I'll be in the yurt

Rumor has it (and also the event's schedule) there will be a real Kazakh Yurt at Shepard's Harvest this year. This little fact has intrigued me ever since I browsed the events schedule in mid-January. 

I was happy to learn that there would be spinners galore at the festival, plus an assortment of of natural fibers and yarns. I'm interested in procuring one of those devices that holds my bobbins so that I can spin triple ply yarn. I'm excited about the fiber sandwich and all of the wonderful food, but a real Kazakh Yurt -- that's just over the top. 

It really captured my imagination, is what I mean to say. When I was a kid, my brother and sister and I, and several of our cousins, built this tepee-like structure out in our woods. Here's what we did, we took a bunch of fifteen foot, fallen tree branches and leaned them all up against the central trunk of one large basswood tree. In that manner we got a circular structure with a steeply sloped ceiling (made from all those branches.)

I think everyone was happy with the result, but I was fascinated. I really wanted to live out there. I wanted to build a little fire, fry up some eggs and snuggle into the curve of the tree roots for the night. I could bring out some blankets and perhaps that recliner that my mother was threatening to throw out anyway, and stay until the frost hit and snow blanketed everything. 

In case you're wondering, the structure still stands. I visited it about a week ago. Some of the  larger branches have fallen, and all of the sticks have acquired a silver patina of age, but I can still fit inside of it. 

There are bluebells on the floor and a carpet of spongy moss. 

Again, I considered living out there, but the acquired prudence of comfort that comes with age stopped me pretty quick. It's a long way out for an internet connection. 

So anyway, I'm highly curious about the yurt that will be set up this weekend at Shepherd's Harvest. The kid in me might want to stay all day, scramble some eggs for dinner and camp out that night under the stars . . . 

This project is made from some shetland roving purchased at last year's festival. I pot-dyed it in various shades of green, teal, aqua, moss, rust and tan, then spun it into a single ply worsted weight yarn. 

The pattern comes from Spin Off magazine Summer 08, titled Morning Surf Scarf. 

Mine is more of a wrap . . . a forest wrap.