Strange Folk 2011

Friends, I mourn.

Because I have just attended what I fear may be my last ever Strange Folk festival.*

So, of course, I appreciated the hell out of it while I still could.

Remember my challenge from late last week?  By Thursday evening I’d finished the largest portion of the calf.  I knitted during the entire Cardinals game – and on the train, both ways – on Friday night.  Then I woke up at 7am on Friday, knitted the foot, and kitchenered-off at about 9:30 while Jeff was in the shower.

I had plenty of time, dudes. No sweat.

Proof:

(That color is accurate, if a bit overdark).

Further proof (photos taken Saturday evening back at home):

And then I’m all, “Holy shit did I really just knit a pair of knee socks in 5 days?”

There HAS to be a 12-step program for knitting.  Please tell me there is.

I love those knee socks, though.  The yarn is glorious, and made that much more special by the consideration shown in its procurement.  It’s the perfect combination of knitting + love.  Jeff rocks.

Anyway.  Strange Folk.  (My mind is way too scattered lately…)

That banner gives me a happy.  A sight for sore eyes.

I think this was the largest I’d ever seen the festival:

In a way, approaching that field was like coming home.  I knew exactly what to expect, but at the same time I had no idea what I’d find.  I love that feeling.

I also love how they have the adoptable animals strategically located near the entrance/exit, and these awesome directional signs scattered about:

Kitten cheeks = universal navigation.

I really wanted to take these babies home with me:

I bet you can guess how THAT turned out, though.  ::sigh::

(Tenth Life, y’all.  Great organization.  Give them money, or take a cat.)

After Jeff dragged me away from the kittens, I started yarn bomb stalking:

I love it.

So cool:

You know Jeff and I can never resist a cupcake:

It provided the vital energy required to go forth and shop.

Speaking of shopping (and people-watching :-)):

We also nommed gyros (Jeff) and chicken sausage in dubious casing (me, and I won’t be doing that again.), and caught up a bit with Kara, Deborah, Sharon and Mindy.  Allegedly Kim was there, too, but I didn’t see her.

All this went down with a background of great music – every singer/group I heard was fantastic, especially the harpist: who knew that “Space Oddity” lent itself so well to the harp?

The booths were all amazing this year: great variety, and very little duplication of genre.  All my favorites were there, as well as some newcomers.  Everyone I spoke with was super nice,  and my only problem – as usual – was that I was unable to purchase something from everyone.

(I’m also, apparently, too shy to ask people to take photos of their booths:  I didn’t get a single one, even of Dyeabolical and their primo location.)

I was good.  As good as I could be.

This was my favorite: Lets Be Friends had a whole bunch of super adorable furry stuffed”Woodland Friends” monsters, and I wanted to take them all home with me.  Until I saw that she also had mystery Woodland Friends: you buy a little felt bag…

And open the top stitching, to reveal your mini Woodland Friend inside!

That’s about the cleverest thing I’ve ever seen, and I love my tiny new Woodland Friend.  (He’s destined to live on a shelf in an eventual Hoopling nursery, I’m thinking.)  I hope the shop owner puts some of her other Friends online soon, for you to see!  They’re all just so adorable.

(Update 9/27 – I just found some great photos on Flickr, from another festival attendee.  Here are the full-size Woodland Friends!)

This apron was my “big” find, a half-apron from Thimblism:

Check out that print:

Is it not absolutely fantastic?  And I love a half apron with a pocket.  So useful.

I also found a yarn (of course):

That’s my first dose of Dyeabolical Bling sock, and I think it’s destined to be some pimpin’ winter socks.  I may invent a pattern and call it “Pimpin’ in a winter wonderland” and it’ll have mountains and snowflakes and swirling drifts.  And bling.

I also got some more Candle Kitty tart melts and a little tealight:

These are seriously the best-smelling soy candles ever.  Love it!  (I got the melts in “Amish Harvest”, and it’s amazing and complex and wonderful.)

And from Rar Rar Press, a “Knitta Please” button:

My life is now complete.

Bonus Woodland Friend goodness:

My face looks happy, but my heart is sad: because now there’s no more Strange Folk.

Thank you, Strange Folk, for all the memories.  And music.  And food.  And stuff.

PS>For a fun sense of deja vu, check out previous posts here and here!

