Mannings weekend and Adamas modeled!

I finally got some shots of Adamas! I really love the simplicity and beauty of this pattern. It worked very well as a single skein knit!



Stats:
Pattern: Adamas by Miriam L. Felton
Yarn: Colinette Jitterbug
Needles: Size 9 Addi Lace
Mods: Since I knit this with only about 320 yards - I only did 9 repeats of the middle chart instead of 14 and then only had enough yarn for the last row of the third chart.





I wore it this weekend to the Mannings too! It was their 40th annual Spinning Seminar and Coleen, Jen and I went up for a visit!

It's so beautiful there. Don't you just want to go running through this field!



The Mannings is a magical place. If you've never gone - I highly recommend a day trip! They have everything a knitter, spinner or weaver could ever want! You can easily get lost in their store amid the spinning wheels, looms and row after row of yarn.

This weekend was especially fun because of all the things to do! There were of course sheep and other animals around - The little guy in the picture below actually got a piece of my finger!



1. The Mannings, 2. This guy bit me!, 3. Ouch!!, 4. Bah!

In addition to the sheep, goats and rabbits, there were many demonstrations to watch.

Norm Hall was there with his gorgeous wheels, there was a needle felting demonstration, a mushroom dyeing demonstration and a flax prep and spinning demonstration.



1. Norm Hall, 2. Needle Felting, 3. Mushroom dying, 4. Spinning Flax...

My favorite thing though was making my own batt! Here I am on the drum carder turning and turning the handle as I feed in wool, sparkles and other bits!



We all made a batt and each of ours was very different!



1. Jen's batt, 2. My batt, 3. My batt spun up, 4. Coleen's batt

It was so much fun to play with the colors! Now I know why Stephanie loves it :)
After we made out batts - we all immediately spun them up. Coleen did an awesome job - it was her first time on a spinning wheel and she did great!!



The setting couldn't be better - there's a river on one side - fields on the other and this gorgeous barn in the middle.

I love this old barn! It's a beautiful shade of red (and inside - the church ladies were selling yummy pie and home made rootbeer!)



Did you ever notice - that the support columns are just kind of sitting atop some bricks!!



Yikes!

Next to the barn is a glorious magnolia tree with huge dinner plate sized blossoms. The colors are perfect for Project Spectrum!




There was one point where we were all just sitting and knitting quietly and I looked up and saw Jen in the perfect light. Isn't she a beauty!



Thanks girls for an awesome day!

Adamas!

I tried - I really did. I tried to keep away from the lace for a while... but it called me back!

I started knitting the Adamas Shawl last Sunday and I finished it last night. 5 days people! I think I have some kind of problem.

Hi my name is Jody and I'm a lace addict.

I blocked it last night...





and I'm wearing it now. No one at work appreciates the knitting - but I don't care.

I knit this one with single ball of Colinette Jitterbug. I just love these quick single skein knits. Here's what I had left....



Yeah - I do like to cut it close!!

Hopefully I'll get some proper shots of it tomorrow. Coleen and I are going to the Mannings! Our yearly journey to the land of yarn has come again. Maybe I'll see you there!

The Mannings

I went to the Mannings this weekend with Sarah, Coleen,Amie, Jolene and Cheryl. We had the best time!

We caravaned up to PA on Saturday morning after a yummy Panera breakfast. When we arrived - the festival was already in full swing.



There were stands with alpacas and llamas and sheep waiting to be sheared.

Aren't the alpacas cute! They were making a cute sound that was a cross between a baa and a moo.



Once we got over oogling the HUGE amounts of yarn in the shop



I headed over the spinning room. There were many many wheels there and of course - I tried them all.

Here's Amie spinning on one of my favorites - The Kromski Symphony.



No - I didn't come with a wheel. I thought about it.... but I think I still like the Majacraft that I tried at Nicol's better.

In another room - there were looms. Big looms, and small looms, everywhere!




In the loom rooms - there were also several other demostrations going on. One stand had all kinds of needle felting techniques. I thought this idea of using a cookie cutter to determine the shape was brillant.



Outside they had several stands set up demonstrating dying and spinning and this one on spinning flax into Gold! (Well - gold colored yarn...)

This guy is demonstrating how the flax is combed before the spinning process can begin.



After a yummy lunch at a local diner - and a stop at Rita's for a gelati - we headed home.

On the way home I made everyone stop at this Homestead. (Well I was driving - so no one had a choice!)

They had this amazing water wheel that actually worked!




There was a wedding going on - so I didn't stray far from the car - but I did spy a blacksmith working.



It was a great day!