Maryland Sheep and Wool!

Is only 2 days away now and I have to admit that I am a little intimidated. I went to an informal thing at Springwater last week called "Preparing for the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival". At least I now have some idea of what to excpect, but I'm expecting a mad rush for the gate at 9am, lots and lots of fiber, animals and mostly people, including fiber crazy knitters and spinners, but no toilet paper or shade.

I've already visited multiple forums to find 'must visit' booths, written a list (that I am putting in Excel soon) of the projects I would like to knit so that when I find yarn I absolutely love, I will buy enough to actually make something with and printed out a wpi/gauge/yardage/yarn weight table in case yarns are not labelled by their type. I am not taking my calculator, even though the engineer in me really wants to.

I think I might be going a little crazy here. I'm sort of predicting that I end up buying no yarn for any sort of knitting projects. Here's the list of things I will be looking to buy (I love lists!):

• roving, fun bits to spin in my yarn, ecospun
• heavy bottom whorl spindle for spinning thicker yarn
• undyed wool sock yarn for dye-o-rama
• undyed roving and yarn for future endeavors
• if I come across a yarn that will work for one of the projects on my list and it is cheaper than the recommended or a substitute yarn or unique, I'll most likely get it
• super duper bulky grey yarn for a blanket I am making up for my sister (or maybe roving for the blanket - or maybe part of a raw fleece, we'll see)
• acid dye
  

I may be going crazy/overboard in the prep, but at least the weather is looking good for the weekend! Isaac has already mentioned several times how excited I am. I can't decide if I want him to come with me or not - on one hand, there will be lots of fiber animals for him to see (sheep, alpaca, rabbits, etc), sheep dog trials (border collies only, I think) to watch and food for him to eat, but on the other hand, I won't get to run around like a mad woman as much if he is there.

I will take lots of pictures and post them next week!