love me some state fair

It's fall! Fall means cider donuts and red maple leaves, and around here in western mass, it means state fair. Of course I speak of the one and the only "Big E", more formally known as the Eastern States Expo, you see all us New England state are so small we need to gather together all our resources to make a state fair (in fact a friend of mine from Phoenix once thought that New England was a state and was always trying to find it on a map), but I digress. Anyway! What really could beat a place that is featuring a giant squash contest, constantly hatching live chicks, any kind of food deep-fried, a tractor parade, the 4-H working steer competition and a butter sculpture? I mean really.


unicorn_cow.jpg

really!



giant_squash.jpg

that's big!


working_steer.jpg

go 4-H!


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And of course the sheep! The other excitement about the state fair was visiting my entry to Craft Adventure the crafting and knitting competition. I was pretty inspired last summer reading some posts from Mason Dixon knitting about entering knitting in state fair competitions - see here.
I'm never going to win the jam contest and I don't raise fancy chickens so I thought this might be my only chance at a ribbon. And score I did - a red ribbon in the fair isle division and seven dollars! weehaa!
That will go a long ways toward yarn for the next sweater, huh?


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Yup - it's another sweater from Poetry in Stitches, the last one in the book, an updated version of traditional Norwegian wedding wear. Yarn is various Scottish fingering weight jumper jarn. I changed most of the colors, especially the sleeves. More specs to follow and other photos on flickr - just click on any of the photos.


wedding sweater front view.JPG



wedding sweater inside.JPG


Here's a shot of the inside - I always think that's one of the most interesting views of a fair isle...
Go out and support your local state and county fairs!