PPS>Upon reflection, it turns out I incorrectly attributed the source of my awesome necklace in last year’s post – must’ve gotten my business cards mixed up.  That necklace was from Anna Ourth Jewelry, and this year I had to go by her table and tell her how much I love that necklace.  And wish to purchase all the rest of her inventory.

~~~

*Unless the winds of fate change and for some reason we’re still living in St. Louis this time next year.  Which is highly unlikely – pending some clerkship-related anomaly – given that Jeff has received a lovely job offer in Washington DC.

Happiness

Yesterday evening I had a bright spot in what has otherwise been a pretty bleak couple of weeks.  The apron that I ordered from KatieKate arrived!

And I love it so much.

(the cat puke on the floor behind me – not so wild about that :-P)

The pattern is called “Farm Girl” by MaryJanesFarm.com.  And yeah, I could’ve bought the pattern myself and bought some fabric and stitched it up.  But I’m in an instant gratification mood, and it doesn’t get more instant than a conversation that goes like this:

KateohKatie:  “Sell me ur apronz!! Plz!!!”

KatieKate:  “Send me $25 or I’ll send my baby to kick your butt!  And you must potty train her too!”

KateohKatie:  “Please no! Anything but that!  Here is your $25”

KatieKate:  “Very well. I shall send you the apron you request.  And I will, for now, NOT send my baby after you.”

KateohKatie:  ::great relief::

(that was a reenactment.  KatieKate [probably] would not use her daughter as a debt collector.)

Anyway, I love this thing.

The fabric is just adorable and perfect, and of course the construction is top-notch.

And look!  Pockets!

Yes, my lovely new apron has certainly served to set my bad mood aright.

(Know what would set Jeff’s mood aright?  Chocolate chip cookies.  I think I know what I must do tonight)

PS>Of course, a link to the TexasNorth Etsy shop.  I highly recommend it 🙂

Indie Awesomeness

First, a note on the hair:

This morning, I washed it and tried to style it myself.  It didn’t work.  OMG there’s no understating the extent to which it DIDN’T WORK.  I cried.  I spent 45 minutes fooling around with it.  Now, the best I can manage is something that makes me look like a high school assistant principal.  It’s pathetic.

I called my stylist.  I hope she calls me back and makes it all better.  Because dudes, I am not going to run around looking like an assistant principal

So anyway – back to fun stuff.

On Sunday, when I was still happy with my life (see above), Jeff and I went to the Green with Indie craft show, after I’d heard about it on Ravelry.

SO much fun.  Even Jeff agreed that it was not entirely unpleasant

The merch was very modern and, well, indie. Lots of cool jewelry, some handspun yarn, salvaged and repurposed stuff, vintage clothing, etc.  Nary a 2×4-painted-like-a-snowman to be seen

It was also awesome seeing so many etsy sellers all in one place – especially those whose goods I’ve oogled from afar!

Love this “Greetings from Chesterfield” postcard by bigsmalltown:

I’d discovered Bill’s stuff somewhere (heck if I can remember where) in the past and was just thrilled to see it in person.  This postcard so succinctly sums up everything I hate about St. Louis.  I shall treasure it forever.

From SmellGood, I got the most deeeeelicious solid perfume ever!

It reminds me of a body spray that I had when I was in the 6th grade, sothe nostalgia factor is high.  Though I’m not sure why I want to be reminded of a time when I was even fat(ter) and hormonal(er) than I am now.

The scent really lasts, too.  I put some on my wrist yesterday, and even after a day’s worth of showering and handwashing, a bit of it still lingers.  Love this stuff so much!

The first booth I visited was aj & company, and was immediately smitten(ed?)by this apron:

Y’all know how I feel about adorable aprons, and this one just takes the cake!  LOVE the prints.

So retro and feminine and awesome!  I think tonight I may need to give it a test-drive and whip up some oatmeal cookies, eh?

Their etsy shop (linked above) is empty right now, but hopefully not for long.  There was lots more great stuff at the booth, that I barely even got to see (changing pads, zippered pouches, baby blankets…).  Hopefully they’ll update online soon!

My final purchase of the day was from…oh no…I’m afraid I don’t know!  Drats!  Well, it’s lovely:

(edit 3/28/09:  Just found the business card in the plastic sleeve!  This is by Barb of “Trash to Treasure:  Creative Recycling”.  Her shop is www.t2tcreativerecycling.etsy.com.  Sorry for the delay!)

On one side of the necklace, a delicate little daisy print.

And on the other…

It’s a Fitz’s bottlecap!  I love this so, so much.

(For those outside St. Louis, you might not’ve heard of Fitz’s before.  They make the BEST diet cream soda ever.  They also used to make “Dr Fizz”, a Mr Pibb-esque beverage that was oh-so-much more delicious.  But alas, it’s been discontinued.  Sad, sad story.)

If anybody recognizes the shop that might’ve made my little necklace, please let me know so I can give them due credit!

There were some other shops that I wasn’t able to patronize, but I definitely must in the future:

I Am What I Am had a booth of AWESOME jewelry, made from vintage and unusual bits and pieces.  So much fun!

Down Zipper sells pouches that are just begging to be filled with makeup, knitting notions and other miscellany.  So many adorable prints!  (And lots of sports-related ones right now, if that’s your thing.  Guess it has to do with that baskety-ball that everybody’s talking about? )

C. Bunny Binx had an adorable display of teensy little animals and gnomies that perfectly fit her motto of “specializing in high quality frivolity”.  Another etsy shop that’s empty for now, but I’ll be keeping a close eye on it – I really regret not taking a little clay gnome or bird home with me yesterday.

Pretty Silly Things should be called “Cool Awesome Things”.  Jackie takes images from old dictionaries and school textbooks and sandwiches them in glass, to make amazing unique pendants.  I almost bought one of a starling – the flip-side of the pendant had the dictionary definition page!  So neat.

Sew Good and Trendy was probably my favorite shop, that I wasn’t able to buy from yesterday.  I LOVE her eco-friendly bags and her prices were SO reasonable (but alas, even “reasonable” is out of my reach right now ) She had one cross-body bag made of organic bamboo that included a reusable shopping bag.  Solid construction and really charming design.  It’s definitely on my “when we’re not so destitute” shopping list.

Two Girls and a Trailer sells some of the coolest modified art prints and greeting cards that I’ve ever seen!  I wanted to buy one for everybody I knew – they had the cutest sayings and the neatest style I think I’ve ever seen.  Can’t forget about this one!

~~~
After we left the craft fair, we took Roxie to the dog park and let her run herself stupid, then we loaded her up and headed to Forest Park where we did the whole circuit of trails – including letting her swim a bit in a couple ponds and streams! We finished the day relaxing and watching people fly kits outside the art museum (Art Hill is a popular gathering place in Forest Park), then Jeff and I headed to dinner and wandered about on the Loop for a while.  It was pretty much the perfect day

(too bad Monday had to come ’round, eh?)

Edit:
Alissa, just for you (omg I can’t believe I’m posting this….BLUGH!)

I’m seriously embarrassed to be seen in public like this.  I almost didn’t come to work today, it’s so bad.  HATETEEEEEE.  See how it’s all floofy and whooshy and flat? URGH.