MDSW…Oh Baby!

My anticipation for MDSW multiplies each year. You know the feeling you got as a kid the night before vacation? Yeah…that’s what I’ve felt all week. Christy and I must have sent 20 emails to each other 20 emails since Monday.
I put together a list last year of tips and advice if you haven’t gone (although that seems to be fewer and fewer each year!). Here’s last year’s list, with a few additions.

1. Prepare by writing down the kinds of projects you have in mind, yardage and gauge needed. Or, if you’ve been on the lookout for any particular type of fiber, write it down too. Last year I was so overwhelmed that I couldn’t keep things straight.
2. Arrive early. It gets really crowded and if there’s something special you’re looking out for, so are a ton of other people. Plus, the festival gives out a freebie each year to the first people who arrive.
3. Bring something to carry your purchases in. I’m partial to a backpack, but whatever type of bag(s) you like is fine. The parking area isn’t _that_ close so you won’t want to be running back and forth unless it’s really necessary
4. Wear comfortable, sturdy shoes. It’s a true fairgrounds. There are lots of bumpy areas and flimsy flip flops won’t cut it.
5. Pack water. The food area is at one end of the fairgrounds, plus, do you really want to waste yarn money on $3 bottles of water?
6. Carry a small notebook. If you’re not sure you want to buy that really cool hand dyed mohair at the first booth you walk by, write it down so you can come back if you don’t see anything you like better. I saw a few things but couldn’t remember where they were by the time we finished walking through
7. Visit booths of interest first. I’ll be making a B line to my favorite hand dyer as soon as we hit the fairgrounds, before the booth can get picked over and messy
8. Be prepared for lots of lamb on the menu. We were all taken aback by the huge lamb chop on a billboard in the parking lot.
9. Bring something small to knit on. It’s spring in the mid-Atlantic — in other words, gorgeous! Lots of people sit out on the grassy areas and take breaks knitting on socks and other small items. I won’t be caught without my knitting again.
10. Medicate – It’s spring in the mid-Atlantic. Pollen will be rampant.
11. Food: You’ll find the typical fair type food — hotdogs, hamburgers, sausage sandwiches, fries, etc. I don’t recall much healthy food so pack something if you’re looking for a healthy meal.