Favorite Things Monday: Crack Monkey Pedlars

May 14, 2007

While Wifey slept in, ate bon-bons and lounged in the yard*, Little Man and I celebrated Mother’s Day by wooling it up at the New Hampshire Sheep & Wool Festival. Danielle was my pseudo-wife for the day: driving, loading a heap of kid-gear, holding my bag, sharing french fries, pulling the wagon, periodically entertaining Little Man, unloading kid-gear, etc. She’s a great festival companion, should you ever have the chance to carpool with her.

Attendees link love: I spent glorious time with Pi Grrrl, Suzanne&Co, Cheryl, Terry, Kellee, Melanie, Kristen, and Julia, and unfortunately missed Pippi and Kat. For the record, Suzanne’s DH is a great festival man — kid wrangler, enabler, and bag/wagon tender. We love him. And Little Man is turning into a festival man too. He was remarkably well behaved. Seriously. Except for one key exception.
At Grafton Fibers booth, Little Man met the needle felted mermaid. After a sedate round of questions and gentle touching of the mermaid:

Little Man burst into some intense mermaid-lusting misbehavior. After eagle-eyeing his gentle touches, I looked away for one split second and he grabbed the mini-mermaid and started swinging her around by her arm. AHHHH!!! I freaked. I saved mini-mermaid. I scolded. I was horrified. But Linda(?) said to me, “Don’t worry. I have three kids. Don’t freak out.” Then she turned to Little Man and said, “{his name}, do you like wool?” He stopped jumping around, nodded and came closer. She reached behind her, pulled out a handful of fluffy pinky purple fiber, handed it to Little Man, and said “Now you cuddle that, OK? You play with your own wool so your Mom doesn’t freak out, OK?” He grinned, nodded and smooshed the wool under his chin and snuggled it tightly. For the rest of the day, he snuggled that wool.

After he fell asleep last night, I was able to steal it and take a picture.

Linda(?) has to be the most generous vendor ever. For all the parents out there — please buy from her.

But the big news is — and I hesitate to write this — I’ve officially fallen. With zero prompting, and even less consent, an innocent conversation about the unused drop spindle that I bought at last year’s NHS&W turned into plans for a golden winged chariot to carry a wheel to my house at some point in the next couple weeks. I’m afraid. Perhaps I shouldn’t tell them where I live?

Just in case they have the magical powers of Santa Claus (which I suspect they do), I had to prepare myself.

I can practically hear the knitters-turned-spinners howling with laughter from all sides of the globe. [shut up cate] Feel free to unleash the laughter on Danielle, who has her own story to tell. Just sayin’.

Despite my terror, I’m also wicked excited. So I’m releasing that excited energy by doing the Cheryl dance: “Cheryl’s the best!” [wiggle wiggle], “Cheryl’s the best!” [jump jump], “Cheryl’s the best!” [twirl twirl].

_________

*It’s a lie. She worked her tail off on Mother’s Day. First of all, we’re having a hard time determining how to split the day, and then she said we don’t have the luxury of celebrating. I think she might be referring to the state of perpetual DIY renovation. To that point, for Mother’s Day, Wifey got a really sassy pair of rain boots, and I got a lawn mower, a hedge trimmer and a Bleeding Heart plant. Yeah baby. Thank god for gay marriage. Everyone should bask in such luxury.

** Other news: I got into Ravelry and I’m a woman possessed. Truly. It’s divinity.

*** Even more news: I’ve been playing with Dana&Co lately and I adore them. Welcome to ~~mecca~~ Massachusetts, Dana.

Entry Filed under: Favorite Things Monday, Knitting, Peeps, Spinning, The World. .

21 Comments Add your own

1. pippi | May 14, 2007 at 1:52 pm

It looks like much fun was had by all!!!
OH! and you didn’t miss me, my plans changed pretty much last minute like & I went on Sat. :0

Maybe you will get up for ours in the fall!!! (*hint* hint*)
2. Sparkles | May 14, 2007 at 2:37 pm

I laughingly told R that maybe we should adopt Father’s Day as well, so we can split up who gets spoiled and pampered when…though in our house, who would get Father’s Day??? LOL

Oh and you are a lucky, lucky girl! I have been being tempted by the spinning bug as well. I’ve always said that I didn’t want to learn because that would take away from my knitting time. But we’ve had this beautiful spinning wheel in our house for months now, on loan from my bestest friend. It was supposed to be so R could learn to spin, but she doesn’t sit down long enough and when she does she prefers that she has her hands in dirt instead of fiber. So, there it has sat in the corner, mocking me. So, guess I’ll have to just do it, damn it…
3. maryse | May 14, 2007 at 2:39 pm

congratulations! sorry i missed you though. i went up on saturday. maybe one day we’ll meet in person.
4. Beth S. | May 14, 2007 at 2:58 pm

OMG. I’m SO EXCITED I have to type in ALL CAPS for a while!

