Monday, September 18, 2006

Back to the Fair and step on it!

Another friend wanted to go to the fair and twisted (not) my arm. Weeee! This was a chance for me to pick up missed business cards, see things I missed during yesterday’s sensory overload and chat with more folks.

I followed along while today’s friend and fiber enthusiast wandered through the vending barns. We stopped at Just My Yarn to see the Turnstyles spindles a friend purchased yesterday. Dianne was just as great and patient with today’s friend and soon she was coming home with two Turnstyles spindles. I have my mind set on getting one as soon as I can afford to...I'm now a huge fan :)

In an attempt to get yesterday’s friend a few things she missed, I got into a conversation with the super friendly and helpful owner of Golden Oak Alpaca Farm. I believe her name was Barb Green. See yesterdays’ post to about needle felting we did at their booth. Fun! In chatting we came to find out we both know the same person. She promptly invited us to their open house in October and to participate in their “name the alpaca” contest. I’m SO there!

Also met the absolutely fabulous owner, Elizabeth McLelland of Yorkshire Meadows, a shop in Mansfield, PA. We chatted and she taught me a simple way to do I-cord. I thought it was this terrible thing that everyone hated and took forever.

And there was Dianna of Hand Crafted Heirlooms, also in PA, who had a gorgeous silk wool stole in mahogany tones that I wish, wish, wish I could have taken home with me. It wanted to, but the wallet was not willing. Some day...

One defining moment came when I took my friend into the smaller building to show her the silk worms. She wasn’t into it but when we turned around, something caught my eye. There were three spinners working on wheels and one woman had the exact same roving braid on her lap that I bought yesterday. Great! Now is my chance to see what this will look like spun up in the hands of someone more expert than I. The ladies were all helping at the fair and were part of the Genesee Valley Guild. They talked about their spinning and their experiences, preferences of wheels and even gave me a good place to search out a less expensive option. See, they knew that I was destined to spin. One of the ladies named pat let us pet her handspun, hand knit, cashmere capelet. I said cashmere...need i say more. It melted in my hand. She told me that we were destined to meet and I agree. I love the universe...*sigh*
It was a great weekend and I’m so glad that I had the chance to spend time with my friends and share the fair.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

What an exciting contest - what would you want to call the alpaca?

Those spindles are just gorgeous - and it is always more of a pleasure to work with beautiful tools. Just wait until you get a beautiful wheel!

D said...

I did go to see Barb at Golden Oak and she did remember me and gave me a hug. I wrote names for each of the babies but I don;t think they have chosen one yet. I'll have to check with her and update here on the blog :)