It's a Fiber Thing

Some people just don't get it. Have you ever wanted to tell someone, "It's a fiber thing. You wouldn't understand." Who--other than another fiber person, would understand why one would travel across the country, and bring home a suitcase FULL of wool roving, patterns, and yarn, for souvenirs? I can tell you this after visiting the Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool Festival: fiber arts are ALIVE AND WELL.

I'm actually still in recovery mode from the Connecticut/Massachusetts, Rhinebeck trip, with lots of good memories fresh in my head (and still tripping over meeting Karen Allen!). And because our fall colors were later this year, I returned home to enjoy them all over again!

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I have brought back enough yarn and roving to keep me busy, most likely for the rest of my life. First, I need to finish some projects already started: socks from the airport, the Ballerina jacket, and the Rona Lace shawl that I lost my place on (and no chart to save me!).

I also came home to this:

The cotton I planted in a raised bed in the back yard, was ready for harvest. It seems that they ripen better after a frost, when the leaves have fallen. The closed, frost-bitten bolls turn brown on their stems, and look just like walnuts on a stick. I can tell that squirrels have been fooled. I noticed the remains of a few torn-apart bolls, and white puffs on the grass.

Meanwhile, it was time for another meeting of Warp, Wheel, and Wool club. We had a great turnout, and such a beautiful day, that we were able to spin and knit under the deck.

As always the company was great fun, and the food was unbelievable.

We had a Thanksgiving/fall theme, and everything was there: fresh roasted turkey, cranberry sauce, and sugared cranberries, swiss chard with garlic and olive oil, sweet potatoes, pecan pie, cranberry-nut bread, grapes, green salad, pumpkin muffins, spiced cider, coffee... it was one of those, "it's- your-own-fault-if-you-went-hungry" kind of feast.

So I turn around to see Anna holding up this huge quilt tops that she's made...and then another.

...and then THIS came out.

This is Anna, people! One of our club members first 'met' Anna through this blog, so dear readers, if you haven't met her yet, this is Anna. She quilts, spins, weaves, knits and crochets...and works a farm. What will she do next...?

It's easy to see that this group of friends are all very talented. Robin shows an adorable baby sweater, done in Beatrix Potter characters, while Barb B., who knit the sweater, holds the grandbaby that will be wearing the sweater when it's finished.

Awww....Squirrel 'Nutkin"

Dale shows her weaving, a spectacular garment. She used perle cotton for the project, and it drapes beautifully on her.

Anna displays a woven design in 4-draft overshot.

We had five spinning wheels going, but also Finished Objects of knitting! Sadly, I wasn't a contributor in the FO department. I worked on spinning the aforementioned cotton.

Mary Ann's patience has paid off. She is wearing the Penelope Blouse, an Oat Couture pattern. The yarn is called "Hempathy." What beautiful work, and great color!

For your entertainment! I couldn't possibly feel this way about my husband, after he spent an entire day of vacation time at Rhinebeck, AND walked downtown Northampton for 3 hours while I happily skipped through WEBS. He even bought me chocolate. No trade.

Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool Festival

We saved Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool festival to be the "cherry on the whipped cream" of our trip. This was truly the peak of fall colors. We had a very cold day, but people were ready with their hand-knit hats, scarves and sweaters. Some of them were returning from the day before. Best of all, it didn't rain as predicted.

As we entered the town, we noticed a backlog of traffic, and sure enough, it was to the entrance of the fairgrounds. There was a sea of cars, and they kept coming in, and so did the buses.

Demonstrations were fun. This man was demonstrating an electric spinning machine.

There were lots of critters wearing beautiful fiber.

This looks like a suri alpaca.

I don't recall what kind of sheep this was, but what a coat it was sporting!

Here, a woman was demonstrating a rug making technique.

Felting is very popular, and this booth was my favorite.

I loved the felted skunks, with their fluffy woolen tails up and ready to fire. Look at them. Are you smiling? I was. The shop owners noticed it, and said that people leave their stand with that same kind of smile.

There were so many people, that it was hard to see the displays. Waiting in line was frustrating at times. I did get to chat with some nice people while standing there, so it wasn't all bad.

There were lots of good deals. Prices were very competitive, and it was hard to make a choice.

