Recession Swap - Questions 2 & 3

I'm late posting my "Recession Swap" blog questions so I'm combining two...

Question 2: Are you attending any Fiber Festivals this autumn? If so, which ones and why?
Autumn is too crazy for me to try to go out of town to a big fiber festival. Luckily, the Spinner's Flock in Chelsea (about 15 minutes away) has a very nice festival.

They held their fall festival on a Sunday (much better for me than a Saturday) and I was able to get over there. It was terrific! And quite a bit larger than I expected. I bought a few things (some hand-dyed roving, a "second" fleece at an incredible discount) and lusted after lots more!

I haven't gotten involved in their group -- mostly because they meet on Saturdays. But I'm going to try to attend the November meeting. I want to get back into spinning!

Question 3: What is your favorite cool weather recipe?
I love soups in cold weather! My favorite is easy and really yummy.

Heather's Crockpot Bean Soup
Put the following into a crockpot:
1 large jar (48 oz.) cooked Great Northern beans
1-2 cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped carrots
1 quart canned tomatoes
1/4 cup dried parsley
2-3 cubes vegetable boullion

Turn the crockpot on low and cook all day. Shortly before serving stir in 1-2 cups of julienned fresh spinach. Cook just until wilted. Serve. Easy and warming!

You've Got Mail!

This time of the year is so crazy at work, but I've managed to slip in a few swaps (mostly knitting-related). Look at all the lovely loot I've been finding in my mailbox lately!*

I've narrowed down my swaps on Ravelry to a few favorite groups, and the ones run by Amy (DeathbyYarn) are some of the best. The "Recession Special" swap runs for 3 months. You are to send your spoilee one package per month, and at least one package needs to include a handknitted item.

The package to the left is the first installment. It's adorable! My spoiler found a cute pouch -- originally intended as a makeup bag, but perfect for knitting supplies. She filled it with little treats. And the best part is the yarn -- 100% baby llama in a gorgeous bittersweet chocolate color. And sooooo soft. Lovely!

A wonderful little swapping group on Flickr ("Just for You FQs") is currently holding a swap for fat quarters. This time we're looking "Beyond Cotton" at other natural fibers. Marilyn sent me the most wonderful collection of linen, bamboo, and wool (a vintage kimono fabric) along with two skeins of Elsebeth Lavold's Silky Wool in a lovely autumn orange. Marilyn knows me so well! It's all quite perfect!

I just received a third wonderful package -- this one was for the "Knitter's Holiday - Novel" swap. My partner really looked at my profile and selected very carefully. As a result, it's all absolutely perfect. "Boutique Knits," a great book with lots of knitting patterns for vintage-looking scarves, hats, bags, and gloves. Two skeins of Manos wool (yum!), handmade stitch markers and tags, and notecards and a reusable shopping bag. Thank you so much!



*In the order of when they were received...