Homespun Yarn Party

Wow, It is almost time for Homespun Yarn Party!!  It is at the historic Savage Mill Mall in their Great Ball Room.  It is so much fun and a delightful place to be.  I will be there in booth #9.  In order for you to read all about it and the different people there click on their blog at:  http://homespunyarnparty.blogspot.com/

You'll know your there by their logo with the yarn in the background.  I am also including a mall map and vendor map in this entry for your convenience.  If you decide to come -- hope you do -- please feel free to print out the coupon I am picturing here in the entry as well.  However, feel free to set your printer to "draft print or black and white print only"

This really is a wonderfully fun and social event, truly a blast. There are door prizes, a huge gathering of knitting, and tons of things to see and people to meet.  Hope to see you there!!

Hello World... I got in! I got in! I've been accepted...

Yes, I am so excited to be a part of Maryland's biggest fiber event, and perhaps the biggest fiber/yarn/sheep event on the East Coat - The Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival.

http://www.sheepandwool.org/index.html

It takes place at:

Howard County Fairgrounds
2210 Fairground Road
West Friendship, MD
21794-9604

Not hard to reach from major through ways, such as: Route 70, Route 32 or Route 144.

There is no under stating how comprehensive a show this is.  There are huge animal displays, competitions, a fashion show, classes, art gallery, food - food - and more food, and vendors galore.  Every thing sheep, fiber, and yarn related is there to be found in three sizes and colors.

The festival is sponsored by the Maryland Sheep Breeders Association:

http://mdsheepbreeders.org/default.aspx

I will come as a fiber vendor.  I will bring all my Wool, Mohair, Llama, Alpaca fiber, yarn, roving and felt!  I will display all my latest cottage mill spun yarn, my own hand-spun, and my newest dye work.  Colors! Textures! Cool fiber blends!

Come visit my booth.  I will be outside, down near the dog-trial arena.

Booth Number LC19!

I promise more information on this exciting news soon!

I participated in a TV show for WETA, On television now....

Some number of months ago a production company for WETA, Public Television came to the Montgomery Farm Women's Cooperative Market in Bethesda where I work (for two different Board members/vendors and I have a small display of my own).  The Board asked me to be the spoke's person for the market, so I had a video-taped interview with WETA at the market.  It was definitely a thrill.  There was a sit down interview part and a walk around the market part.  I was told that all the footage would be cut down to a few usable seconds here and there in the total show.  I just asked them to do what they could to make me look thin and young on camera -- ha ha.  The topic was all about the market - today and its history.  It was a lovely after noon and the shooting was fun.  Well, the project is complete and the little vignette about the market appears in the show.  I have not seen it yet myself, but I was given some promotional material (posted in the pictures).  I do hope eveyone who watches enjoys it and finds it interesting and informative.  Please feel free to let me know.
www.WETA.org

The program is part of a series called "The WETA Guide to.." and this one is the guide to Montgomery County  -- The WETA Guide to Montgomery County.

 http://www.weta.org/about/press/releases/401965
PRESS RELEASE

http://www.weta.org/tv/programsatoz/program/77622  
VIEWING TIMES

Unique opportunity - come find me!

---PRESS RELEASE---

Uniquities 4th Fiber Farmer's Market
Saturday, March 12, 1:00-5:00 p.m.

Join us at the Vienna Community Center
120 Cherry Street, SE, Vienna, VA  22180

Fiber exploration!
Our market features a unique selection of yarn, roving and other fiber supplies from local vendors and fiber producers, and admission is free!

The Spinning Circle, 1:00-5:00 p.m.
Spinners of all levels are welcome to bring their wheels, drop spindles and enthusiasm and join our Spinning Circle for the afternoon.  Participants are invited to bring (or buy) fiber for Otto and Joanne Strauch to card into an art batt using the Mad Batt'r drum carder during their carding demonstration (w/fee).

Fleece-t-Scarf Demo, 2:00-4:00 p.m.
A dedicated team of six carders/spinners will hand card and spin yarn from raw fleece donated by Solitude (volunteer will weave).

Vendors:  Avalon Springs Farm, Celestial Farm, Central Virginia Fiber Mill, Finnegan's Flock, Lawre's Laine, Mt.Airy Farm, Spirit Trail Fibers, Solitude, Three Bags Wool, Wild Hare Fiber Studio, Strauch Fiber Equipment, Uniquities Yarn Shop.

Contact Uniquities Yarn Shop at 703-242-0520 or on the web at www.uniquitiesyarnshop.com

ANNOUNCEMENT: Avalon Springs Farm has a booth at the Historic Montgomery Farm Women's Cooperative Market

For FEBRUARY:  Wednesday's & Friday's, 9:30a - 3:30p (regular weekday market hours).  7155 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda Maryland.  See link below for more details about the market.