This is a beautiful, very productive spinning wheel.

There was lots of inspiration. It was fun to see things already made from the wool being sold.

Another electric spinning wheel.

This was the view from the upstairs part of the barn.

Lovely handwoven scarves are so popular now.

I felt like the proverbial kid in the candy store. I warned my husband he would have to watch me buy yarn in mass quantities. He was very good about it.

I bought yarns and rovings as I thought of things to make. The best deals came from a company called Little Barn (www.littlebarninc.com), that had the best deals on the fairgrounds. The line was long, but worth it. The colors are great, and the wool is nice. This tent was apparently the best kept secret of the event, and those that knew it from previous years, sought it out first. So now we all know.

Still Smiling

Today we got a chance to explore the main shopping district of Great Barrington, Massachusetts. From talking to visitors at the B&B where we stayed, an actress named Karen Allen has a fiber shop and studio in that area. This was within a few miles of my uncle's house where we were staying.

If you have watched Raiders of the Lost Ark, Karen Allen played Marion Ravenwood.

I had high hopes of meeting her at her studio. We found the shop, which featured Karen's designs of cashmere, silk and high-end clothing. It was a beautiful store.

Very impressive.

When I inquired about the yarn shop, the woman at the counter told me that Karen's studio was private, and not open to the public. I looked at her picture on the brochure in my hand, sighed and said to myself, "Well, Karen, I guess I won't get to meet you today."

It was cold outside today, around 40 degrees. We stepped inside a coffee shop and warmed up. Two women walked out of the coffee shop, and I found myself looking right into the blue-eyed freckled face of none other than Karen Allen!

So what did I do? "Oh, Karen, HI!" It was a knee-jerk response of recognition. Karen looked at me and seemed to be as startled as I was. My husband looked embarrassed.

I introduced myself, saying I was a knitter and spinner too, and that I enjoyed her yarn shop (she noticed that I was still holding the brochure in my hand). I don't remember much about what she said, but I had a smile on my face for the rest of that trip.

Tomorrow is the Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool festival. There is a 90% chance of rain, and I have a terrible cold. We're going to go in the morning, so we'll see what kind of pictures I can get from there.

WEBS!

I'm behind in my postings. I've found that blogging while on vacation is hard to accomplish effectively. Some people are good at it. I couldn't wait to tell you all about my trip to WEBS...so I'm fast forwarding our trip to yesterday's adventure at the yarn shop. Let's step inside.

This is the image that greets you when you open the door. Try to click on the image for a bigger view.

This is the largest yarn shop I have ever been to. Once you walk in the door, prepare to be delighted by the vision of yarn and fiber goodies EVERYWHERE. In spite of that, I was most impressed with how well organized and orderly everything was in the store.

Fondling yarn is what we do. Especially when it's superfine merino, or (gasp) cashmere, which they had plenty of.

So here's the cashmere! I opted for the fine merino in the colors of this shawl, which I decided to make.

When I asked about the shawl pattern, a woman who worked there told me, "that pattern is from a book by Elizabeth Zimmerman." The nice woman went and brought me the book, which was inexpensive, so I put it in my basket.

Then I inquired about the crocheted edging that was on the shawl. "Oh yes," the woman said. "That was an add-on. I'll go get Elizabeth."

Now I don't know much about the famous knitters out there, but I was a little confused. I said, "Elizabeth is HERE?" The woman said, "Yes, she's right over there, I'll go get her for you." I just about fell on the floor. Then a young lady named Elizabeth, who knit the shawl came over and explained how she did the edging.

There was roving and spinning supplies as well. I have too much of that already, so I moved on to the weaving.

I loved looking at the samples that were hanging by what seemed like millions of cones of weaving thread. See the bright blue one hanging there? LOVE LOVE LOVE. So now, I have to make that, too.

I found the nice woman again, and she helped me find the silk in two similar colors, and wound off 1/2 pound of each color. They are very nice about giving you the weaving pattern with the purchase.

This photo doesn't do the pattern justice, but you get the idea.

I also loved this blanket. It would have been a bit much to purchase all the colors for this one, so I picked up the pattern to make one at a later time.

