Test drives and socks

Stacey & I went on a field trip recently to test drive spinning wheels. We visited Stony Mountain Fibers just outside of Charlottesville. The owner, Barb Gentry, has a wonderful shop full of fiber, yarn, looms, and spinning wheels right next to her barn and pen full of sheep!

Barb invited us in and started pulling out wheels, left and right! She got us two seats, told us to take our shoes off, and start treadling. It was amazing how quickly we formed opinions about the different wheels. While we were there we oohed and ahhed over and play with these: A Majacraft Susie Pro, a Schacht Ladybug, an Ashford Joy, a Kromski Sonata, a Louet, and one more...can't remember because I did not bond with it. Here's Stacey testing one amidst all the yarny goodness.

We ended up liking we the same wheels, in the same order:

• Kromski Sonata
• Schacht Ladybug
• Ashford Joy

Stony Mountain also sells yarns, and rovings, and dyes, and all kinds of yummy things.

Before leaving we each bought a spindle and a pigtail. (My spindle is the Kundert zigzag one right in the middle )
Tomorrow we're going over to Janice's to test her Ashford and the other one-can't remember what it is. Thanks to our outings, I'm feeling a little more knowledgeable about what I want in a wheel.
I've also been knitting a little. The Slave to the Plurk socks are underway. I changed yarns, though. Originally I was going to knit them in JoJoland Melody, but thought it felt too soft - if that's possible - so I'm saving the JoJo for a scarf and have switched to some yummy Cherry Tree Hill I scored from TLE.

Once I get to the calf, I'll add beads.....oh - and I signed up for Dish Rag Tag. Sound like fun? Hit the link & sign up! (Once you've linked, you have to scroll down the page a bit to read the description)
This is my last "free" week before having to officially go back to school and I'm determined to have as much fun as possible - I wonder how much of it will be fiber-related?