All Gathered Up

This past Saturday, I hopped into my car, picked up Sue and Beth, and headed off to Port Hope for the annual fibrefest known as 'A Gathering of Handspinners', presented by the Great Pine Ridge Spinners and Weavers and the Northumberland Hooks and Needles Guild.

I look forward to this day all year.

This is one of those meet-ups that I can never explain to normal people. How do you explain, to the average person-on-the-street, that you're off to investigate fleece?

Fleece? Like sweat-suits, right?

No. Fleece. Like giving a sheep a haircut, then turning it into yarn.

Yeah, right. Everyone knows that fleece is made out of pop bottles.

 

Sigh.

Never mind.

 

Saturday, I spent rummaging through raw fleeces, poking through prepped rovings and examining new equipment with all the joy and excitement of  a 15-year-old boy, being introduced to his first HEMI.

I got to meet wildlife:

The little bunny and his lovely steward belong to Sylvia.

 

I was offered food and drink:

I said, "Hello," to the father of my favourite drop spindles:

(That would be, the one and only, Alvin Ramer! Best crafter of spinning and fibre prep equipment I know.)

I met more friends there:

 
That's Reagan, extolling the joys and virtues of her Bosworth spindle to Beth and Sue.

And Heidi, the brains behind Sheep and Spindle fibres.

That's Heidi, on the left. (Don't you just love her hair?) She's initiating a new spindle spinner.

One of the neat things about the Gathering is the socks. Many spinners and knitters who attend, like to demonstrate their ability with the wool and needles. The results are beautiful and myriad:

 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beautiful. Every pair.

I saw many, many beautiful yarns being spun up from some glorious natural and dyed fleeces. This one, by Mara, was just amazing. She told me that she started with a natural gray fleece (I can't remember the breed), and then dyed it with coreopsis flowers. From the freezer.

 
Isn't that gorgeous? I think so.

 Mara also invited me to come and check out the Great Pine Ridge Spinners and Weavers. I think I just might.

At around 1pm, there was a door prize draw. The prize table was loaded, this year

After the draw, (No, I didn't win anything.) I started touring the hall, determined to go home with something truly special. Not difficult, here.

There was Rose Haven Farm

and Wellington Fibres

and the lovely ladies from Dyeing for Colour

And many, many, other, wonderful enablers fleece providers -- hence the big smiles on my girls and me.

Too soon, it was time to go back out into the rain and head home

After we dropped Beth off, Sue commented on feeling cold. So we did what any self-respecting, cold and damp Canadian would

 
Sue looks warmer, already.

Tomorrow, I'll show you what goodies I acquired.

Comments

[NessaMcTastic]

Super cool stuff. I just got my first drop spindle (a turkish one from knit picks) and I'm trying to make heads and tails out of it. So far I've only managed to be thoroughly confused and frightened by it. ;)