Yes , It is true!  I am so excited to be there.  In downtown Bethesda, Montgomery Co. Maryland, is the historic Montgomery Farm Women's Cooperative Market (just a few miles north of D.C.).  It is a very neat old building, sitting right on Wisconsin Aveune, with large old windows and big double doors to welcome all those that want a taste of the past and a bit of an eclectic and multicultural collection of today.  The farm market offers a variety of vendors, staples include:  produce, butcher, fruit, baked goods, and flowers.  There are many other specialty foods as well:  a chocolate maker, French baker, farmstead cheese, authentic Indian food to name a few.  There is also a pretty neat mix of other goods:  a purse maker, several kinds of jewelers, and an entire flea market outside.

I am an inside vendor, located near the north exit.  I started coming in January.  I will be there for the month of February on the weekdays (every Wednesday and Friday) from 9:30 to 3:30.  I will carry a good selection of my inventory:  hand-dyed yarn and roving, family mill spun, hand-spun, dyed locks, and some felt.  Fingers crossed for good weather.  Come check it out.

The historic Montgomery Farm Women's Cooperative Market

7155 Wisconsin Avenue

Bethesda, Maryland

http://www.farmwomensmarket.com/

E.S.E., The Big E, New England Sheep Breeders Assn. Show Review (Blated)

The booth before people.

Mary with center pull bumps from Singleton fiber.

The view, vendors as far as you can see.

New feature, pay via PayPal w/ card on line.

With regard to this show, I couldn't have more nice things to say.

It is very accessible from major freeways and there is plenty of parking, nearby hotels and restaurants.  Coming in, you walk into a large exhibition room.  In this room are special fiber animal exhibits, a fleece sale and a great fashion show.  Then you pass through a large indoor hall into an adjoining building.  (A building large enough for you and several friends to park your jet airplanes inside.  Seriously!)  The adjoining building opens up immediately to your left and right with food vendors and classroom areas, then as far as the eye can see are several hundred fiber art & craft vendors.  Both structures are completely indoors, very good lighting, climate controlled, and handicap accessible.

I was there with my new friend who opened a new fiber mill in Md., Mary Singleton, Singleton Fiber.  Next to me was my dear friend and true mentor, Greta Dise of Persimmon Tree.  However, I saw many other fiber comrades - Lidya from Gurdy Run, Anita from Rose Spring, and Kate Bostic were there; I also met for the first time some folks I know through Phatfiber - so "Phun!".... but there were hundreds of us.  You could buy everything from buttons, notions, and needles to yarn of every flavor imaginable, to larger things like wheels and looms.  The place was a visual and kinesthetic wonderland.

The festival was extremely well attended - amazing in fact, for its' first year, several thousand.  However, I must say... whether it was because of really nice wide isles, big enough space, people spread out time-wise over the weekend, it retained a calm, friendly, community atmosphere.  So pleasant to shop, chat, enjoy.  Can't wait to go back.

Wiley Winders

I had the most wonderful time at my first spinning retreat.  It was from Friday afternoon until Sunday afternoon at the campus of Wilson College in Chamebersburg, PA.  

The College Campus was a wonderful spot.  Wilson College was founded just a few years after the civil war.  It is an all women's college.  Many of the buildings are historic and the whole campus is surrounded by beautiful mature trees.  I have posted a picture of one of the twin buildings that founded the school (in white).  We stayed in a dorm, and ate in the school cafeteria - the food was surprisingly good.  Everyone at the retreat also brought homemade dishes to "keep our strength up" while doing such marathon spinning.  Our retreat was in a  large conference room inside a great big stone building (double door entrance also pictured).  I describe because the atmosphere was inspiring. 

Our group was probably about 25 spinners large.  The first day was filled with introductions and socializing and spinning.  Saturday was a true work day.  Everyone in the group made a brief presentation about a favorite fiber art project they had produced in the last year.  Because I was new, I talked about what I was making at the retreat itself (also pictured).  The presentations were fascinating - scarves, shawls, socks, puppets, - wool, silk, mohair, alpaca, - spun, woven, painted, - interesting appliques, new techniques, unusual and individual art & craft.

 
The theme for this year was working with color.  We were provided with two huge bags of wool fiber in two colors, close to a dozen hand-dyed fiber bags of wool and mohair, natural alpaca and other exotics in several colors... and told ready, set, go!!  It was so fun.  People chose all sorts of gorgeous combinations.  Folks had there choice of several pickers and carders of different styles and effects.  I brought some dyed locks to contribute to the table too.  Everything got used up!
 
There were all different levels of spinners and weavers and plenty experience in the room that you could find several someones to answer a question about anything fiber related.  With so many there, there were also many different wheels to look at, admire, and even give a spin.  Some people worked on long standing projects, but most jumped right in the pile of fiber at hand.  It was a great time.

This group doesn't actually have any official name, however, I titled my post "Wiley Winders" because on one conversation I had with one of the organizers - she mentioned that at one time they were thinking of naming themselves after one of the original spinners in the group that they loved and missed who had passed away not too long ago (her last name was Wiley).  So my title is done with warmth and fondness for the super weekend.  I came home so artistically rejuvenated and inspired.  I truly can't wait to do it again.