be shown neath raised lips if a wandering hand comes too close to it. The gorgeous, earthy skein next to it is the Sanguine Gryphon's 'kypria' line - a sw merino/bamboo/nylon base that is soooo, lustrous and soft. The colorway is 'given' and I had to have it. I couldn't seem to capture the subtle turquoise in the skein but I'm betting it will show up more distinctly in the knitting. And, lastly, that twinkling skein there, c'mon, I know you saw it and thought, 'more sparkles?' but, I just HAD.TO.HAVE.IT. It's Dream in Color's 'starry' yarn - a superwash merino with real silver in it. Ahhhhhh.....you want it too, don't you? fangs flare, again, because she already has a pet name for it even though it's real name is 'dusky aurora' Sorry, you can't have it. I am watching my loopy loot with a strong eagle eye....and casting on projects in a fevered flush of ideas.

All that, though, barely scratches the surface of what a great weekend it was. I got to meet so many awesome people and managed to talk about spinning and knitting ALL WEEKEND long without anyone complaining. It was beyond words and I would like to rip some months off the calender so Sock Summit will get here faster and then do the same again for the Fling in 2010. I think I could handling doing it over and over again - with naps in between, of course. Snorks.

Sadly, I didn't have these cool dpn tube protectors before my shopping trip. I say sadly because when I boarded the plane to fly down to the fling, I accidentally dropped two dpns out of my sock and they disappeared into the space between the seat in front of me and the wall. Urgh. Couldn't knit all the way there. I was so exasperated by that knitting withdrawal that I bought a few pairs of circs there and a few sweet souls tried to teach me magic loop and knitting on two circs. I get the concept but my hands just couldn't do it. So, the tubes are my practical solution - they hold your sock so nicely, non? This sock is one I'm knitting in my 'Tia Dalma' colorway - the patter is 'Constrictor' by Jeannie Cartmel. I love her designs and this pattern is a super easy but very visually exciting stitch combo. I was glad to come home to it but it's been sadly neglected whilst I play with my new design that I started in Cookie A's class.