There were lots of good deals, it was making a choice that was hard. THEN my husband tapped me on the shoulder and said, "there's another room in the back of the store that you might want to see." He was referring to the warehouse. I thought I was prepared for the warehouse. Another hour was spent in there. My husband by this time, had gone walking through downtown Northampton, to the candy store and beyond. I on the other hand, was in my own candy store. For three hours.

I found a two pound cone of yummy dark blue rayon chenille that was on sale, from their catalog. Here's a peek at the booty. I think I was very good. Had to be... tomorrow is the Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool Festival.

A Mystical Day

We began our trip in Hartford, Connecticut, where I met with SImone, my best friend from grade school. We haven’t seen each other in 23 years, when she visited St. Louis for my wedding.

I knew she was there first when the wait staff at the restaurant asked me if I was the "23 Years Person."

It was the best time, and a great way to start our vacation.

The next day, we drove into Mystic, Connecticut, to tour the harbor area and the aquarium.

We really enjoyed our day at the Mystic seaport.

This place is rich in history, and there is a lot of information about lobster and oyster fishing, boats, and life on the sea.

I also enjoyed photographing the birds while they were looking for their fish dinners.

Speaking of fish dinners, there was an event going on called “Chowderfest.”. We had our fist taste of New England “chowda.”

The sea lions are always entertaining to watch. We got there in time for feedings of these and the beluga whales.

Indoors, brightly-lit aquariums of other marine life are on display for both young and old.

I got to visit the Mystic River Yarn Shop, which was such a treat to look forward to. They had a good selection of many kinds of yarns and knitting supplies.

I had a hard time deciding what yarn to purchase. This cashmere-silk blend was very tempting. When I accidentally dropped one, my husband reminded me about the Sea Dragon.thought it would be nice to find a yarn in the colors of the sea, to remind me of my trip.

I silently stalked a woman that picked up the last ball of a lovely sea-green Opal sock yarn, and pounced on the yarn seconds after she put it down.

Oh yes, the fun is just beginning!

A Piece of Heaven

We arrived at Bailey's By The Sea, a beautiful bed and breakfast right off the ocean at Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

This home was originally built in 1847, and has been renovated to the traveler's haven that it is today.

Our favorite place to sit is in the enclosed wrap around porch. You can sit at a table or wicker chair and enjoy a spectacular view of the Atlantic ocean.

We enjoyed a good night's rest, and a wonderful home cooked breakfast. It is elegance with homey comfort.

So far, we've had beautiful weather.

Morning breezes turn into gusty afternoons. The handknit woolen scarves I brought along come in handy and fit right in with the local scene; but our midwestern accents and camera toting gives us away as the tourists that we are.

Our favorite place to sit is in the enclosed wrap around porch. You can sit at a table or wicker chair and enjoy a spectacular view of the Atlantic ocean.

This is the beautiful sunrise we woke up to. We were told that clear mornings are a not-to-be-missed occasion. The sun rises over the ocean as we look out of our room. I got up early, threw on some clothes, and ran across the street, and the day greeted me.

It's hard to blog and vacation at the same time. There are so many pictures I want to share, so I'll continue to post when I can. Next we visit Mystic, Connecticut. We toured the harbor area and Mystic Aquarium. OH, and a yarn shop!

Napkin Notes and other Fiber Adventures

The whole thing started when I ran out of paper. We expect our kids to let us know where they are going, so it only seemed right for us to do the same for them.

We couldn't find any paper, and there was a paper napkin on the table, so there you have it. Ever since then, napkin notes have been appearing on the table.

We started something. It was quite the fun thing to do, until we ran ourselves out of napkins.

The indigo plants have gotten very tall with all the rain. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll have a chance to process it before the frost takes it out. I have always taken it down and process it in the same day. Has anyone been able to collect the leaves and preserve it for a future time?

Fortunately, the cotton can be picked and used later. I've harvested a few fluffy bolls, but cooler weather is closing in on them.

Last year, I harvested the tightly closed bolls, and set them out in the sun to mature.

There's nothing like the sight of the fluffy white stuff.

OKAY, so guess what? I'm going to visit WEBS and the Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool Festival, among other places. Hopefully, I'll have time to blog all along the way. Very soon.