My adopted momMaggie had hosted a wonderful blogger gathering. I would've loved to go early and help do preparations but of course I had to goto a graduation about an hour north of us then left there early to get back ASAP but run into the weekend traffic and was late. I missed alot of the fun with Benedetta & meeting Curlypurl but I still had some fun with the other gals of course. Claudia was everything I expected and more... She was a blast and I picked her brain, too! Of course I had to feed her some mudslide before she left and her dessrt was absolutely YUMMY! Something called apricot jam linzertorte made with crushed nuts she also decorated with little bunnies ont op sooo cute. Don't let her fool she she can bake! Magie cooked 1/2 the night and all day for us with picked shreaded pork in BBQ sauce topped with homemade cole slw on a bun... I took some home with me. I used to cook it years ago but oh MY I need to get her recipes! That lady is AWESOME I tell ya! Wehn she has a gathering you don't want to miss it again really! The Margaritas are always good, to. They go with everything don't they??
our Ms Melanie was there to a new spinner with lots of questions and desires...Another one comes over to the dark side with us.... Martha who doesn't have a blog currently and Kellee who made some southern Brunswick stew which orginatees from Georgia not the Carolinas in case anyone is wondering. Wonderful stew very filling, too! HSe also let me play with some wonder BFL and her louet wheel, one which I've never tried and it was an older model but yet spun absolutely wonderful.. I'm in love with her HUGE bobbins!Lin was on call with work so had to stay closer to home & her work we were missing her, since she is now pregnant, too! Of course our beloved Charice had better plans........A drop spindle class in VT Not sure who else didn't show since I hadn't met them all yet. Which is OK looking forward to possible meeting more at Ms. Melanies blogger party later this month...Which will all be watching for Claudia to drive by on her bike in a race. I want to have one later this summer... I'm thinking sometime in August.
The sad part was that we had cameras and out ready to use but none of us took any pictures with them........hmmm must've been all those frozen margaritas must've gave them all a brain freeze or something then the great foods had them all full before I showed up. I had nothing to do with it....;o))
As a party favor will got to tkae some wonderful soaps she made. Margarita!!
As requested was that I post some advice and a short funny story (keep in mind at the time it wasn't so funny) for all new spinners who haven't a clue where to get fiber to spin!
Picture this, never seeing or touching a wheel before then getting introduced to the fine arts of fiber one day at a soapmakers gather, then though an email then going to a local guild event day. Maggie was kind enough to make me a CD spindle and give me a lesson. Then I seen and met these guild members spinning on the lawn in public! some greasy, smelly icky stuff laid out of the grass.. eww I thought what is this all about??? I had to sign up, get invloved with these dressed up people in 1600 century costumes and in all kinds of my own research about fiber arts. Now before the research I had to have all kinds of equipment, tools and stuff to play and learn as I go, I prefer the visual learning hands on experinces at best! During this I had read a post by Maggie for two wheels so I check them out, online I loved the look and options of the Ashford Traveller not knowing anythign aout what the options are.. So I called her immediately and said I'll take that one and my friend Lin will take the other don't worry and how soon can we pick them up... She wasn't going to be around but at a fair so off we went to pick it them up and calling Lin on the way to tell her about her new purchase...heeeheeeeheee Between the two of us we learned everything we need to and order all kinds of tools and things not really having a clue what to do with anything. Some things we thoguht we a waste of money but wanted to try anyway so we made them...... So not having any more patients to talk with someone and embarssed to ask some. I headed to Wal-Marts, JO-Anns, AC Moore, hobby shops, LYS you name it I went shopping. Guess what I was a quest for fibers all the samples that Ihad I spun up on the drop spindle the night I got it so I had nothing to try out on my new wheel. I went all over spent the whole day looking high and low every where! With not alot of sales assistance and people looking at me oddly, strangely and like I was nuts so I offered as to why I wanted fiber.. I wonder what they were saying behind my back after that! Anyway the only things you can find out there are pure cotton balls and polyfill fiber..and batting which I pulled apart to spin.
So this is what I was learning to spin with I spun on both the spindle first then my wheel. I imediately called Maggie that evening to tell how how much I spun and learned and how I couldn't find that smelly greasy type of fiber to spin?? I was so excited I made all this yarn and needed to ask some more questions about plying. She went right along with me then showed up at my door the next morning first thing too! With a garbage bag just about full of stuff....(she was in a hurry and had to run) hmm I wondered why?? Well she said I'm worried that you'll be saving dryer lint?? I hesitated a second only a second and said OH OH !! I can spin that stuff, so I thought to myself maybe other save there dryer lint to. Who would've thought?? The one thing in my house I never thought of....heeeheeeheee Yes 've been saving my dyer lint since, now thinkning of sorting it by colors, haven't decided yet. (Another story another time) So I called Lin to come over and pick through the goodies Maggie brought and to share. So we share all the colorful bags then the icky smelly stuff?? Ew weren't to sure what to do it didnt' look the same and it was stinky! She Lin offer to take it and figure out how to clean it and make it some nice fluffy stuff and I did something elses for research, can't remember. In the meantime I had to spin it all try the plying thing had lots of little extra balls of singles...I kept all these first yarns in a basket that Maggie had left. Oh yes she left a basket with a pair of hand carders. At the time I had no clue really. Senn pictures on line.
So back to the putter I went and the phone off my shoulder with Lin EVERYDAY DAY EVERY HOUR day/night wheat ever. We were both on different websites and we shared all we could find. We figure it all out, learned all kinds of historys, people to buy rovings, all the different types, you name it!
Can't remember how we found out but we did about Rhinebeck Sheep & Wool fesitval and we went last year also we went tolocal fairs the smaller ones and state fairs picked up or left our info with people who had sheep.
Anyway we probably learned so much with these experinces we jumped right in with both feet and found out everything we could! In my nature I guess I have to know everything about what I'm getting myself into.....It took alot of time and energy but we probably have the knowledge and experience for someone who has learned though many years in such a short time....
to finsh up here because I could go on and on all day about this.!! So the short of this is to let you newer people know some advice
Not a good idea to ask in local stores and shops about fiber.. Nope no no!
the other is don't worry about asking stupid questions no question is stupid only the unasked ones are and everyone in the hobby are pretty much happy to help you get started and learn from them. TRUST ME ON THIS!! I only gave you the short details here on how I know...
Don't ever ASSUME anything ask because you 'd make an ass out of U & me!
Since all of this we started a spinning and knitting group though yahoo with lots of information and great reliable resources in the database. a direct link to join can be found along my side bar. Hope to see you all there. You can also send an email to
spinningandknitting-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
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