Are you borrowing, or is the wheel coming to stay for good? Either way it’s terribly exciting.
5. Danielle | May 14, 2007 at 3:49 pm

I’ll have to block out some time for us to play with wheels together. How’s August looking for you???
6. Elinor | May 14, 2007 at 3:57 pm

Yeah, Mother’s/Father’s Day is an issue in my family. I categorically refuse to celebrate those holidays. First off, I don’t like the Hallmarkness. Or the fact that mom’s get flowers/jewelry/soft or shiny stuff and dad’s get grills/golf stuff/hard manly GEAR. The gender role thing is a big deal to me and I jsut can’t get past it. Mostly, I feel like those holidays just pay lip service to parents. I want my kid to be nice to me year round. I don’t want her to be nice to me one day, feel like she did her duty and then treat me poorly the rest of the year. What’s that you say? My kid is 9 months old? Yeah, well I’m thinking ahead. That’s also how I approach it as a daughter. I’d say you and Wifey should buy the stuff you want when you want and not worry about the actual day of Mother’s Day.
7. Elinor | May 14, 2007 at 3:58 pm

OKay, I can’t believe that I just wrote Mom’s instead of moms. I spend too much time with undergraduates.
8. Ruth | May 14, 2007 at 4:24 pm

So sorry I missed you … I was there on Saturday, and spent Sunday trying to recover (these old pregnant bones don’t rebound like they used to). Gorgeous fiber you have there.
9. Ashley | May 14, 2007 at 4:30 pm

Love that the kid is so entertained by wool. Bodes well for his fiber-artist future.
10. Pi Grrrl | May 14, 2007 at 4:36 pm

Grafton Fibers is the gateway drug. Good times.
11. Lucia | May 14, 2007 at 5:03 pm

What Beth said. That Linda is quite something, isn’t she? Id be snuggling that wool too.
12. pamela wynne | May 14, 2007 at 7:27 pm

too, too funny and cute — he’s clearly bound to be a fiber artist himself. And WOO! for spinning wheel!
13. Cheryl | May 14, 2007 at 7:32 pm

Wow, I’ve never had a dance named after me before. I’m honored. I hope it catches on, like the Twist and the Locomotion.
14. PumpkinMama | May 14, 2007 at 8:30 pm

Cheryl *is* the best. Good to see another succumb to the lure of the spinning wheel.
15. Lisa | May 14, 2007 at 8:53 pm

Wifey and I celebrate Moms Day. Sse usually gets power tools from the girls and I get the “girl” stuff which is okay by me. I love to get garden art and gift certificates to the nail salon for pedicures. They also throw in certificates to the LYS from time to time, and only if I’ve finished enough WIP’s.

I wish that I had a clan here that could share the passion. None of our collection of family and friends has a fiber artist bone in their bodies, most of them are teachers. When I want to go on a yarn excursion, it is usually alone. I will have to live vicariously throu ya’ll for that.

Happy Moms Day to you and wifey!
16. Mel | May 14, 2007 at 9:17 pm

Um, you forgot to mention Cate, who says she was there, too. I’m bummed that I wasn’t able to join all y’all, especially since it was so much nicer out than last year.
17. Rhonda the Stitchingnut | May 15, 2007 at 5:50 am

Ah Little Man is bound to be a Fiber Artist himself one day … I can see it coming and felting would be perfect. Needle Felt art or wet felting rugs or wall hangings. As long as it’s wool!

Ahhhahhahahaha, you guys fell for the spinning bug before ME! And you guys snickered when I spoke of an interest BUT have been holding out. So I’ve been claiming I have no room for a wheel. Or avoiding the groans of pushing the DH over the edge with more STUFF. But don’t let me get near your wheels or I’ll weaken in a second for sure. Ok … I want to hear all about it next week!!
18. margene | May 15, 2007 at 10:11 am

The fiber is fabulous and enjoy your wheel! That’s very good news
19. Dana | May 15, 2007 at 11:35 am

Thanks! We adore you, too! Happy to be here in the Bay State.
20. femiknitmafia | May 15, 2007 at 12:04 pm

Clarification - it’s a loaner wheel. A beautiful loaner wheel that’s clearly magical since Cheryl has evolved into an amazing spinner in the last two years.
21. Julie | May 16, 2007 at 12:32 pm

Hey, I want into Ravelry!! I am on the list, but they are moving oh so slowly…

And I fell at MDSW and bought a Lendrum DT and a ton of fiber. I lurve it. Once the spinning bug bites, there is no helping it.

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