So I was wrong about walking again on Tuesday. On Tuesday I was still sore from BOOT CAMP. That's three whole days, if I were counting. Let's hope the pudge starts declining soon. You know, pain/gain and all that.
Anyway, we took the kids to the National Western Stock Show. It was my first visit and I suppose I was expecting something small and manageable, somewhat like what I grew up with in Nova Scotia. Certainly not the largest stock show in the world (apparently I hadn't noticed I'm in Denver). Once we walked about a mile, two miles, something like that, past booths selling everything from....well, just trust me: everything; just to find the petting area (with Olivia in new shoes - yikes), and then perhaps another mile or ten to find the stock, we had a pretty good time. We got to see fluffy cows having hair cuts (blown dry!) and pigs having baths. We petted many bunnies and heard roosters crow. No sheep to be found, although many many bags full of fleeces, some with blue ribbons although I couldn't tell why they were any different from the others. And then we found an alpaca farmer!!
Sooooo soft. I got three skeins, or about 670 yards. I realize that doesn't divide by three, but I didn't notice that each skein is different until after I got home. I thought the natural (undied) would make a lovely cabely scarf. She actually had four or five different shades of the undyed, which would make a fabulous fair-isle project, but I don't know enough to buy for that sort of thing on the fly.
The red is for Liam; I have about 260 yards, which just might make a decent-sized garter stitch scarf. Boring, I know, but I'm thinking of some sort of embroidery/embellishments.....
And then today Olivia and went to the library. They have a little room there where they sell old and donated books to raise money. We always check it out, since we can't have too many books (until the piles touch the ceiling, anyway) and how can you go wrong for a quarter? Look at what I found today:
Rowan Books 5 and 9!! So what if they're from the eighties and full of intarsia? (Truly, this was Kaffe Fassett's time to shine.) There are actually a few things I like, but mostly they're just a lot of fun for a dollar.
Butterflies on a man's sweater? Really, Rowan?
(Actually, I can't help but like that last one.)
Awesome finds! Rowan magazines at the library? That's my kind of library! Maybe it was a donation, but still awesome.
Hope the pain from boot camp subsides soon! Perhaps it was the miles you walked at the stock show that added to it? I want to see a fluffy cow.
Posted by: Nadine | January 23, 2009 at 05:51 AM
Dear Kath- What an experience. I must say though, that I feel somewhat embarrassed to see those knitting patterns- really awful...and to think I ever thought there was a day that Kaffe Fassett didn't shine. Until now. And thank you, thank you, thank you, for the warmest, non-itchy, scarf ever...an all-day-wear piece to make -25C possible.
Posted by: sue | January 23, 2009 at 06:15 AM
Oh, wow, the BUTTERFLIES. I cannot believe my eyes.
Posted by: KimK | January 23, 2009 at 08:16 AM
Now that I've stopped laughing at some of those patterns, I can type up a comment. (I really, really want that butterfly sweater for my husband. I wonder if the sample is sitting in someone's closet somewhere?) Great finds!
See you in Chicago. ;)
Posted by: Jody | January 23, 2009 at 01:24 PM
So, yeah. Those sweaters scream 'classic' to me. :) I don't think there is anything classic about the 80's. Except maybe Bill Cosby in those sweaters. :)
Posted by: Holly Jo | January 23, 2009 at 01:41 PM
Oh dear...those mens sweaters. Ug-ly.
Posted by: Stacey | January 26, 2009 at 12:07 AM