Coast-to-Coast.

Right after Carolina Fiber Fest (as in, that night) I went to the North Carolina Opera Gala (I won only two things in the silent auction, a basket of lots of yummy things from a local cooking shop that my niece and I divided, and several gift cards to a local restaurant; I gave one to her) and the next morning headed to Los Angeles to attend and present at a conference about "Cybersecurity+AI".  My panel talked about trade secrets and AI.  Then I took a red-eye home, managed well enough through that day, but went to bed early.

I mostly worked on small items during my travels, finishing three hats and a Warm Up, America! blanket piece:

I need to add braided tassels to the two red hats.

Coming home, I decided to do some finish-up work on the community pieces from CFF (still in progress) and made another blanket piece from some leftover self-striping yarn.  I also started another mindless knitting scarf, and might have enough yarn for two:

Then I heard about Soap S.A.C.K. and decided to use the cotton yarn leftovers a friend keeps giving me to make a bunch of those.   I finished two today; photo taken before sewing:

I have a dozen bars of Pears soap purchased because I wanted to try it, but this may be a better use, especially since I have a lot of soaps from indie soap makers.

How did I do?

It's Carolina Fiber Fest this weekend, and I ended up with ten items to enter in the competitions, although I forgot to take a photo of the final one, which is one of the knit-along cowls:

Categories AK7 and AK8, respectively.
Knit from a pattern and design my own pattern.

Category AK6 - Knit from handspun yarn.  This is the back.

Category AC10 - Crocheted from handspun yarn.  I clipped
the leftover bit before entering, of course!

Another Category AK7 - The Giverny Shawl of Junction Fiber
Mills' colourway for 2025 Maryland Sheep & Wool

Hat is Category 12, because I designed the pattern, and the
scarf (which is upside down, oops!) is Category AC13, the
annual crochet-along.

:

Two baby blankets in categories AC11 and AK8 respectively.

And these are the results; I have not read the comments cards:

The other items did not win ribbons.  I am well enough pleased with what I accomplished and actually thought I'd get a couple thirds instead of seconds.  I'm not completely surprised that the baby blankets didn't do better.

I was doing VERY well not buying yarn, although I bought some "box bags", and several flavours of tea, and picked up a few books and a box of oddments in the used equipment sale.  I felt very good that I managed to not buy another spinning wheel.  As I was able to get a couple of breaks, I saw many pretty yarns, but avoided buying - until right at the end, just before closing, when I spotted this at a favourite vendor who was right behind our setup:

  

Luckily they had only one left.  I see hat and mitts in my future!

Back from the Fairies.

As always, appropriate masks, although I took them down when not around crowds.

“Let us do something, while we have
the chance! **** Let us make the most
of it, before it is too late!"

--< Samuel Beckett, "Waiting for Godot

March 8th - International Women's Day

It was a good weekend, not too many photos, mostly video as I livestreamed a song from the bands performing at the stage we were near.  Storms on Saturday almost turned the Fun Run into a dogpaddle, but a break allowed the runners (except a couple who decided the 15+(F)-degree temperature drop after the first wave of storm was too much to tolerate) to head out.

Some of the other volunteers - nice to have them, for once! - with my crocheting on the table at the bottom left.  End result is cute (photo in next post) but why I wanted to do fine work in black??!!!

It's Trad

Off today for the North Texas Irish Festival.  Weather is supposed to be warm and rainy, although now Sunday may be sunny.  Better than the icy years!

Mom is worried because of terrorists and flying in storms and because it's the first time I've traveled away from her since Dad died.  We'll see how we manage.

I've packed a small bag, but overfull of items, including a green WFMT sweatshirt (because the buildings are always chilly) that I forgot to include in this photo:

Three days, three yarn projects - right?  One a hat I am designing to go with the Carolina Fiber Fest Crochet Craft-Along scarf; one the CFF Knit-Along pattern (and I just saw they've posted a second option); and one the Shamrock Cowl from Kelbourne Woolens, because that seems appropriate.