Because it makes PERFECT sense to do so twenty four hours before hopping a plane for a week (when you haven't even begun packing), we spent some time with friends yesterday playing with fiber. Not just any fiber, but our fiber...and their fiber (fellow fiber farmers, they are). And not just any dye, but Koolaid! I've never actually done that before, dyeing with Koolaid. But oh, what a perfect kid project it really is!( And I was not expecting the sudden flood of my childhood to come rushing into my senses as I opened that first powdered packet of grape. Woah!) There are loads of great tutorials out there on doing so if you search for them, we used a mix of this and that and I'm not certain exactly what we did because it was such a flurry of activity and fun. We did soak the fiber first in vinegar, because we were also working with food dye.
And because I was so excited to see how it came out, I stayed up far too late last night waiting for the roving to dry so that I could quickly spin a little bit. Plying happened just after midnight, an almost-overnight soak, and drying by the fire once again as yarn in the morning. Phew! But planes are for sleeping on, yes?
I'm so excited about this trip - not only about visiting a new-to-me place (Asheville, North Carolina!), and catching up with friends (Ashley, we're coming your way!), and doing fun Taproot work*, but also because of my traveling companion. Adelaide will be by my side for the next week as we work, play, visit and adventure together in and around Asheville! We're both so tickled to get on the road (or in the sky, as the case may be). But first - and quickly because we leave in an hour! - the important decision of what yarn to bring with us (two knitters! Double the yarn!). I suppose there's only so much room in a suitcase after all. But is there anything more important to pack? I think not.
*If you're in Asheville, we'll be at the Mother Earth News Fair this weekend! Stop by the booth to say hello, or come to Ashley's talk that we're sponsoring on Saturday afternoon. Visit the website for more details. And save the date for Tuesday, April 12th! More details to come, but I'm planning a picnic-style knitting/visit/meet and greet somewhere around Asheville in the early evening hours. I'll share the final details here when I have them, and of course you can also find that by following me on Instagram. I hope to meet some of you this week!