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Monday Update

There are two, well maybe, three or four things to report here from Minneapolis.  For starters the temperature when I arrived was warmer than in Vancouver.  I know, it was making me scratch my head too.  Generally in November, Vancouver temperatures hover around the 40 degree F mark or about 2-3 degrees C.  Minneapolis, however, should not be 50 something degrees F or 10 something C.  I was walking around outside in sweaters for the first days.

My MSP knit buddy, Susan, and I took in the Weavers Guild of Minnesota's Fiber Fair on Sunday the 15th during this heat wave.  It is a free and relatively small event, but the fiber goodies they had for sale packed quite a punch.  Needless to say we did not walk away empty handed.

Susan purchased a gorgeous large hank of cooper coloured wool and I scored some roving plus mohair curls.  Actually both Susan and I purchased these curls grown on mohair goats located in Mora, Minnesota.  These curls caused both of us to independently search the internet to find out about thrumming.  I knew there was a word but kept coming up with thumb instead of thrum but after 40 minutes of searching I got it.  Susan said the term dropped her into an internet rabbit hole as well for about the same amount of time.  (Should you too want to do some looking into this knitting term, the Yarn Harlot has a great post about it that you can click to right here.)  Here's a photo of my modest purchases.

50 grams of 75% Polwarth wool and 25% silk and yes it is a mauve colour.  Can you tell I like that colour?
Natural colours of mohair curls
The Weavers Guild also reminded me about their upcoming spinning classes.  Lo and behold during the time I am here they offer Spinning Wheels: Choosing the right wheel for you!  It is a one night class and the idea is to let students test drive lots of brands and types of wheels so the student is better informed about the type of wheel to purchase.  You know I signed up.  More about it later.

Then late last week, the day I went to see the musical, Beautiful, mainly about Carole King's early life, the temperature plummeted into the high 20's F (-6 or so C).  It was time to pull out my heavy wool coat and a wool cowl to make the walk to the play.  (That temperature really isn't bad except there was a pretty strong wind blowing as well.)   It was on or about that day Miss M thought the plastic pink flamingo still in her yard (it was part of her birthday celebration) needed something to keep warm.

The warm-headed flamingo
It is the butterfly hat I knit and wrote about here a year ago.  I love the girl's thought process; it is cold, so put a woolen hat on it.  Plus there was an adult who knew where the hat was and helped (I am sure) place it on the flamingo.  Miss M is a lucky girl.

I will soon be off to the farm to prepare for celebrating U.S. Thanksgiving with family.  Odds are good I will be logged out for a few days.  To my U.S. friends, do have a Happy Thanksgiving and don't spend too much on Black Friday.  I will be back after the holiday.

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