One of the things I look forward to in the fall is the nearby fiber festival. Here at the self storage place they are one of my tenants. The first year I went I had no idea what it was about, but as a knitter I was intrigued by the 'fiber' in the middle of the event's title and plucked up my courage and went by myself.
The next year, I went, knowing a few of my new knitting group regulars would also be there. I shopped with them a little, but I love to just sit and people watch the best. I'm usually pretty broke, so people watching is pretty fun and low cost (please read that as FREE) for me.
That's what I did this year. I went over and found a spot in the shade and knitted away in my front row seat to the event.
This attendee brought their own fleece! And was as happy with being out in the sunshine as I was.
One of the things that I've heard many people look for when they attend the festival is this nice lady who spins angora wool right off the rabbit. She had two, a dark one and this little treasure. I've heard she also performs this amazing feat at the county fair. I'm thinking kids would be pretty impressed with that.
This gentle creature walked by me also, but I couldn't unclutch my knitting and warm the camera fast enough to get a better shot than this.
One of the things I like watching for is the projects people may have made from the treasures they've picked up in years past. These socks weren't made from festival finds, but I had to get a shot of them. Grandma made the five-year-old grandchild matching socks because she liked grandma's but they didn't fit!!!
I think this was an exhibitor with yarn from her store, made into a beautiful jewel-toned shawlette.
This cardy looks like something I would have done. Feather and fan lace is one of my memorized patterns and my 'OCD' would have me sort the colors into this order. . .
A staple of this event is to purchase one of these South American baskets. I haven't purchased one, but I do own one that was left behind in a storage unit. It contains all my little leftovers.
One of the things you can count on seeing at the Fiber Festival is spinning. Some of these ladies are also in my knitting group. There is lots of tools to be found, to spin the various fleeces either on wheels or drop spindles, to the looms, needles and hooks, yarn to be purchased individually or in kits. One of my friends who attended for the first time told me that by the time we met up she was on overload. I came home content, received lots of compliments on my project, many friendly faces and an afternoon in the sun is always a good thing, especially an afternoon spent knittng.
If you are wondering why I didn't post any pics of the project I was working on, stay tuned. It's to be a gift, the recipient should have it by mid October and then I can show it to you, too.
. . . and May the Fleece be with you.
Maggie is very happy to go anywhere. She ran back and forth into the waves very playfully. We think it may have been Dori's first time with sand in her toes. She seemed to like it, mostly walking with ears and tail up, sniffing strange things and running as much as I could keep up with her.
