Sheepy T Magic

Yesterday I shared the pictures from the touristy spots we visited but in the course of our travels we saw so much more. We walked all around Charlottesville and Asheville. There were galleries and street art to see everywhere you looked.

Above are just a few samples of what we saw. The nifty sculpture of a wine bottle and glasses is perched above the entry to the Revival Grille in Greensboro, NC. All I can say about that is YUM! The picture with the flag was taken during the opening ceremonies at an Asheville Tourists game we saw. There was a group of VIP's there the night we went so they pulled out all thte stops and started things off with a group of 4 skydivers landing on the field and ended with a very nice fireworks display. We also saw several street performers in Asheville. The one in the picture did amazing things with spray paint.
Are you ready for the really good stuff? This is a knitting blog after all.

When we were packing for this trip, I made certain to pack my Guide to Yarn Shops as I always do but, to be perfectly honest, I really wasn't planning on doing a lot of yarn shopping. No, really... I wasn't. I did plan to go to The Needle Lady(where I bought some lovely red sock yarn) because Krista recommended it but there was only one other yarn store in my plans - Yarns to Dye For in Hendersonville, NC. Somewhere along the way I found myself needing to visit 2 more yan stores and they were great. Blame it on MDS&W.
I've been to MDS&W twice and both times I waited on the ridiculously long line to get a t-shirt. The day that we went to Montpelier I wore one of them and when we stopped in the gift shop to return our audio units, Phyllis, one of the women working there, noticed my shirt and the conversation went as you'd expect it to. The grounds of Montpelier is where the Fall Fiber Festival is held. That's the event I usually refer to as Mud Fest. Phyllis assured me that she's never seen the event so muddy before and insisted that I have to come back this year. She also insisted that I had to go to Limerick Fibers. She even had a colleague write me up directions. How could I say no?
Limerick Fibers is a lovely little shop in Gordonsville, VA. They had a great selection of yarn, fiber and tools. A ball of trekking pro natura caught my eye instantly. I really like the colors and it's a wool/bamboo blend. It will certainly become socks for hubbo. The other purchase was a ball of fiber from a breed of sheep I'd never heard of before - California Red. You can't really see it in this picture but there are little red fibers mixed in there. I can't wait to spin it up. I'm thinking that I'll leave it natural to show off the red fibers.
The next place we visited was Stony Mountain Fibers. This was a tip from Terri (?), one of the guides at Ashlawn who noticed my MDS&W shirt too. (Hubbo is threatening to "forget" my t-shirts at home on our next vacation. ) We called ahead to make she that Barbara would be there and also to get directions. This is not a place you find by accident! It was well worth the trip because Barbara was really nice and she had great stuff. The ball of fiber is Cormo from her "girls" and the red braid laying on it is merino/tencel. I haven't tried either of these before. The coolest thing I bought there is the yarn laying next to it. It's sock yarn dyed with onion skins! I have a collection of onion skins at home that is earmarked for the same thing. I asked how she got the different shades and she laughed and looked at me funny. She used a few different mordants. I've never used any mordants at all so clearly I have a lot to learn before I break out my onion skins.
The last yarn shop I visited during my vacation is actually one that I planned to visit 4 years ago, the first time I took DQ to camp. I couldn't find it then because it wasn't where I expected to find it and I inexplicably failed to consult a map. Duh! This time I carved out the perfect chunk of time to go and I was prepared with a map from Google. I was not disappointed. If I ever had a yarn store of my own - this is what it would be.
From the front, this shop doesn't look like much. It's quaint and charming but nothing to write home about. Step inside though, and you'll find a space that is wide open, warm and inviting. There is a circle of comfy looking chairs that just beg for you to stop and sit a while. Next to it is a work area with large tables set up for dyeing classes. This lovely skein of sock yarn was dyed at those tables. Of course, there is yarn too. They had a nice selection that was displayed in cubbies and on hooks. It really sucks you in and demands to be petted. If this store were near me I would probably live in one of the comfy chairs. On the positive side, DQ is already counting the days till she goes to camp next year so I'll be back.