I think I just need to accept that this is how my blog life is always going to be: a flurry of activity then silence. I don't seem to be able to do it any other way. Perhaps it's not ideal but it's better than nothing. Anyway, as the title says, I've been busy (as usual!). This is me right before we started unloding at California Wool & Fiber Festival. Hard to believe that was just over a week ago. We borrowed my dad's Westfalia and crammed it full of wool and then used it to camp out behind the fairground for the weekend. We could have fit one or two things more in there but not much. The good news is that we did come back with less than we arrived with. Honestly when I saw all the things we were going to try and put in the van I had my doubts as to if it was going to all fit but fit it did!
Overall it was a great weekend. We were next to Jeane who is the owner of Elemental Affects and Morgaine of Carolina Homespun was next to her so we had a great time chatting and covering for each other while we were teaching classes.
Here is one side of our booth. Overall I think that we sold more fiber than yarn which is great. It reflects the increase in interest in spinning that I think we are all seeing. While at the fair I taught 3 classes total. Two of the classes were drop spindle classes and one was a color spinning class on the wheel. I had a total of 8 students and half of them were kids. It was very heartwarming to see kids getting into spinning and they were doing a great job. Between the classes, being a vendor, the setting up and breaking down, and the camping we were very tired by the time that we finally pulled out of Booneville and headed home. So tired infact that I came down with the cold that is going around once I got home! It's starting to go away now but boy did it feel like my nose was stuck on perma-drip there for a few days.
I was really good while I was at the festival and didn't buy much but this fleece had to come home with me. It is the reserve grand champion fleece from the wool show. It's from Merry Meadows Farm and it's a 3" Cormo fleece that was coated. It's just a dream! It's only about three pounds so it is not a huge undertaking either. I'm leaving soon for SOAR and then from there I will head to NY for Rheinbeck so I would like to get it washed before I go. I'm not sure if that's going to happen but a girl's gotta have goals, no?
My desktop computer still isn't up and running so I am using flickr to resize my photos so I will try and get caught up here in between getting ready to out of town for more than two weeks!
That is one beautiful and tempting table, and it's wonderful to hear your weekend was a success.
I'm attempting now to wash my first fleece - dropping them off is so much easier :)
Have a blast at SOAR and hopefully I will be running into you at Rhinebeck (well not literally)
Posted by: michelle | September 24, 2007 at 04:57 PM
Gah! I had that cold the weekend of California Wool & Fiber so I didn't get to go - waah! Your table looks fabulous, and boy, am I jealous of that Cormo fleece! Slurpy good fun there. Have a great time at SOAR and Rhinebeck - I expect reports!
Posted by: Julia | September 24, 2007 at 05:24 PM
Congrats on the show success! Your booth looks great! Hope to see you at Rhinebeck. :)
Posted by: Jessica | September 25, 2007 at 07:48 AM
Oooo you're coming to Rhinebeck again this year?! Very cool. I will have the shorties though this year (and a babysitter - fingers crossed) and probably only Sunday as it is a far more subdued day. Hopefully I'll see you.
Posted by: Risa | September 25, 2007 at 01:12 PM
Hey Brooke - TOTALLY random, but I just stumbled on your blog while surfing knitting websites. I haven't talked to you in FOREVER but I will be at Rhinebeck on Saturday, so I'll keep my eyes peeled for you! :)
Liz Steen - Cornell '01
Posted by: Liz Steen | October 16, 2007 at 06:54 PM