Last weekend Audrey and I went on a trip with our best friends, Kirsten and Sophia. We headed west to Estes Park, CO.

While in Colorado we explored Rocky Mountain National Park. We saw moose, elk, and rabbits. We spent a lot of time hiking. Audrey and Sophia are the best 9-year-old hikers I’ve ever met. They enjoy hiking as much as Kirsten and I do. It was Audrey’s first time in the mountains. She loved Colorado and wants to take Elliot with us next time.

Our weekend wasn’t just about hiking. We also explored some yarn shops and Estes Park Wool Market. Out of the four shops we visited my favorite was Lambspun in Fort Collins. I have read the knitting murder mystery series that features the shop. After hearing it described in the Maggie Sefton knitting mystery series, it was neat to see the shop. The fiber festival had a nice market, and I found several treasures to take home.

I wasn’t planning on buying any yarn, but I ended up buying two skeins. Another Crafty Girl had a booth at the festival and I picked up a skein of her collaboration yarn with Fat Squirrel Fibers in the Sawtooth Star colorway, which is yarn I regretted not buying when it was available in her shop. Audrey picked out the pink and purple yarn, which is a custom color for Peak to Peak Stitching in Estes Park by Herd of Cats. The colorway is Sky Pond, which we did not hike to, but we hiked to Mills Lake, which shares the first mile and a half of trail with Sky Pond, so it is close enough (also she is 9, doesn’t complain about going to look for yarn, and loves hiking. I’ll make that kid any hat she asks for).

I planned on buying fiber at the festival and I met that goal. At Lambspun I picked up some green fiber. I don’t remember the fiber content, but it is very soft and I think it will spin up beautifully. I also found the yellow/purple/green braid at Lambspun. It is a 70% merino, 30% alpaca/silk blend in the Lavender Lemonade colorway. I love lavender lemonade, so it seemed fitting that I would buy it. Greenwood is a new to me dyer with braids so pretty I bought two. The light blue braid is 60%, merino, 20% camel, and 20% silk. It will feel luxurious to spin. Audrey picked out the purple and blue braid for me to make her something. It is 100% merino, and it is so soft she wore it around the market like a shawl. The huge poofy blue braid is 6 oz of Falkland from the 100th Sheep. John recently commented that I never have all blue braids, so I decided to get some blue to spin for him. The rainbow yarn is from Teton Yarn Company in the Grand Prismatic Spirit colorway . It is 40% merino, 20% alpaca, 20% camel, 20% silk – it is as beautiful as is it soft. It will probably be my next spin, as it is appropriate for pride month.

I’m now trying to recover from a weekend so packed with activity and fun we did not leave much time for sleep. Once I’m recovered I plan to get crafting.