2024 NH Sheep and Wool Festival

Happy Friday, friends! This has been such a busy week and I’ve been holding on for dear life – I’m definitely looking forward to my day “off” on Sunday. We are almost there! I’ve been working on today’s post throughout the week and I think it’s finally ready to be published. It’s all about this year’s trip to the Sheep and Wool Festival!

We are so lucky that the NH Sheep and Wool Festival tends to happen on Mother’s Day weekend! If not for that little fact, I would probably feel guilty about trying to go every year and we won’t go into all of the pros and cons of those feelings, but I claim it as my Mother’s Day treat and do my best to attend guilt-free.

The weather was perfect on Sunday. It was sunny and just cool enough for a light sweater. I wore my Reagan cardigan (Ravelry link), which is my go-to for almost everything, and it was easy to take off and stuff in my bag when I warmed up from all the walking.

The best thing about the NH Sheep and Wool Festival, especially on Sunday, is that there is almost no crowd if you get there just after the gates open. I’m always tempted to do something crazy like the NY or Maryland Sheep and Wool Festivals, but know that the crowds would be too overwhelming for me. New Hampshire is small enough to feel like you can see all the vendors without feeling like you’re in everyone’s way. It’s just lovely.

Once again, I came prepared with my little notebook and a list of projects I’d like to try in the next couple of years and their yarn requirements. I’m always so thankful for this list because I think I’d freeze and buy nothing without it, and that would be such a shame. And I always get comments from vendors about “being so organized” but that’s not it at all. I’m just too anxious to go without a list!

And funnily enough, I only bought yarn for one project on my To Be Stitched list, which really surprised me. I branched out a little and took some chances. I’m quite proud of that!

The first batch of yarn I bought was from The Green Mountain Spinnery in Putney, Vt. This is Lana, a 2-ply fingering weight yarn. I bought it with plans to make Cloudesley by Isabell Kraemer (rav link), but I could be easily influenced to use this for another tee that might catch my eye in the next little while!

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I wasn’t planning to buy any sock yarn but the Snallygaster Fibers booth was too eye-catching to pass up! Their colorways had the BEST names and we spent quite a bit of time looking through their options and these are the three I walked away with. Their names are listed just below the picture! I plan on knitting up the “Shark Week” during its namesake this summer!

Also – I’ve never watched Bridgerton or read the books. I think that might change after this weekend!

And the last thing I bought was this cowl set from Peaked Mountain Homestead. It’s for their Winter’s Day pattern and I can’t wait to stitch it up – so pretty! She had a few different colorways available all kitted up but she sold out of the one I really wanted. She very kindly helped me pick out a different colorway that was similar to the one I was looking for! It was a lovely experience.

Matthew and I also shared a serving of fried cheese curds and a cup of homemade maple cream soda from The Curdeous Cow. I didn’t take a picture of it but the NH Sheep and Wool Instagram highlights reel is full of them. Here’s a link to one of them they shared. The curds were so delicious – highly recommend if you see them at a fiber festival near you!

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And that was our morning at the fairgrounds! We took our time shopping and eating and it took us less than two hours. That is ideal for me! And now I’m ready to finish up the current pair of socks on my needles and cast on for something new. Maybe the Bridgerton colorway?

Tomorrow is supposed to be rainy and luckily I’ll be enjoying a shift at the library. It looks like there’s more sun expected on Sunday and I’ll get to spend some time outside then! I’m also hoping to do lots of reading and to get in some stitching. I hope your weekend is full of exactly what you need – take good care!