Settling In

SAFF!

After an absolutely wonderful weekend away with fiber friends, I'm back and ready to settle in to fall days with bunnies and projects, while the wind blows dead leaves across the yard and the sunny skies turn pale blue.

Chris of Woolybuns and I headed for SAFF on Friday; she came down on Wednesday evening and we spent the day Thursday at the shop. She's working on some terrific knitting; the hat she finished is gorgeous and she started a neat pair of socks. I worked on a little baret for the trip; not nearly so interesting! Thanks to Chris I have a darling new addition to the bunny barn; pictures when I get some time to play with him!

It rained all the way down to North Carolina, but SAFF was as much fun as usual. We visited with Sandra of Thistlecove Farm and Linda of Goin' Up Cripple Creek for a little while Friday evening. We raised the roof with stories and comparing notes on purchases and knitting. Then on Saturday we ran across lots of fiber friends, including Jane of Fiber on the Mountain. We were able to see some of her beautiful little felted bears and some gorgeous hand spun yarn. Then we SHOPPED! I have dyed Jacob for blending with angora from Avillion Farm (Elaina bought a chocolate doe from me), silk for blending from ISeeSpots, yet another lovely Corriedale fleece from Rising Meadow Farm (she gets me EVERY time), some beautiful Brooks Farm yarn for more scarves and maybe a shawl, and some dyed mohair roving from Zeilinger Wool Company. The last roving was so I could practice in the motel room with this:


Ta-da!

At long last, after seven years of loyalty to my wonderful Reeves wheel, I finally bought a second wheel. It might be some kind of record for a spinner, to go so long without getting more than one spinning wheel. But the Reeves is special, and I've had one eye open for awhile for a smaller wheel I could use at the shop and for demonstrations. This little castle wheel is just what I had in mind. It's antique, so I can take it to historical demonstrations and it's small and not so valuable if anything happens to it. It spins very well; not quite so easy as the Reeves but still doesn't require a huge effort to treadle. I was albe to sit down and start spinning with minimal fuss; nice with an antique wheel.

Chris and I headed home on Sunday morning under gorgeous skies and with a car packed full of fiber. The time change got us out early and we were back in time for me to help out a bit at the shop. The wind had been steady while we were gone, and there is some smashed crockery on the porch that I need to finish sweeping up. We let all that go, though, so we could get over to the corn maze in the late afternoon. The grand finale weekend had arrived and we all dressed up to haunt the maze. Chris and I were witches but there were some really spooky things wandering through the trails!


Meadows of Dan Witches


Corn Maze Terrors

After dinner Chris and I headed over to favorite cousin's cozy house, where Chris was spending the night in the niece's suite. Sweet is a better word; this is a lovely room and bath tucked under the eaves of the lovely house, with a sky light and welcoming furnishings. We had a nice visit despite the fact that Chris and I were both tired, then I came back home to tend dogs and settle in to spinning for the evening.


Lily and the Spinning Wheels

Chris is driving north toward home this morning, and I'm planning to spend the day working on the November/December issue of Fiber Femmes. Even though all the wool back at the house is calling my name!