nipperknits

Wonky R Ranch

The Nipper Ranch is undergoing a temporary name change to the Wonky R Ranch. Ron's R is *not* coming out right at all. This is only the second time I've done intarsia and the first attempt ended in tears. I've started and ripped out this R 3 times already and it doesn't want to work. I just can't get my tension right. The letter puckers, the stitches around the letter are loose. I'm meeting some ladies this afternoon for a bit of knitting, so perhaps they can help me get this straight. If not, I'm switching to duplicate stitching. We'll see how that turns out.

I got my last Secret Pal gift the other day. I'm sad this is almost over. I had a lot of fun getting presents and and picking out presents for my own Secret Pal. Secret Pal 4 doesn't even start until January. Oh well, until then I can enjoy the lovely presents I've received. I got a bunch of really cool stuff. Honey and Calendula lotion (which smells heavenly and I can feel the dry skin melting away,) Moroccan Pomegranate Rooibus Tea (very yummy,) a cute little skully cuff, and some amazing chocolate. I'm just as surprised as you are that it's still intact. I've been having this weird thing lately where the roof of my mouth hurts when I eat sweet stuff, so I've been laying off the sugar for a while. It's like hell. Especially when someone gives you lavender chocolate. I'm so intrigued... I want to try it! I also got some very cool Nipper-colored yarns. I made a scarf for a friend of mine last year out of the fluffy/papery stuff. It almost didn't get to her, because I wanted to keep it. Now I can make my own boa-like scarf. Thank you so much, Kathy! You've been a great Secret Pal.

Rhinebeck-a-licious

I had a great time at Rhinebeck! I drove up with Amy, Sandi, and Jackie. We hung out together for most of the day, but we ran into quite a few other knit bloggers, some I already knew, some I was meeting for the first time: Carolyn, Mindy, Cari, Alison, Shannon, and a cast of others who I can't remember right now.

If it tells you anything about my day, I didn't get any sleep the night before. I was like a kid the night before the first day of school. So excited I just couldn't sleep. I had a lovely night spent in my bed watching Venus rise through the window as I kept telling myself to go to sleep. It didn't work. So, when 5:45 rolled around, I was already awake, but completely brain-dead. I stumbled old-school-zombie-like through my apartment trying to get myself together to leave. Jackie met me at the train station and was just as done in as I was. She had been up all night before finishing up the poncho she was wearing at the festival. We met up with Amy and Sandi in Katonah and rode with them the rest of the way up.

Let me just tell you that I have never been so overwhelmed in my life. I have never before been so unable to find something I was really into. But with 7 or 8 buildings full of yarn and roving, I was way out of my league. There was so much roving there, I was tempted to start spinning, but do I really need a new hobby? No. I was not leaving without some yarn, though. I finally decided on some mohair boucle that looks like blue-green algae. It was very cheap, too. 1000 yds for $22. I think I can make a 3/4 sleeved, open-knit, ballet necked sweater with 1000 yds. I'm little, I think it'll work. I also bought a very cute sheep mug. So cute.

I didn't take many pictures of the booths... there weren't any that were all that interesting. A whole lot of yarn here, a whole lot of yarn over there. But I did take lots of pictures of people...

Rhinebeck 1 This is Carolyn, Jackie, Amy, and Sandy when we first got there. There was another lady there who's hair matched her sweater. Someone said to Carolyn, "There's another hair/sweater match." Carolyn recognized me from behind, "That's Jenn!"

Rhinebeck 2 This is a Little Bo Peep and Sheep that walked by. Sorry this picture is so blurry, but I wasn't going any closer to them... It freaked me out a bit, actually. That sheep costume is actually made of real fleece. Must have been warm.

Rhinebeck 3 This is Mindy and me. I did a lot of one hand out photography. I'm getting good at the self-portrait. I wish I had gotten a better picture of what Mindy was wearing... She had her very cool scarf with sleeves sweater on.

Rhinebeck 4 This is Martin, Mindy's little one. Isn't he adorable? Right after I took this picture, he broke out in a big grin and started dancing in his stroller. Now there's a boy who loves to have his picture taken.

Rhinebeck 5 Here's me and Sandi, a little more one handed photography.

Rhinebeck 6This was so weird! This lady is spinning directly from the bunny. She would spin for a bit, then pluck some more fluff from the bunny and go right back to spinning adding in the new fluff. Crazy.

Rhinebeck 7 Sandi, Jackie, Amy, and me. The woman who offered to take our picture almost dropped my camera. I just about had a heart attack.

Rhinebeck 8 This is Shannon, Jacki, Cari, and Alison. I met Shannon and Cari for the first time here.

Rhinebeck 9 Amy and me.

Rhinebeck 10 This is us at the diner that night. A fun day was had by all, but my God are we done in. The sign on the counter behind us says, "Table for "three" or more!" I love misplaced quotation marks.

... and sheep...

Sheep 1

Sheep 2
Sheep 3 Oops! I have been notified that these (pictures 2&3) aren't sheep at all, but angora goats! What a horrible fiber junkie I am to not know my herd animals. I need to start looking into more about the animals I partake of. This is like not knowing bacon comes from pigs. Thanks, Debbie, for setting me straight!

... and goats!

Goats!

I had great fun. It was great meeting those of you I hadn't met before and was super cool to get to see the others of you that I know! Definitely trying to go back again next year.