Yesterday, George and I accompanied our daughter Sonja and
her husband Jordan to the Spring Fair in Puyallup.  We go to the huge Western Washington State
Fair there every September without fail, but had never been to the Spring
Fair. 

It had pretty much all the attributes of its autumnal
counterpart – just on a smaller scale. 
There were some seasonal differences, of course — instead of the Grange
harvest displays there were garden ideas and booths.  But there were Krusty Pups and scones and
elephant ears and onion burgers and carmel
apples and …all the good stuff!

We visited cows and pigs, watched the dancing horses,
listened to the bagpipe band, checked out the pottery and woven rugs.  The weather was even fairly (pardon the pun)
cooperative – it only rained once and only for a short while (the skies opened
up and it poured the minute we got in
the car for the drive home!).

One location of particular
interest (to me – not so much to the rest of the group) was the “Shepherd’s
Extravaganza” which housed spinners, wool for spinning, some lovely sheep,
woolen products, annnnd YARN!  There were
several delightful booths of mostly handspun yarn and I had a delightful time
visiting and petting the skeins. 

Although I was not in the market for any yarn (or new
projects!), I did find my self drawn back to the Garden Party Fibers booth with
unquestioned intent to purchase!  

Juaquetta’s “art yarn” is made from the wool and mohair of
Spokane-area sheep, goats, and alpaca. 
She washes, cards, and dyes the fibers herself – and concocts some
stunning color combinations in her bulky thick-thin yarn (there are fluffs and
puffs and mohair locks – mmmmm, just my style!).  I bought a skein of “November 310” (a riot of
color with a strong forest green anchor thread holding it all together) and
“Tabby 410” (browns, grays, whites) with the vague idea of knitting a capelet
of some sort.

In the “Artists In Action” section of the Fair, I found more yarn and bought a skein of baby
camel/tussah blend in “Desert Rose” from Hood Canal Yarns, Inc.  I reasoned that it would make a luxurious
collar for the capelet-of-some-sort.

I also have to mention that I bought a set of “Elijah’s
Custom Made Stitch Markers” from Elijah himself – a 4-ft. salesman of the first
order! 

As I walked by his mother’s booth he said, politely, “Do you
knit?

I smiled and said, “Why, yes, I do.”

“Would you be interested in stitch markers?”

I looked at the half-dozen or so packages he had displayed –
each had an assortment of about 5 beaded wire stitch markers.

He explained that they were all hand-made (by himself) and
that they were mostly glass, but that a few had plastic pieces.  He pointed out that “they are almost all
gone.”

They were $2.00 a package.

I said, “I’ll take this one.”  And as he took my money, he modestly pointed
out that they also sold bath salts and scented soap, in case I was interested.

Elijah, I think you will go far!