my Rhinebeck haul

This year was all about spindles for me. If Chasing Rainbows had come stocked with silk hankies, it would have been about them, too. But they didn't. Oh well. You'll see I didn't suffer. :-)


First, I share with you my birthday present from Jillian. She got herself a Golding recently, and was raving about the infinite length of spin it gives. She is not kidding. This is a 0.9 oz baby and it spins forever. On it, a sacrifical silk cap bought at the show and badly destroyed [I'm way out of practise] to help convince new spinning friends how easy it is. Mostly, i LOVE this spindle. Thank you, J!


Blue Moon Sock Candy [the no-sheep STR] in Carbon


A lone skein in Pretty in Pink


Another tube sock sock tube! I may not knit them as tube socks, but I love these colors together.


My first purchase -- from Mayan Hands. A handwoven cotton bag, perfect to hold my wallet and cell phone so I didn't have to dig in my backpack every time I bought a little something.


Silk caps from Shadeyside farm.


I bought two of these -- silk roving in the Fire colorway from Mountainview Farm.


This stuff smelled so good, I couldn't resist. Cinnamon/oatmeal soap from Got Soap, plus the cute dish.


An experiment...a wee bit of plucked angora fiber that I want to card in with some silk. Lorraine?


I loved the gifted Golding so much, I wanted another one that was significantly heavier. This is 1.5oz.


You know when you make your last purchase, how it's clearly the last purchase? It's enough? This was mine. Two skeins of screaming pink handspun angora. About 100 yards total. I have a few skeins of commercial angora at home and have held them without the burning I get from all other animal fibers. So I wanted to give it an official try. I cast on for a Mimi variation in this crazy pink yarn and so far, my hands tingle but don't burn or hurt. It's not unpleasant, just weird. I can likely wear this as long as I've got a turtleneck on underneath.

So there you have it. A relatively modest collection, I think, but very satisfying. I have a good bit of fiber left from last year, but didn't get to try all the spindles I wanted. Now I have and I'm happy with my new Goldings.

p.s. there's one more spindle I forgot to photograph. It's a Norm Hall. I didn't get the niddy noddy, but I did manage to snag a spindle! I'll report on that one when I've had a chance to test it out. The wood is so beautifully turned and finished. Sigh.