Wisconsin Sheep & Wool

Greetings!
I don't know if anyone will ever read this, but this is my first post. Reading blogs for over a year now, I decided to "unlurk" and start my own Blog.

This weekend, I dragged the DH and kidlets to Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival in Jefferson, WI http://www.wisconsinsheepandwoolfestival.com. About a 2 hour trip. Left about 8:30am, remembered to pack extra clothes, and etc for all but ME!

Fortunately, once at the festival, I spied a woman in a rather smashing sweatshirt advertising the festival. She directed me to the vendor and I secured the last item in my size for her. Good for DH as the alpaca sweaters were $175 and up...

I won't try and fool anyone, I could have cared less about the sheep and pelts and roving and locks of dirty fleeces, I was there for the VENDORS... cased the joint, making my wish list with the kids. When the kids got tired of the vendors, had some lunch at the conveniently located lunch stand (shredded lamb sandwich $4, lamb hot dog in natural casing $1.50, and BEER, yes, Beer sold by the Jefferson Lions Club. What a hoot, never see that in IL) we checked out a shearing demo, the arms on that man...oh, wait, I digress...I said to MG, isn't that cool the way he just peels the wool off of that sheep. She said, "But won't the sheep be cold". I thought that was cute and assured her that the sheep grows fleece very fast and it would be fine.

Shortly after that, DH returned (he went to look at a tractor about 35 miles away) and took on the task of entertaining the kiddies and I hit the vendors pocketbook in hand.

I'd have to say that I was focused and restrained. Recently, I've been trying to be on a finishing tear and I focused on the things I can't get locally. I bought a book for MG (Knitting Nell, http://www.amazon.com/Knitting-Nell-Julie-Jersild-Roth/dp/0618540334/sr=8-1/qid=1157943566/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-0067682-3875011?ie=UTF8&s=books, which is a cute book, 1 skein of Sea Silk in a pinky orange color, as I can't find it anywhere here, 3 skeins of DK alpaca in cream for a Swallowtail shawl, 2 skeins of Malabrigo (one is for my friend Lori) and 4 skeins of Softie from Kimmet Croft Fibers http://www.fairyhare.com for the Stora Dimun Shawl from Folk Shawls. Now, I just have to get knitting.

I didn't see as many knitterly sightings as I would expect to see at say, Stitches, but there was a woman wearing a shawl much similar to the Stora Dimun Shawl that insipred me to get the yarn from Kimmet Croft. I saw a couple of intarsia bags.

Since I mentioned shawls. How do y'all choose what color to knit shawls and it is only me that seems to always pick a color that I have nothing to wear with?