Around here “Doing the Puyallup” means attending the Western Washington State Fair in Puyallup.  It is an annual thing with us.  It means that fall is really beginning.

We went to the Fair today and did all our favorite things (like playing dart games and skee-ball), saw all our favorite things (baby piggies, blue-ribbon quilts), ate all our favorite things (scones, elephant ears, corndogs…) – basically had the “Fair Experience.” 

I always like to check out the textile exhibits – some of the quilts were absolutely breath-taking this year – and I study the knit and crochet items pretty closely!  Sadly, there is less and less lacework as the masters in these crafts are aging with few taking their places.  I am heartened, though, to see some really fine quality work in all areas of textile work.

There was a new interactive exhibit that made me smile – a “Sit and Knit A While” circle!  Several chairs around a basket of partially knit scarves with the invitation to “knit a bit.”  Apparently, everyone who participated just knit whatever pattern suited her (or his) fancy at the moment – quite a jolly sampler each one will be!  I did, in fact “sit and knit a while” adding a couple of rows of moss stitch to a blue and cream scarf.  It was remarkably relaxing to sit there in the large hall –with all these fabulous quilts hung about – knitting away.  As I did so, another woman joined me and neither of us said anything, but just sat there knitting — companionable as a couple of cats.  When it was time to move on, I commented that that had been a very nice break and she agreed.  She remarked that she actually could have been doing her own knitting as she had some with her.  I remarked that my knitting was in the car.  We smiled and I complimented her on her hand knit sweater as I left with the family.

I did a little yarn shopping in the craft section where they sell jewelry, hand made clothing, etc. 

Zebra yarn?  It is striking!  100% alpaca from Faith, Fiber & Friends:

Fly Dyed "Nymph" Sock Yarn (50% Superwash Merino/50% Tencel) — the sample had a lovely sheen and I am thinking lace socks suitable for a princess:

Not actually yarn, of course, but a magical bag of dyed wool curlsfrom The Pines Farm:

Lovely!

On a side note, I had rather an interesting compliment today.  I was wearing jeans and my hand knit Owl Q’mitl with my straw cowboy hat (I bought it at the Fair a few years ago and bust it out once a year for doin’ the Puyallup).  One of the ladies at a food booth we patronized asked Sarah if I was “with the Rodeo”!