lots o'fleece

This past weekend saw the return of the eagerly anticipated annual Taos Wool Festival in Kit Carson Park. It was summer again in Taos so there were fewer spectacular woolly handknits parading around, but there were numerous sightings of lovely lightweight lacey shawls and shoulder warmers. Vendors outdid themselves with lots of inventory, color, new fiber blends, animals, handspun, and finished products from hats to goat milk soaps and sheepskin booties.

Buckets and bags of fleece make me want to dive into them both figuratively and literally, but I find that I'm still impervious to their charms re spinning. I simply do not want to add one more obsession to my life in fiber. I've heard from too many new spinners how addictive it is.

We all liked the monkey hats.

We brought food and blankets with us and in the afternoon settled in a shady spot under a big old tree that we named The Man Tree because every time we glanced up a different man was resting beneath it waiting for someone - usually a female companion toting a big bag of fleece or yarn. One came back with an angora rabbit.

We feasted on baguettes, goat cheese, eggplant, fruit, hummus, olives - and dark chocolate espresso malt balls. yum! Acquaintances and friends wandered over for brief visits and we happily settled in for the duration, taking turns at one or two more laps each - usually returning with something we hadn't known we needed (did I say needed?). Back issues of knitting magazines, a skein of silk and bamboo we'd been musing over all day, the basketball sized ball of cotton ends from the rug maker. I bought some dreamy purple and yellow cashmere from Jabberwocky Farms (my favorite cashmere supplier) and a cheerful blue washable lightweight worsted and pattern for a baby cardi I started immediately upon arriving  home and will finish.

We gathered our stuff and left for home late in the afternoon, a bit sun tanned, our minds reeling with color, potential projects, friendship and promises to meet again before next year's festival (when I will remember to bring my own chair).